Lean up for Fall – Fast Food

In the last two installments we covered, carbs and protein. We get a lot of questions asking, do we really have to eat clean all the time? Let’s face it, the more you eat clean, the leaner and healthier you will be, no question. However in real life, it can be a little tough. Traveling for work, or just simply multi-tasking in life can run you short of time. Which is why you should always have food pre-prepared, and know what you next meal is. Sometimes, we deserve a little cheat or break, as long as it is planned, as so you can balance out your day. No an excuse for multiple cheats in a row. That’s sabotage, to all the hard work you did. In the fast food listed in the chart, notice how low most items are in protein, high in sugary carbs, or fat. Also high in sodium. Most FDA food guideline’s (US or Canadian) suggest 1500mg of sodium a day. There has been suggestions of increasing that to 2000mg. I am not sure that, that is a good idea. Is it to allow more fast food to promote their salt laden junk, or do we really need it? Doubt it. If you are sweating a lot, you can use a little more no issue. However, if you are hypertensive, or pre-hypertensive (high blood pressure) you may want to be aware of the hidden sodium in foods. In 1 chicken stock cube, there is over 2000 mg of sodium! Have a look at the chart and see how many of these items you eat a week, and what the calorie content is, and how much sodium there is. If you consume many of these foods, and you look and feel bloated often, you now know why. You don’t need to eliminate them completely, plan for a cheat, and save them for truly a treat….when you’ve earned it!

next let’s look at alcohol!