BabyStep #8: Your Fat
You’re not fat! But we need to consider what fat you are using!
Actually, America is considered the most fat country in the world with 30% of our people obese. It doesn’t mean that fat makes us fat.. but it’s just a sign that we aren’t choosing the RIGHT FATS.. Here is the latest graph:
Read More »Babystep #2 : Pantry
BabyStep #2: Wean yourself of Processed Foods
It seems like an impossible step, and I’m still working on it. Not sure we will ever NOT have something processed in our home, but minimizing is possible. And enjoying fresh, God-foods versus man-foods is enjoyable!
Finding your local farmers’ market is a great step. Trying out foods that actually came out of the ground they toiled over…you will be shocked at how much better the fruits and veggies taste. We are not aware of how the super-market raises our food…there are chemical washes as well as ripening in chemicals. There are also wax polishers that we’re ingesting along with their pesticides. Documentaries like Food, Inc and Fresh are good to watch in learning more about what big companies are doing to our foods. Knowing our farmers helps us to some extent to know where our food comes from. The tastes is so much fuller and satisfying as well.
A great website is www.eatwild.com!! Check it out for grass fed beef, chicken, eggs, and milk in your area.
On a practical KIDNOTE: It takes time, but we started not having snacks in our house that were processed. When the kids come in from playing they are allowed to choose a fruit of veggie as a snack. I keep edamame, carrots, celery, and cucumbers cut up in the fridge and a fruit basket full of apples, bananas, tangerines, and grapes in the freezer. It took them about 6 months, but now they know to come in and ask for a fruit of veggie! They even love a smoothie. I am going to try freezing some protein smoothies into popsicles for the summer.
Real Food Has Curves, a new book written by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough, offers a 7-step plan for weaning yourself off processed foods:
Seek true satisfaction. Enjoy genuine flavors, rather than fat, sugar, and salt added to mask the metallic taste of chemical additives.
Read labels wisely. You can find food with “real” ingredients in the supermarket if you read labels carefully.
Relish what’s on your plate. Devote time solely to enjoying the pleasures of eating.
Wean yourself off excess salt, fat, and sugar. You can also cook with smaller amounts of these ingredients by using natural substitutes like strong spices.
Give your palate time to change. You’ll gradually lose your taste for excessively sweet and salty foods.
Go for higher-quality foods. Look for products that contain the least amount of processed ingredients.
Treat yourself well by not skipping meals. Try eating three meals a day at fairly regular times, plus a mid-afternoon snack.
Sources: U.S. News & World Report June 4, 2010 and www.mercola.com
Read More »Babystep #1 : Water
Welcome to Babysteps!
When you make that resolution to start getting healthy, it’s so tough to know where to begin. So much of our lifestyle points us to quick fixes and fast foods-this is defeating… BUT, this change is possible! I believe in YOU! It’s what your body is crying out for and it’s what your family deserves.
We don’t have to wait til we get the terminal word from someone with an inflated degree saying we need to change… we can change by taking babysteps. Maybe you can change one thing a month or every 3 months. It’s up to you, but if you’re willing to explore some changes… I’ll try to help you see what we have done. I’m still taking steps and sometimes we take a few steps back and one forward, but you will not regret the energy and vitality you can reach by taking these strides.
So, here we go!!! I will give a few each week, and you can pick when it’s time to make these changes.
BabyStep #1:
Drink clean Water instead of EVERYTHING else!
Water is essential to our well-being. It seems so simple, but like I said, these are BabySteps! Water moves our bodies along to help our digestive process flow correctly.
Our bodies are made up of between 55 and 75 percent water and is in need of constant water replenishment. Did you know lean people have more water in their bodies because muscle holds more water than fat? Interesting.
Your lungs expel between two and four cups of water each day through normal breathing – even more on a cold day. If your feet sweat, there goes another cup of water. If you make half a dozen trips to the bathroom during the day, that’s six cups of water. If you perspire, you expel about two cups of water (which doesn’t include exercise-induced perspiration).
A person would have to lose 10 percent of her body weight in fluids to be considered dehydrated, but as little as two percent can affect athletic performance, cause tiredness and dull critical thinking abilities. Adequate water consumption can help lessen the chance of kidney stones, keep joints lubricated, prevent and lessen the severity of colds and flu and help prevent constipation.
Health benefits of water
Water is crucial to your health. It makes up, on average, 60 percent of your body weight. Every system in your body depends on water.
Lack of water can lead to dehydration, a condition that occurs when you don’t have enough water in your body to carry on normal functions. Even mild dehydration – as little as a 1 percent to 2 percent loss of your body weight – can sap your energy and make you tired. Dehydration poses a particular health risk for the very young and the very old.
How much water do you need?
Every day you lose water through sweating – noticeable and unnoticeable – exhaling, urinating and bowel movements. For your body to function properly, you need to replace this water by consuming beverages and foods that contain water. So how much water, or more precisely fluid, do you need?
This isn’t an easy question to answer. A healthy adult’s daily fluid intake can vary widely. Most people drink fluid to quench thirst, to supply perceived water needs and “out of habit.” At least three approaches estimate total fluid (water) needs for healthy, sedentary adults living in a temperate climate.
- Replacement approach. The average urine output for adults is 1.5 liters a day. You lose close to an additional liter of water a day through breathing, sweating and bowel movements. Food usually accounts for 20 percent of your fluid intake, so you if you consume 2 liters of water or other beverages a day (a little more than 8 cups), along with your normal diet, you can replace the lost fluids.
- Eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day. Another approach to water intake is the “8 x 8 rule” – drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day (about 1.9 liters). The rule could also be stated, “drink eight 8-ounce glasses of fluid a day,” as all fluids count toward the daily total. Though this approach isn’t supported by scientific evidence, many people use this basic rule as a guideline for how much water and other fluids to drink.
PRACTICAL TIP: wear 8 bracelets or rubber bands on one arm, throughout the day, switch them to the other arm until you’ve had all the water you need each day!
Factors that influence water needs
You may need to modify total fluid intake from these recommended amounts depending on several factors
including how active you are, the climate, your health status, and if you’re pregnant or breast-feeding.
- Exercise. If you exercise or engage in any activity that makes you sweat, you’ll need to drink extra water to compensate for that fluid loss. Drink 2 cups of water two hours before a long endurance event, for example, a marathon or half-marathon. One to 2 cups of water is also adequate for shorter bouts of exercise. During the activity, replenish fluids at regular intervals, and continue drinking water or other fluids after you’re finished. During intense exercise involving significant sweating, for example, during a marathon, sodium is lost in sweat, and you may need a sports drink with sodium rather than just water.
- Environment. You need to drink additional water in hot or humid weather to help lower your body temperature and to replace what you lose through sweating. You may also need extra water in cold weather if you sweat while wearing insulated clothing. Heated, indoor air can cause your skin to lose moisture, increasing your daily fluid requirements. And altitudes greater than 2,500 meters (8,200 feet) also can affect how much water your body needs. Higher altitudes may trigger increased urination and more rapid breathing, which uses up more of your fluid reserves.
- Illnesses or health conditions. Some signs and symptoms of illnesses, such as fever, vomiting and diarrhea, cause your body to lose extra fluids. To replace lost fluids, drink more water or oral rehydration solutions (Gatorade, Powerade, CeraLyte, others). When water loss can’t be replaced orally, intravenous water and electrolytes may be necessary. Increased water intake is nearly always advised in people with urinary tract stones. On the other hand, you may need to limit the amount of water you drink if you have certain conditions that impair excretion of water – such as heart failure and some types of kidney, liver, adrenal and thyroid diseases.
- Pregnant or breast-feeding. Women who are pregnant or breast-feeding need additional water to stay hydrated and to replenish the fluids lost, especially when nursing. The Institute of Medicine recommends that pregnant women drink 2.3 liters (nearly 10 cups) of fluids a day and women who breast-feed consume 3.1 liters (about 13 cups) of fluids a day.
This is all valid information. But really… how much sugar would we cut back on, how much caffeine, food coloring, preservatives and unnecessary calories could we save if we just switch our daily drink choices for water? Our children have temptations too. If we simply change what we order them at the restaurant or what we serve them at home, we can see a big difference in how their small bodies function and fight infection. The sugar content in their drinks is attacking their small systems and dragging their immune system downward quickly.
Try it! You might even drop a few pounds without even knowing!
For a further step, try making sure your water is PURE! If you’re just drinking tap water, there may be other problems that can occur. Having clean water can ensure your body doesn’t keep unnecessary chemicals, minerals, or toxins… causing us to detox more often since those don’t ever leave your body until you strategically make them leave.
Shaklee offers a range of options for healthy water purifiers starting reasonably at about $15 for a pitcher and 1 filter. Of course, there are other purifiers, but this is one we can stand behind!! Click on the link below to see more about these!
Drink to YOUR health!!!!
Read More »
