When it comes to losing weight, too many rules can be too confusing.
So, we consulted with the experts, who shared what you should be eating and the two big mistakes keeping you from your goal weight.
An apple a day keeps the doctor away, or so we thought!
"Apples are middle of the road," explains Valley certified nutritionist, Judy Nicassio.
But, aren't fruits supposed to be healthy?
"We have to be careful, because fruit is still a sugar," Nicassio explains.
So, is it best to stick with sugar free?
"The side effects of some of these artificial sweeteners is that they're known carcinogens," explains Dr. Michael Robb, who specializes in naturopathic medicine.
Avoiding all fats in good seems pretty obvious -- is that right?
"We know that fat free has to replace that taste with something -- it's usually chemicals," Dr. Robb explains.
So, we should just stop eating altogether because all food is bad. Am I right?
"It isn't bad. It's how you use it," says Dr. Robb.
And that's exactly what we wanted to learn. Too many rules can be too confusing. So, we asked Nicassio and Dr. Robb to give us the basics. Both specialize in naturopathic medicine.
"There are two problems that can cause health and weight gain," Nicassio says.
One is insulin resistance and the other is inflammation.
"Inflammation can cause most disease states today," Nicassio explains. "When I see most patients, I take out a lot of the foods that are inflammatory, especially grains and dairy."
And she replaces those foods with moderate proteins, low carb foods and fats -- the good kind! So, what are these healthy fats? Coconut oil, baby spinach, nuts, seeds, nut butters, avocados, and ghee.
Ghee??!?
"It tastes like butter, smells like butter," Nicassio promises.
And, apparently, it's the perfect substitute for butter, since dairy can cause inflammation.
But, back to those fruits, what are the best ones to eat?
'Berries are best," Nicassio says. "Lemons, limes won't mess with your blood sugar. Fresh pomegrantes are good."
And, really, no on the apples??
"Maybe, I eat the apple with some nuts, because I'm going to slow down the absorption of the glucose," Nicassio says.
Dr. Robb says it's important to remember: losing 5 pounds of fat is a big deal.
"Most people who do dieting correctly can lose this much fat in as little as 1 week."
There's one specific diet Nicassio says will kick start you into weight loss: it's called Ketogenic Diet.
