This is the fourth installment from 25 Tips For A Better Life in 2009. I have combined the next two tips because I will be covering them both in this article.
TIP #4 - Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less foods that are made in plants.
TIP #5 - Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli and almonds.
First, Some Quick Facts
Why Drink Green Tea and Plenty of Water?
Green tea, a great source of antioxidants, can help lower your cholesterol level and reduce your risk of cancer. The compound ECGC in green tea has been found to slow or stop the growth of cancer cells. An American Heart Association study found that people who drank 2 cups of tea (black or green) a day were 25% less likely to die of heart disease compared to those who did not. This is because the Flavenoids in the tea not only improve the blood vessels ability to relax, but also thins the blood reducing clotting.
Drinking plenty of water not only lowers your risk of heart disease by up to 60%, but also helps to curb your appetite.
Why Eat Berries, Salmon, Broccoli and Almonds?
Raspberries, strawberries and blueberries are all loaded with salicylic acid - the same heart disease fighter found in aspirin. The also contain antioxidants, fiber and Vitamin C.
Omega-3 fats in salmon, sardines, tuna and other fish help strengthen heart muscle, lower blood pressure, prevent clotting and reduce inflammation levels in the body. Recently it has been found that Omega-3 actually spurs your body’s metabolism and and helps it to burn fat more efficiently. Fish is also a great source of lean protein.
Broccoli contains a compound indole-3-carbinol, which has been shown to fight various forms of cancer.
Almonds and other nuts are a great source of protein, monounsaturated fats, Vitamin E, fiber and phosphorus. They will keep you feeling “fuller” longer and help suppress your appetite.
What Does This Really Have to Do with Losing Weight?
I won’t spend a lot of time telling you why being overweight is bad for you. We already know all that. We already know that the risk or heart disease is 60% higher for obese people, and that the risk of cancer is 33% higher. We know that the World Health Organization estimates that up to 1/3 of all colon, kidney and digestive tract cancers are caused by being overweight or inactive. We also know that about 15 million Americans have been diagnosed with diabetes. This is not from eating too much sugar, but from years of eating high-carbohydrate foods that are easily converted into sugar. Fat is to blame. Not to mention sleep apnea, asthma, gastroesophogeal reflux, respiratory problems, and insomnia.
How Did I get So Fat Anyway?
Most of us learned our poor eating and health habits from our parents. Now, we know more than they did about eating right, but as I said, we learned our “habits” and habits are hard to break. We grew up with the odds against us. When growing up should have been playing outside instead of playing video games. We ate fast food instead of smart food. We stuffed our faces with doughnuts, ice cream and candy bars. Worst of all - McDonald’s!
Now, we are looking for that one great “miracle diet” or “magic pill” that will make it all go away. Well friends, it ain’t gonna happen! It’s all marketing and hype. It has always been true and it will always be true that the only way to lose weight and keep it off is to burn more calories than you take in. Wait, don’t leave yet. There are still some shortcuts..
Whether you want to lose weight to improve your health, your looks, your athletic ability or your sex appeal, you need to change your “diet.” Not to be confused with “going on a diet.” I don’t “go” on diets and neither should you. Most diets are about eating less food or being severely restricted about the foods you eat. When you “diet”, as in eating drastically less food, your body responds by burning muscle and storing fat. So, you’ll lose some muscle (muscle requires the most energy to maintain) and then you’ll lose some fat. Yeah! But guess what. As soon as you go off your restriction of calories, you’ll start gaining weight again: right away. Only you won’t be gaining back any muscle, only fat. Not so good. And it only gets harder to lose the new-found fat during the next “diet.”
Don’t Go On a “Diet” and Don’t Count All The Calories You Eat
Don’t drastically change your life or drastically reduce calories. Just reduce your daily “intake” of calories by about 20% to slowly lose pounds and keep them off forever! You can eat the same AMOUNT of food, or sometimes EVEN MORE food than you are eating now. You won’t feel like you are dieting at all.
How Many Calories Do I Need
If you are not gaining weight, you can estimate your daily intake of calories:
- If you don’t exercise at all - multiply your weight by 13
- If you get at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise (walking) 3 times a week - multiply your weight by 14
- If you get at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise 5 times a week - multiply your weight by 15
- If you get more than 30 minutes of exercise almost every day - multiply your weight by 17
Gina weighs 140 pounds and gets moderate exercise about 3 times a week. She multiplies 140 by 14 for a total of 1960. An intake of 1960 calories will maintain her present weight. Multiplying this number by 0.2 gives her 392. If Gina reduces her calorie intake by 392, she will likely lose at least 3 pounds in the first month.
The link below gives some examples of how easy it is for Gina to cut 392 calories from her meals every day! CLICK HERE to view the Calorie Chart.
Try to eat more often. Not more food, just eat 6 or more times a day instead of the traditional 3. Have a snack between your traditional meals to increase and keep your metabolism up. Replace a few higher calorie foods with healthier ones. We all know what they are. Don’t worry too much about the amount of fat, or the amount of carbs, or the amount of sugar in what your eating. Just be concerned with cutting the calories for now. After all, you can lose weight eating nothing but ice cream - as long as you consume 20% less calories than you are now!
To Be Continued…..
Gina
Technorati Tags:Weight Loss, Losing Weight
Articles Feed
Law of Attraction
