The body is at least 60% water and is the crucial component of all bodily fluids: blood, lymph, digestive juices, urine, tears and sweat.
It is involved in almost every function such as:
Carbohydrates are derived from fruits, vegetables, wholegrains and legumes. They are our main source of energy and should constitute a large part of our diet. They play a very important role in the normal functioning of the internal organs, nervous system, and muscles.
They are the best source of energy for athletes and high energy people because they provide immediate and time released energy. Carbohydrates are easily digested and are then consistently metabolised in the blood stream.
Carbohydrates are needed to regulate protein and fat metabolism. Together with the proteins and fats, the carbohydrates help fight infections, promote growth of the body tissues such as bones and skin and lubricate the joints.
Traditionally diets do not work for these two reasons alone: starvation and deprivation. Your emotions tend to be linked to the foods you eat so cutting out all those foods in one go which make you feel happy or give you comfort is only going cause you to fall off the wagon.
Forget the word “diet”, it’s an evil word because it sets you up to fail. Those who successfully diet tend to put the weight back on because a diet isn’t a lifestyle change, it’s just quick fix.
Weight gain is mainly contributed by poor eating habits which happen over a long term period and the most effective way to lose weight is to change your eating habits.
Below are 10 ways to begin changing those habits:
There is nothing worse than getting a cold! Your body aches, your feel cloudy in the head, you’re extremely fatigued, your nose is running like a tap, your head feels like a balloon, you’re constantly coughing and your throat hurts! It really is the worst and generally many experience this on a yearly basis.
There seems to be far too much confusion around what healthy eating really is and how to do it. Everywhere you look there are food products being portrayed as “nutritious” when clearly they aren’t, we have health organisations in Australia promoting the wrong message and our sports role models and health experts promoting foods which are still unhealthy – it’s any wonder society is sicker than ever before.
Did you know that 60%+ of Australians are overweight or obese and that the main cause of death is cardiovascular disease? There appears to be a correlation between the increase in refined, fried and fatty foods and the rise in weight gain.
One: Eating a minimum of 5 serves of veggies: this is the minimum daily intake. Choose vegetables such as zucchini, broccoli, bok choy, capsicum, carrot, spinach, celery etc…
Two: Eating a minimum of 2 serves of fruit: this is the minimum daily intake, fruit is high in fibre, contains water soluble nutrients and has a cleansing effect on your bowel.
Three: Eat good oils high in Omega 3: such as avocados, flax seed oil, fish oil. All of which are great for your heart, skin and joints.
Four: Have a few meat free days a week: excess meat in the diet is highly acidic for the body and takes a lot of energy to break down – giving your body a rest a few times a week gives the body time to balance out the acidity.
Energy & Motivation: the number 1 reason people eat healthily is because of the surge in energy and motivation! When the body is getting exactly what it needs to run at optimal levels this is the result – lots and lots of energy and motivation!
Ideal weight: when the body isn’t being filled up with dead foods it can begin to release the excess fat in its adipose tissue which can build up when too much refined sugar, bad fats and refined carbohydrates are consumed.
Clear mind: That cloudiness you may be experiencing disappears completely. You can think more clearly and make better decisions because your brain is finally operating at the level it’s meant to be on.
Many of us lead busy lives and don’t often have the luxury or time to cook a variety of healthy meals to keep us going throughout the day. To make matters worse fast foods which are readily available are usually “dead foods” which are highly processed, refined and contain ample amounts of saturated fat as they have a longer shelf life. These foods have no nutrients and cause more harm than good by clogging you up and leave you feeling lethargic.
If you eat on the run the below 5 tips will be useful for you: