My Life in WordsHi, I am Charlene Ryan, Fitness and nutrition geek.
I love to feel strong and eat healthy. My blog will reflect this as will as my relationship with God. |
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My Life in WordsHi, I am Charlene Ryan, Fitness and nutrition geek.
I love to feel strong and eat healthy. My blog will reflect this as will as my relationship with God. |
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Do you eat processed foods such as the white flour foods: crackers, bread, cereal, some pastas, bagels; or white rice, chips, and other prepared foods with refined ingredients?
If you are a woman heading into the era of menopause, this is the leading cause of weight gain around the middle. When your body produces less estrogen, insulin resistance increases, causing fat to accumulate. The Phytoestrogens in plants are similar to estrogens and therefor help relieve the brain's craving, elevate mood boosting dopamine and lessen night sweats. Make this a habit: Eat more nuts, fish, legumes, poultry, veggies, whole grains, and other low-glycemic foods. This helps limit the amount of extra glucose that's delivered to fat cells. Cinnamon improves insulin sensitivity; Use a teaspoon a day to keep insulin at bay. All men and women who are overweight or disease ridden do not have enough healthy habits to keep them in shape and healthy. I'm reminded of the way my kids think: "If I eat some carrots, can I have candy?", or soda, or whatever it is that day that is tempting them. Wrong thinking! To be healthy is to eat healthy. An occasional treat will not be noticed much. A treat after every healthful bite is justifying bad habits. Remember, though, there are plenty of healthful treats out there. Don't give in to the world and its ways with all the commercialized junk on the market. Just don't do it!
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Are your current indulgences limited or unlimited? Does day after day go by and you give in to whatever you want? Are you seeing the result of this habit?
Goodness, do yourself a favor. If there's a party coming up, wait until the party. If you take out cookies to give to someone else and you find your self nibbling, consider setting aside a special "tea time" or invite some friends to enjoy a few with you. You could save yourself from addional weight gain. Now, a little deeper I go. Sorry, but, have you tried some new recipes this year? Some that aren't so terrible on the waist line? The ingredients you use play a big role on the effect they have on your physique. Check out some of the treats here and be inspired to search for more with similar ingredients. Deep Rooted Habits: Think on the progression of this one: Many people have a sweet tooth, salty tooth, or just plain---trouble eating right. Many people over the last couple of decades have decided they need to lose weight or get in shape somehow. The commercial world comes out with all sorts of diets and foods to make people believe that they need these items to help them. The "People" who have become too accustomed to convenience foods and processed foods think that they need these products and that they are "healthy". This creates a backwards approach to breaking bad habits. The "person" can still have their junk food except now it has vitamins in it.
If you're with me, speciific habit changes lead to less cravings for processed foods because your body receives that which it needs. The occaisional treat is good, fine and right in its place. No guilt. So when you see a packaged cookie or bar or weight loss drink on sale, remember this: Whole, unprocessed, raw foods, herbs, spices, containing all the original fiber, nutrients, healthy fats, proteins, and carbohydrates are all you need. HOWEVER, some bars out there are good snack bars such as Larabars. If, for example, having a bar like this or a granola bar, helps you break a habit of eating candy, then that's a different story. Progressive habit changes are soemtimes necessary, but to be educated on what the real deal is, is important so you are not misled like the millions on Weight Watcher's and the Atkin's diet. I'm sorry, i do not like to mention names, but frozen dinners and snack bars do not consitute a healthy diet! A diet high in animal protein and super low carbs also do not constitute healthy diet! Back to the vitamin-loaded candy bars: I've scoped the ingredients of hundreds of them. To put it plainly, they are junk. Many contain questionable dairy, GMO soy protein isolate, protein concentrates, sugar in the form of evaporated cane juice or artificial sweeteners such as Splenda, refined flours, and more questionable ingredients. If you are on a diet program of which you must eat these type of things daily, you are harming your body--accumulating toxins, and buidling up arterial plaque. The progression to raw foods is the best, but can't be expected by everyone at least not right away. You could go from eating Pringles and Twix bars to eating veggie sticks and granola bars (that's one pregression), then as you get educated, the next step might be carrots and hummus and/or homemade raw food bars (or store-bought). Just a note: I am not a complete raw foodist. I believe in various healthful methods of eating. I will not call it moderation though. That term is used too loosely. Its like giving yourself permission to have junk every day "as long as it's in moderation". The Good Habits Program is not a diet, just you getting back to the you you were supposed/made to be before too many habits got in the way either by commercial crazes, family traditions, job restrictions, etc. All these habits can be a thing of the past with respect for what brings you joy and happiness. You may never have even experienced true natural health from day 1. Relying on your surroundings to make you happy will lead to disappointment |
View my Word Press BLOG:Fit, Healthy, Happy Home Charlene RyanPreventative Health Author and recipe developer. Archives
January 2018
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