Category Archives: Nutrition

Tame that Appetite

Posted on June 20, 2013 | 2 comments

A couple of months ago we discussed some basics to getting that diet on the right track.  What I’d like to do here is provide four quick tips to controlling that savage beast of an appetite.  Whether you’re trying to drop some pounds or simply looking to elevate your wellness, these tips can be universally utilized.

TIP # 1: DRINK MORE WATER

Maintaining proper hydration is a must for optimal health and something we all can easily do.  Proper hydration is essential to all cellular function within our bodies.  If that sounds like a broad, all-encompassing statement, it’s because it is.  Water is that important.

When it comes to our diet, what you’ll most likely find is that if you constantly guzzle more agua, you’ll be hungry less.  One of the reasons for this is because the water consumed fills the stomach.  There are receptors in your stomach that sense the fullness and trigger the release of hormones that tell your brain you’re full.

The relationship between hunger and thirst can sometimes be confusing to our bodies as we often misinterpret thirst for hunger.  Curbing that appetite can sometimes be as simple as drinking more water and satisfying what we thought to be hunger.  This is a valuable piece of knowledge for those who feel they are constantly hungry or are having trouble sticking to that diet.

(This increase in water consumption should come throughout the day and in between meals.  However, while actually eating, water consumption should be kept to a minimum.  This is because in order for you to properly breakdown and reap the benefits of that nutritious meal you’re consuming, your stomach acid must be kept at an optimal level.  Excess water consumed concurrent to eating has the potential to dilute the stomach acid and thus impede maximum digestion.)

TIP # 2: CONSUME MACRONUTRIENTS STRATEGICALLY

Consume what?!?! Macronutrients are carbohydrates, fats and proteins.  In order to intelligently limit overeating, knowledge of how each one of these affects us is crucial.

While each of these macronutrients differs in chemical structure, they also differ in their effects on satiation (the feeling of fullness).  Protein causes the greatest release of satiety hormones like leptin which tell the brain the tank is full.  Carbs are the least potent in this respect, which helps to explain why we can eat all that pizza, dessert or bread at Carrabba’s before feeling full.

The message here is not to simply consume protein.  We need all the macronutrients including the wrongfully, dreaded fat.  What we are saying here is that if you’d like to exert more control over your impulsive consumption (and blood sugar), eat intelligently.  Protein first to trigger those satiety hormones and a quicker feeling of satisfaction and fullness.  Then follow it up with some healthy fats and carbohydrates (ideally from veggies and some fruit).

TIP # 3: SLOW DOWN

Turns out your mother was right (once again) when she told you that you were eating too fast.  By slowing down while eating, you open the door for those satiation hormones we just spoke of to function properly.  This allows the feeling of fullness to register before OPPS; we just ate too much and need to lie down.

Taking the time to chew your food properly will also prove beneficial in that you successfully complete the first stage of proper digestion.  This will prime the food and allow you to better utilize the all vital nutrients you should be consuming the food for in the first place.

(In our on the go society, many people resort to the convenience of a liquid meal in the form of a smoothie, shake or juice.  We must err on the side of caution with this method for a couple of reasons.)

Number one: make sure you know what you’re consuming.  Don’t just assume it’s healthy.  Whether you are making it yourself or purchasing it, take the time to investigate the ingredients.  Otherwise you remain willfully ignorant and may not be doing something positive at all.  Remember, ignoring things doesn’t make them any less true.

Number two: while a liquid meal has the potential to deliver extremely concentrated and thus high amounts of beneficial components, being a liquid it also by-passes many of the steps in the digestive process.  One of the attributes of the digestive process is that by utilizing steps, food is processed slower and thus minimizes the spike in blood sugar and allows proper release of signaling hormones to occur.  This is why in most cases whole foods always trump a shake or juice.)

TIP # 4: PLAN AHEAD

We illuminated the importance of this in a previous post, but it simply cannot be overstated.  The old saying “failing to plan is planning to fail,” has never been more true.

I know life is hectic and we all are constantly on the go.  Well, on the go without a scripted game plan is a dangerous place to be if you’re trying to eat right.  If you are truly serious about this, buy and prep in advance BEFORE the ruthless and non-discriminatory hunger grabs a hold of you.  Get creative and break the mold of how and when you’ve been programmed to traditionally consume meals.  You’ll find it easier on your wallet and waste line.

More water.  Protein first.  Slow down.  Stop making excuses, make your health your priority and plan ahead.  Four seemingly simple things to get you moving in the right direction toward eating less, more intelligently.

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Posted in Nutrition, Weight Loss

The Soda Story

Posted on May 22, 2013 | Leave a comment

Fizz. Soda. Pop. Whatever you want to call it, this beverage has definitely seen its better days. Well, at least as far as its reputation goes. The United States still ranks first among countries in soda consumption. This remains even in the face of countless correlations between soda consumption and poor health, in particular obesity and diabetes. It is due to this that some states have decided that we lack the intelligence and self-control to stop or limit personal consumption, and have placed a ban on the sale of these sugary drinks in containers over 16 ounces. Sorry all you Big Gulp die-hards.

Regardless of what side of the ban debate you fall on, the fact remains that this stuff is just bad news. But “why?” you ask. Well, as with every post, we will now provide you with some information to back up the growing negative perception of soda. What you choose to do with it is up to you.

We’ll start with the basics. Non-diet sodas contain an obscene amount of sugar. Anytime we take in too much sugar (aka glucose or fructose, aka carbs), we are setting the stage for increased body fat. It is true, your body, including your muscles and nerves, utilize glucose for energy and thus function. It can even by stored in your muscles and liver as glycogen. However, when the storage spots are full, it is then converted to fat and stored in all those loveable spots, like your midsection.

This mechanism can also occur when too much is introduced to fast. Being a liquid, a soda doesn’t have to go through the step by step digestive process that food does during its breakdown. This leads to a virtual sugar flood and a spike in your blood sugar. Raise the level of damage caused by the self-inflicted attack exponentially if you are also consuming a meal with that pop. Before the food even gets there, you have already exceeded your carb intake capacity. It needs to be understood that it is largely due to excess sugar being converted to fat that sparks the obesity.

In addition to the increase in body fat, review this former post for information on how this phenomenon affects the brain: ( https://clarkechiropracticwellness.com/2013/02/26/avoiding-diet-induced-brain-damage/ )

While contributing to an increase in weight, this repeated sugar rush also primes you for diabetes. Again, when you flood the system with the glucose, the pancreas releases insulin to deliver that fuel to the cells. When these cells are full, they no longer accept the insulin that is attempting to bring more guests to an already packed house. This is what we call insulin resistance and is the cornerstone of type II diabetes. Don’t’ fret though, luckily all that glucose won’t sit in your arteries causing damage and inflammation for too long. As we already know, it can and will be stored as fat.

More bad news here, the entire pathway and mechanism described above is considerably worse due to the fact that sodas are packed with the infamous high fructose corn syrup. This is another topic for another post, but trust me; not good.

So I know what you’re thinking, “I’ll just drink diet soda and avoid all that sugar.” Unfortunately this won’t cut it either as the artificial sweeteners being used are just as harmful but for different reasons. Other than it being repeatedly linked to the development of brain tumors in animals, aspartame and other low and no calorie artificial sweeteners are known to overstimulate and excite the brain neurons resulting in cellular death. No joke. The artificial sweeteners in diet soda (and most sugar free chewing gums, desserts and yogurt) can actually kill brain cells opening the door for early onset Alzheimer’s or learning disabilities in our youth.

(The far reaching hand of aspartame doesn’t stop there, check this brief abstract out to learn of more of its potential affects: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23553132 . Truly eye opening and alarming.)

Artificial sweeteners can wreak more havoc by actually tricking the body. They cause the brain to react to the sweet, delicious taste and the prompting of the digestive cascade commences. Insulin is released and ready to deliver fuel that you are not receiving from that no-calorie soft drink. The digestive chemistry and hormone balance has been hoodwinked, and now sends chemical signals to your brain that lead to hunger and an urge to consume more.

Soda or diet soda…pick your poison.

Caffeine needs to be looked at for what it is; a drug. A very powerful stimulant at that. While the systemic effects of caffeine are vast, when speaking of soda in particular it should be noted that it has diuretic properties (makes you pee) and thus has a dehydrating affect. This is one theory behind why one can drink so many cans of soda and not be satisfied. Many times we confuse thirst with hunger. Another contributing factor to sodas scale tipping effects is that, when the caffeine dehydrates us, we confuse the thirst with hunger and thus overeat.

One more ingredient in soda I’d like to touch on is phosphoric acid. In a study conducted at the Naval Medical Research Institute, human teeth were placed in a cola beverage and they softened and started to dissolve within a short period. This is one of the reasons that some have claimed that phosphoric acid is as bad for your teeth as battery acid.

Consuming phosphoric acid laden soda raises the level of phosphorous in the body and thus affects the pH making it more acidic. Our body’s way of buffering the acidity caused by sodas is to pull calcium from our bones. This can not only lead to osteoporosis in us older folks, but can be especially detrimental to growing children.

Some of the calcium that has been leached from the bones is then eliminated in our urine. Well, as the calcium heavy urine passes through the kidneys it leaves one susceptible to another potential, painful soda by-product: kidney stones.

One more thing about creating an acidic environment in our bodies; the normal pH of our bodies is slightly alkaline, yet things like soda containing phosphoric acid creates acidity. Our body has natural systems to counter this, but constant bombardment can cause lengthy periods of acidity. Cancers, bacteria, yeast, fungus, and pathologies such as rheumatoid and osteoarthritis, headaches, infections thrive in an acidic environment. Allowing the body to maintain its proper homeostatic state of alkalinity provides greater potential to foster an environment free of many issues, including those mentioned above.

Hopefully this sheds some light on exactly WHY soda is not a smart choice for consumption. While I do agree that it tastes delicious, to me it’s just not worth it. Keep in mind that most of the affects described are amplified in a growing child. Make a more responsible choice for you and your children and pass on the pop.

REFERENCES

http://cebp.aacrjournals.org/content/17/5/1295.long

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2892765/

http://www.termedia.pl/Review-paper-Effects-of-aspartame-metabolites-on-astrocytes-and-neurons,20,20489,1,1.html

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Posted in Health & Wellness, Nutrition, Weight Loss

QUICK TIP: ADD TURMERIC

Posted on April 16, 2013 | 4 comments

It was my original intent when I started these weekly posts to mix in a larger volume of these “Quick Tips.” While every post contains tips, due to my enthusiasm and the complexity of the topics involved, the “quick” aspect has seemed to fall by the wayside. I start with good intentions, but the next thing you know I’m blazing past the 1500 word mark (and with the inclusion of this introduction, appear to be on track to doing it again here.)

We tried this before with Vitamin D, but again, it’s a complex subject if you want to know why to do something and not just take my word for it. (Although I do appreciate the vote of confidence.) Well here goes attempt number two at a truly “quick tip” that you can research, share with others and hopefully implement into your own life.

Today we are talking about the powdered, yellow, curry spice known as turmeric. More specifically we are focusing on curcumin, which is the major constituent of the spice turmeric and the part that allegedly possesses anti-aging, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, even anti-tumor properties. Tumeric, a spice native to southeast Asia and derived from a root similar to ginger, has long been utilized in ancient and alternative medicine. As the combination of research and positive personal experiences grows, turmeric gains more and more clout as a legitimate natural remedy for a plethora of issues.

Much of the resistance to turmeric’s acceptance is due to the fact that a large portion of research that has been done with the spice has been done on animals. While the studies do demonstrate some amazing outcomes, there is understandable uncertainty about its potential on us humans. The other obvious angle of resistance comes from those who have the market cornered with their chemically synthesized pills and therefore face an astronomical threat to their bottom line if natural remedies like this continue to gain momentum.

But alas, we’re not here to talk conspiracies, at least not in a “quick” post that is quickly coasting toward 500 words. So let’s look at a couple of proposed mechanisms of how turmeric can benefit you.

In our bodies there exists a protein called glutathione. Glutathione is the major intracellular anti-oxidant in our body. This means it protects all of the tissues in our body from the potential hazards that come about as a bi-product of our cells functioning throughout the day. Without it tissue damage occurs, function changes or declines, an inflammatory state begins to flourish, and as we know, inflammation is the culprit behind countless pathologies. The point is glutathione is very important. Curcumin (extracted from turmeric) has been shown to lessen the depletion of Glutathione due to the inevitable oxidative stress.

This becomes even more important when we are exposed to environmental toxins, as we all are (some more than others) on a daily basis. So now, in addition to the by-products of normal function that glutathione must breakdown, it now must deal with toxins from the outside world. This leads to a ramped up depletion of our glutathione levels and tissue destruction. Wouldn’t it be beneficial to attenuate this depletion as much as possible? We’re talking about protection to any and all cells of your body, including your brain, liver and heart cells.

When speaking of the brain specifically, mounting research suggests that the curcumin contained in turmeric can lessen cognitive decline, which is the main feature of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Research reported as far back as 2008 found that curcumin significantly reduced the presence of the beta-amyloid plaques that are a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. It is because of this that turmeric is being touted as neuroprotective.

Another key mechanism by which turmeric can prove advantageous is in helping regulate our immune systems. Without getting into too much detail, turmeric can help to dampen the response of NF-kB and TH-17 cells, both of which, when activated and left unregulated can contribute to auto-immunity. Now we are talking about your Hashimoto’s (hypothyroidism), rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, etc.

In addition to auto-immunity and inflammation, promising laboratory research has demonstrated curcumin’s ability to reduce a protein in cells known as MDM2, which is associated with the formation of malignant tumors. Researchers are optimistic as to curcumin’s potential when it comes to pancreatic, breast, colon, and prostate cancer.

An interesting correlation to note here is that the incidence of prostate cancer in India is amongst the lowest in the world (ten times less than that of the United States). Interestingly, consistent intake of turmeric by Indian men in the form of curry, is amongst the highest in the world.

With all the upside and the body of active research growing and growing, a simple addition of this spice to your cabinet appears to be a solid step in the right direction. If someone has specific issues like heightened inflammation or auto-immunity, higher doses can be obtained through supplementation under specific direction of your healthcare professional. However, a proactive step would be to swipe out the salt for some turmeric. Conveniently you can keep the black pepper as it assists in your body’s absorption of the turmeric. I have personally incorporated turmeric as my standard seasoning for chicken, turkey and the occasional grass fed beef. The key here is to do your best to remain proactive. It’s a whole lot easier to constantly check and tighten the wheels, rather than frantically and desperately react to them when they fall off.

On a somber note, thoughts and prayers to the athletes, their families, and all others affected by the recent act of terrorism in Boston. And to everyone else, keep your eyes open and be safe out there, but keep livin’. Carpe Diem, because you truly never know.

REFERENCES

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23555802

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23548636

http://www.pnas.org/content/104/31/12849.abstract

Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters. 2010 April 1; 18 (7): 2631-2638.

http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2007/oct2007_report_curcumin_02.htm

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Posted in Health & Wellness, Nutrition, Supplements

Avoiding Diet Induced Brain Damage

Posted on February 26, 2013 | 3 comments

During the examination and treatment of a patient yesterday, naturally the topic of diet came up. After proclaiming his love for vegetables, this man also confessed to having a lifelong sweet tooth. He began to describe an intervention style sweet addiction that he carried from childhood up through present day. He described eating fairly moderate most of the time, but every month or so he would buy bags of candy and go to town. As we continued to speak, the conversation led to him stating that, before meeting his demise, his father was diagnosed as having “softening” of the brain. After describing the symptoms we both agreed that it was most likely some form of dementia. He then informed me that his mother and two uncles were also diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. He recalled that he had joked when he told his wife that they are both “doomed.” After sharing a laugh with him, I decided to capitalize on the cue and attempt to treat by way of education. While there does tend to be a strong familial tendency when it comes to Alzheimer’s disease, more and more of the signs are pointing to what is called epigenetics. This theory does acknowledge genetic predispositions for various diseases, but places more of the emphasis on the internal and external stimuli that lead to suppression or expression of ones inborn genetics. In this man’s case, this sweet tooth could very well lead to the unfortunate expression of these inherited genes.

The problem arises here due to something called excitotoxicity. This occurs in nerves when they become stimulated at such a rate that they cannot keep up with elevated level of constant stimulation. The nerves then begin to adapt and function at a lower level in order to attempt to survive. If the stimulus continues the nerves eventually burn out and die. When this takes place with the nerves in your brain, you literally kill brain cells and a decline in function is sure to follow. The degree and type of dysfunction that occurs is contingent upon the location of the neuronal death.

So what causes this excitotoxicity? In this man’s case it was bought up because of his self-admitted month long candy binges. However, the key culprit here is a high carbohydrate load. This can without a doubt come from your traditional sugar loaded candy, cookies, ice cream, etc. But other things such as your grains and pastas also have an extremely high carb load. These carbs are then broken down in your body to glucose and used as fuel for the body to run. However, when you are too carb heavy or overeat in general, one of the places that the glucose is then delivered to is the brain. Glucose is converted to a chemical or neurotransmitter called glutamate which is the primary excitatory neurotransmitter of your central nervous system (it is responsible for activating and firing nerves). Due to the chemical pathways that exist, all glucose that enters the brain is first converted to glutamate before it is either used (at controlled levels it is necessary for proper function) or converted to other vital neurotransmitters. The issue occurs when there is a flooding of glucose to the brain at such a rate that the necessary conversions cannot keep up and the presence of glutamate persists, leading to an overstimulation of your neurons. Again, this occurs when you consume too many carbohydrates, in particular foods that rank high on glycemic index (meaning a faster delivery of carbs to your system, vs. low glycemic foods that release carbs at a slower rate at which your body should be able to utilize and convert appropriately).

And don’t think that you are dodging that bullet by consuming those impossibly sugar free/low carb snacks and diet sodas. The reason these items are not only edible but taste so damn good is due to artificial sweeteners. One of the most common and worst offenders of them all is aspartame. While it is true, this miracle concoction does not pack any carbs (or any nutritional value for that matter); it is a key component in the conversion of glucose to glutamate. Translation: aspartame exponentially amplifies the production of glutamate in the brain and the entire excitotoxic cascade described above. And watch your back out there. The manufacturers of this product are well aware of the hazards as well as the bad rap ol’ aspartame is catching. Apparently being linked to headaches, dizziness, panic attacks, mood changes, and seizures all as a result of this accelerated excitotoxicity doesn’t lead to a product selling itself. In a brilliantly deceptive, strategic marketing move they have begun to change the name of the product. Hard to believe that this is actually legal, but “aminosweet” is one of the aliases to keep an eye open for.

(A major source of this is most chewing gums. If you are somewhat of a gum junkie like me, you may want to check out your local health food store and look for gums like Spry, Glee, Pur, etc. as an alternative. These contain a sweetener known as xylitol, which is substantially less potent, that aspartame. Best option would be to cut back on the gum altogether, but this is an alternative.)

Certain drugs prescribed to manage Alzheimer’s symptoms such as Namenda work by blocking NMDA receptors, thus blocking the excitotoxicity of glutamate. Question is, if excitotoxicity is recognized by doctors and the pharmaceutical companies as a major contributing factor to many neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s, then why isn’t the initial mode of attack education on limiting excitotoxicity? The prescriptive application of the costly drug and side effects is a clear example of the monetarily driven, reactive sick care model that many unfortunately fall victim to.

Another factor linking excitotoxicity and Alzheimer’s is the strong correlation between diabetes and Alzheimer’s. This linkage is so strong that some references are now referring to Alzheimer’s as diabetes type III. When you have diabetes there is an issue with how your body handles glucose, aka sugar, aka carbohydrates. Normally the introduction of glucose to your blood stream would be handled by insulin delivering the glucose to the tissues in need. However, with diabetes, the body either doesn’t produce enough insulin (type I), or the tissues have become resistant to it (type II) due to already being full (carbohydrate overload). This leaves more circulating glucose in your blood stream. As stated above, glucose is now delivered to your brain which does not require insulin for its delivery in the first place. This glucose overload to the brain causes a spike in glutamate, which excites your brain cells to fire at such a rate that they cannot keep up and eventually burn out and die. This mechanism and strong correlation just further reinforces the theory of excitotoxicity due to glutamate overload so much so that even being classified as borderline diabetic increases the risk for developing Alzheimer’s by as much as 70%.

Diabetes other linkage to Alzheimer’s is by way of formation of AGEs (advanced glycation end products). These are formed when glucose reacts with proteins in the body. Our bodies have built in mechanisms to break these downs, but again, when they are formed at increased rate the body cannot keep pace and the AGEs persist. This is a presumed culprit of issues all throughout the body, including the brain. As a matter of fact the presence of AGEs in the brain are elevated in Alzheimer’s patients and have been linked to the formation of one of the diagnostic signs of Alzheimer’s, plaque on your brain. It must also be understood this is not just a diabetic we are talking about here. Any type of overeating or high carb load leads to the overload of AGEs throughout the body.

While definitive research on the precise causes of various neurological disorders is not absolutely conclusive, increasing attention is being directed towards excitotoxicity as one of the key mechanisms behind the irreversible neuronal damage and death that is seen with Parkinson’s Disease, ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease), Huntington’s Disease, epilepsy, schizophrenia, and of course, Alzheimer’s.

So what can you do to limit excitotoxicty and it’s potentially devastating wrath?

1) Control your blood sugar levels. Remember, blood sugar (glucose) isn’t just elevated from your traditional sweets. Remember that carbohydrate (grain, pasta, etc.) equals glucose. Try to cut down on the high carb loaded foods, particularly the processed and refined ones that also are void of any other nutritional benefits. Learn about the glycemic index and when you consume carbs, consume more on the lower side of the scale. The longer it takes the glucose to be delivered to your blood stream, the longer your system has to process and convert appropriately. You can also manage this level by avoiding the feeling that you need to eat until you are “stuffed.”

2) EXERCISE. The more physical activity you do, the more fuel in the form of glucose your entire body will utilize and thus have room for. This means you deplete the levels that are already stored and create instant room for more to be consumed, utilized, and stored appropriately. This is the reason that exercise is deemed as a top treatment choice for lowering and controlling blood sugar levels in those with type II diabetes.

3) Lastly, be wary of artificial sweeteners. While the verdict is still out on some (i.e. Stevia), ones such as aspartame and sucralose are bad news. The true perfect storm can be witnessed by someone ordering a carb heavy meal with a diet soda, setting the stage for unadulterated excitotoxcity.

I know these seem like simple solutions to complex problems, but why make it difficult? Of course there are other reasons problems may arise and being checked regularly by a qualified professional can increase your chances of success, but for the majority of Americans improvement in quality of diet and consistency in physical activity can fortify the prospects of a quality life by limiting the self-inflicted brain damage. So knock it off.

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Posted in Nutrition

A Proper Diet…Where to Start?

Posted on February 12, 2013 | 4 comments

One of the questions I get hit with quite often pertains to people wondering what the heck they should eat. It’s totally understandable that confusion exists around this subject due to the constant bombardment of commercials making claims, the always enlarging pools of trendy diets on the table (i.e. Paleo, Mediterranean, Vegetarian or Vegan, etc.), and ever emerging contradicting research.

On top of all that, acknowledgment must be paid to the fact that while most of us share the same basic internal blueprint, we are all unique in that what your body may thrive off or tolerate well, may be harmful to me. A very basic way to find out what may not be working for you is to engage in an elimination diet for 3-4 weeks and then individually introduce potentially offending foods, monitoring how it makes you feel. We are not just talking about nausea or constipation, but any type of change. Things such as fatigue, joint pains, headaches, inability to sleep, runny nose can all be ways of your body telling you it doesn’t like what you’re shoving down your pie hole. We can journey even deeper down the rabbit hole if we start to get into glycemic indices, organics, ideal amount and source of protein, acidity vs. alkalinity, cooking methods etc.

So where the hell do you even begin before saying screw it and getting more comfortable with that meat lovers pizza with extra cheese? Well, after much personal investigation into this diet or that diet, supported by this theory or that theory, there does appear to be one solid consistency across the board and it comes in the form of fresh, whole vegetables and fruits. As stated, finding that optimal diet can be quite complicated and inundating you with too many details and changes at once tends to be overwhelming. Simply adding more fruits and vegetables is a sure fire, simple way to start your momentum in the proper direction.

The dreaded food type of kids across the world: The Vegetable. These are the most nutrient dense real foods out there and should be consumed on an approximate 2:1 ratio with fruit. Fruits pack a nutritious punch as well, but there’s a reason they generally taste so much better than your vegetables; they are loaded with nature’s sugars: glucose and fructose. Fruits are without a doubt beneficial and a smart addition to any diet, especially if you are an active person, but due to the high sugar aka carb load, veggies out numbering fruits at the party is a solid way to keep that blood sugar and insulin level in check.

You can implement this by beginning to switch some of your nutritionally void, processed foods for vegetables and fruits. Start spending the majority of your time and money at the grocery store in the produce section. Buy less of things that possess the miraculous ability to sit in a dark box for months, and more colorful things that actually have life like you. Start filling up the fridge or produce baskets, and emptying out that pantry full of processed, preservative packed “food.” Try new things. Give that colorful, funny looking object with a name you can’t pronounce a whirl, it may just be delicious. In particular, include those dark green leaved (spinach and kale), and cruciferous (broccoli and cauliflower) veggies to your daily regimen instead of that granola bar or chips.

I know what you’re thinking, vegetables in the place of chips, sounds delicious. But here in lies the second issue when it comes to changing your eating habits. An overhaul needs to be done on the way we look at and think about food. A mental transition needs to take place from constantly feeding to satisfy for your taste buds, to eating in order to feel good, look better, and thrive. It comes down to whether you truly want it. Do you really want to live more healthy or do you just talk about it and are unwilling to put in any sacrifice? Do you want to take the steps to tilt the playing field in your favor or are you happy constantly satisfying your every craving and rolling the dice with the rest of your life? If you have the discipline and desire to give it a shot, you will find you can fill up on that asparagus and kiwi, and curb your appetite the same way you would from devouring that sandwich. Only difference is you will feel and perform better mentally and physically by consuming the former. If you begin to make this transition and stick to it, the times that you do indulge on that Monte Cristo or dessert will be that much more gratifying and less guilt ridden. Trust me on this one. It will also be less taxing on virtually all of your internal organs, which sounds like a plus to me.

An aspect of this initiation of movement towards wellness that cannot be overlooked is the necessity to plan ahead. In order to change your eating habits you need to make sure you have the intended food items conveniently at your fingertips. This starts with the purchase and goes to the next level with prep work at your house. Unfortunately most fruits and veggies don’t come packaged in a wrapper that you can just grab and go. If you are serious about this, quality prep time is required to wash, cut and bag your veggies or fruits, pre-cook your meats or veggies, whatever it is that makes the food accessible to you during your busy week. Bringing your snacks and lunch in a cooler to work will not only ensure you stick to your plan, but will also save you money. When you come home spent from the day and don’t feel like cooking, you need to have that already prepped food that you can heat up or eat raw, otherwise that microwave Tombstone is the easy way out. Again, it all comes down to your level of desire and commitment. If you really want this, taking a couple hours out of your Sunday to prep some food is not only doable, but a must.

Depending on what level of healthy eating you currently dwell at, the type of improvement will be specific to your starting point. As with any change, don’t be afraid to start small. Shoot for eating 2 out of 3 meals a day consisting of fruits, veggies, nuts, lean meats, etc. Build on that and only allow yourself to indulge on the weekend. Switch to organic. Alter your cooking methods or consume more raw food. Success in attainment and long lasting implantation of lifestyle changes are usually achieved by making small changes that do not seem too overwhelming. Over time these small changes will eventually add up to a big change in the way you feel, look and perform. The momentum gained from the success of smaller goals tends to snowball and create a wave for you to continue to ride. No one expects you to run a marathon without starting small and putting in the training with shorter distances. So start that diet training today, no matter where you are starting or how big or small the change may be. The goal here is to do all you can do to make your life a marathon, rather than a sprint.

The topic of nutrition and diet is one with a massive number of details that can be elaborated on to no end. I glazed over a few within this article, but if you would like me to go deeper into any particular issue mentioned or otherwise, feel free to comment, suggest, or enlighten. It should be understood that within this post we are referring to “diet” as what you consume, not necessarily the more traditional tie in with weight loss. However, CONSISTENT adherence to a proper diet and exercise will usually accompany a healthy weight.

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Posted in Nutrition, Weight Loss