Why Restrictive Diets Flop (And What to Do About it)

Constantly focusing on what not to eat starts your brain down that negative path, and it’s much easier to feel deprived if you are constantly focusing on what you can’t have. If you are constantly thinking about all the pizza, ice cream, brownies, cookies, etc. that you can’t have, then it’s possible you will end up wanting it even more because of all your focus is on those specific foods.

• The Institute of Medicine recommends that adults get a minimum of 0.5 grams of protein for every pound of body weight per day.
• Most experts recommend a minimum of 5 fruits and vegetables with the emphasis on vegetables.

• Good fats (fatty fish, fish oil, nuts, seeds, coconut oil, flax seed oil, olives, and avocados) are essential to a complete and healthy diet. Focus on getting fats into your diet. Even saturated fat from pasture-raised animals (grass fed beef for example) falls into the good category.  Fats to avoid are the trans fats. Trans fats raise your LDL cholesterol level and lower your HDL cholesterol level which is the exact combination that increases your risk of heart disease.

Think hydrogenated (made by adding hydrogen to vegetable oil). They are found in commercially baked goods, doughnuts, French fries, shortening, margarine and other highly processed foods.

To help avoid trans fats check the labels for “partially hydrogenated vegetable oil” and for shortening.

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