Tag: meal prep

Foods for your body

I wanted to make a post about different foods that benefit different body parts. Often times when people think about foods they never think about how one particular food will benefit them. Growing up people use to say eating carrots will help my eye vision but it wasn’t until I actually did some research that I realized that they actually do. By incorporating different types of fruits, starches, veggies, nuts, and protein you will have your bases covered and will be feeling great! Below I will breakdown it all to you

Food for healthy hair- Salmon( omega-3’s build brain & Nerve cells which are essential for learning and your memory), nuts ( Vitamin E shields cells from free radical damage), berries ( antioxidants fight stress and can improve memory)

Healthy eyes- Eggs (lutein & Vitamin A which protect eyes & support function) Citcrus foods (Contain Vitamin C which lowers risks of cataracts) pistachios (Vitamin E boost eye health)

Healthy lungs – Green tea ( Quercetin acts as a natural antihistamine, Broccoli ( glucosinolates which have been shown to fight off cancer and lung cancer)

Healthy skin- Sweet potatoes ( beta-carotene helps to protect skin from sun damage) Walnuts (fatty acids for healthy skin) Broccoli ( Sulforaphane which protects skin

Healthy Muscles – Chicken ( high protein great source of B vitamins, Beans (good source of plant based protein), yogurt ( Fast digesting whey protein)

Hopefully you find this blog helpful and will help you have a better understanding of your body.

Can meal replacement shakes help you lose weight?

A lot of people including myself have always drank protein shakes before or after my workout to replenish our bodies. Some people even take a “meal replacement shake” which are intended to provide the full nutrition of a full meal. Some of these shakes come prepared in a bottle and there are some that are mixed with milk or water. When consuming them they contain a good amount of protein, fiber and essential vitamins that you would be getting in a regular meal. It’s basically an easy way to get quick meal on the go that is low on calories. But this big question that a lot of my clients as me is if I just take this and not eat, will it help with my weight loss process. And today I am here to break it down and give you the answer.

#1 Help you avoid unhealthy food

Meal replacement shakes are portable and convenient for you so the next time you want to stop by McDonald’s this would give you less temptation. Also eating fast food would not be giving you all of the key nutrients that you need. One of the most common excuses that I hear when it comes to eating healthy is the time it takes to prepare certain foods. Now I’m not saying that I’d suggest taking one every time instead of making a meal from whole foods but if your schedule and jam packed and you are on the go taking a meal replacement shake is a better option.

#2 May help you lose weight faster

Reducing your calorie intake is one of the main factors to help you losing weight. One of the challenges of sticking to a low calorie diet is that you may end up feeling hungry. The key to taking meal replacement shakes is that they will help you feel full during this process while consuming fewer calories. Also they can help with people who struggle with type 2 diabetes and help then lose weight faster than someone who is trying to diet conventionally.

#3 Some are high in protein which will help with weight loss

The good thing about meal replacement shakes is that not all of them are the same. Many are high in protein which is a major factor when it comes to weight loss. Higher protein diets makes you feel more satisfied which will then lead to you eating fewer calories throughout the day.

Risks

Some risks that come with taking a meal replacement shake so that some of them contain unhealthy ingredients such as added sugars, artificial flavors, chemical preservatives and corn syrup. Also some shakes may contain more sugar than protein which would not help lose weight but gain it. So you have to be very careful when picking out the right shake if you want to go this route.

Another risk is that this is not a long term solution for you. Many people take these shakes and try to replace it for whole foods. This will not work because not only do whole foods have vitamins and minerals that you won’t get in a shake, it also has compounds and enzymes that may be hard to put into a bottle.

Lastly they do not fix bad eating habits. Generally just dieting does not work for weight loss it requires long term lifestyle changes. While drinking meal replacement shakes, yes they can help you lose weight but they will not force you to change your unhealthy eating habits.

At the end of the day whether you want to go this route or not, meal replacement shakes can be used to your advantage when dieting but this is not something that I would recommend that you use for your main meals. I still suggest eating whole foods and taking these shakes from time to time will benefit you the most.