Don’t eat carbs, don’t eat fat, don’t eat egg yolks, oh, and no dairy…UGH. Okay, I have to admit that when I first started this Fit Bride journey, I called on a nutritionist, who lived by those food lies (plus: she told me to not eat fruit! It actually makes me angry now). Despite my better judgement, I followed her plan for about three weeks, and…I was miserable. I couldn’t make it through my training sessions, and I actually became ill (not to mention I didn’t lose any weight during that period). Learn from my awful dieting mistakes, and stop listening to these silly food myths!
Carbs, fat, egg yolks, and dairy…setting the record straight…
Check out these facts from The Women’s Health Diet book!
Fiber-Rich Grains
There’s nothing inherently wrong with carbohydrates. Healthy carbs made from whole grains can and should be a staple of your daily diet. They provide energy and help facilitate the muscle-building process. Whole-grain breads, pastas, and brown rice are obvious choices. But read the nutrition label. Often “multigrain” just means more than one grain has had the nutritional life beaten out of it and then added to the food. “Wheat” bread is often just refined white bread that’s been dyed with molasses to look healthier. Always look on the label, and always look for “whole grain.” If you see the word “refined,” don’t be refined at all—toss it and run.
Avocados, oils, and other healthy fats
The right kinds of fats can actually make you slimmer. Your body is designed to burn fat for energy. So by timing your fat intake, you’ll not only trigger weight loss, you’ll also fuel your workouts more effectively—and see even greater gains in the gym. The two fats you should concentrate on are monounsaturated fats (MUFAs), the healthy oils found in olives, nuts, seeds, avocado, acai, and even chocolate; and omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in cold-water fish, grass-fed meats, nuts, seeds, and some fruits. Scientists in Italy found that people who eat diets with higher amounts of these fats actually burn more blubber during exercise. That’s right: MUFAs and omega-3s are actually fat-burning fats!
Eggs and dairy
Eggs are the most nutrient-dense food known to humans. A study published in the International Journal of Obesity found that dieters who ate a breakfast of eggs (yolk and all) instead of a bagel for 5 weeks lost 65 percent more weight—with no effect on their cholesterol or triglycerides. (That’s right, eggs may be high in dietary cholesterol, but they won’t raise your cholesterol—a common misconception. Milk, meanwhile, really does do a body good…and so do cheese, yogurt, and even ice cream. Something as simple as drinking a glass of milk per day can help stave off a heart attack and stroke. A study at Harvard Medical School, found that people who ate three servings of dairy foods daily were 60 percent less likely to be overweight than people who consumed less.
Basic rule: everything in moderation. While these foods aren’t on the naughty list, they—along with any other food shouldn’t be eaten in mass quantities. Happy munching!
Want to see what I’m up to everyday? Follow me on Twitter @WHvera!