With obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure & many other rates at epidemic rates, it seems that now would be the time for people to learn about how what they consume has everything to do with how they feel & what size they are. Here are 10 points for helping anyone to start to make some real changes that could add years to their lifespan or increase their health today;
1, Water, Water, Water! People do not drink the recommended amount of water every day. You need half your body weight in ounces of water so a 200 lb person needs 100 ounces of water every day & if you smoke, take medications, drink soda, coffee or alcohol, etc you need even more than that to flush the toxins away.
2. Keep a food diary. Most people have no idea of the number of calories they consume in a day. Track your calories and include what you drink.
3. Eat breakfast. You just had an 8 hour fast.Your body needs fuel at least 3 times a day. You can’t run an engine without fuel; your body is essentially an engine. Studies show that people who skip breakfast are over 300% more likely to develop diabetes than breakfast eaters.
4. Protein. The reason so many people lose weight on a no carbohydrate diet is because protein is energy & carbs are mostly fat. Half of your proteins should be from plant based sources & half from animal based sources.
5. Variety. Your diet should include all of the colors of the rainbow-primarily fruits & veggies. Avoid bland color foods including rice, potatoes, pasta, breads unless whole grain. Limit meat consumption to leaner cuts. Eat at least 2 fruits or veggies at every meal minimum.
6. Portion control. Understand that your stomach really isn’t all that large. You should have portions of food that are no larger than the palm of your hand. And fruits & veggies should be on your plate at every meal.
7. Supplement. Take a daily supplement & make sure it’s a good one. The test is to take your multivitamin & drop it into a glass of room temperature water then wait about an hour. If it has not dissolved in the glass then it does not dissolve in you.
8. Snack Control. Often people think they are hungry when they are actually thirsty. Drink an 8 ounce glass of water 30 minutes prior to giving into snack cravings & have only fruit, veggies or protein for snacks. Understand that true hunger cravings are the body’s way of asking for nutrients not received during meals. If you crave food, something is missing from your diet so look at your food diary & figure it out. If cravings persist, take your supplements at every meal. Caution; make sure your supplement is water soluble & if it doesn’t say on the label, call the manufacturer & ask, most include a toll free number of the package.
9. Fiber. The first week of keeping your food diary, keep the same diet that you have today. Look back over the week & count how much fiber you are getting every day. Prepare to be shocked that the number is so low. Fiber not only aids in a healthy digestion it also aids weight loss so you need lots of it!
10. Get plenty of rest & exercise. Doctor’s have been telling us for years how to be healthy; eat right, drink plenty of water, get plenty of rest & exercise but most of us do not listen. The we start on the slippery slope of a medication for this, then a medication for that & pretty soon we are taking a handful of medications every day but still we are not healthy. Medications manage sickness, nutrition provides health.
The bottom line is that you truly are what you eat. If you feed your body right, you will be healthier, you will be leaner you will live a better quality of life.
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Best in Health
Jim
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