Foods to Eat, Foods to Avoid
I found an interesting article over at the People’s Chemist about how certain foods (and additives) can make you eat more. It’s well worth checking out, and it definitely makes me want to check my food labels more carefully.
It also made me think about paying more attention to what I eat, how much, and when. Let me explain.
Fat free
In the article, Shane discusses how many people get tricked into thinking that fat free is good for you, when in fact that’s not really the case. Here’s an example from my own experience.
A friend of mine used to watch her fat intake religiously. This was several years ago, when it was common to read that fat, and only fat, can turn in to fat on your body. The idea was that you could eat as much as you wanted as long as it was fat free, and you’d magically not gain weight. You’d even lose weight.
I know it sounds silly now, but people believed it. She used to bring an entire bag of fat free fig newtons to work for breakfast, and eat the whole thing. And she wondered why she couldn’t lose weight.
She fell victim to what happens to a lot of people who eat any kind of “diet” food. Knowing that it’s lower calorie, lower fat, lower sugar, etc. often just encourages us to eat more of it. We feel that it doesn’t quite count so much, so it’s o.k. to have one more.
So, the best solution may be to eat “real” foods and watch your portion sizes.
However, I realize that may not always be possible. Take my husband for example. He’s diabetic, so sugar and real sweeteners are a no-no for him. He uses splenda, and when he eats desserts, they’re splenda sweetened. For him, that’s a better option that sugar. Of course, he still has to watch his portion sizes very closely!
Things to avoid
The article linked above lists some foods to avoid, like MSG and high fructose corn syrup. Here are a few others.
- Desserts. Most are loaded in calories, fat and sugar. Save these for a special occasion and substitute fruit instead.
- Fast food. It’s tough to find something healthy at a drive through, no surprise there. Pack lunch instead. If you don’t have time or like doing that, try a “real” restaurant where you can get a vegetable lunch, fish, etc.
- Most things that come in a box, can or bag. A boxed dinner is loaded in preservatives. Ditto for instant mix dishes. Buy yourself a crock pot and cook it yourself.
Again, common sense rules. Try to eat as much real, whole, fresh foods as possible. Avoid additives, processed foods, etc. If it comes from a box, you can’t recognize it, or it lasts darn near forever, you probably shouldn’t be eating it!
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13 Responses to “Foods to Eat, Foods to Avoid”
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Also, don’t forget to match your diet with proper exercise. I’m not talking about going to the gym and doing some heavy lifting. I think walking and stretching and simple exercises will help you maintain a fit body.
I know it’s soooo cliche, but this is really a great post. By the way, I hope your husband is doing well against diabetes.
Very good article on diet. The best way to weight loss is to eat the right food and excercise properly.
Thanks,
Leo
This is an interesting point of view that we as people used to believe I am glad we have come up with some better dieting ideas since then
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I’m glad you mentioned fast food. The Fast food industry spends millions trying to sway us into thinking some of their menu is healthy. The best option is to completely avoid fast food restaurants.
I’ve been taking fruit to work with me as a snack but even with that I have to be careful how much I take. I know from experience there wont be any left by the end of the day
Replace that with potato chips or sweets and it’s easy to see why we have a problem.
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That is a strange outlook your friend used to have that as long as her fat intake was low she could eat anything she wanted, I am glad the people have realized that is not true.
Great article. I agree that you can be eating all the right food but if you are not exercising properly then you will not see the results.
great articles…. nothing beats the proper and exercise to keep your health in check…
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Nice information. Yes according to me, if you only avoid fatty meals then you will see that you can easily maintain healthy body.
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It is important to avoid the extra calories and fats that we intake. Otherwise whatever weight we loose by doing so many things, will come back. So, balanced and healthy diet is equally important as working out for losing weight.
Great blog! I appreciate your blog which is teaching us so many things for our good health and diet.I am going to follow your thread for weight loss.I think by doing yoga/exercise and following your thread,i will be able to lose my big belly.Thanks for sharing your great view.