Everybody wants to lose weight. However, weight loss can
only begin with a healthy food relationship.
Nowadays, many men and women desire a healthy body image,
which is often a reflection of their overall health. Men
and women may look at their bodies differently: men focus
on their chest, arms, and abs, while women concentrate on
their waist, hips, and thighs. But weight loss for both men
and women begins with a healthy food relationship.
What is a food relationship?
Everyone, irrespective of the gender, has both a physical
and psychological food relationship. The former has to do
with satisfying the physical hunger, while the latter has
to do with the appetite, that is, the "desire" for food,
which is mostly psychological. Effective and permanent
weight loss is contingent on a healthy physical and
psychological food relationship.
To establish a good physical food relationship requires an
understanding of the science of eating.
Firstly, you have to understand that you eat to live, and
not live to eat. You become what you eat: what you eat and
drink becomes your body chemistry and your body
constitution. If you think you can eat whatever you like
and still get away with it, think again!
Eating determines if you are living in harmony with Nature,
which is the key to living a long life. You need to know
the logistics of eating: what to eat, how to eat, and when
to eat, especially the components of food. Eating is a
science, so treat it as such.
You eat only when you are hungry. Avoid voluntary eating,
such as when you make a beeline for the refrigerator as
soon as you walk into the house. Avoid emotional eating to
appease your emotions. Avoid sensory eating, which is
eating to satisfy your senses.
You eat only what is good for you. You need to understand
food criteria. Some of the foods you eat may not be foods
at all. For foods to be called "foods," they must meet
certain criteria.
Foods must be living: they must contain enzymes. The
vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates and proteins in foods are
all lifeless unless they are activated by enzymes. Heating
and preserving easily destroy the enzymes in foods.
Therefore, the way you cook your food, and the types of
food you consume are important to your food relationship.
Processed and preserved foods neither protect nor preserve
your health. To preserve enzymes, go for a raw food diet
every now and then, and do not overcook your food. Steaming
is the healthiest way of cooking because the food does not
have direct contact with the heat source. Deep frying, on
the other hand, is the worst method of cooking.
Foods must support your internal bowel ecology. They must
facilitate absorption of nutrients and disposal of toxic
waste. Foods must help digestion and elimination, which are
critical to healthy eating.
Foods must not trigger unfavorable food reaction. Dairy and
wheat products may cause food allergies.
Foods must not cause sharp surge of molecular changes in
your body, such as a sudden increase in your blood sugar
level, or wide fluctuation of neurotransmission caused by
caffeine or other chemicals.
Foods must provide adequate calories for your physical
activity, but not "empty" calories, which provide little or
no nutrients. Consuming empty calories is tantamount to
working extremely hard while being unfairly underpaid.
Foods must balance your body chemistry in order to
neutralize and eradicate free radicals, which are oxidative
stresses that destroy your body cells. Foods must balance
your the acid and alkaline level in your body, with no more
than 30 percent acid-forming foods, such as meat proteins,
and 70 percent or more alkaline-forming foods, such as most
fruits and vegetables. All pharmaceutical drugs are acidic.
Many health experts believe that a balance of acidity and
alkalinity, known as balanced pH level in your body will
make you disease-free.
Eat only quality foods: eat, whenever possible, only
organic foods. Some of the best foods in nature include the
following:
Chlorella is a green single-cell algae cultivated in fresh
water ponds. With its grass-like smell, it has the highest
concentration of chlorophyll than any other plant in the
world. With more than 20 vitamins and minerals, as well as
the essential 8 amino acids, chlorella is the perfect food.
In addition, it detoxifies by removing toxins and metals
from your body.
Wheat grass is another life-giving food rich in enzymes
easily assimilated to boost your immune system. It is one
of the best sources of chlorophyll, which provides oxygen
for your brain and body tissues for longevity. Wheat grass
absorbs as many as 92 of the known 102 minerals from the
soil. Wheat juice, in particular, is a superior
detoxification agent compared to carrot juice. It enhances
your digestion, relieves your sore throat, keeps your
bowels open, reduces your blood pressure, and improves your
cholesterol.
Make the effort to establish a healthy physical food
relationship through your choice of food and your method of
cooking. Learn to follow Nature's prescription of suitable
times for your meals. You lunch should be the heaviest
meal, since your digestive fire is at its maximum potency.
A late dinner or binging before bedtime may interfere with
your body's mechanism to detoxify and digest food from the
day, making you tired the next morning on waking up.
A healthy physical food relationship is a must for weight
loss and optimum health.
(My next article will be on psychological food
relationship.)
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Stephen Lau is a researcher, writing medical research for
scientists. His publications include "NO MIRACLE CURES" a
book on healing and wellness. He has also created several
websites on health and healing.
http://www.longevityforyou.com
http://www.zenhealthylifestyle.com
http://www.chinesenaturalhealing.com
http://www.rethinkyourdepression.com
