Obese- this word echoes in doctors’ offices around the country. Obesity in America has reached an all-time high affecting almost HALF of all Americans according to the CDC. Severe obesity is related to a whole host of serious side-effects. Many of these side-effects lead to chronic illnesses and even death.
Of course, everyone knows the food you put in your body can cause obesity. But what is the right answer to the food you should eat? There are hundreds of different diets, quick fix strategies, and products promising you will lose 10 pounds in 10 days.
First and foremost, I am here to tell you that there is no QUICK FIX to obesity, to health problems in general. This shift MUST become a lifestyle change for it to be effective long-term.
I can promise you that if you transition to eating REAL WHOLE FOODS your body will thank you.
What foods are healthy and safe to eat?
- REAL meat and (not highly processed, deep fat fried, breaded or coated) Yes, that heavenly steak can return to your plate!
- Fish (also not covered in breading or deep fat fried)
- Eggs! Yes, I’m talking yolks. Did you know that egg yolks house most of the nutrients for the egg? They include vitamin D & selenium.
- Starchy plants like yams, sweet potatoes, plantains, etc.
- All other vegetables. Have fun with this, there are hundreds of plants in your local grocery store that you never even notice. Vegetables are powerhouses of micronutrients that can take the place of your vitamin drawer or cabinet
- Traditional fats (eliminating highly processed forms of fat). This may be the biggest surprise for people. The hungriest organ for fat in your body is your BRAIN! If you suffer from fatigue, brain fog, or any memory loss, you’re probably not getting enough fat for your brain. These HEALTHY FATS include coconut oil, ghee, red palm oil, macadamia oil, beef tallow, olive oil, and avocado oil.
- Whole fruit. Fruit can be high in sugar, but it is also filled with micronutrients that can’t be obtained elsewhere in the human diet. Avoid drinking fruit juice as it is extra high in sugar and easy to over-indulge on.
- Nuts and seeds. Also filled with nutrients. Be sure to read the label and make sure they are not roasted in unhealthy processed oils. You can buy your nuts raw and roast them in the oil of your choice at home.
- Lastly, coffee. One 8 oz cup of coffee is perfectly healthy. It’s the sugary creams that we add that make coffee bad for us. You can even add some of those delicious healthy fats like ghee to your coffee to give it more body and start your brain off in the morning with a small dose of caffeine and healthy fats
It’s genuinely as simple as you make it. It can be fun to make elaborate meals, but it can be hard to accomplish this EVERY DAY. Plan to have a balanced meal of a small piece of meat, a side of vegetables, and a fruit for dessert. It can be this simple.
Why is there so much information about diet?
The industrialized food chain has made us fat and lethargic, which is exactly what they want. America has more fast food restaurants than anywhere else in the world…. X10! We live off a diet of grains, sugars, and processed food. This keeps us depressed, sick, and exhausted. This makes for perfect consumers. We are unhappy with our lives, depressed, overweight and we think buying the next iPhone, cool car, or an expensive diet pill will make us happy. I’m telling you, IT WON’T. The system has failed us and it’s time to take back your health and your weight!
What foods should be avoided?
- Grains. This includes pastas, bread, rice, cereal, etc. The majority of Americans’ bodies are used to running off grains and this has led to inflammation in the body making us perfect hosts for disease.
- Sweeteners real and artificial. This includes sugar of any kind, high-fructose corn syrup, Splenda, Equal, etc. Sugar is the main cause of weight gain, obesity, and depression. Artificial sweeteners include cancer-causing agents.
- Processed or refined foods. If it comes in a bag or a box, don’t eat it! To make products shelf-stable they are filled with sugar, hydrogenated oils, and deadly chemicals. This also includes most “health foods” like protein bars, dairy-free creamers, etc.
- Industrial seed oils and vegetable oils. Soybean, corn, safflower, sunflower, grapeseed, peanut, cottonseed, canola, etc. Seed oils are in almost ANYTHING that is shelf stable. Now is the time to be a detective of your food labels. These highly processed oils are hard to digest and contribute to weight gain and inflammation in the body.
The outlier here we haven’t discussed is dairy. I didn’t put dairy in either category. If your body can tolerate the proteins in dairy, it can be filled with nutrients and a good healthy animal fat. However, many Americans don’t have the digestive enzymes that can tolerate dairy. To see where you fall on this scale, I recommend removing all dairy for a course of 30 days. If you add it back in small amounts and you notice lethargy, weight gain, digestive issues, or skin problems this probably means you should eliminate dairy all together.
Follow these principles and I can promise that you WILL lose weight, your brain fog, fatigue, and depression will improve. If you have special conditions already or take medication for chronic illnesses, be sure to consult your doctor before making a drastic change.
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