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BIG NEWS- I registered for my real estate license course! I begin early April and I’m really excited to finally take the leap into making this huge life change that I really hope will turn around some things that have been bringing me down lately. Restarting this blog has also been helping!

On that note, of making big changes by disrupting the status quo and adding MORE  to your life- let’s get started. This one is less a “trick” and more of a mind-set tweak.

The way so many diets go is to eat “less”. Less bread. Less alcohol. Less carbs. Less dairy. Or even worse, “zero”. Zero cookies. Zero soda. Zero French fries. Zero ice cream. But as we know, eating less or completely eliminating things from your diet just makes you feel deprived. So what we’re going to focus on today is what you CAN eat, what you SHOULD eat, and what you can eat MORE of. Sound good?

Eat MORE-

• GREENS
• WHOLE GRAINS
• SEAFOOD
• FIBER
• VEGETARIAN MEALS
• HEALTHY SNACKS

So when you’re hungry and feeling like there’s nothing you can turn to- guess what? There is! And I’m going to break it down and show you how.

Greens

You probably already eat a salad or maybe throw some greens on your sandwich. Perhaps you have a green veggie on your plate for dinner. Let’s be real- salads are a must if you’re trying to lose weight. But you can throw greens in anything! Next time you’re making soup- throw some greens in. Stir-fry? Throw some greens in! A smoothie? THROW THEM GREENS IN! Pasta? Greens. Rice or another grain side? Greens. Greens, greens, everywhere! Broccoli, spinach, cabbage, Swiss chard, kale, any type of lettuce- there are so many greens that you can use in life. If you have them on hand, you can throw them in anything. Greens are good for you because they are chock-full of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals that fight disease. They are also rich in fiber (see #4), which helps you feel full and controls your hunger. They also contain lots of water (see yesterdays post)!

Whole grains

Pretty much anything that is made out of grain, just swap it for a whole grain. Whole grain pasta, whole grain bread, whole grain English muffins. This also includes grain sides- quinoa, millet, spelt, bulgur, barley, oats, rice (brown). (Remember to throw some greens in them!) Grains are not the enemy. Pairing them with protein and veggies help you stay fuller longer and stave off late-night snacking. Again- lots of nutrients, including fiber, are within whole grains. They also reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, obesity and cancer. And they keep you regular! So eat more of them- and stop eating the processed wheat products that are so prevalent in our society now.

Seafood

Seafood is naturally lower in calories, fat, and cholesterol than many other animal protein sources. They also provide lots of great vitamins and minerals that are hard to find elsewhere, as well as omega-3 fatty acids. If you’re not a fan of fish, there’s also crab, shrimp, crayfish, scallops, oysters, octopus, squid etc. Now, I don’t recommend going overboard on seafood due to high mercury levels and lack of sustainability (not to mention the cost), but if you’re looking to switch up your basic chicken, swap in seafood! Shrimp stir-fries, scallop pasta, tuna salad (tuna steaks on a bed of greens, not that nasty mayo concoction you put on white bread in middle school)- they’re all great ways to keep it interesting, healthy, and low-calorie! For me right now, this is great because on Fridays during Lent I have to go meat-free and that’s a great excuse to experiment with seafood!

Fiber

So there are two kinds of fiber- SOLUBLE fiber- that’s the kind of fiber that slows digestion, lowers cholesterol, flushes out bad fatty acids, and keeps your blood sugar steady. You can get soluble fiber from oats, beans, barley, flaxseed, berries, soybeans, bananas, apples, carrots, seeds, oat bran, peas, and legumes. There is also insoluble fiber, which you need as well- it helps hydrate you and keeps you regular. You can get insoluble fiber from nuts, whole wheat, whole grains, bran, seeds, brown rice, skins of produce, flax, rye, and some vegetables (yes, some foods have both kinds of fiber). As I said before, fiber is so good for you because it keeps your blood sugar from spiking, relieves constipation, and lowers cholesterol. So when you’re itching for a snack or to add something extra to your meal- think fiber (it’s why I started adding sunflower seeds to my salads!) Also, you can kill multiple birds with one stone because many greens contain fiber as well as many whole grains!

Vegetarian meals

Vegetarian meals provide awesome benefits for a variety of reasons. It gives you more variety, it saves you money, and it also contributes to helping the environment. You’re not totally giving up meat, but you can still reap the benefits of a vegetarian diet by going meat-free for some meals- reducing your risk of heart disease by easing off the red meat, lowering your consumption of calories since grains, legumes, fruits & veggies are lower in calories from a volume standpoint than meat, and upping your consumption of fiber, vitamins, and minerals by subbing healthier options for meat. There are so many easy vegetarian meals you can throw together- just hop on Pinterest for a plethora!

Healthy Snacks

Guys, if you’ve been following my food journal, you know I’m all about the healthy snacks. If you need a place to start, Spark People has this great infographic to give you ideas. For me, snacking helps keep me from getting overly hungry between meals and then overeating at my next meal. I eat small, healthy snacks to tide me over and give me a normal appetite when meal-time rolls around. It’s important to pair carbs and protein together in order to stay full for the longest amount of time. When you get too hungry, that’s when cravings start! It also helps regulate my mood and boosts my brain power- if my mind starts to wander at work or I can’t focus, I know it’s time for a snack. There are also some foods that I can’t always integrate within my 3 meals a day, so this way I have more variety and can get all the vitamins and nutrients my body needs!

So, next time you’re feeling deprived or stuck in a diet-food rut, remember all the foods you CAN eat! Everyone can benefit from adding more of these things to their diet- let me know how it goes!

Yesterday’s food journal

Breakfast- low-fat Greek yogurt parfait with strawberries, Kashi GoLean and 1/4 cup of mixed nuts

Mid-morning snack- an apple and 2 wedges of Laughing Cow cheese

Late-morning snack- Half a cup of mixed nuts and a couple of dried dates

Lunch- standard salad, no grape tomatoes or feta

Dinner- Leftover spaghetti squash bolognese, 2 dark chocolate strawberry Ghirardelli squares my mom sent me for Valentine’s Day and a glass of Pinot Noir after my sorority alumnae board meeting