weight loss, high cholesterol diet

Question
Dear Tasha

I have been struggling with my weight for quite some time now and have tried eating healthy and exercising , butI cannot seem to lose the weight. On top of it all my doctor says I have high cholesterol. I have done research on foods to help lower cholesterol but to no avail. It is still high. I am at a loss about what to do or what to eat. Would hiring a dietician to write out a meal plan for me help? I have been looking into joining a program like Jenny Craig or nutrisystem  so that I can only eat what they send me. Is that a good idea? Short of getting someone to cook my every meal like the actors and actresses do I have no clue on how to improve my health and overall appearance. I do tend to fall off the wagon and eat foods that I know I should not eat but that is only after weeks of not seeing any results.  Any advice you can give me will be appreciated.

Answer
Unfortunately, many of the problems that are associated with losing weight are behavioral rather than nutritional.  Even though people are knowledgeable about food that they should be eating, often they "fall off the wagon" as you put it due to other pressures.

When it comes to losing weight there is only one thing that matters, and that is calories. Think of the body as a car.  You need fuel to operate.  When you run out of fuel, your body must draw on it's reserves and that is when fat is broken down and used by the body.  In order to have this process work, you must deprive the body of calories that you eat so that it will use the stored reserves of fat.

I strongly discourage you from eating the garbage that is offered by Jenny Craig or Nutrisystems.  These foods are FULL OF TOXIC CHEMICALS AND SALT.  Neither of which promote health!  You may lose weight but eating this way will not benefit you in the long run.

If you truly wish to lose weight in a healthy way, then you must change your eating habits.  You must learn to incorporate healthy food into your diet. By healthy food I specifically mean whole, natural, unprocessed vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts, seeds and vegetable oils. Ideally, you should refrain from eating meat.  But if you must have meat, I suggest that you have no more than 3 ounces twice a week.  Three ounces of meat is approximately the size of a deck of cards.  Preferably the meat you eat would be fish and chicken, but whatever types of meat you do eat, they should be from sources that do not use antibiotics, hormones or other chemical additives.  Preferably everything you eat should be organic.  This is much more expensive, but then so is a heart bypass.  I would rather pay more for good food, than medical procedures later.

I would also strongly discourage you from eating dairy products.  It is very unhealthy and along with meat products, can lead to high cholesterol. Humans are the only mammal that drinks milk after they have been weaned and milk has been linked to heart disease, cancer and many other medical conditions including auto-immune disorders such as arthritis, lupus and multiple sclerosis. It most certainly contains hormones and often antibiotics (in low levels so it is not acknowledged by the FDA). Milk is the single most common cause of food allergies and contributes to asthma and other respiratory disorders by increasing mucus in the body.  This mucus also results in reduced absorption of vitamins and other nutrients in the large and small intestine.

If you truly wish to get healthy, I recommend to you to change your eating habits.  The best thing to do is QUIT BUYING foods that tempt you to fall off the wagon.  Do not announce to everyone that you are changing your diet. Simply change it. If someone offers you an snack that you do not consider healthy, simply tell them... "I just ate something and I am not hungry" or "I'm allergic to that" or "I just don't have much of an appetite right now".  They do not have to know what you are up to.  In fact, many people will subconsciously sabotage your efforts to eat a more healthy diet because they feel guilty about their DIET.  (You've heard that old saying..."misery loves company")

By eating whole, unprocessed fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds and vegetable oils you will replace unhealthy processed foods with healthy foods that contain fiber.  This fiber will make you feel much fuller so that you do not consume as many calories.  This will ultimately result in weight loss.  It is much more important to eat healthy than it is to lose weight.  If you eat healthy your body will return to it's natural, healthy weight without your even trying.  Your body knows what to do if you give it the right food to function and grow or heal damage on a cellular level.

You may also want to consider taking a vitamin supplement to ensure that you are getting all of the nutrients you need.  I suggest getting one from the health food store. Do not buy cheap vitamins, they are worthless and a waste of money. If you aren't paying $25 for a months supply (minimum), then you are flushing your money down the toilet, literally.  Cheap vitamins are made with binders that do not easily dissolve in the body.  I have seen vitamins that contain SHELLAC as a binder ingredient.  It will pass, undissolved through your system and end up in your toilet.  So please, talk with a knowledgeable clerk at the health food store and buy something that is good and will help you maintain your health.

There is a lot of good information about diet and health on my blog http://everydayhealthandwellness.blogspot.com Please take a few minutes to read it and see if it answers any questions you might have.

Thank you for contacting me. Please feel free to write any time.

Tasha  

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