Fit Food Tip #1

Who doesn't hate diets? All the "Don't eat this, or this, or this, or this...." and the "Let me check my book...."  Ugh. 
Seeing results?  Um, yes, please!  How much more fun is it when you squeeze in that next size smaller jeans at Old Navy?

Diet plans like Atkins, South Beach, etc. can produce results, but what if you don't have time to worry about if your food fits into a specific "diet plan?"  Or maybe you just don't feel comfortable with strict, extremely specific guidelines that send you running for a book to see what you can or can't eat on a particular day.

Here's a few EASY tips to get us on our way to smaller butts and healthy guts :

*focus on eating whole foods - IF IT HAS A MOTHER OR CAME FROM THE EARTH, IT'S GOOD FOR YA!  Processed foods are full of unnatural fillers and preservatives - many our bodies don't even recognize and can't process - no thanks!

*STICK TO THE OUTER EDGES OF THE GROCERY STORE - think produce, meat, dairy - all on the perimeter of the store.  The aisles are where the processed foods lie.

*eat foods that will go bad relatively soon...FRESH FOODS...if something can sit in the pantry for 3 years and still be good? yeah, probably not awesome for your bod.

*READ NUTRITION LABELS/INGREDIENT LISTS - "fat free" often means "added sugar or salt" to make up for lack of flavor (besides, fat free foods are often processed anyway)

...speaking of processed foods, and ingredient lists, here are a few things your body probably hates and you want to steer clear of:

* partially hydrogenated fats/trans fats
* high fructose corn syrup
* artificial sweeteners and colorings (they suggest SMALL amounts of real sugar, or the herb Stevia if you want a noncaloric sweetener)
* sugar alcohols (anything that ends in -ol: sorbitol, xylitol...)
* excess sodium
* refined (white) flour
* preservatives, colorings and additives

ok, ok, enough "do this" and "do that's" for today....

BOTTOM LINE: Eat wholly and you'll get healthy.

and maybe give these recipes a shot:

http://www.food.com/recipe/whole-wheat-pancakes-66448
Substitute applesauce for oil (even amounts) and they'll be even healthier!
http://www.food.com/recipe/amazing-chicken-tortilla-soup-108231

Time to bust out the Thermos!

http://www.food.com/recipe/chicken-with-artichokes-and-lemon-88526

Sounds kind of fancy-pants for a Tuesday night, but maybe for a weekend dinner with friends?