Weight Loss
There is no magic bullet to weight loss, but there are steps that can be taken to move closer to a weight that your body finds as a set point. Overall, we are overeating but we are undernourished. We are eating for quantity instead of quality. If we give our bodies high quality, nutritious foods, we will crave fewer foods that have no nutritional value. I don’t recommend “dieting” – rather I look at a lifestyle change that will feed the body what it needs, allowing your system to reach a healthy weight. This is a health plan – focusing on physical and mental well-being – with an added benefit of weight loss!
1. Eliminate food that you are sensitive to or do not tolerate well. They can cause inflammation in your system. If you are unable to do electrodermal screening or specific medical tests to determine sensitivities (not the same as a food allergy), put aside a week to do an elimination diet (I am not a big fan, but this can be helpful). The reason I am not a big fan, is that I have found that there are people that are sensitive even to the healthiest of foods. For a week eat only vegetables, rice and legumes. I already see a problem with this – who can do this? Anyway, if you can – after the week is up, start adding foods back one at a time and wait a day or two to see if you have any adverse reactions. If you choose to do an eliminations diet, do some research on the best way to proceed. Information can be found on the internet.
2. Add digestive enzymes to each meal. If you are not working with a natural health provider, go to your local natural foods store to get recommendations on an enzyme that would be beneficial for you. Digestive enzymes are helpful when taken with meals, and there are also enzymes that have many benefits if taken in between meals.
3. Get the toxins out – if your system is in balance, you will have more success with weight loss. You cannot feel your best either mentally or physically if your body is loaded with toxins. Losing weight too quickly is a mistake. Many toxins are stored in fatty tissue, so if you release that too quickly, you won’t feel well, which can sabotage your efforts.
4. Work on your gut – that may mean taking probiotics, getting rid of parasites or molds, yeasts and funguses, and fixing a leaky gut.
5. Balance the thyroid, adrenals and pancreas – and hormones in general.
6. Detox drink – mix 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup, 1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice and eight ounces of water. This drink supports your organs and also detoxes the system. This is used as a fasting drink, but I drink it daily and try to eat healthy. I put in more cayenne and less syrup, but mix it to a taste that meets your needs. I don’t recommend more maple syrup.
7. Play outside. If you are not spending enough time in nature, find a way that you begin adding time outside. If you have kids or dogs, it tends to be easier, but anyone can go for a walk, read at a park or in your backyard, go hiking, or try a new outdoor sport. In the winter, ski, snowboard, snowshoe, go sledding (this is actually hard work)
8. Sleep – if you are not sleeping well, do what you can to solve this issue. You can not successfully lose weight when you are sleep deprived. Your overall well-being will also be affected. Sleep can be affected by stress, parasites, nutrient depletion, organ strain, and more.
9. Rest – this is besides getting good sleep. Lay down, slow down, take time for yourself during the day. We move way to fast.
10. Deal with your anxiety – slow your brain down – meditate
11. Eat real food. What are we putting in our system? According to Michael Pollan in an Eater’s Manifesto – eat real food, not a lot, mostly plants. In other words, keep it simple! Don’t count calories, don’t beat yourself up for mistakes, eat well!
12. Yes – we need to supplement – this is becoming universally accepted. The idea that we all need the same supplements is where we are making a mistake. Obviously, everyone’s systems are different, so we all need different supplements. A base for supplements can include a multivitamin/mineral, fish oil, enzyme and antioxidant. Once again, everyone will need different amounts and different concentrations, so this is why I don’t like to make a blanket recommendation. Some people are going to need additional support depending on their mental and physical well being.
13. We hate to hear this one, but too bad – eat when you are hungry. It is ok to miss a meal once in a while if you are not hungry. I am not an advocate of fasting, but I also don’t believe we should eat, just because it is suppertime.
14. Now we finally get to what to eat. I think it is more important to talk about what not to eat.
17. There are simple things that we can change in our environment to make it easier for our bodies to absorb food. I am never perfect with these suggestions myself, but I think anytime we change how we do things to a greener choice, we are making progress!
a. Use your microwave sparingly – get a tea pot to heat up water – use your oven to warm foods. It really doesn’t take much longer to use the oven. The jury is out as to whether the microwave is safe – since it is controversial, I try to use alternative heat sources as much as possible.
b. Eliminate plastic in the kitchen as much as possible. Use glass or pyrex to store food. If you do use the microwave, do not put plastic in it.
c. Switch to healthy cleaning products. The more toxins your body has to fight off, the less it is able to properly use nutrients.
18. Exercise – this topic bores me for some reason. Just do something – then rest. I love to hike and walk in nature. It helps my overall well being. Sometimes walk by yourself, sometimes with a friend or family member. Solitude and socializing are both important to one’s well being. Get a Wii – good stuff for Minnesota winters, and the new Wii fit board is a great innovation. This is a fun way to get a work out and enjoy time with your family (I sound like a commercial!). I think strength training is important – the more muscle you have, the more calories that you burn. Think about what you are picking up during the day – kids, laundry baskets, dishes, etc. You are probably getting more strength training than you think – what can you do around the house that will give you even more opportunities to build your strength? We now live in a society that is trying to simplify everything – laundry rooms are on the same floor as the closets – so we don’t have to carry laundry baskets up steps – for crying out loud, if you are physically able, go up and down your steps a lot and carry big things with you! We are always trying to avoid the simplest of exercises. Check out opportunities in your area – you may be surprised how many bike trails and hiking trails that you find. My goal for this year is to get out in the snow more – cross country skiing, sledding and maybe even snowshoeing. I give myself twice as much credit for excercising outside in the winter – it just takes that much more effort! Enough on that topic – you can get a million books at the library about this one!
19. Find a passion – do something you love and your brain won’t be thinking about eating all of the time!
20. Stress is one of the biggest culprits for throwing our systems out of balance. Find ways to slow down.
21. Mood – this is probably the most important area to focus on. If our overall mood is poor – if depression is a concern, mental health needs to be focused on as well as physical health.
1. Eliminate food that you are sensitive to or do not tolerate well. They can cause inflammation in your system. If you are unable to do electrodermal screening or specific medical tests to determine sensitivities (not the same as a food allergy), put aside a week to do an elimination diet (I am not a big fan, but this can be helpful). The reason I am not a big fan, is that I have found that there are people that are sensitive even to the healthiest of foods. For a week eat only vegetables, rice and legumes. I already see a problem with this – who can do this? Anyway, if you can – after the week is up, start adding foods back one at a time and wait a day or two to see if you have any adverse reactions. If you choose to do an eliminations diet, do some research on the best way to proceed. Information can be found on the internet.
2. Add digestive enzymes to each meal. If you are not working with a natural health provider, go to your local natural foods store to get recommendations on an enzyme that would be beneficial for you. Digestive enzymes are helpful when taken with meals, and there are also enzymes that have many benefits if taken in between meals.
3. Get the toxins out – if your system is in balance, you will have more success with weight loss. You cannot feel your best either mentally or physically if your body is loaded with toxins. Losing weight too quickly is a mistake. Many toxins are stored in fatty tissue, so if you release that too quickly, you won’t feel well, which can sabotage your efforts.
4. Work on your gut – that may mean taking probiotics, getting rid of parasites or molds, yeasts and funguses, and fixing a leaky gut.
5. Balance the thyroid, adrenals and pancreas – and hormones in general.
6. Detox drink – mix 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup, 1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice and eight ounces of water. This drink supports your organs and also detoxes the system. This is used as a fasting drink, but I drink it daily and try to eat healthy. I put in more cayenne and less syrup, but mix it to a taste that meets your needs. I don’t recommend more maple syrup.
7. Play outside. If you are not spending enough time in nature, find a way that you begin adding time outside. If you have kids or dogs, it tends to be easier, but anyone can go for a walk, read at a park or in your backyard, go hiking, or try a new outdoor sport. In the winter, ski, snowboard, snowshoe, go sledding (this is actually hard work)
8. Sleep – if you are not sleeping well, do what you can to solve this issue. You can not successfully lose weight when you are sleep deprived. Your overall well-being will also be affected. Sleep can be affected by stress, parasites, nutrient depletion, organ strain, and more.
9. Rest – this is besides getting good sleep. Lay down, slow down, take time for yourself during the day. We move way to fast.
10. Deal with your anxiety – slow your brain down – meditate
11. Eat real food. What are we putting in our system? According to Michael Pollan in an Eater’s Manifesto – eat real food, not a lot, mostly plants. In other words, keep it simple! Don’t count calories, don’t beat yourself up for mistakes, eat well!
12. Yes – we need to supplement – this is becoming universally accepted. The idea that we all need the same supplements is where we are making a mistake. Obviously, everyone’s systems are different, so we all need different supplements. A base for supplements can include a multivitamin/mineral, fish oil, enzyme and antioxidant. Once again, everyone will need different amounts and different concentrations, so this is why I don’t like to make a blanket recommendation. Some people are going to need additional support depending on their mental and physical well being.
13. We hate to hear this one, but too bad – eat when you are hungry. It is ok to miss a meal once in a while if you are not hungry. I am not an advocate of fasting, but I also don’t believe we should eat, just because it is suppertime.
14. Now we finally get to what to eat. I think it is more important to talk about what not to eat.
- Eliminate hydrogenated oils from your diet (trans fats)
- Do not eat foods with corn syrup or high fructose corn syrup. If you are sensitive to corn, try to eliminate corn products in general. This is more difficult than it first appears, because corn makes up the majority of our diets (along with soy)
- Speaking of soy – I am not a fan. Unless you are eating organic fermented soy in moderation – try to get rid of soy from your diet.
- Chemicals and dyes – yikes – we are no longer eating food. If you look at ingredient lists, you will find very few real food products (besides corn and soy-and it is questionable if they count!). Our bodies want real food. We don’t know how to process all of the chemicals that we are exposed to in our environment and in our foods. Eat real food.
- Evaluate your sugar intake. We are being fooled into thinking that we are not getting very much sugar in our diets, because you won’t see plain old sugar on ingredients lists. Instead, we see things such as, dextrose, corn syrup, maltose and more. Artificial sweeteners are not a better choice – we wouldn’t choose artificial broccoli or artificial water…
- Also look at white flour consumption. This is the most difficult area for me, because I love pasta. I am not a fan of whole wheat pasta, so I look for other alternatives – rice or quinoa noodles. There are healthier alternatives. Try to eat 100% whole grain bread or sprouted bread.
- Try not to eat the same foods over and over. This can lead to food sensitivities from a leaky gut.
- Add good fats – olive oil, olives, avocados, nuts and seeds. We are actually a nation that is not getting enough fat, or too much of the wrong fats. Depending on what makes you feel good, I also believe in some saturated fats from organic butter, cheese and meat (organic or hormone free). I like cheese, but I am not a big fan of milk. If you drink milk, try organic (even though it is ultrapasteurized, it seems to be easier on people because there are not hormones or bacteria in it).
- Chopping vegetables can be a good meditation practice – get some good knives (wolfgang puck has a great set for $20) – pick out at least five vegetables and at least two types of lettuce (cabbage, spinach or other greens, too). Chop away and make a huge salad to keep in the fridge. My kids complain because they can’t find the lettuce because of all the other vegetables. I make a couple of these salads each week, and eat at least one a day. I add egg, olives, cottage cheese, flax seeds (ground or flax meal), nuts and organic dressing. If you need even more protein, you can add meat. As long as you have added healthy fats and protein to your salad, you will find this to be an easy and filling meal. The fat is important so that your body is able to absorb the nutrients. Put a full fat dressing on your salad – look for one with olive oil and try to use organic dressing.
- If you can, slow down when you eat (I have a hard time with this). This gives your enzymes time to kick in. Avoid drinking beverages with your meal – because this also dilutes the enzymes in your system (I have a hard time with this, too!)
- Drink lots of water in between meals. Shoot for half your body weight in ounces of water each day. Not always easy to do - but don’t get hung up on getting a perfect amount each days – some days you will be more thirsty and need more water than other days. If you are excercising a lot or our in hot weather, you will need more water. If you are detoxing, you should drink more.
- Go back to basics – fewer ingredients – food in its raw state. Eat tons of vegetables – some say 5 servings, some say 12, I just say get a lot into your system. You can eat a salad more than once a day – just mix it up with different vegetables. Some vegetables are absorbed better when cooked – sauté, roast or steam lightly to maintain the nutrients.
- Use organic low sodium broth to cook with. It is fabulous with rice, to sauté foods, and to cook rice noodles right in with the saute’d vegetables.
- Cook with onions, garlic, celery and peppers and lots of them.
- h. Use lots of spice – cayenne pepper, garlic, turmeric, basil – if you use salt, use celtic sea salt – it has the most minerals. Try to cut down on salt by using other spices.
- Find a healthy picante, pico de galla, or salsa that you like, and use it generously. Fiber, fiber, fiber – take fiber before a meal and you will lose weight – eat more fiber with your meals – we get about 8 grams of fiber, to lose weight we need about 60 grams. Move up slowly on fiber intake, or you will have stomach issues.
- Grow some of your food – it is very satisfying to pick food from your own garden. You can also get great produce from container gardening if you don’t have a spot for a garden. I am not overly successful with gardening (yet), but even the small amount I harvest makes me feel good.
- Go to farmer’s markets to get locally grown food – it is so good!
17. There are simple things that we can change in our environment to make it easier for our bodies to absorb food. I am never perfect with these suggestions myself, but I think anytime we change how we do things to a greener choice, we are making progress!
a. Use your microwave sparingly – get a tea pot to heat up water – use your oven to warm foods. It really doesn’t take much longer to use the oven. The jury is out as to whether the microwave is safe – since it is controversial, I try to use alternative heat sources as much as possible.
b. Eliminate plastic in the kitchen as much as possible. Use glass or pyrex to store food. If you do use the microwave, do not put plastic in it.
c. Switch to healthy cleaning products. The more toxins your body has to fight off, the less it is able to properly use nutrients.
18. Exercise – this topic bores me for some reason. Just do something – then rest. I love to hike and walk in nature. It helps my overall well being. Sometimes walk by yourself, sometimes with a friend or family member. Solitude and socializing are both important to one’s well being. Get a Wii – good stuff for Minnesota winters, and the new Wii fit board is a great innovation. This is a fun way to get a work out and enjoy time with your family (I sound like a commercial!). I think strength training is important – the more muscle you have, the more calories that you burn. Think about what you are picking up during the day – kids, laundry baskets, dishes, etc. You are probably getting more strength training than you think – what can you do around the house that will give you even more opportunities to build your strength? We now live in a society that is trying to simplify everything – laundry rooms are on the same floor as the closets – so we don’t have to carry laundry baskets up steps – for crying out loud, if you are physically able, go up and down your steps a lot and carry big things with you! We are always trying to avoid the simplest of exercises. Check out opportunities in your area – you may be surprised how many bike trails and hiking trails that you find. My goal for this year is to get out in the snow more – cross country skiing, sledding and maybe even snowshoeing. I give myself twice as much credit for excercising outside in the winter – it just takes that much more effort! Enough on that topic – you can get a million books at the library about this one!
19. Find a passion – do something you love and your brain won’t be thinking about eating all of the time!
20. Stress is one of the biggest culprits for throwing our systems out of balance. Find ways to slow down.
21. Mood – this is probably the most important area to focus on. If our overall mood is poor – if depression is a concern, mental health needs to be focused on as well as physical health.
