De-cluttering for Weight Loss
We have all cleaned out our desks at work or our home offices only to discover it makes for a much better work environment. Most of us also do an intense spring cleaning, removing unwanted items from our garages, basements and even our closets. If cleaning our outside environment improves our inner balance and harmony, wouldn’t it make sense to de-clutter our kitchen and fridge from time to time as well?
When starting a weight loss program, I recommend beginning with a kitchen “audit.” By this I mean going through your kitchen cupboards and fridge and getting rid of food items that will stand in the way of you and your goal weight, and foods that are just too tempting to have at home. Instead of throwing out the food, donate all non-perishable goods to your local food drive or charity.
Once your food audit is complete, visit the Truestar Metabolic Booster Plan (Phase I) for a fast, safe and effective weight loss program that will provide you with hundreds of delicious meal plans to choose from. If you require slower change and wish to lose weight at a gradual pace, then the Truestar Continuum Weight Loss Plan (Phase II) is perfect for you!
Get Our Latest News for FREE
So which foods should be eliminated from your cupboards? The following are the list of what’s out!
What’s Out!
Refined flour products such as white pasta, bread, white rice, cereal, granola bars, cookies or cakes made from refined flours. How do you know if a product has been refined? Look at the label. If you see the words enriched, bleached, refined or white, the product is standing in the way of you reaching your goal weight! White refined products are processed like white sugar in the body and tend to be stored as fat.
Pop: Most soda pop contains 9-11 teaspoons of sugar on average. Drinking pop is an easy and quick way to pack on excess calories to be stored as fat. In addition, white sugar consumption has been shown to suppress immune system function. According to Michael Murray, author of the Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine, “It is clear, particularly during an infection, that the consumption of simple sugars, even in the form of fruit juice, is deleterious to the host’s immune system.”
Packaged goods: As a general rule, if the label contains more than 6-7 ingredients or has products you cannot pronounce or initials you cannot recognize (i.e. MSG, BHT, BHA,) this product will not benefit and will likely hinder your health. People who consume more packaged processed goods have a greater tendency towards cravings resulting in weight gain.
Tempting goodies: In the beginning of your weight loss program, why tempt yourself by having unhealthy snacks at home? It’s far too easy to throw caution to the wind and start mindlessly munching on your favorite chips, ice cream or piece of pie. Refer to the list below for healthier options to snack on.
Sugary juice or drinking boxes: Certain juices on the market today contain nearly as much sugar as pop. If you see the words: high fructose corn syrup, glucose or sugar as one of the first ingredients on the juice (after water), that’s an indication that the product is loaded with sugar.
A majority of the sugary juices (i.e. those that are bright yellow, red or blue and literally glow in the dark!) are also filled with preservatives and food coloring.
What’s In!
Now that you have rid your kitchen of all the “bad” food items, let’s load your grocery cart up with health promoting foods that speed up weight loss.
Protein powder: Part of the reason diets higher in protein help individuals lose weight is because protein triggers the release of the hormone glucagon. Glucagon facilitates the breakdown of excess fat. Protein powder can be added to morning shakes, juices, oatmeal and even baked with to increase the percentage of protein in any meal or snack.
Egg whites or omega-3 eggs: Egg whites are one of the purest forms of protein that can be made into an omelet, added to a shake or baked with. When eating whole eggs, be sure to eat omega-3 eggs, which can be purchased at any grocery store. Omega-3 fat is critical to every cellular process in the body including blood sugar control. An omega-3 egg contains approximately 300mg of omega-3 compared to a regular egg which contains approximately 69mg of omega-3.
Colorful vegetables: Orange, yellow, green and red; the more colorful the better! The pigment of a vegetable contains disease fighting chemicals called phytonutrients that can help prevent the onset of several disease processes such as heart disease and cancer. In terms of weight loss, vegetables are full of fiber, minerals and vitamins and are low on the glycemic index. Sticking to lower glycemic index foods is recommended for optimal weight loss results.
Beans: Chickpeas, legumes, navy beans, black beans, and kidney beans, I could go on and on! Similar to vegetables, beans are loaded with fiber and are also low on the glycemic index. From a bean salad, to bean dip and vegetarian bean chili, start experimenting with your favorite choice today.
Other helpful food items to start storing in your fridge and cupboards are:
• Lean turkey, chicken and beef
• Lowfat dairy products
• Soy products such as miso, veggie burgers, tofu and soymilk
• Fruits such as apples, strawberries, blueberries and raspberries for their low glycemic index rating
• Green tea to help metabolize fat (3-4 cups per day is recommended for weight loss)
• Whole grain items made from flax, kamut or spelt (i.e. bread or pasta)
• A water dispenser in your kitchen will trigger you to drink more and help with weight loss
• Natural fruit juice (try watering it down when drinking to reduce carbohydrate and sugar content even more!)
• Whole grain cereal
• Slow cooking oatmeal
