Shine by Star Jones Reynolds Read Free Book Online Page B

control tomorrow.
    Nutritional Balance
    Mount Sinai Hospital’s nutrition expert Rebecca Blake says that besides portion control and exercise, shooting for a nutritional balance in any weight-control plan is vital. If I didn’t know that when I was obese, I sure know it now.
    “You’ve got to choose foods from all the food groups to achieve a healthy nutritional balance,” says Rebecca. “That’s another reason why steak, cashew, ice cream, cabbage soup, and low- or high-carb diets not only don’t work but are not healthy. We need all the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that are found in dairy, protein, vegetable, fruit, and even fat food groups. Leave even one of these groups out, and the resulting food imbalance will render you nutritionally deprived and feeling unwell or fatigued. And for dating purposes, something even worse: people who follow low-carb diets, for example, complain of crankiness and something we call rancid fruit breath—not a terrific asset for meeting the love of your life. Does this mean you can’t be a vegetarian and be healthy? Of course not. But, the vegetarian has to substitute other sources of protein such as tofu and soy products for the protein she’s not getting from meat, chicken, or fish.”
    Balance. It’s a good word. Avoid rancid fruit breath. Those are bad words.
    Eat Only What You Love and Adore
    I’m not a vegetarian, but I sure follow Rebecca’s advice about substitution because there are many foods I don’t like and I never eat them, no matter howgreat they’re supposed to be for you. I hate and despise beets—don’t put them anywhere on my plate. I hate cottage cheese— ickh. Anything that’s squishy like Jell-O or raw oysters going down my mouth messes me up, uh-uh, I can’t do it. I realize that I have to aim for nutritional balance, so I’ll find substitutions that have nutrients similar to those in the icky stuff I despise. I love vegetables (except beets of course)—raw and cooked—and raw veggies make a great, nutritionally rich snack.
    Ultimately, what is going to work for you in the weight-loss game is feeling satisfied. Modest portions of a variety of wonderful foods are the way to go. But you have to come to the point where you trust yourself enough to know that your body will tell you when it feels full. This takes some time to trust that body. In the old days, four years ago, I’d order a double Whopper with cheese and fries, eat the whole thing, feel stuffed, and think that was the normal way to feel full.
    Snack Time
    Everyone needs a handful of something to eat when reading or when watching some dumb television program. It’s a good idea to prepare snacks in advance, so when you plop down on the couch to watch Desperate Housewives or Girlfriends, you’ll reach for the good snack—not the Chunky Bar.
    Some general thoughts on snacks:
If you’re eating something from a cellophane bag you bought in the supermarket, already I know you’re in trouble. Chips? Pretzels? Just say no.
A little protein mixed with a snack containing fiber makes you feel fuller. Try a half teaspoon of peanut butter on a piece of fruit, or top a whole wheat cracker with hummus. Mmmm.
Peeled baby carrots sold ready to eat in a bag? A doll of a snack!
    Try these other snacks: remember—take only one portion, and snack slowly.
Trail Mix
    About 3 cups air-popped popcorn
    3 cups unsalted pistachios, cashews, or walnuts
    1 ½ cups Kashi cereal
    A few raisins
    1 cup wheat nuts
    1/3 cup sugarless dried blueberries
    Mix, take a handful, and make it last. Put the rest away.
Dried fruit: Raisins, for example, are healthy (low in sodium, fat-free), but the calories add up fast (about one calorie per raisin).
Fresh fruit: I love plums. Love bananas. Grapes have a high water content, so they fill you up with a lot fewer calories than, say, raisins. Cut whatever you choose into small pieces and eat them languorously.
Fresh veggies: Nothing like carrot, pepper, or celery sticks for