Personalize Your Eating Plan
There are many weight loss “diets” our there. What if you didn’t have to chose a diet and you could just eat the foods that work for your body? YOU CAN. The only thing you have to remember is that whole foods serve your body while processed foods cause weight gain and disease. There are so many options for whole foods! The list below is not even all encompassing. The processed foods I’m referring to are mainly trans fats, refined carbohydrates, and sugars.
Digestion & Storage of Food
Glucose = the end product of carbohydrate digestion
Insulin = a hormone that is release by the pancreas in response to glucose in the blood stream
Insulin is an anabolic hormone. Anabolic is defined as the building of tissues in the body. Insulin is used by our cells to absorb glucose and use it for energy. When there is more glucose than the body needs, our body uses insulin to store glucose in the form of glycogen. Glycogen is stored in our liver. Our liver can only hold so much. Once it is filled with glycogen the excess glucose is used to build up adipose tissue – this is our body fat!
When we give our body a break from glucose the levels of insulin decrease. In the absence of excess glucose our body uses that glycogen that it has stored and breaks it down to have energy. Once the glycogen is used up our body generates an enzyme called lipase that breaks down fatty tissues and utilizes them for energy. This cannot occur when our insulin levels are high because insulin blocks lipase.
This is why intermittent fasting and eliminating refined carbohydrates and sugar are so effective for weight loss.
Knowledge is power.
Whole Foods
Fruits
- Apple
- Pear
- Grapes
- Orange
- Kiwi
- Pear
- Berries
- Pineapple
- Persimmon
- Cherries
- Banana
- Mango
- Peach
- Melon
Vegetables
- Broccoli
- Lettuce
- Green beans
- Brussels sprouts
- Broccoli rabe
- Cabbage
- Mushrooms
- Eggplant
- Tomatoes
- Peppers
- Onions
- Zucchini
- Yellow squash
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Artichoke hearts
- Snow peas
- Turnip
- Beet greens
- Cucumber
- Beets
- Spinach
- Asparagus
- Kale
- Swiss chard
- Collard greens
- Celery
- Garlic
- Spaghetti squash
- Parsnips
- Winter squash: butternut, pumpkin, acorn
- Potato
- Yam
Animal Protein
- Fish
- Shellfish
- Chicken
- Turkey
- Beef
- Pork
- Lamb
- Eggs
- Plain yogurt
- Milk
- Cheese
- Cottage cheese
Plant Based Protein
- Beans
- Lentils
- Nuts
- Edamame
Grains
- Oats
- Faro
- Brown rice
- Quinoa
- Grits
Fats
- Avocado
- Oils – olive, sesame, flax, avocado, nut oils
- Seeds and nuts
- Nut butters
- Butters
- Mayonnaise
- Salad dressing (no sugar)
Avoid
Refined carbohydrates
- Anything with flour (all types – white, wheat, gluten free, nut flours, bean flours)
- Pasta
- Bread
- Flour tortillas
- White rice
- Crackers
- Chips
Sugar
- White and brown sugar
- Fructose
- Syrups
- Cane juice
- Molasses
- Fruit juice concentrate
- Honey
- Corn syrup
- Agave and nectar
Trans fats
- Partially hydrogenated oils
- They have been mostly banned in the U.S. in 2018, but can still occasionally be found in products that were produced before this time. Read the labels.
- Margarines
- Vegetable shortening
- Popcorn
- Fried foods: potato chips & French fries
- Non-dairy creamers
What processed foods are you willing to part with to reach your weight loss goals?