Today I am going to discuss several key ideas to help you lose fat and gain health. There are so many sources out there that contradict each other. Sometimes it is hard to decipher what is what and who is really accurate.
I can tell you I certainly have no problem with people chosing to believe something different. I have no problem with different choices or decisions. I also have no problem with people seeking out resources that back what they choose. I do, however, hope that many of you will take what I have to say into consideration. My own belief is based on science and research as well. I listen to a number of experts discuss issues such as diabetes, obesity, and other nutrtion-related issues. I have read numerous studies by a number of professionals. My own practice is based on this.
So, without further ado, some of the key facts for your health are as follows:
1. In order to begin losing fat and gaining a balanced system, eat less carbohydrates, more protein, and even more healthy saturated fats.
2. Healthy fats include saturated fats in avocados, coconut oil, grass-fed meats, and wild-caught fish.
3. Eat less foods with Omega-6 fatty acids and more foods with Omega-3 fatty acids. This means eat liver products from things such as fish or grass-fed animals. Stop eating grains and processed foods. They will contain more Omega-6s.
4. Stop eating fructose. This means High Fructose Corn Syrup AND fruit fructose. Of course, many might say…”but we’ve always been told fruit is a healthy snack.” Yes, in very limited moderation…and when you eat the right kinds. LIMIT those containing high amounts of carbohydrates and fructose like bananas and apples. LIMIT those that are high in sweet and citrus such as oranges. DO eat some berries…these contain many antioxidants and are lower in fructose.
5. Stop eating processed foods. This one should be obvious. Processed food is not really food at all if you think about it. I mean, why do those frozen dinners have an ingredient list that reads like a chemistry experiment? Because…essentially, it IS a chemistry experiment. In order to make the food last for transport and shelf-life, they remove fiber. Then, they have to add something to make it taste good. What do they normally add? FRUCTOSE or SOMETHING SIMILAR. So, basically, they remove the healthy product out of the food because they want money. Then, they add in the unhealthy product to make the food taste good again…because food without the fiber agents would just taste like cardboard. Food additives do as the name applies…ADD in something to mask or mock the flavor.
7. Remove soy and corn from your diet: These foods are just not good for you. Soy is not a health food. It is actually a toxin. Unless it is fermented (the way our friends suffering in Japan right now usually traditionally ate their SMALL amounts), it is extremely bad for the body. These two products are also most likely to be GMOs (genetically modified organisms…aka: foods made by a lab…usually created from “Round-Up Ready Seeds” that Monsanto has forced down people’s throats (literally). Yes, that is the same Round-Up that you spray on weeds to kill them…a toxic substance…a poison!
8. Cut out gluten. I cannot stress how many people may very well have issues with this product! Many do not even realize it, but they are having reactions to it. Even if you have gotten tested for gluten sensitivity in the past and the test has come back negative, there is still a great risk that you have gluten reactions that don’t show in most tests. Cutting this out will actually show you how much it is commonly misunderstood. If you cut this out, you might find you have less problems with gut, auto-immune issues, nervous system issues, and more!
9. Just stop with the toxic substance called ASPARTAME! This means NO artificial sweeteners…NO DIET drinks…instead, try STEVIA. If you absolutely MUST have a soda, there is one called ZEVIA that you can find online and at Whole Paycheck (uh, I mean Foods). It is sweetened with Zevia, is 0 kcalories, and has none of that icky bad stuff in it! I have tried it, and it is quite tasty. Even Bob liked it!
10. Here is a sample of a meal that should be good for everyone, but is most definitely good for lowering risk of diabetes. It may also help you lose fat quickly and effortlessly due to the insulin reaction in the body (a very scientific process that I hope to illustrate for you after my birthday):
This meal might sound like breakfast, but you can eat it anytime. I just did the other day:
- 2 Grass-fed pastured eggs cooked however you want in clarified butter or grass-fed butter (don’t be afraid to use a lot or to use what real butter you need…even if it is not clarified or grass-fed, it is still better than those nasty hydrogenated products)
- Several Pieces of Nitrite and Nitrate free Bacon (mine was turkey, but you can use whichever kind you want…and don’t be afraid to make a lot of it, either. Also, it tastes yummy to cook this with some coconut oil in the pan)
- 1/2 a Large Avocado
- Scoop of Grass-fed Goat Cheese (if you have auto-immune issues or problems with dairy, avoid this product)
- 1 Leaf of Organic Green-Leaf Lettuce
- 1/2 Glass Almond Milk (unsweetened)
That seems like a large list, right? Not really. It might be a long list, but if you break it down, it is not really much…and it is filling! You can walk away from this meal feeling satiated. It should also last you quite a while…and it won’t spike your blood sugar as much as a ton of carbohydrates will.
Simply, if you eat whole foods that you cook and make sure you do lower carbohydrates (preferably no processed ones and mostly carbs from veggies), moderate protein, and high saturated fat, you should get really great health and fat-loss results. You should have plenty of energy and less chance of insulin reaction as well!
If you feel like you don’t have time to always cook, try cooking a lot of stuff at one time then saving the rest. I do this. I will cook an entire package of meat and put most of it in the fridge for a couple of days. This will be my lunch or dinner for those days I just don’t have time to cook something or don’t feel like it. If you don’t like left-over type foods like this, try freezing it after you cook it…then, it could be sort of like a frozen dinner. Of course, heating it up still might not do it justice like the fresh meal…but it is a convenient and pretty tasty way to get a better meal.
Healthy snacks can include things like jerky (nitrite and nitrate free), berries (a small amount), LIMITED dried fruit (I prefer dried mango. Be careful to only get the unsulfered kind…or dry the fruit yourself…you don’t need the added sugar of the store brands…let alone all the other processed things in that), and a handful of nuts (raw…not peanuts…those are legumes not nuts). I like macadamias but I can say from experience that you absolutely CAN overdo it. Just grab a handful.
Finally, DRINK GOOD WATER. Now, most tap water has some nasty stuff in it and added to it…so try a water filter to help…or choose your favorite spring water (many people will warn about the plastic bottles putting out chemicals, but my concern is more on what is in other water rather than the minute things a plastic bottle might cause).
AND…
WALK, LIFT HEAVY THINGS SOMETIMES, and SPRINT OCCASIONALLY.
Ok, ok, if you don’t like to sprint, try dancing or something you do like…but not for long periods of time…I’m talking small little bursts…like 30 seconds followed by walking for 2 minutes…then 30 seconds again…and so on for about 20 to 30 minutes!
That’s it! If you try some of these suggestions, you should begin to notice results within a few days or so…it may be just a few or it may be a month…but it WILL help…I promise!
I’ll post more on the insulin reaction after my birthday. I hope to be doing an animation of the process to help you visualize it for understanding!
If you want personalized assistance with your own fat-loss or health change, please contact me. I can help you with a personalized nutrition plan as well as a personalized work-out program. Be held accountable! Lose it for life and get healthy for long life! Let me give you my assistance! I have experience and knowledge…and I know it can be done!
Until then, Have a Healthy Day!
Rachel
My contact info:
Email me personally with your number and issue. I will then contact you for more!
alternefit 
Great blog today, Rachel.. absolutely sound advice!! Love it!! Thanks!
Good stuff, toots! Andrew’s mom just got diagnosed with diabetes, so we’re changing things up a bit more. We do cook with SOME butter, but it’s kind of expensive, so whenever I can, I use the spread that’s made from olive oil(can’t remember the name of it for the life of me, but the stats on it are pretty good, and it has a short ingredient list). I’m a BIG fan of olive oil- and, some of those “celebrity cooks” that only use EVOO (extra virgin olive oil- and calling it EVOO is a hint as to who I am referring to) are talking out of their butts. EVOO is mostly for salads & stuff. For cooking, you use regular (& much less expensive) olive oil.
Also, I saw that you mentioned clarified butter. Sometimes you can go to a grocery store that specializes in foods from other parts of the world. You can find a product called “Ghee”. It’s Indian clarified butter, and I’ve heard great things about it. =) (And that in those stores Ghee is cheaper than “clarified butter” at a hoity-toity store. Yeah, I’m cheap, you know that.)
Thanks also for talking about GMO’s, wheat gluten, and the general all around JUNK that is put in foods today. It kind of bums me out that people seem to blindly believe that if a company makes a product, it is good for you. Well, maybe not GOOD, but not evil. And that’s just not the case in a lot of situations in the food world.
Will you be letting users post recipes as well? Andrew made an AWESOME braised short rib tonight, that’s not too shabby health wise. =) Plus, you know we are always tinkering in the kitchen, and I’d love to post some of my “ooopses” that end up hits. =D
Last but not least- have you checked Jamie Oliver’s site out? I’m a HUGE fan, and I think you’d like what he’s about, and his recipes.
Hey Dallas, Post away with the recipes! I would love them! And yes, I have heard of Ghee…actually, I have some in my own fridge!
Crap. Brain fry again. I forgot to close with- I think you’re doing GREAT! Keep up the great work! Lotsa love coming your way, from me! ❤