If you are exercising and eating right, (for the most part), drinking water and doing all the things you are supposed to do to keep your weight down but still can’t lose a pound, then you may be consuming too many of the top 6 most highly reactive foods on the planet. They are: WHEAT, DAIRY, SUGAR, CORN, PEANUTS and EGGS. Wheat and Dairy are the top 2 because we tend to rely on them for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Sugar, corn, peanuts and eggs are in so many processed foods that line the center aisles of the grocery stores. However, ALL of these foods do the following:
1. COMPROMISE our immune system
2. ALTER our metabolic rate so much that is makes it impossible to lose weight no matter how much we exercise
3. DEPRESS our energy levels
4. INCREASE the hormones that cause weight gain, in particular cortisol.
Now, I am not saying you can never eat wheat or dairy again, but if you have toast for breakfast, a sandwich at lunch, a snack bar with wheat in it in the afternoon and a roll with dinner. IT IS TOOOOOOO MUCH WHEAT! Here is what happens in the body:
- You eat a reactive food, let’s say it’s WHEAT
- serotonin levels dropin the brain, adrenaline drops and blood sugar levels drop
- Mood swings can occur, the onset of depression sometimes, and cravings for more reactive foods or in this case WHEAT
- Immune system reacts, hormones levels react leading to tissue swelling
- a feeling of heaviness and fatigue occur along with storage of excess calories mainly as FAT
- more fatigue, more mood swings, and more weight gain
- Swelling of the intestinal membranes occurs allowing allergens to assimilate preventing nutrients from being absorbed which lead to a weakened immune system and nutrient deficiencies.
- and the cycle begins all over again
This is why you feel so full and heavy after eating pasta for example. You feel bloated and because of the incomplete digestion going on in the intestines, the body attacks the food as if it were a virus or parasite leading to an immune system overload! All of this leads to heartburn, fatigue, ahcy joints, painful muscles and allergies.
Other factors that aggravate the situation include eating too narrow a range of foods day in and day out, fake foods, enzyme deficiency, lack of fiber in your diet, eating too much at once, stress, chewing your food completely and drinking liquids with your meals. Drinking alot of water during your meal dilutes your stomach’s digestive juices making it more difficult for it to do it’s job - digest your food!
What else can you do? Learn to eat meals without wheat. For example, instead of always having a sandwich for lunch, enjoy a grilled chicken salad with vegetables and a delicious salad dressing.
Make this salad dressing at home:
PEANUT BUTTER VINAIGRETTE
In a bowl, whisk together:
3 tablespoons of organic peanut butter or you can use almond butter
3 tablespoon Rice Wine Vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon Toasted Sesame oil
1 tsp. ground ginger
Pinch of ground red pepper
Mix well and toss with your favorite leafy greens! ADD grilled chicken, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, dried cranberries, toasted almonds or walnuts and enjoy!
By eliminating too many wheat products, you should begin to notice small changes in your weight loss efforts. Here’s to a healthy weight loss!
Sherry L. Granader, ACE, AFAA, NETA, ACSM, BBU, is a Nutrition Consultant, National Speaker and Spokesperson, Author and Writer, teaches Yoga, Pilates and Group Exercise classes. Lose weight with Sherry at http://www.sgtotalhealth.com