We all hear about “portion control” and its importance but serving sizes do not apply to fruits and vegetables. Eat pounds and pounds of every fruits and vegetables, not just small packages of berries. These foods are practically void of calories when accounting for their fiber content. The sugar content of fruit should be of no concern unless you are overweight or diabetic…and even in this case your diet should not be void of fruit. Just add them slowly in the diet until your insulin resistance factor is working properly. In fact, years of neglecting healthy eating may create an insulin production disorder. Proof of this is the exponential growth of diabetes.
Adding pounds of produce to your diet is not easy. It should be done gradually to prevent excessive gas or bowel movements. It is best to eat more frequently, eating 4-6 times per day, instead of 2-3 times per day. This is an essential component to increasing metabolism. This is also essential to the consumption of pounds of produce. The bulk of the foods alone demand multiple servings. This is just the beginning of a healthy diet.
Every individual's diet can not be the same. Balance must exist between calories consumed, and calories burned through activity and basil metabolism. Your calorie expenditure can vary from 1,800 calories to 9,000 depending on muscle tissue, overall weight, age, and gender. Even more factors may affect the way you gain and lose weight. Start by the simple tips that I just went over.
- Eat every 3-5 hours to avoid going in a catabolic state which will slow metabolism. This includes before going to sleep, do not go to sleep hungry!
- Eat 5-10 servings of fresh fruit and vegetables every day. Do not overcook or saturate with oils, optimally eat raw or steamed, or cooked with very low heat. Overcooking can not only make vegetables less appetizing but can also destroy precious nutrients.
- Eat fiber at every meal. This can be easily accomplished by adding a fruit or vegetable to any meal, which has shown to reduce cravings and meals sizes.
Follow these 3 simple tips and you are sure to reduce the amount of calories consumed per meal. With this reduction of calories, and an increased metabolism you are sure to lose weight. With the increase of fruits and veggies you are sure to increase your health by bringing cholesterol and blood pressure to desirable levels. With the addition of all this healthy eating practices you are sure to increase activity!
As I mentioned earlier, eating is a science. It should constantly be evaluated and enlightened with knowledge. In my next lecture I will explain the specific foods that should be eating and in what combination. It is important to start with slow and gradual steps towards better heath. Nutrition is a never-ending journey of happiness and new flavors. Everyone enjoys eating new exotic foods and that feeling should not be altered when experimenting with new exotic healthy foods.
