Spring has sprung! Yippeeeee!
I'm ecstatic! Can you sense it? I am one of those that really tries to be at peace with winter weather. I sit on my cushion and chant my oms and start humming my sat nams while watching the blizzards cover everything in sight in white stuff. Yes sitting behind my window. I am not going to go out and be at one with it. Hey I never said I was enlightened... yet :)
This time of year we start to feel our bodies in a sense "awaken" and shift gears. We no longer are hibernating and conserving our energies. The slow pace of long dark winter nights and short days is transpiring to a more vibrant, emerging energy of growth. Plants are beginning their first push to bloom forward, and little critters are busy getting well, busy.
There is far greater inspiration now and so most of you are already making changes to your daily lifestyle habits. It makes me so excited to watch people making wise choices and taking care of their bodies, and lives with more care.
Many of you want to feel better in your bodies, and for some this means losing some of the excess winter weight. Lets get on it!
5 Fat Traps you Can Avoid to Lose the Extra Pudge!
#1 Ground Turkey:
Yes ground turkey is not as healthy as you may think. Some people buy turkey instead of beef believing it will be less calories, and lower in fat. Actually ground turkey can have double the amount of fat that lean ground veal contains. This is because ground turkey usually means its ground with all the skin, and fat included. If you must have ground meat, buy lean veal and have the butcher grind it or grind it yourself if you have a meat grinder at home.
#2 Low fat, No fat, No Sugar, Diet, Low Cal Products:
Food producers know what to label their products to get you to buy them. They slap on a "low fat" or "low cal" label and most dieters are apt to snatch them up, just because of the label. Be careful! Most of these products are not only processed, but contain loads of simple sugars, chemicals, and preservatives. All of which impede your body from burning fat. So skip the hype and just get REAL. Real food, means unprocessed. Make 80% of your daily diet unprocessed foods. Anything that doesn't come off a tree, shrub, plant or root is a processed food.
#3 Flavoured Yogurt:
Yogurt is known as a "healthy" food appropriate for those watching their waistlines. However most flavoured yogurts, including the "no fat" varieties can have more than 25 grams of sugar per serving. And remember that is if you actually measure out a half cup serving. So your best bet is to have plain yogurt, even a 2% fat variety and add some fresh fruit yourself. Focus on the quality and portions instead of the low fat labels.
#4 Granola
Granola is such a deceptive little devil. It can be a great source of energy and fuel if you are trekking for the day, training for an endurance sport or simply going to be active for extended periods of time. However if you are not very active or have blood sugar sensitivities , granola can pose a real obstacle to your weight loss efforts. Most granolas, even the "organic" ones you find in the health food stores are high in sugar, and fat. There is often dried fruit in commercial brands treated with sugars or sulphites, honey, other high glycemic sweeteners and some brands add oils or other fats. Save this for those high energy days, or make your own using plain oatmeal, high fiber cereal, cinnamon, seeds and nuts.
#5 Rice Cakes
Yes I know, this one has been around since the 70s as a diet favourite. Even though rice cakes are a low fat food, they are metabolized just like white bread and are as high glycemic as pastries, and other high sugar foods. This means that they will spike up insulin levels and wreck havoc with your energy levels as well. They also are processed, and really not that natural as we may think. You will feel hungrier than ever after eating these and may over eat later on. So just stick with REAL food. I can't stress that enough. Try whole quinoa, brown rice with chick peas or some berries with plain yogurt. These all can make great snacks or full meals.
Food is meant to be enjoyed, not labeled. So let's get back to basics and come to enjoy food as it was naturally meant to be experienced. Getting real with food, will also invite you to get in touch with your relationship to it ;)
Give it a try, see what happens.
Namaste
Piera
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