Top 10 Low Carb and Low Cost foods.

According to the American Diabetes Association, it can be difficult and expensive to try to eat healthy with diabetes or any other type of eating program initially. Things are gradually changing, but some of the healthiest foods art still often among the most expensive. Although I have found that the initial first and possibly second shopping excursion tends to be the most expensive, it tends to taper off because you have now bought the staples needed for the recipes or your pantry.

Low carb foods that are also low cost-they'll sabotage neither your budget nor your blood sugar.

1. Eggs are a great low carb, high protein food and can be made in a variety of ways. yes, the yolk does contain some saturated fat, but with eggs, the good outweighs the bad, and they are one of the most inexpensive and versatile protein sources. Try them scrambled, fried, in a veggie and cheese omelet or hard boiled on their own or made into egg salad.



2. Canned or Dried Beans top the list of inexpensive healthy foods in my book. You can usually purchase a can of beans, such as black, kidney, pinto, or navy beans for around one dollar per can. One half cup of beans provides around 15 grams of carbs, varying amounts of protein, and lots of fiber. Add beans to salads, soups, tacos, dips or chili.



3. Canned Tuna is another inexpensive lean protein source, packed full of omega-3 fatty acids, which have a positive effect on heart health. Buy tuna packed in water and add it to a green salad for lunch or mix with a little plain yogurt, light mayonnaise, celery, and onions for a quick and healthy tuna salad.



4. Sweet Potatoes do contain carbohydrates, but they are packed full of good nutrition, providing vitamin A, potassium, and fiber - just make sure to watch your portion size and count your carbs. A small sweet potato contains about 18g of carbs and 3g of fiber. You can throw a sweet potato in the microwave and have a great side dish in a flash.



5. Frozen Veggies such as green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts and spinach are low in carbohydrates ad considered "free foods." They provide a variety of vitamins, minerals, and fiber and are lower in sodium than canned vegetables. Frozen veggies should be a part of your weekly grocery list. They can complete a meal in just a few minutes.



6. Seasonal Vegetables will save you money and they taste better and are packed full of nutrients. Summertime veggies include zucchini, tomatoes, and leafy greens - all low carb, low calorie and delicious especially when you experiment with new ways to cook or grill.



7. Seasonal Fruit is my favorite with all that is available from berries to melons during these upcoming summer months. Most fruit contains about 15g of carbs per 1 cup or about 15 g of carbs per one small fruit.



8. Peanut Butter is high in calories and fat, but its the unsaturated kind that is good for heart health. Peanut Butter is inexpensive, low in carbs and fills you up.
Try spreading peanut butter on a slice of whole-wheat bread or English muffin for breakfast or on whole-wheat crackers, apples, or celery for a snack.



9. Plain Yogurt is expensive especially if you buy the bigger tub instead of the individual servings. Don’t just think of yogurt for breakfast -- it can make a great snack with some toasted almonds and sugar-free jelly mixed in, it can be added to tuna, chicken, or pasta salads to add creaminess or it can be part of a fruit smoothie dessert.



10. Oatmeal is my favorite, I believe I could eat it everyday and is a healthy breakfast choice, but oatmeal can be used in a variety of ways. It can be added to dishes such as meatloaf or burgers or in most other recipes that call for bread crumbs. Oatmeal isn’t low carb but it’s higher in fiber than breadcrumbs and quite inexpensive as well. You can also substitute one-half cup oatmeal for the same amount of white flour in most baking recipes.

Summer is here in two days. Is your vacation enough motivation for you?

As I am writing this post, I am in Illinois watching 3 of my granddaughters while all 4 of my daughters are sitting on the beach in Punta Cana, they attended a beach wedding of a family member.

What does that have to do with this post you may ask? They were going to the beach and a wedding too, that's twice the stress of getting into shape and yet they don't exercise on a regular basis. A few of them started working out a couple months ago, but will they continue now that the beach and the wedding is no longer a motivation for them? Only they will know that.

I certainly hope so, because I have seen them do this before, just like clients that come to me wanting to lose weight quickly and in my opinion unsafely. It still hasn't become a lifestyle for a few of them and I hope that changes eventually with them as with all of my clients.

As I was visiting with a couple of my other grand kids this morning and talking with my son in law, he had mentioned that when he and my daughter joined the club, she had talked about him not joining because he wasn't going to use it anyway. He took a stand and said yes he was going to join and has pretty much worked out every other day since joining.

Funny thing is; it was my daughter that wasn't going to the club after joining. Does that sound familiar? Does that sound like you, another friend or family member? Happens to all of us, until we either wise up and stop wasting the money or we come to the embarrassing conclusion that we aren't going to go, it was a great idea, but apparently not the right moment.

Until she made the commitment to attend the wedding and then faced with trying much to hard to lose and get into shape 2 months leading up till now, she didn't have the motivating force to go to the club. I didn't mention my son in laws motivation. He wanted to get a larger life insurance policy and found that he was in the high risk category and would cost too much.

He is still under the 6 month mark I believe and it will wonderful should he keep it up He also mentioned that he broke through some sort of plateau because it just seems easier this week. I congratulated him and said that is one of the hardest parts of my coaching, telling a client that it's much easier to stick with a plan than to start and stop all the time.