🍰 Weight Loss Tips and Strategies for Diet and Nutrition Alexandria VA

Sand & Steel’s latest nutrition tips and strategies.  This blog post is dynamically updated as we discuss new nutrition tips and strategies based on the nutrition consultations our clients have at Sand & Steel (so bookmark it with CTRL D).  We cover topics like how much soy is too much?  Is artificial sugar really that bad?  Does the kind of tea I drink affect weight loss?  How to balance macros for improving body composition, etc.  With over 8 years of nutrition and weight loss in Alexandria VA, you’ll this is a very long post.

A word of caution:
The following nutrition tips are designed to improve body composition and reduce inflammation.  They are generally organized in the order in which someone should implement them, but everyone has different nutrition needs, so be sure to consult a nutrition coach before engaging in a new diet regime.  Complications like food allergies, special diets, and special food-related illnesses, need to be handled on a case by case basis.  In addition, figuring out which changes to implement (and how much to consume), also needs to be considered on an individual basis.

Hiring a certified nutrition coach or dietitian will help you implement this list much more effectively because he or she can ensure your interpretation is correct and handle individual exceptions.  Much like there is no perfect workout for all people, there is no perfect diet.  How you implement this diet and exceptions you make will have individual consequences which need to be measured and interpreted.

The devil is in the details
For example, if you are already drinking green tea that’s great… you already have a jump start on week 2.  But did you consider what kind of green tea you should be drinking?  How long should the brew time be?  How fresh do the leaves need to be?  If that’s not tough enough, the rubber really meets the road, when you realize that different people have different answers to questions like these.  Answers that often depend on a variety of factors.

 

Every metabolism works differently, so don’t give up if you don’t succeed right away.  There is a formula that will work for you.

Get Started: Nutrition Coaching Alexandria

2. Four Glasses of Green Tea

ProTip:  Since oxidation is the biggest source of degradation of catechin, loose tea leaves are better than tea bags.  Most companies that sell tea in tea bags buy low-grade, broken leaves.  The smaller surface area of these leaves increases oxidation rate.
The health benefits of Green Tea are very difficult to dispute.  From benefits like raising metabolism, anti-oxidants, to preventing certain types of cancer, Green Tea is a heavy hitter when it comes to smart choices. 1  One of the primary chemicals in Green Tea that’s very significant for its health benefits is catechin.  Catechin breaks down with long storage times. 2  So drink your green tea fresh.

Green Tea Weight Loss

3. Fish oil

So what’s the deal with Fish Oil?  Well, Fish Oil is high Omega 3 and the corn-fed live stock is high in Omega 6.  Humans needs a balance of Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids to maintain the structure of their cellular walls. 3  But how much do you need?  It’s not a simple answer because it depends on your diet.  I recommend maintaining a 2:1 Omega 3 to Omega 6 ratio based on my analysis of the leading research.  See https://www.sandandsteelfitness.com/omega-3-and-omega-6 for more information.

ProTip:  Lose those nasty capsule shells, and just buy fish oil from the bottle.  The lemon flavored version is pretty decent, and it’s way faster than taking pills.  Whip out a spoon, pour some in, gulp, and go.  That’s nutrition for the 21st century.

Well I haven’t finished writing this massive article yet, but here are some of the items coming soon.

  1. Soluble Fiber
  2. Enough insoluble fiber
  3. 30 percent mixed fats
  4. Low glycemic carbs
  5. Max Sugar per day
  6. No sugar with high fat meals
  7. Monounsaturated fats
  8. Load food towards morning
  9. Eating enough protein
  10. Protein before and after working out
  11. 5 servings of fruit and veggies (veggies on every meal)
  12. What’s up with Processed Foods
  13. No processed foods
  14. What About Diet Soda
  15. Corn and corn products
  16. Minimal High Glycemic Carbs
  17. Greens+ and Powdered Greens
  18. No food past 8:00pm
  19. Use sleep aids when dieting
  20. Coffee Consumption
  21. Not counting/measuring/weighing foods
  22. Skipping breakfast or lunch
  23. Meal Delivery Options
  24. Restaurants and Eating out
  25. Vegetarian Protein Sources
  26. Alcohol affect on weight loss
  27. Anti-inflammatory spices
  28. Eating antioxidants
  29. Eating cruciferous vegetables
  30. Food shopping Tips
  31. Not keeping food visible
  32. Acid/alkaline balance
  33. Organic or local meats
  34. Sugar substitutes
  35. Eating the correct number of calories based on weight
  36. 8 hours of sleep
  37. Buy only what is on your list in the grocery store (always have a shopping list)
  38. Food allergens (dairy, soy, gluten)
  39. No transfats
  40. Forms of Sugar: e.g. corn syrup
  41. The nutrition table ingredient analysis
  42. White flour
  43. Blending and Drying Fruits
  44. Milk chocolate vs Dark Chocolate
  45. Icecream vs. Frozen Yogurt
  46. Fried foods vs Searing Foods
  47. Baked goods and Weight Loss (flour & sugar & transfats)
  48. Impact of Stress on Weight Loss – slows recovery, memory, weight gain, insomnia, immune system, hair loss, sexual performance, allergy.
  49. Sharp knives make better tasting healthy food (even cuts)
  50. Pectin (fiber) is important and primarily found in fruits (lower cholesterol and improve blood sugar regulation)
  51. Flavonoids (fruits, veggies, tea, wine) shown to include antioxidative activity, free-radical scavenging capacity, coronary heart disease prevention, and anticancer activity, while some flavonoids exhibit potential for anti-human immunodeficiency virus functions
  52. B-Vitamins for improving Absorptions
  53. Trace Minerals and their affect on Metabolism
  1. See Medical News Today for a list of benefits.
  2. Tufts University
  3. Comprehensive guide available at: https://www.sandandsteelfitness.com/omega-3-and-omega-6/
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