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 What you eat and when you eat it, makes all the
difference in the world! The saying, "breakfast
like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a
pauper" is definitely accurate. Unfortunately
for most of us, the opposite is true. We skip
breakfast or barely eat anything at all, eat a light
lunch, and then eat dinner like a king and plop in bed.
Breakfast is necessary for overall health and
performance and is the most important meal of the day.
After 8 to 12 hours of sleep, the body has been in a
fasting state and needs to replenish glucose, its main
energy source for the brain. Ideally, nourishing the
body every few hours is best, with breakfast, a small
snack, lunch, another snack and finally dinner.
When it comes to good nutrition, the basic
information still holds true. Eat plenty of fruits
and vegetables; eat lean, fat-free meats, limit your
fat intake, avoid fast foods and processed foods, etc,
but, unfortunately, we still don't know how to
apply this information. Eating healthy takes effort
and planning. As a general rule, if your food comes
out of a box, it's probably not very good for
you. (An exception would be whole grain cereals or
plain oatmeal). Even though the product says,
"low fat", it still may be high in sugar,
calories and sodium. To really eat healthy, you must
spend some time in your kitchen, and make meals that
are a balance of protein, fats, and carbohydrates.
 Protein sources include foods such as lean meats,
egg whites, dairy products, cottage cheese, legumes,
soy beans and tofu. Ideally some protein should be
eaten at every meal. Try to include "good"
fats in your diet such as olive oil, peanut oil,
canola oil, fats found in certain fish, nuts and
avocados. Leave out trans fats (found in processed
foods such as commercially baked and fried foods,
margarines and even whole milk) which can elevate
cholesterol levels and eventually lead to heart
disease. Also, exclude saturated fats –
another culprit typically found in red meats,
butter and ice-cream.
Carbohydrates are divided into two types
– complex and simple. Complex carbohydrates
such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, rice, cereal,
and bread take longer for the body to break down.
Simple carbohydrates which are rapidly digested
and raise blood sugar levels quickly are found in
milk, fruit, cakes, white flour, cookies and candy.
If not completely avoided, these simple
carbohydrates should be limited. Vegetables
are also a good source of carbohydrates and contain
many vitamins, minerals and fiber. These should be
eaten plentiful.
With the abundance of food in this country and super
sizing, most of us eat more than we can sweat off!
When eating several small meals a day, it is important
to control portion sizes. Portion control can be as
easy as eating half of what you would normally eat for
breakfast or lunch and eating the remainder at snack
time- mid morning or mid afternoon. This way, the body
is being nourished every few hours without being in a
fasting state.
To simplify, eating smart couldn't get any
easier- be mindful of your calorie intake, use portion
control, eat small frequent meals with a balance of
proteins, carbohydrates and fats, choose natural foods,
cook it yourself, be picky about what you put in your
mouth, not just today, not just tomorrow, but for the
rest of your life. It takes some effort but it is well
worth it.
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT! |
