Continued from July 30 blog…

7. Eating at the salad bar is always best   Years ago when we were encouraged to eat salads as part of healthy eating, many restaurants began to incorporate salad bars as a way to attract more patrons.  Of course they expanded beyond just salad and added things like bacon, cheeses, croutons, eggs, bread, cold cuts and all kinds of fattening items.  What started out as good nutrition has turned into a dieter’s nightmare.  High fat and high sugar dressings top the list of high calorie choices.  And while you can eat healthy at most salad bars it is going to take some real attention on your part.  You still have to eat consciously at the salad bar to avoid the high calorie foods.

8. Take the latest diet drugs  As far as a magic bullet pill – there is none.  Even if some medications are effective in curbing appetite there are side effects to consider.  Remember the Fen-phen craze of the 90’s?  That ended up with a class action lawsuit from people who suffered damage to their health.  There is no way to replace exercise, good nutrition and mental awareness as the key to losing weight and keeping it off.  Pills, shakes, frozen meals and such have been around for years.  Stop wasting your time and start living your life.

9. Carbs make you fat   New diet trends come and go but low carb eating has been a trend for several years now.  In Hollywood it’s the diet of choice.  Just make sure that you are cutting out the right carbohydrates.  White foods, like breads, cakes, pastas, rice and pretzels are OK to eliminate.  But don’t cut out most fruits and starchier veggies like carrots just because the Atkins diet does.  Learn about carbohydrates to distinguish good versus bad, complex versus simple carbs. 

10. Diet foods will help you drop pounds  Those low calorie meals in a box are not necessarily a good choice.  Some have high levels of sugar and trans fats.  Even the ones that have better ingredients are so tiny that they leave open the real chance that you’ll get hungry again and be tempted to eat more than you actually need.  Fresh, healthy food is always a better choice.