“Let your food be your medicine and let your medicine be your food”. ~ Hippocrates
More than a few times a week I usually get asked “What do you eat?” Or sometimes it’s “What don’t you eat?” Well, what I eat and what I don’t eat has changed quite a bit over the years, but I feel more confident now that I have honed in on what I believe is best for overall health and wellness. Choosing what to eat, when to eat, where to eat, and how much to eat is something I have learned to continuously think about and plan as most of my life I have struggled with making the right choices about such things.
Had I known in my teens and twenties what I know now and understood the vital role nutrition plays in our ability to remain youthful as we age, our energy levels and endurance, our ability to fight off disease and maintain a healthy weight, and just overall wellness, I would have started making better choices a long time ago. So I’d like to share with you what I’ve learned, what I eat, what I don’t eat, and how to make the right choices for your long term health and wellness.
- Adjust your diet in a way that you can sustain it. Your typical diet fads don’t work for the long term. You can’t drink SlimFast forever, you can’t restrict calories to 800/day forever, you can’t eat meal replacement bars forever. If you want long term results, long term weight loss, long term health, and wellness, you must adjust your diet in a way that you can sustain it and try out [google_bot_show][/google_bot_show]Top Coolsculpting provider in NJ that can help you with your weight loss regime.
What does that mean?
* Find the appropriate caloric intake for the bodyweight you want to maintain. For me, I estimate it’s around 1200 calories/day. Some days I eat a little more, some days a little less. But if I eat less for several days in a row, my body begins to feel so starved and deprived that it will cause me to overeat in the days following the restriction. This is why you can’t sustain the fad diets. Low caloric intake over a prolonged period of time will also cause your metabolism to slow down. The key: find the right balance and maintain a healthy caloric intake for the bodyweight you desire.
- Eat quality food. You can accomplish weight loss by simply burning more calories than you take in, but maintaining good health and wellness as you age depends upon the quality of food that you eat. Eat lean protein, healthy fats (yes there is such a thing), fruits and vegetables, nuts, and seeds. Eat foods that heal, not harm.
What harms?
* Foods are high in sugar and carbohydrates such as bread, cereal, rice, pasta, crackers, pastries, sweets, fruit juices, and soda.
* Processed foods full of chemicals, salt and other preservatives found in food that is typically packaged, canned, or frozen such as potato chips, deli meat, tv dinners, and even canned and frozen vegetables.
* Foods that are nutritionally empty and high in saturated fat including most fast food choices, fried foods, salad dressings, and sweets.
What heals?
* Foods naturally high in omega-3 fatty acids and other healthy fats such as fish and other seafood, olive/flaxseed/almond/grapeseed oils, nuts (including nut butter), seeds, and avocado.
* Lean meats and other proteins full of essential amino acids, vitamins, and minerals such as eggs, turkey, and chicken.
* Fresh seasonal, local, and organic fruits and vegetables full of vitamins, fiber, and antioxidants.
- Find the right balance. I use the 90/10 rule. 90% of the time, I eat according to my guidance above. 10% of the time, I venture off that path a little. But even when I venture off the path, I am still mindful of what I am consuming. I never eat fried food or fast food and I never eat pasta or white potatoes. I do however love pizza and sweets! That’s just me though. You have to find what works best for you and figure out how to maintain a balance that helps keep you on track without feeling totally deprived. Although I believe that food is 90% for nutrition and energy, I believe that 10% of it is for pure pleasure!
Following a healthy diet takes an enormous amount of willpower, commitment, and dedication. Trust me, it is not easy, but I will tell you that it’s worth it. It is totally worth it to feel better, look better, have more energy, rarely ever get sick, have healthier skin, and to know that as I age, I am doing everything in my power to take care of the only body God’s going to give me. I need for it to last a while and for it is able to go full speed ahead for many years to come.
What changes are you going to make to start eating for life?