DIETS...THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO HMMM...

WHY DIET WHEN YOU CAN EAT ALL FOODS!

Why do you diet? Lose weight, cleanse the body, kickstart a plan?

I am here to tell you to STOP! Diets work for the short term, essentially as a kick start. However, many diets out there ELIMINATE foods that your body actually requires like carbs and fat. Once you know the benefits of eating these foods, you may reconsider some diets you have been on in the past.

I love FOOD! All types of food. Actually, sad to say, FRIES are my favourite. Totally my downfall. I truly love any potato, made almost anyway! No, I do not eat them everyday, but if I had to be on a diet that required me to remove them, I would not do well on the diet.

Eliminating things that you love automatically puts your body into stress mode. Stress mode increases cortisol in your body and actually makes you RETAIN FAT for energy when your cortisol is released.

The best way to change your lifestyle is to change the way you look at food. Consider it your "fuel". The proteins, carbs and fats that are in our world are required by your body and here you will find out why.

PROTEINS

A macronutrient that is ESSENTIAL to building muscle mass. No, I don't mean body builder muscle mass. When protein is broken down by your body it helps fuel your muscle mass and increase your metabolism. Without getting scientific, proteins help BURN fat FASTER!

Proteins take 2 hours to digest and assist in sugar regulation to ensure you stay satiated for longer periods of time.

CARBS (not all are created equally)

A macronutrient that is ESSENTIAL for energy and digestion. They are sugars, starches and fibres found in fruits, grains and veggies. Okay, let's be real, they are also found in chips, chocolate bars and desserts! These are the ones that are ok to remove and have as a treat and if you remember, treats don't happen everyday! Special occasions work!

Fruits and veggies are required EVERYDAY at EVERY meal. They aid in digestion and increase your energy levels for a short period of time.

While some may do better on a low carb eating plan, they are still required. Fruits and veggies are SUPERFOODS and give you vitamins and minerals in the purest form. They are also filled with dietary fibres that help with your digestive tract.

While carbs do turn into glucose to provide you with energy, if you eat too many, they will be stored in your fat cells for use later, if you use them. If not, they will simply increase your fat cells.

Carbs take 45 minutes to digest and give you a boost of energy.

FATS (again, not all are created equally)

A macronutrient that helps us store energy, insulate us and protect our vital organs. So why would you ever want to eliminate them from your eating habits?

Choosing the RIGHT fats is what is important and how much you should have in a day. My clients tell me absolutely, I have an avocado on my salad everyday. Okay, while avocado is an amazing source of GOOD FAT, an entire one contains up to 30 grams of fat! If you don't know, that is way too much for one meal. So choosing your portion is the key. A quarter of an avocado is one portion of fat for the entire meal.

Fats take 4 hours to digest, assist with keeping you satiated for longer AND help take bad fats out of your digestive tract! What a concept! Good fat removes bad fat, but that doesn't mean you can eat a whack of fried food then an avocado to help it...doesn't work that way :)

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At the end of the day, on average, each meal should look like this:

30-40% protein (20-30 grams) = 1 chicken breast (approx 3.5 - 5 oz)/1 cup egg whites

30-40% carbs (30-50 grams) = 1 large banana/quarter cup starch/3 cups of spinach

30% fats (15-20 grams) = 1/4 avocado/quarter cup of cheese/handful of nuts

(numbers vary depending on the person and weight)

From here on out, see your food as FUEL. Enjoy the foods you know don't help with your energy on special occasions. Do NOT eliminate everything, just manage it like you manage your schedule. Choose wisely and you will see amazing results!

Hopefully this helps you determine your meal planning - any questions just email me! Happy eating!