B: Every time you eat, eat between 300 and 800 calories
The exact number of calories you need is a function of your size and age. Bigger, younger people (and men) need more calories. Your Free ReEvolution Fitness Action Plan will tell you, among other things, about how many calories per meal and per day you should be eating. In any event, it’s important that each meal you eat fall into the right calorie range. Eating too little, or too much, will undermine your metabolism, leaving you with less energy and unsatisfied hunger.
The idea that eating too much can make you hungry sounds strange, but we bet you’ve experienced this. Have you ever gone to a restaurant, eaten a big appetizer, and felt full by the time you were done? When your entrée came, you probably weren’t very hungry. But after a few bites, your appetite was back, and you ended up eating the whole entrée, and then dessert as well? Believe it or not, eating too much can send our bodies into a sort of eating frenzy, where the normal signals that tell our brains “you’ve had enough food, stop eating” get shut off, and we end up stuffing ourselves until we’re ready to pop. So plan your meal for 300 to 800 calories, and eat slowly and chew thoroughly so that your brain has time to process the fact that you are eating. As soon as you feel full, stop. If you’ve eaten plenty of calories, and yet you still feel hungry after your meal, get up and take a ten minute walk. By the end of your walk, your brain’s appetite controls will have caught up to your stomach’s signals of satiety, and your appetite should be under control.
Note: If you still feel hungry after your walk, you may well actually be dehydrated. Your body easily confuses thirst for hunger since both thirst and hunger are regulated by the same part of the brain. In general, it's not good to drink a lot during or after a meal, since putting a lot of fluid into your stomach dilutes gastric juices and interferes with digestion. But if you're feeling hungry and food doesn't seem to be filling you up, drink a few glasses of water. If you find that drinking water cures your hunger, you're probably not adequately hydrating, and you should try to drink more throughout the day.
3. Eat Mostly Plant Based Foods No matter what your metabolism, the majority of the food you eat should come from plants. The fabulous thing about plant based foods (vegetables, fruits, beans, grains), as opposed to animal based foods (meat, eggs, and dairy) is that they tend to provide a high number of nutrients, but a low number of calories. One of the critical nutrients abundant in vegetable foods but lacking in animal foods is fiber. Fiber cleans the digestive track, powerfully helping to prevent colon (and other) cancers. In addition, bulky plant fiber helps you become full without adding any calories.
Vegetable foods are also teeming with vitamins, minerals, and "phytonutriants" - a new class of nutriants found only in plants believed to help prevent cancer, heart disease, and a host of other ails. All of these nutrients contribute to satiety (we tend to eat more when we don't get enough vitamins and minerals in our diet) in addition to providing the bedrock pillars of nutritional health.
We aren't by any means advocating that everyone go vegetarian or vegan. Most nutritional research indicates that most people need some high quality animal foods (organic raw dairy, free range organic meat) in their diets for optimal health. But regardless of your individual nutritional requirements for animal foods (sign up for you free ReEvolution Fitness Action Plan to get a personalized diet with an assesment of your individual nutritional needs) most of the food you eat each day should be vegetable rather than animal. Cultures with mostly plant based diets have far lower incidences of cancer and heart disease, and longer avarage life spans than cultures that eat a high volume of meat. In addition, most people experience significant weight loss, in addition to increased energy levels and better general health, after making the switch to a mostly plant based diet.
Base most of your meals around fresh veggies, whole grains, beans, raw nuts, and fruit. Look to eat a moderate amount of meat or dairy about once per day or once every other day. Healthy meats and dairy products (see Choosing Healthy Food for more on choosing quality meat and dairy) eaten in moderation are a wonderful part of a healthy diet. But eaten in excess they are a recipe for weight gain, low energy levels, and less than optimal health.
|
