Wisdom in Food, Nutrition in thought.
There is always a slew of advice on how to lose weight or how to eat a healthy diet. In most case, fad diets never work because they are hard to maintain. They just give a quick fix then within a few months or years, the dieter will return to the way they were eating before starting the diet.
This is because the taste buds have a memory & high fat, sugar or salt foods that tend to lure a person back into old eating habits. Also, emotional eating when under stress is a major cause of overeating the wrong type of foods with high saturated fats, refined sugar and table salt.
Natural foods from nature contain the wisdom the mind and body need to stay healthy. Not all people are born physically equal…Some people are born with stronger genes & DNA so their bodies can tolerate more unhealthy foods and live to a ripe old age thanks in part to medical science. Therefore it makes sense to understand how you feel after eating each meal and to become aware of what your body can accept to stay healthy.
What thoughts do you have when you are ready for your next meal, doughnuts and coffee, full English breakfast, a tasty hamburger and French fries, or a juicy steak and jacket potato fully laden? Do you plan in advance your next meal whether it suits your taste buds or is going to make all the cells in your body rejoice?
When we look around, we see the majority of people hanker after a tasty meal, most probably high in fat, sugar and salt. Some people don’t eat healthy but eat smaller portions to keep slim and then there are a few people that eat high nutrition, low calorie foods and stop eating just before they are full.
When junk food becomes a habit, over time most people will feel the effects that lead to diabetes, cancer and many other debilitating diseases. The pharmaceutical industry can dish out over-the-counter and prescription drugs that temporarily relieve painful digestive system discomfort but only a change of lifestyle will bring about a lasting cure.
Be aware, no matter how good a diet is, if a person thinks in a negative manner, especially when eating, the healthiest diet in the world can turn toxic. That said, it is far better to eat a healthy diet. A junk food diet only adds stress to the body and forms a chemical imbalance. A healthy diet rebalances the bodies digestive system & helps the immune system to function naturally
In the follow pages you will learn the authentic choices you have to stay healthy & joyful all your life. It is filled with tasty food choices and recipes containing natures wisdom you can enjoy, once you learn how to retrain your taste buds into accepting a truer way to eat. It usually takes 21 days to unhook from one unhealthy taste and change to a better choice.
Because most people have built-up multiple tastes, it takes time to change, so be patient and kind to yourself while making the changes slowly.
Emotional stress tends to lead to overeating foods with empty calories that contain little goodness, with a high calories count that adds weight rapidly… calories that have no benefit for the body but taste good while partaking in an overeating binge, trying to overcoming stressful situations.
It truth, it only makes matters far more stressful, for not only is a persons mind stressed by circumstances, the eating of junk food is also stressing out their bodies natural systems.
Respect what you put into mind & body & make a friend for life, abuse it with junk food-n-thoughts & become your own worst enemy.
Changing diets
A ‘ diet’ is a way of eating, it can be a weight gain or loss diet, macrobiotic or vegan diet. When you decide it’s time to get back in shape it’s time to re-evaluate the foods one eats, which foods are health giving, which foods are empty calories, which foods have soluble fiber, which have non-soluble fiber (high fiber foods move slower through the body therefore giving a full feeling longer)
All fruits and vegetables have fiber, soft drinks and fruit juices do not. It usually takes years to gain and maintain excessive weight, so it is not possible to lose the weight in six months and keep it off. Have a realistic time plan, depending how much you weight you want to reduce.
To start the pathway to good health adapt the mind into thinking about the new foods you are going to be exploring and the old, unhealthy foods to start reducing. Often people eat when they are not hungry but feel the need to eat out of emotional stress.
This type of hunger is called emotional hunger & is one of the main causes of obesity. Reducing the high fat and high sugar foods with a health giving food, increasing the ratio gradually, eventually you will feel so much better, you will naturally stop eating the foods which are not health giving.
A golden rule about cooking, avoid frying any type of food. Steam or boil vegetables. Only use unsaturated oils such as virgin cold pressed olive oil in salad dressings. Changing the desires of the taste buds takes 21 days for one type of food.
If you decided to first reduce sugar intake, delete a food with high sugar, for example a donut, for 21 days. If after that time you desire a taste, have a bite or two, chew it very slowly. Small amounts will satisfy the desire, in time, you will not even want a taste, for when you increase the healthy foods the body desires, the healthier food leaves the body feeling satisfied, it also improves digestion and elimination.
To have good digestion your gut has to be healthy, it is necessary to take a probiotic pill daily, unless you eat a fresh, raw organic diet. If you suffer any type of discomfort after eating it could mean any of the following;
Eating on the run.
Foods you are unable to digest fully.
Eating whilst anxious.
Not chewing the food fully and overeating.
It is important to keep the body hydrated with fluids. This can come from fruit, vegetables and drinking at least 6 glasses of water a day. Be careful with fruit juices as they have a high sugar content with no fiber to slow the sugar down.
Having a glass of water 30 minutes before a meal will hydrate your body so you have no need to drink during your meal as this will reduce digestive acids. Room temperature water is easier on the body.
When having a meal take the time to sit at a table. Turn off TV, radio, computer that takes your attention away from the food you are eating. Turn on soft relaxing music that helps soothe your mind while your eating. Take time to smell your food before eating, this helps your digestive juices to start working.
The tip of the tongue is where the taste buds reside so the more time spent chewing the more flavor you acquire, digestive juices in the tongue start the first phase of digestion making it easier for the stomach to digest.
Chew at least 30 times, if you have mindfulness when eating this will become one of your good habits when eating. This makes swallowing slower, therefore you can feel when you have eaten enough food.
Eating quickly does not get the digestive juices working adequately, you swallow before the stomach has worked up enough digestive juices and this can lead to discomfort after you have finished eating.
It is preferable not to have any controversial conversation when eating as this can lead to a bloated stomach & gas. Raw food provides enzymes which helps digestion, that is why it is good to start a meal with salad with minimum dressing, a little olive oil & balsamic vinegar helps the body to absorb the foods nutriments.
Overcooked food has less nutrition than less cooked or raw food. Raw food has the most nutrition except in a few cases e.g. tomatoes and carrots. If possible eat half raw food and half cooked Try to mix the colors of vegetables to get an assortment of vitamins and minerals.
Elimination of food on a regular basis is an important function to clear toxic waste from the body. High fiber foods should be part of a daily diet. If constipation becomes a problem, take a natural laxative that contains organic ingredients but don’t depend on it for too long.
Myths About Foods
You require dairy for your calcium needs.
Question: does a cow drink milk… No calves drink milk, the lucky cows eat grass. The unlucky ones are fed on corn & many injected with hormones & antibiotics. Many are kept in barns like battery hens. It’s best to avoid all dairy products as they do effect the sinus, can cause cellulite in the body and can be the cause of many disease. Calcium is in most vegetables, especially green leafy, kale being one of the best sources.
Meat is a good source of protein
All red meat products should be avoided as animal fats are a major cause of heart disease but if you must eat meat, only eat 100% grass fed.
Bananas are high in sugar.
If you compare them with an apple, yes. If you compare them with a piece of apple pie, no.
Avocados are high in fat.
The fat in an avocado is essential for bodily requirements. They are good nutrition for brain health.
Beans cause gas.
Soak beans all day, rinse and leave overnight, this starts the bean germinating and also takes less time to cook. Also boil the beans for five minutes, discard water and refill, cook until soft with fennel, ginger, turmeric, etc.
Vegetables cause gas
If your body is not used to eating raw vegetables, which is the most nutritious way to eat them, it may cause gas, start with a small quantity until gradually you body gets used to them and you shouldn’t have a problem.