Its Springtime and so we turn to thoughts of… “Omigod! I’ll be wearing a swimsuit in two months!”
If that thought or something similar runs through your mind, here is a healthy and EASY way to lose some fat.
Beware of GRAINS:
Grains are great; tasty, filling, nutritious and far too ubiquitous!
Consider the quantity of grain or grain products you consume daily.
BREAKFAST: Muffin, bagel, toast or cereal?
LUNCH: Sandwich or wrap with perhaps a cookie for dessert?
DINNER: Pasta with some nice Italian bread? Or maybe some brown rice?
Don’t forget snacks! Crackers, pita bread or a granola bar?
Before you jump ship, let me say there is nothing wrong with most of the above foods. Low fat, low carb, whole grain versions are readily available and make good choices.
The problem is QUANTITY!
We can easily eat 3 to 6 servings a day of grain and grain products, which isn’t really healthy OR natural for humans.
GRAINS are a high carbohydrate, high energy food. So if you are an elite athlete or perform heavy manual labor, you can eat all those servings with no problem because youare burning all those carbs as fuel.
If, however you are a more typical mortal being, all those extra carb calories will convert into fat, which will be conveniently stored on various parts of your anatomy. (Usually not where we would like for it to be!)
(Excess grain intake also can create an acid pH; undesirable condition. More about that in a later post.)
Contrary to the FDA food pyramid,
contrary to what some weight loss systems teach us and contrary to the typical American diet, an appropriate daily amount of grain is about ONE HALF TO ONE CUP.
THIS equals: One half to one cup of cooked grain;
or
3-6 large crackers
or
One or two slices of bread, one pita or one or two tortillas.
This may seem like a pitifully small amount! Try it for a month; you will not only be reducing fat, but when you replace some of the grain in your diet with more fruits, vegetables and lean protein, you will improve your overall health and energy level.
And you will feel a lot better when its time to step into that swimsuit!
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