Nutrition for Healthy Living

In order to live a healthy, rich and abundant life you need to look at what you're putting into your body to add vitality to your energy system. Examine whether you're injecting life-force or detracting from it each time you consume a meal.

Food is a drug, since it changes the biochemistry and hormonal balance of your body. We've heard the saying: "One man's poison is another man's medicine." Rings very true when applied to nutrition. The prevalence of allergies and intolerances has never been so high in human history. Our immune systems are struggling to cope with the high levels of toxins, chemicals, preservatives, colours, additives and sprays that go into the production of food.

The food pyramid is no longer applicable in our times. It was first created in 1943 by the USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) and subsequently updated and officially released in 1992. It is terribly misleading and flawed. The Food Pyramid has not kept up with scientific nutritional research. The original food pyramid made a number of claims supporting its food list, such as, all fats are bad; all complex carbohydrates are good; protein is protein; dairy products are essential; potatoes are good for you; and there was no recommendation for exercise.

Look at the types and quality of foods you consume at present. Are they drawing you closer to health or further away? Food creates health and nourishes the cells - such as those packed with minerals and vitamins. Alternatively food can be a drug and cause disease and ill health if consumed regularly and in quantities. So if food is a drug, what drugs are you choosing to allow into your body?

The digestive system is the first line of defence in your body, since it serves to assimilate and process incoming food matter which is formed into energy. Approximately 80% of your immune system is contained within the mucosal lining of the gut. The gut is the second brain. When our digestive system is working in harmony and balance, our entire body is renewed with an energetic life force and sustained health. When digestion is out of balance, numerous diseases and illness take hold. Listed below are some symptoms due to an unhealthy digestive system:

Lower abdominal bloating
Constipation
Belch or burp after meals
Frequent gas
Headaches after eating
Cravings for certain foods i.e. bread, chocolate, other
Excessive appetite, never feeling full
Abdominal pain, cramps, distension and discomfort
Over the years, I have eliminated certain foods from my diet and have found that as I matured, I've retained much of my strength and stamina especially during exercise. Like most things, certain foods did not serve a place in my life anymore. It took some time and persistence to wean them out, since I had been consuming them for years. These foods included: wheat, dairy, gluten, alcohol, caffeine and sugar as the primary food groups.

Now I know many of you are crying argh, how will I start the day without caffeine? The truth of matter is that you do not need caffeine to start your day. Do you think our Palaeolithic ancestors had a short black every morning upon waking? Many of our wants, needs and habits have arisen from bad behaviours formed over the years. The term, "Let's grab a coffee." has now become mainstream vernacular in our language.

My suggestion is to strike a balance of eating healthy to support your energy requirements, health and wellbeing. Conduct your due diligence and investigate further any statement or claim you stumble upon which challenges your ideas or beliefs around nutrition.

So start your own journey (there is no destination) of health and wellness. Identify stressors which are causing your body harm. If you're unsure what they are, seek assistance from a health professional versed in the area of natural remedies. Not all general practitioners are well trained to give nutritional advice. Their study of nutrition falls short of dispensing sound advice, unless they continue with further nutritional study during Medical school.

My suggestions in the interim would be to investigate and implement the following into your life:

Find a good Probiotic to take that will balance your internal flora. A natural health professional can assist you with this. You may need to have some tests conducted should you suffer from allergies, intolerances or related digestive imbalances to determine the right balance of intestinal flora.
Refrain from eating foods which irritate your gut. The long term damage to the gut lining is irreparable and not worth the short term pleasure.
Drink plenty of natural spring water sourced from an artisan well, where possible. Use the following formula to determine your daily requirement of water intake: 0.033 x your body weight (kg) = litres
Eat at least 80% organic foods which are free from pesticides and are labelled accordingly.
Eat regular meals throughout the day and listen to your satiety signals (feeling of fullness).
Develop a relationship with your body. Listen to your body's internal signals (known as interoception). The body speaks in soft, quiet whispers.
Have fun, enjoy life. You'll make mistakes. Learn from them and don't take yourself or the world too seriously - watch your life take on new meaning.
If you enjoyed this article by Tony Fahkry, why not gain access to Tony's full body of knowledge by getting a copy of his new book 'The Power to Navigate Life'

The Power to Navigate Life is arguably the most complete and powerful teachings on the mastering of life. The Power to Navigate Life is your opportunity to experience a rewarding life from the very first page. Visit http://www.tonyfahkry.com to get your copy.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Tony_Fahkry/837610

Develop Your Relationship With Food

 Understanding Where You Stand

What is your current relationship with food? You've heard the saying "live to eat or eat to live." How do you feel when it comes to eating? Do you feel tense or uneasy - a feeling of excitement or neutral at meal time? Do you enjoy preparing and cooking your meals? Or does a loved one cook for you? Do you sit down and take time out of your busy schedule to contemplate the food before you?

Whilst these questions may seem like ones you haven't given much thought to, you should take the time to ponder how you respond to one or a number of the questions. Your upbringing has an impact on your current relationship with food. People in English speaking countries sit down in front of TV's when eating. Religion may play a part - perhaps reciting grace before meals. Blessing the meal before you eat is an important ritual and one that continues in many cultures. Sharing a meal with loved ones is a practise I regularly advocate to clients.

Both my parents grew up abroad in non English speaking countries. They were raised in agricultural environments. My father's family were apple farmers, high in the mountains. They lived off the land. Sustainability was very much common practise sixty years ago. For they respected the land and had a great affinity with the food they prepared each day. They had regular contact with food using their hands.

My upbringing revolved around this ideal. My mother remains an amazing cook. Over the years, having read and studied hundreds of literature of nutrition, disease and illness, I have come to one conclusion about developing a relationship with food - love. Food is spiritual, nourishing to the body, mind and spirit. Food should be consumed in an environment filled with love, openness and warmth.

My mother still grows all her own vegetables and tends to her garden regularly. You'll often see the proud expression on her face when her garden bears the fruits of her labour. The neighbours often stop by on their walk to ask her for advice on growing vegetables. Her garden naturally flourishes and bears amazing vegetables and herbs on a seasonal basis.

She cooks, applying the same attitude - imparting love, joy and enthusiasm into her meals. In the Middle Eastern culture, it is accepted that one takes a great deal of pride feeding loved ones i.e. family members, friends etc. Middle Eastern people enjoy entertaining guests with sometimes over the top hospitality. It means a great deal to demonstrate their culture via food. It becomes the embodiment of who they are as a people. This is also apparent in other cultures.

My mother applies the same wisdom when preparing and cooking food. I've witnessed her in the kitchen in a trance like state when cooking - no one dares enters! She especially enjoys cooking for loved ones, since she finds an expression of love via the food she prepares and cooks. She holds a strong relationship with food, making regular contact from the moment it is put into the ground to being served at dinner. One develops a strong spiritual connection with food in this manner. It is nurtured and evolved to the point others share in its flavours and benefits.

Making a Decision to Move Forward

Whilst I'm not suggesting that everyone begin cultivating a garden, I do suggest you develop a positive relationship with food. A possible reason for the increase in the obesity epidemic in our culture is attributed to losing our relationship with food. Look back at what you consumed yesterday and recall how many packaged items you ate? Compare this with the fresh, organic produce you consumed? Now, unless you live on a farm I guarantee that at least 60% or more of the food you ate were packaged items.

Know this - there is no relationship with packaged food. You take the food out of the wrapper or box, add ingredients to it and/or shove it into a microwave or oven for cooking. If you're like most people, you're impatient and take the absolute shortest time possible to prepare and cook it, subsequently shoving it down your mouth. Later complaining of digestive related ailments as a result. Our genetic disposition is not geared toward this type of feeding pattern.

It's no wonder antacids and other drug based products are the leading sales for digestive complaints. It's like pouring cement down a drain expecting it to clear up. This post is intended to help you ask the right questions about your relationship with food. If you begin taking action in the right direction, then you'll have done well.

Remember health is NOT an event as mentioned previously - it is a process. You NEED to develop a relationship with what, when and how you nourish your body. Each decision you make brings you closer or further away from health. From achieving your ideal weight and your ideal life. Yes it is hard to say no to foods which you like. Those foods which are rich in calories, but dead in vitality. I'm not proclaiming to be a preacher about the perils of junk food. I occasionally enjoy such treats when my body calls for it. I don't make it a habit and nor should you.

Your relationship with food should become a journey, not a destination. For a journey allows you to learn what works and what doesn't. You become someone along the way. You develop processes which enrich your life and your body. You develop character and substance, which ultimately means junk food, serves little or no place in your life - much like a destructive relationship.

Wherever you are in your journey with food, make a conscious decision to move forward in the right direction. The right direction will be one that will allow you to reach your ideal body weight. It will be one which allows your authentic self to shine forth; for in choosing the right foods you choose your destiny.

You will become congruent with what you eat, how you move, sleep, breathe and think. You will BECOME someone worthy of living a rich, abundant life since you made an effort to throw out that which no longer served your greatest potential. That is what I mean when I talk about awakening your authentic self and developing a meaningful relationship with food.

If you enjoyed this article by Tony Fahkry, why not gain access to Tony's full body of knowledge by getting a copy of his new book 'The Power to Navigate Life'

The Power to Navigate Life is arguably the most complete and powerful teachings on the mastering of life. The Power to Navigate Life is your opportunity to experience a rewarding life from the very first page. Visit http://www.tonyfahkry.com to get your copy.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Tony_Fahkry/837610

Weight Loss - Are You Aware of These Four Fat Loss Sins?

Are you looking to lose body fat? If you are a little more advanced regarding your eating and exercise habits, you may think you have it all figured out. Sadly, though, many people make grave mistakes costing them a lot of success. Just because you have been "around the block" so to speak, doesn't necessarily mean you have dieting all figured out. Even the most experienced dieters can make errors from time to time.

Let's look at four advanced fat loss sins you need to be sure you are not committing...

1. Doing The Same Thing As Before. Remember, your body is constantly changing. What worked for you in earlier years may not function today because your body is different now.

Update your approach. Look at your current body weight, your activity level, as well as everything else going on in your life and go from there. Use a new approach as necessary.

Some people get so caught up in doing the same as they did years before so they miss out on new more efficient techniques. Stay current and you will likely see better results.

2. Overcomplicating It. Next, avoid overcomplicating it. The last thing you want to do is get too wrapped up in the details; you could become overwhelmed. Because you are more experienced with dieting, you may find you chose to look into advanced techniques, which can be all right, until those techniques become so time-consuming you fail even to get started.

Keep it simple. Use more advanced techniques if you like, but don't overdo it.

3. Going Too Long Without A Refeed. Another sin to avoid is going too long without a refeed. Have you been dieting for weeks on end because you figure your body can "handle it?" Your body is just like anyone else's - it needs a break from time to time. You may be highly motivated and figure you can push yourself, fighting off those cravings and hunger, but this is your body trying to tell you something.

Add a refeed into your approach every two to four weeks. It will keep you on track and help you to continue moving forward. Every two to four weeks, on one or two days, take in a higher calorie count. Eat to a point where you go 500 to 1000 calories over your maintenance calorie intake.

4. Relying On The Same Food Daily. Finally, the last mistake you want to avoid is eating the same food every day. This happens if you have been on a diet for a while and simply are tired of cooking new foods each day. You would rather just make it easy and eat the same foods over and over.

While this can help save you time, the problem is it can also cause nutritional deficiencies to set in.

Do change it up every so often. While it may take a bit of time as far as your nutrition is concerned, it is something you have to begin doing. Otherwise, you may fall ill due to lack of certain vital nutrients.

Are you committing any of these diet sins?

Although managing your disease can be very challenging, Type 2 diabetes is not a condition you must just live with. You can make simple changes to your daily routine and lower both your weight and your blood sugar levels. Hang in there, the longer you do it, the easier it gets.

For nearly 25 years, Beverleigh Piepers has searched for and found a number of secrets to help you build a healthy body. Go to http://DrugFreeType2Diabetes.com to learn about some of those secrets.

The answer isn't in the endless volumes of available information but in yourself.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Beverleigh_H_Piepers/123142

What Makes You Fat and How To Avoid It?

The good and bad news as many of you may know, is that fat doesn't make you fat. Excess carbohydrates high in sugar, lead to subsequent weight gain. What is the relationship between exercise vs. nutrition in losing and maintaining weight? As you age, increasing your exercise demands to meet the calories in calories out theory is fraught with danger. Excess exercise during your later years, causes stress related effects on the body; leading to catabolic (breakdown of muscle) function.

If your aim is to lose weight, there is one feasible option left; eat less food via portion control. Whilst not a radical idea, put to practice this remains one of the most challenging behaviour people face these days. In both my experience and work in the area suggests a number of reasons why people overeat. The most compelling is attributed to the role emotions play in relation to food consumption.

Avoiding Getting Fat

Think back for a moment to a distressing event which occurred in your life recently? It may have been relationship related, work or school. What did you do to console yourself to get through the event? I'm certain there are many people nodding their heads affirming their embrace of food as a means of comfort.

Emotions play a key role in the way you manage your health during times of stress. You typically understand how comforting food can be during such times. So what is one to do you ask? Certainly it is inevitable that you'll be faced with stress related situations throughout your life. It's important that you understand how to steer your way through the perils of becoming engulfed by your emotions for this reason.

My suggestion is the following. Be mindful when you eat. Letting go of distractions in your environment becomes paramount, since this inhibits your connection with your food. When I say connection, I'm talking about being mindful and aware of how much food you're putting into your mouth during meals.

When viewing TV whilst eating, one tends to orientate themselves toward the show they're watching and less on the food before them. Your mind wanders; going into a subconscious state as you eat. You're more inclined to overeat, as you overlook the fullness signals your body communicates. Being present means being attuned to your body's cues and feelings. This is known as interoception.

The other useful strategy is paying attention to your emotions. Do NOT eat when you're emotional. Read that phrase again and commit it to memory. It is vital that you understand your body's emotional response mechanism. Knowing your emotional constitution allows you to navigate your way out of preeminent danger associated with overeating. Recognising your behavioural patterns with a view of altering it is a useful strategy for long term success.

My suggestion is not to turn to food as comfort during emotional turbulence. It's for this reason I advocate and write articles; educating people in understanding their emotions with a view to personal growth. In doing so, you become aware and awake to face most situations life presents you. You remain calm and still through turbulent times; since your inner world is not affected by your outer world experiences.

Your knowledge and relationship with your body is a journey. Part of that journey means you'll undoubtedly make wrong choices, leading you off your path. You needn't concern yourself that you've lost your way. You're merely learning what NOT to do along a journey spanning numerous detours.

Remain calm and poised during difficult times. Learn from your mistakes. Become aware of things that work and those that don't. In a short time, you'll be armed with the wisdom to plot a course to the life of your dreams, in a body radiating vibrant health and vitality.

In either case, you get to choose your journey and destination. Appreciate that the journey is far more compelling and rewarding than the destination. Chose wisely; choose patiently.

If you enjoyed this article by Tony Fahkry, why not gain access to Tony's full body of knowledge by getting a copy of his new book 'The Power to Navigate Life'

The Power to Navigate Life is arguably the most complete and powerful teachings on the mastering of life. The Power to Navigate Life is your opportunity to experience a rewarding life from the very first page. Visit http://www.tonyfahkry.com to get your copy.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Tony_Fahkry/837610