Lay Off The Sugar

If you wondered why Americans have become so overweight you can place part of the blame on our love of refined sugar and products made with it. Candy, chocolate, soda, cough drops (98% sugar), sweetened coffee and tea, pastries, pies and cookies are all full of sugar. Grains, fruits and other carbs provide all the sugars that our body needs for energy. Excess sugars are stored by your body as FAT!

Cookies Anyone?

What's in your pantry for snacks? Did you know that one of the leading brands of chocolate chip cookies has over 200 calories in EACH cookie? That's the equivalent of almost 5 teaspoons of sugar. Now multiply that times the number of cookies you (or your kids) eat each day! Fresh fruit and nuts are the best choices for you and your family. Edamame makes a good protein rich, healthy snack.

Fiber For Fitness

You need at least 25g of fiber per day. Both soluble and insoluble fiber are not absorbed into the bloodstream. Instead of being used for energy, fiber uses calories as it moves bulk through and controls and balances the pH (acidity) in our intestines, removing toxic waste from our bodies.

Carbs to Glucose

Our body converts carbohydrates to glucose, which is absorbed into our bloodstream and used for energy. The more refined (processed foods) the carbs the quicker they are absorbed and if not used immediately by tissues they are converted to triglycerides and transported to fat cells to be stored.

Best whole wheat pancakes, EASY - mix 2 cups whole wheat flour, 2 tsps baking soda, then add 1/4 cup molasses (or brown sugar) and 2 cups of 1% milk. Combine with strawberries, bananas, nuts (if desired)

Eating Carrots

Eating carrots daily can lower cholesterol and blood pressure. Raw carrots contain beta-carotene, a strong antioxidant that can help prevent cancer. Carrots help regulate blood sugar and because of the fiber they promote colon health.

Lifestyle For Weight Loss

Lifestyle is as much to blame for America's obesity epidemic as unhealthy diets. Unlike other cultures, the average American rarely moves - except from the recliner to the kitchen table. Make an effort to be active at least 30 minutes each day. (and working the TV remote doesn't count) Walk, run, bike, play ball or swim. Get those endorphins flowing and you will feel better.

Don't Be Hungry

The key to eating clean - eating lean is to eat more than three meals a day. Being hungry causes you to let your guard down and eat things that are not healthy. By eating good meals and snacks of fresh fruit, vegetables, seeds and nuts you stay full and avoid those unhealthy cravings.

Steak or Salmon?

A 6 oz broiled Porterhouse steak contains 38 g of protein but also 44 grams of fat of which 16 are saturated. On the other hand, 6 oz of salmon contains 34 grams of protein and only 18 grams of fat of which 4 grams are saturated.

Ezekiel Bread

Ezekiel bread was discussed on this site a couple of weeks ago. We found it in the frozen food section of Publix along with Ezekiel wraps. Ezekiel bread contains absolutely NO flour. It's made from sprouted grains. It contains all 9 essential amino acids is low in fat, has no trans fats or cholesterol and is relatively low in sodium. We LOVE it and it's all we buy for bread now. Thanks to those that brought it to our attention and I recommend everyone try it.

Super Size It?

Whopping 500 calories and 25g of fat in these bad boys. It would take the average person 6 - 7 hours of walking to burn off those calories. And we wonder why we have an obesity epidemic.

Fast Food

Fast food - one of the biggest culprits responsible for the obesity of Americans today. How many time a day/week do you pull up and order large burger, fries and "diet" soda to go. Fast, portable and taste good. At what cost to our health and the health of our children and grandchildren? Those Happy Meals are not going to make your children very happy when they have to deal with obesity issues.

Natural Sweeteners

There are many natural raw sweeteners that are not only harmless to the body, but actually support it. The highest choice is to use 100% unrefined and untreated sweeteners such as fruits, pure cane juice, or raw honey.

Trans Fat

Transfat is added to many processed foods to improve the taste and extend shelf life. Buying, cooking and consuming foods in their most natural state helps you avoid the artery clogging transfat that sneak into your diet.

Refined Sugar

Refined sugar, white or brown, has zero nutritional value - no minerals, no vitamins, no fiber, no enzymes, no fats - nothing of value for the body. Most people consume far more sugar than their bodies can possibly use for energy. When this happens, the liver converts the extra sugar into molecules called triglycerides and stores it as fat.

Skinny Wallet?

Shots, pill, supplements and gimmicks will not help you lose weight for the long term. They will only help make your wallet skinny. Changing your diet plus regular physical activity costs nothing extra and those things are the key to healthy weight control.

Holidays Make it Tough

So Memorial Day week-end was not our best Eat Clean Eat Lean effort. That's alright, it's a new week and a new month and we have 4 weeks until the next holiday so let's get back on the wagon! No fried foods, no overly-processed foods, no white flour, no sugar or sugar substitutes and for heaven's sake - No soda pop! Get busy and let's drop 5 pounds before July 4th.