Best Diet For Weight Loss

Best diet for weight loss

People are always looking for the best diet for weight loss. But which diets really works? Furthermore, how do you know which diet is best for you?

Society for years have been telling us to avoid fat. In the 1980’s, there was the craze of the low-fat diet. It seemed as if everything in the supermarket was low fat. However, during that same time obesity rates soared in North America.

Then the ‘get moving’ movement came along…..get out and exercise! Excellent advice of course, but then why 20-30 years later are we as a society more overweight than ever? 

Well, think of what manufacturers have to do to their product when they take the fat out? They add SUGAR!  In fact, sugar is everywhere including foods deemed healthy, even milk!

But “Isn’t Sugar Just Calories, Not Fat?”

We’ve all been told about the calories in/calories out formula.  So theoretically, “if I eat and then exercise, I won’t get fat”.

Well, that isn’t completely true. There are a lot of well-researched articles out there that explain this in depth, but the simple bottom line is that sugar is making us fat.

excess sugar

Why All The Hype About Sugar?

Sugar is glucose. Our blood cannot have an excess of glucose. This is why we have a hormone called insulin that regulates it. Insulin is crucial as it allows the cells in our muscles, fat and liver to absorb glucose that is in the blood. The glucose serves as energy to these cells. Our bodies are smart. The cells take only what they can use and nothing more.

What Happens When Our Cells Have What They Need, But There Is Excess Glucose In Our Blood?

For the sake of our health, insulin will take care of that! Insulin will convert it into fat, which appears on our tummy, thighs, arms..…all the places we’re trying to ‘burn it off’!

Our fat cells will always take more. They are never satisfied unlike the other cells which only take what they need.

So, our excess glucose is now FAT but sugar isn’t the only culprit.

Eating more protein than your body needs also converts to glucose. In addition foods high in carbohydrates act as a sugar in your body! Rice, pasta, potatoes, breads….all are glucose in your blood stream that insulin must deal with.

But our cells need energy! That is where FAT comes in. Our cells are designed to obtain energy from fat and our brain needs fat to function properly.

healthy fats

Not All Fat Is Bad Fat

Now, we’re not talking about harmful trans-fats. Rather the mono/poly-unsaturated ‘good’ fats that come from vegetables and plants. Think avocados, nuts, salmon and coconut oil.

Also, some saturated fats in moderation are necessary, despite even what national health guidelines may tell us. Saturated fat and cholesterol are essential to brain health and are not to be avoided! Not only are these fats essential to our body but they are low on the glycemic index which keeps your insulin low.

All About The Essentials

When you think about it, we have ‘essential’ proteins, fats and amino acids. “But have you ever heard of an ‘essential carbohydrate’?”

By consuming fat you’re keeping your blood sugar low and are more likely to feel satisfied. Therefore you’re less likely to get ‘hangry’ and make poor food choices. This is because with insulin low and blood sugars stable, your brain will make appropriate choices and you will feel fuller longer.

Fat has all sorts of other great health benefits. So don’t fear the fat! In fact, eat more fat, eat less carbohydrate foods and sugars. Your brain will thank you; not to mention you will have greater energy that is sustained throughout the day.

low carb high fat

My Own Testimonial On The Best Diet For Weight Loss

I started a high-fat, low carb way of eating in the summer of 2015. Within a few weeks I was eating less food in general. Not consuming the copious amounts of food that our society seems to believe we need. Due to reducing sugar-laden foods, my taste buds became more sensitive to pure natural tastes which made meals more enjoyable.

My digestive system is now happier. My brain fog, gone. I lost 40 pounds by spring and have kept it off. Also, when I get hungry, I’m not ‘hangry’ and can prepare wholesome foods for my family. The research I’ve done on fat has proven this to be the best diet for weight loss and has been well worth it. You too may reap the benefits. So fear not the fat!

How To Encourage Children To Eat Vegetables

Getting your kids to eat their vegetables can be one of the greatest daily struggles for parents.  Building healthy eating habits takes a lot of effort for parents to sometimes battle it out with their children.

Start Small & Tackle One Meal At A Time

First, start off with breakfast and work on getting sugary cereals, pastries, and dairy off the menu.  Substitute cereals for oatmeal and fruit.  Pastries for homemade muffins (recipe below), and dairy milk for almond or coconut milk to use in smoothies.

First and foremost, parents need to set the example to their children on how to eat properly.

Children easily pick up on the habits of their parents and will gravitate towards the eating style presented at home.  Take a minute and think about the kind of example you are setting for your children.  Ask yourself the following;

  • Do you make meal time a priority?  Preparing regular healthy meals as a family?  Or are you picking up takeout on the way home from work because you are exhausted?
  • What is your attitude towards food and your body image?
  • What messages are you consciously or unconsciously sending your children?
Encouraging your children to take care of their health is one of the greatest acts of love a parent can give their child.

Mindset around meals and snacks can easily be shifted to a more positive experience.  Involve the family in weekly meal planning and grocery shopping for the ingredients that will be needed for those meals.

Older children and teens can also take part in meal prep by washing vegetables and helping to prepare dinner.  Giving children a voice around their meal choices will help with encouraging healthier eating habits.  Provide your children with a choice of what vegetables they are going to eat each day.  In addition, add one wild card vegetable to the menu each week that they may not like, but are willing to try.

Click here to read, “Are You Eating Enough Colour?”

Tips & Tricks To Add Vegetables To Every Day Meals

  1.  Throw a handful of spinach or kale into smoothies.  Yes, the smoothie will be green, but the flavour and texture of the spinach is masked by all the fruit.

For a a fantastic green pineapple smoothie, click here to read, “Happy St. Patrick’s Day Recipes”.

cauliflower rice

2. Use the food processor to turn cauliflower into the texture of rice.  Sauté the cauliflower “rice” in a tablespoon of olive oil and season to taste.

zucchini noodles

3. Use a spiral slicing tool to turn zucchini into noodles.  It will resemble pasta and can be topped with your favourite sauce and veggies.

Grilled spaghetti squash

4. Use spaghetti squash instead of pasta to make traditional spaghetti with meatballs (remember to use grass fed beef for the meatballs).

Click here for “The Ultimate Guide For How to Cook Spaghetti Squash”.

fruit salad ideas

5. Rather than ice cream for dessert, serve a plate of fresh fruit.

Almond-Berry Muffin Recipe

As promised, below is a recipe for healthy muffins that freeze well and are easy to serve as part of a healthy breakfast.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups raw almonds, ground
  • 2 free-range eggs
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
  • 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt (optional)
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen berries (raspberries, blueberries)
  • 1/4 cup chocolate chips
  • 12 muffin liners

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350F.
  2. Grind raw almonds until fine.
  3. Mix eggs, coconut oil maple syrup, vanilla and apple cider vinegar in a bowl. Add ground almonds and baking soda. Mix thoroughly.
  4. Fold in berries and sprinkle with chocolate chips.
  5. Evenly distribute batter between 12 muffin cups.
  6. Bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes.
  7. ENJOY!!

Also, try this recipe breakfast muffins. It’s another great healthy breakfast idea that you can prepare in advance!

5 Tips You Must Know to Destroy Stress Today!

What are you doing to manage your stress? It seems like every day we are inundated by more and more triggers, and the world just seems to be speeding up.

If you can’t keep up, what if you just stopped? What if you just turned off the pace of the rest of the world and went inside for a bit?

The thing is, most of the daily stresses in our lives will not matter in five years. Maybe not even in 5 days! But they are serious triggers in a moment-by-moment day.

Obviously, there are the major stresses, such as the passing of a loved one, major life decisions, new career opportunities, relationships ending and children arriving into your life, but for the daily stresses, how can we manage that better?

Most of us are on the clock.

The majority of stress is because we have way too many things to complete in a day, than the clock gives us time to do!

It’s always speeding up and the to-do list tends to continue to grow.

Between responsibilities at home, at work, at your children’s school, caring for aging parents, creating healthy meals, working on your relationships and squeezing in a little social time, it is really hard to balance everything that life demands of us.

Here are some tips that will sound crazy, and your stressed-out brain will say “ABSOLUTELY NOT! I HAVE NO MORE TIME IN THE DAY FOR ANYTHING!”

But I promise you, that after just a couple weeks, (and in some cases just a couple of days) your life will feel more put together than you could ever imagine in this moment.

1. Quit Sugar, Quit Caffeine, Quit Smoking, Quit Drinking (Yes, you read that right!)

All of these substances wreak havoc on your adrenals and your stress response system. Your body does not need any other external stresses to deal with, and sugar, caffeine, nicotine and alcohol are all very serious triggers for your body. It sends your body out of equilibrium by introducing external substances that are meant to excite or depress you. Your body must fight to expel these substances and adds an extra burden to your health.

Stop the sugary foods – pasta, breads, rice, muffins, cereal, and focus on consuming a colourful plant based diet. Limit your caffeine intake to one coffee per day, no more soda and no more energy drinks! Even switching to herbal tea would make a huge impact! Get off the cigarettes and curb your evening wine or drinks. It all interferes with your entire system.

2. Begin a Daily Stress Reduction Practice

Even for 5 minutes a day, sit in a relaxed position and let you mind focus on gratitude. Focus on your breath, the easiest thing you can be grateful for. Follow your breath and feel its powerful rhythm. Enjoy the moment between inhalation and exhalation – the pause – as there is power in the stillness. This little bit of time will help to centre you for your day.

3. Move that Body!

Seriously, for even 15 minutes a day. Turn the music up and dance! Or speed walk around the neighbourhood with your family. Be silly, take turns seeing who can walk the fastest! Get your heart rate up and have fun! Try a class at the gym, do a yoga video on YouTube, or try a high intensity interval training session. Just move it more often and your body will reward you by feeling energized and more alive.

4. Master Your Mind

Decide what demands your attention and what can wait. Prioritize your to-do list and understand that you can only do what you can do. Try to stop focusing on staying ahead of the clock. What are you rushing against anyway? We all end up in the same place, so why rush through life so quickly?

5. Get Adjusted!

Your spine needs to be in alignment to let you function at 100%! Get adjusted regularly and know that the interferences that find their way into your spine via stress, injuries, repetition and toxins are being removed by your Doctor of Chiropractic.