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Tag: Dieting

  • Easy low-carb meals to break habits and build rituals

    Easy low-carb meals to break habits and build rituals

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    Have you been feeling a little bit off lately? If you’re experiencing energy crashes, constant hunger and acne breakouts, a low-carb lifestyle may be what you need. Explore what it means to transition to low-carb living, including tips on easy recipes and practical steps you need to take to make this happen.

    The shift towards low-carb living

    With all the talk about low-carb food, you’re probably wondering what all this buzz is about. The discussion has recently grown because people are experiencing the consequences of poor eating habits and are turning to low-carb diets to reclaim their health.

    The science behind it

    This lifestyle has gained popularity for its potential to help manage weight and control blood sugar levels. When you consume fewer carbs, you lower your insulin levels, which studies in the HHS Public Access journal have shown is effective in weight loss.

    Another factor is that if you eat less carbs, you’ll most likely make up for it by increasing the amount of fat and protein in your diet. This helps you feel full for longer and consume fewer calories. Due to these health claims, a wide variety of people are trying to go low-carb — from athletes to those wanting to lose weight or manage their diabetes.

    Take precautions

    Despite these potential benefits, a low-carb diet should be done with precaution. There are side effects if you overdo it — overeating protein can worsen kidney function, increase cholesterol and cause constipation. Please consult with a healthcare professional before making any major changes to your diet, especially if you have pre-existing health concerns.

    Practical steps for transitioning to a low-carb lifestyle

    If you want to start a healthier lifestyle, integrate small changes rather than a complete overhaul. That way, you’ll be more likely to stick with these new habits.

    Do your research

    First, it’s important to understand that not all low-carbs are good for you. Simple carbs like white sugar or flour spike your blood sugar, making you hungry faster. You avoid that with complex carbs found in more nutritious food like whole grains, as it takes longer for these types of carbs to digest.

    That’s why that cookie or beer on paper may seem like it fits within the diet’s parameters, but to improve your health, you should focus on whole food. Fresh vegetables and lean meats will become your best friend.

    Easy low-carb meals

    With that in mind, start making substitutions around your kitchen. Replace white rice with finely chopped cauliflower for a meal or two. Sprinkle in some chia seeds in your yogurt bowl. Switch your seed oil with olive oil. These substitutions may seem small, but they establish healthy eating habits that change a low-carb diet from a fad to a sustainable lifestyle.

    Listen to your body

    A big part of transitioning to a low-carb lifestyle is personalizing it to your body. Explore what feels right and what doesn’t. For example, you may like the keto diet — a more restrictive low-carb diet that limits carbs to 20 to 50 grams daily. Here, your focus will be on consuming high-fat, moderate-protein and low-carb foods. With that criteria, you’re probably wondering if anything meets those standards, but you can still enjoy foods like Greek yogurt, fish, eggs, cottage cheese and meat.

    There are also plenty of keto-friendly recipes that can replace staples like bread. Try making this farmers bread that is low-carb, gluten-free and diabetic-friendly. The secret ingredient is potato fiber flour. It tastes like real bread but with extra fiber and minimal carbs. Exploring these alternatives helps to break carb-centric eating habits and replace them with healthy low-carb food.

    Shift in social activities

    A lot of social activities revolve around eating carb-heavy foods, like going for drinks and pub food. This can get expensive and unhealthy, especially if you’re eating out multiple times a week. Consider shifting some social activities beyond just meals. Explore new hiking trails, try out dance classes or even pottery lessons. With these hobbies, you don’t have to resort to restaurants every time you want to catch up with a friend.

    Incorporating low-carb living into daily routines

    Picking up routines like meal prepping and regular exercise helps support a low-carb lifestyle. These rituals make sure that you continue to prioritize your health and well-being in the long term.

    Meal prep

    Meal planning helps you stay on track to avoid the temptation to order takeout. Stocking up a low-carb pantry ensures you have everything on hand for your meals. Keto or low-carb flour and pasta are essentials, as well as milk substitutes like almond or coconut milk. Consider having healthy snacks, too, for when you feel like munching on something before your next meal.

    Thai tofu collard wraps are a fun meal to make ahead of time for a fresh and delicious lunch. Just blanch collard leaves and fill them up with tofu, cucumber, carrot and Thai basil. Make some peanut sauce on the side for the perfect dip.

    Active lifestyle

    Getting more active doesn’t have to be as intimidating as signing up for a gym membership. It can look like going on walks after a meal or doing light yoga stretches in the morning. Make it a social activity and gather your friends or coworkers for a volleyball intramural. Find whatever is enjoyable for you.

    Why low-carb living matters beyond weight loss

    The benefits of this lifestyle extend beyond how it affects the scale. According to StatsPearls, adopting a low-carb diet can help reduce energy crashes by replacing simple carbs with healthy fats and protein. With more consistent energy levels throughout the day, you’ll be less prone to taking those afternoon naps that ruin the flow of your day.

    Studies in StatsPearls have also shown that keto diets can help manage acne, polycystic ovary syndrome — commonly known as PCOS — and Alzheimer’s.

    Although there are studies that show the short-term benefits of keto diets, there has been limited research on their long-term effects. This emphasizes the need to be mindful of how you approach this lifestyle, as its restrictive nature may not be for everyone.

    Breaking free from carb-centric habits

    A low-carb lifestyle can give you the opportunity to reclaim your health if you do it right. There are plenty of delicious low-carb meals that make healthy eating easy and sustainable. Try out this lifestyle for yourself by starting with small habits that will ensure success in the long run.

    Zuzana Paar is the creative force behind her websites Low Carb No Carb, and Best Clean Eating.

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    By Zuzana Paar | Food Drink Life

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  • Why Diets Don’t Work and How to Shift Your Focus to Longer-Term Solutions

    Why Diets Don’t Work and How to Shift Your Focus to Longer-Term Solutions

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    Have you thought about how many diets, detoxes, and plans you’ve tried in your lifetime?

    When we have new students join the Mindful Nutrition Method, on average, they’ve tried at least three diets, plans, or trends prior to coming to see us for sustainable solutions. The takeaway point here is that they must not work, right? Otherwise, they wouldn’t be coming to us afterward. 

    And guess what, our students aren’t alone! 

    This is becoming increasingly more common with so many new trends, quick-fix plans, and diets coming out weekly. This overflow in the health and wellness space is resulting in more and more people feeling stressed out about food, overwhelmed, and simply fed up with dieting. Can you relate?

    Our mission here at Nutrition Stripped is to help you find confidence in nourishing yourself with ease, so you can ditch the diets and make peace with food. In order to do that, we need to hop off of the diet train and learn why these diets are doing much more harm than good. 

    Here I’m diving into the 5 reasons why diets don’t work for most of us, and discussing what you can do instead to mindfully care for your body and yourself.

    Why Diets Don’t Work

    First and foremost, when we say diets, we mean choosing to abide by food guidelines and restrictions as a result of personal choice (think cutting carbs, counting macros, or abiding by a strict eating schedule). What we’re not referring to here are medically-necessary diets that are guided by a health professional (such as a low FODMAP diet for IBS or a gluten-free diet for Celiac Disease). 

    Most diets today involve the restriction of caloric intake in some way, shape, or form. That may involve restricting a particular food group, or simply decreasing intake altogether. In my experience as a Registered Dietitian and Mindful Nutrition Method Coach working with hundreds of our Mindful Nutrition Method students, I’ve seen the impact this can have time and time again. 

    When your body experiences this decrease in energy, a few things may happen both physically and mentally:

    • Increased cravings for starchy carbohydrates, particularly those higher in sugar 
    • Decreased confidence and ease around food
    • A tendency to hyperfocus on food intake and food choices
    • Increased food guilt, stress, and anxiety 
    • A loss of control around certain foods 
    • A loss of control in particular eating scenarios 
    • An increase in digestive complications 

    These complications lead to a variety of additional challenges that can prevent you from maintaining this way of eating for the long term. Let’s dive into what those are.

    1. Dieting Can Take The Joy And Pleasure Out Of The Food Experience

    If you know me, you’ve likely heard me say this before, and it’s worth repeating: food is more than nourishment. It’s tradition, culture, pleasure, and joy and it’s okay to celebrate the many roles food plays in our lives!

    Every day, I cook meals that not only nourish my body but also make me so happy and filled with joy to experience.

    I love being in the kitchen alone or cooking with my husband Jesse. I really enjoy trying new recipes with new ingredients, then sitting down to savor a delicious meal (not always “Instagram worthy” either). If we’re cooking and eating together, we love talking about our day and our plans for the future. It’s such a great time to connect.

    Food is such a powerful way to bring nourishment and joy into our lives, but unfortunately, so many diets are really strict, and rigid, and completely ignore this. They remove joy from the eating experience and can make you feel as if cooking is a chore or that you’re meals are unsatisfying.

    They can cause you to view food only as a means to an end, and constantly leave you “looking forward to” the next time you “can” eat that food item you really want to have, but “can’t”, causing a lot of stress as a result of focusing on what you should or shouldn’t eat.

    Instead, try focusing on creating a positive, joyful experience around your meals.

    This could involve finding recipes that excite you or even simply eating at the table without any devices or distractions. It could be turning on music while you cook a meal for yourself or inviting a friend over for a mini-pot luck night in.

    Reframing food in this way can help you create a whole new appreciation for fueling your body with nourishment, love, and joy.

    2. Short-Term Thinking — Start And Stop Mentality

    The second reason why diets fail most people so often is short-term thinking. The 21-day this, 30-day that. What are you supposed to do after that time period?

    They’re designed to try to get you a big result as quickly as possible. They often fail to then teach you how to integrate that into your life in a balanced way.

    Switch from this short-term, one-size-fits-all thinking to long-term, sustainable thinking. Make choices for yourself that you can realistically sustain for years. Ask yourself, can I do this every day? If not, don’t add it to your life.

    Think about this — following a diet can be a lot of work. You need to learn the rules, buy the right ingredients, follow the meal plan, and potentially skip on or work around your normal social outings. And then you end up following that for, let’s say, 30 days.

    Imagine what would happen if instead, you refocused all of that time and energy on learning a new skill or developing a habit that would last you much longer than that. Maybe instead of following a trend or popular diet, you simply focus your energy on cooking more at home.

    It’s this kind of long-term thinking that can give you the skills to navigate your health 365 days a year.

    3. They Often Require You to Have Foods that Are “Off-Limits”

    Oh boy, we’ve all been there, myself included. We’ve been so “good” on our diet, but then we go out to eat or go to a social gathering and are offered foods we “can’t have”. This increasingly makes us hyperaware, hypersensitive, and focused on that food choice. Right?

    And that can cause two unhealthy extremes: either isolating yourself from others to avoid that temptation or completely overindulging, sometimes even to the point of feeling sick. 

    So here’s my tip, don’t follow guidelines that tell you to eliminate specific foods or food groups for the sake of losing weight or because someone on social media told you to because they do.

    Eliminating foods for the sake of dieting without medical necessity does so much more harm than good. It contributes to that yo-yo diet cycle of getting “on” and “off-track” and dieting over and over again. 

    4. Diets Are One-Size-Fits-All — They Don’t Take Your Unique Body And Life Into Consideration

    Following a popular diet’s guidelines doesn’t always align with your unique wants and needs.

    While it may seem easy to pick a diet and follow it because you don’t have to think about anything, you end up following rules you think you “should” be doing, without actually evaluating what you need in your life and why.

    This can create a big disconnect between your inherent wants and needs and what you’re actually doing. As a result, you can feel guilty, stressed, and overwhelmed around food as opposed to feeling peaceful and at ease.  

    Instead, focus on what you really want. What works really well for you and your life? Jot down exactly what healthy looks like and feels like for you, and why you want those things in your life. Create your wellness vision. 

    When you have that clarity, you’ll begin making decisions that align with your unique needs, rather than what someone else says.

    5. They Ask You to Do Too Much All At Once, Making it Hard to Maintain

    Lastly, diets are often structured in such a short time frame that they ask you to make dozens of changes overnight. When there’s so much change all at once, it’s nearly impossible to keep up with it all.

    Instead, shift to slowly building up your changes and habits over time. Intentionally stack one on top of another so they’re all working together to build a solid foundation for your lifestyle change.

    This means taking that vision of wellness you have for yourself and breaking it down into tiny action steps. It doesn’t mean waking up tomorrow and trying to do everything all at once. It’s taking it one item at a time and really working through it until it’s easy and fully integrated into your life.

    Then move on to the next habit.

    We covered a lot in this video, but if there’s one thing I want you to take away, it’s that we all have unique lifestyles and bodies to honor, but most diets, detoxes, or plans don’t take that into consideration.

    Ditch the Scale and Measure Your Health in Other Ways

    There are many ways to measure and reach your health goals without dieting — including ways to measure outcomes and success outside of the scale. I can’t tell you how important this is! If you let the number on the scale dictate whether or not you’re successful, whether or not you’re happy, you’ll constantly be in the diet cycle. 

    Instead, focus on how you feel, the practices you’re engaging in, the habits you’ve implemented and the goals you’ve accomplished. 

    Some examples might include:

    • Blood work or labs if you’re managing a certain health condition
    • Increased energy levels
    • Better digestion
    • Feeling more confident in general and around food
    • Expressing creativity and joy in your life
    • Honoring what your physical body allows you to do (i.e. give loved ones a hug, exercise, think, work, breathe, etc.)
    • Eating free from distraction
    • Feeling less stress around food and food choices

    Learn How To Stop Dieting And Nourish Yourself In A Way That Feels Uniquely Right For You

    By shifting your focus from these short-term fixes to long-term solutions that stem from what you need and want in your life, you can create a healthy lifestyle that’s maintainable 365 days a year, not just for 30 days. 

    If shifting your mindset around this seems impossible, challenging, or really hard for you to do right now, you’re not alone.

    Sign up to watch my free masterclass today, where you’ll learn about How To Break Free From The Diet And Food Obsession Starting Now. 

    You don’t need to stress and obsess about food. There is a better way, and yes it’s possible to cultivate a positive relationship with food! Join this free balanced eating masterclass to learn how.

    Watch The Free Masterclass

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    McKel (Hill) Kooienga

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  • Man loses over 200 pounds without exercise, meds, or surgery: How he did it

    Man loses over 200 pounds without exercise, meds, or surgery: How he did it

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    A man who dropped more than 200 pounds in one year and stunned his loved ones, shared with Newsweek how he achieved the remarkable goal.

    Gregory Galanis, a 42-year-old man who was born and raised in Canada, but now lives in North Carolina with his wife, told Newsweek in an interview last week that he lost the weight without surgery, weight loss medications or even exercising. Instead, he focused on battling his food addiction and making significant diet changes.

    “I reached the point where I couldn’t even walk from the pain,” Galanis said. “I was a ticking time bomb, and I needed to make a change if I didn’t want to die at the ripe old age of 40.”

    When he began his weight-loss journey on August 2, 2021, at 6 feet tall and 420 pounds, Galanis was more than 200 pounds over the “healthy” weight range, according to body mass index (BMI).

    Gregory Galanis, 42, of North Carolina, stunned his loved ones when he lost 220 pounds in one year.
    Gregory Galanis

    It took him a year to achieve his goal weight of 200 pounds through diet changes. Since then, Galanis said he’s managed to keep the weight off, but noted that “it’s a daily commitment.”

    To shed the pounds, Galanis said he “delved into the science and math” of how weight loss works.

    “I taught myself about how many calories I needed to consume per day in order to lose the weight,” he said. “I learned about my personal metabolic rate and how that changes over time. I learned what foods to eat that kept me full longer. At that point, I was too heavy to exercise. I lost 220 pounds just by changing my diet.”

    He stopped eating all beef, pork, and chicken. Galanis said he now only eats lean fish as part of his daily protein intake, adding that he has embraced becoming a pescatarian because he feels like he has vastly more energy.

    “I also cut out all alcohol,” he said. “I’ve learned how to cook vegetables in various ways, using all types of different spices, and cut out dressings and sauces. I eat fruit to satiate my sugar cravings. I still count my calories religiously and expect I always will.”

    What He Eats in a Day

    Galanis told Newsweek in an email on Sunday that he enjoys starting his day with a bowl of oatmeal with a touch of cinnamon for flavor and a scoop of protein powder. He said his breakfast is usually around 250 calories and gives him a “good serving of protein to start my day.”

    “Before leaving the house for the day, I bring with me a small cooler with cut-up veggies and fruit,” Galanis said. “Usually baby carrots, celery, apples, and bananas. That keeps me going in between actual meals.”

    For lunch, he’ll typically have something such as homemade tuna salad, saying he’ll eat it by itself or “over a bed of lettuce.”

    Between lunch and dinner, he usually has a cup of coffee, without sweetener, and a protein bar.

    As for dinner, he said it’s the meal that he looks forward to the most. Dinner usually consists of a vegetable stir fry with whatever fish or shrimp Galanis and his wife have at home. He said as long as the weather permits, he grills the veggies and fish.

    “I have found that spices are the new spice of life, and my saving grace when it comes to preparing meals,” Galanis said. “Not only can I mix up the flavors, but there are no additional calories to spices.”

    Galanis said when he’s grocery shopping he avoids store-bought sauces, saying they’re full of sugar.

    “One thing that I’ve personally invented is what I call a Good Bowl,” he told Newsweek. “I prepare it on a Sunday, and it lasts for the week. It’s basically a chopped veggie bowl. I chop up whatever veggies I have like celery, cabbage, carrots, and cucumbers in small pieces and mix them all up in a large bowl. It stays sealed up in the fridge, and whenever I find myself in need of a snack, I help myself to a cup. There are very few calories in this, it’s full of fiber and keeps me full, and I can add a little lemon juice or vinegar instead of dressing.”

    Galanis said he has also created several of his own low-calorie dips and dressings, which has made eating vegetables easier.

    “I usually use zero sugar barbeque sauce, and add hot sauce to it,” he said. “I also use whatever spices I have to add flavor.”

    He said he finishes eating any food for the day by 7 p.m.

    Man Loses More Than 200 Pounds
    Gregory Galanis, told Newsweek that he started at 420 pounds and it took him a year to achieve his goal weight of 200 pounds through diet changes. Since losing 220 pounds, Galanis said he’s managed to keep the weight off, but noted that “it’s a daily commitment.”
    Gregory Galanis

    ‘It’s a Lifelong Challenge’

    Galanis said the most challenging part of his journey has been battling his yearslong food addiction, referring to himself as a “reformed drive-through aficionado.”

    “I estimate that I would eat a minimum of 3,000 – 5,000 calories each day, just from my visits to fast food restaurants,” he said. “My addiction to food and my psychological dependence on it was real and continues to be a challenge. If I were to say that I’m completely over it, I’d be lying to myself and everyone reading this. I’ve learned to live with my addiction, and every day is a battle of it’s own.”

    He told Newsweek that anyone can achieve what he did if they want it bad enough, saying they must want to make the change “more than anything else they’ve ever wanted.” However, he said reaching that weight-loss goal is “only the beginning.”

    “For me, I’ve realized that it’s a lifelong challenge that I’ll need to fight for the rest of my life,” Galanis said. “My advice would be to acknowledge it and then to tackle it head-on. It’s mind over matter.”

    Galanis said he utilized technology to assist with his journey, saying he uses the Samsung Health app to track everything he eats during the day. Before reaching his goal weight, he used Healthline to calculate his metabolic burn, based on his weight and activity level. Both resources are free, he added.