When beginning a diet it can be tough simply due to the cravings and sweet tooth most of us experience while dieting. What motivates and inspires people to continue their diet is seeing results! Now in order to see great results you must first mentally prepare yourself and stay disciplined all the way through or you’ll only be cheating yourself. There are essential foods you want to make sure you include in a diet. Once a diet is well put and properly managed, results can be amazing!
Let’s first begin with a very important thing to remember and that is portion control. Without having to get too scientific or mathematical you should simply remember that your largest portions should be proteins and greens and your smallest portions carbohydrates. Also, when dieting be sure not to consume complex carbohydrates such as rice, potatoes, pastas and breads before bed time. This is because at the end of the day most of us are unwinding and throwing our feet up from a long day. If too many carbohydrates are consumed the body will take what it needs and convert the rest into fat if it’s not being burned off. So this is why you want to only stick to proteins and greens at least 4-5 hours before bedtime. Next we want to go over important foods to stick with when beginning a diet and integrate it into a new diet plan.
First, let’s start with the carbohydrates that should be consumed during a diet. Carbs such as oats, whole grains, and brown rice should be integrated into any diet plan because of its high fiber content. Additionally, these types of carbs provide a steady release of energy throughout a busy day. A study done by the Wheat Food Council titled “Why eat whole grains” found that, “Whole grains offer vitamins and minerals, plus high levels of antioxidants and other healthy plant-based nutrients. Whole grains contain protective antioxidants in amounts near or exceeding those in fruits and vegetables. They also provide some unique antioxidants not found in other foods. Studies have shown that eating more whole grains may help reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. New studies published in 2005 and 2006 show that whole grains may lower triglycerides, improve insulin control, help in weight management, and slow the build-up of arterial plaque.” www.wheatfoods.org Carbohydrates are vital to any diet so that you can have the right amount of energy to function throughout your day. Now let’s get into our proteins, it’s important to have proteins in any diet due to its ability to maintaining and rebuilding tissues along with its importance in helping us make and maintain our enzymes, hormones, bones, muscles and skin. Good proteins to include are your lean meats such as turkey, chicken, fishes and even egg whites. One might ask, well how about beef? Beef is not a bad source of protein but can be when taken in excess on a daily basis. Beef is good to have in a diet maybe twice a week because it is a good source of protein but more importantly it provides good fats that our body needs. Lastly are our greens! Vegetables are a very important source of nutrients to have in a diet due to it’s high fiber content, vitamins and antioxidants. Greens are also great because they are low in calories and sugars. So make sure you get in your greens ladies and gentleman. Another very important thing to remember is to stay away from foods high in saturated fats (basically anything fried) and drinks high in sugars as well.
So if you simply want to lose weight or get into shape, just make sure to add your good carbs, proteins and greens. As far as portion sizes, be sure to have more proteins and greens and your smallest portion should be carbohydrates. So following the simple steps and recommendations suggested, you should be able to follow a diet you enjoy that will benefit you in reaching your health and fitness goals!!
Abbas Khan
Los Angeles
Personal Trainer
www.bodybykhan.com
You make it sound so simple... I guess it just takes time and patience. What can we have as a substitute for meat if we don't really lie chicken or turkey?
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