Let’s Talk Diet…
First and foremost, I’d like to go on the record and say that while I enjoy writing, I do not have a degree in English; nor am I a doctor, although I may have played one on TV at one point or another. 🙂 Having said that, with all the emails and messages that I’ve received from people, expressing a great deal of interest in a healthy lifestyle and even more specifically, what I eat on a daily basis. Even though those asking could visit a site like https://www.kcssonline.org/ for plenty of tips, I thought I would take some time to offer up some dietary advice.
Truth be told, I wasn’t blessed with a lightning speed metabolism, so staying fit over the years has, at times, been quite challenging. I am not “naturally skinny” and I love to eat, so believe me when I say, it would be really easy for me to grow a few dress sizes larger than I am. Trust me, I’ve been there.
As a teen-ager in high-school, I remember being able to eat anything that I wanted to and not have it effect my weight. I felt lucky. But when I got to college, my “luck,” seemed to run out. The grilled cheeses with bacon, french-fries with gravy, syrup-dipped breakfast sausage, pizza and other fast-foods had caught up with me. Sadly, I realized that those days of being able to eat anything were long gone; and if I were to continue eating this way, I was going to continue to grow in size.
I had to make a change. I exercised. I dieted. At one point, I even joined a weight loss program. Trying to figure out a proper diet and fitness regimen that would get me into the physical shape that I wanted to be in, seemed like an on-going, frustrating, science experiment. But after many years of “research”, listening to my body and paying attention to the effects that food had on me, both physically and mentally, I was able to figure out what works and what doesn’t.
Simply put, when I eat well, my body responds positively. My energy level increases exponentially from all of the vitamins and nutrients I’ve ingested. My immune system is stronger. My skin and eyes are clear and bright; and I have an overall feeling on contentment.
On the other hand, when I eat poorly, I lack energy. I’m grumpy. I feel lumpy. My complexion is dull. I experience “brain fog”, and well, since I haven’t given my body the proper nutrients it was looking for, I am hungry again shortly thereafter. This, unfortunately, leads to overeating, and ultimately, weight gain. Of course, sometimes, gaining weight can be problematic. It could cause a number of different health issues for both men and women. For men, I have heard that unhealthy eating and lifestyle choices can cause issues, such as erectile dysfunction. I’m sure that no male really wants that, so it might be worth improving your lifestyle and becoming more healthy. You could even consider getting medication from Blink Health to help with erectile dysfunction too. Hopefully, that will help men to deal with this health issue.
Now, think of your body as a “vehicle”. A one of kind, state of the art vehicle which transports you through life. Take into consideration, when operating said “vehicle,” the kind of “gas” (food) you use to fuel up with. This “vehicle” needs to be used what it was built for, just like a car would need to be or the battery will run flat or you’ll lose tyre pressure. Exercise is also a critical part of any healthy lifestyle, my friend enjoys Tennis Lessons and this is a regular part of his week. This allows him to keep his “vehicle” healthy with the right gas. Check the nutritional values and you’ll see, that not all calories are created equally. Just because it fills you up, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to provide your body with the nutrients it needs.
A good diet (think high octane fuel) nourishes the body, while maintaining normal blood sugar levels, providing energy all day long, and helping the individual’s “vehicle” operate at optimum levels.
Dietary tips to consider :
- SUGAR
Limit your sugar intake.
As any Dentist in Indialantic will admit, if you want to preserve your oral health, then reducing your sugar intake is fundamental. Those sugary beverages (which goes for alcohol too) are a waste of calories. Keep in mind that simple carbohydrates (white, starchy foods with little or no fiber such as pasta, white bread, and white rice) will all turn to sugar and be stored as fat in your body if you are not moving enough to burn through all of what I call, “empty calories.” Not to mention that sugar can lead to tooth decay and a whole host of dental problems; make sure you’re booking in regular checkups with your Dentist Brewster to combat this. You also do not want to be complicating your dental health because if something beyond your control like tonsil stones were to happen then you would want your dental hygiene to be of high quality for a speedier recovery. However, if you do experience something as severe as this then you can click this link for a ‘dentist near me‘ and locate a doctor close by for your dental procedure. So cut them out, and replace with them high-fiber, complex carbohydrates like oats, beans, brown rice, sweet potatoes, and whole grain bread. If you’ve got a sugar craving, eat a piece of organic fruit with the skin on. I love apples with peanut butter.
- FAT
Olive, avocado, sunflower and grapeseed oils are great to use for cooking and in salad dressings. When I need a snack to hold me over until the next meal, I’ll often choose nuts like almonds or pistachios. But again, remember the portion control. Nuts are high in fat and in calories, so a small handful is all you need. Limit saturated fats like butter, lard, cheese, and cream.
- FIBER
A high-fiber diet will fill you up longer and keep you “regular”. 🙂
- PROTEIN:
Our body breaks protein down into amino acids which aid in so many bodily functions. A 4-6 oz. portion of lean, protein (chicken, fish, meat) is about the size of your fist. Try to have some in every meal. If you don’t have time, or you need a quick snack, a protein shake is very convenient. Protein takes longer to digest, so it will also make you feel fuller for a longer period of time, and will decrease those urges to snack.
- PORTION CONTROL
Use a smaller plate. I actually eat my morning cereal out of a cup, and use a salad plate for most meals.
- WATER
Drink it… Lots of it.
Getting adequate hydration is the key! More than half of our body weight is made up of water.
Organs need water to help them work efficiently. It aids in digestion and helps to flush out toxins. Proper hydration is also like an internal moisturizer, great for the skin, although you must not forget about external moisterizers like phytostat 9 to combat dehydrated skin from the inside out too! For additional vitamins, and to enhance flavor, try adding some citrus to water. With so many health benefits, you really can’t go wrong, so drink up!
And that’s it, folks. You are capable of doing anything that you put your mind to. We have one life to live, and one “‘vehicle” to get us through it. Take care of your body, and your body will take care of you.
-D
Questions and comments left below will be answered to the best of my ability. 😉
Photo Credit: Brent Weber
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Hi Dina,
Will you do more recipes what you eat on youtube, for lunch, dinner, and snack?
Thank you,
Lots love
Maria
Hi Maria!
Yes! I’m going to try to do another one this week.
xo
Hi Dina,
What a wonderful post. I just want to point out the mental aspect of a healthy diet/lifestyle as well.
I never struggled with gaining too much weight but have experienced problems when I wasn’t feeling well mentally. For example, I lost weight to the point of being underweight due to extreme stress at college (I was “psyching out” over finals)…I know some people tend to overeat when stressed out and others, like me, can’t stomach food. Both are equally bad.
And while I thought I was doing okay after I finished college and got a good job, I still wasn’t happy. So two years ago I started working out (picked up running, yoga, and strength training), reduced stress as much as I could and ate what is generally considered a healthy diet. It made me happier but I still felt that something was missing which in turn caused overall discontent. My best friend went vegan during that time and because I wanted to understand and support her, I informed myself about it. It was then that I realized that what made me unhappy was that my diet and lifestyle were not in synch with my values. I decided to go vegan as well and have been happy since then. Before, I subconsciously felt guilty for eating certain foods because I knew what the dairy and meat industry does to animals which went against my value of not causing harm to other creatures…
I’m not trying to “preach” veganism here, please don’t misunderstand. My point is simply, that one might have a good look at their core values and beliefs and check if they are in accord with diet and lifestyle. For me personally it is veganism that helps me maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle in the long term. For others it might be to follow certain religious dietary laws, an aryurvedic or a stress-reducing minimalist lifestyle. The options are endless…what is right for one person doesn’t work for another and one can only find what works if one takes a close look at what their core values and beliefs are and puts them into relation to lifestyle and food. By core values and beliefs I mean what is fundamental to you: e.g not cause harm, religion, environmental protection, add value to other people’s lives…again, and endless list and those core values and beliefs are totally individual (which means one actually has to put in the work to figure them out; we often aren’t clear on them).
To sum up: The connection of mental health and diet and lifestyle in general is very strong and if it is out of balance an overall healthy lifestyle is hard to archive and even harder to maintain.
I just wanted to share my story to illustrate that 🙂
I would be very interested in your thoughts on this!
XO from Germany,
Karen
Hey Dina. I need help with some healthy foods to eat for breakfast. I normally don’t eat breakfast thanks
Hi dina
Looking for a healthy breakfast without the usual avocado,nuts and seeds. Something inexpensive that your average joe might have in home.
Hi Iain-
Here are a couple of options:
Bowl of oatmeal and 2 eggs prepared simply (not fried in butter)
Bowl of high fiber (+ low sugar) cereal, banana, protein shake
Two eggs, chicken sausage, a slice of whole grain toast.
Greek yogurt + fruit and granola
Fruit and cottage cheese with a small bowl of cereal or slice of whole grain toast.
Breakfast burrito- Scrambled eggs with ground turkey or chicken, onion, bell pepper – whole grain tortilla
The idea is to put some good fuel into your body from the start. I often make breakfast and lunch my largest meals, and eat very lightly at dinner time. This way, I burn through most of the calories I’ve eaten at the beginning of the day, and snack less later..
I hope this helps.
Thanks for sharing this Dina. I’m going to start this Monday. I’m a huge fan.
Hi Dina,
Wow, I was not expecting this when I looked you up. Just watched Starship Troopers and Johnny Mnemonic for the who knows how many’th time and wanted to see what else you are in, and saw you as Batgirl, damn I can’t believe i missed that.
And to my surprise, you’re from Long Island. Being from Hicksville i was only a few towns over and I’ve been there back in the day in 86-88, so decided to look around more and found this post on diet. It is one of the more common sense and real messages I’ve come across in a long time that i felt like I wanted to say Hi and say the following.
Sadly my life with food has taken the wrong turn you didn’t take, congrats to you. 🙂
I didn’t stop eating the “good” foods. I gained for some time, got diabetes and managed to get it under control by running and losing some weight, but then life messed around and I’m back where i was weight wise and worse on my sugars for so long and it’s done bad things… so to anyone else that reads this that got diabetes… read up on “Charcot foot” and avoid my fate, it’s like my vehicle has a flat tire.
I finally have decided, again, that i need to do something, unfortunately running is no longer an option, I’m thinking about cycling as it’s less impact to my feet, but I’ve managed to cut out all of the junk food and for the first time in I can’t remember when have a low “high normal everyone else” blood sugar from 323 to 131, and dropped 20 lbs in a month (295 to 275).
But as i read your message and the comments from and to others, I am reminded that i can go to far the other way and plateau or slow down my metabolism. to get where I’ve just lost the 20, I’ve cut my calories so much. Eating a large fast food breakfast and a larger than regular persons dinner is not good, but neither is going to the other extreme. i certainly don’t want to go back to way i was eating, but the problem is that I’ve never been a fan of many of the complex carbos you mention. beans, oats, sweet potatoes and brown rice, but i will try some of them again.
When you mention protein shakes, do you man something pre-made or something you’ve made yourself?
Lots of good advice here, plain and simple stuff I knew and forgot, but also reality that you’ve worked on it for so long, keep up the good work, and looking forward to seeing you in upcoming roles..
Thanks,
James
Hi James,
Congratulations to you on your recent weight loss and decline in blood sugar levels.
Good for you, for making some healthy choices and starting to reap the benefits!
As there are a quite a few points here that I would like to address, I have decided to use the information as content for my next blog entry.
There are some things I’d like you to consider, but since I am not an expert on diabetes, I encourage you to discuss first, with your doctor.
I’ll post the link as soon as it’s ready. Shouldn’t be too long.
Hi Dina,
Thanks for the kind reply. I feel better than a month ago, but I know I need to keep going which can be the hardest when someone is just beginning this journey. (again)
I will keep a lookout for your next entry. 🙂
I have seen a few diabetes doctors over the years and I think I’ll be looking for a new one, as it’s important to have a doctor you can work with that values you as a person, not just a number.
-James
Are you a fan of avacado toast with red pepper flakes for breakfast? It’s one of my favorites and when I have time, I like to add a poached egg on top as well!
Huge fan of yours for a long time! You are gorgeous girl! 🙂
Thank you, Rita! You’re very sweet.
Yes, I’m a big fan! I LOVE IT!
🙂
Dina,
Thanks for the great information! Do you have a favorite pre-workout meal or snack? Also, how long do you wait after consuming your fuel before you begin your workout?
As a newly-diagnosed diabetic, I’ve had to get really serious about food. I had a fairly healthy diet before the family diabetes kicked in, but I’ve had to step up my game. I’ve added more seafood and vegetables, but perhaps the best advice I got from my dietician was to make sure I still enjoyed eating. Make good food fun to eat, and you’ll have less trouble sticking to whatever food plan is right for you.
Hello Dina
I don’t eat a lot
It’s difficult to lost kilogram
I have stress
I afraid to eat more
Breakfast : coffee and fruit or bread
Lunch : small portion salad and meat but l don’t eat méat all The time
Dessert fruit or yoghourt
No cheese
2 l of water per day
No alcool
I am french and canadian
I lived to Canada but now l live to Paris
33 years in France
10 years in Canada
Size 1m70
Weight 61 kg
To have a fast métabolism
What do you propose me?
And which sport?
Thank you so much Dina
You are à model for me
You are fantastic
Hi Sophie-
I don’t know if you forgot to list dinner, or if you skip it. Peut-etre “dessert” est votre souper? But based on this information alone, it doesn’t seem like you are eating enough.
Think of metabolism like a fire. If you want the fire to burn hotter, you need to feed it. Stop feeding it, and the fire will die. But quite frankly, you already seem to be at a healthy weight for your height. It might be difficult to lose weight, because your body doesn’t want you to lose anymore.
If you are physically able, I would suggest trying yoga. It decreases stress levels, and tones muscles simultaneously.
Good Luck, doll.
Hello Dina
Thank you for your help’
I try to eat more + yoga
You are a very Nice person
You Give your Time for us
Take care and have Nice day
Sophie
Hello Dina
You Give me energy, motivation
You are an angel
Thank you very much
You are very beautiful and very Nice
Very generous
Have a Nice day and enjoy
??
Hi Dina
My issue is with motavation. Staying focused and keeping it up is always a problem.
What do you do to motivate yourself?
Hi Rob,
Music always helps me; and soon, I start seeing the results of my work.
Feeling better and stronger is all the motivation I need to keep going.
Just stay with it.
🙂
Hello DIna
I don’t eat a lot
Just a Little sugar with fruit and yoghourt
A Little méat
I prefer vegetable
And l lost just a little
I don’t Understand
What’s happen?
Hi Sophie,
Your metabolism may have slowed down.
If that’s all you are eating, it’s possible you might not be eating enough.
I would need a little more information.
I have stress
I afraid to eat more
Breakfast : coffee and fruit or bread
Lunch : small portion salad and meat but l don’t eat méat all The time
Dessert fruit or yoghourt
No cheese
2 l of water per day
No alcool
I am french and canadian
I lived to Canada but now l live to Paris
33 years in France
10 years in Canada
Size 1m70
Weight 61 kg
To have a fast métabolism
What do you propose me?
And which sport?
Thanks a lot
You are very Nice
You had me at Grilled Cheese with Bacon!!!!
Right?!
Hi Dina,
Having struggled with weight gain over the last few years, I’ve managed to change my lifestyle and drop 2 stone but have plateaued. A bit of a change in habits might help so following along the lines of what you’ve written here might just do the trick… still addicted to the rice crackers with peanut butter and banana you put me onto a couple of years ago too ! ?
All the best
Eddie x
Ah yes, the rice cake, PB and banana snack… Just remember, they are a snack and should be enjoyed in moderation. Rice cakes, like other simple carbohydrates metabolize as sugar and will be stored as fat if you are not burning enough calories during the day. Watch your portions. 🙂
Great post. All straight forward, common sense stuff that we sometimes need a reminder about. ❤
Thanks Rose. I’m glad you liked it.
Hello,
thanks for the tips.
I’ve been struggling with my weight for all my life, especially after I turned 30, that coincide with me stopping to play sport at agonistic level.
Keep doing yoyo with my body.
I just start a new diet, and is not being easy till now. But I lost 15 pound in 16 days and I starts to find easier exercise now with less weight on my knees and back.
I thought I couldn’t handle it, but the results keep me motivated.
And yes is not just about the weight, eating healthier is really changing the way my mind and body approach the day.
I’m so glad that you are eating healthier, losing weight and feeling better. 😀
Yes, diets are tricky. The yo-yo-ing often occurs because after losing weight on a diet, we typically go back to eating the way we used to. Many people actually put on more weight than they lost. How frustrating! That’s why it might be more helpful to change your eating habits. Making small changes, little by little until you eventually limit, or even rid yourself of those foods that are getting in the way of you achieving your goals.