Fast Food Trap–Don’t Fall For IT!

Seriously, food manufacturers have got us pegged. They have figured out how to make sh– taste really good. And we’re suckers. We go for it. The smells in fast food joints are enticing. They elicit responses and make us want to eat it (so much for the healthy options). Then when you eat it, you feel good while you eat, you feel satisfied afterwards, like a drug. Then, you crash and guess what your body wants after you crash? More sh—.  Seriously, it’s a vicious cycle. The best way to avoid it is to NOT walk in the place. That’s A. And B - when grocery shopping, avoid boxes  whenever possible. Shop the perimeter. The more processed a food–meaning the more things done to a food once it leaves an animal, the ground, a tree or the ocean, the more processed it is. The more chemicals are added. The more fiber is stripped out. The more salt is added. MSG is awful. And the worst offender is the trans fat added to make the product hold up, like forever. Even mold avoids it!  In David Katz’s Flavor-Full Diet: Use Your Taste Buds to Lose Pounds and Inches, he shares the nitty gritty about the physical AND physiological dependence that is promoted by convenience, marketing and price.   Then, there is the Wake Forest School of Medicine which found the effect of trans fats on weight. Turns out they fed these two groups of monkeys an equal # of calories but gave one group just 8 % of their daily intake in trans fats. The trans fat group gained THREE times as much weight. So the moral of THAT story is you can’t go eat a fast food lunch and then think eating lean the rest of the day can make up for it. You might THINK so calorie wise but those trans fats do more than screw up your cardiovascular health. And oh yeah, it’s allllllllllllllllllllllllllllll belly fat!! If that isn’t enough to convince you to start eating healthy TODAY, then consider this:  Another study (CARDIA in 2005) followed 5000 healthy young adults for 20 years (that’s a GOOD sample and a good time period). Turns out, eating fast food was worse on a body than a sedentary lifestyle or alchohol consumption.

Be good to your body. Try a cleanse. I found a really great one several years ago and do it twice a year. It’s not tough and you’d be surprised at how far you’ve moved from eating healthy. I sleep like a baby and wake up before my alarm. I have tons of energy. There’s a great article you can follow at Experience Life Magazine on a fast track detox plan.  ENJOY and Happy Monday!

Several friends of mine have asked me to share my personal snack options….Oh my…how much time do you have? ! Being a food fan, I love to eat–so I was thrilled when years ago, I learned how A.) more muscle = more calories burned (muscle is metabolically active) and B.) eating through the day helps keep your metabolism running. I’ve been on the snack attack for over 15 years now and truly it IS enjoyable! Now, I DID have to make some adjustments to my 3 primary meals so I didn’t add calories to my day, but most days I eat 5-6X a day. What I eat for snacks is where I get the most variety in my diet.  And for me, variety is truly a spice of life. Sort of reminds me of my weekly workout plans….but, I digress!

So, here are examples of my mid meal snacks or mini meals:

PB or Almond Butter and half a banana or granny smith apple (sooooooooo satisfying!).

Apple or gluten free (I’m one of those sensitive to gluten gals) waffle with honey or agave nectar drizzled on it.

My own crunch mix: Barbara’s Cinnamon Puffins (gluten free, good fiber, natural ingredients), almonds and/or 1/8 cup pumkin seeds, + some dried cranberries or cherries for a little tart.

1/4c nut mixture of almonds and pumpkin seeds and cranberries. (Ok,  I AM a chocolate lover so if I want a little treat, I take a bit of sugar free dark Godiva chocolate, melt it, and mix in dried cranberries and then freeze it to harden–then I leave it in the freezer so when I eat some, it takes longer to melt in my mouth….!)

Air popped or microwave popcorn (but not from a bag but Presto Microwave Popcorn Maker about $10 from Wal-mart) and a spray of olive oil, light salt or a Ms. Dash flavor like chipotle for SPICE, or a little parmesan. You can even throw in cranberries again for a little salt and sweet blend. I buy my dried fruits organic with no sugar added or sulfites.

Hummus with raw veggies or wheat free crackers/pretzels.

I also get the low sugar oatmeal and a scoop of protein powder (Biochem is my current fave in ….yeah, chocolate), plus a few dried…yeah, cranberries again. I throw them and some protein powder in a baggie and take it to work, then add hot water and mix it all together.

Ideally for me, I am looking for a mix with carbs and protein and if I can squeeze in some good fat or fruit for antioxidants, even better.

And then of course, there are protein bars….but that’s a whole other blog or two!  They make it really easy for a mid morning snack if you are on the go or at the office.

I DO find, that if I am rushed and I miss my morning snack and have had a lighter primary meal, I start to run low since my calories are down, so I do try to think ahead and be prepared. When I can keep food intake at regular intervals, I find my energy levels are constant throughout the day.

Hope you had a great Monday.  Set your goals for this week, plan your meals, your workouts, and count your blessings.  Live FIT, be STRONG, and LAUGH often.

-Lisa