This is What You Should Eat….

What I got when I searched for "Hospital Food"

Look appetizing? I didn’t think so. The sad truth is that if enough money was put into marketing this as being a quick weight-loss solution, many people would flock to it. Why? My theory is there are countless diets circulating the internet, TV, airwaves, and by word-of-mouth that most of the population is confused on what to eat. Now, many have left it to a certain “program” to tell us what to eat, when to eat, and how to eat. I can guarantee nearly all of these diets/solutions/programs have something(s) to sell you. In sum, all diet creators have one ultimate thing in mind…..not your health, just how much cash they can make off of their “plan.”

With all of the fad diets selling their books and their bars, it’s no wonder so many of us are confused on what should be on/off our plates. As a past victim from these diets, I made the smart decision to realize money is their only concern and I need to figure things out on my own.

That being said, I’d like to offer my simple approach to choosing what you do and do not eat. I ask nothing in return and you don’t have to buy my e-book with 100 pages of wordy ways to say the same thing over and over while not actually saying anything.

Read nutrition facts and ingredients on anything packaged. If you can’t find info on the package, approach with caution and at your own risk! Ingredients are listed in order by volume of the package; if sugar (in any of its many names) or fat/oil is in the top 3, I put the box back. Also, a short ingredient list with real food names is a good indication you have something worth eating.

Get to know your kitchen. Go buy some carrots, turnips, sweet potatoes, red bell pepper, radishes, celery, apples, and any other fruits and veggies you might like in their whole form at the produce department. Set some time on the weekend aside to wash, peel, chop, dice, and cook your treasure; then pack in air tight containers to be ready for the week ahead. Here are some quick ideas:

• Cut red bell peppers in strips for easy snacking.
• Chop peeled carrots into your own baby carrots or any size you like. I make some thick cuts and use carrots as a utensil to eat small snacks like yogurt mixed with peanut butter.
• Wrap a cleaned sweet potato in a paper towel and microwave for 3-4 minutes on each side to have a potato that only needs reheating when you want one for a quick dinner.
• Dice apples into small cubes and freeze; these are great to mix with your favorite milk or yogurt, some whole grain cereal, and a few toasted nuts for a healthy and refreshing treat or meal. 

Forget everything you hear from the fad diets! Low carb, high protein, low fat, etc. are all unnecessary. How can anything grown from the Earth (asides from poisonous things) be that bad to eat? Yes, I know the way some foods are produced by people can have ill-effects, but focus more on eating whole foods rather than something in a box, bag, or wrapper and you will be off to a great start. Just remember, everything most things in moderation. I feel some foods, like those containing partially hydrogenated oils, sugar as the first ingredient, etc. should be avoided at all costs.

To sum it up:

• Most creators of diets are more concerned with their bottom line than your bottom
• Read ingredients and nutrition facts and know what they mean
• Prepare whole foods to be ready for snacking throughout the week
• Turn away from fad diet advice…I don’t care if the Princess “used” it
• Consume everything in moderation; do not consume the really bad stuff 

This has not been the first, and it won’t be the last post I write regarding the marketing ploys of companies and false promises of diets. I urge anyone wanting to get healthy to stay away from anything with a drive-thru window and most packaged items.