Don’t Starve To Lose Weight (PART 4)

READ THE LABLE!

If the label says “wheat flour” it is refined, If it’s unrefined the label will say 100 percent whole wheat (or some other grain). Often both kinds of flours will be listed, and if that’s the case, don’t but it. Also, watch for added fat in various forms-lard, butter, margarine, vegetable oil, or partially hydrogenated oil- don’t but it! This will eliminate 97 out of 100 loaves of bread on the shelf at the store. If you want to control your weight, all your food needs to be unrefined!

Will you get hungry two hours after eating our low-fat recipes? No! Recently I was visiting with a physician who wanted a better understanding of this concept, and she said, “But fat is needed for satiety.” In other words, since fat slows digestion time it tends to keep us satisfied, keeps us from getting hungry too quickly! She was right. It is the Fat that makes us feel full. But there is another ingredients usually missing from processed foods that also provides satiety: fiber. Plant foods are all high in fiber. But the fiber is removed when processed into white bread or pasts, vegetable oil, and sugar. These are just the obvious examples. 

Animal products don’t need to be processed or refined to lose fiber – they never had fiber, they never will! Don’t miss this incredible point: Animal products (meat, fish, chicken, eggs, and milk) have zero fiber. No wonder so many Americans are constipated. Of course, fiber has much more to offer besides regularity. It lowers cholesterol. It helps protect against diabetes. And it helps keep us from getting hungry too quickly so we don’t look for snacks.

The recipes in this blog are different – they don’t use animal products. The ingredients are from your garden or the produce department, tastefully presented with gravies, sauces, and dressings made from nuts. All the fiber is still there. When you eat your first meal from this blog, you will agree with the participants in our weight-loss programs. They were amazed to find that they could go five hours without even a snack – they just never felt hungry. 

The Live it is not just for weight control. Cholesterol goes down, the cholesterol ratio is improved, and hypertension can be cured and controlled. There is a much decreased risk for a number of cancers. There is a dramatic decrease in diabetes incidence, with a virtual nonincidence of gout.

Finally, a word about the psychology of controlling weight. Through a complex interplay of one’s background and life experiences it’s possible to develop a true obsession to overeating. There are people who almost tear the doors off the cupboards to get food, stuffing themselves as fast as they can gulp it down, not even enjoying the food. This is the extreme end of the spectrum, but if you recognize something like this in yourself, you need more help than this blog can offer. See a physician and get help in finding professionals to guide you through recovery from a very complex problem.