Today’s topic du jour is food. Spring is just around the corner and if you want to maximize your exercise routine to get in shape for the summer than you must consider your diet. And by diet, I don’t mean the kind where you reduce calories to lose weight. What I mean is a healthy diet that keeps your metabolism and your weight proportionate to your natural physique. In other words, you should have the physique that fits your body frame. Diet is huge part of overall health and eating clean doesn’t mean you have to give up on tasty meals, it just means cutting out obviously and some not so obviously unhealthy foods.

Sugar

Now we all know that eating a lot of sweet foods isn’t good, but did you know that you’re getting even more sugar than you think. It’s not just about the candy bar you ate but the foods you don’t even think about. Take, tomato sauce for instance. There is plenty of added sugar in it and it’s the sort of food you don’t even consider when you think about cutting sugars out of your diet but there are 10 grams of sugar in one cup of tomato sauce. Fruit juices are another one. Most juices have added sugar, not just the natural sugar that comes from the fruit itself. If you want to avoid getting the extra sugar, go for an all-natural fruit juice. Those will be sweetened by only the fruit itself. Don’t take for granted that something organic will not have added sugar. Real the labels. You’ll be surprised. Just by changing up a couple of the brands you buy or cutting out foods that you probably don’t eat a lot of anyway, you can cut a lot of sugar out of your diet.

Keto

“Ketogenic” is a term for a low-carb diet (like the Atkins diet). The idea is for you to get more calories from protein and fat and less from carbohydrates. You cut back most on the carbs that are easy to digest, like sugar, soda, pastries, and white bread. Eventually your body will be in a state of ketosis which means that it’s burning more body fat and less carbs from the food you eat. If you’re a meat eater, then this is an easier diet for you to follow. You’ll feel better and lose the extra weight that you naturally shouldn’t be carrying around. If you have high cholesterol, check with you doctor first on this one because you’ll be eating more fats than normal which could contribute to higher cholesterol levels. And I’ve heard tales about the “keto flu” said to be fly like symptoms you experience when you first begin eating this way but didn’t experience them myself.

Paleo

Also, a great diet plan for meat eaters. The theory is that you won’t eat anything a cave man would not have eaten. It’s a little trickier in terms of sticking to this lifestyle because you must make more of a concerted effort to think about what you’re eating before you eat it. No processed foods since obviously a cave man would have that, no wheat just meat and veggies for the most part. The nice thing about eating this way is that it’s pretty popular and you can save yourself the hassle of trying to think up recipes that give you diversity in your meals by subscribing to a meal delivery service. There are several companies that provide this service and they cost around the same as buying groceries for those meals. Plus, you can choose to have already prepared meals delivered or ingredients for meals that you prepare yourself. I’ve used a couple of these services and they all seem to be similar in service type and price. The only inconvenience is choosing the meals that you want each week in such a way as to get diversity and not get repeats after a few weeks.

Lectin Free

A lot of us have sensitivities or allergies to lectin just the way some are lactose or gluten intolerant. Lectin is a type of protein mainly found in plants the binds to carbohydrates. Lectins are found in all plants, but raw legumes (beans, lentils, peas, soybeans, peanuts) and whole grains like wheat contain the highest amounts of lectins. Certain types of lectins can prevent your body from absorbing other substances that have nutritional value which could eventually cause malnutrition. Some sources of lectins are considered seriously poisonous. Castor beans, for example, contain a potent lectin poison called ricin. Certain types of lectin may bind with the walls of your digestive system which can lead to serious problems. Eating one particular lectin, phytohemagglutinin, can lead to severe abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea. Avoiding eating these foods will keep you feeling better in your gut and allow you to be at the top of your game.

Grain Alternatives

There are many good grain alternatives for those of us considering any of these diets. I for one initially had trouble giving up breads when I first tried cutting our grains but eventually discovered there are a lot of breads that are made with grain alternatives which are an excellent substitute. Wild rice (which isn't technically a rice) contains almost twice the protein of brown rice and is high in several B vitamins, manganese, zinc, potassium, phosphorus, and magnesium. According to one study, it has 30 times more antioxidants than white rice. I personally like the flavor of wild rice better than white. You've likely seen quinoa on restaurant menus but might not have tried cooking it at home—which is a shame. Quinoa is a seed and is exceptionally high in protein, fiber, and is low on the glycemic index. There are other alternatives like Millet, Teff, Wheatberry and Buckwheat. It is exceptionally high in protein, fiber, and is low on the glycemic index. I was skeptical at first but found out that all of these are as tasty to cook with as regular grain products.

How Do I Cook Clean?

Knowing that most of us don’t have the time or perhaps the creativity it takes to come up with and cook clean I did some research and found that you it can be as easy as searching the internet for Clean Recipes. My challenge was finding clean eating recipes that didn’t require too much time or extravagant ingredients. I found some great treats you can cook up rather quickly while sticking to a healthy diet at www.tasteofhome.com/collection/clean-eating-recipes Best of luck with your 2021 healthy resolutions!

For more information on the author of this blog, Sallie Elliott and the Priority Group go to www.omahaprioritygroup.com