SLIM, HEALTY & HAPPY

Most of us follow a particular diet throughout our life. Low Fat, High Protetin, Low Carb, Bio, Turbo, Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Slang Products, Atkins Diet, Factor 5 Diet, Hollywood Diet, Lemon Diet, Medical Diet, Grapefruit, Tea or even Honey Diets. We’ll try anything for a slim figure. We stay on our diets for ten days, a month, a year. We count calories and watch our fat intake. And…we suffer!

I was one of those who had a few excess pounds. I hated my “waist belt”. It made me feel terribly uncomfortable. I had a feeling that it flashed like a neon sign, and I was sure everyone noticed. I tried various diets. After a period of brief excitement, I would become bored, give into temptation, and go through another disappointment. I never seemed to find the right combination of diet and exercise where I saw results and remained excited and interested at the same time.

Ultimately, I gave up dieting and formed my own personal nutrition program…and it worked! Here are a few tips that help me stay slim, healthy and satisfied. Perhaps, they can help you as well.

1. DON'T SEEK HAPPINESS IN FOOD. We are all familiar with the fact that what we eat affects the way we feel. Chocolate, certain kinds of pasta and meat, refined foods, etc. affect the secretion of brain substances such as dopamine and serotonin (“happiness hormone”), which evoke pleasant feelings. Gradually, the necessity for these “pleasure producers“ grows (similar to heroin or cocaine addiction) when they tend to produce less pleasure and excessive weight.

2. NURTURE YOUR HUNGER NOT YOUR APPETITE. We tend to eat even when we're full. We feed our appetite, not our hunger. We feel hungry when we become aware of the lack of energy, and our appetite increases each time we see, smell or think of a certain kind of food, when we are sad, lonely, or when we can't sleep.

3. EAT LESS AND BE ACTIVE. Excessive intake of calories and lack of activity lead to many
diseases, premature aging, and depression. The most critical daily periods are between 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. and between 8:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. During these peak periods, most people have an increased necessity for food. That's why you should undertake a certain activity during these periods such as walking, running, dancing, painting, sewing, or any activity that interests you.

4. CONSUME FOOD WITH HIGHER NUTRITIONAL VALUE. Avoid empty calories and processed foods which contain lots of calories and little nutritional value. My suggestions are fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Read food labels. Pay particular attention to serving sizes noted and Nutritional Facts, and the order in which the Ingredients are listed on a food label. For example, ingredients are listed in order of how much of an ingredient a food contains. If sugar is the first ingredient listed, the food is made up of mostly sugar and, therefore, would not be a very wise choice. It's your choice. Check for additives, calories, fat content, sodium, sugar, cholesterol, carbohydrates, fiber and protein. Check the percentage of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium and Iron. These should all be taken into consideration when choosing what to eat.

5. EAT WITH YOUR HEAD, NOT WITH YOUR HEART. Each bite has the ability either to revitalize you, or it can do the opposite and make you feel tired, cranky, short-tempered and contribute to loss of focus. Food and feelings are closely related…the food you eat can change your mood. Take a few minutes, read the labels, and put a little thought and time into your food choices.

6. GIVE UP “DIET” AND “ZERO” PRODUCTS. The majority of diet products are bogus. In most cases, they contain aspartame, the chemical substance that stimulates the appetite and has a number of side effects (migraine, nausea, numbness, muscle spasms, and weight gain, to name a few).

7. BALANCED MEALS. Each meal should contain approximately 45% of carbohydrates, 35% of proteins, and 20% of fat. This balance stabilizes the amount of insulin which evokes the feeling of hunger. In this way, we are able to control this feeling. It only takes a bit of discipline and knowledge for you to become slim, healthy and satisfied. Try it…it's not so difficult. We all like to look good. Slimness, beauty, health and happiness go hand-in-hand.