6.  Eat your protein before the carbs.  Such as eating a few almonds before your apple.  When you eat some protein before your carbohydrates this slows the rate at which glucose enters the blood stream.  Remember that when we snack on or eat carbohydrate dense meals that this causes our insulin levels to spike.  This causes a nasty cycle of rising and lowering of blood sugar levels making it nearly impossible to avoid your favorite sugary cravings.  Yo-yoing blood sugar and insulin levels makes weight loss almost impossible.  Another a key thing to be aware of is that when we start our day with carbohydrate meals then we tend to increase our daily intake of carbohydrates by…. So start each day with some protein at breakfast!

7.  Eat your lightest meal of the day at dinner time.  What?? You must be thinking, how is the complete opposite to what most of us do?  Most are unaware that our tendency to eat the most at dinner is not coinciding with our metabolic rate.  The fact is that our body needs the most calories in the morning.  Often times people are even skipping out on the most important meal of the day which will almost certainly pack on the unwanted pounds.  As the day goes on you slow the amount of food you feed as to work with your metabolic rate.  This is a recipe for healthy weight management.  Socially it is the norm to eat the most at dinner and this may be a fun time with family it does not serve your body well.  Learn to make a light meal (ie. Salad and a lean protein) a fun family experience.  Remember it’s the company that we surround ourselves with that create the memories not the foodstuffs that we consume.

8.  You need FAT to burn FAT! Forget the old fad diets of fat restriction; this does not do a body good.  You may be unaware that we actually need to eat fat to burn fat! So what’s the secret? It’s the type of fats that we consume that makes all the difference.  A balanced diet contains about 25-35% of healthy fats of your daily food intake.  Some examples of healthy fats are extra virgin olive oil, omega-3’s, nuts and seeds, avocados, and extra virgin coconut oil.

9.  Eating hygiene.  Proper nutrition extends beyond eating a healthy whole foods diet.  Our eating habits can also impact our digestion.  A few things to be mindful of is making time to eat, do not eat when stressed.  Stress inhibits digestion, which can lead to many digestive issues such as heart- burn, gas and bloating.  Chew your food slowly this helps the body produce adequate amounts of stomach acid and enzymes to ensure that you properly break down your food in the stomach.  Avoid drinking water during meals; this can dilute the digestive juices.

10.  Start to perceive your food and meals differently. Think of food as the fuel to an engine, often times we are eating for comfort or cravings or whatever is convenient cause we are always in a rush, but this is not the right way.  Food should be the fuel that makes us energized and feeling fantastic throughout the day. That’s why when you think of yourself as a locomotive it makes sense that you should eat the most in the morning to prepare yourself for the stresses of the day.  You are what you eat so eat for health and optimal wellness, believe me that you will notice a difference.

Enjoy!

In great health & happiness,

Dr. Michelle

Dr. Michelle Peris is a Naturopathic Doctor whose goal is to inspire health through educating, motivating and empowering people.  She has a family based practice out of a clinic in Oakville, Ontario.

Contact Dr. Michelle today to book your 15 minute complimentary consult.