Greetings and welcome to our official blog! My name is Steven and I am a Weight Loss Counselor at The Aesthetic & Wellness Center. Here, we strive to motivate individuals to live healthy and do so consistently. The ultimate objective of our Medical Weight Loss Program is to instill positive lifestyle changes within our patients. Not only do we want you to lose weight while in the program, we want you to keep the weight off after completing the program. Let’s face it—-diets don’t work! This is why making lifestyle changes are so important such as eating well and getting sufficient physical activity.

There are many Americans today suffering from at least one chronic disease as a result of a health-related behavior. For example, some may develop Type 2 Diabetes from years of eating foods with no nutritional value coupled with lack of exercise. Fortunately, chronic diseases such as Type 2 Diabetes can be prevented and even reversed by eating well.

So, what does eating “well” really mean? Actually, its meaning can vary from person to person. Regardless, nutritious foods are needed in order to get the daily required amount of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. More importantly, nutritious foods are a must when trying to lose fat.

Take a look at the types of healthy food you should be eating:
– Grains
– Fruits
– Vegetables
– Animal Protein
– Dairy
– Fats & Oils

Let’s start with the first group—-grains. These foods are helpful to supply us with instant energy because of its high amounts of carbohydrates. But it is important to eat mostly whole grains and LIMIT refined sugars and simple carbohydrates.

Fruits are great for our bodies because they are rich in vitamins and antioxidants. On the other hand, they should be limited since many are high in sugar content and your body will still process it like any other kind of sugar. But remember–choose a fruit over fruit juice because it has more fiber and less sugar.

Veggies! Veggies! Veggies! Non-starchy vegetables, in particular, should be our primary source for carbohydrates and food servings in general. Have either one cup of raw or half-cup of cooked vegetables, and choose a variety of colors of vegetables when grocery shopping!

Next we have our protein foods, animal protein and dairy, which is where we will get the majority of our dietary protein. Protein is essential for synthesis of amino acids and is crucial for numerous bodily functions, including muscle strength. Depending on your weight, you may require at least 100-120 grams of protein daily. Dairy products are usually very high in fat, so you should select lean animal protein and low fat dairy products (i.e. Greek yogurt, etc).

True or False: We should remove all fats from our diet in order to lose weight.

FALSE! In fact, we need good fats in our diet for many reasons. Fats and oils are technically not a food group, however, they are part of our daily food requirements. “Good fats” include extra-virgin olive oil, omega-3 fish oil, and raw nuts. These fats, for example, are essential to start numerous chemical processes within the body, assist with cell functions, boost the immune system, and maintain healthy skin and hair.

By now, you should know that “eating well” does not mean constant dieting. It is instead a lifestyle, a behavior, an eating attitude. We understand the difficulty in making these lifestyle changes, and this is why we are here to help. Call us today at 941-749-0741 to learn more information about our Weight Loss Program!

(CODE: TAW-blog)