A Winner and My Personal Healthy Eating Tips

Ya’ll… your comments have made me laugh, made me cheer, made my hungry (bummer), made me nod my head in agreement and some, sadly, made me cry. It has been my honor to pray for each of you. I pray that God will fill every empty space and satisfy your every desire.

We do have a random winner! Congratulations Kristy T! I will email you privately for your mailing address so I can get your autographed copy of Made to Crave shipped to you right away!

I promised to share some healthy recipe ideas throughout the month of January and I will keep my promise. But first, since I have received many emails asking me what I did to lose 50 pounds, I thought I would begin the first day of the new year with my “plan.” Please know (this is my disclaimer) that this “plan” works for me. I am not claiming that it will work for everyone and I have no idea what your individual medical/health concerns may be. I am not a doctor nor am I a nutritionist. I am not qualified in any way to give advice. I am simply sharing what I have learned over the past two years and what has worked well for my body. OK – consider yourself “advised.” Oh… and you should consult your own physician before beginning any new “diet.” (I think that’s what they say on the infomercials )

Let’s get straight to it.

First! I could not have done this without the help and advice of my friend Michelle Dillon, ND, or the support and encouragement of Lysa TerKeurst, Marybeth Whalen and Zoe Elmore. If you live in the Charlotte area, a free consultation with Dr. Dillon, a Naturopathic Physician, would be a great first step. She helps you figure out what works for your body. Oh… and she even prays with you! Also… you need the support of friends and family. They keep you encouraged and on track. Find someone who wants to lose weight with you and become accountability partners. It really does make a difference and… it sure is more fun!

OK – Here are my tips:

1. No sugar! Sugar is your number one enemy. Now, once I lost the initial 50 pounds, I did incorporate a couple of natural sugars back into my diet but only in minimal amounts. I now use some stevia, honey and pure maple syrup as sweeteners and, on occasion, I use agave nectar. Be careful about the labels. Processed agave is not much better than sugar. Remember to read labels. Once I began to eliminate sugar from my diet I realized that it is in just about everything. Really… everything! However, if you eliminate processed and packaged foods, this is not a problem. Sugar can be listed in many ways on a label, including words that you have never heard of and just about anything that ends in “ose.” One more word about sugar… once I eliminated sugar from my diet I noticed an amazing difference in my overall health. I no longer got colds and flu when they went around. My regular headaches now occur only rarely. My PMS symptoms are pretty much gone and… no allergies! I’m serious! I used to have runny eyes, headaches, etc. due to seasonal allergies. They are completely gone! Sugar is, in fact, evil. If you eliminate it from your diet you will lose weight and feel so much better. You really won’t believe the difference!
2. Eliminate all processed foods. Yes… you heard me right. This was not easy at first. I loved the convenience of a frozen entree. But, I learned that processed foods are filled with chemicals and preservatives that are not good for me. Packaged and processed foods may be marked as “low-fat,” “low-calorie,” even “sugar-free” or “whole-grain.” Don’t pay attention to the claims. Just read the list of ingredients. Processed and packaged foods are filled with ingredients and chemicals that your body cannot effectively process. This can cause your liver to function poorly which will detrimentally affect your overall health. And, if you cannot process the food, your body holds on to it! (Now, if you have been following She Cooks, you know that I do use packaged foods in some of my recipes. I’m just being honest… sometimes it’s just plain easier. But, in my day-to-day eating habits, I stick to the basics. I avoid all processed and packaged foods and sugar!)
3. Just drink water. Really. Just water. No soda, caffeine or sweet tea! For a southern gal like me, giving up sweet tea was a bit of a challenge. Actually, giving up my morning Starbucks was harder. I sure did enjoy my morning non-fat mocha’s. (I now have a decaf one occasionally, simply because I enjoy the taste and I do not believe in depriving myself of everything yummy. I believe in moderation ) If you drink sodas (even diet sodas that are filled with sugar substitutes and chemicals) and/or sweet tea regularly, you will not believe the difference in the way you feel after you switch to just drinking water. It will take a week or so to get used to it but watch out… you will lose weight right away by making this simple switch and… you will feel so much better! Note: the only exception to my water only rule is a cup of caffeine free herbal tea with lemon, cinnamon, or a tiny bit of stevia. This is a great, soothing treat on a cold afternoon!
4. Switch from regular salt to sea salt. Regular salt is an inflammatory and causes you to retain water. If you watch or read information about the general well-being of the human body, you know that inflammation is a bad thing and the cause of several different chronic illnesses.
5. No bread, pasta, cereal, or starchy foods. UGH! I do love my pasta and homemade bread hot out of the oven and covered with real butter. But… my thighs don’t love them as much as my taste buds do. And, these foods turn to sugar in your body. I stuck to this with no cheating until I reached my goal of losing 50 pounds. At that point I added in some whole grains, but only in moderation. I really do notice a difference in my overall health (and in the fit of my jeans) when I sneak too much of these items into my diet. When/if you allow these into your diet, just make smart choices… brown rice instead of white rice, 100% whole grain (as the first ingredient) instead of enriched or bleached flour in your breads, sweet potato instead of a white potato, etc.
6. OK – that was a lot of “what not to consume” in my eating plan. Here’s what I do eat: I eat lots of lean proteins, vegetables, and fruits. Yes… this is what most “diet” plans stress but… if you get creative with your combinations, you will not only enjoy your food more and not feel deprived or hungry, but you will actually begin to crave these good foods! I know… I didn’t believe it either but it turned out to be true. I crave salad with my homemade dressing. Bottled dressings now taste thick and goopy to me (even vinaigrette’s) and I love roasted veggies! They are so sweet when you roast them. Who knew? (I will post a guide for roasting a variety of veggies this month.)

• Here’s my vinaigrette recipe. I use it on everything! Mix 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 teaspoons cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar, 1 teaspoon Dijon or country mustard, sea salt and black pepper to taste. You can add garlic or herbs of choice or… finely grated shallots.

Another note: Don’t eliminate foods simply because they may be high in calories. Your body needs calories to function. However, make sure your food choices have nutritional value. Empty calories are no good. Nutritional calories, however, are fuel for your body. (This does not mean that I recommend consuming as many calories as you want. I’m just saying, some high calorie food choices are nutritionally good for you and should not be entirely omitted from your diet.)

My Typical Everyday Food Choice Options

Breakfast:

• Two hard boiled eggs and a grapefruit
• A boneless, skinless chicken breast and a container of Dannon Carb and Sugar Control yogurt (yes, I sometimes eat chicken for breakfast)
• A handful of natural almonds and a container of Dannon Carb and Sugar Control yogurt
• Leftover grilled or broiled salmon with sliced Honey Dew melon or cantaloupe or strawberries or blueberries
• Two scrambled eggs with two slices of turkey bacon

Lunch:

• Mixed greens or spinach topped with grilled chicken, tuna, salmon, prawns, thinly sliced steak, etc. with veggies and/or toasted almonds and strawberries, dressed with my homemade vinaigrette dressing.
• A hamburger patty and a side salad from a fast-food restaurant (if I don’t have time to make lunch in advance). Do not eat the bun and ask for the burger plain (no condiments). Also, have your own dressing ready.
• Any lean protein with two servings of vegetables (a little butter or low-fat cheese on your veggies is OK – also good with fresh lemon juice and garlic)

Dinner:

• Any of the breakfast or lunch options. I also make different meals that I will share recipes for throughout this month.

Snacks:

• A handful of natural almonds, fresh fruit, low-fat cheese, etc. I make sure any snacks pack a lot of nutrients and I also make sure that they include a lean protein. To keep myself from snacking to much, I brush my teeth after each meal. If you brush your teeth right after you eat dinner, you will be less likely to want to snack your way through your evening! (At least that works for me.)

Let’s see… what else can I share with you?

Oh… I exercise 30 minutes a day at least every other day.

OK – this is very creepy and I realize that this might be too much information but… sometimes when I am cooking something that I know I should not be eating (cooking for guests or special occasions), I spit out my taste tests when no one is looking. My son is appalled by this behavior but… if I am going to create recipes, I have to taste them to get the spices correct. One or two tastes is OK but… sometimes it takes quite a few to get it right! Well… now you know my ugly secret. I’m guessing wine tasters have to do the same thing otherwise… well… they wouldn’t be walking straight!

When I really crave a carb, I have found that my body does better if I have it later in the day instead of for breakfast. My body does much better if I begin with a protein. And… I never have a carb without a protein. So… when I really want a bowl of cereal, I make a smart choice (a whole grain non-sugary cereal) and enjoy it late in the afternoon.

Moderation! It is unrealistic to think that we can give up everything that isn’t good for us without at some point completely giving in to our craving and then overindulging to the point of feeling sick. If you really want a bite of your birthday cake… take a bite or two. Just don’t eat the entire cake. And, make smart choices around the cake. The point of any diet is to be healthy. It isn’t to be miserable. Make smart day-to-day choices and… never let food come first in your life.

I think that’s about all I can think of right now. I’ll share more tips throughout January, along with the healthy option recipes I promised. In the meantime, I would love to hear your tips for staying healthy! We are all in this together and we all have different things that work for our bodies and lifestyles. Let’s pool our efforts and help each other out! Thanks friends!

Wishing you a happy and healthy New Year. May 2011 be filled with the peace of God’s presence and more love and joy than your hearts can contain!

Sweetest Blessings,
LeAnn