We all need help from time to time figuring out what we should eat and what is only going to leave us unsatisfied. In this article I tackle a hypothetical person and make simple, easy suggests to trade this for that to limit calories and increase health!
Mario is 45 years old and is overweight (BMI 29). He just came from the doctor who informed him that he is “Pre- diabetic, has hypertension and is cholesterol his 50 points over the normal limit.. His doctor’s advice was to “lose weight or you will not make 50”. This week let’s take on the role of a nutritionist and put some of the valuable information we have covered so far in class to use in helping Mario break some of his bad eating habits.
- Bad habit#1 –Mario drinks 2 six packs of coke a day. He makes one of those 6 packs diet and thinks this is a good idea.
- Bad Habit #2 – Mario is afraid to eat anything green (he had nightmares about the “Jolly Green Giant” as a kid), therefore he eats no veggies or salads.
- Bad habit #3 – Mario eats lasagna 5 times a week. It reminds him of his Momma and makes him feel all warm inside. He makes a huge pan of it on Sunday night so he has enough for the week.”
Mario, Mario, Mario. What are we going to do with you? Well, to start with,
- No more Coke. No Diet Coke either. If it’s the caffeine you crave, stick to coffee. There’s lots of research studies to confirm that two to three cups of coffee per day should be fine for you. It’s got both antioxidants and extra pep. Stick to black, or if you must, use a natural low calorie sweetener like Stevia or Truvia. If you like creamer, use fat free milk.
- One can of Coke at 140 calories / 8 oz / 39 grams of sugar = 8 tsp of sugar.
- Six cans of Coke at 840 calories / 48 oz / 234 grams of sugar = 48 tsp of sugar. That’s A LOT of sugar!
I know you’re thinking “I’ll just switch to Diet Coke then.” Not so fast mister. Did you know that most artificial sweeteners breakdown into methanol and formaldehyde (aka. embalming fluid) in the body? Gross! Also, the phosphoric acid in carbonated drinks leaches calcium from your bones, thus weakening them over time, and causing diseases like osteoporosis. I suggest, if you want something to sip on, give flavored water a try! There are some really great ones out there and most are calories free.
2.The best way to get your green on is to trick yourself into eating them. For veggie-phobes like you I recommend purchasing a food processor. Mix frappéd sweet potato or butternut squash in with your Mac n’ Cheese, put spinach in with your brownies (yes, you heard right). Buy yourself some veggie burgers and try them with some BBQ sauce – you’ll never know the difference!
And Mario, you need some serious fiber in your life. We need to go through your house and throw out all the white-bread, empty calorie, grain-less munchies you have hiding in your cupboards! If you need to eat veggies gradually, fine, but we can increase your fiber in other ways. Eat oatmeal for breakfast! Make sandwiches on whole grain breads and only use whole grain pasta. And there’s no shame in supplementing your fiber. There are plenty of good fiber supplements (Fiber One, Metamucil, etc.) that can help fill in the gap while you adjust your eating habits.
- I have great n
ews for you here, Mario. You can still eat lasagna five times a week! We’re going to tweak the recipe a bit, and you will need to change up the ingredients to make it a little new and different, but I have no problem with you eating it every night as long as you vary your diet for breakfast and lunch. You can even have a glass of wine (6-8 oz) while it’s cooking.
Here’s what we’re gonna do; substitute these ingredients in place of what you usually use.
As needed Pam Organic Olive Oil
1 ½ onion
2 cloves garlic
½ lb 97% lean or
ganic ground beef or soy substitute, or chicken, or eggplant
2 tsp Italian herbs & spices
2 lbs fresh tomatoes
1 lb whole grain lasagna pasta
16 oz low fat cottage cheese
8 oz low fat mozzarella
Once we adapt these changes and substitutions the lasagna should still be tasty and much, much healthier.
Prosito!
-By Healthy Hot Bod
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