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Weight Loss the Natural
Way
by Dr. Diane Gioia-Bargonetti |
What I am going to tell you about weight loss will entirely
change how you view dieting. I am not going to give a detailed, regimented diet
plan. I believe those plans are a setup for instant failure because as soon as
you go off, the diet usually ends. I will, however, tell you what foods to
avoid, which to embrace and how to combine them in your quest to be thinner.
Life is about choices and you will have to make choices as you strive to lose
weight.
As I have said before, don't be seduced by fried foods and those
containing trans fats. They are pure poison for the system. Therefore, watch
all fast and processed foods including cakes, pastries, cookies and chips. If a
product contains hydrogenated, coconut or palm oils, then it is
poison.
Try not to drink copious amounts of liquids during meals. This
dilutes all your digestive enzymes and leaves your system in a mess. Undigested
food is always going to turn into toxins. Some philosophies of natural medicine
allow you to sip small amounts of water during a meal if you need to, but all
agree never to drink a lot during a meal. It's best to drink your water 15
minutes before a meal. This will also help you feel full before you start
eating - definitely a good psychological boost.
If you need to drink
coffee or tea around mealtime, use the sweetener stevia that I have previously
written about for alcohol and tobacco abuse. Unlike sugar, stevia has no
detrimental affect on digestion.
Next, never eat a fruit or a
sugar-laden dessert directly after your meal. Sugary foods cause everything you
just ate to ferment. This creates toxins that turn into fat deposits. In
essence, eating sweets right after a meal completely ruins the nutritional
benefits of the food you just ate.
Don't eat protein and starch at the
same meal. Watch restaurants as they are the biggest offenders of this rule -
serving chicken (protein) and rice (starch) together; or meatballs (protein)
and spaghetti (starch); or steak (protein) and potatoes (starch). Instead, opt
to have spaghetti and salad - or chicken and steamed vegetables.
Now,
you can have pasta (starch) and salad for lunch - and fish (protein) and
vegetables for dinner. Just never eat them at the same meal. Why? Simply put,
proteins use stomach acid for digestion and starches need alkaline digestive
enzymes. The acid for the protein will block the enzymes for the starches and
once again, you will be left with food sitting in your stomach for eight to
twelve hours! Therefore, starches eaten with proteins remain undigested and are
soon stored as fat.
For those of you that have to eat your eggs and
toast together, try eating each separately. For instance, eat the toast first,
then the eggs.
Rice and beans are an exception to this rule as both are
"incomplete" proteins that become complete when joined together. (I suggest you
soak raw beans in water overnight before preparing them to make them easier to
digest.)
Remember, the more water you consume during the day, the more
efficiently your body will respond. Water can also come in the form of fruits
and vegetables. I suggest you have a big salad at lunch, and then a smaller one
at dinner with your protein or starch.
Follow this general rule: your
concentrated (protein or starch) food should always be viewed as a side dish
whether for lunch or dinner. Compliment that concentrated food with vegetables
and salad.
So you might have a dish of pasta making up 30 percent of
your serving with salad and vegetables making up the remaining 70
percent.
And, finally, the secret to success for weight control is when
you eat. That is, get in sync with the rhythm of life by respecting the three
natural body cycles.
Between noon and 8 p.m. is the time for
appropriation (eating and digestion).
Between 8 p.m. and 4 a.m. is the
time for assimilation (absorption and use).
And between 4 a.m. and noon
is the time for elimination (getting rid of body wastes and food
debris).
You should only eat between noon and 8 p.m. I know this may
sound hard for those of you with a show or concert gig, but if you have your
big meal before the show - say around 6 p.m. - you should be ready for bed by
the time you get home and naturally fall into the second cycle of assimilation
as you go to sleep.
Hopefully you are sleeping during at least some
portion of the assimilation period (8 p.m.-4 a.m.). This is when your food
begins to work for you as it is absorbed into your system.
There is one
exception to the rule of not eating before noon. When you wake in the morning,
eat only fruit until noon. Fruit will help your body's total elimination
process. If you begin eating anything else during this elimination period
(before noon), your body will stop the elimination process and store the
leftover toxins in your cells. Eating only fruit promotes this cycle, as fruit
is a natural detoxifier. This rule is particularly important if you have
combined foods incorrectly the day before or stayed out too late eating and
drinking.
Of course there are always exceptions to every rule, but on
the whole, this basic plan has been very successful for my clients. Remember to
take your vitamins - a multi with the B complex included.
Also, watch
for the essential fatty acids, which are very important for body functioning
and good health. Add salmon, sardines and cold-water fish to your diet to
obtain these oils - or eat a few walnuts or flaxseeds if you don't want to take
another supplement. (But watch out: walnuts are high in
calories.)
Finally, apple cider vinegar with honey - mentioned
previously as an anti-aging elixir - can be taken three times a day for those
needing a weight loss aid. (Take 2 tsp. of apple cider vinegar with 1-2 tsp. of
raw honey, half an hour before a meal.)
I wish you all great success as
you make the choice to participate in your own healthcare and well-being. Your
body will thank you. Until next time, stay in tune.
--Dr. Di
joybar@earthlink.net |
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