Monday, March 17, 2008
It looks like someone’s having second thoughts about eating all those cookies… Maybe he developed diabetes? =) I hope that shows you that in spite of the very serious topics I cover, I still have a sense of humor!
I received the following, which is this week’s question:
“I don’t even know the proper way to eat to be healthy and lose weight. I have ordered so many books and now I am so confused. It is very hard when one gets older. Help!”
Below is my answer:
My advice is to start adding fresh fruits and vegetables throughout the day, in addition to whatever you are already eating. Focus on adding good things and what you’re gaining, not on restrictions.
The real key is that once you are getting your nutrients, you will lose cravings and even the desire for unhealthy foods.
These days, I couldn’t eat healthy without some supplemental products, because processed foods are engineered to be addictive, and your body needs to learn to crave healthy things by getting good nutrition. Even many people with drug and alcohol addictions lose their cravings thanks to products like these I’m going to share with you.
Our foods don’t have the minerals they used to, so high quality nutritional products are the only way to truly get good nutrition.
My first recommendation is NuPlus from Sunrider. It’s expensive but if you can have it 1-2 times a day, it is superior nutrition and many have lost weight while eating it. It’s actually a meal, so it helps you to eat healthy instead of just taking capsules and then eating an unhealthy meal. You may start craving salads on NuPlus as your body adjusts to learning where the nutrition is.
If that’s too expensive, go with suggestion #2 – Modifilan. Many people experience weight loss with its main ingredient. You can learn more about it here.
If you have sweet cravings, try replacing sugar with Sunny Dew from Sunrider. It’s much sweeter than sugar, doesn’t cause an increase in blood sugar levels, won’t cause weight gain or cavities and even nourishes the pancreas, making it healthy for diabetics. Sunny Dew is pure stevia extract and you can try to find another brand at a health food store, but make sure there are no harmful additives.
I always recommend juicing and for more information about getting started with that, I Would suggest checking out Christie Aphrodite in her 2014 Beginners Guide to Juicing and Juicer Comparison where she discusses different juicers and why you might choose one. Here is another quick juicing recipe she uses and swears that if you drink it daily you won’t ever get sick again!
Be sure to drink 1/2 your weight in ounces of water each day, minimum, and avoid caffeine (or come off it gradually as you’re able). That formula was developed by a doctor and many people have lost weight with it. It’s not just for weight loss – it’s actually how much water our bodies need to be properly hydrated.
You might find yourself losing some aches and pains this way too, if you have any as the more nutrition and fluids you add, the more you will detox. (If you use kilos rather than pounds, multiply your weight by 2.2, then divide by 2, and that’s the minimum number of ounces you should drink of water each day.)
Make sure the water is not fluoridated, because fluoridated water suppresses the thyroid and will make it difficult to lose weight.
Eggs are a great way to get protein and very healthy, unlike what you may have heard. I like them hard boiled, to avoid cooking them in oil. Organic is best, and the price difference isn’t that great.
You will want to come off grains such as breads, cereal and pasta once you start eating healthier. Anything that causes blood sugar to elevate too quickly results in the body being signaled to store fat. If you look at the food pyramid that most of us grew up with, you can see in part why there is so much diabetes. We were taught that grains should be the main foundation of our diet.
Be sure to avoid diet products, commercial sugar substitutes (such as NutraSweet and Sorbitol), and low fat or fat free products, which are all unhealthy and cause weight gain. Reduced fat products usually pump up the sugar. Fat isn’t stored as fat, so you’re better off eating it.
I also have good news about exercise. Dr. Al Sears has studied exercise extensively and discovered that long distance cardio is not only not the most effective workout, it’s actually bad for health.
If you look at long distance runners, their faces usually look gaunt, while sprinters look much more healthy. In addition, long distance runners collapse when their hearts can no longer keep up with the stress.
Dr. Sears developed the PACE Program which involves short, 15-minute workouts, during which a person goes through intervals between giving their maximum effort for a few minutes followed by lower impact exercise.
The actual type of exercise varies, such as walking/running one day and using an elliptical machine the next, so that the body continues to burn fat and build lean muscle rather than becoming accustomed to the same routine.
You may want to adapt this program to walking at varied speeds. It’s generally believed that it’s important to vary the speed during a workout to keep losing weight, especially if you’re primarily walking.
Thanks for your great question, and for allowing me to post it for others to benefit from!
I appreciate your support and applaud your efforts in educating yourself about your health.
Remember, no one will ever care more about your health than you!
In Health,
Stephanie Davis
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