WHY ISN'T YOUR DIET WORKING?
YOU SKIP MEALS
- If you skip meals, especially breakfast, are more likely to be overweight
- You need calories to burn calories
BREAKFAST
- Make time to eat, no matter how busy you are
- If you're worried that you'll wake up late & not have time, prepare everything before you
go to bed so there's very little to do in the morning - Eat breakfast within one hour of getting up
- If you don't enjoy breakfast, munch on something simple, such as a, nutrition bar, banana, nonfat yogurt or lowfat yogurt.
LUNCH
- You should be eating lunch 4-5 hours after you've had breakfast
- If you'll be on the go all day, pack snacks containing a little protein, a little fiber & a little fat
so you'll feel fuller longer - Good choices include yogurt, lowfat cheese sticks, hummus, 15 almonds & veggies
DINNER
- You should be eating dinner 5-6 hours after you've had breakfast
- Even if you're multi-tasking, don't put off dinner until you're almost ready to go to sleep
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TOO MUCH SODIUM
- The recommended daily allowance for sodium is 2,300 mg
- The average American has as much as 3,300 mg daily
- If you're over 50 years old, have high blood pressure, diabetes or kidney disease or are
African American, your sodium intake shouldn't go above 1,500 mg per day - Excess sodium usually comes from restaurant meals, take-out & processed foods
POSITIVE SOLUTIONS
- Control your salt intake
- Eat more fresh foods
- Minimize buying boxed or canned foods like soup, lunch meat, frozen meals, flavored rice, dressings, sauces & snacks
- Check your condiments like low-sodium soy sauce has 533 mg per tablespoon
- Before you put canned, boxed & frozen foods in your shopping cart, read the food labels
- Prepare more foods at home, where you control how much salt you use
- When you eat out ask if the chef can prepare items with a minimum of salt & serve sauces on the side
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TOO MUCH SUGAR
- Women should have no more than 6 teaspoons (24 g) of added sugar per day
- Many of ushave as much as 22 teaspoons (92.4g) per day
- Sugar is hiding in places you don't expect
- Sugar contains weight-boosting calories but no nutrients
- Too much added sugar can lead to Diabetes
- Learn to identify added sugar in ingredients lists
- It goes by names like high fructose corn syrup, evaporated cane juice, molasses, honey,
agave nectar, barley malt syrup & more
POSITIVE SOLUTIONS
- See the KW Added Sugar List & the Hidden Sugar List in our Nutrition pages
- Foods that usually have added or hidden sugar are sauces, dressings, bottled drinks such as fruit juice, iced tea, iced coffee, energy drinks & sodas
- Make sure to check the labels on 'low fat' foods because they take add sugar to improve the flavor when they take out fat
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TOO MUCH CARBS
- Carbs are the main 'fuel' for energy
- 45 to 65% of your total daily calories should come from carbs
- Most people overdo on carbs not realizing that carbs are in fruits, veggies, beans & grains
not just in pasta & bread
POSITIVE SOLUTIONS
- Focus on carbs that are loaded with vitamins, minerals & body-regulating fiber
- Limit your intake of carbs from highly processed foods, such as white bread & pastries,
since they've been stripped of fiber - Opt for more whole foods such as oats, beans, lentils & fresh, frozen or canned fruits & vegetables
- Boost your whole-grain consumption by substituting whole-wheat bread, crackers & pasta
for white, or use lettuce or a corn tortilla wrap for sandwiches to cut back on bread
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TOO MUCH RED & PROCESSED MEATS
- A 3 oz portion of meat, the size of the palm of your hand, has about 21 g of protein
- The American Cancer Society, studies have shown a link between red & processed meats
& cancers such as colon cancer
POSITIVE SOLUTIONS
- Choose 95% lean ground beef & lean cuts
- Be prepared to trim the fat off the meat before cooking or grilling
- Instead of serving large slices of meat, add slices or cubes to your salad
- Make a stir-fry with more vegetables than red or processed meat & substitute beans or vegetarian crumbles for meat in chili
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NOT ENOUGH PROTEIN
- Women need about 46 g of protein per day
- Not having enough protein can make you too hungry which can lead to snacking & weight
gain - Protein makes you feel fuller longer
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POSITIVE SOLUTIONS
- Incorporate protein into every meal & most snacks
- Try an egg white salad or nonfat or lowfat Greek yogurt (has about twice as much protein
as regular yogurt) for breakfast - Snack on lowfat cottage cheese
- Smear lowfat cheese spread on a few whole-wheat cracker or smear nut butter on an
apple of banana
- Boost your intake of plant-based proteins by sprinkling nuts or seeds over salads & soup
- Eat more beans, soy products & greens (Kale, Swiss Chard) at lunch or dinner
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NOT ENOUGH FIBER
- Women need about 25 g of fiber per day, yet most of us eat just 10 - 15 g of fiber daily
- Fiber helps with weight management & blocks fat absorption
- Fiber slows the rate at which your body digests food which makes your energy levels
remain more stable - You feel full longer
- Can also reduce your risk of constipation, hemorrhoids, heart disease, diabetes & colon cancer
POSITIVE SOLUTIONS
- Raise the amount of fiber you eat over a few weeks' time to cut your chances of bloating
- Drink more water, which helps fiber move through the digestive tract
- Start the day right with whole-grain breakfast cereals that contain 5 g of fiber or more
- Use quinoa, spelt & other ancient grains instead of white rice
- Eat a variety of beans & legumes, sprinkling them over salads & whole-grain pasta
- Eat the skins on fruits & vegetables (apples & potatoes)
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NOT ENOUGH WATER
- 6-8 glasses of 8 oz each is the daily recommendation
- If you live in a hot & humid climate, you'll need to drink more water
- Not drinking enough fluids can trigger hunger if you're even slightly dehydrated
- Your needs vary each day based on how
Active you are
Hot and humid it is
The amount of water you're getting from foods such as fruits & vegetables
POSITIVE SOLUTIONS
- Before snacking, drink a glass of water & it may limit how much you 'nosh'
- If you don't like water adding berries, mint leaves, citrus or cucumber slices
- You can also drizzle a splash of fruit juice in seltzer water or try hot or cold herbal teas\
- Soups also can take the place of water
- Fruits & veggies are about 85% water so eating them counts toward your daily amount
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Diet Directory | Nutrition Directory
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