Balance is providing appropriate amount of calories, nutrients, and (don’t forget) enjoyment from our meals. In a balanced diet, there are no perfect days, no foods are omitted, and you don’t have to starve yourself. It may simply be that you’ve been eating too many starchy foods and too little fat. This may have stimulated your appetite and caused you to consume more than your body needs. Or vice versa, it may be that you are consuming too many fats and too little fruits and vegetables which can cause you to have a high calorie level with a fairly small intake of food. Perhaps you’ve been eating right balance but with too large of portion sizes. These are kinds of things that throw us off balance and cause us to consume more calories than we utilize for energy.

Let’s take an example

Unbalanced Day Breakfast: skip (too busy) Large latte Snack: chips from vending machine Lunch: (restaurant) hamburger and large French fries Dinner: 8 oz steak and 2 cups mashed potatoes Dessert: large bowl of ice-cream (1-2 cups)

Meal Makeover Breakfast: bowl of oatmeal with blueberries, 1 cup low fat milk Snack: apple, 1 oz peanuts Lunch: (restaurant) turkey sandwich on whole grain bread with a bowl vegetable soup Dinner: 3 oz steak (size of a deck of cards), 1 cup mashed potatoes, and a large salad w/1 TB vinaigrette dressing Dessert: small bowl of frozen yogurt or sorbet (1/2- 1 cup)

The original meals were heavy in high fat foods, large in portion sizes, (beef, French fries, chips, and ice-cream) and low in fiber. The balance was off. By making these changes we saved approximately 800 calories while still enjoying steak, mashed potatoes, and dessert! Not to mention you get to eat more when you incorporate more plant based foods since they are much lower in calories. We also improved nutrient content by adding more fiber/vitamins/minerals/and antioxidants with increased fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

So, stop fad diets and start balancing your meals for lifelong weight loss!

© Meri Raffetto, 2004

•Decrease Alcohol Consumption Alcohol may suppress your body’s ability to burn fat. Studies show that when you drink alcohol, your body burns fat more slowly than usual during that particular meal. Watch your alcohol intake.

•Try a cup of Green Tea A small study showed that green tea appeared to raise metabolic rates and speed up fat oxidation. The calorie losses were small- around 60 calories/day. Green tea also has other health benefits because of its significant antioxidant components. You might as well add a little boost to your metabolism while protecting yourself from heart disease, cancer, and strokes.

•Got calcium? Recent research shows that calcium -- three or four daily servings of low-fat dairy products -- can help adjust your body's fat-burning machinery. The more calcium in cells resulted in an increase in fat metabolism.

Beware of Magic Cures We have all seen ads for products that increase our metabolism and promise miraculous weight loss. Metabolism boosters and Fat Burners – not only do people they show us in testimonials lose weight they also end up with a firm body and a six pack stomach. Can a pill do all this? Generally, answer is no. These weight loss pills are often ineffective, and they can also harm us. Many of them contain either human growth hormone, which can lead to joint or heart problems, or epinephrine type ingredients that are correlated with increased blood pressure. The answer is good old tried and true: eat a balanced diet that does not exceed your calorie needs, exercise regularly and sleep well. Realize that we may not be able to look 20 again but we certainly can look our best, increase our energy, and enjoy good health at any age.

© Meri Raffetto, 2004