I read a lot of stuff from Dr. Weil and find that he does a pretty good job of breaking down the science of nutrition. As with Whole30, Dr. Weil writes a lot about how to eat in order to limit the body's inflammation response that is caused by certain foods. The following link is what he suggests to eat for controlling the body's inflammation response. There are some similarities and differences between his advice and that of Whole30, which also aims to reduce the body's inflammation response. I think when reintroducing certain foods into the diet after completing Whole30 that some of Dr. Weil's guidelines for macronutrients are good to follow.
Anti-Inflammatory Diet - Dr. Weil
Very interesting article, thanks for the link.
ReplyDeleteIs there any difference between a yam and sweet potato that is sold in our grocery stores? Some are more orange then others and I have seen them labeled as both.
I still would like to drop a few pounds. I am still confused about how much to eat, how many calories to consume and at what times to eat what foods. I will lose 3 pounds, then put it back on without varying my eating. The whole nutrition thing is very confusing to me!
Renee
Renee - There could be a lot of factors going on regarding weight loss. First of all, pay more attention to how you look, feel, and how your clothes are fitting than what the scale says. I say that based on personal experience. We are "women", and that means we retain water. My weight fluctuates my as much as 5 to 7 pounds simply by water retention. Following Whole 30 and eating the right foods will help control your blood sugar/insulin response and inflammation - which if they are not controlled will lead to weight gain and chronic health issues. Eating right for health is the most important thing before attaining a certain look. However, it is easy to forget the other factors that can play into the "weight" issue....these include proper water intake on a consistent basis (at least 80 to 100 ounces per day is a good rule - and more if you are sweating a lot of it out), SLEEP - is extremely important and getting at least 7 to 8 hours a night is what everybody needs - sure we can train our bodies to function and get through each day on 5 hours or so of sleep, but that lack of sleep will work against any progress you might be trying to make in weight loss - even if you feel like you don't need that much. Train your body to go to bed at a time that will allow you to get 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night - and try to keep a regular routine of sleeping and waking at the same time each day. Exercise is another factor that will play into weight loss - for many people it is a lack of activity that is the problem, but some people can also "over train", which can work against fat loss - perhaps causing a plateau or loss of muscle mass. Recovery from exercise is extremely important in controlling inflammation and allowing muscle to heal after it has been strained during exercise. Stress is another factor that plays into weight loss and affects people in different ways. Many think they can't do anything about it because of their job, busy schedule, family demands, etc....this is often a personal issue that you must figure out for yourself. Each person has to understand how they personally respond to stress and then actively identify solutions to dealing with the stress, which generally the cause of it (i.e. job, family, etc.) often cannot be eliminated, so it is a matter of how a person responds to it and deals with it. That's the personal part - for some this is through spiritual means such as prayer, meditation, fellowship, etc., for others it may be making time for activities they enjoy and find relaxing (i.e. gardening, reading, journaling, vacationing, etc.) Taking time for yourself and finding ways to decompress is very important and plays into weight loss as well as your self image. Women have a tendency to take care of everyone else first and think of themselves last often forgoing the important time that they need for themselves. So, if that sounds at all like you, remember to take care of yourself first because if you don't, it will be difficult for you to take care of anyone else.
ReplyDeleteLast, there could be physical/hormonal issues that prevent weight loss. I mention this last because so many people use that as their first excuse for explaining away their extra pounds. But the truth is, if they eat right, sleep enough, drink enough water, exercise, and control their stress, they probably wouldn't need to make excuses because they would be "feeling great".
I know this is a much longer answer than what you were probably looking for. I could give you meal plans that restrict your calories and food/calorie tracking logs and will be glad to provide those to you, but I think it is important to focus first on your health and how you are feeling than on losing a few pounds. With that said, there may be a few tweaks in your nutrition that you might want to make (assuming that you are already following Whole30 completely) such as increasing protein and vegetables and decreasing fruit.
Patti great post, thanks for sharing it with all of us. Thanks for the run tonight, hope the calf is feeling ok and the ice bath went ok.
ReplyDeleteRenee- I don't thik anyone could of said any of this better then what Patti just wrote. Keep it up and your overall health you improve, which is the main and #1 goal for all of us.
Thanks Patti! That was a great answer. You are completely right. I am looking at the scale instead of how I feel and look. I feel terrific! When I get down on myself, I'm going to reread your post!
ReplyDelete