What Not to Eat

What Not to Eat

In my first post, I mentioned my incredulity concerning people taking diet advice from people who are in it just for the money. I'm not trying to make money here, I'm honestly just trying to share what I've learned from 36 years of professional cooking.

What I've learned is that none of these fad diets work! It is so easy to put together a diet plan, usually very low in carbs, that takes pounds off quickly. However, your body adjusts and you will always regain the pounds later. (Usually more pounds)

A sensible overall lifestyle change is what is needed. You need to eat healthy, exercise, and sometimes take supplements to get to your ideal weight and to stay there. In the pictures above, you probably think I am comparing healthy food, (left) and un-healthy food(right). Actually the burger on the right is made with very lean beef and served on a whole wheat roll. So it is pretty healthy food. Although enough for a family of four.

So here's my new diet. It's called the Beverly Hills Tennis Diet. You can eat or drink whatever you want but you have to do it with a tennis ball in your mouth. It really works!

But seriously, in my last post I listed the foods you should be eating. I hope you all have stocked up on these belly fat reducing foods. Today I'm going to talk about all the foods and beverages you need to get rid of in your diet. This is the hard part. Learning how to like healthy foods is easier than abstaining from something that you truly love. I'll try to help you to make it as painless as possible.

#1 Alcohol

Yep , sorry but alcohol is probably the worst thing you can put into your body if you are serious about living a healthy lifestyle. Your liver is so very important in maintaining a healthy balance of hormones in your body. If it is damaged or weakened it cannot do this vital function. If you consume more than two drinks a day or if you have more than 5 or 6 drinks on Saturday night , your liver is probably damaged. The good news is that you can completely reverse the damage by abstaining from alcohol. I believe that a little bit of alcohol cans help with circulation and the preventing of artery clogging. From everything I've read and heard this amounts to about 1 or 2 drinks per day ,Max.

#2 Caffeine

You may see a trend developing here. Anything that is addictive is bad for you. Period. Studies have shown that drinking as little as 2 cups of coffee a day increaase estrogen levels in both men and women. This estrogen imbalance is what is responsible for that layer of fat around your belly that you probably have if you are over 30. Limit your caffeine to one cup of coffee or tea a day. Herbal Teas are a great substitute.

#3 Foods High in Saturated Fat

This is one that you probably already know about. So I'll just try to clarify it for you. The recipe I posted for Healthy Greek Salad Dressing was my first recipe for a reason. I often see people , both men and women , who are trying to lose weight make themselves a large salad with good healthy ingredients.. Then they grab the Ranch dressing and pour on about 25 g of Saturated fat. My recipe has 0 g Sat. fat. Look at the nutrition label when you buy this stuff! It's crucial!

These foods can be addictive too. I know I'm addicted to polish sausage, potato chips, eclairs, liverwurst, bratwurst, butter, french fries, and cheeseburgers.

I could go on but I'm probably just making you all hungry.

Other things to avoid:Processed meats, bologna, etc, margarine, lard, cream, ham, cookies, pastries, spare ribs,(Ummm.addicted to them too)

#4 Simple Carbohydrates

This is the one that all the fad diet go for. Yes . You can lose weight quickly by cutting these out and doing the Adkins, South Beach , Acai Berry , etc.diet or any of the other fad diets. You will be amazed by the instant results (you are starving yourself of necessary nutrition) The key is to avoid these foods in a complete diet that includes the necessary nutrients. You will not lose 10 pounds in one week! But you will go to your ideal weight. It might even be more than you weigh now!

The foods to avoid here are: White Sugar, White Flour, Regular Pasta, White Bread, White Rice. It is a general rule for me to try to buy the most colorful foods. They always seem to be the best for you. I think God does color food that is good for us so that we notice it!

#5 Soy Products

This is the most difficult of all for me, as I am a huge fan of Asian cuisine. Also ,I talk to people all over the world every day, and people of Asian descent wherever they are almost always seem to be slender. At least on average , more slender than Western folk. People like me would tend to think that by eating an Asian diet, we can also be slender. Unfortunately, the average American eating at an Asian restaurant doesn't eat what the average Asian would eat. Not to generalize but an authentic Asian diet( Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Viet, etc,) consists mainly of vegetables, soy products,carbs and protein. When Americans eat Asian it is Protein,Carbs, Soy products, Vegetables, in that order. soy products such as tofu, tempeh ,textured vegetable protein, edamame, miso are all immensely valuable sources of protein. However, if you are already overweight, you should limit all soy--based products.

That's it . Please comment. Recipe requests? Pictures of me or my food?

What Not to Eat

7

Recipes

Healthy Greek Salad Dressing Recipe

1/2 cup Lemon Juice, Fresh Squeezed only

3/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/4 cup Flax Seed Oil

1/4 t. Salt

1/4 t. Fresh Ground Black Pepper

1 TB. Honey

4 Cloves Minced Fresh Garlic

1 TB. Chopped Fresh Mint

1 t. Dried Oregano

In  a bowl, whisk together all ingredients, except for the oils.  Pour oils into bowl in slow steady stream while whisking continuously. Taste for salt. Add more if you like. Refridgerate until ready for use.

Here is my first recipe. Keep this in your fridge. Any time you get hungry, it is so easy to throw together a salad with veggies, nuts, cheese, lettuce, etc. a full balanced meal in minutes.

What to Eat

What to Eat

America is fat, and it is getting fatter. Considering the millions of diets and diet products available to us this is astounding! How can this be? I have averaged out the numbers from several different sources and found that about 33% of Americans are classified as obese, 32% are overweight, 30% are normal weight, and 5% are underweight.  My overall wellness plan will target all but that 5% who are underweight. The goal is for all to get into that normal weight zone.  If you are in the underweight zone, I apologize but I don't know much about how to help you gain weight, if indeed you want to.

Americans these days want instant gratification.  They want to take a pill that "Takes off 10 Pounds Instantly!" and they're willing to pay a lot of money for this miracle pill.  The business of fast and easy weight loss products and plans is booming! So why are we all getting fatter? Obviously because these products don't work. I'm sorry to say this but most diets don't work.

 It's funny to me because the answers are right there for all to see. I've seen several good overall plans that balance exercise and nutrition properly to promote healthy permanent weight loss with a life long life style change. This is exactly what is necessary and it really is the only way.  On other diets you are basically starving yourself, in one way or another, of something your body really needs.  As soon as the diet is over your body naturally will fight to overcome this deprivation and you will almost always gain the weight back. And usually more!

When the average American sees one of these sensible plans they say "that's too much work" or "I don't have time to exercise, or cook" or " I don't want to give up eating (or drinking) that."  I'm sorry but if you really want to lose weight or just maintain a healthy weight you need to eat properly and exercise. That's it. That's the only way. So let's get started.

The Good Foods

1. Vegetables
   
2. Citrus Fruits
3. Fiber Rich Foods
4. Lignans
5. Protein                                            

There are certain foods that actually help you lose weight. In the list above numbers 1 through 4 will help you lose fat, especially around your belly, which is a problem for almost all men and women over age 40.  Although protein is not necessarily a fat-burning food it is essential to the growth and maintenance of lean muscle tissue.  At this point I'm not going to get into portion sizes or meal planning. What I'm going to do is to give you a list of foods that help promote fat and weight loss.

Vegetables -  Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Kale, Spinach, Bok Choy, Collards, Beets, Rapini, Brussels Sprouts, (my favorite, see picture), Arugula, Yams, Asparagus,Watercress, Radishes, Daikon

Citrus Fruits- Oranges, Grapefruit, Tangerines, Lemons, Limes, Tangeloes

Fiber Rich Foods-Oatmeal, Oat Bran, Dried Peas and Lentils, Apples, Pears, Strawberries, Blueberries,Whole Grain Breads and Pasta, Barley, Couscous, Brown Rice, Carrots, Zucchini, Celery, Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Wheat Bran, Seeds

Lignans- Flax Seeds (milled or unmilled), Sesame Seeds, Flax Seed Oil

So stock up on these things and get started eating healthy. 

Protein-Fish, esp. Tuna, Salmon, Tilapia, Poultry, Lean Red Meat, Eggs, Beans, Nuts, Tofu, Shrimp

I would recommend about 5 oz. of protein with every meal.

Other Foods

Calcium is important, especially for women, so you're going to need some dairy products. I recommend lo-fat yogurt and cottage cheese as well as skim or 1% milk.  While I was researching this topic some other foods came up that don't really fit into my five main categories. These are- Almonds, Avocado, Papaya, Chili peppers, Garlic, Olives, Olive oil, Apricots, Kiwi Fruit.

Next: What not to Eat
 

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My Philosophy

You can eat well at every meal, enjoy your food, enjoy your

life, and not have to sacrifice anything and still be slim

and healthy.

I do this, and my job puts me in a position where food is always there right in front of me.  If I didn't exercise and watch what I eat and drink, I guarantee I would weigh at least 300 lbs. Actually almost all of the cooks and chefs I have worked with have been overweight and/or obese.  The chefs you see on TV are usually chosen because they are attractive more often than because they

are talented. They are definitely the exception to the rule.

I have read several books, read countless magazine articles and searched the web for years, looking for the answer to this question. How can you really enjoy what you eat without getting fat?  I do and know I can share my methods with anyone.

It all comes down to two basic principles. One. In order to maintain a healthy weight, you must burn the same number of calories through exercise as you take in . Two. Throughout your lifespan, you must maintain the same hormone balance.  This is true for both women and men.  As you age your body naturally slows down its production of progesterone (and testosterone in men). This problem leads to estrogen imbalance which in men causes the body to add fat around the waist, decrease libido, put fat on the breasts, cause depression,   increase urinary urge, disrupt sleep,and  causes prostate problems. Estrogen imbalance also causes severe problems for women. This has sparked the contoversial hormone replacement therapy that is popular today.

I haven't read much about the effectiveness of hormone replacement therapy, but I know that few people talk about it as an alternative for men. For men it is like an increasing  cycle.  You can diet and exercise yourself to death and you will never lose that spare tire. You have to eat the right things and not eat (and drink) the wrong things . And exercise . It's as simple as that.

Next Article: What to Eat.

Welcome to my site!

Welcome to my site. I would first like to introduce myself. My name is Jeff Reinhard. I have been cooking 

for a living since 1973. I have been a professional chef for the past 31 years.  My last two gigs were The Brown Pelican Restaurant and John Hagan's Tavern in Frederick MD. I was the Chef/ owner of both of these popular dining venues.  

The mission of this site is to explore the world of food and how it fits into a healthy overall lifestyle.

I know there are literally millions of websites, books, magazines, and videos devoted to this subject. What will 

differentiate this site is the fact that the topic will be seen

through the eyes of a professional chef who is actually living the lifestyle. I blows my mind to see people

buying a diet cookbook written by a 500 lb. chef! (true fact).

What we'll do here is talk about how to balance diet, exercise, and work in order to maintain a healthy weight and to stay in shape without sacrificing the pleasure of eating well at every meal.  The topics we will cover include: What to eat.  What not to eat. How to eliminate belly fat. Where to shop. And of course recipes.  As this is my first posting I would like to invite everyone to post their ideas for articles or any recipe requests.