Dietary Guidelines for Health and Weight Loss
- Don’t eat when you are not hungry. Eat slowly and stop eating when you are full. People who eat rapidly find it more difficult to tell when they are full.
- Don’t buy what you shouldn’t eat. It is easier to restrain the urge to buy food while in the store than it is to resist the urge if it is in your home. Food in the home is a constant source of temptation. Look over the standard dishes you cook, especially those high in fat and calories. Find different ways to prepare these dishes or find a different dish that is more healthful.
- Eat your larges meal in the middle of the day. Eating at nights is the worst time to eat. The pancreas puts out the most insulin around 7pm. Insulin then encourages the tissues to store food as fat.
- Fill your plated with low-calorie side dishes first. Then fill your plate with the main course when you have eaten a full plate of these low-calorie side dishes. Eat salad first, then soup, then vegetables then the main course. This reduces overall calorie consumptions.
- Cut back on foods that come from land animals. Carbohydrates contain 4 calories per gram; Protein contains 4 calories per gram; fat contains 9 calories per gram. Focus on low-saturated fat items e.g. chicken or turkey without the skin. Salmon, halibut and tuna are fish that are high in good fat (omega-3).
- Use oils high in monounsaturated fats e.g. virgin olive oil. These are heart healthy fats.
- Avoid Trans-Fat and Saturated Fats. These fats can raise cholesterol and increase the risk of heart disease. Trans-fats are found in margarine, snack foods, baked and fried foods. Lard and pure butter are saturated fats.
- Don’t eat in restaurants so often. When you do eat out, choose restaurants that serve smaller portions or share dishes.
- If you are drinking too much alcohol, cut back or get help. Alcohol is a major cause of obesity. Alcohol counts for 7 calories per millimeter or about 200 calories per ounce
- Eat at least ½ cup of legumes every other day.
- Your body is made up of 70% water. Drink at least eight glasses of water daily.
- Eat whole grains at every starch opportunity. Whole Grain bread, brown rice, etc. Consume at least half of your carbohydrates from whole grain sources.
- Eat a piece of fruit, preferably with the skin at least 3 times per day.
- Eat plenty of fresh vegetables daily.
- Increase the fiber in your diet
- Replace Fried Food. Instead eat foods that are baked, poached, grilled or broiled.
- We are designed to move. Our bodies need exercise to stay healthy. Walk 30-60 minutes, 3-5 times per week. Add some resistance training.
- Be positive about your health. Visualize the realistic weight you would like to be, then commit to doing what it takes to get you there.
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