Eat More, Drink More, Weigh Less

By Julia Blanton

Develop a positive relationship with food while shedding extra pounds by shifting your focus from deprivation to abundance. Media and food packaging bombard us with messages of less; reduced calories, low sugar, fat free. This puts us in the mindset of deprivation and can lead to obsessing over all the things we “can’t” have. Secondly, the "less" approach does not provide us with any direction for what we should eat in place of the things we are taking out. The “more” approach puts us in a positive, plentiful mindset and creates feelings of ease. It directs us toward eating more fresh, nutrient-dense foods and is a more comfortable, sustainable strategy.

The primary food we can all focus on eating more of is vegetables. At least fifty percent of your lunch and dinner should be veggies (bonus points when you get some in with breakfast too). Vegetables have a double benefit; they are hugely beneficial to your health and they displace low quality, processed foods. Vegetables are nutrient-dense, low-calorie, low-sugar, high-fiber, and packed with antioxidants and phytonutrients. The high fiber content in vegetables fills you up and keeps you full, while cleansing and detoxifying your gut. In terms of calories, four cups of broccoli is the caloric equivalent to ten potato chips. It is pretty clear which one gives you more bang per caloric buck.  Antioxidants and phytonutrients found in vegetables defend your body against harmful toxins, radiation, oxidation, and stress damage. These superfoods are good for your heart, improve PH, reduce inflammation, and prevent age-related degeneration. The formula is simple, make half of your lunch and dinner vegetables. As a general guideline, the other half of your meal can be divided evenly between protein and carbs. This single change can make a significant difference in health, weight and body composition. So, think in terms of more... more veggies!

When it comes to the beverages you consume, focus on drinking more water. Boost your water intake to 48-64 ounces per day. Drinking more water promotes health, weight loss, and detoxification. When you replace juice, soda, sports drinks, Frappuccinos, and other sweet drinks with water, you drastically reduce your total sugar intake. For perspective, one can of Coke contains 39 grams of sugar, l.5 cups of apple juice contains 36 grams of sugar, and one bottle of Gatorade contains 34 grams of sugar. There are about 4 grams of sugar per teaspoon, which means all of these beverages contain between 8-10 teaspoons of straight liquid sugar. Consuming sugar in liquid form absorbs quicker than any other form and provides no satiety for all those calories. Simply swapping out sweet drinks for water can significantly effect weight loss, reduce inflammation, and improve insulin sensitivity, mental clarity, and heart and liver health. According to Dr. F Batmanghelidj, M.D. (author of Your Body’s Many Cries for Water), keeping well hydrated can also improve ailments such as headaches, fatigue, back pain, heartburn, joint pain, and even high blood pressure. Always leave the house with a full 32-ounce water bottle and plan to refill it half way through the day. For variety, you may add a squeeze of lemon, mint leaves, or sliced cucumber. Feel free to also enjoy herbal tea, mineral water, and broth. Again, think in terms of more… more water!

To summarize, put yourself in a positive mindset by focusing on abundance rather than deprivation. Eat more vegetables and drink more water. Conquer the confusion around food and weight management by making these two simple changes.

Contact Julia Blanton, a certified nutritionist, for a complimentary consultation to learn more about sustainable nutrition and lifestyle strategies for long term results and use code TRICOACHMARTIN to get 10% off her 4-week coaching package.