Diets = Bad and Ugly!
The new year always brings about weight loss resolutions and everyone seems to be going on a "diet." I cringe every time someone tells me they recently started Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, The Adkins Diet, or those businesses who send meals directly to your house... This seemed like the perfect time to post a blog about dieting!!DON’T DIET!!! There are many people reading this right now who have tried every fad diet under the sun. You may have lost some weight for a period of time and then gained it back when you got sick of the constant restrictions - only to go on to another diet later and repeat the cycle all over again. The problem with fad diets is that people often go through this cycle, and end up either giving up or reaching for the latest “diet” food.
Take a look in the aisles of the grocery store. We see “fat-free”, “sugar-free”, “carb- free” , and “calorie-free” everywhere. It takes more effort to find the “chemical-free,” doesn’t it? But that is what we truly need in America right now. Foods are becoming more and more chemically altered in an effort to help us lose weight, yet obesity rates continue to soar higher and higher. This is not a coincidence!!
Here’s the thing about hunger. Hunger isn’t influenced by willpower as much as it is influenced by hormones. Two major hormones, ghrelin and leptin, influence your cravings. Leptin is a hormone produced by your fat cells, which tells your body that you are full. Ghrelin is responsible for telling you that your body is hungry. These two hormones have to be in constant neurological balance for you to know when you are truly hungry and when its time to put down the fork.
When we eat overly processed foods, our bodies don’t recognize them as real food, which causes us to kick out more ghrelin and less leptin. Now, we’ve already eaten our diet food, yet the brain is still screaming for more. This is a recipe for disaster.
Chemicals in these “weight-loss foods” can even cause us to get fat. Many diet foods are laden with artificial sweeteners and high fructose corn syrup. Just recently the Corn Refiners Association petitioned the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to rename high fructose corn syrup to “corn sugar” in an effort to persuade the public into thinking it is a natural product. Don’t be fooled! These poisons will actually remain in the body and interfere with the sensors that react to leptin. The overall effect of this is constant hunger, even if your body’s needs have already been met. All those high fructose corn TV commercials drive me insane!!
So what do you do? Here is a great way to start:
1. Eat Natural Foods - as untouched by man as possible. When looking at ingredients labels-less is more! You should know what everything on the label is!! Shop the perimeters of the grocery store-produce, meat, fresh foods!!
2. Eat Healthy Fats - Remember, fat is a vital building block in our cells. Fat has gotten a bad rap, however good fats are important in many functions that go on in our bodies. It also will help you feel full longer. Examples of good fats: olive oil, coconut oil, fish oil, nuts and seeds, avocados, flaxseed oil, fatty fish.
3. Work Up a Sweat - This will never change. You have to move in order to lose weight. Toxins are released when you sweat! They are stored in your fat cells!! Drinking half your body weight in ounces of purified water each day will also help flush out toxins.
If you have any other questions please let me know!! I offer nutrition consultations and grocery store tours! Click on my website for all of the services I provide and my rates: http://www.optimumwellnessmn.com/
Copyright, 2012, Jackie Mart. For further information about this blog, or Optimum Wellness MN, contact Jackie Mart at 712.790.5883 or jackieamart@hotmail.com.
As a holistic nutrition and lifestyle coach, I will support you in taking steps to a healthier and happier you. My goal is to help you create an art of balance in your life. You will also learn how important balance between primary foods (relationships, physical activity, sleep, career and spirituality) and secondary foods (organic food and whole food) is. www.optimumwellnessmn.com
