Are you starting to think the TLC diet is for you? Well if so then take a look at the major benefits if you decide to follow this way of eating …
1. Easy to Follow
The diet is simple and easy to follow There are no special kinds of foods that you need to cook. There is no need to learn a new recipe. You don’t need to buy special and expensive ingredients. The diet is simple, straightforward and inexpensive. The meals are easy to prepare. Since you don’t need to strictly follow a specific meal plan, you have the freedom to modify the recipes per what is available for you.
Since this diet will allow you to modify your meals, it is also possible to adjust it if you are vegetarian or if you want it to be gluten-free. The important thing is to learn how to eat generally within the guidelines of the diet. Once you know and understand the basic principles which make the diet so effective, it will undoubtedly be much easier for you to modify the diet in accordance with your individual needs.
2. It is Proven Effective
The diet is healthy and proven effective The effects of the TLC diet are long-term. This is because rather than providing a quickfix solution to the problem, the TLC diet encourages positive changes in a person’s lifestyle. The true secret of maintaining a healthy lifestyle is knowing how to keep eating healthy and how to continue exercising for a long time. Rather than a race, think of health as a marathon. It cannot be rushed and it must be taken slowly but surely.
3. Educates People
The TLC diet actually educates people. With the TLC diet, a person is made aware of what he or she should eat and drink. A person learns how to choose what is healthy. This means knowing how to shop for healthy items, how to read labels and how to prepare meals in a healthy way. A person will also know how to compute how much saturated fat he or she is recommended to consume. Unlike some other diets, you will not be told what you should eat in every single meal. Therefore, it is up to a person to choose his or her meals according to what he or she learns.
Well those are just a few of the main benefits gained by following the principles of the TLC Diet.
We will look more specifically at what to eat and how to get your proper nutrients in.
TLC Nutrition Overview – Getting Your Nutrients & What To Eat
To lower your cholesterol levels, there’s no getting around the fact that you must do something about the food you eat.
The TLC program’s major focus is to create a nutritious way of eating that will provide the correct nutrients and will reduce the amount of saturated fat you eat.
These Saturated fats are the fats that elevate your cholesterol levels. First you want to reduce the foods high in saturated fats, like fatty cuts of meat and whole milk products you eat.
You will also have to replace some of the animal fats and choose some healthy, monounsaturated oils – olive oil, for example.
Another good option is choosing a fatty acid supplement like Omega-3. These fats will keep the good cholesterol up and lower the bad one.
The types of food you eat can be as important as their calorie content. What is good for one person may not be the same for the other. It is thus important to understand your metabolic system and nutritional needs.
What are calories? There is so much hype surrounding calories these days. All of us know that in order to lose weight, we must burn calories. But what exactly are calories? In simple words, calories are units of energy in food or drinks required by the body to perform its functions. The amount of calories needed by your body depends on the amount of energy required by your body to keep warm.
This is exactly what your body needs, irrespective of your activities. Typically, the larger an individual, the greater their caloric need is or their basal metabolic rate – which is the amount
of energy expended by a body at rest. The basal metabolic rate remains the same daily.
If your body needs, in example, 2,000 calories today, it will require the same amount tomorrow and the next day and so on. Basal metabolic rate varies from person to person, depending on the body size and amount of work you do.
What Can You Eat?
The TLC program is based on consuming a wide array of different foods but in doing so, getting a proper ratio of nutrients to fuel your body effectively. Food choices are not restricted per se, but must be consumed in a limited amount. These amounts are sometimes a percentage of your total calorie intake for each day.
Saturated fat Less than 7 % of total calories
Polyunsaturated fat Up to 10 % of total calories
Monounsaturated fat Up to 20 % of total calories
Carbohydrate 50 % to 60 % of total calories
Soluble fiber At least 5 to 10 grams a day
Protein Approximately 15 % of total calories
Fat
The biggest part of TLC diet program is about fats and is where we are going to focus our attention on in this beginners guide. If you get the correct amount of good fats in your diet most things will fall into place (Carbs, Protein & Fiber).
These fats can help you fight those cholesterol levels, or help you feed them. You have to learn what fat actually is in order to defeat it – get to know your enemy before fighting it!
Fat seems to be a dreaded word for most of us. But have you ever wondered why there is so much hue and cry about fat? First, I need you to understand this.
Dietary fat is different than your body fat.
It appears that the lack of knowledge of nutrition scares most to think dietary fat is bad. It can be considered word and image association where you hear the word “fat” and automatically associate it with the fat on your belly. Automatically you think, “Uh oh, I don’t want any more fat on my stomach, I don’t want that food if it has fat.” So, is a low-fat diet a solution for all ills?
Well, before answering this question, it is important to find whether you are eating healthy fats or not. Healthy fats include seeds, nuts, and unrefined oils and naturally occurring fats in vegetables and meats. The key lies in maintaining moderation and optimizing nutritional benefits. Experts recommend that fats and oil should suffice for at least 10–40 percent of your regular energy needs.
Though fats have earned a poor reputation for their effect on heart health and obesity, some fat is ESSENTIAL for health and wellbeing.
Fats help in the absorption of carotenoids and fat-soluble vitamins – A, D, E, K Supply essential fatty acids needed by the body, which it cannot make on its own, such as omega-3 – which is an unsaturated fat that we must consume from our diets mainly found in fish. Fats have the potential to harm as well as help our health; depending on their fatty acid composition, their nutritional value, and their condition.
When used in a natural, unadulterated state, fat offers optimal nutritional benefits. On the other hand, a very-low- fat diet can compromise our health and ability to lose weight.
Fatty Acids
When you eat food, the fat comprised in the food is known as fatty acids. Typically considered “good fats,” fatty acids are known as the building blocks of many cellular structures and hormonal patterns in the human body.
Healthy Nuts, Seeds, Fats And Oils.
Healthy Nuts & Seeds To Consume: Almonds, Pistachios, Walnuts, Hazelnuts, Sesame Seeds Pecans, Brazil Nuts, Sunflower Seeds, Macadamia Nuts, Cashews, Peanuts, Pumpkin Seeds, Chia Seeds.
Fats and oils to use: Almond Oil, Red Palm Oil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Grape seed oil, Sesame Oil, Flax Seed Oil, Macadamia Nut Oil Hemp, Coconut Oil, Safflower Oil.
These fatty acids help in the transfer of oxygen to different parts of the body through the bloodstream. These fats help keep skin healthy, thus preventing signs of early aging. These promote cell membrane development and are essential for strong organs and tissue.
They help the body process cholesterol and rid the arteries of plaque or cholesterol build-up. Fatty acids boost the functioning of adrenal and thyroid glands, thus helping regulate weight.
