Sep
07
Self Care Practices – A Diet to Keep You Healthy
By
The word diet has several different connotations. It can mean a temporary change in eating habits and macro-nutrient ratios (percentage of protein, carbohydrate or fat in your diet) to effect some end result ( look better naked or lose “weight”). This does not mean it improves your health or longevity or strengthens your mind and nervous or immune systems. Diet can mean all the things you eat – your diet is what you eat. It could mean the habitual eating pattern of some non-human species that eat so they can live and reproduce. Humans get to choose and often choose badly or have no choices and don’t eat enough of all they need.
What nutrients do you need to stay alive and stay alive long and remain healthy? There are three main macro-nutrients – those you need the most of – Protein, Carbohydrate and Fat. You need all 3 and you need them in proper ratios. Generally, not eating quite enough is better than eating too much. I need you to remember I am talking about most people but if you have phenylketonuria or some other inherited metabolic disorder, listen to your specialist!!!! If you are not diabetic, hypertensive, or do not have some other chronic disease especially liver or kidney disease then this is for you. If you have a disease and have been told to follow a specific diet – DO SO!
OK, disclaimers aside, you need to eat and you need enough energy to sustain your needs. You need to be able to repair your body, fuel your brain with glucose (about 60 grams a day) and ketones from fat metabolism (equivalent to 40 grams of carbohydrate). We get multiple times that much glucose and not nearly enough ketones for our brain. At least the average American does. We need protein, but not nearly as much as most believe. Even serious weight lifters need only slightly more than most people who are much more sedentary. If you eat too much protein your body will turn it into sugar! It has the same effect as eating too much carbohydrate. Lastly you need a little saturated fat and a larger quantity of unsaturated fats like omega 3 fatty acids.
How much? Your body will tell you, but you need to follow a few guidelines so you can hear what your body says.
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schedule your meals – know when you are going to eat and don’t eat at other times
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eat sitting down so you can chew thoroughly and know when you are full – not when you have eaten everything
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to slow yourself down and guard against over eating – use smaller utensils and plates and only eat one helping
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don’t fear hunger – skip a meal on a light activity day – go 8 hours without eating – you will live
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Drink plenty of water – learn to like it! You need it. – 2-3 quarts(liters) per day
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Skip eating anything with added sugar of any type M-F and sparingly on weekends and holidays (see Reinhard Engels at EveryDaySystems.com )
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When you are full quit eating! Throw away the excess on your plate and take less on it next time. This is not wasting food. Wasting food is becoming a human garbage can and eating more than you need just because it is on your plate.
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cut down alcohol – men one 12oz beer per day, 4 ounces of Wine or 1 ounce of distilled spirits, Women 3-4 times a week max when you are not pregnant.
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Eat real food – raw unprocessed nuts, vegetables from the produce section or frozen not canned that require minimal cooking. If you could eat it raw it is better for you than things that must be cooked (they have some toxin or protective system that must be denatured by cooking (potatoes, beans, etc…)
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Eat small servings of meat 4 ounce twice a day is plenty for all but athletes – they could eat another 4 ounces.
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Get enough rest 7-9 hours of horizontal time with lights out – no TV, no computer, soft music if you must but get melatonin into your brain with enough time in darkness. There are only two good things to do in the dark – do the first one then get to sleep but no lights!
You can use the scales but the fit of your clothes, your energy level and the size of your waist and hips should tell the story. Over a few weeks you should see a return of youthful energy and clearing of your mind when you awaken and a decreasing percentage of your body weight as fat.
Who has done this? Share with us your story and experiences. Who wants to do this? Sign up for one of my virtual workshops so I can show you how you can use coaching to empower your changes and gather some momentum toward your goal of better health and greater vitality. Leave me a comment on this article please.
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