Eating Healthy: New Food Finds to Help with those New Year’s Weight Loss Resolutions

Okay, technically I suppose these could be “sugar packets”–even though they are 25-pound bags.  Not exactly what you should be putting in your shopping cart if you’re one of a bazillion people looking to lose weight and eat “healthy” as part of your New Year’s resolutions or burning bowl rituals.

As part of my detox program and working with a nutritionist to sort out my food allergies,  I’ve thus far lost 15 pounds in 3 weeks, and some of these new food finds are helping.  I’ve been haunting specialty grocery stores and health food stores for the past month, and here are some of my favorite food finds, as well as links where you can order them.  Yes, the prices are a little steeper than the “bad stuff,” but if you’ve become a zealot about reading labels, you know how much crap gets included in items you would never consider as anything other than pure.

(And by the way, sugar in vitamins?  For real?  Ugh!  $45 bottle of “high quality vitamins” right into the dumpster!)

1. Yerba Mate Chai Spicetea and Yerba Mate Chocolatte— My two favorite new teas.  Tim Ferriss , author of the new book, The 4-Hour Body, recommended Yerba Mate on one of his blogs several years ago but I stumbled on this Stevia-sweetened tea in an odd corner of a local grocery store and suddenly remembered it.  These are my two favorite blends (there are others) and they are naturally caffeinated, 100% organic, fat-burningteas containing theobromine, theophilline and 24 vitiamins and minerals, 15 amino acids, and anti-oxidants.  These really help boost energy while you’re trying to balance your exercise and calories.  I also, just because I love the taste, add a few drops of Vanilla Creme Liquid Steviaor Chocolate Liquid Stevia.
2. Whey Isolate Strawberry Protein Powder— Normally, I’m a huge fan of the Shakeology nutrition drink (and meal replacement) but it has an ingredient that my nutritionist said no to during my detox.  I can add Shakeology back into my diet in a few weeks but for now, I need a protein shake that’s  gluten-free, casein-free, sugar-free (it’s sweetened with Stevia), Bovine-growth hormone free.  I chose the strawberry flavor since I already have vanilla, chocolate, and greenberry flavors of other brands and wanted something different as part of my test to add whey back into my diet.  They also have an egg protein versionbut I’m allergic to eggs.
3.   Smartwater — There are plenty of flavored waters out there.  Plenty with sugar, too.  This one is pure water and you can probably find it in your grocery store will all the other bottled waters and vitamin waters.  What’s special about this one is that it’s enhanced with electrolytes.  If your diet has you drinking tons of water or working out a lot and you’re not allowed to have Gatorade, this is a great alternative.  Also, if your diet leaves you feeling chilled from pushing water and losing fat quickly, Smartwater is recommended to get your electrolytes in balance and helps with the chills.
4. Honeyville Blanched Almond Meal Flour and Bob’s Red Mill Organic Coconut Flour— If you’re detoxing and want to try something a little different from the usual wheat flour, almond meal flour and coconut flour are two good, healthy possibilities.
5.   Nutiva Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil— A healthy oil to consider for cooking and baking is coconut oil, also a home remedy of sorts for problems with your gallbladder, which can really suffer and end up leaving you via emergency surgery from all that fat-burning!  (Note:  I’m not a physician, so that’s not a recommendation…just something you may wish to research if you have gallbladder problems related to your diet.)

I’ll post more in the near future as I begin exploring new foods and alternatives to old favorites.