to using whole wheat flour rather than enriched white flour. The
pizza tastes the same, the girls don’t mind or realize we switched
the flour, and now it is a bit healthier...but it is still pizza. Meats
are another area where simple changes can improve the quality
of your health and meet your nutritional goals and satisfy your
tasted buds. Look for higher quality cuts of meats. You can even
use sandwich meats such as turkey and cheeses and still have
sandwiches for lunch or snack.
There may still be some gaps in meeting your nutrition needs
and there may be a few foods you need to make less of a staple
in your eating in order to meet your goals. Again, you do not need
to eliminate them for life, but simply cut down on the portion and
frequency in which you eat these foods.
It may be necessary to then look at what foods you could add to
your daily meals that you do enjoy. In this case start thinking about
foods that are natural or as less processed as they can be. Fresh
fruits and veggies, meats, rice, flours, as previously mentioned
will go a long way in creating healthier, yet delicious meals. The
options are only limited by your skill in the kitchen or willingness to
prepare new meals.
One key piece of advice, to truly make the most of your
healthier eating efforts, is to read labels. Just because the front
label or cover of a food claims to be “natural”, “whole” etc, be
sure to read the ingredients panel to know what is really in it. The
ingredients are listed in descending order – those that make up
the biggest percentage of the product are listed first. An example
of the importance of reading labels occurred when I wanted to use
peanut butter in my nutritional plan, but wanted a healthier version.
I have found, and now use, natural peanut butter in which the only
ingredient is peanuts. It is on the shelf with several other peanut
butters all of which have the word “natural” in the title. However,
the other products have several more ingredients in them, and
some do not read any different than a regular peanut butter label.
Be very careful to read the labels of foods before you buy them
rather than just the front packaging
Once you have your foods, you can start to look at how they will
best meet your needs. There are many free apps out there than
can help you set up nutrition goals, and in particular the macros of
carbs, protein and fats. However, keep in mind it is about quality
over quantity. Filling up 300 grams of carbs on pizza, chips, and
ice cream will not meet your needs as they are lacking in the many
vitamins and minerals and micronutrients that your body needs.
However, this does not mean you cannot eat those things, just
watch the portion sizes and the frequency in which you eat them
during a given day or week.
It does take some time and some work to get to know your
body and what it can and cannot handle as you work towards
meeting health and fitness goals. There is no reason you cannot
pursue your health goals and be able to enjoy going out for a meal,
having ice cream sundaes on a summer’s night, sampling delicious
appetizers at a family get together, all without the guilt. By removing the “Good food bad food” mindset and restricting your food
choices, you will set yourself up for a lifestyle that is sustainable
and enjoyable.
Feel free to catch up with me online on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/frankgigantenaturalpro. If you want to continue
this discussion, I encourage you to email me at:
[email protected]. If you want even more hands
on help or detailed plans check out my online coaching site www.
naturalprofitnesscoaching.com and let’s work closely together to
keep you on track and moving forward throughout this year.
30 Years Servicing the Health and Gym Industry!
Where You Always Save More Money!
www.tmicheal.com
1-800-536-8893
www.NaturalMuscle.net
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