Fresh vs. Frozen Veggies, Sugar Addictions, and Tips for a Healthy Halloween

Fresh Veggies vs. Frozen Veggies

Many people wonder whether is better to buy fresh vegetables or frozen vegetables.  Some swear by the fresh variety and others will only go for the frozen stuff.  So, which one is the right call?  Well, it depends.  Fresh vegetables are best when they are farm-fresh and ripe.  This means they have been picked within the last day or so and have not sat on a truck or shelf for days.  The problem is that you have to go to a farmer’s market to get these fresh veggies (unless you have a green house in your back yard).

Many commercial vegetables (the kind you find at a grocery store) are picked before peak ripeness and before their nutritional peak.  This is to ensure that the veggies are ripe once they are sitting on the shelf in the produce department.  The problem is that the longer a fruit or vegetable sits on the shelf the more the nutritional value decreases.  So when you purchase “fresh” veggies at the grocery store you are sacrificing vitamins and minerals.

Frozen veggies on the other had are picked at peak ripeness and nutritional value and flash frozen very quickly.  This process does deplete some of the nutrients but locks on most of the vitamins and minerals for 4 to 12 months.  In my opinion, unless you are able to get to a farmer’s market frozen veggies are the way to go.  Not only do they contain higher levels of nutrients but they are far more convenient as well!

Breaking your sugar addiction

Yes, sugar is absolutely an addiction for many people.  In fact, when they give sugar to rats they get the same neurochemical kick as they do from morphine, cocaine, and nicotine.  This makes it a very tough addiction to kick…but it can be done!

I always advise my clients to take 3 days and completely eliminate sugar from their diet.  It is difficult but definitely not impossible.  By cutting out sugar for 3 days (and simple carbs as well…i.e. white flour, white rice, processed foods, etc) you stabilize your blood sugar levels.  When blood sugar is stabilized your body no longer craves sugar.  You may still desire the taste of sugar (that is a will power issue) but you will no longer CRAVE it!

As challenging as those 3 days may be, and there will be some withdrawal type side effects, the payoff is huge.  By no longer craving sugar you most likely will stay away from it.  Cutting sugar and simple carbs out of your diet is the single most powerful thing you can do to increase your body’s fat burning potential.

Tips for a healthier Halloween

Every year Halloween triggers the beginning of the holiday season.  This is your first chance to start putting on the holiday weight.  But this does not have to be the case.  Here are some tips to help keep the waistline in check this Halloween:

1.    Feed yourself and your kids a healthy snack or meal before going trick-or-treating.  This way you and your kids will be less hungry and less tempted.

2.    Keep Halloween candy around for 2 days max.  If you let Halloween candy hang around for weeks guess what…you will eat it for weeks!  Halloween is on a Saturday so throw the candy out on Monday.  If you don’t want to throw it away, give it away, take it to work; just make sure it’s not accessible!

3.    Don’t buy Halloween candy too early.  Buy it on the day of Halloween (or, the day before if you insist : ).  Just like I stated above, if the candy is around you will eat it!

4.    When you do eat the candy, do so in moderation.  Most Halloween candy is small so you feel less guilty about eating it.  Eating one small piece of candy is not the end of the world but the questions is… do you stop at one?  Most people don’t.  And because the candy is small it’s easy find yourself “popping” candy all day.  This year take a piece or two of candy a day and set it aside.  That is your candy for the day.  Once it’s gone it’s gone.  If you can do this it will save you hundreds of calories and dozens of grams of sugar.

So, if you are on a mission to get or stay lean this holiday season it begins on Saturday.  Remain motivated, dedicated, and vigilant and you will be very pleased come January!

Until next time…

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Yours in Health,

Jason Goggans