Weight issues seem to be a constant battle for many people. I meet many patients who tell me they just can’t seem to lose those extra pounds no matter what they do. We’re seeing studies implicating that excess carbs and sugar are major contributors to this problem.

I’ve firmly believed that if you are eating what your body needs and your nutrition is correct, you can be at your proper weight by the food you eat alone. To further your health benefits, you’ll want to exercise for better fitness, to build muscle & increase endurance.

There are 3 things to keep in mind when eating right: food quantity, food selection, and food timing. Quantity is simple but you can still eat too much of the right stuff. When most people over-eat, it’s usually some type of starch or sweet. The tendency is to eat too much at lunch or dinner. What happens is that the body can utilize some of the nutrients but the excess is often converted into fat. The huge portions that restaurants serve don’t help us with reducing the size of our meals either (tip: when eating out, only eat half of what they serve and save the rest for later).

Food timing can be managed by being sure to eat 5-6 small meals spread throughout the day versus the standard large portion breakfast, lunch & dinner. Body builders have been using this trick as a good way to stay lean and continuously keep feeding the muscles. If you eat just enough and not too much, the enzymes in the body will break the food down and it will take and use what you need without needing to store it.

Food selection deals with the types of foods you eat. We’ve seen more press these days about how corn & wheat have been genetically modified and are not the same grains grown long ago. Consumption of these products has been linked to digestive upsets, brain inflammation, joint pain, bloating, weight gain, etc… If you want to lose weight, one type of sugar you’ll want to avoid is HFCS, other-wise known as high fructose corn syrup. What makes this product so unhealthy is that it is metabolized to fat in your body more rapidly than any other sugar. Many fats are formed in the liver, and when sugar enters the liver, it decides whether to store it, burn it off, or turn it into fat. Fructose, however, bypasses this process and goes full speed into fat.

Food can be a wonderful thing- delicious and nutritious! Just practice being aware of what, when, and how much you are eating. This consciousness can lead you to a healthier life and optimum weight for you if you let it.