If you watch tv… you know that you are constantly bombarded with ads and commercials on how to lose those “extra” pounds or that unwanted fat.
So what exactly can a person do (besides exercising) to get that “beach body” these companies are advertising?
There are many methods on weight loss out there…
But I wanted to talk to you today about one that I know works… because I’ve done it.
I didn’t have to buy any fat burners or expensive meal plans…
And I didn’t find this in any book (though you could as there have been many on the subject)…
No… in order to find this secret to weight loss… I just had to look in a history book.
A history book?
Yes…
Thousands of years ago… we didn’t have fancy grocery stores or drive through restaurants to go to in order to get food…
We had to kill it or find it…
That’s where we get the “hunter/gatherer” label we give to many of our early ancestors.
From cavemen right through to the 1950’s… being overweight was an anomaly… not the norm.
But through the last 50 or so years… we have become accustomed to being able to eat whenever we choose too… not when we get the chance to.
Not that this is a bad thing…
It’s good… but what has changed immensely is the food we choose to consume.
As of the latter half of the 20th century… western diets have become laden with sugars, processed, and preserved to the point that nutrition has become an afterthought to taste and convenience.
This is not how we are supposed to live.
Our diet shouldn’t be made up of mostly starchy, complex carbohydrates that carry little to no nutritional value to them…
Our diet should be made of “fuels” that make our bodies run as machines…
And for many of us… our machine has become a jalopy!
To really kick turn our run down, old “beater” into a hotrod… it needs to have an overhaul.
And this starts with the type of fuel you choose to fill up with.
The Bittersweet Truth About Sugar
The number way to break down any automobile is to put sugar in the tank…
The same thing goes for your body…
Sugar in your gas tank is bad news.
If not used…sugar (processed or unprocessed)… doesn’t get eliminated from the body.
Instead… the body stores some of these sugars in the muscles where it is converted and burned up as glycogen…
But most of it is stored in the fat cells throughout the body.
So any time you consume more sugar than you need… this process is happening… and there’s nothing you can do about it.
There’s no pill that can save you from the “spare tire” or “saddle bags” that come from the storage of this unused “fuel”.
For humans… as well as most animals… sugar is public enemy number one!
This doesn’t mean you should avoid fruit or starches all together… but limiting them in your daily diet will work wonders on your waistline.
Protein for Power
For any car to run at its optimum… it needs high octane fuel… and your body is no different.
And your body needs protein.
Meats and other protein sources such as beans, eggs, and dairy products should be where we get most of our calories from.
Protein is what fuels healthy brain activity… as well as muscle growth and maintenance… yet it’s normally one of the smallest portions on many plates around the United States.
Your Friends Will Be ‘Green’ With Envy
Now that we have filled our tank with high octane… we need a faster burning fuel that we can count on…
And you can normally follow this rule:
If it’s green and grows in the dirt… eat it.
Carbohydrates should come from fiberous greens and grains such as broccoli or buckwheat… not from starchy vegetable such as potatoes or corn.
Starches break down to sugar…
And what happens to unused sugars?
Exactly… stored in your fat.
And speaking of fat… that brings us to our next fuel source…
Fat is Where It’s At
Fats.
Contrary to what you have heard… not all fats are bad for you.
In fact… your body needs certain fats such as omega-3’s found in fish or flax, as well as the healthy fats found in raw nuts… in order to maintain healthy joints as well as weight maintenance.
Stay away from vegetable or cooking oils and fats… let your fat sources come from animal or plant sources… not from a can!
If you need to cook with oil, olive oil is the best option – but do not fry with it… or something like that…
Because fat is an important part of your diet that shouldn’t be ignored or avoided… as long as they’re the right kinds of fat.
Follow these guidelines for at least 6 weeks and you’ll be astonished at how much better your clothes fit and by how many people will notice.
So… just as a little recap…
- Avoid sugars as much as possible
- Make protein your number one food source
- Pass up starches such as potatoes, bread, and rice when possible
- Eat your greens
- Stay away from fats “in a can”
- Get your fat from your food
Give it a shot… I bet you’ll love the results!
Stay Healthy!
Shawn Ambrosino
Editor
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