Foods to Fear
“So, give me an idea of what your daily
diet consists of,” I said to my new client, a thirtyish male about five
foot nine and 165 pounds. He wanted to lose the love handles and gain some
muscle in the upper body—chest, arms, shoulders, and back. “It is
possible to lose the fat and gain the muscle if you tell me what you
eat,” I said, “let’s start with breakfast.”
His response wasn’t too encouraging.
Seems he really didn’t eat breakfast but occasionally had 1/2 of a
protein, granola, or power bar. That’s it. I asked if he likes to eat
breakfast. “Well, there’s really nothing out there to eat,” he said.
I suggested he try having some eggs. He said no thanks, because he had
heard that eggs are really bad for you, that they are loaded with
cholesterol, and could cause a heart attack! Well, that just isn’t true.
Believe it or not, he had it all wrong.
Eggs are great brain food. They contain choline, an essential element
necessary for brain development. Cholesterol counts have been way eggs-aturated.
I eat seven eggs every morning and my cholesterol count is 120. That’s
low. I’m not saying to eat 7 eggs a day—2 would be sufficient—but
don’t be afraid to try them again.
My client asked, “How about a bagel
instead?” Well, by itself, it’s a poor choice for breakfast. Many of
us think of bagels as a good healthy choice, but they are not. The main
ingredient in a bagel is white processed flour. Eating lots of these will
surely pack on the pounds. Can we talk about the fiber? There’s hardly
any. Even loaded up with imitation blueberries, strawberries, and other
faux fruits, the nutrition level is still zilch. So what choices do we
have besides the bagel? They do make whole wheat and/or whole grain bagels
if you really want one, but these are usually hard to find. Why not try
whole grain or multi grain breads, there are large varieties of these on
the market. Make mine toasted with peanut butter—yum.
“Now, I do have a cup or two of coffee in
the morning—not all the time— but when I do, is that doing any
harm?” my client asked. Well, anything in excess can be bad for you.
Drinking copious amounts of coffee will have a negative effect on you. You
may develop a dependence on caffeine. In some people, drinking coffee can
cause anxiety, heart palpitations, nervousness, the jitters, and
headaches. A couple of cups of coffee a day are considered safe. Some
people need that “zing” in the morning to get started. I know many
weight lifters and body builders who drink a cup of coffee before their
workouts. I have even tried it myself and it does give you a “boost or
zing” to get you through.
Well,
that should help with making choices for breakfast —the most important
meal of the day. I asked my client (off the record) what his favorite food
is, and he said he feels guilty every time he eats it. What is it? Seems
it’s my favorite food, too–fried chicken! He told me anything fried is
considered bad for you. Well that’s kind of true. The actual chicken
itself isn’t bad, it’s the fried skin that’s the problem. Since fast
food places have changed the way they fry foods, it has made a big
difference in nutritional content. They no longer use animal fat (lard),
but have switched to frying in vegetable oil—a much healthier
alternative. Good for them! Now, back to the chicken. I told my client
what I do. I love Popeye’s Fried Chicken, so I peel off all the skin
because I don’t want those extra calories. (Don’t go near the
biscuits!) So, I told my client he can enjoy his “guilty pleasure” by
just taking off the skin and tossing it away. Also, he has a much better
choice for breakfast—eggs, whole wheat toast, and coffee. Now don’t
get me started on orange juice. That’s another thing.
Rick Moore is a personal trainer certified by the American Fitness
Professionals & Associates. Visit him at
www.ricksfitness.net.
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