Have you ever hit a plateau? You're watching your food intake like a hawk, regularly hitting the gym, closing the kitchen after dinner and yet the scale does not budge. What... the... heck.
Maybe you are craving more energy, yet even with healthy food choices you still have the afternoon crash. Or, you were hoping to kick sugar cravings for good but despite eating lots of protein and vegetables, you still want chocolate every night.
You feel defeated because the effort is all there, yet you still can't deflate that spare tire hanging around your tummy. Or your last Dr's appointment showed creeping cholesterol or blood pressure numbers that caught you by surprise!
I have breaking news for you: Eating foods that cause chronic inflammation may be fighting against your efforts to lose weight, increase energy, and improve your health markers.
Inflammation not only inhibits weight loss, but many scientists now believe that most—or perhaps all—chronic diseases may have the same trigger.
Studies have linked inflammation to a wide range of disorders, from heart attacks and strokes to type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, chronic pain, and even cancer.
But back to weight loss... inflammation is triggered whenever there is trauma or a foreign invader in the body. It’s like an alarm system, and once the injury has been healed or the invader has been eliminated, your immune system will eventually disarm the alarm.
When inflammation is caused by food we eat on a daily basis, you’re constantly turning on your body’s alarm system. This incessant inflammatory response can lead to weight gain, skin problems, low energy, digestive issues, and all those scary diseases I mentioned above.
So yes... your acne, weird skin rashes, climbing cholesterol, unexplainable dashes to the bathroom, and desire to curl up with your toddler for nap time in the afternoon can all be caused by inflammation.
If you’ve hit a plateau with your weight loss or relate to any symptoms of inflammation, make sure you’ve eliminated these foods from your diet.
-SUGAR-VEGETABLE OIL, aka CANOLA OIL, SOYBEAN OIL & CORN OIL-FRIED FOOD-REFINED GRAINS, aka carbs that use to be a whole grain but have been broken down into a flour
-DAIRY-ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS, aka "no-sugar added" products, "diet" sodas & drinks, anything with Splenda, Sweet-N-Low, or other fake sugars
-ARTIFICIAL ADDITIVES, aka food colorings & emulsifying agents
-GRAIN-FED MEATS {stick with grass-fed beef!}
-GLUTEN-ALCOHOL{ Problematic in excess -stick to one drink!}
-TRANS FATS, hydrogenated oils & store-bought baked goods like pastries, cookies & muffins
I know it can seem overwhelming if these are foods you eat regularly, but start small and pull them out one by one. Pay attention to how you feel once they've been out of your system for a week. Notice any change?
I promise you it will be worth it! Not only will you feel better but you'll increase your longevity and break through that weight loss plateau keeping you stuck!
