Weight loss....it's what everyone wants. The problem is, we spend so much money trying to achieve this as fast as possible, we miss what's right in front of us. It doesn't take rocket science to achieve weight loss, it takes some planning and some moving.
Anyone that knows me, knows what my philosophy is on eating...the best "diet", (way of eating), is a Whole Food Plant Based Diet. To achieve weight loss and health, you need to find a way of eating and living that is healthy and is an easy fit for your life. Weight loss should be a natural result of eating what's best for your body while you still enjoy what you are eating. There is no weighing food, measuring quantities, counting carbs, fats, calories, etc. Let me repeat myself, this is not a diet...it's a new way of living! Dieting means deprivation, will power and lack of food enjoyment. This is why most diets fail, and if they work in the short-term, people end up gaining all the weight back, and usually even more.
So, if you want to lose weight you need to create changes that you can sustain for a lifetime. You need to change how you eat permanently and a Whole Food Plant Based Diet is the absolute healthiest way of doing it. Again, as I have said before, you first must get rid of processed foods, white flour and white sugar. This way of eating centers on eating foods that are as close to their natural state as possible. Apples off a tree, beans off the vine, lettuce out of the soil. A Whole Food Plant Based Diet, (WFPB) consists mainly of:
What you will try to avoid are:
Notice I used the word "mainly". This doesn't mean that you will never again have the "avoided" foods; it means that the bulk of your diet comes from a WFPB diet. I'm telling you, when you are able to make this transition, your weight will just come off naturally...when you get into an exercise routine, not only will the weight drop even quicker, but you will feel like a new person...literally. Your energy will soar!!
So, if you are thinking about trying to make this change, I suggest starting with getting rid of the processed, artificial, junk foods. All the pre-packaged foods, cookies, chips, soda, sugary cereals, packages of "food" that have an ingredient list longer than your grocery list with chemicals in it you cannot pronounce. Once you have cleaned all that out, the second step is to cut way back on meat and poultry. Add in more vegetables, fruits, beans, and whole-grains while eliminating meats. The third step, which I think is the hardest, is to cut back on dairy. Because many dairy products have the same effect on our brain as opiates, (the biggest culprit is cheese), it takes patience and real effort to eliminate dairy. However, once you do, so many chronic "issues" disappear. For some people this will not happen in a day, it will take as long as it takes. For others, they go cold turkey and never look back. You need to do what is right for you.
However, let me say this....if you continue to have small amounts of meat and dairy continually, you will never "get over" the "craving" for it. When you no longer are eating meat and dairy, the "craving" goes away and you wont even miss it. I know it sounds unlikely, but try it...your body will reward you for it.
Recipe for today is from the book, The New McDougall Cookbook. This is an easy, on the table in minutes, quick dinner.
BURRITOS de LEGUMBRES
1 bunch scallions, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 zucchini, cut in half, then sliced 1/2 inch thick
1/4 pound mushrooms, sliced
1 c small broccoli florets
1 leek, washed and sliced, or 1 small onion, chopped
3/4 c water
1/8 c packed chopped cilantro, (optional)
1 7 oz can Mexican green sauce
1 T cornstarch, mixed with 2 T water
8 whole-wheat tortillas
Salsa
Serve this with a big salad or maybe a cup of homemade soup....Yummmmm.....
Anyone that knows me, knows what my philosophy is on eating...the best "diet", (way of eating), is a Whole Food Plant Based Diet. To achieve weight loss and health, you need to find a way of eating and living that is healthy and is an easy fit for your life. Weight loss should be a natural result of eating what's best for your body while you still enjoy what you are eating. There is no weighing food, measuring quantities, counting carbs, fats, calories, etc. Let me repeat myself, this is not a diet...it's a new way of living! Dieting means deprivation, will power and lack of food enjoyment. This is why most diets fail, and if they work in the short-term, people end up gaining all the weight back, and usually even more.
So, if you want to lose weight you need to create changes that you can sustain for a lifetime. You need to change how you eat permanently and a Whole Food Plant Based Diet is the absolute healthiest way of doing it. Again, as I have said before, you first must get rid of processed foods, white flour and white sugar. This way of eating centers on eating foods that are as close to their natural state as possible. Apples off a tree, beans off the vine, lettuce out of the soil. A Whole Food Plant Based Diet, (WFPB) consists mainly of:
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Beans
- Whole grains
- Nuts and seeds
What you will try to avoid are:
- Animal based foods, (all meat and dairy, eggs)
- Fish, seafood
- Processed, packaged foods
- Junk and fast foods
- Sugar
- White flour
- Chemicals and additives
- Store-made baked goods
- GMO's
Notice I used the word "mainly". This doesn't mean that you will never again have the "avoided" foods; it means that the bulk of your diet comes from a WFPB diet. I'm telling you, when you are able to make this transition, your weight will just come off naturally...when you get into an exercise routine, not only will the weight drop even quicker, but you will feel like a new person...literally. Your energy will soar!!
So, if you are thinking about trying to make this change, I suggest starting with getting rid of the processed, artificial, junk foods. All the pre-packaged foods, cookies, chips, soda, sugary cereals, packages of "food" that have an ingredient list longer than your grocery list with chemicals in it you cannot pronounce. Once you have cleaned all that out, the second step is to cut way back on meat and poultry. Add in more vegetables, fruits, beans, and whole-grains while eliminating meats. The third step, which I think is the hardest, is to cut back on dairy. Because many dairy products have the same effect on our brain as opiates, (the biggest culprit is cheese), it takes patience and real effort to eliminate dairy. However, once you do, so many chronic "issues" disappear. For some people this will not happen in a day, it will take as long as it takes. For others, they go cold turkey and never look back. You need to do what is right for you.
However, let me say this....if you continue to have small amounts of meat and dairy continually, you will never "get over" the "craving" for it. When you no longer are eating meat and dairy, the "craving" goes away and you wont even miss it. I know it sounds unlikely, but try it...your body will reward you for it.
Recipe for today is from the book, The New McDougall Cookbook. This is an easy, on the table in minutes, quick dinner.
BURRITOS de LEGUMBRES
1 bunch scallions, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 zucchini, cut in half, then sliced 1/2 inch thick
1/4 pound mushrooms, sliced
1 c small broccoli florets
1 leek, washed and sliced, or 1 small onion, chopped
3/4 c water
1/8 c packed chopped cilantro, (optional)
1 7 oz can Mexican green sauce
1 T cornstarch, mixed with 2 T water
8 whole-wheat tortillas
Salsa
- Saute all of the vegetables in 1/2 cup of the water for 5 minutes, until tender-crisp. Add the cilantro, green sauce, and the remaining 1/4 cup of water, mix well. Add the cornstarch mixture. cook, stirring until thickened.
- Place a line of the vegetable mixture down the center of a tortilla. Add a spoonful of salsa, if desired. Roll up and eat.
Serve this with a big salad or maybe a cup of homemade soup....Yummmmm.....
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