What do I teach that you need to know?

I was asked the other day what my classes taught that they didn’t know. Bingo! That is the million dollar question.  I always considered myself pretty healthy and health conscience. I followed the food pyramid, we didn’t have the My Plate guidelines until Michelle Obama revised it in 2013. I knew about protein and that it stabilized blood sugar, but outside of that I really didn’t know much about nutrition. I thought I did; like so many of you, until I began my own search for healthier, cleaner eating. What I found out surprised me. I was so surprised at what I found I knew I had to share with others. Here are some of the things that I found out that I feel are important for everyone to know. 

Most people think they know how to read the nutritional information on the side of the box. But, there is more to it than just looking to see how many calories are in a serving, how many servings are in the package or grams of sugar. There are 4 important sets of information on the nutritional panel, I break those down and help you understand what you are reading, how to convert it to useful information and what you really should be looking for when grocery shopping.

A big push in the 90’s was to eliminate fats from your diet. Everything suddenly became “fat free.” But, in order for foods to taste good after removing the fat, manufacturers had to add extra sugar. The body can only process so much sugar in the pancreas as it was intended to. What happens to the rest? It gets sent to other areas of the body and stored as… FAT.  There are three types of fat. Some are good for you, some are okay in moderation and others you want to avoid like the plaque! Our bodies need fat for many reasons. I walk you through what fat does for us – the good kind, of course and how to get what we need so you can prepare food for yourself or your family OR make educated decisions when eating out and shopping.

We all have heard the saying that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but do you know why it is? Here we talk about blood sugars and protein. We talk about a “brainy breakfast” and what that is. We also discuss how much protein a person should be eating – the answer may surprise you. 

Dr. Sears has created what he calls Traffic Light Eating. Here we discuss what foods you can eat as much as you want, they are considered “free” foods. What to eat mindfully, and what to eat in moderation. We define moderation and each family/person creates their own goal around that. We also discuss the ingredients you want to avoid and why they are so bad for you. 

These are just a few of the 12 healthy living concepts that I teach. I think what fires me up so much about this topic is that I feel that we – collectively as a society has been duped or purposefully had the truth about our foods, the diet we should be eating are hidden from us. How can we eat well if we don’t know what is in our food? I want everyone to be able to be informed and then make their own choices based on what moves them. I share this information in a practical, hands-on and fun way and then help you figure out some healthier alternatives to the things we want to avoid or limit. I believe in a program where the whole family can learn and benefit from this knowledge. This structure allows families to discuss food choices, creates accountability, and brings the family unit closer through shared goals. 

For more information about the classes available, go to www.invinciblehealthandwellness4life.org

Sonda Swanberg is a certified health and wellness coach through Dr. Sears Wellness Institute