It is time to abort the concept of dieting and make good nutrition a lifestyle.
Health from the inside out does not automatically happen. Once we make up our mind to change the rest falls into line. If we fall off the track, we get back on the train, no regret or self sabotage, just return to the baseline.
How to Make Nutrition a Lifestyle
It takes about a month to change habits, to redirect patterns and efforts. If you are thinking about changing the way you look or feel by changing your lifestyle you have made a good decision.
The human body you live in is magnificent. The DNA that makes up your genes is the blueprint to making this change. The foods we eat directly affect our genes by turning them on and off in certain ways.
Foods that your body is intolerant to will adversely affect the genes turning them on in such a way that lend chronic/degenerative conditions in the system. This means breakdown and destruction, pain, inflammation, weight gain and disease.
By eating and exercising in the appropriate manner, you will transform your system from a sugar dependent, fat storing structure that constantly battles illness, hunger, depression and weight gain into a fat burning and sculpted fit body.
We use 30 days as a time reference.
It takes about 21 days to break a habit and another seven to really drive home the change at the genetic level.
It is important to change your belief system as well as changing your lifestyle.
Your lifestyle becomes a healthy discipline. The body follows the mind. How you think it shall become. Believe in your own success and it will be on your doorstep as you take action steps towards your goal.
Take the responsibility to be accountable. No one else will know how you are doing except you.
Be mindful in your process; make it fun, energizing and easy to maintain the attitude you need to make this a lifestyle.
In order to know how your body functions it is important to listen. Listening to how your digestion works after each of your meals helps you dial in your own complete plan. Your physician or nutritionist can help you hone in on the rest.
If you still come to a stale mate and cant loose weight or have symptoms of gastrointestinal gas and bloating there are numerous tests and studies available that can uncover your own specific genetic needs. These tests can identify micro and macronutrient deficiency as well as food allergies and sensitivities.
If you have a grain or gluten intolerance it is important to completely avoid them.
Keep in mind that it is never too late to turn a presumed failure into a success. Start now and with your next meal. Make your lifestyle a priority so you can enjoy optimal health for the rest of your life.
Start by evaluating where you are at now. Take interest in your habits, exercise protocols and how you are staying active in keeping your mind healthy.
Add to the 20 concepts of nutritional wellness and begin to integrate them into your lifestyle.
8 Steps to a Healthier You
1. Change your thinking process.
How you think is directly related to your outcome. Turn it around every minute of the day in every way and have a positive attitude.
2. Pick a start date, then get started.
There is no better day than today to begin to improve the quality of your life. Put the wheels in motion.
3. Get a base line check up.
It’s not all your fault, things can get turned upside down, your thyroid can get sideways, your blood sugars can become out of balance. Aging does bring on certain hormone changes.
Make sure that you have a thorough clinical evaluation before getting started to make sure all things have been looked at and addressed at the starting line.
If you have access to a functional medicine physician it may be ideal. A functional medical physician will take a more holistic approach.
4. Change your food choices.
Getting rid of grains, additives, and preservatives that cause an allergy or sensitivity or foods that cause inflammation will change the way your genes respond. Approximately 75-80 percent of your body composition is directly determined by how and what you eat.
If you can’t see yourself letting go of all of the most common allergens, get rid of grains first. Get rid of legumes next.
Most of us are either sensitive or allergic to them. These sensitivities cause inflammation and weight gain.
We don’t want to completely eliminate carbohydrate, however it is essential to learn and know which ones can be eaten and not cause harm to the system. Time to clean out the cupboard and restock the refrigerator with whole foods!
5. Switch from a sugar-based metabolism to a fat-based metabolism.
The carbohydrate diet causes severe blood sugar swings and food cravings. It is called the vicious cookie cycle. When you eat cookies, you want more cookies. When you eat chips, you want more chips.
Sugar begets sugar and there is no way around it other than stopping the over use, learning to be sensitive and consistent with no grains, and carbohydrates coming only from your vegetable and fruit sources.
6. Regulate saturated fat and cholesterol.
Your body prefers fat over carbohydrates. Turning your energy metabolism into a fat based metabolism turns your nutritional eating plan into the optimal energy plan.
Cholesterol is a vital component in the hormone pathway. It is one of the body’s most vital nutrients. The sad part of the story is, is that high blood fats are due to over eating a sugar diet. The end product is triglycerides and the VLDL which then lends LDL.
Heart disease risk factors-oxidation and inflammation are driven strongly by polyunsaturated fats, simple sugars, excess insulin production and stress. Limiting processed carbohydrates and eating more high quality fats and whole foods (including saturated animal fat) can promote health, weight management, and reduced risk of heart disease.
7. Maximize your exercise routine.
Your exercise routines and fitness protocols can be achieved in minimal time with high intensity/focused training: intermittent and occasional sprints (if you have no joint issues) pump the body full of blood, and recreate the fight or flight response that is practical to our everyday life.
Learn to use your body in a correct and functional manner. Pay attention to your mobility as much as your strength.
Exercise is not always effective for weight management: Chronic exercising can increase appetite and create blood sugar instabilities. When you are dependent on a high carbohydrate, high glycemic nutritional protocol, and your appetite is constantly signaled to eat and take more calories in.
Chronic exercise patterns inhibit fat metabolism, break down lean muscle tissue, and lead to fatigue, injury, and burnout.
8. Take it one day at a time.
Don’t get ahead of yourself. Set small micro goals and move towards the big macro goals.
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