Dietary Plan for Eating Out –
By Rachel Zeskind (copyright 2011)
When you are eating out there is a guarantee that your foods will have added salt, sugar and chemicals. For optimum health it is best to limit the amount of eating out by finding a routine that works with the demands of your life.
We are all busy, the way that I recommend to ensure that your nutritional needs do not fall by the way side of a busy schedule is to chose one day or evening a week and cook in bulk. Proteins and grains can be prepared and refrigerated. Vegetables however need to be eaten within 2 days of being cooked in order to retain their nutrients. Also veggies should not be reheated as it depletes vitamins and minerals. I recommend getting veggies that you can take with you easily (organic bagged salad, cucumbers, carrots) and also lightly steam a batch of broccoli, spinach, zucchini, etc. every few days. Then every evening simply make small servings up and pout them in Tupperware containers. Then you can easily grab your meals for the day and head out the door.
Since this may not always be possible we must find a way that this will work for you. When eating out, my recommendation is to try to limit fatty, high sodium and carbohydrate-based meals. When eating out (especially late in the evening) try to order foods that are primarily protein and vegetables (steer clear of any 'white' veggies/starches at these meals).
Ask the waitress to have foods prepared with out butter or salt, as a substitute ask for food to be prepared with olive oils. Most salad dressings are all sodium, fat and sugar so when eating salads out ask for oil and vinegar and lemon, it makes a refreshing and clean alternative!
Just to let you know fast food places like McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Subway, etc. have vegetables that have MSG and many other dangerous preservatives. You may not think you have time to cook but I promise you that the time you invest in your health today will save you tons of time and money in health issues later!
IMPORTANT, drink PLENTY of water with your meal and after toxins. If you rarely eat out and are eating organic foods at home you may experience some ‘side effects’ from the hormones, preservatives and other fun toxins. If this is the case, the next day by increasing water by 1/3 gallon per day with one lemon squeezed into it – add electrolytes!
Hydration –
It is my recommendation that you begin drinking a MINIMUM of 1 ounce of water per day (one ounce per pound of body weight). To achieve this it is best to use a non-carcinogenic bottle and fill it in the morning with alkaline (PH balanced water). Carry this with you everywhere so it is easier to keep track of water consumption.
Also to ensure proper hydration/absorption while maintaining your levels of electrolytes please add 1-2 packets of all natural electrolytes into your water (Whole Foods sells a few good brands).
