In The Beginning There Was Food

Nutrition is perhaps the most important aspect of our lives. It is something we require to create the energy we need to get through life. What we eat can make or break a healthy lifestyle. Our eating habits can be more detrimental than the foods we eat. If you eat small meals every 2 or 3 hours, you might be more satisfied than eating three big meals every 4 or 5 hours.

I suggest you start with a food diary/journal, and keep track of everything you consume on any given day. Although vegetarians and vegans are said to make the healthiest food choices, I believe as omnivores, humans need a variety of food sources including meat, even if limited.

I've developed a way to adjust and tweek your nutrition to fit your needs. It involves a simple way to adjust your nutrition needs. My secret is to eat the same food for at least five days a week. Having dealt with human nature, that is harder than it sounds. Here's an example:

Food: Yogurt(2 hours later) Eggs, (2 hours later) Salad, (2 hours later) Pasta, (2 hours later) Chicken and greens, (2 hours later) Oatmeal.
Drink: Seltzer, Club Soda, Carbonated Water.
Snacks: Apple, Banana, Orange, Candy Bar.

The above example is a way to see if you are gaining or losing weight and adjust accordingly. My point is that if you can eat the same food for at least 5 days, you can adjust your nutrition to benefit your needs.

Food Fight!

I like putting together foods because of their health qualities. I am guilty because at times I use the easy and convenient recipes. I've been on this kick to sauté my greens lately. I use a variety of them such as collards, mustards, kale, dandelion, Swiss chard, beet greens, etc., to name a few. Mix them with whole grain rice and beans, and you have a power food. The spices to add are turmeric, black pepper and garlic salt.

Ingredients: Greens(above), Uncle Ben's Whole Grain Wild 90 second pouch, Goya Low Sodium Black Beans. Beans washed to reduce sodium content even more.

Food For Thought!

You should get to know The Worlds Healthiest Foods site. It is informative and a great resource for any health conscious individual.

My Food Replacements!

At my peak weight, I weighed 285 lbs., and ate unhealthy foods and never moved! Regardless what you might hear in the media, it is better to replace a healthier version of your current nutrition. I ate a whole loaf of Italian bread a day. Replacing it with Whole Wheat I consume about 1/5th less. I would eat a pound of pasta in one sitting, but can eat a pound of Whole Wheat pasta over a week and be satisfied. Currently I am stuck at a plateau between 195-205 lbs.!

This was just the beginning. Soon I realized that not everything works for individual needs., There are always the exceptions to the rules. In other words, what works for me, might not work for you.

My big changes were the soda factor. I went from Coke to Ginger Ale and was too overweight until I radically dropped "SODA" all together. I drink carbonated beverages with 0 sugar, 0 salt and more importantly 0 calories!

My pure cane sugar which was the main ingredient to my morning coffee ritual, was dropped. Replaced with drinking coffee black, agave, truvia, honey, maple syrup, and liquid stevia. The latter wins for coffee sweetener!