Being NUTRITIONALLY successful on The Totally Fit Life system is about what you want to achieve physically. Having a specific physical goal is very motivating.
Example of a Physical Goal: wearing a size 8 dress or wearing a size 36 pant. When a person has made the mental and emotional commitment to do WHATEVER IT TAKES to achieve their physical goals then it becomes so much easier to make healthy food and drink choices.
The Ultimate Question:
What do you want? To look better, feel better and have more energy 24/7 OR enjoy the unhealthy food/drink which takes less than 10 minutes to consume and leaves you feeling guilty for the rest of the day? It’s YOUR choice!
The Totally Fit Life uses the Glycemic Index of foods as a GUIDELINE for monitoring carbohydrate consumption. The Glycemic Index (GI) ranks carbohydrates on a scale from 0 to 100 according to the extent to which they raise blood sugar levels after eating. Foods with a High-GI ranking are those which are rapidly digested and absorbed and result in marked fluctuations in blood sugar levels.
Low-GI foods, by virtue of their slow digestion and absorption, produce gradual rises in blood sugar and insulin levels and have proven benefits for health. Low GI diets are beneficial because they help control appetite and delay hunger. Low GI diets also reduce insulin resistance.
You should try to limit High-GI carbohydrates as much as possible and get most of your carb intake from Low-GI foods, with moderate consumption of Medium GI ranked carbohydrates. However, eating a baked potato or pasta occasionally won’t kill you. The Totally Fit Life is all about a common sense and realistic approach to food and drink.
The Glycemic Load
The glycemic load of a food tells how much eating that food raises blood glucose. It is a similar concept as the glycemic index, except it takes serving sizes into account. The formula is to take the number of grams of carbohydrate in the serving, multiply by the glycemic index, and divide by 100. Theoretically, if a food has glycemic load of one point, it would raise the blood sugar as much as one gram of glucose.
A diet with a low glycemic load has been linked to a lower risk of heart disease. If a food has a low glycemic load, it almost surely has a low glycemic index, however, it is harder to guess the load from the index. A diet which is low in carbohydrates automatically has a low glycemic load.
Portions and Frequency
Small portions are key for a healthy outcome. Your body wasn’t created for excessive amounts of food to be crammed through the plumbing of your digestive track. “Small” is the size of the palm of your hand.
Eating controlled portions is right. Americans have a tendency NOT to eat breakfast or they consume a sugar-based meal, followed by a big lunch, and an even bigger dinner, with snacks (often junk food) between every meal.
Eat 6 small meals per day, evenly spaced, beginning 30 minutes after your morning exercise and continuing until 30 minutes before you go to bed.
Exercise of the Week
Do you believe you can make healthy food and beverage choices 85% of the time?
If Yes, then why? If No, then why not?
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