Your ability to lose weight largely comes down to the food choices that you make. The more heavily processed a grocery item is, the more it costs you to buy. For instance, a box of cereal costs over $5.00 and might last you a week max. It’s loaded with ingredients and additives not to mention a cardboard box and plastic inner bag. Compare this to a bag of quick cook oats. You can buy a 750 g bag of oats which would make you breakfast for a approx 3 weeks for a less an $1.00. This is seriously the best value and most nutritious breakfast cereal on the planet. It’s also minimally processed in comparison to a box of cereal. There’s no added anything. Just 100% oats which are a great source of B vitamins for mood, energy and metabolism. It also contains minerals and essential fatty acids such as Omega 3′s.
Best of all, in terms of herbal medicine, oats act as a nervine. This means that they nourish and tone the nervous system and reduce stress. To make oats into porridge it’s just a 1/2 cup or less of oats to a cup of water and cook. This rich, creamy mixture is also fantastic for stabilizing blood glucose levels and keeping you fuller for longer. Oats were originally used as the first medicine for diabetes. It was known as the oat cure. In addition to being a source of complex carbohydrates, oats are also a source of protein, the building blocks of the body. Oats are also a source of fibre which is essential for weight loss as a bowel that moves daily reduces additional weight from fecal matter. Oats are also a source of Beta-glycan which reduces cholesterol. It makes good nutritional and economic sense to eat foods which are minimally processed.
Fruits and vegies are another classic example of foods which are very cheap to buy in comparison to processed foods and yet the difference in price and nutrients is staggering. The empty calories in a couple of slices of white bread pale in comparison to an apple/pear.
White bread has been so refined that vitamins such as folate and B1 have had to be added back in to make up for the the absolute lack of nutrition that the refining process has created. White bread breaks down to a very simple sugar – glucose which causes a spike in blood glucose and insulin levels. In someone who is insulin resistant (significantly overweight) this means that the glucose will be converted into more fat stores as the body is unable to process it effectively.
In comparison, apples and pears while also a source of glucose, contain large amounts of fibre which slows down the absorption of glucose and helps to stabilize blood glucose levels. This reduces the risk of diabetes and weight gain. They also fill you up for longer. Interestingly, apples and pears also act as prebiotics in the gut. This means that they produce beneficial bacteria which assists with immunity, maintaining the pH of the blood, reducing cholesterol and creating some B vitamins. Bowel function is also greatly assisted, lessening the risk of bowel cancer.
Vegetables are very economical to buy and can really bulk up a meal. If you spent $30 a week on fruit and vegetables you would be astonished at how many meals you could create. It you combined this with $25-$30 worth of meat, fish and eggs plus $20 worth of nuts, you would have the basis for multiple meals and snacks. In these economically challenging times, a diet based on wholefoods can go a long way towards achieving a healthy weight and bank balance.
