Fad Diets
Every time I turn around there is some new diet or weight-loss supplement being touted. We had the South Beach diet, the Zone diet, the Atkins Diet, the Paleo diet, and then came the Keto diet. Now we have the Pegan diet which supposed is a combination of vegan and paleo. It's always something popping up in the weightloss marketing game.
True Story
A lady at church last week was telling me about the diet she's following. She only eats between 6 and 8 pm. Is that crazy or what? It is neither healthy nor maintainable. How can your mind and body function during the day without any fuel? I had to restrain myself from saying something.
Then we have the ads claiming you can "Lose weight without exercising", "banish the flab without dieting", "Pop this pill and your fat will magically disappear" - all hogwash if you ask me. Let me assure you a healthy body is not rocket science. All it really takes is a genuine desire to be healthy, which means giving up our bad habits and adopting some basic but sound nutrition and exercise guidelines.
Today, I'd like to share with you a few tips I've used over the years to help me stay in shape. Pick a few or better yet, implement all of them into your daily routine. You will definitely see change within a short time frame.
1. Detox your system.
So much of the American diet is processed and packaged foods that are loaded with additives, sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats. We claim we "don't have time to cook" so we pick up or order out. Hence the popularity of Uber Eats, Door Dash etc. I am proud to say I have never used either service. We make time for what is important and eating healthy should be on the top of the list.
Then we wonder why we have cravings, are overweight or obese, and struggle with diabetes and cancer. We have to get back to eating whole, unprocessed foods, preferably organic, if you can afford them. In other words don't buy anything in a package. Shop the produce section and avoid the bakery and chip aisles as much as possible.
Get rid of sugars, unhealthy fats, dairy, white flour, sodas, and minimize red meat and alcohol for a while and see how much lighter and cleaner you feel. Monitor your sodium intake but it will naturally go down when you cut out processed food items.
Twice a year is recommended to detox. Spring and fall are both optimal times to clean out our system. I find that I can eat heavier warmer meals during the cooler months, and tend to eat lighter meals like salads and veggies with grilled fish in the warmer months. My vata/pitta dosha doesn't care for salads in the winter. It loves the comfort of hot soup. For more on doshas and Ayuveda, the ancient health system, check out my Pinterest board here.
2. Give fasting a try.
If you get the okay from your doctor, try fasting every so often. The latest is to practice intermittent fasting which means going without eating anywhere between 12 and 16 hours. My eating window is from 10 am until 6 pm. No more 8 pm brownie baking or 9 pm snacks. I try to eat my big meal around 3 - 4 pm. What this does is put your body in a state of ketosis, where it burns fats for fuel instead of glucose. You will go longer between meals, eliminate carb cravings, and have more energy. Give it a try.
Seasonally, I shoot for fasting one or two meals in a day. Fridays work for me or pick a day when you can take it easy and do not need the calories. Fasting breaks the eating/craving cycle and also clears our minds and gives the body a chance to detox itself.
3. Drink more water.
Water is great for getting things moving, improving our complexion, and for hydrating the skin and the body. Drinking water also staves off false hunger pains and prevents headaches. Use a water purifier and drink 8 - 12 eight-ounce glasses per day depending on your weight. I use tall colorful glasses to make the experience more enjoyable. I also set a reminder on my phone at regular intervals during the day. Do whatever you need to get in the habit of drinking more clean water and please, skip the plastic bottled water for the sake of the environment.
4. Eat more fresh fruits and veggies
These foods are vitamin dynamos and pack a punch when it comes to fighting disease and inflammation. Vegetables that grow above ground are also lower in calories and carbs and higher in fiber so they fill you up and help move things out of your system like excess estrogen and toxins. The more colorful your plate, the better. Protein should only be about 20% of your meal or between 4 and 6 ounces of meat. If this butternut squash and kale medley looks yummy and you'd like to order a copy of my new mediterranean cookbook, simply zelle me $24.99 to pattiel1108@gmail.com and I'll get your copy right out to you.
5. Ditch the salt and the grease
If you have high blood pressure or cholesterol problems, make this a priority. Want to get off your meds? Try using fresh herbs instead of salt which causes high blood pressure, water retention, and bloating. Replace vegetable oil with healthy oils such as extra virgin olive oil, grapeseed oil, and extra virgin coconut oil instead. Your palate will adjust, trust me.
As you can probably tell, I am a firm believer in the philosophy "You are what you eat". Our bodies are temples so let's treat them as such, shall we?
6. Nourish your spirit.
And while I'm on the subject, I'd be remiss if I didn't talk about feeding our spiritual body as well. It, too, needs a healthy diet. What are you feeding your spirit? Are you noshing on junk food like romance novels, tv reality shows, video games or violent movies? When was the last time you visited a place of worship? Took time to meditate and pray or wrote in a journal? Do you fill your mind with positive thoughts of faith and hope or are you still digesting the negativity from yesterday, last week, or twenty years ago? It is important to detox our spirit as well as our body.
To feed my spirit, I choose to listen to uplifting words and music, worship on a regular basis, and surround myself with positive, encouraging people. I've done away with those energy vampires who suck my energy dry with all their complaining, moaning, and negative self-defeating attitudes. I've also chosen to disassociate from those who have a low sense of self-esteem or a victim mentality because they only drag me down and stress me out. It's hard enough to keep ourselves up and it is not our job to prop up someone else's ego.
Our daily diet of foods, habits, and thoughts can make a huge difference in the quality of life and the level of joy and energy we feel. If we want to increase our personal power and discover our destiny, it starts with taking care of ourselves physically and spiritually.
I hope this post has encouraged you to make some healthy choices. Do write and share your thoughts with me. If you'd like to join our community, enter your email address in the box provided. You'll receive my weekly posts plus a copy of my free e-guide entitled "7 Steps to Finding Your Spiritual Path".
Keep looking up!
Ariel Paz
2. Give fasting a try.
If you get the okay from your doctor, try fasting every so often. The latest is to practice intermittent fasting which means going without eating anywhere between 12 and 16 hours. My eating window is from 10 am until 6 pm. No more 8 pm brownie baking or 9 pm snacks. I try to eat my big meal around 3 - 4 pm. What this does is put your body in a state of ketosis, where it burns fats for fuel instead of glucose. You will go longer between meals, eliminate carb cravings, and have more energy. Give it a try.
Seasonally, I shoot for fasting one or two meals in a day. Fridays work for me or pick a day when you can take it easy and do not need the calories. Fasting breaks the eating/craving cycle and also clears our minds and gives the body a chance to detox itself.
3. Drink more water.
Water is great for getting things moving, improving our complexion, and for hydrating the skin and the body. Drinking water also staves off false hunger pains and prevents headaches. Use a water purifier and drink 8 - 12 eight-ounce glasses per day depending on your weight. I use tall colorful glasses to make the experience more enjoyable. I also set a reminder on my phone at regular intervals during the day. Do whatever you need to get in the habit of drinking more clean water and please, skip the plastic bottled water for the sake of the environment.
4. Eat more fresh fruits and veggies
These foods are vitamin dynamos and pack a punch when it comes to fighting disease and inflammation. Vegetables that grow above ground are also lower in calories and carbs and higher in fiber so they fill you up and help move things out of your system like excess estrogen and toxins. The more colorful your plate, the better. Protein should only be about 20% of your meal or between 4 and 6 ounces of meat. If this butternut squash and kale medley looks yummy and you'd like to order a copy of my new mediterranean cookbook, simply zelle me $24.99 to pattiel1108@gmail.com and I'll get your copy right out to you.
5. Ditch the salt and the grease
If you have high blood pressure or cholesterol problems, make this a priority. Want to get off your meds? Try using fresh herbs instead of salt which causes high blood pressure, water retention, and bloating. Replace vegetable oil with healthy oils such as extra virgin olive oil, grapeseed oil, and extra virgin coconut oil instead. Your palate will adjust, trust me.
As you can probably tell, I am a firm believer in the philosophy "You are what you eat". Our bodies are temples so let's treat them as such, shall we?
6. Nourish your spirit.
And while I'm on the subject, I'd be remiss if I didn't talk about feeding our spiritual body as well. It, too, needs a healthy diet. What are you feeding your spirit? Are you noshing on junk food like romance novels, tv reality shows, video games or violent movies? When was the last time you visited a place of worship? Took time to meditate and pray or wrote in a journal? Do you fill your mind with positive thoughts of faith and hope or are you still digesting the negativity from yesterday, last week, or twenty years ago? It is important to detox our spirit as well as our body.
To feed my spirit, I choose to listen to uplifting words and music, worship on a regular basis, and surround myself with positive, encouraging people. I've done away with those energy vampires who suck my energy dry with all their complaining, moaning, and negative self-defeating attitudes. I've also chosen to disassociate from those who have a low sense of self-esteem or a victim mentality because they only drag me down and stress me out. It's hard enough to keep ourselves up and it is not our job to prop up someone else's ego.
Our daily diet of foods, habits, and thoughts can make a huge difference in the quality of life and the level of joy and energy we feel. If we want to increase our personal power and discover our destiny, it starts with taking care of ourselves physically and spiritually.
I hope this post has encouraged you to make some healthy choices. Do write and share your thoughts with me. If you'd like to join our community, enter your email address in the box provided. You'll receive my weekly posts plus a copy of my free e-guide entitled "7 Steps to Finding Your Spiritual Path".
In the meantime, check out my other offerings on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Apple. Pop on over to Pinterest and enjoy the collection I have curated for you. And I just recently started posting on Instagram so follow me there too!
Until next time, stay tuned for more practical and positive tips to help you ignite the power within!
Keep looking up!
Ariel Paz
Thank you for sharing 5 Tips for a Healthier You. Habits of the heart
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed it. Do check out the other topics of interest. You can also do a search in the box to find posts. Keep looking up!
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