The most common mistake often made by individuals seeking to lose extra pounds is that, they forget about the most important factor in their quest - "becoming healthy". Forget about losing those extra pounds and concentrate on developing a healthy lifestyle, which usually includes some sort of daily exercise and a healthy diet.
EXERCISE:
Exercising does not necessarily mean immediate heavy weight lifts and tedious gym workouts. You should start at your personal comfort level and gradually move up by increasing your goals. That is, when your current level of exercise has been mastered with ease and comfort, you then increase your challenge.
Your beginning exercise may start with just brisk walks in the park or around your residence, or parking your vehicle a block or two from your destination and walk the final distance, or taking the stairways instead of elevators. Vacuuming your residence and mowing the yard are also forms of exercise that help to burn calories. As time goes on, you may want to enlist a friend in your exercise program for added motivation, or join an exercise club. If you choose to exercise at home, select a time during the day when you will be less distracted by phone calls or favourite entertainment programs on television.
Exercise is very important for your general health. It is one of the means through which your body rids itself of unwanted materials.
HEALTHY DIET:
We've all heard the words "you are what you eat". Very true! However, some of us come from backgrounds where our childhood eating habits may have made our systems vulnerable and at high risk of bloating from eating the wrong foods. On the other hand, this fact shouldn't be taken as an excuse. You can now take control of your lifestyle by changing your eating habits.
Your goal is to become healthy. When "healthy" becomes your primary concern, your extra pounds, you'll soon discover, will begin to disappear.
HELPFUL HINTS:
1). Stock your kitchen pantry and refrigerator only with those foods that will contribute toward your goal of becoming healthy.
2). Eat foods that are high in fiber and cut down on carbohydrates.
HIGH FIBER: beans, whole grain products, root vegetables, etc.
***Did you know that soluble fibers such as oat meal and beans have the ability to prevent your body from absorbing unwanted cholesterol?
CARBOHYDRATES: rice, bread, potatoes, pasta, etc.
***Infact, potatoes and other high carbohydrate foods are not fatty in themselves. It's usually what we put in or on them that make them very fatty foods.
3). Eat at least two servings of vegetables a day.
***Eating or snacking on fresh uncooked celery is good for your blood pressure.
4). Eat your fruits fresh.
5). Seeds and Nuts - for example, egusi (a kind of melon seed), groundnut (also known as peanut) and etc., are laden with nutrients. Allergic reactions to seeds and nuts are often the result of additives during processing or as pesticides.
Also see:
www.askdrsears.com/html/4/T043600.asp
www.bbc.co.uk/food/back_to_basics/nuts.shtml
6). Always trim the fats from your meats before preparing. Decrease or even avoid pork if possible.
7). Introduce garlic into your diet. Garlic has natural medicinal powers for your entire bodily functions. Do not be intimidated by that strong garlic smell. Just remember to add parsley to your garlic to cut down the garlic effect.
8). Reduce your sodium intake. Excessive salt helps your body retain water. This, you don't want.
9). Beverages - water is the most healthy beverage on earth. A glass of water before or after breakfast will do wonders for you. "Green tea", moderate amount of decaf coffee, lightly sweetened lemonades or fruit punches are okay. But stay away from sodas and
large amounts of alcoholic beverages.
***Alcoholic beverages are unfriendly to your blood pressure.
***Sodas are loaded with refine sugar which are nothing but calories your body does not need.
10). Get into the habit of cleaning your colon about 3 to 4 times annually: You will be surprised at its pleasant effect to the state of your health. You can help cleanse your colon with enemas (that is, putting water in your belly, you Cameroonians) or with very high fiber aids (even such as prune juice in large quantity - first try about 2 to 3 glasses. Like Nkwee (the gooey stuff the Bamilekes of Cameroon consume) and okra, prune juice is a very effective antidote on constipation). Clean up your septic tank! An unhealthy colon often results in several illnesses (arthritis, cancer and cardiovascular diseases included).
GENERAL HEALTH:
Your eating habit is responsible for problems occurring in any part of the gastrointestinal(GI) tract as well as the rest of your body. The GI tract consists of all the body parts involve in the digestion and absorption of food. Giving your body proper nutrients is very crucial to the general state of your health.
Nutrients are the primary ingredients that cells and body organs need to reproduce, properly maintain and repair themselves when necessary. Good nutrition fortifies the body's defense system that enables your body to resist infections or diseases! Note!!! If you have a headache, first try eating - hunger will also bring on headaches - and resting, instead of taking aspirin. An overall healthy diet strengthens your body's defense system. And eating at least three daily servings of fruits and vegetables (especially cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, brussels sprout, tomatoes, blueberries) significantly reduces your risk of developing cancer. The food groups mentioned have been discovered to have high levels of antioxidants, a substance that fights and kills cancerous cells.
Another important step toward maintaining good health is what I call preventive medicine - taking care of situations before they occur or compound. Though thankful for our medical experts, I strongly advocate the practice of one becoming one's own primary doctor. You can take note of foods and/or food combinations that cause you discomfort when eaten and then cut-down on or avoid them. For example: About 11 years ago I developed lactose intolerance to straight whole milk and started having acid reflux(heart burn) after drinking commercial orange juices, though I can eat as many oranges or citrus fruits as desired without any problem at all. Simply put, some additive(s) in these commercial products trouble me; so, I stay away from them. On the other hand, you should also note foods that give you positive results when eaten and work around them. You can use this guide for your own primary health care.
Note!!! Your body is capable of regulating itself if given proper nutrients. Antibiotics and immunity vaccinations (immunizations, that is) are actually not good friends; today, they can cost you much more than you bargained for. Learn to cultivate and properly use your readily available natural resources.
Well, what are you waiting for? Start now and improve the quality of your lifestyle. "I can do ..." Phil. 4:13. God bless!
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Regards, L'Afrique
