Your Best Body
If you’re like millions of Americans, you’ve been on at least one diet in your lifetime. Whether you are trying to lose five pounds or fifty pounds, there are some basic truths that you need to know. Weight loss is not rocket science. It doesn’t take a PhD to know how to lose weight. What is difficult is learning how to keep the weight off. Below are three tips to help you lose weight and keep it off. IF you do nothing else, start with these tips and the natural remedies they involve.
1. Improve your overall level of nutrition. Most of us don’t eat as many different foods as our ancestors did. While you may have discovered quinoa, when’s the last time you ate rutabaga or squash. If you’re like many people, you may have fallen into a rut – eating the same foods over and over again. If so, your overall nutritional status has probably been affected. Here’s what you can do about it:
• Take a multivitamin every day
• Regularly take probiotics to help your body digest food better
• If you have depression or anxiety, take 1000 mg of fish oil containing both EPA and DHA twice a day
• If you’re under a lot of stress, take a B-complex vitamin daily
2. Get more sleep to lose weight. Did you know that research has shown that if you sleep less than six hours a night you are 27% more likely to become obese. If you sleep less than five hours per night, you are 73% more likely to become obese than someone who sleeps 7-9 hours per night. Poor sleep is also associated with a high blood pressure, diabetes and substance abuse. Go to bed at the same time and get up at the same time. Use your bed for sex and sleep only. Do not work in bed, for example. Getting a good nights sleep is essential to overall good health.
3. Put a halt to food cravings. If you are having food cravings it means your eating patterns are not providing you with enough or the right kind of nutrition to keep you in balance. This is what you need to do about this problem:
Eat protein every morning. Starting your day with a protein food will reduce cravings. Protein contains the amino acids which help your brain make the feel good brain chemicals that stop cravings. You can use any protein source including: turkey sausage, a protein shake, beans/lentils, tofu, eggs.
My favorite breakfast: Eggs scrambled with sautéed spinach, carrots, mushrooms and a side of baked beans (two protein sources: eggs and beans)
My favorite protein shake recipe: ½ cup of skim milk, 2 scoops of soy or whey protein, ½ cup of frozen blueberries or mixed berries, 1 teaspoon of honey or frozen apple juice, ice cubes. Blend it up and enjoy!
Dr. Carolyn Coker Ross, MD, MPH is a nationally known expert in the use of natural remedies/ integrative medicine to treat eating disorders, obesity, addictions and depression / anxiety. She has a private practice in Denver, Colorado and offers online and phone consultations. She is also a consultant to the eating disorders program at The Ranch in Tennessee. Learn more about her approach to obesity at: www.carolynrossmd.com. Her new book is The Binge Eating and Compulsive Overeating Workbook.
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