Let's say you're craving a burger:
think about the last time you ate. What was the meal? Have you consumed enough PROTEIN today? Lacking fats? Just had egg whites and spinach for breakfast, worked out for 2 hours, then had an apple?
Ummm hello, your body might be ready to eat the kitchen sink. Compose a balanced meal complete with PROTEIN, lots of fibrous veggies, and a serving of FAT.
Squash the burger craving with this EXAMPLE: grilled chicken, 1/2 avocado, atop a huge bed of lettuce and chopped cucumbers, bell peppers, etc. Even have quinoa or brown rice or some flax crackers if you're jonesing for carbs. All of that food will STUFF you, AND stabilize your blood sugar for around 400 calories, maybe less-maybe more. But it is NOT about the calories. Let's take a look at the NUTRIENTS your body can utilize from whole foods in that example meal:
Avocado: contain vitamin E, potassium, B-vitamins, Folic Acid. "act as a "nutrient booster" by enabling the body to absorb more fat-soluble nutrients, such as alpha and beta-carotene and lutein" Avocado Facts
romaine lettuce: vitamin C, potassium
Bell peppers: Vitamin A (essential for eyesight), Folate, Vitamin K (assists in blood clotting), Antioxidants like lycopene which help to prevent CANCER, and Carotenoids which prevent HEART disease, potassium
cucumbers: Vitamins A, B, C, magnesium, silica, potassium, calcium, folate... and they contain 96% water...so EAT UP!!!
chicken breast: contains niacin, selenium, vitamins A+B, **more important is that you add some form of PROTEIN to this meal to satisfy your body's need for it. If you don't already understand the importance of eating protein to promote stable blood sugar and aid in muscle preservation and repair....Google it! Again, you don't HAVE to eat 400 grams of protein a day. That will not give you muscles. But you should (in my opinion, based on what I've read and what has worked for me) aim to consume .75g-1.5g protein per POUND of bodyweight each day. With that being said, a simple way to break it down is to eat between 20-30g protein in each meal. More if you weigh over 150 pounds.
Let's compare that with eating a burger at a diner or chain restaurant. The most benefit you will find sandwiched between saturated fats and simple sugars is little reprieve from lycopene in the tomato, or some vitamins in the small amount of lettuce on the burger. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and WONT use McDonald's as a comparison:
I searched typical burger info on the web, Applebee's burger contains 770 cals, 15g saturated fats...yikes.
check out all the fun stuff that could be in the BUN alone:
INGREDIENTS: Enriched Wheat Flour [Flour, Barley Malt, Ferrous Sulfate (Iron), B Vitamins (Niacin, Thiamin Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Folic Acid)], Water, Sweetener (High Fructose Corn Syrup, Sugar), Yeast, Soybean Oil, Contains 2% or Less of Wheat Gluten, Salt, Calcium Sulfate, Dough Conditioners (May Contain Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Tricalcium Phosphate,ethoxylated Mono And Diglycerides, Datem, Dicalcium Phosphate,Mono And Diglycerides, Calcium Dioxide, and/or Sorbic Acid), Vinegar, Soy Flour, Yeast Nutrients (May Contain Ammonium Chloride, Ammonium Phosphate, Diammonium Phosphate,Ammonium Sulfate, Monocalcium Phosphate and/or Calcium Carbonate), Cornstarch, Wheat Starch, Enzymes, Calcium Propionate (to Retain Freshness), Soy Lecithin. If Topped, Also Contains Sesame Seeds, or Corn Meal.
The point of this post is NOT to pick on hamburger lovers. In fact, if you make it a point to eat QUALITY meat (like making the burgers at home..) a burger CAN be a weekly indulgence, as long as you fit your own dietary needs. I used a hamburger because it's a classic "comfort" item to order at a restaurant or diner.
I used to crave lots of CARBS. And if I picked up a jar of peanut butter, 2 tablespoons never happened. know why? Because I would eat eggwhites at breakfast, workout like a MANIAC, snack on cucumbers, celery, and peppers, maybe eat more eggwhites.. Notice lack of something? Um. NO complex carbohydrates either PRE or POST workout, and ZERO fats. Of course my body was craving something. So yes, I was giving my body minerals and vitamins and protein, but no omega-3 or omega-6 essential fatty acids, not enough soluble fiber ( found in oats,) so I would really be LACKING ESSENTIAL nutrients, and was not balancing meals properly. Hense, CRAVE central.
Carbs don't make you fat. Fat doesn't make you fat. Protein doesn't make you fat. The way you choose to combine these three macronutrients is up to you. Everyone is different, but everyone needs SOME food from each group. When you choose carbs, proteins, and fats from WHOLE food sources, it's very hard to go wrong.
Sure, a banana might be high in sugar and carbs, but i will STAND BY my opinion that it won't hurt as much as skittles. Once in a while, skittles are OKAY if you MUST have some! But for everyday food choices, don't you think potassium-filled bananas are a little better for your working muscles?
Think peanut butter is your worst enemy? I beg to differ. Natural nut butters ARE a healthy source of mono and polyunsaturated fats--the kind of fats that have been proven to LOWER your triglyceride and blood cholesterol levels. You're better off with too much pb, or too many macadamia nuts, than with trans fats hidden in pillsbury icing, or saturated fats leaking out of fast food items.
My ultimate goal for this post is to encourage readers to indulge SAFELY. The closer a food is to the ground, the better it is , and the SAFER it is for your body. Do not eat based on calories!! Eat based on what your body needs. Even if you eat a few too many blueberries, or too many almonds--let's get real. How bad could it really be? Not to mention, your body has to work harder to metabolize food in its natural state. Guess what that means? Your body is going to burn more calories digesting that grilled chicken meal example than if you were to eat a processed crap meal. You know how HARD it is to digest all the fiber in good food?! It puts your body to work, and keeps you full (and regular....lol.)
Anyway, next time you want an almond joy and pop tarts and pizza, maybe eat some almonds, strawberries, and fresh mozzarella cheese.
Was that a long enough post?! Wowzers. I probably made you hungry. go eat!!!
I'm about to eat eggwhites with 1/2tb peanut butter and some broccoli! 4 weeks out and YES peanut butter is in my diet for another week or so..4g of fat people. Tastes better than fish oil ;)
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