Sorry to break it to you but I am going to be straight forward about this. Unless you have a serious medical issue, it's more than likely that your lack of results is because of what you are consuming!!

Honestly, I always heard that 80% of your physical condition had to do with what you ate, but I never really believed it. Well, let me tell you, it's true!

It literally took me months to realize this. I finally decided to stop making excuses as to why I couldn't consistently eat clean and workout. I stepped up to the plate and proved myself wrong and the 80/20 theory is right.

I also learned the hard way that even though you eat clean 6/7 days, it's not enough. Eating clean 6 days out of 7 does not entitle you to eat junk food for a full day. It's called a cheat 'meal' as in one or two a week, not a 'free-for-all'. Take it from me, there's a reason why it took me so long to get where I am today and I am still learning to improve this lifestyle.

Busy people are experts in efficiency. Everything we do is quick, effective and goal-directed. But when it comes to eating, efficiency is not the highest virtue. Quick eating almost always results in overeating. This is because your brain is not focused on the eating process, but on the goal of filling your stomach. Unfortunately, a full stomach does not automatically create satiety in the brain. Satiety is only percieved after a culmination of sensory cues and signals indicate a meal is over. Some of these cues are internal, such as spending time chewing, tasting and swallowing. Others are external, like seeing an empty plate or noticing a restless dining partner. Only after about 20 minutes will you actually be able to tell if your belly is full or not, but if you've been stuffing your face the entire time it is already too late. You can learn to eat more slowly by focusing on satiety cues rather than on cleaning your plate. Here are 12 tips for learning how to slow down and eat less.

Eating quickly is a habit that needs to be broken. Make a point to practice mindful eating by scheduling it into your day. Write it in your calendar, leave notes on your fridge and send yourself reminders before meals until your new habits become automatic. Habits typically take 3-4 weeks to develope.

 

Sitting at a table to eat tells your brain you are having a meal. If you eat while running errands or standing at the counter you can quickly lose track of how much you've eaten. Even if you eat a lot while standing, you may still feel like you haven't had a meal and want to eat more later.

 

A clean plate is an incredibly powerful cue that a meal is finished. For this reason, large portion sizes often lead to overeating simply because of our tendency to eat what is in front of us. Serve yourself smaller portions as a reminder to take your time and savor each bite. Use small plates so your brain doesn't perceive the portions as skimpy.

 

If you are reading or watching TV, you are not paying attention to the food you put into your mouth. I know you are busy and want to multitask, but resist the urge for 15 minutes and eat a real meal. I admit I'm bad at this one, but I always eat less if I go offline while I eat.

 

You might think that you chew your food, but there's a good chance you are swallowing a lot of it whole. Take smaller bites and chew your food thoroughly. Notice the texture of what you are eating and appreciate what it adds to your meal. This is something I need to remind myself of directly before I eat, so I keep this on my to-do list.

 

Another way you can force yourself to slow down is to consciously sip your drink throughout your meal. This requires you to put your fork down, chew and swallow before eating more. It also adds liquid to your stomach and can help you feel more full. Water is a perfect choice, but even sipping wine can slow down your meal.

 

The classic recommendation to put down your fork (or sandwich) between bites has stuck around for one simple reason: it works. When we are not eating mindfully our hands go into shoveling mode, where your fork is primed with another bite almost instantly after popping the last one in your mouth. Putting your fork down forces you to relax a bit and focus on chewing what you already have.

 

You only have one mouth, and if you are using it to talk it's really difficult to shove food into it. Eat with friends, have a great conversation and use this as an opportunity to slow down your meal.

 

We all have an unconscious tendency to imitate people we are near. If you are dining with a ferocious eater, you might find yourself mimicking their bad habit and eating quickly just to keep up. To train yourself to eat slower, try finding slow eaters to influence you instead.

 

Nothing makes me more likely to eat quickly than being famished. But sooner or later circumstance will get the better of you and you'll end up hungrier than you should be. I always carry almonds or other nuts around with me for times like this, and I eat exactly 10 nuts to tide me over for an hour or so. After about 15-20 minutes, my hunger subsides enough for me to regain control of my eating speed.

 

Environment can have a big impact on our mental state, and you can set your dinner mood by dimming lights or lighting candles. Dim lights induce an inner calmness and make it easier to slow down. On the flip side, be careful when eating under bright, fluorscent lights as they can spur frantic overeating.

 

Slow, mellow music can also help set an appropriate eating pace. + is one of my favorite dinner albums, with Ed Sheeran. However, this trick only works if the music is truly slower than your natural, silent eating pace. If your music is any faster you may experience the opposite effect.

Snacking goal: Boost your energy level and glycogen stores.

Are you at the gym before the crack of dawn? You don't want to run out empty and risk early fatigue from low blood sugar levels. Research shows that the best way to mitigate that is to eat a small meal rich with carbohydrates that do not spur a spike in blood sugar. Because low-glycemic carbs elicit a boost the body uses body fat for energy.

Translation: You can burn more fat if you eat muesli with low-fat milk before a morning workout instead of a bowl of cornflakes. For those who don't work out before breakfast, reserve this snack for midmorning to keep your blood sugar and energy levels up and to maintain your muscle glycogen stores for activity later in the day.

Snacking goal: Calm your cravings, restore glycogen levels.

Hitting the 3.00 PM energy slump can be avoided by snacking two hours after lunch. Doing so has many benefits: It will keep your blood sugar stable, which is key to preventing a dash to the vending machine later - and it will also facilitate muscle recovery and keep glycogen levels up. "A snack that contains fiber, some protein and healthy fat slows digestion and provides more of a time-release supply of energy, rather than a big gush at one time (like from sweets or starchy snacks)", Chernus says.

Snacking goal: Energize your workouts.

Rev up your workout energy in two ways: Eat a carb-rich snack within and hour or two before you exercise and you'll be able to exercise harder and consequently burn more calories. "Preworkout snacks should be light, easily digested and lower in fat - so there is no decrease in blood flow to the muscles", Gerbstadt says. Secondly, drink water before you go. The American Council on Exercise (ACE) suggests drinking 5-6 dl (16-20oz) of water to prevent dehydration and improve performance.

Snacking goal: Repair and jumpstart muscle recovery.

Known in bodybuilding circles as the "window of opportunity", this is a prime time to snack. That's because within 15 minutes of completing your workout, your muscles are like sponges waiting to refill their glycogen stores. So for effective rebuilding and recovery of muscles, eat a carb- and protein-rich snack that's very low in fat. After a 30-minute workout, Gerbstadt recommends "combining a mixture of different types of high-carb foods like fruits, whole-grain breads and pastas with high-protein foods like lean meat, low-fat cheese, yoghurt and whey protein".

Snacking goal: Tame cravings and prevent muscle breakdown.

Cap off your day with this optional mini-meal if you are genuinely hungry after an active day. At night, eat a snack that is made up mostly of high-quality protein. "Protein-rich foods supply ready amino acids for repair of muscle during sleep - and rest is when muscle repair occurs", Gerbstadt says. Foods with casein, a primary protein in dairy products, are a good choice as they provide a slow release of amino acids into the bloodstream, which builds muscle and can prevent muscle breakdown overnight.

Portable and potassium-packed, there's no denying that a banana is a healthy food. But a single banana may not provide the ideal mix of macronutrients to support your body-shaping goals. Upgrade it to a super snack anytime of the day by adding the following foods to it:

So you're trying to change your lifestyle for the better? But you can't help but feel hungry all the time! There might be a reason for that.

 

You've changed your daily meals with vegetables, fruits and other low-calorie foods, but you're eating the same amount of food as before. Vegetables are not as filling as your usual meat and bread foods, so you'll need to eat more of the good food to feel and be satisfied.

How was your day? Not too good? It doesn't take long until you feel the old familiar feeling of hunger? Well, think again before you take a bite of that chocolate or anything else you might just be comfort eating. Find something else to do when you're feeling down or bored.

Your brain sometimes confuses thirst with hunger. Before you take something to eat try having a glass of water instead!

Sometimes when you're trying to addapt to a new lifestyle you don't always know how to eat properly. Your body might be craving some important nutritions you're lacking of.

Do you think you're saving calories by skipping breakfast? Think again. By skipping breakfast you're more likely to feel hungry throughout the day and also overeat. Always eat something within an hour of awakening to keep your body optimized!

 

 Don't go starving. You are less likely to choose the greasiest, most unhealthy thing on the menu if you don't go to the restaurant ravenous. Have a small snack consisting of protein about an hour or so before you leave.

 

 Avoid the bread basket or chips and salsa. It's easy to mindlessly fill up on the empty carbs before your meal even arrives. The chips and bread can add hundreds of calories to what could have been a low-calorie night out.

 

 Skip the appetizer. As with the bread basket, it can add hundreds more calories and probably a lot more UNhealthy fats and simple carbs to what could be a healthy night out. If you do pick an appetizer, choose something that isn't fried or packed with things like full fat cheeses.

 

 If you order a salad before your meal, be aware that while most side salads ARE low in calories (if they aren't littered with nuts, dried fruit, cheese or croutons)...most dressings are LOADED with sugar and fat. Avoid creamy dressings like ranch, blue cheese and thousand island. Choose vinaigrettes instead. While vinaigrettes can still be high in calories, fat and sugar, they are the "safer" choice.

 

 The above-mentioned guideline about side salads applies to regular salads as well. A lot of people assume if they order a salad, they are choosing something healthy and relatively low in calories. Think again! Most salads can pack more calories, sugar and fats than a burger and fries combined! Things like dried fruit, nuts, full-fat cheeses, croutons and other toppings will make what was originally a low calorie, low fat, low sugar bowl of lettuce/spinach and turn it into a mound of calorie overload. This doesn't mean you shouldn't order a salad, it just means you should be aware that you are not necessarily choosing something that will work with your daily macros/calorie intake.

 

 Avoid ordering foods that have any of these words below them: breaded, battered, crispy, crunchy, crusted, buttered, cheesy, country-style, creamy, glazed, gooey, honey-dipped, melted, smothered or fried. These are all extremely good indicators of un-healthy-, fat-, carb- and sugar-loaded junk!

 

 Look instead for options that contain the following: baked, broiled, roasted, fresh, multi-grain, broth, seared, poached, grilled, sautéed, spiced, and steamed.

 

Don't be afraid to ask the server for the nutrition facts menu. This way you can see an even more specific choice! You can also scope out substitutes for some of the ingredients and/or sides that your meal comes with!

 

 Also, don't be afraid to ask for things on the side! Dressings, marinades, high-calorie toppings and adders, syrups and other extras can be more easily controlled if you can put them on yourself! Don't add salt! I can almost GUARANTEE whatever you wind up ordering will likely come loaded with salt.

 

 Restaurants are notorious for WAY overdoing the portion sizes. Save half or more of your meal for later! That way you can get two or more meals out of it! You can ask the server to pack half of it up before it even gets to your table (or if you have the will-power, eat half and ask for a to go box after).

 

 Also, consider ordering something to split with a friend, family member or significant other! That way you don't have to worry about carrying the leftovers home and you can both enjoy a lighter dinner!

 

 Lastly, skip dessert. You'll be glad you did. Some single slices of cheesecake and other goodies can pack more than 1000 calories!!!

While you might be thinking "I don't want to be annoying by asking for all kinds of ingredients on the side"...don't. If the restaurant had been smart enough to provide healthier options, they wouldn't have had to worry about people ordering substitutes and giving special instructions. In addition, remember that many people with severe food allergies also must ask the server to have the food prepared sans their allergen! Don't be shy about speaking up! If it's a first date or something, I might understand the hesitation...but even still...don't be afraid to ask nicely for what you want!

Food additives have been used for centuries to enhance the appearance and flavor of food and prolong shelf life. But do these food additives really “add” any value to your food? Food additives find their way into our foods to help ease processing, packaging and storage. But how do we know what food additives is in that box of macaroni and cheese and why does it have such a long shelf life? A typical American household spends about 90 percent of their food budget on processed foods, and are in doing so exposed to a plethora of artificial food additives, many of which can cause dire consequences to your health.

Some food additives are worse than others. Here’s a list of the top food additives to avoid:

Aspartame (E951), more popularly known as Nutrasweet and Equal, is found in foods labeled "diet" or "sugar free" and is aprox. 200 times sweeter than actual sugar. Aspartame is believed to be carcinogenic and accounts for more reports of side effects than all other foods and food additives combined. Aspartame is not your friend. Aspartame is a neurotoxin, known to erode intelligence and affect short-term memory. The components of this toxic sweetener may lead to a wide variety of aliments including brain tumor, diseases like lymphoma, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, fibromyalgia, and chronic exhaustion, emotional disorders like depression and anxiety attacks, dizziness, headaches, nausea, mental confusion, migraines, and seizures. Acesulfame-K, a relatively new artificial sweetener found in baking goods, gum and gelatin, has not been thoroughly tested and has been linked to kidney tumors. Read more about the dangers of Aspartame here.

 

Before your workout, have something small, but high-carb, for energy.

After your workout, have something with protein to rebuild your tired muscles.

A salad can be a great low-calorie snack for those times when you just want to eat something!

 

The most basic part of a salad is the lettuce. Choose one, or choose three. It doesn't matter!

Keep it light! You'd be surprised how adding the right combos of ingredients to your salad can actually make it taste much better than when it's drowned in dressing. Try not to use more than 1-2 servings of any dressing, and go light!

 

Add what you like to your salad, items with a "*" are very low in calories.

Ever wonder why your fruit bowl looks like a sixth-grade science project only days after you set it out? As some fruits and vegetables ripen, they release a gas that can cause other produce to become spotted, soft, or mealy. 

1. Some fruits and veggies produce a gas called ethylene as they ripen. This gas can prematurely ripen foods that are sensitive to it, so keep ethylene-producing foods away from ethylene-sensitive foods. Avocados, bananas, cantaloupes, kiwis, mangoes, nectarines, pears, plums and tomatoes, for example, should be stored in a different place than your apples, broccoli, carrots, leafy greens and watermelon. Get a longer list of fruits to store separately here.

 

2. Keep potatoes, onions and tomatoes in a cool, dry place, but not in the fridge. The cold will ruin their flavour.

 

3. Store unripe fruits and veggies like pears, peaches, plums, kiwis, mangoes, apricots, avocados, melons and bananas on the counter. Once they're ripe, move them to the fridge. Banana peels will turn dark brown, but it won't affect the flesh.

 

4. Store salad greens and fresh herbs in bags filled with a little air and sealed tightly.

 

5. Citrus fruits such as oranges, tangerines, lemons and limes will do fine for up to a week in a cool, dark place, away from direct sunlight, but you can lenghten their lives by storing them in the fridge in a mesh or perforated plastic bag.

 

6. Wrap celery in aluminum foil and store it in the veggie bin in the fridge.

 

7. Other types of produce such as carrots, lettuce and broccoli start to spoil as soon as they're picked, so place these in separate plastic baggies in the crisper in your fridge as soon as possible [make sure they're dry though, since moisture speeds up spoiling].

 

8. Cut the leafy tops of your pineapple off and store your pineapple upside down. This helps redistribute sugars that sink to the bottom during shipping and also helps it keep longer.

 

9. Avoid washing berries until right before you're ready to eat them. Wetness encourages mold growth.

 

10. If you like to wash, dry and cut your fruits and veggies all at once, store them in covered glass containers lined in paper towels. You'll not only be able to see them - which reminds you to eat them - but you'll also be keeping moisture out.

 

11. If you normally forget to use up fruits and veggies if you put them in the crisper, store your veggies in plain sight in Evert-Fresh or reusable produce bags that mimic your crisper's function.

 

12. Buy only what you need. Go to the market more frequently, or if that's not possible, plan out your meals ahead of time so you only buy what you know you'll use.

 

13. If you notice any rotten produce, compost it immediatly before it starts to spoil the rest of the produce.

 

 

.

 

In 2008, researchers at University of Minnesota made 38 people who were all overweight eat according to a precarious nutrition program for eleven weeks. Every day the participants ate 750 calories less than the recommended daily intake, and of course everyone lost weight. But those who had high levels of vitamin D in their blood at the beginning of this research had a much more efficient weight loss. They lost up to 70% more fat than the other participants.

 

With this background, "the vitamin D diet" developed. A method that briefly contains of you eating vitamin D combined with five other fatburning catalysts (read about them under the picture ↓). By including these key ingredients in your diet the body's fat burning process will constantly be at full speed, according to the authors of the book The Vitamin D Diet.

 

Being outdoors in the sun is the easiest way to fill up with vitamin D. You can also eat fatty fish (like salmon), eggs and enriched dairy products like milk to increase your vitamin D intake.

 

This important mineral is a real sidekick to vitamin D, because together they turn up your metabolism a level. Calcium is in fact naturally in the fat cells, and studies show that the more calcium a cell has, the more fat it can let go of. Furthermore, calcium can bind fat and thus prevent the body from absorbing it at all.

Can be found in: Dairy products

 

If you consume foods high in protein you can be sure that your muscle mass will be kept intact at weight loss. Protein satiates and helps the body to balance the amount of fat versus muscles effectively. Muscles require more energy than fat, so in the long term a percentage conversion of fat to muscle have a strong effect on your metabolism. Women who eat protein twice a day loose on average 4% more fat than women who doesn't, according a study at University of Illinois.

Can be found in: Meat, fish, tofu

 

This fatty acid facilitates weight loss by triggering fat burning enzymes. Omega-3 also has an effect on your mood, something that researches believe prevents us from bingeing. Studies have also shown that omega-3 can increase the body's production of leptin, a substance that regulates appetite and turn up the fat burning process. Most foods that are high in vitamin D also contains omega-3.

Can be found in: Salmon, nuts and seeds

 

This type of fat has an ability to stabilize blood sugar levels and reduce appetite. Monounsaturated fats also tend to counteract the harmful abdominal fat. A Danish study also shows that this type of fat can turn up the fat burning process.

Can be found in: Olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocado and chocolate

 

CLA is found naturally in meat and dairy products. This fatty acid prevents the body to absorb fat from food while benefiting from the release of hormones that promote fat burning.

Foods that are full of fiber fill you up with fewer calories. Fiber is found in complex carbs that come from whole grain products such as bread, pasta, cereal, etc. Fiber is also found in many fruits and vegetables. Avoid simple carbs (refined flour) such as candy, soda, and other junk food.

Not only are fruits and veggies loaded with fiber, but they are also loaded with good old H2O. Eat your water; hydration never tasted this good! Have the mid-morning/afternoon munchies? Grab an apple, orange, etc. to keep your hunger at bay until your next meal.

Protein is ranked high amongst the foods that help keep you feeling satisfied for a longer time frame. Protein doesn’t have to come from lean meats such as chicken, fish, or turkey. Protein can also come from eggs, fat-free Greek yogurt and beans. Change things up and you’ll never get bored with healthy eating!

We need fat for survival and people are often afraid of the word “fat” when it comes to food choices for obvious reasons. There are such things as good fats, as long as the fats are monounsaturated or polyunsaturated. Foods that contain healthy fats include almonds, avocados, olive oil, etc. Stick to the serving sizes! Although healthy, they are high in calories. Avoid foods high in saturated/trans fats!

Some people have a lot of trouble recognizing the difference between hunger and thirst (dehydration). If you’re thirsty, you’re already dehydrated. Try drinking a glass of cold water and if the pang still persists, enjoy a well-balanced meal or healthy snack! And if it’s gone, now you’re hydrated and you’ve boosted your metabolism. WARNING: Refrain from drinking empty calories!

Begin your meal with a broth based soup or veggie salad with low fat dressing. Doing this will cause your belly to feel satisfied much sooner when you are served the main course, lessening the chance of binging/over-eating. These 2 food choices allow you to eat in bulk without adding a lot of extra calories to your day.

In a society filled with super-size-deluxe-have-it-all food options served on what can be considered family-sized serving dishes, it’s easy to become astray in sensible portioning. Try eating off/out of smaller plates. You’ll subconsciously trick yourself into thinking you’re eating more. Dig in! Now you can clean your entire plate and feel satisfied (not stuffed) at the same time.

It’s never a good idea to skip a meal, especially breakfast! Your chances of binging later on in the day will increase dramatically. Keeping your meals spread out evenly during the day will keep you feeling full, focused, and energized. Your metabolism will also work more efficiently if you stick to a normal eating schedule. Pressed for time? Hate breakfast? NO MORE EXCUSES!

Put the brakes on fast eating. This isn’t a pie eating contest. This is time for you to enjoy every morsel of your meal. Use all of your senses while eating. It takes approximately 20 minutes for the stomach to send signals to the brain that it’s full. Take smaller bites, put the utensil down, chew slowly, and you won’t feel that uncomfortable I’M-GOING-TO-BURST feeling ever again.