Tag: food

How many fads and crazy diets have you tried?

Even though deep in your heart you know this isn’t the proper way to get rid of any extra weight, do you still hope that this one is the miracle you’ve been hoping for?

It’s time to get out of the infomercial-driven market and realize that the real miracle diet is in natural methods of weight loss using nature’s own miracle foods.

By incorporating natural foods and strategies, you’ll be able to lose the weight you’ve been hanging onto for good.

Here are some natural foods to provide you with an upper hand in your weight loss battle:

1. Choose brown rice over white rice. Why brown rice?

The answer is simple, fiber.

Brown rice is loaded with fiber.

Due to the simple fact that the rice’s hull is kept intact during its processing, it retains its fiber content. 

The natural fiber in brown rice allows our systems to run smoother and keeps us full for much longer than low fiber white rice. 

Brown rice can be found in any grocery store, usually next to the white rice.

Throw some extra vegetables or herbs into the rice for some extra flavor and variety.

2. Choose sweet potatoes over white potatoes.

They aren’t just for Thanksgiving anymore!

Sweet potatoes are high in anti-oxidants and vitamins and are absolutely delicious as well.

Providing many more nutrients than a typical white potato, they’re low in calories and a great weight loss food choice.

Peel and cut sweet potatoes into chips or shoestring fries and roast in the oven for a tasty and colorful treat.

3. Water. Water is at the top of the list for a natural weight loss strategy.

It sounds pretty obvious, but the truth is, we don’t tend to drink enough water every day.

Not only does water flush out toxins and impurities, but it also helps in raising the metabolism, regulating body temperature and keeping our heart and brain healthy. 

Be aware that the popular flavored waters often add some kind of sugar, artificial sweetener, or even salt to the formula, making them less healthy than plain water.

Stick to the natural stuff!

4. Legumes and beans. The benefits that beans and legumes provide are absolutely outstanding!

They’re low in fat and high in fiber, making them a great choice for weight loss.

They’re also extremely heart-healthy. 

You can find a multitude of recipes online that incorporate legumes and beans.

Take some time to do a recipe search and your heart with thank you.

5. Fruit. Fruit is a wonderful addition to any natural weight loss regime.

It provides natural energy to make exercising easier and it’s loaded with fiber to keep us full and curb cravings.

Fruit should be eaten raw to receive its full benefit, especially the fiber.

Fruit juice doesn’t provide the same nutritional value as eating an actual piece of fruit. 

Fruit smoothies are an excellent way to start your day.

Even if you’re not a breakfast person, smoothies are easy to make and take on the go.

Plus if you use fresh fruits, you’ll retain the vitamin content.

6. Vegetables. Vegetables are one of the building blocks of good nutrition, and essential to weight loss success.

High in vitamins and nutrients, veggies also provide us with energy to sustain us throughout the day.

Plus, they have very little sodium, so they reduce bloating and water weight gain. 

Try to incorporate veggies into your lunches and dinners every day, specifically aim for dark orange and dark green vegetables like squash, spinach, pumpkin, and romaine lettuce.

A simple side salad or lettuce and tomato on a sandwich are easy ways to get started.

7. Eat organic and raw. It’s always best when trying to lose weight naturally to utilize organic products as much as possible.

Organic produce is free of pesticides and preservatives and raw foods retain all of their natural vitamins and minerals.

By ridding your body of these dangerous chemicals, weight loss can occur that much easier. 

Visit your local farmer’s market and support your local farmer.

They might also have a larger variety of organic produce than the grocery stores.

Following through with your decision to lose weight can sometimes seem overwhelming.

But if you approach it with a few natural tips and tricks under your belt, you’ll be that much closer to weight loss success!

How important is good health to you?

How do you keep yourself healthy despite a busy schedule?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

Also, as your gift for taking this to heart – and this is profoundly important… to us ALL – go to UnitingPlanetEarth.com/ignition/ and do the Uniting Planet Earth 7-Day Quick-Start Ignition Program… and Allow it to Transform Your Life.

Before you leave…

Please share the link to this post on your Facebook, Twitter, etc., and like it, and comment right here – THANKS!

Are you struggling to keep your resolution to eat healthy, nutritious foods?

Once you’ve set a goal to maintain healthy eating habits, how do you go about actually achieving that goal?

The good news is that once you do something consistently for only a few weeks, it becomes a habit.

Here are some simple techniques to help you avoid those tempting junk foods so you can make wise and healthy decisions in your daily routine.

Strategies to Avoid Temptation: 

1. Am I hungry?

Ask yourself if you’re really hungry or if you’re eating out of convenience or emotion.

Many times you probably aren’t as hungry as you think, so try to get involved in a different activity instead of snacking.

2. Water, water, and more water.

Drink a lot of water each day.

Not only is this good for your whole body (both inside and out), it can actually make you feel full.

Also, oftentimes when you think you’re hungry, your body is actually thirsty, so keep yourself well hydrated.

3. Try chewing gum.

Putting something in your mouth like gum or hard, sugar-free candy can help convince your brain that you’re eating!

4. Divert your energy.

Instead of putting all your energy into making two grilled cheese sandwiches with bacon, try taking a walk or doing something that requires you to use your hands, like knitting or woodworking.

It’s pretty hard to do these and eat at the same time.

5. Allow yourself snack time.

Choose healthy snacks instead of chips and salsa or chocolate bars.

For snack time, try eating celery, popcorn without butter, fruits, or a make-your-own trail mix with raisins, nuts, and dried fruits.

A good hint for snacking is to have healthy snacks readily available in your home, and unhealthy snacks completely out of the house; that way, the healthy stuff is easy to grab.

How to Choose Healthy Foods: 

The next time you’re off to the grocery store, use these tips to help you choose the right foods and avoid the unhealthy stuff.

1. Stay away from preservatives.

You don’t need that Twinkie that can outlast any environmental disaster!

When you learn to read nutrition labels and ingredient lists, you’ll find that there are many snacks that are full of preservatives.

You probably shouldn’t buy the food when the ingredient list contains more than a handful of items.

Plus, if the expiry date isn’t until two years from now, it’s being heavily preserved.

2. Use the food pyramid.

The recommended food pyramid from the Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gears you toward whole foods and minimal sweets.

Get a copy from the FDA and make your grocery list by following their guidelines.

3. Buy lots of fresh vegetables that you can use to make up a quick and healthy stir-fry with chicken, brown rice, or even soy products.

Buy easy to make salads where the lettuce and other veggies are already washed.

These are easy, quick, healthy, and they taste good.

The key is to choose vegetables that are dark green or orange in color.

3. Buy fresh fruits and do some research on how to tell when fruits are at their freshest and when they’re in season.

Try some of those exotic fruits you’ve always looked at but never purchased.

Make your own fruit drinks and smoothies for a healthy, delicious treat.

More Great Grocery Store Tips: 

1. Shop in a circle.

Many nutritionists will tell you to shop the perimeter of the store.

Grocery stores are usually set up with their fresh foods, fruits, vegetables, fish, and breads all around the perimeter.

Preservative-laced foods are in the center and at the ends of each aisle.

2. Go alone.

Leave your children in good hands and go alone to the grocery store.

This way you can concentrate on getting only the healthy foods you desire without being pressured into buying junk.

Alternatively, if you do bring your children, be prepared to spend extra time teaching them how to spot healthy foods.

3. Make a list!

This technique is a tried and true method to avoid buying foods that aren’t healthy.

Stick to your list and, for fun, seek out healthy foods you haven’t tried before to tempt your taste buds

With some determination and strategies in place, you can achieve your goal to eat healthy!

By incorporating healthy changes into your diet one by one, you’re slowly creating a new habit.

Before long, you’ll be choosing healthy foods without a second thought, and those unhealthy foods you used to eat will no longer tempt you.

Once you discover the benefits and better taste of fresh and healthy foods, you’ll never want to go back!

How often do you have nutritious food in your diet?

What are you favorite healthy foods?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

Also, as your gift for taking this to heart – and this is profoundly important… to us ALL – go to UnitingPlanetEarth.com/ignition/ and do the Uniting Planet Earth 7-Day Quick-Start Ignition Program… and Allow it to Transform Your Life.

Before you leave…

Please share the link to this post on your Facebook, Twitter, etc., and like it, and comment right here – THANKS!