Here I would like to start off by recommending to you a very important book where you will be able to really see the significance in how the foods we consome really effect our body. This book will show you historically how foods have been known and used in healing the body and mind.
"Foods From The Bible" written by Eric Dublin who does a wonderful job in offering researched information from Egyptian and the biblical times all the way to present day in how all kinds of common foods, plants herbs and oils have been used in healing and curing illness and diseases, even in surviving plagues. He concludes the history of many common foods with modern day scientific research and facts that confirm that the ancient civilizations knew what they were doing and, once again, mystify us of a past intelligence. This information found in this book is thoughral, supported, and clearly defines just how important nature is to us in life.We all need to understand the
basics of foods and how they provides us with the not only nutritional
building blocks that our body requires but the means to heal itself as
well.
1.)
Eat more vegetables and fruits. Go for those with deep, bright color.
Learn to balance out the different health benefits they offer
2.) Add more whole grains. Whole grains have a much more nutritional impact and fiber than refined grains.
3.)
Many people eat much more at a meal than is needed. Make an effort to
reduce your serving size. A portion, especially meat, should be the
size of your palm.
4.) There are different kinds of fats in
foods. It is important to understand the difference between healthy and
unhealthy fats. Oil is okay in small amounts if you use an oil such as
olive or sunflower oil. Avoid butter, and don't use margarine. It is
the bad kind of fat — trans fat. Just like food itself some oils have
nutritional and healing values and can offer a variety of benefits to
our body.
5.) Limit your salt. The sodium in salt
contributes to high blood pressure in many people. There are a few
types salts to choose from a good salt to use is sea salt which offers
benefits to our body. Table salt adds iodine which we need in our diets
so its a good idea to use both but more sea salt than table.
6.)
There are foods that promote satiety (the feeling of fullness) more
than others and they can help you eat less over the course of the day.
"When you're looking for foods that are going to keep you feeling
fuller for longer periods, look for ones high in fiber, healthy fats
and protein, or with a high water content The benefit here is that a
lot of these foods are also really good for you and packed with
important nutrients, vitamins and minerals."
7.) Learn to chew your food well. Its amazing but when you stop and pay attention you may catch yourself swallowing only half chewed food. Very few people are ever taught the proper way to eat. To get the most from your food and to help the digestion system function properly it is important to chew your food completely. It is equally important to only drink about a 1/2 cup of fluids during a meal. The reason is if you wash down your food with alot of fluids you are then diluting your stomach acids and the food eaten will not be properly digested which can lead to weight gain and digestive problems.
8.) Take time and really enjoy your meal. When you eat in a slow and relaxed fashion the body is best able to digest and process the food eaten.
9.) GET RID OF THE MICROWAVE!!!
Microwaves heat your food by using atoms at very high frequencies.
While this can effectively heat your food it also causes a change in
the chemical structure of the food which then leads to imbalances and
health problems. When you change the structure we can no longer
metabalize and use the foods nutrients like we were meant to. READ MORE HERE
Regarding an approach to weight loss here it must be stressed that
we need to learn to accept and expect a slow and gentle success. Your
body may have stored within the fat cells a large amount of toxic
chemicals and if you attempt to lose weight to rapidly it causes your
body to place an increased demand in turning to the fat cells for rapid
metabolism which can create a surge of these chemicals being
reintroduced to the body systems and a result of greater imbalances and
possibly sickness can occur.
Apples
An
apple a day may keep the doctor away but it also helps keep the fat
away too. This take any where fruit is the perfect snack, with a high
water content and both kinds of weight-busting fiber: soluble, which
helps prevent blood sugar spikes that lead to cravings, and insoluble,
which helps fill you up. "A medium apple is about 85 percent water with
5 grams of soluble fiber, making it a powerhouse snack," Apples also
contain quercetin, a flavonoid shown to help fight certain cancers,
reduce cholesterol damage and promotes healthy lungs.
HEALTH
TIP: Organic apples are worth the extra cost because commercial apples
retain more pesticide residue than fruits you peel, such as oranges or
bananas. The peelings offering half the fiber and most of the iron,
magnesium and vitamin C, its beneficial to eat them to get the full
slimming benefits.
Eggs
A
great source of protein helping to keep you feeling full. A recent
study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition
found that when people ate two eggs for breakfast, they took in more
than 400 fewer calories over the next 24 hours than when they ate
bagels supporting that can leave you feeling full longer. Including
eggs in a diet regularly may have long-term weight management benefits.
HEALTH TIP: For a healthier egg, some farmers
are improving their hens feed by adding canola oil, alfalfa, rice bran
and even sea kelp to it. Eggland's Best eggs contain omega-3 fatty
acids, along with more vitamin E and less saturated fat than regular
eggs. Make up a dozen hardboiled eggs and have them handy for a snack
or to use in sandwiches or other foods.
Cauliflower
"When
you are trying to lose weight, non-starchy vegetables such as
cauliflower, spinach or broccoli are some foods that can be eaten in
unlimited quantities and their nutritious for you as well.. Cauliflower
contains the cancer-fighting phytonutrient sulforaphane, and with a
good amount of folate and vitamin C, which is helpful for weight loss.
In fact, a review from Purdue University indicates vitamin C being a
key factor in how much fat is burned during physical activity. All that
and it's pretty tasty, too. (If you're not a cauliflower fan, try .)
HEALTH TIP: Steam
a head of cauliflower and mash it with garlic salt, a sprinkling of
grated Parmesan cheese and a touch of butter for a creamy consistency
simular to mashed potatoes. Great eaten raw in salads or with dip and
also can be added to soups.
Lowfat Yogurt
A
recent study at the University of Tennessee found that dieters eating
three servings of yogurt daily lost twice as much weight as the
non–dairy– eating participants in a 12-week weight-loss program.
Calcium, with other bioactive compounds found in dairy products, slows
down the process of making fat and increases fat burning abilities,
especially around the belly.
HEALTH TIP: Add more dairy into your diet by adding plain yogurt to dips, sauces and salad dressings.
Oatmeal
Breakfast
is the most important meal of the day and by eating one it can make you
slimmer. Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley
conducting a national six-year survey found that people who ate
breakfast had a lower body mass index (BMI) than people who skipped
eating breakfast. Those who ate cooked cereal had a lower BMI than the
other breakfast-eating groups. Also, oatmeal was ranked as the most
satiating breakfast food on the Satiety Index and it's the third most
satiating food available. Oatmeal proves to help you stay fuller
longer, being it's packed with fiber and is a good source of protein.
HEALTH TIP:
If you like having sweet treats to eat try those good old fashion
Oatmeal cookies and add nutritious additives such as raisins,
cranberries and to really top them off in a healthy weight loss way be
sure to add walnuts to them.
NUTS:
Almonds
and walnuts have been getting a lot of attention these days, but don't
forget about the most commonly eaten nut in America- peanuts,.
Researchers at Purdue University found that peanut eaters end up eating
less over the course of the whole day and are more likely to maintain
weight, even if given as many peanuts as they want.
HEALTH TIP:
Carry a small snack bag of nuts with you and when you feel hungry or
tempted to eat unhealthy processed foods turn to them instead. It is
proven that a handful of nuts a day lowers your weight both by
stimulating the appetiete and by the hormonal effect they has in our
digestive system and body. Walnuts are known to increase you level of
Serotonin which is a hormone that regulates our mood and emotions.
Soup
We
all know soup is nutritionally good food but do you know it can be a
slimming food, too? A study published in the journal Obesity Research
found that adding two 10-ounce servings of broth-based soup to a weight
loss diet each day can almost double the amount of weight lost in a
six-month period.. By adding water into a food it makes it more filling
than drinking water separately. "The water in soup adds volume to a
meal and helps you feel fuller, without extra calories so you take in
fewer calories over the course of the day and increase your water
intake at the same time.
HEALTH TIP:
Add your own veggies, great way to also use leftovers or fiber-rich
beans and rice to broth-based canned soup to keep you full longer.
Fish
Fish
actually tops oatmeal and vegetables in the satiety department. Steamed
white fish, such as halibut or cod, proved to be the number-one most
filling food out of 38 other common foods. Also, a recent study from a
health Institute in Sweden found that people ate 11 percent less at
dinner after having fish for lunch versus those who ate a beef lunch.
"This study indicates that a protein-rich lunch meal including fish
protein reduced calorie intake compared with the same-calorie lunch
meal of beef protein. Fish offers a more healthy alternative to beef
fat due to the omega 3 fat it provides which is known to also effect
our learning and memory abilities.
HEALTH TIP: To
add some flavor to grilled fish, try a quick marinade of soy sauce,
lime and ginger. Be sure to take full advantage of this delicate
tasting meat by adding nutritional and health benefical herbs and cook
using healthy oils.
Bulgur
High-fiber
grains are a great way to complete a meal, and fine-cut bulgur is easy
to cook. Bulgur, a quick-cooking form of whole wheat, takes about 10
minutes or less to prepare once water is boiled and is a great
substitute for white rice and pasta, which are low in fiber and heavily
processed. "Fiber helps prolong the insulin response so you don't have
the blood sugar spikes you have with low-fiber carbohydrates like white
pasta or rice,. With all the good fiber there are additional health
benefits such as : iron and vitamins E and B6.
HEALTH TIP: you can find bulgur in health-food and organic
stores. For a easy side dish, combine fine bulgur with chicken broth,
diced canned tomatoes and some cooked onions. Add bulgar to your
favorite soups and cassaroles instead of white rice or pasta.
Salad
A
well known dieting food that most people turn to is salads where they
tend to deprive themselves by eating plain green lettuce topped with a
few skimpy tomatoes, it's no wonder people become tired with their
diets and they don't work for them. Salads are a great opportunity to
combine a variety of other nutritionally filling foods into your diet
at one time and create a new excitement about food: fresh vegetables,
lean protein, beans and nuts with healthy fats backing up weight loss
efforts. A study from Penn State University shows that women eating a
salad before a pasta lunch ate fewer calories for the whole meal than
those just having a pasta serving.
HEALTH TIP:
Dress your plain iceberg lettuce with a variety of different greens
such with mesclun, arugula or spinach. Not only are these greens
tastier than iceberg, they also contain more iron, calcium, vitamin C
and folate. Replacing iceberg lettuce on your sandwhiches with spinach,
high in triptophan, is more nutritional and a very tasty way to improve
your diet and health.
The most important thing to consider in dieting or eating right is the self image or mind over matter beliefs you are holding about the weight issue. I encourage you to check out this link to learn the effects that our thoughts can have in THE MIND
