Are you getting enough protein?  Most people aren't.  You should be getting up to 80% of your body weight in ounces in protein. So, if you weigh 150 lbs, you should be getting a maximum of 120g of protein each day.  

Why do we need so much protein?  Our bodies are made primarily of protein.  Carbs and sugars are our fuel and fats grease the wheels of our metabolism and provide a cushion between structures in the body like bones or between organs or cells.  Protein is what our muscles and organs are made of.  Getting enough protein is good not only for weight management but also for concentration, memory, mood, and energy.

Protein comes in a variety of sources from meat and eggs, to nuts and seeds, beans and lentils and legumes, dairy sources like milk and yogurt, and dark green veggies like broccoli. Even some grains have tons of protein in them like quinoa.  Unfortunately, the body can only digest 20-25g of protein per meal, so you must get protein at every meal and in every snack.  Fortunately, if you focus on eating only food that you can grow or raise or pick or make yourself then you will be getting plenty of protein.  



A sample daily menu:


Breakfast- eggs with veggies in an omelette or scrambled, pancakes and sausage/ham, toast or an english muffin with peanut butter or eggs and sausage/ham, Chinese fried rice (fried with eggs and veggies), or hot cereal/porridge mixed with quinoa

Snacks- roasted soynuts or chickpeas, trail mix (nut and seeds based), yogurt or cottage cheese, protein bars, hard boiled eggs, hummus or bean dip, lunch meat rolls, "ants on a log" (celery and nut butters with raisins on top), cheese sticks or cubes, avocado, or sushi/sashimi.  

Lunch- soups made with chicken, beef, or fish broth or beans or lentils or protein heavy veggies like peas and broccoli, open faced sandwhiches with tuna or chicken or egg salad or lunch meats and cheese, sushi/sashimi, or a garden salad with lots of nuts or meat and/or avocados on top

Dinner- Meat, poultry, fish, or beans and lentils.  Serve with lots of dark green veggies.



Eat your protein! If you aren't getting enough in your food.... try protein shakes. You can use the powdered protein in other ways too.... like your sauces, mix in with yogurt, or bake into cookies and pancakes.

KPBS had this brilliant episode last month on loosing weight.  According to the description:

In summary (I got more than 10 tips out of this video...):

1) Visceral fat is extremely dangerous and you often don't even know you have it because it is INSIDE of you around your organs. 

2) Skipping meals makes you crave high calorie fats and sugars to compensate for not eating enough.  When you eat regularly and are getting the nutrients you need, you don't crave high or low calorie foods which means you don't need willpower to fight cravings..... or salad.

3) Change your plate size to something smaller and you will eat less.  Having a bigger plate makes you eat more, even if you aren't hungry anymore.

4) Use low calorie versions of your favorite foods, like yogurt with spices for salad dressing instead of creamy bottled dressings or toast in the morning instead of donuts.  You are likely eating up to 60% more calories that you realize, which makes a 1200 calorie day actually a 3000 calorie day!

5) Healthy foods like fruit or starchy vegetables like peas and carrots are not always "free" foods and low in calories, especially if you are eating too much of them.  

6) Protein rich foods keep you feeling fuller for longer and suppresses food cravings and lower portion sizes.

7) Liquefied food stays in your stomach longer, which makes you feel fuller for longer and thus staves off hunger pains.  Soups and smoothies anyone?!?

8) The more variety on your plate, the more likely you will overeat.  Likewise, the more food options you have, the more likely you will load up your plate.  Say no to the buffet! 

9) Calcium from dairy binds to the fat you consume so you don't absorb as much of it.  Instead, it goes right through you!  Lower fat dairy options work just as well as high fat dairy, except you have a sum total less fat absorbed when you consume low fat dairy options.

10) Most fat burned from exercise is burned in the 72 hours AFTER exercise, not during.  During exercise you burn mostly simple carbohydrates.  

11) Incorporating small changes in your routine to minimize the amount you sit burns more calories throughout the day, which can add up to hundreds of calories a day.  Walk the stairs or pace while on the phone.

Vinegar (Rice, Apple Cider, Balsamic, etc) or Citrus Juice (limes, lemons, oranges, grapefruit)
Oil (Olive, Safflower, Rice, Avocado, etc)
Salt
Honey or agave or your favorite jam

1) Mix 1 part oil to two parts vinegar/citrus juice and beat with a fork until blended together.

2) Add a small pinch salt and sweetener to taste.  If the oil is not well blended into the vinegar, it will be harder to trial taste.

****For a unique and exciting variation of above... add herbs or spices to taste (such as fennel, parsley, chopped onion, Italian spices, or cumin, pomegranate syrup, mustard, etc)

There are four ways to loose weight:

1) Exercise yourself into the ground

2) Reduce your calories (and feel like you are starving)

3) Change the composition of what you are eating (ie: carbs vs proteins vs fats)

4) Maximize and optimize your metabolism


Most people who have tried to loose weight have tried the first two and usually find it very difficult.  I'll admit.... it does make good drama for TV though.  The other two are a bit easier, and make exercise and calorie reduction much easier and effective.  

First of all, carbohydrates are what turn into fat, not fat.  Your body is made of water, fat, and protein and your body uses sugars and carbs for fuel like a car uses gasoline.  Too much fuel (ie: carbs and sugar) will be converted into fat for storage to be used for fuel at a later time.  So, if you want to loose weight you have to decrease the amount of carbohydrates you are eating because you are over-fueling your body each day and your gas tank is too full.  

The best way to cut down on your carbs intake is to replace some of the carbs with protein and non-starchy vegetables (think green).  The idea is to cut down your carb intake so you have the optimal amount of fuel.  You can also force your body to break down protein for fuel too.  Since protein has the same amount of calories per gram as carbohydrates but uses more calories to digest it into smaller pieces to build and repair your body with, you feel full on the same amount of food but are actually getting less calories overall.  This can be good temporarily, but not in the long term.  You have to feed your body carbohydrates for fuel.  Not giving yourself the right fuel is like giving your car diesel when you are supposed to use regular unleaded. On the other hand, you could probably eat a whole garden of vegetables but you would still be hungry.  Increasing your protein intake and your vegetable intake will allow you to balance your fuel intake and feel satiated.  You will have the right amount of fuel and as a bonus, will also give yourself extra building blocks to make/build a better you!

Once you are getting the proper fuel and building materials to make a healthy you, it is important to make sure you are actually absorbing and using what you are eating.  Have you ever noticed when you take a multivitamin that your pee turns neon yellow?  Well.... that is because you are not absorbing all of your B vitamins and you are peeing them all out!  There are also micro-nutrients and micro-chemical substances that are not vitamins and minerals that your body needs to run.  Some of them your body can make, others you get from food and herbs (once upon a time on the savanna we ate herbs in our food everyday as extra flavor in cooked foods and as tea and as extra bulk in salad).  When your body gets all the things it needs to run right, then your body can heal itself.  Your body will gain weight as a reaction to not giving your body what it needs.  

Getting these micro-nutrients and micro-chemicals will boost your metabolism and help it run better.  Having a more efficient metabolism will burn more of your fat stores and even out your energy throughout the day.  You will also sleep better, gain muscle easier, and feel much better overall.  In fact, many digestive, skin, hair, and nail conditions are actually caused by your body not metabolizing as well as it can.

So where can you get these micro-nutrients and micro-chemicals?  Whole and unprocessed foods that are colorful, sunlight, clean water, clean air, and herbs. And we aren't talking crazy superfoods from China or herbs like ephedra.  Substances like reservatrol in your red wine or herbs like dandelions leaves and green tea will do wonders. Especially taking a good formula that contains concentrated amounts (so you don't have to be drunk everyday in the name of weight loss!) will get you jump started and help you get more for your money's worth on your multivitamins and foods.  


Interested in more?  Schedule a wellness assessment with me today!