Seasonal Foods & Guidelines to Good Health

In 2010 I read a book that changed my outlook on weight loss. I was still struggling with it, and still not sure about the best route to go toward my goals. I didn’t lose massive amounts of weight but that year I lost about 12-15 lbs from the beginning of the year to the end. Not an impressive amount compared to my goal of 25 lbs. but it was great for me, because I saw results in my clothes, and inches mattered to me more than lbs.

I’ve been on many different weight loss plans before, and until I get serious enough to incorporate exercise into a strict routine which I don’t have, only then will I get the ultimate goal I have in mind achieved. Lots of things work but don’t necessary adhere to realistic lifestyles, which is why maintenance has always been my downfall. My focus became geared towards overall good health rather than just losing weight. Thin people suffer from diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and even worse. Being thin essentially is about vanity, and while I’m vain in many ways, I’ve learned to love myself and appreciate the body I have. Becoming a mom has given me a whole different sense of appreciation over what I used to complain about. When I changed my diet, and started incorporating healthier habits like taking probiotics, flaxseed oil/fish oil, limitations of dairy, and meat, increasing fruits and vegetables, and staying on top of  my hydration, I noticed the struggle to keep the weight down or to lose a few lbs. was no longer impossible. My Dr said my results are excellent when I have my labs done annually. If I just got a trainer and someone to take care of my home and kids while I put more energy into eating right and exercising imagine the results I could achieve! Again, I’m human, I can only do so much, and I make mistakes along the way, like eating that piece of pie from Publix my husband sabotaged us with when he came home the other night! Ughhh…

However in my pursuit to live the healthiest and happiest life I can, I made it my duty to stick to these guidelines I learned from NY Times Best-Selling “The Fat Flush for Life” by Ann Louise Gittleman,  as a holistic approach to good health:

• Eating seasonal foods based on Chinese medicine, works with your body’s natural rythym to detox the liver, lymphatic system, and get rid of problems like bloating, gas, belly fat, and cellulite. The modern world today bombards our system with heavy metals and toxins, but nature made it simple for us to detox through seasonal foods. 

• Our focus needs to be shifted to higher nutritional levels not counting calories and fat content. We should be more concerned with antioxidants, phytonutrients, probiotics, chlorophyll  soluble fiber, omega 3s and 9s, and amino acids. 

• Make the cut to eliminate gum, soda, high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, sugars, excess salt, processed/packaged food, coffee, alcohol. I do have some of these on occasion especially around the holidays, but I make a point not to on a regular basis because its at the top of the list for liver stressors, metabolism reducing, bloat and fat stimulating producers as they increase cortisol and insulin in the body. 

• Massages are great for stimulating the lymphatic system to drain out fats and toxins excreted by the liver after it is metabolized. In my post about acidity and alkalinity, I spoke about the acid being dumped in different areas of the body in order to maintain a proper pH balance. By getting massages we’re enhancing elimination, and the lymph-rich areas to massage are the arms, neck, face and chest. It’s also a great stress buster. Common side effects of needing better elimination are headaches, sore muscles, fatigue, and pain. My husband had neck pains in the muscles and shoulders, headaches, and sore muscles he assumed was stress from work. In only 1 week of doing massages his sleep was rejuvenated and the complaints subsided. The massager below is a great tool for that, however I admit I don’t use it, it’s very rough. 

Dolphin Massager

• Journaling! Just as I am in this blog, get a notebook and start your path to self-discovery. Write down what works, what doesn’t, where you need work on, and what you want to try. Journalism allows us to be held accountable for our misdeeds, and our thought process. Being aware of a negative thought process is enough to help you change it. 

Hasta Manana!