We are all looking for ways to stay healthy and there seems to be conflicting reports about what to eat and drink. Red wine is good, fried food is bad, gluten is bad, only organic produce will do, the list goes on and on. We could drive ourselves crazy just trying to figure out how to stay healthy right? Here are some facts to help you make wise decisions in your choices to leading a healthier life.
I love to imbibe every so often, but I am not a red wine drinker, my drink of choice is Vodka preferably a martini, with olives of course! Red wine, gets to be the saint of the liquor world, it was the drink of the gods and it has health benefits, blah, blah, blah. Well, here is the lowdown, alcohol (any kind) is what boosts levels of HDL or “good” cholesterol which lowers your risk of developing blood clots, good news to those of us who choose to drink liquor. But if you throw back more than two a day, you’ve just negated the health benefits, moderation is key.
Since we just spoke about alcohol, we are going to discuss fried food since this is what you end up eating while sitting at happy hour or munching at a meal. Believe it or not, deep frying can be just as healthy as sauteing. If food is properly deep fried, food soaks up minimal oil and the added calories are negligible. The oil though needs to be at the right temperature in order to be intense enough to cause the moisture in the food to evaporate and create steam pressure that blocks oil from entering. So stop feeling guilty and enjoy the moment, once in a while is just fine.
Is wheat really our enemy? So much has been brought out by the media about gluten-free diets, but wheat is packed with nutrients including folate (a B vitamin). In fact, unless you are truly an individual with celiac disease or a gluten sensitivity going without whole grains may even cause you to gain weight! REALLY! Whole grains boost serotonin in your brain helping you feel full, without this you would end up snaking throughout the day not getting the signal you are satisfied. I need my carbs to function so this is happy news to me, plus I tend to become a diva when I’m hungry.
Salt, ah yes, salt tastes good, it flavors food and it should be used sparingly. Here is the problem, unless you cook from scratch at home and you can monitor your salt intake, chances are you are getting more than you think. 90% of the sodium in our diets come from processed and restaurant foods, even ones that don’t taste salty. So read labels and remember that 2,300 mg of sodium is the daily recommendation. And even more reason to take a cooking class to help you and your family eat healthier.
Chicken or Burger? Surprise, the burger is better! Why? Chicken can tend to be injected with a salt-water solution to keep it moist so that chicken sandwich can have more than double the amount of sodium than a burger. The chicken also has more calories than the plain hamburger, so don’t feel guilty about having that hamburger, enjoy it.
Organic or not? We all think organic is far superior than the conventional grown produce, better taste, more nutrients, closer to nature. However, research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that they don’t have any nutritional advantage. Less chemical residue, sure, but the issue of pesticides leading to disease was based on farmers who were subjected to huge quantities. If you still prefer organic, spend it on produce with peels you eat, like apples, carrots, tomatoes… Also remember that while fruit is high in vitamins and fiber, it is also high in sugars and calories. A banana has about the same calories as two chocolate chip cookies! If you are trying to lose weight, have 4 servings of fruit (1/2 cup) a day and a serving of protein to slow down digestion and keep blood sugar steady.
Is high-fructose corn syrup getting a bad rap? It is being blamed for causing obesity in America, but it really is no different from sucrose or table sugar. It is the same number of calories and your body processes it the same way as table sugar, it is just extremely cheap so manufacturers add it to the majority of their products. The fact is that people eat more processed foods which in turn means eating more of these sugars, consumption of any added sugar in excess is bad for you and leads to weight gain. The only way to solve that is to cut back on processed foods and read labels, limit the amount of sugars including “dextrose, maltose, beet sugar and fruit juice concentrate.” It’s all about moderation.
I hope this helps in some of the choices you make while dining out and getting you bikini ready for the summer months. For some of us, it is just to keep us capable of putting on those leathers and not feeling like a stuffed sausage. The cost of a suit, keeps me thinking about what I choose to eat. 🙂 Ride on Vixens and remember to wave at the gals who are rocking it on their rides!
