The Whole Food Blog

Nutritionists know that it is an ongoing challenge to find the proper selection of whole foods for natural weight loss. All around, there are so many variations on diet tips that it is hard to know what to eat; whole foods, whole wheat, good fat, bad fat, good cholesterol, bad cholesterol, low carb, high carb. It’s all so confusing that it is understandable when many quit working toward their natural weight loss plans and health goals.

Everything you put in your mouth either builds your body up or tears it down. Candy and soft drinks are good examples of things that just harm the body while providing zero health benefits. Instead, it is conceivable to find drinks that taste good and offer real nutritional benefits plus natural weight loss from adding more whole foods to the diet. You are not likely to find them in a convenience store, though. Do a Google search for natural health drinks and notice the different choices.

Calories count, so make them count for you, not against you. Those empty calories in things like soft drinks, cookies, chips, crackers and candy work against the body’s natural processes. On the other hand, nutrients from plant-based foods fortify the body and promote natural weight loss. The good news is that it is now relatively simple to gain more productive nutrition from fewer calories with nutrient dense, concentrated whole foods.

Increase energy right away by making different nutritional choices. Eating nutrient dense, concentrated whole foods allows the body to absorb nutrients rather than use up energy on digestion. This eradicates a lethargic feeling after eating, while providing more energy, stamina, endurance and strength. Since exercise is crucial for natural weight loss and optimum health, the desire to be more active creates substantial results, quickly.

As seen on Oprah, Dr. Oz has revealed numerous ways to achieve natural weight loss. He has pointed out the various rewards of adding more high fiber foods to the diet. The doctor says that the benefits of consuming more fiber add up “almost immediately.” The fiber moves things through your system faster.

This quote from Dr. Oz, as seen on Oprah, explains why fiber is important, “Bile, when it gets absorbed through the bowel, turns into cholesterol. So when you take a lot of fiber in your diet, you suck the bile out of you, and your cholesterol drops automatically. It also gets rid of sugar, which helps the diabetics. And it’s a great tool if you want to lose weight because it makes you feel full.” This is a good illustration of why natural weight loss occurs more often when there are enough high fiber foods in your diet.

Let’s look at some healthy high fiber foods to eat for natural weight loss:

• One apple provides as much as 5 grams of fiber, or about 15% of the daily recommended amount.

• Beans are high fiber foods for natural weight loss with as much as 12g of fiber per 1/4 cup of dry beans.

• Whole grains are wholesome high fiber foods. Each serving of whole wheat bread, oatmeal, or shredded wheat can include up to 7g of fiber.

• Natural Fiber Drinks offer a healthy, fast way to consume 3g of soluble fiber and that is crucial to natural weight loss.

• Whole Food Fiber Bars can be effective for natural weight loss, but they must be made carefully. Many of the power bars are overly processed with ingredients that are hard to digest.

Do a Google search to find advanced products for achieving natural weight loss with high fiber foods.

The secret to natural weight loss is to detox or cleanse internal organs and tissues daily with all natural health drinks while nourishing with whole foods.

Many nutrition and fitness experts agree that these are the three vital components to natural weight loss:

1. Healthy nutrition accounts for about 35% of the plan for natural weight loss. In order to make that percentage workable, the best dietary choices are whole foods, which have all the vital components including complex carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals. The human body requires an abundance of fruits, vegetables, and grains with plenty of whole food nutrients.

2. 50% of the natural weight loss equation comes from cleansing the liver. As acidic foods and unhealthy drinks are ingested, the liver becomes filled with dangerous fat and loses the ability to properly process toxic waste. The fat then starts to accumulate around the liver. Men reveal this with fat bellies while it shows up as cellulite in women .

3. Only 15% of the equation is exercise. You need about 20 minutes of cardio and some type of weight training 3 days a week or more. The cardio burns fat and calories while weight training boosts metabolism. Of course, if you are following that exercise with soft drinks or candy-colored sport drinks and vitamin waters instead of natural health drinks, then you are not doing yourself any favors.

To begin, the essential step to natural weight loss is to find health drinks that provide daily cleansing for the liver and whole foods that satisfy hunger without empty calories. The best products are not always found at retail health food stores because the average consumer does not understand their benefits, but now you know more than the average consumer. Search online for high quality health drinks that provide daily cleansing and the right whole foods for natural weight loss.

Buying concentrated low carb foods that supply more powerful nutrition with fewer calories makes it easier than ever to achieve natural weight loss. First, it is wise to know how to find the healthiest low carb foods with the highest nutritional values. Then, you know how to include them in a daily routine in order to produce substantial natural weight loss.

Once the choice is made to shop differently, the products needed are just a Google search away. The highest quality, concentrated whole foods are not typically found in supermarkets or health food stores, so searching the Internet for low carb foods to achieve natural weight loss requires a mental adjustment in the way people shop for nutrition.

This is not about looking for fake low carb foods meant to simulate your favorite fattening foods, like imitation bacon and sugary snacks. Instead, the concentrated formulas described here are made with only the most carefully produced whole food ingredients and no chemicals or preservatives. These low carb foods are very different from anything that most people have ever tried, and they produce unmatched results for healthy, long lasting, natural weight loss.

These are foods in the sense that they are made from plants, such as legumes, fruits, grains and exotic herbs. They may also be thought of as health drinks because these low carb foods are concentrated into powder formulas that can easily be mixed in a liquid for quick consumption. They are portable to consume anywhere, which provides the convenience that is crucial for consistent natural weight loss.

For natural weight loss, these 5 diet tips are essential for obtaining positive results. These tips are the basis for a lifetime of healthy weight management.

1. Eat breakfast every day.

Diet tips that recommend a healthy breakfast are abundant because this is something that works. Studies indicate that people who eat breakfast are less likely to overeat later in the day. Natural weight loss takes place as the body adjusts to more calories in the morning and fewer calories afterward.

2. Start with soup.

Soup is essential for natural weight loss because it provides water. A report from Penn State University found that people who used two 10 ½ ounce servings of broth based soup each day for a year experienced 50% more natural weight loss than those who consumed the same number of calories from healthy foods.

3. Steer clear of soft drinks.

This is one of those diet tips you cannot disregard when attempting to succeed with natural weight loss. Soft drinks contribute to the danger of becoming overweight and contain zero nutrients. To eliminate the useless chemicals in one soft drink, a person needs to drink 8-12 glasses of water. Plus, one soft drink can load the body up with nearly the same number of calories as a Snickers bar.

4. Eat meals without distractions.

By turning off the TV, ignoring phone calls and text messages while eating the focus is only on the food, the flavors and the chewing motion. By taking a moment to notice the flavors and textures of the food, it is easier to change how much is really being consumed, resulting in healthy portion control. Some diet tips are good for the mind and body when it comes to natural weight loss and this is one of the most prudent.

5. Throw away any unhealthy foods.

Throwing away unhealthy foods is a good way to get them out of your thoughts and to break bad habits. “Cravings are often fleeting, and if you have to leave the house to go get it, you’ll be less likely to do it,” says Roberta Anding, R.D., of Texas Children’s Hospital. By applying these diet tips and eliminating unhealthy foods from the fridge and pantry, the foundation for natural weight loss remains solid.

Healthy snacks can be a component of a natural weight loss plan when they are purchased carefully. The trick is to select your healthy snacks before getting hungry. Often, though, individuals get so hungry they can’t think of anything else. Instead, they reach for unhealthy snacks overloaded with sugar, salt, and/or fat.  If this sounds like you, then healthy snacks could be the necessary component in your natural weight loss plan.

One of the stumbling blocks to natural weight loss is the fact that people forget they can easily switch their unhealthy snacks with healthy snacks. Searching the Internet makes finding the most satisfying snacks a healthy research project. Now, instead of your ancestor’s healthy snacks like orange slices and grapes, you can find a greater variety at an Internet health food store.

The most productive natural weight loss plans include healthy snacks made under perfect processing conditions and with whole food ingredients. For instance, take a look at the ingredients in most grocery store snacks. When you can’t pronounce them, then there’s a good possibility they were made out of chemicals rather than natural foods. The label will also reveal values for protein and fiber content. A higher percentage on both of these lines means that you will feel content for a longer period of time, making you less likely to snack on whatever is in front of you between meals.

Successful natural weight loss requires taking steps to avoid sugar, artificial ingredients and salt and fat as much as possible. When shopping for healthy snacks avoid products with MSG, aspartame, and high fructose corn syrup. Instead, look for whole food ingredients like nuts, fruits, and herbs.

Anyone trying to achieve natural weight loss with a focus on cutting calories will also enjoy the anti-aging benefits.  Recent studies have shown that one of the most important steps people can take to increase longevity is to simply eat less.

This idea of consuming fewer calories is vital to natural weight loss and the anti-aging benefits provide extra motivation.  Animal studies have reported a 20- 40% increase in life span and significant delays in age-related health issues such as diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease and brain atrophy. (source: www.low-caloriediet.com)

“This finding suggests that even slight moderation in intake of calories and a moderate exercise program is beneficial to a key organ such as the liver, which shows significant signs of dysfunction in the aging process,” said Christiaan Leeuwenburgh, Ph.D., an associate professor of aging and geriatric research at the University of Florida College of Medicine. (source: Medical News Today/Cutting Calories Slightly Can Reduce Aging Damage – http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/43060.php)

Other natural weight loss studies have revealed that Japanese people live longer because they consume fewer calories than those in the most developed nations.  An interesting note about this research is that adopting a reduced calorie diet in middle age proves just as beneficial for anti-aging as continuing one from birth.

For calorie reduction and natural weight loss, Resveratrol is gaining recognition.  This substance is high in antioxidants and is commonly found in grapes, giving wine its reputation as a healthy drink.  It is also found in greater concentration in Japanese knot weed.  Resveratrol has been linked to reduced calorie intake, lower cholesterol and greater longevity.  Nutrition experts have said that Resveratrol is the most important discovery since antibiotics and may very well be the most powerful tool for natural weight loss.

Many healthy people read food labels to check for calories, fat and carbs, but overlook the one number that poses the greatest threat, especially to natural weight loss.  That number is the sodium content.

What’s wrong with too much sodium?

A January study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that if the average person cut daily sodium consumption by approximately three grams, 44,000 to 92,000 deaths could be prevented each year and up to $24 billion could be saved in health care costs.  The most visible culprit, though, may be excess weight gain caused by foods in grocery stores and restaurants that are overloaded with sodium.

Don’t let sodium sabotage your natural weight loss plan.

When sodium can’t be eliminated by the kidneys it causes water retention and bloating.  Many Americans carry an extra 20-30 pounds in water weight simply because they are consuming too much sodium.  When people pay closer attention to sodium content and start drinking more healthy liquids, this water weight is usually flushed out quickly and dramatically.  That’s when natural weight loss efforts become visible and a desire to keep going is instilled.

How much sodium is too much?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends no more than 2,300 milligrams per day for the average adult.

So, now you’ll notice that big number and will want to look for foods that are lower in sodium.  Try natural whole food concentrates to satisfy cravings and hunger, without adding excess sodium to your natural weight loss plan.

For consumers who seek natural weight loss, the recent Slim Fast recall is an opportunity to begin healthier, new strategies.

On December 2nd, 2009, Slim Fast manufacturer Unilever notified the FDA of possible contamination, and a complete recall was issued.  These products run the risk of being contaminated with a micro-organism called Bacillus cereus that causes flu-like symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

The good news is that natural weight loss products actually have numerous advantages over the sugary and highly processed diet drinks offered under labels like Slim Fast.  One of the most important factors is that they are often made with whole foods and are therefore more easily digested.  This means that more of the vitamins, minerals, and other important nutrients are being put to their proper use.  Instead of just curbing hunger, naturally healthy diet drinks nourish the body at a much higher level.

The variety of natural weight loss products is also a bonus for many consumers.  Because there are so many ingredients to choose from in nature, the combinations are nearly limitless.  Some healthy diet drinks include natural, whole food ingredients for the antioxidants they posses.  There’s certainly something to be said for a diet drink that not only helps you lose weight but also has potential cancer fighting attributes.

Eating healthy natural foods should always be considered before consuming sugary meal replacement products.  For those who need quick, on-the-go foods, there are pre-packaged options that utilize the concept of whole foods, in addition to promoting natural weight loss.

Once again, the recall of a popular weight loss product reveals that foods and drinks made with cheap ingredients create more harm than good.

All Slim-Fast beverages have been recalled by the manufacturer due to possible contamination from unhealthy bacteria, Bacillus cereus.  A notice posted on the FDA website explains, “The recall involves all Slim-Fast RTD products in cans, regardless of flavor, Best-By date, lot code or UPC number.”

Here’s more on this topic with an excerpt from an article by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger and editor of NaturalNews.com

“The probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote,” says the FDA. But they mean from the bacteria. The possibility of serious adverse health consequences from the other ingredients in Slim-Fast is a whole different matter.

By the way, if you do own some Slim-Fast (and please tell me you don’t), and if there is some Bacillus cereus swimming around in those cans, you might find it interesting to note the bacteria is the only thing alive in Slim-Fast!  That’s because Slim-Fast is a dead food. Every one of its ingredients has been pasteurized, processed, refined, cooked or otherwise destroyed of any living properties, making Slim-Fast just like all the other processed dead foods sold in grocery stores — dead and devoid of any real phytonutrients, but loaded with cheap, dead ingredients like milk and sugar.

Read the rest of the article…

So, as this reveals, you can shop for health food products that save money, but when cheap ingredients are used, your health suffers.  Is it really worth saving a couple bucks to buy products that, at best don’t work, and at worst, make you sick? Better ingredients equal greater benefits for your health and fitness.