When most people start a diet or just set out to lose weight, the initial thought is 'I have to stop eating so much'. In reality, the quantity of eating isn't so much the problem as is the quality of foods being consumed. As a society, we aren't calorie-deficient that's for sure. What we are, however, is nutrient-deficient. This is the biggest reason we recommend Juice Plus+® as it contains nutrients from a variety of fruits and vegetables. Juice Plus+® is not the answer for being nutrient deficient, but instead eating plenty of ripe, raw fruits and vegetables is the solution. However, even the best of intentioned people struggles to get the minimum needed. Now since the majority of the US is on some sort of diet at any given time, it behooves us to intertwine these two messages that have the same solution and provide dual results. That is, eating more fruits and vegetables will not only provide the needed nutrients for better health, but also eating those foods in greater quantity will yield weight loss. How? Those foods are bulky but low in calories. Translation: you feel full but aren't getting the calories you're probably used to that provides the same satiation. So if you are wanting to lose weight, just think about taking steps to be healthier, and you'll be on your way to permanent weight loss and good health. Here's more from the CDC --
How to Use Fruits and Vegetables to Help Manage Your Weight
Fruits and vegetables are part of a well-balanced and healthy eating plan. There are many different ways to lose or maintain a healthy weight. Using more fruits and vegetables along with whole grains and lean meats, nuts, and beans is a safe and healthy one. Helping control your weight is not the only benefit of eating more fruits and vegetables. Diets rich in fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of some types of cancer and other chronic diseases. Fruits and vegetables also provide essential vitamins and minerals, fiber, and other substances that are important for good health.
To lose weight, you must eat fewer calories than your body uses.
This doesn't necessarily mean that you have to eat less food. You can create lower-calorie versions of some of your favorite dishes by substituting low-calorie fruits and vegetables in place of higher-calorie ingredients. The water and fiber in fruits and vegetables will add volume to your dishes, so you can eat the same amount of food with fewer calories. Most fruits and vegetables are naturally low in fat and calories and are filling.Here are some simple ways to cut calories and eat fruits and vegetables throughout your day:
Breakfast: Start the Day Right•Substitute some spinach, onions, or mushrooms for one of the eggs or half of the cheese in your morning omelet. The vegetables will add volume and flavor to the dish with fewer calories than the egg or cheese.
•Cut back on the amount of cereal in your bowl to make room for some cut-up bananas, peaches, or strawberries. You can still eat a full bowl, but with fewer calories.
Lighten Up Your Lunch
•Substitute vegetables such as lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, or onions for 2 ounces of the cheese and 2 ounces of the meat in your sandwich, wrap, or burrito. The new version will fill you up with fewer calories than the original.
•Add a cup of chopped vegetables, such as broccoli, carrots, beans, or red peppers, in place of 2 ounces of the meat or 1 cup of noodles in your favorite broth-based soup. The vegetables will help fill you up, so you won't miss those extra calories.Dinner
•Add in 1 cup of chopped vegetables such as broccoli, tomatoes, squash, onions, or peppers, while removing 1 cup of the rice or pasta in your favorite dish. The dish with the vegetables will be just as satisfying but have fewer calories than the same amount of the original version.
•Take a good look at your dinner plate. Vegetables, fruit, and whole grains should take up the largest portion of your plate. If they do not, replace some of the meat, cheese, white pasta, or rice with legumes, steamed broccoli, asparagus, greens, or another favorite vegetable. This will reduce the total calories in your meal without reducing the amount of food you eat. BUT remember to use a normal- or small-size plate — not a platter. The total number of calories that you eat counts, even if a good proportion of them come from fruits and vegetables. Read more...
Comments: So the important thing to remember as you set out to go on a diet, is that you really don't need a diet but just a few adjustments in what you eat. Adding more fruits and vegetables in place of some of the higher calorie foods you're probably consuming, will not only give you a boost to your health, but also result in a net loss in the calories consumed, and that means a loss in your weight too! So start picking up more fruits and vegetables and be sure to eat them in their natural state: ripe and raw, for best results.
Dr. Patrick Havey
The Health & Wellness Institute, PC
Official Juice Plus+® Independent Distributor
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