Stocking the fridge?

The supermarket may seem overwhelming when you are trying to eat a low-glycemic diet.

Shopping for food shouldn't be stressful. Keep the following tips in mind next time you are at the store:

• Don't go hungry; eat a snack to avoid impulse buying
• Check out the ingredients. Limit intake of foods with large amounts of sugar, flour, salt, refined grains, and hydrogenated vegetable oil.
• Peruse the "Nutrition Facts." Look at calorie, carbohydrate, and fat amounts for each serving. Also look at the fibre, sodium, and sugar content. Evaluate them against your healthy eating choices and nutrition goals.
• Focus on making healthy choices of whole, unrefined foods.
• Stock up on legumes, whole grains, nuts, healthy oils, fruits, and vegetables, low-fat proteins, and light dairy products.

Tips for eating out

Everybody loves eating out at a restaurant now and then, but it seems almost impossible to make good food choices when faced with so many options.

Here are some suggestions for eating well when you're eating out:

• Avoid buffets and other all-you-can-eat restaurants
• Don't go when you're starving; eat a small snack first
• Limit alcoholic beverages
• Order items that have been prepared healthfully: steamed, broiled, roasted, etc.
• Don't be afraid to ask for substitutions
• If portions are large, split yours with someone
• Keep low-glycemic foods in mind and order the best choice available

The following are some tips for specific types of restaurants:

Chinese

• Order traditional dishes that feature moderate portions of proteins (meat or tofu) stir-fried with an assortment of vegetables and tasty sauces
• Avoid the fried foods and white sticky rice, order brown rice if available
• Broth-based soups like hot and sour, egg drop, or wonton are good choices
• Order foods cooked in black bean, oyster, Szechuan, or hot mustard sauce

French

• Look for Mediterranean-style items
• Avoid the bread and high-fat sauces
• Order broiled, steamed, or poached foods
• Choose tomato/wine sauces, broth-based soups

Greek

• Choose roasted lamb or chicken dishes prepared with lemon and yoghurt
• Order Greek salads
• Avoid the filo-dough, mounds of feta cheese, and puddles of olive oil
• Try baked fish and chicken dishes that are healthily prepared

Indian

• Order healthily prepared legumes, chicken, fish, and vegetables
• Choose basmati rice--as a side or in biryanis--and chapati bread
• Try the tomato-based sauces and tandoori dishes
• Avoid sauces made with large amounts of coconut or coconut milk

Italian

• Steer clear of the white bread and cheesy, creamy sauces
• Choose tomato or marsala sauces
• Order a half-portion of pasta and combine with a salad
• Go for the thin-crust pizza with low-fat cheese and loaded with vegetables

Japanese

• Try miso soup and soy beans for an appetizer
• Limit the sticky rice (ask if brown rice is available) and avoid tempura
• Choose sashimi, yakitori, teriyaki, sukiyaki, and grilled dishes
• Order udon or soba noodles

Mexican

• Stay away from the cheese and refried beans
• Order grilled seafood and chicken dishes: tacos, burritos, fajitas
• Ask for low-fat cheese, whole-wheat tortillas, and light sour cream
• Limit guacamole

Thai

• Order dishes that combine proteins (meat or tofu) with vegetables
• Choose curry, chili, basil, lime, and fish sauces
• Opt for long-grain rice over white rice
• Try pad thai and other stir-fried noodle dishes, ask for less oil to be used in the preparation

Healthy for life program ‏/ Ray D. Strand, M.D.

Healthy for life program overview
‏/ Ray D. Strand, M.D.



When I first began trying to reverse insulin resistance in my patients, I tried to teach them healthy lifestyles in a classroom setting. I personally felt that if these people understood the principles and the scientific concepts involving insulin resistance they would automatically make these effective lifestyle changes. Well, to my chagrin most of the patients really did not do very well and therefore, the improvements in their health were not that great. Most of my patients were very sincere in their attempts to make these healthy lifestyle changes but met with all sorts of distractions and misconceptions and would quickly revert back to their old lifestyles.
About 8 years ago I decided to change my approach and simply counsel my patients individually in my office. This was a team effort between my two nurse practitioners and myself. We held our patients accountable by having them document everything they ate during the week, their exercise, and their consumption of the nutritionals. We then would see them back in my office each and every week for the first month and then every other week thereafter. This was an amazing eye-opener for me and my entire staff. When we made the patients become accountable and they realized that they had to write down everything they had been eating during the week, did we see some major improvements! My staff was also able to further educate my patients by simply pointing out to my patients where they were making mistakes and still spiking their blood sugars. Through this interaction my patients not only were learning these new concepts about healthy living but were now more effectively applying them to their own lives. The results were simply amazing! I have literally been able to see my patient’s health improve before my eyes. Individuals who are trying to make changes in their lifestyles want to know exactly what they need to do to improve their health. The more they would learn in the lay media and books, the more confused they would become. The Healthy for Life Program is cutting-edge and based entirely on medical research. This is why so many people have chosen to become involved with the Healthy for Life Program I have developed. Not only do they trust the information they are receiving but when they personally make these lifestyle changes they are having such tremendous results.
I have now developed this new web page http://www.releasingfat.com/, which I feel offers everyone a greater chance of success. This is literally my personal medical office online. The internet offers us a unique tool which will be even more effective in evaluating, documenting, encouraging, and holding individuals accountable than my approach in my medical office. Individuals anywhere in the world who truly desire to develop these healthier lifestyles that have a side-effect of permanent weight loss can now have lifetime success. This approach can be done in the privacy of their own home and where they receive professional guidance and support from my entire staff.
I want to explain how I am able, through this site, to help anyone around the world achieve these health benefits. Even though these lifestyle changes are simple and easy, we are all creatures of habits—some good and some bad. In order to effectively have victory over some of these poor lifestyles, you need to be motivated, encouraged, and held accountable. Over time, these new lifestyles become natural and eventually just a way of life. Out with the old habits and in with the new healthier habits. You will actually enjoy the freedom of not being addicted to fast food and all the high-glycemic and processed carbohydrates. You will enjoy the way you feel and your new energy level along with a sense of well-being. You will also not be discouraged when you begin to shed excess pounds of fat and realize that you are not even trying to lose weight. You will not weigh your food or count calories. If you become naturally hungry, you simply eat another low-glycemic meal or snack. That's correct, you will not go hungry on the Healthy for Life Program.

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