Nutrients in Food Fall Into 3 Categories: Proteins, Fats, and Carbohydrates.

The foods that we eat contain nutrients that provide energy and other substances that the body needs. Most of the nutrients in food fall into three major groups: proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Crazy enough most of us have been taught wrong from the world about what category some of the food we eat really falls under.

For example, I have always thought that nuts were a protein..right? Anyone else think that? Now nuts DO have protein in them, but they are actually a fat. WHY? Because there is actually more fat in nuts then protein which therefore makes them fall into the fats category.

So lets dive in and let me share the information that I have learned from Veo Clinic.

What is a Carbohydrate?
Starches/breads, fruits, vegetables, fruit juices and milk products/dairy are all carbs. There is a difference between simple and complex carbohydrates.  Complex means they contain fiber (100% whole wheat pasta, 100% whole wheat bread, oats and brown rice). An exception to this rule is lactose found in milk, cottage cheese, yogurt are complex carbs. Complex carbs last in your body as energy for up to 30 minutes. Simple carbs such as fruit, white breads, white rice and white potatoes only last as energy for a maximum time of 15 minutes.

What is a Protein?
Protein is part of every cell, tissue and organ in our bodies.  These body proteins are constantly being broken down and replaced.  The protein in the foods we eat is digested into amino acids that are later used to replace these proteins in our bodies.  Protein is found in the following foods: meats, poultry, fish, legumes (dry beans and peas), tofu, eggs, raw nuts and seeds, milk and milk products, grains, some vegetables and some fruits.

What is a Fat?
Fats consist of a wide group of compounds that are generally soluble in organic solvents and generally insoluble in water.  GOOD FATS- (yes there are such thing:) ) Good sources of fatty acids are found mostly in fish, nuts, oils, seeds, dark leafy greens, flaxseed oils and some vegetable oils.  At the end of the day, a good fat is still a fat in terms of calories.  BAD FATS- These are artery-clogging saturated fats from meat and dairy products and are solid at room temperature.  Saturated fats have been shown to directly raise total and LDL (bad) cholesterol levels.  Any labels on cooking oil that describe the oil as "light" are referring to the taste or color, not the fat or calorie content.  All oils are 100% fat and are worth around 120 calories per tablespoon.

Hopefully you guys learned as much from this as I did. I think it is incredibly important to know the difference between these three so we can get eat the right portion of eat when we are making our meals.

**FYI all fresh seasonings are "free" zero calories. Such as, cilantro, parsley, ginger, chives, garlic, hot sauce, mustard etc. Any food item with 0 calories is a free food.

10 "Rules" to Help You Stay on Track to Eating Healthy

I think most of us have the desire to be healthy and actually make effort in doing so. I know that one of my biggest problems in the past has been not knowing exactly what I needed to do to have a healthy diet. Which is why I always ended up trusting some crazy diet plan already made. Recently, when Jess and I went to Veo Clinic and received our diet and fitness plans we got a lot of great information. I think it is important that we all have the knowledge of why we are doing what we are. It makes it WAY easier to follow a health plan if you understand why you are eating a certain way. The following 10 "RULES" are simply guidelines that will help you to get started in eating healthier.

1. You need to eat every 2-4 hours. 

I know this seems like a lot, and it is. But you never want to allow your body to actually get hungry. Hunger causes your body to store fat, along with causing an unhealthy fluctuation of your blood sugar.
*Keep in mind these aren't all crazy big meals, these can be small simple snacks.

2. Eat correct portion sizes.

This seems easy enough, the hardest part is knowing how big of a portion you personally need. Go HERE to find what portion size is right for you.

3. Every time you eat a Carb you MUST combine it with a protein. This is crucial people, so don't mess this rule up. You need the protein to keep your body making energy. 

*If you don't know that fruits and vegetables are considered a Carb or that Nuts are actually a fat not a protein then please read THIS post to help you know what a true carbohydrate and a true protein are.

4. Read nutrition labels so you really know what you are putting into your body. 

By quickly looking at a food label you can distinguish whether the food is a carbohydrate, fat, or a protein.

5. Subtract Fiber grams from the total amount of Carbohydrates to calculate True Total Carbohydrate grams. See Example Above.

6. Eat within 15-20 minutes of when you wake up to get your metabolism going. 

This one is really hard for me because I don't feel like eating for quite awhile after getting up in the morning. So what I usually do is make a small shake using a meal replacement powder called Pearl. This stuff is yummy! It has TONS of protein and is low in carbs. I also really like it because the powder mixes really well in shaker bottles, unlike some other stuff I've used in the past. I completely recommend checking this stuff out, you can buy it online HERE. AND you can use discount code: kelsie20 to get 20% OFF THIS PRODCUT!!!

7. Drink water! 

Rule of thumb is 1 quart for every 50 lbs. of body weight daily. This is MINIMUM.

8. Drink fluids away from your meals. 

Drink as much as you would like prior to eating a meal, but once you begin to eat don't drink any more. Drinking with our meals dilutes enzymes needed to break down food causing us to be bloated and gain weight.

9. Do not snack mindlessly. 

Don't let yourself get hungry where this will happen. Remember rule #1? Eat every 2-4 hours.

10. Take alcohol and/or soda out of your diet.

Easy enough right? Hopefully you found some of this helpful. I know personally I have and it really has helped me to shape a healthy diet for myself and know that I am helping my body burn more fat just by eating the right things.