Tips towards a proper diet (proper eating habits)

A  PROPER  DIET

What really is a healthy meal and one that you would want to eat if you see it? Now as I said earlier when we are really hungry we will eat almost anything. You may have heard the phrase ‘eat something.’ Now when people say that some mean it in a good way but I think most of us really mean ‘anything’ and that’s because we have not been taught or have not taken the time out to research the subject. Again a lot has to do with the food industry (sorry to hit them again, or not). Biology being one of my favorite subjects in secondary school, I came across much to do with nutrition from an early age. And even so maybe because of peer-pressure and the media, I still ate junk for a few years after leaving school.

I may seem to be off the point a bit but humour me a while.

 Eye opener to health

I think my eyes probably began to open when I went to a hospital in Miami, Florida years ago. While walking around, I came across a gentleman who was lying on a bed, wheezing loudly. He had tubes through his nose or something like that and I.V.’s stuck in his body. I just remember it to be an awful sight. When I enquired what he had, the nurse told me it was cancer. At the time I didn’t know this disease could be so devastating. I never forgot that image.

Other things contributed to guiding me in the direction of studying health but we will discuss them later.

I hope you have not lost your appetite because we are talking about food.

Anyway back to our point. Remember the purpose of food is to nourish our bodies as well as please, cleanse, medicate, stimulate and/or calm us (not just comfort). So what I want to do is give you what the average person, who is not on the advice of a doctor, like someone with diabetes or so, should eat. Now as we spoke before if you eat correctly you should lose weight if that is your problem or even gain it if it is low. Obviously some meals can be tailor-made to address these concerns. That I should talk about later on another post.

No more diets

Eating properly could be difficult for some who are used to the wrong diet. Some ask if they can revert to their former meals when they lose the weight or get well. But I’m sorry; you should realize it was that way of eating that got you to this condition in the first place. Many of us know about ‘yo-yo dieting’ where persons after losing the weight put it back on again. Remember, healthy eating is a mind set. Some tell me they don’t want to eat ‘a set-a bush like a cow or fruits like a bird.’ Do you know these animals when they are in the wild or are fed properly hardly get sick? But we who should be the more advanced human beings are much sicker than they. Okay I’ll stop rambling for now. It’s just so heart-breaking to see so many sick (ill) people for the simplest and often reversible reasons.

Lets begin with a suggested ‘diet’ plan for you – remember it’s not about dieting.

Categories of food we must eat (according to accuteterm.com):

-         Carbohydrate, protein and (good) fats.

-         vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains, seeds, beans and legumes

breakfast

Let's start with breakfast and even before that.

I mentioned in a previous post about drinking water when you get up as the first thing you ingest. This tends to not only re-hydrate the body but also helps clean the stomach which is full of crud or residue from yesterday’s meals. It needs cleaning just as your house does. Putting a teaspoon of lemon or lime into it is also very beneficial in terms of alkalizing the body, all part of detoxification. You can also use apple cider vinegar. There is a popular recommendation about drinking up to four glasses (6 – 8 ounces) at that time to rid yourself of certain diseases, but I am not to aware of how it works. It sounds good because water is a cleanser. But don’t force yourself if it is difficult. Do it over time.

A half an hour after this you should take any type of citrus like orange, grapefruit, pineapple or cherries. Notice I did not say juice; the sugar in it is really what makes it acid and an enemy to your body, (don’t worry you can wean yourself off of it in time). Many other fruits are also what are called sub-acid e.g. apples, grapes and strawberries. A half-hour to an hour later you need to have what are called alkaline fruits like bananas, mangoes or paw-paw. Now you should not mix alkaline with acid fruits but sub acids can mix with either group. For example apples can be eaten at the same time as oranges or they can also mix with bananas. This is part of a concept called food combinations which I will continue on another post. In addition never mix watermelon with anything. Either eat them by them selves or not at all. This is because they digest faster than most foods so if they are eaten with anything else they will stay and spoil and ferment, waiting for the other foods to digest which leads to a slow poisoning of the system. This is a small insight into how diseases begin inside you, so take note. I am not sure what food group watermelons fall into but I know they do have vitamin C. 

Yes, that is the idea of a proper breakfast, especially for those who want to lose weight. Tell me what you think. Next time I should be talking about a possible second breakfast (if that one was not filling enough) and maybe what is a proper lunch and dinner. Keep sending your comments or questions to me. And tell your friends about the blog whatever size they are. Remember it’s not just about losing weight but about being healthy, then the weight will automatically adjust to the proper amount.

references

www.accuterm.com/whole-foods.html
www.google.com/images 

www.flickr.com

Getting Healthy with Patrick: More tips on losing weight the healthy way

Getting Healthy with Patrick: More tips on losing weight the healthy way: Alright it’s time again for more great ideas on health, at least I think so. What I’m trying to do on this blog is to pull together con...

More tips on losing weight the healthy way

Alright it’s time again for more great ideas on health, at least I think so. What I’m trying to do on this blog is to pull together concepts I have studied over the years that have kept me and many others fairly healthy. Personally I hardly get sick (ill) and I think I owe that to a strong immune system. You see we are not supposed to pick up every flu or contagious disease that passes around. Have you ever wondered why some people can be around others with diseases and everyone else gets sick except them? Simple, they have a strong immune system that is able to fight it off. Do you know that not everyone will get HIV/AIDS or even Ebola? That’s right and that for the same reason.

Well that was my preamble or my ramble for today.

I really want to continue what we started last time on loosing weight; let’s give you more tips re your diet, not dieting. But you say I already know enough about eating well. Yes but it is always good to add to your knowledge; never think you already know enough about anything for that matter. As I mentioned earlier I still keep researching any thing I can find on health. And so should you, and do it critically though. Remember the good book tells us that there is wisdom in the multitude of counsel, meaning get more than one source for your advice.

Firstly, what is food and why do we need it or what is its purpose to us? Food is primarily used to nourish the body when we eat it to maintain proper bodily function. It can also be used for medicine, as a stimulant or for calming us down. One Greek philosopher said Let food be your medicine and medicine your food. It is also used for pleasure otherwise we may not desire it so much. We get hungry when we smell something with an appealing aroma, even if we are not hungry at the time. Off course when we are hungry we will eat almost anything even if it doesn’t taste good, right… (Chinese?) Hey that’s an inside joke, I love Chinese food. Another reason for eating is comfort. This should be the last reason we eat. In fact I don’t think it should be one at all. This should result as a fringe benefit of our meals. If you do it for this reason you will want it every time you are down and you know what that will cause…

If you are in my country, Trinidad and Tobago or have been following our news, you will have heard about Dr Wayne Kublalsingh and his hunger strike going on now. He is now on day 36, wow. Did you also hear about R. Maharaj who tried to counter him with his own hunger strike? He did not last more than 5 days before collapsing and decided to stop. My point is Dr W. K. has more resolve than the other guy. He does not need food to comfort him. The good book also quotes Jesus saying “my meat is to do the will of the Father in heaven…” when the disciples wanted him to eat.

Off course we know that if we do not eat we will slowly lose weight and eventually die. But this is actually the most radical and efficient way to lose the weight fast, but only if you have the determination and want to. It is called fasting, not hunger strike; there is a difference. Fasting is done with prayer and meditation with the purpose of improving a situation or yourself. A hunger strike is done to fight a cause that can lead to the detriment of the body. It is not done with health in mind. I did not plan to discuss this today but if you can do it, it is very beneficial and has helped many to even rid them selves of certain diseases. However it MUST be done with water, and for no more than 40 to 60 days. After that you are looking at death if you have not already injured yourself after day 40. We will discuss that on another post. You can still send me questions on it if you want. In fact that would be beneficial so I can be better prepared to address your concerns around the issue. Anyway here are two videos from youtube that should be interesting. One is from Activebeat talking about a few weight loss foods and the other, well just watch. It's from Natural Health Sherpa. Tell me what you think of them.

Here some more tips on nutrition to lose weight:

       

-   Have at least 3 to 4 hour intervals between meals. Sorry, no more snacking if you want to lose weight for good health. Let me explain. The stomach takes that much time and more to digest food. I think the heart, the stomach and the eyes are the hardest working organs in our bodies. The stomach is made up of muscle that needs rest like any other. Meals containing meat take even longer; that’s why we burp or belch. I can’t remember the last time I did that. If we put food on top of food, you encourage fermentation which is what causes the burping and later on flatulence (farts!). This fermentation is when the food spoils inside of you. It is 96 plus degrees F in there so if it takes too long to digest it will spoil. This can lead to disease especially in the small intestines and colon. No wonder some of us smell when we go off!

     

-   The first thing we should put in our mouths when we in the morning should be pure water, as much as you can manage. Later on during the day drink at least one glass a half an hour before your meal. Never drink anything while there is food in your stomach, except for very dry foods and even then only small sips are necessary. If you have the time, eat citrus fruits like orange, grapefruit or apples and /or grapes half an hour to 45 minutes after that. Never eat your regular meal until an hour after that because of what we just discussed. I should be talking about what a meal should consist of next time among other things.

Well, those are some ideas you can try. It may be tough but it’s doable It is something you can get used to. Remember to send a comment or question about our topic. 


refences:

www.activebeat.com
www.naturalhealth.com 
www.google.com/images

Losing Weight the Right Way and Keeping it OFF this time!

Hi guys, welcome back as we press on to better health.

There is so much to say on the topic of health that I sometimes don’t know where to start. So I thought I would begin by addressing something of interest to most and that is weight loss, especially fat loss. Now you who don’t have this problem still need to listen (read) as well because I want to deal with all round fitness at the same time.

Everyone who is overweight, especially the ladies, wants to know how to loose it. But I’ll start by giving you the cold hard facts; this may not be easy to achieve. It really depends on your resolve or determination. Personally I am underweight and have always been. But I do understand your frustration having interacted with many who are overweight.

Most of you already know about the detriments (negatives) of being overweight like the potential for diabetes, heart disease, stroke, osteoarthritis (a breakdown of cartilage and bone within a joint), sleep apnea and breathing problems, cancer (and that’s the short list) among many others. But I don’t want to address these problems as yet; let’s discuss the way out of your overweight or lack of fitness predicament.

Losing weight and fat is first a MIND-SET, a way of thinking. First you must believe that the whole issue is more about being fit and less than about trying to lose the weight or fat. You see you will automatically lose the weight when you become fit and do it firstly for health reasons and this way you will kill two birds (sorry) with one stone. Off course we all want to look and feel good. But even those who are this way may be sick (ill) on the inside without knowing it, some almost to the point of death. A school friend of mind who was at a good, healthy weight with no apparent health problems suddenly was diagnosed with cancer and was dead within a year. You might say I’m trying to scare you. Not really, that was not the intention. But maybe that could be what it may take for you to get healthy.

Here are two dilemmas to consider: which one do you prefer, being fat and alive and not knowing your health status or being slim and dead? What about losing the fat and becoming fit the right way - gradually or going on some crash diet and losing the weight quickly and dying not too long afterwards? Something to think about. These images might stir your appetite.

 

As I said before losing weight is first a mind set. When you work on becoming fit you will automatically lose the excess weight.

Let’s first tackle diet, the tough one. Yes I know we all have our comfort foods and some of us have little self control when we see cheese cake, especially if it’s free. – I’m sorry for you chefs and homemakers. I don’t know how you do it.

I think when you understand the purpose of food and what different kinds of food do to the body, you will be on your way to beating the weight problem for good.

I’ll tell you a personal story. I have always loved reading and watching anything to do with science and in school biology was one of my favorite subjects. I would even read material other than my text books. This helped me to begin understanding the whole issue of nutrition and fitness and why some of us get sick and some stay well functioning at there peak while resisting what others easily get. I wonder how come I didn’t become a doctor. It was/is easy for me because I enjoy this topic and am still noting everything I can find on it. You can get that desire too and that we will discuss later. Even if I wish, I have trouble to gain weight because I refuse to eat junk. (no it’s not junk food – it’s non-food.)

Here are some important tips to note that will help you understand the process:

·         

    * Our taste buds and our desire for certain food can be conditioned. Did you know when a baby comes into the world he/she will eat anything you give it whether it tastes good to you or not, broccoli, spinach...  Start by thinking to yourself; “I will become fit if I eat more (especially raw) vegetables. I will have less chance to get sick and spend all my money at the doctor” –I would think that’s a great incentive to become fit.

·         

 The food industry is in it primarily for the money. They don’t really care about you and your health. If we demand something they will sell it. That’s why they sell you the fried chicken with the cancer causing hormones in them and the fries soaked in ten-day-old oil - with unhealthy saturated fats! They know its bad for you but if you want it, fine, they say “we will take your money and sell it to you.” No matter the consequences.

·        Remember the saying if it’s too good to be true it just might be that, not good, or something like that. Most times the good tasting foods are not as healthy as the bland, bitter stuff.

·        Read food labels, the fine print so to speak! See what you find. I will have more on that later.

·        Exercise at least three times a week; aerobics and resistance training or lifting weights; they don’t have to be too heavy. Your muscles need work, that’s why you have them. “If you don’t use it you will lose it." They get flabby.

more on that later. (This post is mainly about diet.)

·        Increase your intake of raw foods, i.e. fruits and vegetables… everyday, yes! I can hear you saying yuck, but did you not want to loose weight and get healthy? Now you can still indulge in some cake and ice cream NOW AND THEN! It’s not bondage and there is also something to say about psychological (mental) health in that you may want it so bad that missing it to lose the weight defeats the purpose if you are mainly unhappy about the whole thing. But a little improvement at a time will eventually go a long way.

Yes, yes I know it sounds oh so boring and difficult but it can be fun. I plan to hook up with some classmates who make great looking and tasting vegan and vegie meals. I have tried some myself and you really can't tell the difference whether there is meat or not. Also Do you know how much fun it is to say “I’m not sick” or “I don’t have to give the doctor my money,” or to climb up Mt Everest (maybe not these days with the storm) or travel the world or… when you retire or at any age, without pain; arthritis and such?

See you next time, most likely I’ll continue this topic in my next post. Send me some questions and comments; I may be able to help you. 


references
www.google.com/images

jumping out the blocks to your good health

Ok guys, let’s continue our talk about health.

A friend recently told me that my title makes them feel guilty, in that it reminds them that they need to become healthy. Do you feel this way too? I’m sorry (or maybe I’m not). If it’s any consolation, this blog is for me too. I have some things to change as well; I think we all do. I thought about changing the title (...still thinking…) but for now it stays.

So let’s get started. What is good health or being healthy? In order to get it we obviously must first know what it is. Most of us think we know; we think that we need to diet to loose that extra weight. If we see or think of a friend who has the flu or diabetes or heart problem or…, we may say they are not healthy.

What about the last time you did some structured exercise, by that I mean a regular schedule of jogging and resistance (weight training) exercise? Some of you may say “I don’t want to get muscles” but did you know that resistance training is necessary for good health? Later on we will discuss this topic.

What about those veggies your mom used to force you to eat when you were small and you want no part of them now? And that rest you know you need but you tell yourself you are not tired now (or so you think). When last have you gone to the doctor for a regular all-round checkup? I can hear the guilty consciences throbbing now.

All these are just a part of a healthy lifestyle, yes there is more.

According to Wikipedia, The World Health Organization (WHO) defined health in its broader sense in 1946 as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” Some have a problem with the word complete. What about you? Are we still healthy if ours is not “complete?” There have been other definitions, including one that correlates health and personal satisfaction.

Again Wikipedia tells us that apart from health care interventions and a person's surroundings, a number of other factors are known to influence our health status, including our background, lifestyle, and economic, social conditions, and spirituality. That’s a big one for me. I’ll tell you why in another post.

 I can see some of you getting bored but there is a lot of interesting and life-changing stuff yet to come. It may even mean you avoiding some debilitating disease in the future. You may say “Boy, Patrick is really sure of himself!” I may not be an expert but you see it has worked and is still working for me and many others, so I know it can work for you too. So check out these pictures and then we’ll continue chatting. I’m actually enjoying this. I like this first one. I know you ladies will love the second one.

I hope you liked those images.

What I plan to do as we go along is to show you what I think good health is and certain ways that we can achieve it for ourselves and even others.

Earlier we mentioned things like diet, exercise, spirituality and environment. These are some of the topics we will discuss as we go along. We will touch on issues like stress – a biggy in today’s world and personal and psychological satisfaction (also called emotional quotient) and ways to get it. But I will try to make them as interesting and inviting as possible in ways that will make you want to get involved. I am not trying to sell you any product or do anything that benefits me except the satisfaction of knowing that you tried it and it worked.

Our health is not just physical but since we as human beings as multifaceted, every one of those facets must be in proper working order for all-round good health. As I said in my first post, let’s not wait until we feel sick or we get the latest bug passing around or the doctor tells us we have something to do something about it. As the old saying goes “An once of prevention is better than a pound (and in these days, a ton) of cure,” especially with diseases like AIDS and Ebola around! Wooo, did I scare you? I hope so, to get up and do something!

P.S. Did you know there are some people whose resistance is so high that they can get the HIV virus in there system and not get AIDS? Look out for that discussion sometime later. 

And send me some comments or questions or you can email me. Thanks for viewing my posts guys. 


references 
www.google.com/images