The Quest for the Right Meal Planner

I have been on and off diets since I was 13 years old.  I swear I have lost enough pounds of weight over the years to make at least 3 separate people - I've probably also gained the same amount.  In fact, right now, I could cut my weight in half and have two healthy people.

It's been a work in progress, but I've been trying to devise the best eating plan.  When I returned from New Zealand, a friend loaned me their copy of "Entering the Zone" by Barry Sears.  I have since purchased my own and also own "Mastering the Zone".  The Zone Diet has probably made the most sense to me out of all the diets.  One of the important things I learned is to eat foods as close to their natural form as possible.  The other key is to eat the macronutrients of fat, carbs and proteins in balanced amounts.  After eating according to the Zone plan, I felt amazing AND I lost weight.  Unfortunately, the allure of comfort foods and bad-for-you-snack-foods snuck back into my life.

In about 2004-2005, I realized that processed foods had many things in them that my body didn't need - extra calories, excess sodium, white flour, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Monosodium Glutamate and so much more.  I also started learning that artificial sweeteners aren't my friend as I thought they were. In fact, in 2008 I started developing a hard-core sweet tooth unlike I had ever had before.  I had embraced the joy of sucralose (Splenda) and then realized that my consumption was triggering a craving for more sweetness.

After Jeff was diagnosed with Diabetes earlier this year, we attended Diabetes Education classes.  I originally went for moral support but then thought I could learn new information since my Diabetes Ed classes were back in 1997.  I heard that the "experts" are now looking at inflammation as the bad guy in diabetes and other chronic diseases.  I did some research and found that it was true.  Further research revealed that diet played a big part in the inflammation that caused these diseases and one of the big culprits is gluten.  In fact, many sources of gluten in our modern food offerings is a genetically modified "super gluten" that makes breads fluffy.

I seem to go in cycles... I get my act together and it lasts for a year or so before the organization starts to unravel.  Kind of like a health entropy.  I'm feeling the need to pull things together in 2012.  One of the reasons is that I want to get my health in the best state as possible as I would like to be in a better place to have a healthy baby AND I turn 45 in 2012.

My optimal eating plan includes

• Whole fruits
• Vegetables - particularly leafy green and brightly colored ones for high levels of antioxidants
• Legumes
• Whole Grains (low glycemic index and high fiber)
• Low-fat dairy
• Lean meats
• High Omega-3 fatty acid sources from seafood like salmon, halibut and tuna, for example
• Healthy fats - olive oil, avocado, flax, etc
• tea, but limit black teas that contain caffeine to .AM. hours (drink more tea, less coffee)

Things I need to limit or eliminate

• Processed foods
• Carbs like breads, potatoes, rice
• Coffee
• Potato chips, corn chips, etc
• Sweets in general, except maybe ice cream and cheesecake once in a while

I also have to add some flexibility for Jeff to have rice, potatoes, pasta and some of the complex carbs he love so much.

Now, I have to find a tool to help me plan meals and, if possible, plan my shopping list. There are diets out there that are "good" but just not the right one for me.  I shall keep trying to find a way to make it a little easier...