There is no diet out there that will do what eating healthy can do. The beauty of eating a whole-food plant-based diet (WFPB) is, there are no counting calories, fats, proteins or carbs, ever! There are so many "diets" out there....each one counting something different, you can eat this but not that...believe me I know, I've done them all. DIETS DO NOT WORK in the long-term. Our goal is to be as healthy as we can...eating a healthy diet, WFPB, will absolutely, without a doubt, give you OPTIMAL HEALTH. Throw in a dose of exercise everyday and you are on your way to the best quality of life imaginable!
Speaking of exercise, let me give you a little information on eating empty calorie foods and how long it takes to burn off those calories:
This information came from Women's Health based on the weight of a 130 pound woman. Can you imagine, eating one doughnut requires 88 minutes of crunches?? No way.....try doing 5 minutes of crunches let alone 88 minutes!
With this information in the back of your mind, is it really worth 2 minutes of "pleasure" eating...2 minutes of pleasure vs hours of strenuous exercising to "undo the damage". Really, we aren't undoing the effects this food has on us on the inside. We may be able to get rid of the excess calories, but the havoc these foods create inside our body's is far worse.
Instead of eating foods on the above list, substitute with really good-for-you food. It's easy...forget the doughnuts...Over the weekend I made a REALLY good recipe using HEALTHY ingredients...oatmeal, dates, mixed frozen berries, bananas, and cinnamon.
BLUEBERRY SQUARES
1 cup of medjool dates (about 7), pitted and diced
1 1/2 c of water
1 cup of oat flour (put oatmeal in a blender and grind into flour)
2 c of rolled oats
3/4 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg
3 medium ripe bananas, diced
1 t vanilla extract
3/4 c berries, any kind, fresh or frozen
1/2 c walnuts, (optional)
This is absolutely delicious and extremely healthy for you!! Grab one of these squares instead of that doughnut and you have nothing to worry about! When I find a recipe my whole family likes, (that is not an easy task!), I make double batches and freeze. Cut the squares into individual servings, wrap in foil and put them in a ziplock freezer bag. When someone wants a treat, grab one....they take minutes to thaw.
These squares could be eaten as your breakfast on the go.....oatmeal and fruit...it doesn't get healthier than that. Now, I can hear people saying, "how many calories are in one of these squares?"......it really doesn't matter when you are eating a WFPB diet.....remember, no counting anything required! As a matter of fact, it will probably seem like you are eating more food now than ever before! Vegetables and fruits are LOADED with vitamins and antioxidants and EXTREMELY LOW in calories.....you can't eat too much!!
Now, if we are talking about nuts and seeds, (which you should be eating), we need to pay attention to the amounts we are eating. The fats in nuts and seeds are healthy fats, but, if you don't want to put on weight you cannot eat the whole jar of nuts. I like to sprinkle chia seeds and flaxseeds in my morning oatmeal....they are LOADED with fiber, they help eliminate cholesterol from your body, as well as a list of other benefits these little seeds come packaged with.
So, we took care of eliminating the doughnut off our list and substituted it with something as delicious.....tomorrow I will tell you what we are replacing that cheeseburger with.....stay tuned!!
Speaking of exercise, let me give you a little information on eating empty calorie foods and how long it takes to burn off those calories:
- 1 glazed doughnut (242 calories)=88 minutes of crunches
- Cheeseburger and fries (691 calories)=141 minutes on the elliptical
- Fried chicken breast (444 calories)=65 minutes on a stationary bike
- Slice of cheesecake (710 calories)=143 minutes of brisk walking
- Milkshake (780 calories)=72 minutes of jump roping
- 2 slices of pepperoni pizza (626 calories)=159 minutes of stair climbing
- Chicken burrito (1,175 calories)=122 minutes of running
- Chips and queso (740 calories)=130 minutes of swimming
- 16 oz frappuccino (500 calories)=170 minutes of pilates
- 21 oz soda (200 calories)=54 minutes of lunges
This information came from Women's Health based on the weight of a 130 pound woman. Can you imagine, eating one doughnut requires 88 minutes of crunches?? No way.....try doing 5 minutes of crunches let alone 88 minutes!
With this information in the back of your mind, is it really worth 2 minutes of "pleasure" eating...2 minutes of pleasure vs hours of strenuous exercising to "undo the damage". Really, we aren't undoing the effects this food has on us on the inside. We may be able to get rid of the excess calories, but the havoc these foods create inside our body's is far worse.
Instead of eating foods on the above list, substitute with really good-for-you food. It's easy...forget the doughnuts...Over the weekend I made a REALLY good recipe using HEALTHY ingredients...oatmeal, dates, mixed frozen berries, bananas, and cinnamon.
BLUEBERRY SQUARES
1 cup of medjool dates (about 7), pitted and diced
1 1/2 c of water
1 cup of oat flour (put oatmeal in a blender and grind into flour)
2 c of rolled oats
3/4 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg
3 medium ripe bananas, diced
1 t vanilla extract
3/4 c berries, any kind, fresh or frozen
1/2 c walnuts, (optional)
- Place pitted and diced dates in a bowl with the water. Set aside and soak for at least 20 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine the flour, oats, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large bowl and set aside. Place the diced bananas, vanilla, water and dates into the blender and blend until creamy. (At this point, I taste this mixture for sweetness...if it tastes too "bland", add a little more cinnamon and or a tsp of raw honey....if your bananas are really ripe you will not need to add anything, but taste before going on to the last step).
- Pour the banana mixture into the dry ingredient bowl and mix with a fork. Fold in the berries and walnuts if using. Pour the batter into your baking dish and smooth the top. Bake for 30 minutes. Test for doneness by poking squares with a knife which should come out clean. The top should be light brown. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before cutting.
This is absolutely delicious and extremely healthy for you!! Grab one of these squares instead of that doughnut and you have nothing to worry about! When I find a recipe my whole family likes, (that is not an easy task!), I make double batches and freeze. Cut the squares into individual servings, wrap in foil and put them in a ziplock freezer bag. When someone wants a treat, grab one....they take minutes to thaw.
These squares could be eaten as your breakfast on the go.....oatmeal and fruit...it doesn't get healthier than that. Now, I can hear people saying, "how many calories are in one of these squares?"......it really doesn't matter when you are eating a WFPB diet.....remember, no counting anything required! As a matter of fact, it will probably seem like you are eating more food now than ever before! Vegetables and fruits are LOADED with vitamins and antioxidants and EXTREMELY LOW in calories.....you can't eat too much!!
Now, if we are talking about nuts and seeds, (which you should be eating), we need to pay attention to the amounts we are eating. The fats in nuts and seeds are healthy fats, but, if you don't want to put on weight you cannot eat the whole jar of nuts. I like to sprinkle chia seeds and flaxseeds in my morning oatmeal....they are LOADED with fiber, they help eliminate cholesterol from your body, as well as a list of other benefits these little seeds come packaged with.
So, we took care of eliminating the doughnut off our list and substituted it with something as delicious.....tomorrow I will tell you what we are replacing that cheeseburger with.....stay tuned!!
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