Sign, sign, everywhere a sign

Blocking out the scenery, breakin’ my mind’

Do this, don’t do that, can’t you read the sign?…

(5 Man Electrical Band)

Do you ever just sick and tired of after having let family and friends know you are trying to lose weight, when you sit down with a salad, they are quick to let you know that you might as well be eating a cheeseburger because of the dressing you are using? Yeah, me too. At this time, it is perfectly acceptable to tell them to go “pound sand” as we used to say in the Navy. Have you ever noticed these types who tell you this are usually functionally illiterate when it comes to nutrition? Why in the world can’t they just let you eat your salad in peace. You just have to tell them to mind their own weight, and you will mind your own too.

But, if you can not get your peace and quiet in order to eat that salad, you might have them explain just where the nutritional conversion takes place where all of a sudden that lettuce and vegetables have lost their nutritional value. Did the egg or meat in it also lose it’s protein value? Hell no it didn’t. None of it lost a lick of nutritional value.

The snappy come back will invariably be that the greens, vegetables and protein sources are still good, but the salad lost it’s viability because of the fattening dressing you just poured on it. These well meaning ignoramuses’ will then always tell you that you should choose the low or zero fat dressings if you want your salad to still be good for you.

It is about this time where my forced nicety will come to an end. If you are going to advise me as to what is good for me, at least know what the hell you are talking about. If not, then shut the hell up.

My friends, no matter the dressing you use on your salad, those vegetables and lettuce are still going to retain their vitamin, mineral, and fiber content. Your digestive tract is still going to benefit from the ruffage. As for the dressing, there are many to choose from, and yes, many to avoid. I will always recommend the full fat dressings over low fat or zero fat dressings. Read the labels, full fat dressings are often made with olive oil which are a heart healthy part of your diet as it is rich in omega 3 fatty acids. The fat helps your body with the absortion of nutrients which means your body will benefit from that salad more than if you had not used it. You can find really good full fat dressings which are totally healthy for you to consume.

Unless you just really like them, avoid the low fat and zero fat dressings as they are usually loaded up with sugar in order to enhance the flavor when their is a lack of fat. That sugar, as I have written extensively about is going to cause you to get cravings for more sugary foods and as with other sweet treats, can cause you dietary related health problems later in life if not already. Sugar has an inflammatory effect in our bodies which promotes preventable ailments such as type 2 Diabetes, heart disease, cancer and others. Too much sugar can cause you to have insulin spikes and can also make you feel lethargic and not as clear headed as you normally would be.

Because fats are calorie dense compared to carbs and protein it gets a bad rap. This bad rap has actually been perpetuated by the sugar industry. There are 9 calories per gram of fat as opposed to 4 calories per gram of protein and carbohydrates respectively. The thing is, even though fat is more calorically dense than protein and carbs, you are certainly not going to be eating it in the same quantities. Let’s get real about fats, carbs and protein. As long as you track your foods which you consume and do not exceed your daily needs per your base metabolic rate, then you can eat to your hearts content as long as it is whole and healthy foods which are not processed or contain simple or refined sugar. Whole foods are actually hard to exceed your daily caloric needs with, while processed foods with sugars and preservatives will never leave you feeling satisfied for long. Eat your salad with full fat dressings. Eat it in peace and if someone begins talking smack about how they are not so good for you, you can always throat punch them. That will shut them up…

At David’s Way, we promote eating whole healthy foods of high protein and low in carb content. Eat complex carbs, our bodies need them, just ensure you do so in moderation. Avoid sugar, or simple carbs other than fruit, and do not eat processed foods which are usually laden with sugar and preservatives. Do not eat foods with ingredients you can not pronounce or which you do not know what they are when you read the ingredient list. We promote vigorous exercise at least 3 times per week and more if you can. We also promote getting adequate rest as a means to recover from exercise and your otherwise busy life. Enjoy your journey in weight loss and towards health and wellness. God bless and thank you for reading.