Trim Healthy Mama Plan by Pearl Barrett Page B

congratulations: You’re the runner-up…again on somebody else’s quiz, not ours. While pretzels are considered fat-free and looked on fondly by the dieting world, we call them fatzels. They’re white-flour blood-sugar spikers. Even if you find a whole-wheat variety, if they are not made from fermented or sprouted flour, they will quickly spike your bloodstream. This also applies to all whole-wheat-flour products including pasta, crackers, and that wheat bread in the turkey and cheese sandwich. Don’t let this throw you into a pit of despair. Life is still awesome because sprouting or fermenting grains predigests much of the starch. Along with sprouted whole-grain breads, sprouted pastas are also on the plan and can work in your E meals. There are many brands of sprouted breads to choose from in stores these days. (Or be adventurous and make your own. There are some THM-friendly sprouted bread recipes easily found online, and you’ll find a fabulous one in the “Breads and Pizza Crusts” chapter of the
Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook.
) You can even purchase sprouted pretzels if you just have to have them!
    Answer: C is it! While a turkey and cheese on wheat is not a burger and fries, it is still a common, deceivingly innocent meal, contributing to the obesity epidemic in our culture. We’ve already addressed the fact that the regular wheat bread is a blood-sugar spiker. Itis also the combination of the heavy fats (mayo and cheese) with the fast-spiking flour product (don’t forget those pretzels on the side) that makes this meal a fat bomb ready to explode. People with super-high metabolisms are exempt from this fat explosion, but that blood-sugar high is still dangerous for their long-term health.
    We can’t leave option D unaddressed. We love us some painted toenails, but here’s a little tip for your health journey. Mostnail polish contains a laundry list of toxins. All are disturbing but the big three are formaldehyde (a known human carcinogen), dibutyl phthalate (DBP, which is linked to birth defects), and toluene, which damages the nervous and reproductive system. These are absorbed into the bloodstream. We don’t want to take away pretty nails, but do seek out brands free of these obnoxious chemicals.
WHERE’S THECORN?
    Corn is a grain, so does that make it E-friendly? We have a gray answer for this one. Corn is used to fatten up animals and we don’t promote it enthusiastically on plan. If eaten too frequently, corn and most corn products won’t do your health and waistline any favors. The exceptions are sprouted whole-grain corn tortillas, which can be used in an E setting. A few baked blue corn chips are a nice snack with Greek yogurt and salsa or on top of an E-style chili. As you can see, we are not being corn Nazis and demanding that a kernel of corn never again cross your lips. A little bit of corn in an E-style chili really does add something incredible…little pops of sweet. We use it in moderation in some of our E recipes. We’re just saying, go easy! Corn is not a gentle-burning grain, so don’t make it a go- to food. Seek out organic sources of corn if GMO foods concern you but non-GMO does not take away the fattening effects of too much corn.
    Popcorn—what would life be without it? Drenched with butter and sprinkled with salt and nutritional yeast, it is just about one of the most amazing Crossover snacks eva! But even when you’re at Crossover stage, don’t sit there every night eating that snack. Just watch what will happen to your once loose jeans: Good-bye to them! Save it for a now-and-then treat. You can eat popcorn in an E setting; just follow these guidelines:
    •  Keep portion size to four to five cups.
    •  Spray with coconut oil or olive oil spray (so you don’t go over about one teaspoon of fat) and sprinkle generously with seasonings.
    • Keep a three-hour distance between an E popcorn snack and an S meal if you are in weight-loss mode.
    •  Don’t eat popcorn