Now is the time to get healthy!
With Cardiovascular and Diabetes as the number one health issues effecting North America we need to change our approach to health and that starts with Nutrition.
I dont't expect you to pick all 10; although that would be BRILLIANT! choose one and work on that for a month.
It is the little changes you make today that will have the biggest optimal impact on your lifestyle!
Email me, send me a video or tweet me on what you are choosing to get healthy!
Ten Tips to Eating Healthy:
1. Eat protein at every meal: Protein breaks down into Amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks for every function in the body. One of the most important ways to keep your blood sugar balanced and energy levels high are to include protein at every meal, especially breakfast. The highest quality protein sources are wild caught fish, organic bison, ostridge, venison, deer, elk, chicken, eggs, organic, raw nuts and avocado. In a hurry? No time for breakfast? A quick smoothie will do the trick. In a blender pour 8 oz of your favorite milk, (goat, almond, hazel nut, rice milk) add in 2 tablespoons of your favorite nut butter (organic peanut butter only), walnut butter, pecan butter, or almond butter), add ½ a banana, and perhaps a handful of berries, whiz and go! To make this process even quicker, get the ingredients, except for the liquid ready the night before, store in the cup you will use in the morning. Or for an even speedier approach, purchase the Magic Bullet as it is a built in cup with lids perfect for travelling.
2. Get the junk outta your trunk! Processed refined, packaged foods are junk! They have no nutrient value; they cause constipation, hormone imbalances, fatigue, moodiness, lethargy sluggishness and contribute to a whole slew of illness and diseases. Foods such as white bread, rice, pasta, frozen dinners, cakes, cookies, pies, doughnuts, candies, pop/soda, bakery items-do you get the picture? These fake foods actually zap your energy! Replace these meals with fresh raw fruits, vegetables, salads, fresh fruit juices, fresh vegetable juices, tofu, nuts and seeds. Live raw energy will create live raw energy within you!
3. Limit sugar and caffeine intake: Don’t go into panic mode on me. Sugar and caffeine may give you an instant energy bolt, but within a few hours, you will be crashing as quickly as your initial buzz making you tired and grumpy. Processed foods, white bread, white pasta, white rice, sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and caffeine weaken your adrenal glands, which are responsible for your energy levels and contribute to weight gain and indirectly with diabetes. So, by consuming sugar and caffeine, you are weakening your body’s natural energy system and providing no nutrients for growth and repair of your immune system. Try brown rice, whole wheat, or brown rice pasta. Instead of pastries, muffins and doughnuts, try apple pieces with nut butter, Instead of coffee, colas and tea, which tax your liver and adrenals, try vegetable juice, fruit juice, hot water with lemon juice or herbal teas. One of my favorite is Tao Passion tea. It has a great smell and a terrific color that will lift anyone’s spirit.
4. Water Water, Water! I can’t say enough about water! It is right there and yet we don’t drink it. We live in the desert, therefore we need more water than any other state in this great country, and yet we are dehydrated! Water is the primary energizer of all functions in the body. Water lubricates joints, flushes out toxins, and provides substance for fiber in the colon. Transports nutrients and absorbs shock to joints and organs. When we don’t drink enough water the body actually goes into survival mode.
Early signs of dehydration Mature signs of dehydration Emergency signs of dehydration
Fatigue Heartburn Asthma and allergies
Anxiety Joint and back pain Diabetes
Irritability Fibromyalgia Migraine headaches
Depression Constipation/IBS Hypertension/High blood pressure/Cholesterol
Cravings Anginal pains Autoimmune disease, lupus
Cramps Psoriasis
Headache
For daily maintenance hydration is dependent upon your weight. Take your weight in pounds, divide in 1/2, equals the number of ounces per day, every day. Then divide the number of ounces by 8, equals the number of 8 oz glasses of water you need to consume. As you lose weight, your volume changes, thus the amount you require. If you drink caffeine, for every eight ounces consumed, you will need to drink an additional 16 ounces of water. Drink an extra 8 ounces of water before, during, and post exercise. If you are hiking in Arizona, bring plenty of water, when the temperature is soaring to 120f you need to constantly drink water to stay hydrated.
5. Take nutritional supplements. There is no such thing as the perfect diet. Even if you did eat perfectly, the soil is so nutrient depleted from over cropping, pollution pesticides and herbicides, that we cannot get all the key nutrients, such as Carnitine, CoQ10, magnesium, B-complex, and Omega 3s, for optimal energy levels. Taking supplements are necessary to ensure adequate amounts in your system and to restore balance. Look for a complete Multi/Mineral Complex that has no added ingredients or preservatives, so let me tell you plain and clear “Centrum is not the right choice!” If you truly want a high quality multi/mineral vitamin, I have several options available if not, Solgar is a reputable retail level multivitamin. If you are truly stressed, and who isn’t watching the news, add in a vitamin B50 complex. B vitamins are water soluble vitamins that are excreted within 4 hours. Stress and dietary factors can actually deplete the vitamins quicker, and cause a deficiency. For women, add in a sublingual B12, B6 for the first month until your reserves are normal. Fish oil is a natural anti-inflammatory and loaded with EPA/DHA. It is a true anti-inflammatory wonder. It will help lubricate your joints, make you look younger, and actually make you feel more alert. A word of caution, if you are on blood thinners, please check with your doctor as fish oil thins your blood. Your urine will turn bright yellow. Don’t panic, this is normal; it is letting you know your body is assimilating the B vitamins.
6. Exercise. You do not have to become a gym junkie to get fit! We have the most amazing trails right here in the valley. All it takes are a good pair of quality supportative walking shoes and thirty minutes a day. Walking, especially outdoors is not only friendly to the pocket book, it is a whole mind, body, spiritual adventure. Walking is one of the best ways to lower stress, blood pressure and cholesterol. Walking clears the mind, lifts the spirit and increases energy. A body in motion stays in motion long after the exercise, increasing metabolism and helping you to lose weight and keep your energy going all day.
7. Get a good night’s rest. Sleep is restorative and is a time when the body is assimilating the day’s nutrients for repair and growth. Aim for 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep per night. Keep your room dark, free of ambient lighting from night lights, cell phones and bright alarm clocks. Your body needs to go into REM cycle to process your daily events. Darkness also triggers the release of the hormone melatonin, a neurotransmitter that regulates sleep and many other functions in your body. A good night’s sleep leaves you feeling energized and can lower stress.
8. Don’t worry, be happy! This is important to avoid sleepless nights, which stresses the body. Our emotional health is important in order to avoid the stress and worry that often leads to reduced sleep quality, and affect our energy each day. How we look at life can affect our energy levels. If we have a negative attitude, and do not like what we are doing, this will have a direct impact on your energy levels and health. Don’t look at the glass as half empty, it really is half full! Look for the bright side of all your challenges. Soon you will be able to follow a positive mindset without thinking about it. This lifts the spirit, which increases energy physically and mentally. Surround yourself with like-minded people and soon you will have more energy than you know what to do with. The best piece of advice, go on a media fast. Try a week without watching, listening, reading the news. It is all doom and gloom and super negative. Pay attention to how your body feels without that constant reinforcement of negativity. If you are struggling to find the positive side of the tracks, I can teach you unique techniques to not only lower your stress triggers, but how to release old perceptions that are keeping you back from experiencing and enjoying the positive side of life.
9. Have a night out with friends or family. Reconnect with those you enjoy spending time with. Laughing and enjoying are two key components to health and longevity. Laughing decreases stress raises “feel good” endorphins which give you more energy. Incorporate a dinner night, at home or a favorite restaurant. Have a movie night, a game night or whatever it is that you need to do to reconnect. Want to meet new people try MeetUp.com. No it is not a dating service, it is a place where you can find social groups free of charge (some have fees) getting together for a specific function, such as cooking, art, books, brunch, dinners, you name it.
10. Get a health check. If you have not had a physical in a while, now is the time. Sometimes lethargy or lack of energy can be from an undetected health issue. If you are taking medications, have the doctor check your medications, maybe you need less or more, or a different brand. Perhaps your medications are no longer needed. And sometimes, it is the medication itself that may be causing your lack of energy. Plan a physical every year on your birthday. The day you were born was a special day, and so are you. Get a physical on your special day!
Karen Langston
Chief body reorganizer
Karen@IamWorthit2.com 623 252.4325
http://www.iamworthit2.com/ Twitter.com/KarenLangston
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