Is there a perfect diet?
The paleo diet is possibly the closest to perfect a diet can be labeled. Everyone has a unique body chemistry and the task becomes understanding what diet is optimal for your body chemistry at this moment. Body chemistry changes, therefore, you need to be taught how to listen to your body and evolve your diet as necessary.

What are the most common mistakes people make in their daily diet?
Consuming too much sugar. There is not enough education for the layman about what are the major sources of sugar in our diet. Sources of sugar include wheat breads, cereals, yogurt and fruit. If this is your typically breakfast you are eating a very high sugar meal.

Eating too many processed carbohydrates and eating too many meals prepared outside of the home. Studies show that only 1 restaurant meal per week can result in a 2 pound weight gain each year. One of the healthiest habits a person can have is to prepare their food at home with full knowledge of the ingredients and food quality.

People are looking to get a fresh start on their diet, what would be the top five dietary changes they could make?

  • Eat at home more often
  • Include protein at breakfast and lunch everyday
  • Consume adequate water
  • Include vegetables at 2 meals per day
  • Do a trial elimination of gluten containing grains (wheat bread, cereal, pasta, crackers etc.)

What are people most surprised about when you analyze their diet and make recommendations?
Foods such as yogurts, granola and juices, “healthy foods,” are very high in easily digested carbohydrates and sugars and promote weight gain, and insulin resistance.
A breakfast high in sugar makes it very hard to lose weight and a higher protein and higher fat breakfast promotes weight loss. Eggs and bacon are a better choice compared with cereals and fruits.

Everyone wants to lose weight. Why aren’t diets working?
We have to go back to looking at client’s individual chemistry. Many generic diets will not work if a patient is insulin resistant and cannot process sugar efficiently and their diets are too high in sugar (breads, fruits, milk etc.). It is very important to look for hidden food sensitivities. A client may be eating yogurt everyday and feel bloated. If their immune system is sensitive to the proteins found in yogurt it is going to be very hard to lose weight while including yogurt in the diet.

Hidden ingredients in restaurant foods such as poor quality fats and added starches and sugars also slow down weight loss. If a patient is serious about improving their health they need to take control of their food quality.

Tips:

Five best weight loss tips?

  1. Meal plan every week- know what you are going to eat 2-3 meals in advance.
  2. Cook your own food.
  3. Consume a large volume of vegetables at 2 meals per day.
  4. Consume protein with every meal.
  5. Try a trial elimination of wheat and dairy.
  6. Be active every day. (ok… Six best weight loss tips….)

Five (or more) foods that should be included in your daily diet

  1. Spices- the most potent sources of antioxidants in our diet
  2. Cruciferous Vegetables – broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, Brussels sprouts- these have anti-cancer properties and are excellent for liver health and detoxification
  3. Coffee or tea – another great source of antioxidants. The bitter compounds are high in antioxidants and in support a healthy metabolism
  4. Chia or flax seeds. These are excellent sources of fiber and provide anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids. They assist digestion and therefore detoxification.
  5. Water

Five or more foods that you should avoid?

  1. High Fructose Corn Syrup, Agave Nectar
  2. Large portions of Fruit Juice
  3. Charred Grilled Meats
  4. Commercial Baked Goods- likely contain Trans-fatty acids (trans-fats)
  5. Grain fed beef
  6. Inexpensive poor quality processed foods ex: fast food. $2 hamburgers and sandwiches. (We said “or more..”)