Weight Loss Made Easy….Really!!

Author: Shannon Miller

SML is excited to bring you “10 Steps to Easy & Lasting Weight Loss” by Susan Smith Jones, PhD.

Susan was a wonderful guest on the SML Radio show on January 9th. Susan has made extraordinary contributions in the fields of

  • holistic health,
  • optimum nutrition,
  • high-level fitness
  • balanced living.

We enjoyed her so much we decided to pick her brain a little more.

Of course, we’re all focused on weight loss after the holidays, so we are sharing Susan’s top 10 power strategies to achieve permanent weight loss. Make sure to check back each week for the next tip to a healthy weight loss.

Weight loss Tip #1: Change your color palette:  Ditch the white stuff!

White foods — white bread, white flour, pasta, sugar, cakes, pies, muffins, donuts — are bound to add pounds to your waistline and little or nothing to your nutrition . That’s because all these “white” foods have a high-glycemic index, raising your blood sugar rapidly, only to have it crash and burn, causing you to crave more sweets (and fattening white stuff) hours later.

Sugar is bad. Most of us already know that. It adds empty calories—those that don’t offer any nutrition but certainly add pounds. The average American consumes two to three pounds of sugar a week. Even if you’re not adding table sugar to your morning coffee or other foods, look for hidden sources of sugar in unexpected places:  bread, mayonnaise, ketchup, spaghetti sauce and virtually all frozen meals. Sugar plays havoc with your blood sugar. Avoid it at all costs.

Aside from sugar, white foods are highly processed. That means most of the nutrients (the wheat germ and most of the vitamins and fiber naturally present in grains used to make flours) have been removed in the manufacturing process. That leaves you with a light fluffy biscuit that has almost no nutritional value. While it might temporarily help you feel full, it gives you virtually no nutrition. Empty calories leave your body’s native intelligence “hungry” for more real food, but the controlling mind translates that desire for good food into a wish for more biscuits, sweet rolls, spaghetti and sugary cereal.

Most commercial baked goods have 3 strikes against them:
  • they are made from white flours
  • with added sugars
  • and lethal trans fats.

The same warning about processed flours holds true for many other white foods, including white rice, cereals and potatoes that can have similar roller coaster effects on our blood sugar.

To keep your blood sugar level and your waist trim, aim to eat a rainbow of fruits and vegetables every day.

Colorful foods contain high concentrations of nutrients vital to a healthy body. Load up on common colorful foods like tomatoes, oranges, blueberries, spinach, beans, squash, apples, berries and grapes and be adventurous with more unusual ones like kale, kiwi, eggplant, pomegranates, rutabagas, avocadoes, apricots and more.

An exception to the ‘avoid white foods” rule: eat plenty of onions and garlic.

They are loaded with powerful antioxidants that promote health and prevent disease.

TIP:  High fiber foods fill you up and colorful foods like broccoli, red peppers, black beans and yellow squash represent a variety of crucial nutrients. So if your plate looks like a fiesta, you know you’re eating what’s good for you!
TIP:  Add to your rainbow of fruits and veggies a daily fist-sized portion of your preferred protein, such as lean meat, poultry, seafood and eggs, or vegetable-based options like dried beans, soy or nuts for a healthy diet that will definitely help those extra pounds melt away.

For more on Susan Smith Jones or her new book, The Joy Factor: 10 Sacred Practices for Radiant Health, please visit:  http://www.SusanSmithJones.com

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