add peppers for dieting magic
A popular view within the circle of weight-concious individuals is that dieting is some sort of punishment for not having a body thats perfect, or that enjoying food is a bad thing. Although eating with good health in mind can involve changing a lifetime of eating habits, it does not have to be unenjoyabe, torture or a punishment, it can simply mean adding new flavors and meals to your everyday intake. Think of it as adding some adventure to a vital, everyday occurance.
When you’ve made the decision to start eating healthier every day, simple things like adding spices or cooking in a different manner can make a huge difference in whether you are going to be able to maintain your healthy food goals. It is much easier to keep at it if you are able to sustain flavor and texture in the foods you love or in new foods altogether.
Speaking of spices, there are a multitude of great, natural flavorings that will enhance foods once considered bland because they are in the “healthy” or “diet” foods list. Blackening seasoning is one such spice, adding flavor and “zing” to your chicken, turkey or fish, without adding calories and consequently, weight. Lemon pepper, italian seasoning or even garlic and herb seasonings give the feeling of dining in an upscale eatery! Add some steamed vegetables with a bit of herbal seasoning for a fantastic healthy meal. Products such as Mrs. Dash introduce the taste buds to a whole new world of flavor. If you are feeling a bit more adventurous, chop up jalepeno, habanero or serrano peppers for an even spicier meal, sauteing them with the fish or poulty to relase their wonderful flavors into the meat.
Trying to lose or maintain weight does not mean having to sacrifice your enjoyment of food. Let’s face it, if dieting means eating boring foods FOREVER, no one in their right mind would do it!
It doesn’t have to be that way.
Another great option for dieters is grilling! Marinate chicken or fish in italian dressing or a store bought marinade to add flavor, or sprinkle your own seasonings on during preperation, grill and enjoy! Summer is here and this is a great way to eat healthy and also keep your kitchen cool. Vegetables can be seasoned, sprinkled with some spices, rolled up in aluminum foil and cooked on the grill too. Personally, I eat this way during summer about 90% of the time, and have been able to maintain my weight right where I want it. We even grill in the winter months, but then I live in an area not known for harsh winters, which is an advantage.
You don’t have to lose out on dessert either. You can find all kinds of low sugar or low carb desserts on the market that you can enjoy sparingly. You can even find sugar free or low calorie candy in some cases though you should keep in mind that calories, particularly when it comes to candy you eat unconsciously add up quickly and you must pay close attention to those things you put into your mouth.
There are also low-fat dips and sauces out there which are flavorful, such as salsa. These dips and sauces can often make a great substitution when paired with vegetables, for chips and dips we love so much and often miss when dieting. Cucumbers, green, red, and yellow peppers, broccoli, and carrot sticks all have a nice little crunch to them that when combined with a good low fat dip can help cure the craving for greasy chips that often rears its head when dieting.
If you are someone who counts your calories carefully, you probably know about the snack treats that are prepackaged in 100 calorie packs. This means that you can indulge on occasion in those treats that you love most without sacrificing all your dieting efforts in the process. These snack packs have become one of the best dieting tools since the invention of diet colas. We all want the benefits of losing weight and will readily admit that if it were a simple process we’d all be thin. However, having something like these hundred calorie snack packs to carry you through the worst of your cravings can mean the difference between dieting success and failure. They are definitely the difference in the old way of dieting and the new way of dieting without sacrificing flavor.
So, there you have a few ideas for making mealtime a much more enjoyable experience while you’re dieting. Losing weight doesn’t have to be a miserable time of denying yourself flavor or enjoyment. Step outside your usual box and take advantage of the great flavors out there to add spice to your life.
I guarantee you won’t regret it.
Darlene
Click here for the plan I’m using to get ready for summer!