It's amazing the information that is out there relating to Gluten-Free living. Today I read the entire Prevention "Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight" book from Shopper's Drug Mart and it had tonnes of information. It talked about Superfoods, which includes Seeds & Nuts, Healthy Fats, Leafy Greens, Legumes, Lean Proteins and Berries, all of which will help you remain satisfied and lose the weight from your belly, but also ensure you receive all necessary nutrients. There were plenty of recipes as well that seemed to be very interesting that I am looking forward to making. One interesting thing I found out today that I did not know was that, by law, ingredients must be listed in order by volume on a package. Interesting! When shopping, the healthy foods generally have less than 5 ingredients or are in the closest form to their natural form. The best choices are generally come from the outside aisles in a grocery store. These all seem like pretty simple tips, but they are things were don't often think about!
I have been doing a LOT of meal planning lately as my boyfriend and I are trying to ensure we stay on plan as much as possible. Last weekend, we made a detox salad and a veggie soup, as I mentioned. This weekend, I will be making a Sausage/Lentil/Potato soup and a chili for lunches for the week. We also picked up some rice chips, pecans and walnuts, rice cakes, popcorn, granola, fruits and veggies and some nut crackers. I find that my cravings are definitely a lot less than they used to be since I cut out gluten and I feel more satisfied throughout the day. Meal planning has many benefits, including saving money. If you sit down and design your menu for the week and a grocery list to go with it and head to the grocery store on a slow evening, generally Wednesday nights, with a pen and list in hand, you will stay on budget and shop more effectively, limiting the chance that you will buy junk food and give you more time to properly evaluate every choice you make. Also, never go on an empty stomach (reduces impulse buying) and be sure to shop the upper and lower shelves as the richest, less healthy foods are generally placed directly at eye level in the middle racks.
There are many options when it comes to dieting. Often, even the way you talk about your diet can prove effective. If you say you "Can't" eat something, it signifies deprivation and often triggers you to cave. If you say you "Don't" eat something, it should determination and will power, increasing your chances of successes. Case in point, often a diet doesn't have to be a 'diet' per se. Now that I am not eating gluten-free, I am generally just 'thinking' more carefully about every item I put in my mouth and reading the packages on everything I buy that isn't fresh. Dieting can be fun and easy and quickly become a lifestyle just be making it work within your life, instead of making your life evolve around you diet. I realized this week that, as I am vowing to stay gluten-free, there is a very little chance that I will be stopping for a quick fast-food meal as there are next to no items on any restaurant menu that is gluten-free, maybe just a chili or baked potato. Because I know the effects of eating gluten and I am feeling the changes of not having it in my system, it is easy for me to say "I don't eat gluten" or "I don't eat fast food" because I simply don't need it and don't want to have the same issues as before.
Change your view on dieting... Instead of being on a diet, decide that you are eating clean or healthy or well.... Shop like an informed consumer, not blindly, not while hungry and not on impulse. It is amazing what you learn by just reading the label. Next time you shop, plan your meals for the week, bring a list and a pen to cross off each item, go after a good dinner so you aren't starving and go on a slow evening, like Wednesday, when you won't be rushed, bothered or frustrated by those around you. I bet you will feel a lot better about your decisions later, as well as your spending, if you follow these rules. And be sure to stock up on your Superfoods! :-)
Tomorrow I will be writing about Accidental Exercise. Hope you enjoy.
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