Changing
Eating HabitsBefore we look at a well balanced breakfast, lunch, or dinner,
a few simple rules that apply to any meal should be established. We need to come
to terms with the quantities, but it is clearly not an option to walk around with
food scales in our back pack. It is not necessary either: eye measure can be a
big help, and we can look at the size of the palm of our hand. We
start with a serving of lean protein. It should not be larger than
the palm of our hand(some people relate to the size of a deck of cards, which
is ok too.)This also applies to the thickness.The protein foods, which are lean,
would be skinned chicken breast, turkey breast(also without skin), lean beef,
soya protein, tofu, egg white, fish, or cottage cheese. The other
2/3 of the plate are filled with low-density carbohydrate foods.
Our choice would be vegetables, salad greens, mushrooms. The variety is large!Root
vegetables(potatoes, turnips, parsnips, carrots)also starchy vegetables like squash
should be used sparingly. The high-density carbohydrate foods like pasta, bread,
buns, crackers, or rice are best avoided. You do need a small
portion of fat. It can come from two teaspoons of olive oil, alternatively
you can add 6 olives, 2 teaspoons of slivered almonds, a small slice of avocado
or a large macadamia nut. A piece of fruit completes the meal.The
choices are abundant: 1 cup of strawberries, alternatively a small orange, an
apple or 1/4 cantaloupe. You will want to restrict the intake of very sweet fruit
varieties like papaya, mango, or banana. Dried fruit are not a fruit portion,as
they are very high in sugar. They are best treated like a condiment. This
approach will leave you with a nicely filled plate and a full stomach.What
is even better is the fact, that this type of meal will keep you energetic and
without any hunger pangs for 4 to 5 hours. When we review this model, we'll notice
that we are dealing with a wide variety of foods with lots of flavour and texture.
It is also perfectly "real" food: no special diet products are needed.
It is all readily available at your regular supermarket. Finally we have to take
note that highly processed foods and sugar-laden products are not part of the
list. You will wonder:
now what's wrong with a breakfast of orange juice, a bowl of corn flakes in milk
and a coffee?If you take a closer look, it becomes clear that you are getting
a lot of high density carbohydrates (in the corn flakes) and a significant amount
of sugar (in the orange juice). The small amount of protein in the milk is unproportionally
small, and beneficial fats are missing. The result: three hours later
or even earlier you will be as hungry as before. You'll find that
your mental focus is poor too, and you'll reach for - you guessed it- another
source of sugar and starches, probably a muffin.The reason is simple: your
blood sugar levels have dropped to a low, and your insulin levels
are high, as you did not get the protein and fat, which you needed.
Your meal was too high in dense carbs. Fine, you say. Let's try this one: I'll
have a plate full of scrambled eggs and bacon. Never mind the toast, and
I'll skip the cereal too. Again you will experience significant hunger after about
three hours. The cereal breakfast led to hypoglycemia (low blood sugar
at three hours) and now without carbohydrates you are at the same spot with hunger
for sweets or muffins and mental confusion, because you are running out of blood
sugar. Again you are experiencing low insulin levels, as you did not get the carbohydrates
you needed. So things are not in balance. Contrary to this,
if you ate a meal that had a balance of carbohydrates, protein, and fat, you'll
not be subject to hunger pangs and cravings after just a few hours.
Also your mental focus will stay clear, and your energy levels will be adequate.
In the beginning it is perhaps a bit cumbersome to change your food intake pattern.
A self hypnosis cassette regarding weight loss can be useful in that regard to
reinforce your new habit of a balanced food intake. Listen to such a weight loss
tape perhaps on a daily basis until you have internalized your new habit. Besides
keeping your nutrients balanced, it is crucial to your well being, that your body
gets enough fluids. Keep in mind that 70 % of your body is water.You excrete water
through breathing, through sweating, as well as through elimination of urine and
feces. Water can be only replaced by you. Drink spring water or other purified
water. You will want to avoid chlorinated water, if it's only for the reason that
it does not taste good! You'll probably drink more in a warmer climate, but 2
litres (about 64 oz) are a good daily intake. Carry a water bottle when you are
on the go. When it comes down to the overview on healthy eating habits,
things do not sound flashy or glamorous, but very plain and a tad old-fashioned.
When you visited with your favorite aunt or your grandmother, they might have
told you the same:
| Facts your parents
already knew: | Chew
your food, don't just wolf it down. Five small
meals are better than 2 huge feeds. Eat your vegetables,
they are good for you. Drink your water. There
is nothing wrong with porridge (oats) for breakfast. Yes,
you should take your cod liver oil (a yucky experience in the past, now available
in the form of fish oil capsules). | Without
going into the complex biochemistry of nutrients, a model for one day will follow.
There is room for 3 meals and 2 snacks.
| A
model for a healthy nutritional day: | Breakfast:
2/3 cup of rolled oats mixed with 1 small grated apple and 8 oz. (250 ml) of 1
% milk or soy milk. Add 1 scoop of protein powder and top with 2 teaspoons of
slivered almonds. Coffee, tea, herb tea or water. Lunch:
3 1/2 oz. (100 g) of roasted chicken breast (or sliced turkey breast roast), 2
cups of romaine lettuce and 1 sliced tomato with balsamic vinaigrette with 2 teaspoons
of olive oil. 1/4 cantaloupe. Afternoon snack:
4 oz. (125 ml) low fat yogourt with a chopped up large macadamia nut and 1/2 cup
of grapes. Dinner: Stir-fry with 2 cups of beansprouts,
4 green onions, 1 cup sliced mushrooms and 1/2 green or red pepper. Use 2 teasp.
olive oil for stir-frying and add 4 oz. (110 g) of salmon pieces. Season with
ginger and soy sauce.For dessert: 1 mandarin orange. Late
night snack: 1/2 cup 1% or 2% cottage cheese and 1/2 orange cut into chunks,
4 slivered almonds sprinkled on top. Another snack,
which you may enjoy instead of the late night snack, could be 3 oz. wine and 1
oz. cheese. | With this type of meal
structure you will not feel deprived or on edge, as with a properly balanced food
intake, hunger pangs will become a thing of the past. You will however enjoy the
benefits of feeling more energetic, and very likely get rid of the mid-morning
carbo cravings or the mid-afternoon slump. Even with a busy schedule good
eating habits can be part of your day (and they should! You need the energy to
get through the day). One approach which is easy and certainly very economical
is packing your lunch and bringing it to work. But due to busy schedules and time
constraints a high proportion of meals are consumed in restaurants. |
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