Should you be looking for better quality food?

Slimming isn’t just about losing weight, it’s about learning a new lifestyle, one that will help you to maintain your new weight whilst enjoying the health benefits of better food and an eating plan that works for you.

Part of this lifestyle change is getting used to buying different foods. Even fresh foods can differ in quality, and you body will react better if your food isn’t veered in toxic substances, damaged in transit or left lying around in the sun when it should be in the fridge.

What do we mean by better quality food? Well, we have gone through a cycle in recent years of abandoning seasonal foods and looking at the foods we get all year round. The main problem with this approach is that the year-long demand for strawberries, for example means that during their non-seasonal growth period, they need to be grown in artificial conditions, and sometimes with the help of chemicals. Some fruits are picked before they are ripe and then artificially ripened so that they can reach the supermarket in the right condition, no matter what the time of year.

People who chose certified organic fruits and vegetables do so because they can be sure that they are eating food that has been grown in natural conditions and not forced to grow in any way. Organic fruit and vegetables are available in the supermarket, from your independent grocer, or over the internet and, in general, it is better to concentrate on eating these higher quality seasonal foods. Moreover, because they are seasonal, you will have a variety of fruits and vegetables in your diet that you might not have experienced before.

Pay the same attention to the quality of meat you are eating. Whilst supermarket meat should always reach food safety standards, you may prefer to get your meat from a butcher or organic supplier. Like the fruit, this means that you know where your food has come from and, especially if you are slimming and need small amounts of meat, you will be able to get exactly what you need for the meals ahead.

Concentrating on the quality as well as the range and quantity of your food can lead to a healthier system as well as the success of your diet plan.

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Concentrating on quality as well as range & quantity of food can lead to a healthier system as well as the success of your slimming plan.

Sureslim promotes weight loss and wellness and helps you lose weight the right way and permanently.

Adding some variety to your slimming plan

Weight loss foods should not be boring!

One of the things that discourages people from dieting is the idea that they will be forced to eat a small range of foods.

In fact, if you are following a well-balanced, healthy food plan, you will probably have a wider variety of food in your cupboards and your fridge than you’ve ever had before.

Eating a good range of the right foods is the ideal way to find weight loss success.

Often, dieticians refer to the five basic food groups:

- Bread, cereal, pasta and rice

- Vegetables

- Fruit

- Milk, yoghurt and cheese

- Meat, poultry, nuts, fish, eggs and legumes

They suggest that you should consume a variety of foods from each of these groups, with the biggest percentage of your food coming from the top group and then reducing until you reach the bottom group. This is standard dietary advice, and when you add in recent research on complex carbohydrates and the Glycemic Index of foods, then all that is taken out is those foods that will not work well with your body to promote better health and help you lose weight.

Fad Diets that encourage you to eat almost exclusively from one food group and very sparingly from others can work for some people, but for others they are dangerous, which is why we can say that one plan does not suit everyone. The difficulty comes in the cost both in time and money of experimenting with a range of diets to see which is the best for you.

At SureSlim, we make sure that your eating plan includes a wide variety of foods so that you don’t feel that you’re being restricted, whilst also ensuring that you’re eating the foods that will help you to lose weight. The results of your blood test will show us which foods you need to avoid and which you need to eat more of to get the slimming results you’re looking for. Because we believe in a healthy, balanced diet, we won’t ask you to eat from only one food group and you will have plenty of choice so that you feel like you’re eating normally. Ask for our free information pack to see how we can give you variety in your eating plan and still help you lose weight.

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Tired of the one size fits all diets, talk to one of our consultants today to find out how we can broaden your food horizons!

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Eating for energy while you’re slimming

Many overweight people cite lack of energy as one of their main problems. Lack of energy is a key issue for many overweight people. If you are eating the wrong types of food, then your body is not in a position to provide you with any energy, and the more overweight you become, the less likely you are to feel the inclination to move around and exercise.

The only way to improve your energy levels is to embark on a slimming programme. This will help you to lose weight and rejuvenate your metabolism so that it produces more energy when you eat. You can do this with an eating plan made up of natural foods, without resorting to energy drinks or foods.

If you have a motivation for being more energetic, such as playing with your children or grandchildren, achieving a sporting ambition, or wanting to join a club or society, then you’re already halfway there. Wanting to lose weight and gain energy, and making a commitment to do it is an important part of your slimming plan, and will make it much easier for you to see it through.

Becoming more energetic comes naturally with properly-managed slimming, but there are some foods that can give you an energy boots without being high in sugars or saturated fats.

- Green vegetables. Leafy green vegetables are a great source of minerals and vitamins and can be eaten raw in salads, or lightly steamed. They can provide you with additional energy as well as keeping your body healthy.

- Seeds. Some types of seeds and nuts are good sources of energy and, because they’re small and portable, can be taken with you in the car, in your bag or kept in the office to give you an energy boost during the day. They’re much more effective than a chocolate bar.

- Grains. All non-refined grains are good for slow energy release, which will keep you going throughout the day. Eating brown rice with vegetables for lunch, for example, could help your energy levels throughout the afternoon.

At SureSlim, we make sure that your eating plan is properly balanced so that you reach your weight loss targets safely. If an increase in energy is a major focus for you, then let us know at your original consultation and we will be able to take that into account when we devise your personal diet plan.

Good Carbs, Bad Carbs?

There are lots of weight loss plans that promote “good carbs”, which one is right for you?

The word “Carbohydrate” means Carbon with Water, and foods that have carbohydrate content are an important part of our eating habits - it is thought that carbohydrate foods are the most widely eaten foods in the world.

Along with protein, fibre, fat and vitamins, carbohydrates provide an essential part of our diet, largely because they are easily turned into energy. The simplest carbohydrate is glucose, which is essential for the healthy functioning of the brain. Fluctuating glucose levels is one of the reasons we put on weight, which is why such attention has been paid to the types of carbohydrates we eat (Good Carbs above).

The Glycemic Index (GI) classifies foods on the effect they have on our glucose levels. The foods that have low GI values are those that release their energy into the bloodstream slowly, and these are the ones that are deemed to be better for us. Many of our everyday carbohydrates do not have a low GI value. This is because many of them are made with refined ingredients, so white bread, flour, rice and pasta all have higher GI values than their unrefined counterparts. These low GI carbohydrates are known as Good Carbs (example of obvious Bad Carbs below).

The other thing to consider when you are looking at including carbohydrates in your slimming plan is that you can get good carbohydrates much more easily than you think. Choosing brown rice, wholegrain breads, new or sweet potatoes and grains such as rye or barley can all contribute to your good carb intake.

There are a lot of slimming programmes that encourage a low carbohydrate intake. Because the right carbohydrates are so important to your diet, you need to consider seriously if these are the right types of diet for you. Often you will need to take supplements to replace the nutrients that you’re missing by cutting out the carbohydrates and it is far better, in the long run, to eat from a balanced range of foods that promotes your health as well as helping you to lose weight.

We know so much more now about the foods we eat and how they react with our bodies, that it should be easy for us all to eat healthily and maintain a natural weight. Unfortunately, the benefits of eating well can’t compete with the marketing powers of those companies who sell us fast, junk or processed food and we need to have the willpower to avoid the foods that are bad for us and concentrate our slimming plan efforts on those foods that will help us to achieve our aims.

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Weight Loss Foods - Beans and pulses are excellent sources of nutrition.

There is a wide range of beans and pulses - sometimes known as legumes - that can be beneficial in improving your health and promoting your weight loss. These foods contain virtually no fat, but are great sources of protein, which is why they are popular with vegetarians who are replacing the proteins that they’re not getting from meat.

Beans have many other positive effects. They are believed to reduce cholesterol and prevent the production of toxins, helping to lower the risk of conditions such as heart disease and cancer. They are also categorised as good carbohydrates, which means that they release energy to the body slowly, helping your diet to control your metabolism and keep your body working at a regular level.

There are many different types of beans and pulses, which can be used in everyday cooking.

Examples are..

Kidney Beans

Available from supermarkets in both canned and dried form, kidney beans are one of the most frequently bought in our shops. They are incredibly rich in fibre and carry high levels of folate and magnesium, and help to revitalise your iron supply. The kidney beans we are used to are dark red in colour; white kidney beans are known as pinto beans.
Lentils

Lentils are popular for adding to soups and casseroles because they absorb liquid quickly. Again, they are full of nutrients, including fibre, protein and folate, and they help to lower cholesterol and prevent heart disease. Like kidney beans, lentils are good foods for promoting iron production in your body.

Soybeans
It’s likely that you’ve never considered buying soybeans, yet they have a good nutty flavour and can be used in a variety of recipes. A staple food in China, it has been used mainly by vegetarians to provide them with the levels of protein, vitamins and minerals they need to stay healthy. A recent study has suggested that some of the compounds found in soy beans encourage us to produce smaller fat cells, resulting in leaner figures.

People are often afraid of including beans and pulses in their slimming programmes, because they are unsure how to keep, prepare and cook them. At SureSlim, we have a number of recipes including beans so that you can reap the health benefits whilst also reducing your weight.

SureSlim provide diet plans that suit your meatbolism and help you lose weight fast!