BreakfastCereals
Though toutedasa healthystarttoaday orevenawaytoensuremilkintake,mostbreakfast cerealsare loaded withsugarandsalt,andare basedonrefined flours; even“enrichment”and “fortification”can’tmakeupforallthevaluelost,orfor thecontribution toglucose,lipid,and hormonal disturbances–allofwhich uptherisk forrapidly returning hunger,weightgain, and metabolicrisk factors forchronic diseases.
Itisbest to go for the mostbasic cerealmixes, includingthose thatarelabelled“raw”or“muesli,”basedonwholegrains,withnoadded sugar,salt,orfat.Most ofthesearehighinfiber,includedriedfruitalongwithhealthygrains, andarehighly satisfying.
Someotheroptions thatyoucanexplorewithinthecerealcategory includerice cereal, raw granola,SWGcereal, orevenoatmeal.Yes,youdohavetoseek these outand beintune to reallyreadinglabels.Whenagood,healthycerealhasloads ofsugaraddedtoit,thenitisno longerhealthy.
Choosinggreatoptions is a matterofeducation–andour guides helpyou to becomean informed andsavvy consumer! For more information please visit Plexuspoint.com
EnergyBars
Themost popularofthese barsare usually fullofsimple sugars(the first ingredient!) and processedcomponents, andaresometimeshighinfat.Thesebarsarethoughtofasasnackor evensmallmealreplacement, butoftencontainlessnutritionalvaluethanwholefoodswith comparablecalories.
Ironically,theinstantenergy theyseemto provideisoftenfollowedbya crash,asyourinsulinspikesandblood sugaryo-yos.Yes,another“healthfood” thatinterferes withinsulinfunction. Justas badforyourweightloss quest,these barscan be difficultto digest, resultingindiscomfortandbloating–whichcanslowyoudownmakeyoulookheavierthan youactuallyare.
Theyare nosubstituteforless expensive nutrient-rich whole foodslike raw cheese,nuts,andfruits,orhealthyhomemadecookiesandmuffins,whichcanbeeatenjust asquicklyifyou'reshortontime,andcanreallygiveyourbodyaboostwithbenefits.So whenyou’relooking for aonce-in-a-whileoption,goforitems thathaveingredientlists fullof whole,unmodified foods,andaminimalamount ofsugar,withplenty ofproteinandfiber.
Non-FriedChips
It’seasy tobelievethesefoodsarehealthfulbecauseoflabelssuchas“baked,”“low-fat,”or “gluten free”.But mostare made withrefined grainor starch,which provide plentyof simple sugarsandfew nutrients.Itisbest tostick to wholegraincrispy snacks, suchasbrownrice crackersaswellas natural nuts andseeds.
FruitsandVegetables
Thegreatpartaboutthisfoodcategoryisthat nearlyeverythingwithinitishighinfiberand devoidoffat.Thatmeansthatyoucanusually eatalmostlimitlessamountsoffruitsand vegetablestokeepyourselffullof energy andready totake onthe day.
Notonlythat,butfreshfruitsandvegetablesalsohappentobeloadedwithnutrients, includingantioxidantsthatcanhelptostrengthenyourimmune system.They alsoprovide many naturalsourcesofvitaminsand mineralsthatyourbody needstofunction.
Somehave beenshowninresearchstudies toprovidespecial benefits.Theseinclude options like blackberries,currants, honeydewmelon,Brusselssprouts,eggplant,and broccoli.Our menuplannerwillletyouchooseyour favoritesandencourageslots ofportions throughoutthe day,sothatyoucanreallymaximizeyourbenefitfrom thisextraordinaryfoodcategory–for yourdietprogram,thereareno better toolsthan fruitsandvegetables.Let’sget totheheartof someof themostrecommended ones,andhow toeat themproperly.
Whatarespecific fruits andvegetables goodfor?
Youreally can’tgowrongwiththefruit andvegetablecategoryasawhole.There are,however, somechoicesthatstandoutmorethanothers.Asageneralruleofthumb,themorevibrant theskinoroutsideofthefruitorvegetable,the morenutrientsarecontainedwithin.Taking thatintoconsideration,someofyour verybestchoicesamong fruitsandvegetablesinclude the following:
Peppers:Red,yellow, andorangearethe bestwiththeirbright hues
Tomatoes:Animportant sourceof potassiumandantioxidants, includingvitamin C
Berries:Particularlyblueberriesandraspberries,whichareloadedwithimportant antioxidants
Pomegranate:Antioxidant powerhouse
Grapes:Loadedwithantioxidants andfiber
CitrusFruits:Orangesin particularareloaded withvitaminC andfiber
SweetPotatoes:Anexcellent sourceofbeta-caroteneandotherkeynutrients
Cruciferous Vegetables:Broccoli,Brusselssprouts,andcabbagemakeupthis antioxidant-richfamily of“superfoods”
Asparagus:Loadedwith key nutrientsandacts asavehicle forriddingthebodyof toxins
Carrots:Loadedwith beta-caroteneandkeyvitamins
Greens:Darkleafygreens–includingromainelettuce,collardgreens,andspinach–are fullof antioxidantsandfiber
Apples:It’struethatan appleaday can helptokeepthedoctoraway!
Bananas:Agreatway toload uponpotassium
Exceptiontothe rule:Onions–eventhe whitekindisan important antioxidantsource
So there you have it. A simple guide to eating cereals, energy bars and even sweet fruits without depriving yourself.