Gluten is good for you.

Take it from the 'Blue Zones': Diet, human connection as important as ever

Not all carbs are bad, and is high protein going to make you live longer?

Back in 2012 when I did Keto for 2 months before Keto was even a thing, I firmly believed in the below post. And I do still believe in it albeit with a caveat. Not all carbs are bad. Complex carbs like black beans, brown and wild rice, quinoa, lentils and whole grains are good for you! Cardiologists do not recommend gluten-free diets because grains which contain gluten have fiber which decrease cholesterol and prevent heart disease. Cutting carbs and going high protein are great if you are actively trying to lose body fat, control diabetes, or improve aesthetics. But carbs can be incorporated if they’re high quality, nutritious and you stay active. Some of my favorite healthy carbs: blueberries, sweet potatoes, apples, oranges, carrots, and greek yogurt! Moderation is key.

Those that live the longest have balanced diets: Top 5 places where people live the longest

HOW TO LOSE WEIGHT, LOWER BLOOD PRESSURE, LOWER CHOLESTEROL, LOWER DIABETES, LOWER YOUR RISK OF CANCER, IMPROVE DEPRESSION/ANXIETY, FLATTEN YOUR STOMACH, LOOK BETTER AND FEEL BETTER (BURN FAT AND BUILD MUSCLE) = Your new lifestyle, NOT a diet. LOW-CARBOHYDRATE, HIGH-PROTEIN way of life.

To lose weight, it is essentially math, you must burn more calories than you eat. So eat less, and exercise more, common sense right? Brainwash yourself to eat for nutrition instead of taste, and you will lose weight (burn fat).

Losing weight is 90% diet, 10% exercise. It is much more important to eat healthy than to exercise! (Running 1.5 miles burns ONLY 150 calories, a can of coke!) To lose 1 pound a week you need to give your body 500 calories less a day than it needs x 7 days. 500 x 7 = 3500 calories = 1 pound of weight loss a week. (i.e. Instead of 2000 calories a day to maintain your weight, only give it 1500 calories a day)

Calories YOU NEED calculator:

http://www.calculator.net/calorie-calculator.html

Think of spending your calories like spending your paycheck. Choose low calorie foods (READ NUTRITION LABELS). Treat your body like a fire that you need to constantly feed wood. SMALL PORTIONS FREQUENTLY if possible. Too much food at one time your body may turn into fat. Starve yourself and your metabolism will shut down. You must eat to burn fat. Try to be hungry all the time, that's good! Don't eat until you're full. Try eating only half your plate, save the rest until you're hungry again.

LOW-CARBOHYDRATE diet (carbs turn into fat first if you do not burn them off!). You will burn fat first if you keep your carbs low, but this is not Atkins which is no-carb and will not last forever. My diet/lifestyle will last forever. Fill up on low calorie foods - veggies and fruits, especially plenty of dark green vegetables (spinach, broccoli, lettuce), raw or cooked. Pair this with lean protein, chicken breast without skin, fish (salmon and tuna are the best), eggs, and tofu.

PROTEIN = FAT-BURNING. Your body takes more energy to burn protein than anything else. Eat protein with every meal.

AVOID FOODS CONTAINING SUGAR, FLOUR, CORN, WHITE RICE, WHITE POTATOES - avoid bread, pasta, tortillas. SMALL amount of whole-grain or whole-wheat bread, brown rice pasta, oatmeal, brown rice, or boiled black beans and lentils are okay if you are closer to your goal weight.

Avoid soda, juice, fried foods, greasy foods, corn and vegetable oil, full-fat cheese, butter, "crispy" or with sauces (high calories and high carbs). Try to drink plenty of water. Read ALL nutrition labels, learn what a serving size is. Look for highest protein and lowest carbohydrate and sugar content. Lowest calories!  Keep PORTIONS SMALL! Cut out carbs as the day goes on (you’ll be less active and more likely to turn the carbs into fat while you sleep).

BREAKFAST: I recommend eggs (yolks are fine!) and fruit or plain oatmeal w/blueberries, ground flaxseed and skim milk every morning AND/OR have a protein shake (protein powder mixed with skim milk, more below).

LUNCH AND DINNER: should be a LOT of veggies, raw or cooked paired with lean protein. Stick with lean meats like chicken breast without skin, fish (salmon and tuna are the best), eggs, and tofu. Minimize any carbs! Stay away from bread, chips, soda, crackers! Cooking: better to use PAM (or generic) cooking spray rather than oil for your pan since the spray is ZERO calories. Minimize alcohol. It is extra calories without much benefit (exception 1 small glass of red wine if you must).

SNACKS: Try to eat protein with every meal. Small handful of unsalted, no oil, nuts (almonds, pistachios, walnuts). Other great snacks: protein powder (any brand using sucralose (Splenda) and contains low carb/sugar) mixed with skim milk in the morning, or water at night. Greek yogurt with a few blueberries is great. Alternatively, "Carbmaster" yogurt and Dannon Light & Fit Greek use sucralose. Artificial sugars are not great but for weight loss, they’re 0 calories and much better than real sugar. Once you get near goal, you can reduce artificial sweeteners. Minute Maid LIGHT Lemonade if you need the taste of juice. Low-fat or non-fat cottage cheese or a low-fat string cheese is another great bedtime snack. And no one ever gained weight by eating too many green vegetables. Buy a scale and weigh yourself everyday! Be motivated by the losing of pounds and looseness of clothes, your weight will fluctuate and may go up and down due to water retention, clothes, etc. Don't be discouraged by fluctuations in weight.

EXERCISE!

This will help you lose weight and burn fat faster. BUILD MUSCLE - pushups, sit-ups, dumbbells, a gym membership will speed up the weight loss. Women, do not be afraid of protein shakes or lifting weights, you will NOT get bulky. Light weights and lots of repetitions to tone and avoid bulk. You need cardiovascular AND resistance training to lose weight and burn fat the fastest. Best measure of cardiovascular exercise is an increase in your heart rate. Use the stairs instead of the elevator/escalator, park far away. If you have bad knees, do pushups, pull-ups, use your upper body, NO EXCUSES!

AND REMEMBER, *YOU* CAN DO IT. NOTHING IS STRONGER THAN YOUR MIND. IF YOU WANT SOMETHING BAD ENOUGH, NOTHING WILL GET IN YOUR WAY.