What Are The Best Practices When It Comes To Healthy Eating?

With winter coming to an end and bulky sweaters being packed away, this is an especially popular time for people to come to me asking for help on how to lose weight. Although my patients get customized nutrition plans as part of their Nutrition Response Testing program, there are a number of general tips I suggest everyone follows. This is a starting point on how to lose weight:

Limit refined carbohydrates

Refined carbohydrates include things like white bread, white pasta, white rice, most breakfast cereals, and pastries. Carbohydrates turn to sugar when digested, and sugar turns to fat, which can lead to clogged arteries, obesity, and many other health problems. In general, the “whiter” the grain-based food, the lower the fiber and nutritional value. Reach for healthy carbs like root vegetables (i.e., sweet potatoes) or quinoa instead.

Don’t skip breakfast

I know it may seem like forgoing breakfast will work in your favor because it cuts calories initially, but it’s actually the complete opposite! Breakfast is incredibly important for a number of reasons. It revs up your metabolism, and it’s vital to keep that going throughout the day. Indirectly, by skipping breakfast (or any meal) you’re more likely to overeat at another time. You’re understandably famished at that point, and I never want you to get to that place.

Watch your portion sizes

Most of us are used to huge portions. So fair warning: when you see what a proper portion size is on your plate, you may be shocked at first. For non-starchy veggies and fruit, a serving should be one cup. Lean proteins like chicken or turkey should be roughly 5-6 ounces, healthy fats like avocado should be a quarter cup, and healthy carbs should be a half cup. Chew slowly to allow your brain to catch up with your belly and alert you that you’re full. Reaching for seconds when you’re still hungry is ok, but opt for veggies first.

Drink lots of water

There are many, many benefits to drinking lots of water each day, one of which is weight loss. Sometimes we confuse thirst for hunger and end up overeating, but when you drink water throughout the day that’s far less likely to happen. Aim for at least 8 glasses per day. I find it helpful to keep a bottle of water with me at all times as a reminder to drink up. There are also a number of free apps to help give you a nudge.