What Should I Eat?

What Should I Eat? What is the difference between this diet and that? What is the best food plan for me? If I earned a dollar every time I was asked these questions, I would have more than just a few dollars. The food we put into our bodies directly relates to how our body performs. If you are trying to lose a few pounds reviewing your food choices is crucial.
A Google search on weight-loss will return an overwhelming list of diets, pills, drinks, wraps, and plans advising you to eat this, drink that and avoid all other and you will lose. They all have one thing in common: their claim that if you follow all their rules you will lose weight.
A trip to the grocery store can be just as daunting with product claims of low-fat, fat-free, cholesterol free or low in sodium. Packaging can be misleading. There are very few regulations on these claims. It is up to you to understand what you are really eating.
Some of these products, plans and diets may help some people lose weight, sometimes almost immediately. As with anything you have to consider short term gain versus long term risk. Ask yourself:
Is this plan sustainable over time?
Do the products contain chemicals that may affect your health?
Are you required to avoid nutrients that are necessary for survival?
Do your homework. Don’t start a new diet until you can answer these questions with certainty
My rule of thumb is simple: eat real food. If it comes in a box, a bag, or a can chances are it is not real food. Look at the ingredient label. Products with more than two or three ingredients listed are probably not real.
When you go to the grocery store, shop the perimeter of the store first. Load your cart with a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. Consider your meat choices and choose fresh and lean. The bakery department requires some investigation. Read your food labels. Sugar should not be in the top few ingredients of your bread of choice. Educate yourself on the many aliases of sugar: glucose, fructose and many other words ending in ‘ose’, corn syrup, sweetener, and many others. Also be aware of sugar substitutes like aspartame, hydrogenated starch hydrolysate, and sucralose.
Once your cart is almost full you can proceed into the middle aisles. Remember to stick to products with a minimal number of ingredients. Use caution when choosing low or non-fat product as this typically means chemicals or modified ingredients to mimic the taste of the real thing. Take the time to review the labels on everything and compare brands.
When it comes to food, it is your responsibility to ensure you are consuming the nutrients your body needs. Do not make your choices based on what your friend is doing, what you saw on television or read in a magazine. Realize that food manufacturers have very little obligations when it comes to product marketing; they can make various claims that are not backed by research or facts. Do your homework and recognize that there is no quick solution. Focus on good, whole food and be smart about what you eat.