Why we eat as we do.

I recently looked up a diet for diabetes; it looked strangely similar to a diet a licensed dietician put me on once and I am not diabetic, resulting in a downward spiral for my health. For example, the Mayo Clinic recommends that people with diabetes eat two pieces of whole-wheat toast with jam, shredded wheat cereal with fat-free milk for breakfast. Snacks include popcorn with margarine. Lunch included more bread and fat-free cheese!?

So I started researching why and learned that the licensed medical field professionals ranging from doctors to dieticians all offer similar meal plans is financially driven.

The top subsidized crops by the US Government are Soybeans, Wheat, Corn, and Sugar. Did you know that the United States spends?4 Billion dollars? a year supporting domestic sugar alone??

Soybean subsidies totaled?$44.9 Billion dollars ?between 1995 to 2020. As a result, soybean oil and soy lecithin are found in many ultra-processed foods.?Soy Lecithin?is a nutritionally void byproduct of soybeans used to create nutritionally void food... hence leaving you hungry. And contrary to the false rumors that meat and eggs cause high cholesterol, the real culprit is the hidden and not so hidden vegetable oil(s).?Soybean oil or vegetable oil is in nearly everything, including vitamins. And not even WholeFoods is immune to it.

Corn Subsidies?totaled?$116.6 BILLION DOLLARS? between 1995 to 2020.

Corn syrup is getting a bad rap these days, and rightfully so. In response, a new product is hitting the market called Allulose, a zero-calorie sweetener.?Allulose traditionally comes from jackfruit or figs, but what you see right now commercially comes from corn because it is cheap.?I recently reached out to a manufacturer to learn how allulose differs from corn syrup, but they didn't respond. I have not tried the product, and nor will I. I stick to stevia, unrefined coconut sugar, 100% pure maple syrup, and raw honey.

By no coincidence, these commodities are also found in ultra-processed food products. As a result of my experiences and my learnings, I live by the below rules, and it works for me. I am NOT offering medical advice; I am simply sharing what has worked for me as weight loss seems to top new year's resolutions.

Cook at home:?Based on personal experience, I do not see an option outside cooking at home for 95% of all meals for sustainable weight loss.?

Buy food in close to natural form as possible to cook or eat. I eat potatoes all the time, but I don't eat potato chips. I eat oranges, but I don't drink orange juice. You get the idea.

I purchase carbs in natural forms and cook myself:?Potatoes, rice, fresh fruit, oats, lentils, beans, veggies (I buy frozen to save $$)

Buy pre-sliced frozen vegetables.?Easy to cook with and no longer worry about wasted food.

Buy Frozen Berries.?Easy to cook with and more cost affordable

No Fat-Free or Sugar-Free Products

No wheat

No Dairy outside of full-fat butter

Don't drink calories:?I haven't had soda in years, and I don't miss it. I also gave up my Starbucks habit three years ago. The same goes for juice. You don't need it. Eat a piece of fruit. Eat an apple, do not drink apple juice. It's not the same.

No margarine or vegetable oils.?I use full-fat butter, olive oil, unrefined coconut oil, sesame oil, or avocado oil for cooking.

Minimize or eliminate:?Corn Syrup, Refined Sugar, Dairy (except full-fat butter), no gluten outside sprouted flourless bread, Soy Lecithin, Modified Food Starch, Artificial Food Coloring.

I eat a lot of eggs.??Over a dozen a week.

My go-to breakfast(s) meals are:?

Oatmeal pancakes?made with almond milk, banana, egg, and 100% pure maple syrup.

Baked Oatmeal?(grease a small 4 x 4 pan with unrefined coconut oil, layer frozen berry of choice followed by 1/2 cup plain oatmeal. Mix one egg, 1/2 cup almond milk, raw honey, and vanilla in a separate bowl, then pour over Oatmeal. Bake in the oven at 350 for about 35 to 40 minutes.

Three scrambled eggs?with spinach and mushrooms or green onions with flourless bread or roasted potatoes. I find two eggs are not filling enough, and I snack more.

Snacks:?Hardboiled eggs, fresh fruit, nuts, dried fruit with no added sugar, flourless bread with almond butter and jam, air-fried chickpeas, raw veggies with hummus.?

Lunch/Dinner

Keep all your meal planning easy by buying frozen fish, chicken, and lean meat and rotating it with rice, potato, and veggies. Your meal planning doesn't need to be more complicated than that.

I eat a lot of rice bowls—literally a bowl of rice with protein and some vegetables. Last night, for example, I ate sesame ground chicken over rice. The day before that was a piece of salmon over rice.

In good health,

Ilana

www.goatmatters.com