Lets loose those rolls for the summer!!

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Well, it is that time of year when people are finally trying to do their New Year’s resolutions.  Probably, the most common one is to lose weight.  In this article, I will attempt to clear up some myths about losing weight and uncover the truth about how the body works.

Myth #1 If you want to lose weight, you must starve yourself.

This is SO untrue.  When you skip breakfast, your metabolism slows down because you haven’t brought up the blood sugar level after fasting for 8 hours or so (while you were sleeping).  Hence, your body holds unto fat because it needs it to keep you going all day.  Starving yourself will only make you put on more weight in the long run because the body will store all the fat you consume after the starvation to prepare for the next famine.

Spirulina is high in many nutrients, thereby satisfying the body’s hidden hunger.  If you eat at regular intervals and plan it out, you won’t be reaching for vending machine junk food.

Myth #2 If you are overweight, you are well fed.

An overweight person is usually malnourished.  This may sound odd to some of you but the reason is some people may have poor digestion causing the body to hold onto undigested food and unwanted fat.  A common problem today is people think when they are full they are well fed, completely wrong! Eating the wrong kinds of food gets you full but not well fed.

Common sense tells us to cut out sugar and fast fried foods, white rice, white flour, salt, and all processed foods.  Eat more complex carbohydrates that also offer protein such as tofu, lentils, baked potatoes, brown rice, sesame seeds, whole grains and white fish (no shell fish.)

You may also consume endless quantities of fresh vegetables and fruits.  Keep your meals simple.  Having too many different kinds of food to digest at once will overwhelm digestion.  If you feel you have a digestion problem try helping yourself out with digestive food enzymes.

Myth #3 Drinking a lot of water will make me bloated

Just the opposite!!  Consuming 8 to 12 glasses of water per day encourages the liver to burn fat and can give the body a sense of fullness in between meals. Water also helps to cleanse the kidneys and bowel of toxins and metabolic waste material.

Water is a natural diuretic, other historically used natural diuretics include: Parsley, Juniper berries, peach bark, watermelon seeds, watercress, agrimony, Kidney Activator (formally Combination K) and JP-X.

So what to do now

It is best to make gradual changes in your diet.  Replacing unhealthy empty calories foods with wholesome and nutritious foods takes some time to get use to.  But, the benefits far outweigh (no pun intended) any taste sensation you may get from the old way of eating.

Refined sugar can be replaced with stevia (preferred), maple syrup, honey or turbinado sugar.  If the cravings for sugar is strong take Chromium; for a chocolate craving try magnesium.

For retention of minerals and vitamins in your food always bake or broil when cooking.  Never deep fry!

The following are some herbs helpful in weight management program; l Lecithin-helps in digestion and emulsification of fats, it helps break up cholesterol and lower blood pressure.

• Chickweed – Encourages the liver to burn fat
• Cascara Sagrada and psyllium hulls – cleanses bowel
• Calor – Is a homeopathic appetite control
• As with Gymnema – Appetite suppressant and prevents sugar absorption
• SF with Garcinia – Appetite suppressant.
• Slim-Chi – Builds energy and raises metabolism.

It would be a good idea to determine whether or not you have a possible thyroid or adrenal problems.  If you take Thyroid Activator (formally known as KC-X), TS II or Licorice root ***(Editors note: caution if you have high blood pressure)*** it may be helpful.  Please consult a competent herbalist to help determine your needs.

Diet foods containing nutra-sweet only add to a weight problem and alcohol reduces the body’s ability to burn fat.

For snacking, keep cut up: carrots, celery and other raw vegetables in the refrigerator.  Keep a bowl of airpopped pop corn on hand.  A little olive oil can be spritzed on and some Italian seasoning added for flavor.

Exercise!!

What would a weight management article be without mentioning a very important; Exercise!!!

Exercising 20 to 30 minutes per day at least 5 days per week can lower blood pressure, improve circulation and release endorphins, making you feel good.  There are many good exercise programs on TV my personal favorite is Denise Austin on the Lifetime channel.

What tricks do you folks have for weight loss! We know it is that time of year when you get in front of the mirror and you really realize you need to loose a few pounds. So let us know what you are doing and maybe we can help!

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