About to start the HCG diet and was wondering if I can eat brussel sprouts, caulflower or greenbeans on it?
Answer:
There are many people who have major concerns regarding this pregnancy hormone diet. The American Medical Association has studied it and found it doesn’t work very well, and may be quite dangerous in some circumstances also. You really don’t need a fancy “diet” to lose weight, just common-sense approaches to health and life-style. If you really need to lose weight, then try aiming for about a pound to a pound and a half a week: if you lose it too quickly, it will come back quickly and easily also.
Some things which will help you maintain a healthy weight (see http://www.halls.md/body-mass-index/bmi.htm for calculations which will tell you if you are at a healthy body weight, and will also show how you measure up against other young ladies of your age and height), are:
1) Build physical activity into your life-style: cycling and walking are great ways to get around whenever possible, swimming is a fun, all-round exercise, sports are also excellent and more fun than just “exercising”…. of course you can also go to the gym, but don’t fall into the trap of depending upon gym time and activities to get enough exercise and physical activity!!
2) Cut out snacking….. period. Eat at regular intervals: this is much healthier for your body, and you’d be surprised at how many calories snacks can add up to!!
3) Cut out junk foods – or at least minimize them. They add lots of calories but almost no nutrition. Soda pop is a big culprit, but pizza, white bread (yes, it’s a junk food – the vitamins they add to white flour are nutritionally almost useless), chips, burgers, etc.
4) Maximize the fruit, veggies, nuts and so on categories: find out which you like best and find tasty ways to prepare and cook them, and you’ll be more likely to eat more of them!!
5) Get enough sleep: this is important to losing weight and staying healthy all-round: when you don’t get enough sleep, your energy levels are low and you’ll be less likely to get out and do things: in short a sleep-starved person is often a lazy one!! Besides, the old excuse that you don’t have time for sufficient sleep (7 to 8 hours for most folks) is a false one: if you sleep well, you’ll be much more energetic and alert and you’ll get more things done in less time than you would if you skimp on sleep in order to “save time”!! Darkness and quiet are important for getting high-quality sleep. Keep your room cool at night, don’t hide your head under the covers (where you’re breathing in what you just breathed out….), and be sure to drink enough before you go to bed. A good shower followed by a nice shot of cold water also helps you to get to sleep!!
6) Drink plenty of water – more than you normally would: this will give you more energy, and will help your body function more efficiently overall. The color of your pee will tell you if you are drinking enough: it should be almost clear: if it is distinctly yellow you are not properly hydrated and need some more water. Sure you’ll go to the bathroom more often, but the increase in energy levels and the decrease in tension levels will make it more than worthwhile, trust me!!!
7) Eat a good breakfast, and a light supper. Breakfast gives you energy for the morning, and revs up your metabolism for the day. Without a proper breakfast you will be sluggish and not as energetic or alert. Breakfast foods should be ones which digest easily – this means bacon, hash browns and sausages are out while whole grains and yummy fruit are in!! Yougurt makes a good breakfast food too…. // A light supper will mean you don’t go to bed on a full stomach: a practice which is bad for your health since it impairs the quality of your sleep.
Wishing you all the best!!