If you’re trying to lose weight, you know that going to the grocery store can feel like
being asked to walk through a mine field. It can be terribly hard to know which way to go
and what to choose with so many foods all claiming that they can help you slim down fast.
Unfortunately, food manufacturers don’t really care whether or not you lose weight with
their product, they just their foods to taste good enough that you continue to buy from them
regardless of the damage it may do to your waistline.

So, if you can’t believe the health claims on the food packages in the store, how are you
supposed to tell whether or not a particular food will help you lose weight or if it will
only make you fatter? Become a label reader! Regardless of what the front of the package
says, manufacturers are required to list their ingredients on the back. Reading labels will
help you make better choices and lose weight faster. Avoid the following foods like the
plague and watch your bathroom scale take a nosedive.

1. High Fructose Corn Syrup - This is number one of the foods that create fat. Up until the
past 35 years, almost all the sugar we ate was in the form of sucrose. It was produced from
sugar cane and beets. The danger of pure corn fructose is in the fact that it is without
enzymes, vitamins or minerals. The energy required for the liver to metabolize fructose
forces the body to overuse its mineral and enzyme stores. High fructose corn syrup seems
disrupt metabolism to such a degree that collagen and elastin production are markedly
reduced. That’s bad news if you suffer from cellulite! Eating this will make cellulite
worse.

2. Cooking oil - Corn oil, canola oil, soybean oil and cottonseed oil are the cheapest
cooking oils produced. They are used most often in the home and in restaurants.
Unfortunately, they are so high in polyunsaturated fats that they are not healthy. They also
oxidize much faster than other fats which generates free radicals and damages all the body’s
cells. Many degenerative diseases and certain cancers have been linked to this process.
Healthier cooking oil options are unrefined coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil.

3. Hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil - This deadly type of oil is also known as
“trans fatty acids”. Deadly, heart clogging stuff and terrible for the waistline as well.
You will see this most often in pre-packaged snack foods, coffee creamer and commercial
peanut butter. If this stuff is anywhere on the ingredient list, don’t eat it!

4. Low fat or fat free snacks - Labeling food as “low-fat” or “fat free” has been really
good for food manufacturers bottom lines, but not so good for consumers. These types of snacks, while they may be low in fat, are extremely high in sugar. Most often that sugar comes in the form of high fructose corn syrup. Research also shows that people overeat foods labeled as low fat. People think that the low fat foods contain about 25% less calories when in reality they only contain about 10-15% fewer calories. There is also a decreased sense of consumption guilt so people generally eat about 20% more of these so called healthy foods.

5. Soda - Both diet and regular sodas are basically carbonated chemical soups plus high fructose corn syrup or dangerous artificial sweeteners. There are absolutely no redeeming nutritional qualities in soda at all. Soda contains no vitamins, no minerals and no enzymes.If you crave a flavored drink without the calories, try a flavored herbal tea sweetened with stevia instead.

The bottom line is this, in order to lose weight fast it’s an absolute necessity that you eliminate the foods that create fat and replace them with foods that burn fat.

The Healthy Save…How Much Do You Spend?

More than 50% of Doctors’ visits are nutrition related. Have you ever wondered why people who are Healthy spend less time and money with doctors and prescriptions? In fact, the Healthier you are the more you earn, save and the less you spend.

Imagine for a moment, you are Healthy! Think about what this would mean to you. There are no more medications to take, energy level is high, productivity increases, earnings go up, you spend more time with family, friends, and activities you like, going to Church, Travel, Sports, and quite possible be a model for others. Being approached by total strangers, getting compliments on your Looks, Confidence and wanting to find out your secret. And you nonchalantly respond, “Its Nutrition or Proper Nutrition”. That’s all, your big secret is being aware of what you feed your Body!

Attaining this goal is not as difficult as you may think. To achieve Optimum Health, you need to have a plan that includes proper, healthy nutrition as its foundation. Good sound nutrition is composed of Vitamins, Minerals, Proteins, Complex Carbohydrates, Fiber, Antioxidants, Amino Acids, etc. Equally important are the not so good or excess in Fats, Salt, Preservatives, Food Coloring, Cholesterol, Triglycerides and my favorite “3 Ws” White Rice, White Sugar and White Flour that has had all their nutrients stripped away only leaving Starch and Simple Carbohydrates.

A typical female requires about 1600 calories and a male about 2000 calories daily. Getting all your nutrients without exceeding these boundaries is the Key and Challenge to make it all happen. Understanding and taking responsibility for everything you consume Meals, Snacks and Beverage; be aware! Read labels, ask questions, get information on line, know the food groups, have variety and portion control. Your Benefits are Staggering:

• Healthy
• Reduced Illness
• Prevent Overeating
• Improve Lifestyle
• Lose Weight
• Reduce Medication
• Eliminate Medication
• Boost Energy
• Social Acceptance
• Strengthen Immune
• Wealth: Physical and Emotional
• Beauty: Inner and Outer
• Freedom: Mind, Body and Soul

Getting Your Optimum and Proper Nutrition, is ultimately in your hands. What you choose to do right now will determine where you will be tomorrow. Taking control of your nutrition and well being is primarily in your hands. Help is always available, just reach out and ask.