It's a New Year: Ready to Focus on Your Nutrition?

A “diet” is supposed to refer to the kinds of foods you eat, not the kinds of food you stop eating in an attempt to shed weight. Fad “diets” promise instant results. But even if you do lose weight on these diets, you quickly gain it back, and you’re right back where you started.

At Low Testosterone & Weight Loss Center in Allen, Texas, our expert and caring medical professionals recommend shifting your thoughts about diet entirely. Instead of focusing on losing weight, focus on finding the right foods to fuel your body optimally via good nutrition. Here’s how.

Resolve to eliminate non-foods

What are non-foods? They are anything designed to appeal to your taste buds but do little to nourish your body and all of its billions of cells. Some non-foods even do harm by promoting chronic inflammation, which contributes to and even causes disease.

Non-foods are everywhere: In fast-food restaurants, at the corner deli, and in the center aisles of your grocery store. This year, resolve to kick out the following from your life:

Sugar
High-fructose corn syrup
Hydrogenated fats
Factory-farmed meats
Processed foods
Junk foods
Fried foods
Most packaged foods

While you may be having withdrawal symptoms just thinking of all the delicious chips and cookies you’re going to eliminate from your diet, don’t fear. When you focus on nutrition, you replace non-foods with fresh, whole, and flavorful foods that you can eat without reservation.

Resolve to eat the rainbow … and beyond

Train your eyes away from colorful packaging and commercials and toward the natural colors in the produce aisle. They’re stuffed with vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and antioxidants that fuel your cells. Fill your shopping cart with:

Red and purple vegetables like cabbage and eggplant
Orange and red vegetables like carrots, tomatoes, and peppers
Leafy greens from raw arugula to cooked spinach and collards
Deep purple or orange starches like yams and sweet potatoes
Red, blue, and purple berries
Yellow and orange citrus
Most seed and vegetable oils

Not sure what to do with all those colorful vegetables and fruits? Scan the library, bookstore, or internet for recipes from Mediterranean countries and other cultures that emphasize fresh, colorful foods.

Amp up the flavors in your salads and cooked dishes by adding:

Onions and garlic
Fresh herbs like dill and peppermint
Dried herbs and spices like cinnamon and turmeric

Turn your resolution to improve your nutrition into a worldwide tour of international cuisine. And if you miss your homegrown favorites, plenty of recipes and video tutorials on the internet can show you how to replicate your favorite flavors and textures with fresh, whole foods.

Resolve to find healthy fats and proteins

Meat, fish, poultry, and dairy products are all affected by how the animals that produce them are treated. Animals raised in factory farms suffer stressful conditions and poor diets that result in poorer quality meat and harmful types of fat. Conversely, pastured and grass-fed animals produce healthful fats and meat.

Eat high-quality protein to feel sated and to keep building muscle throughout your life. Strong muscles keep your bones strong, too. In addition to plenty of vegetables and fruits, make sure you get adequate protein from sources like:

Grass-fed beef and lamb
Pastured pork
Free-range, pastured eggs
Wild-caught fish
Whole grains, soaked, sprouted, or fermented
Legumes, nuts, and seeds

You don’t have to be 100% perfect about buying organic and free-range foods: Just try to make it a priority whenever possible. Your body will thank you.

Resolve to get help

Change can be difficult, especially when you get the same old social cues in your daily life, such as having fast-food pizza with the family on Friday nights.

That’s why we offer medically supervised weight loss programs that are individualized to your physical and emotional needs. Not ready to give up the junk food all at once? We help you transition gradually.

We can also jumpstart your weight loss with prescription weight-loss medications and injections that speed up your metabolism. When you see the difference in the way you look and feel, it’s easier to keep your resolution to permanently bolster your nutrition.

Resolve to improve your nutrition to better your health and — as a nice side effect — lose unwanted weight. Call our team at 469-912-2113 or use our online form to schedule a nutrition consultation today.