Healthy foods are without doubt the path to effortless weight loss. But how do we know what those healthy foods should be?
There are some no-brainers; we all know whole grain foods are the healthy alternative to their refined, processed cousins. We also know fruits and vegetables are a GOOD THING, especially raw or lightly cooked. We’ve read about drinking plenty of water and avoiding too much caffeine. But then the advice becomes contradictory. If fruits and vegetables are so good for us, why are high protein and fat, low-carb diets so popular for weight loss? And if high protein diets are unhealthy, why do people on a restricted calorie diet, high in complex carbohydrates not always lose weight and feel great?
The secret is to discover what healthy foods look like for you. Yes, whole grain foods are a better option, and well sourced fruits and vegetables are always part of a healthful way of eating. But we need a certain amount of protein and fat too, and check this: we don’t all need the same balance of carbohydrates, protein and fats! For some of us, that healthy balance of foods mean small amounts of protein, a little fat and plenty of carbohydrates. For others a healthful meal requires heavy proteins and fats, and just small portions of those supposedly healthy, complex carbohydrates. It could be that your healthy foods are any combination that lies between these two extremes.
So is it just a case of pot luck? Have a guess at the proportions you need and hope for the best? Fortunately no. We have two good sources that help us find our own balance of healthy foods, which will also help our bodies sort out any weight issues. The first is a system called metabolic typing – see the links below for more details about this inspiring way of eating for great good health. Metabolic Typing insists that as we are all unique individuals, we all have slightly differing needs, dietary as well as in almost every other way. The Metabolic Typing system helps us work out precisely what our personal needs are, so we can simply change our proportions of each of the main food groups until we get the right balance. This brings feelings of energy, clarity and a zest for living. And because we’re eating the right mix of foods to promote the best of health, these will also be the right healthy foods for weight loss.
The second source is one that most of us have learned to ignore, and that is the amazing feed-back system called the human body. If we start listening to it, we can soon tell what we need to function at our best. We all have times when, after eating we feel slow, sleepy and hardly able to function. Next time this happens, think carefully about what you had at your last meal. Try experimenting with changing the proportions to see how your body responds. It knows what it needs and likes.
And the great thing is, it doesn’t mean preparing different meals for each member of the family to ensure everyone’s getting the healthy foods they need. Let’s imagine I’m a protein type (needing more protein and less carbohydrate), my husband’s a carbohydrate type and my daughter’s a mixed type. We can still sit down to the same meal…for example roast chicken with sweet potatoes and vegetables. My plate will have a large portion of the dark leg meat, and a small amount of sweet potatoes and vegetables. My husband still needs protein, but not so much, so he’ll have a nice big portion of vegetables and sweet potato, and a small amount of white chicken breast. My daughter will have an equal balance of all of the foods, and so, we’ll all satisfy our bodies’ needs. So you see it’s not what we eat that’s necessarily healthy or unhealthy, but the proportions of what we eat. And when we get that right, weight loss will naturally follow.
Take care and stay healthy
Leah Salmon – The Naturally You Coach
After spending years as a nurse and medical secretary, Leah Salmon realised that orthodox medicine didn’t work and became a Naturally You Coach, helping people to use their foods and natural remedies to improve their health, instead of drugs, chemicals and surgeries. Now a published author of 2 books, a speaker, teacher and dedicated homeschooling mother to her 4 children, listen to Leah share the number one secret to great health at http://www.numberonesecrettohealth.com
There are some no-brainers; we all know whole grain foods are the healthy alternative to their refined, processed cousins. We also know fruits and vegetables are a GOOD THING, especially raw or lightly cooked. We’ve read about drinking plenty of water and avoiding too much caffeine. But then the advice becomes contradictory. If fruits and vegetables are so good for us, why are high protein and fat, low-carb diets so popular for weight loss? And if high protein diets are unhealthy, why do people on a restricted calorie diet, high in complex carbohydrates not always lose weight and feel great?
The secret is to discover what healthy foods look like for you. Yes, whole grain foods are a better option, and well sourced fruits and vegetables are always part of a healthful way of eating. But we need a certain amount of protein and fat too, and check this: we don’t all need the same balance of carbohydrates, protein and fats! For some of us, that healthy balance of foods mean small amounts of protein, a little fat and plenty of carbohydrates. For others a healthful meal requires heavy proteins and fats, and just small portions of those supposedly healthy, complex carbohydrates. It could be that your healthy foods are any combination that lies between these two extremes.
So is it just a case of pot luck? Have a guess at the proportions you need and hope for the best? Fortunately no. We have two good sources that help us find our own balance of healthy foods, which will also help our bodies sort out any weight issues. The first is a system called metabolic typing – see the links below for more details about this inspiring way of eating for great good health. Metabolic Typing insists that as we are all unique individuals, we all have slightly differing needs, dietary as well as in almost every other way. The Metabolic Typing system helps us work out precisely what our personal needs are, so we can simply change our proportions of each of the main food groups until we get the right balance. This brings feelings of energy, clarity and a zest for living. And because we’re eating the right mix of foods to promote the best of health, these will also be the right healthy foods for weight loss.
The second source is one that most of us have learned to ignore, and that is the amazing feed-back system called the human body. If we start listening to it, we can soon tell what we need to function at our best. We all have times when, after eating we feel slow, sleepy and hardly able to function. Next time this happens, think carefully about what you had at your last meal. Try experimenting with changing the proportions to see how your body responds. It knows what it needs and likes.
And the great thing is, it doesn’t mean preparing different meals for each member of the family to ensure everyone’s getting the healthy foods they need. Let’s imagine I’m a protein type (needing more protein and less carbohydrate), my husband’s a carbohydrate type and my daughter’s a mixed type. We can still sit down to the same meal…for example roast chicken with sweet potatoes and vegetables. My plate will have a large portion of the dark leg meat, and a small amount of sweet potatoes and vegetables. My husband still needs protein, but not so much, so he’ll have a nice big portion of vegetables and sweet potato, and a small amount of white chicken breast. My daughter will have an equal balance of all of the foods, and so, we’ll all satisfy our bodies’ needs. So you see it’s not what we eat that’s necessarily healthy or unhealthy, but the proportions of what we eat. And when we get that right, weight loss will naturally follow.
Take care and stay healthy
Leah Salmon – The Naturally You Coach
After spending years as a nurse and medical secretary, Leah Salmon realised that orthodox medicine didn’t work and became a Naturally You Coach, helping people to use their foods and natural remedies to improve their health, instead of drugs, chemicals and surgeries. Now a published author of 2 books, a speaker, teacher and dedicated homeschooling mother to her 4 children, listen to Leah share the number one secret to great health at http://www.numberonesecrettohealth.com