Is Eating Healthy Making You Fat and Tired?
Oh my gosh – nutrition and diet info is everywhere! It’s no wonder we’re all so confused and despite doing all the “right things” and eating healthy, we’re still feeling tired and frustrated with the weight that won’t budge.
And each expert and authority and blogger tries to lead you in their direction because they know best and their advice is going to help you. Right?
Well, maybe…
Everyone has heard (and maybe lived through) the intense focus on calories and how much you eat. This has gotten way too much attention because while this does affect your weight and energy level, it’s certainly not the “holy grail” of health.
Let’s focus a bit more on the often overlooked (and proven) benefits of what you eat and drink and how you eat and drink it.
What you eat and drink
The “calories in, calories out” philosophy (i.e. how much you eat) is being drowned out with research on other factors that may be just as important. Don’t get me wrong limiting calories, carbs or fat can certainly help you lose weight but that’s simply not the only factor for long-term weight loss and maximum energy for everyone.
When the intense focus on how much we ate didn’t work in the long-run it wasn’t really a surprise. We kinda knew that already, didn’t we?
You can certainly still continue to be mindful of your calories, carbs, and fat but don’t forget to also pay attention to what you eat. Remembering that while the calories in an avocado may be relatively high, the nutrition far out ways similar calories found in a bag of chips.
Ideally, you need a varied diet full of minimally-processed foods, that is fewer packaged and ready-to-eat foods. This simple concept is paramount for weight loss, energy, and overall health and wellness.
Every day this is what you should aim for:
- A colourful array of fruits and veggies at almost every meal and snack. You need the fibre, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.
- Enough protein. Making sure you get all of those essential amino acids. Added BONUS – eating protein can increase your metabolism.
- Healthy fats and oils, which are those that occur naturally in foods – never hydrogenated or processed. There is a reason some fatty acids are called “essential” – you need them as building blocks for your hormones and brain as well as to be able to absorb essential fat-soluble vitamins from your uber-healthy salads. Use extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil, eat your organic egg yolks, and get grass-fed meats when possible. You don’t need to overdo it here. Just make sure you’re getting some high-quality fats.
How you eat and drink
Also pay attention to how you eat and drink.
Studies are definitely showing that this has more of an impact than we previously thought.
Are you rushed, not properly chewing your food, and possibly suffering from gastrointestinal issues? Do you drink your food?
When it comes to how you eat, let’s first look at mindful eating.
Mindful eating means to take smaller bites, eat slowly, chew thoroughly, and savour every bite. Notice and appreciate the smell, taste and texture. Breathe.
This gives your digestive system the hint to prepare for digestion and to secrete necessary enzymes.
This can also help with weight loss because eating slower often means eating less. Did you know that it takes about 20 minutes for your brain to know that your stomach is full?
Thought so!
We also know that more thoroughly chewed food is easier to digest and it makes it easier to absorb all of those essential nutrients.
And don’t forget about drinking your food.
Yes, smoothies can be healthy and a fabulously easy and tasty way to get in some fruits and veggies (hello leafy greens!) but drinking too much food can contribute to a weight problem and feelings of sluggishness.
Don’t get me wrong a green smoothie can make an amazingly nutrient-dense meal and is way better than stopping for convenient junk food – just consider a large smoothie to be a full meal, not a snack. And sip it slowly, don’t gulp it down too fast.
If your smoothies don’t fill you up like a full meal does, try adding in a spoon of fibre such as ground flax or chia seeds.
Summary:
More important than counting calories is to also consider what and how you eat.
Want to find out more? Join my 28 Day Reset Weight Loss Challenge and take control of your health today!
Smoothie meal: Chia Green Smoothie
Serves 1
Add a handful spinach
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 banana
¼ avocado
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
Add ingredients to blender in order listed- you want your greens on the bottom by the blade so they blend better and have the chia on the bottom to absorb some liquid before you blend.
Wait a couple of minutes for the chia seeds to start soaking up the almond milk.
Blend, Serve and Enjoy!
Tip: Smoothies are the ultimate recipe for substitutions. Try swapping different greens, fruit or seeds to match your preference.
Bonus: Chia seeds not only have fibre and essential omega-3 fatty acids but they contain all of the essential amino acids from protein.
