Month: July 2016

Serious – low energy is probably responsible for a huge proportion of our problems!

It’s low energy that makes it hard to wake up in the morning, it’s low energy that makes us not really want to exercise and it’s low energy that prevents us from performing our best or really enjoying life.

The problem is that it takes energy to start changing your lifestyle and to do things like exercise more or sleep better to improve your energy… so where do you begin? The answer is simple: you begin with your diet.

There are tons of ways that you can improve your energy levels through your diet, here are just a few.

Glucose Hit

One way you can add more energy using your diet is just to consume more glucose. This won’t give you long-term energy but will instead help you to improve your energy in the short term and give you a small kick when you’re struggling.

And interestingly, one of the best ways to get that hit of glucose is to ‘cheat’ and have glucose from man-made, processed sources. A glucose tablet is one option, another is to eat Wine Gums!

MCT Oil

Using glucose on a regular basis is not a recommended way to keep your energy levels up though.

Instead, it’s better to use MCT oil, which comes from coconuts and other natural sources.

This type of oil doesn’t get absorbed by the body in the same way as other fats and it encourages the body to produce ketons – a type of energy that has a lot of particular uses for the brain.

Chia Seeds

If you want an example of someone with high energy levels, then look no further than the Tarahumara tribe.

This group of indigenous people are able to run hundreds of miles in a single go and they accomplish this at least in part thanks to chia seeds – seeds that are capable of absorbing several times their weight in water.

Iron

Iron is used to create the red blood cells that carry oxygen around the body.

More iron = more oxygen where you need it – meaning in turn that you’ll have more energy.

Vinpocentine

Another way to get more oxygen around your body when you need it is to cause vasodilation and widen the blood cells.

This can be done with any food containing nitrates – including garlic.

But vinpocetine is a natural ingredient that goes one step further by ensuing the vasodilation occurs mainly in the most important regions of the brain.

It enhances cognitive functions, including those involving long- and short-term memory, and it has also been shown to be valuable in protecting heart, visual, and hearing functions, among other benefits.

CoQ10
Meanwhile, anything that can increase mitochondrial energy metabolism will greatly enhance energy levels – CoQ10, PQQ and creatine all being very good examples (and all being found in organ meats).

CoQ10 is a substance that helps convert food into energy. CoQ10 is found in almost every cell in the body, and it is a powerful antioxidant.

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One of the hardest parts of eating clean is turning down the tasty snacks that you know are bad for you. You don’t have to starve yourself of course or eat all that strictly.

There’s nothing wrong with a nice pasta dish packed with vegetables and meats…

But what you should avoid is that massive chocolate cake after dinner that will add 450 calories to your diet and leave you feeling sick.

It provides zero nutrition and it sets your diet back in a way that can sometimes be hard to recover from psychologically.

But don’t worry – there’s a trick!

What is CBT?

CBT stands for ‘cognitive behavioural therapy’. This is a psychotherapeutic approach that involves training the brain to overcome negative thoughts. The belief is that your thoughts can reinforce negative beliefs and can have unwanted effects on your behaviour.

For instance, if you’re trying to get over a phobia of heights, the thing you need to change is the thought process that involves imagining falling or telling yourself it’s not safe!

What Does This Have to do With Eating Clean?

So what does all this have to do with eating clean?

Simple: it gives you the ability to reprogram your thoughts and thereby to remove the desire to indulge in cakes etc.

To do this, you simply need to think ahead and focus on how you’re going to feel after the meal. Focus on the cake and the taste and you’ll produce the reward hormone dopamine.

Instead, you need to focus on the last time you made yourself feel sick from eating too much cake. You probably felt bloating, stuffed and guilty and most likely you couldn’t finish it. Concentrate on that sensation and suddenly the cake doesn’t seem so appealing.

Now instead, imagine how good it would feel to have a refreshing dessert that would perk you up and leave you feeling good about yourself. How about a hot drink?

Or maybe you could get an ice cold lemon sorbet that will cleanse your palette without adding too many calories!

This makes all the difference to your desire for pudding and you’ll find that you actually would prefer the fresher dessert. If you do this regularly enough, then you will actually create new associations to the point where you actually don’t want to eat that huge cake.

The same goes for reprogramming your diet in every other area too!

History has long taken notice of the slim and attractive bodies of men and women from Italy, Greece, Spain, France, Tunisia, Lebanon and Morocco, an area also known as the Mediterranean. Medical professionals have also noted the lesser incidence of heart disease and longer life spans enjoyed by inhabitants of the region.

Mediterranean people have a unique diet, rich in antioxidants and heart healthy oils, which has remained unchanged for more than a millennium. Despite the drastic change in dietary habits in Western countries, Mediterranean men and women continue to consume a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables and high in whole grains.

Why Does The Mediterranean Diet Work?

Modern researchers have uncovered the reasons why the classic diet provides such incredible health benefits, and diet programs incorporating the Mediterranean style of eating now flourish. Mediterranean diets focus on the key components of olive oil and fresh, high-quality produce.

Adherents of a Mediterranean diet are encouraged to replace dietary fats and oils with heart-healthy olive oil. Olive oil is rich in vitamins A, B-1, B-2, C, D, E, and K, as well as being high in iron. It has also been shown to lower cholesterol and may protect against ailments like stomach ulcers and constipation.

High consumption of fresh produce is encouraged, with emphasis placed on consuming those fruits and vegetables which are minimally processed and locally and seasonally grown. Whole grains, beans, nuts, and seeds, also minimally processed, give the Mediterranean diet variety.

Olive Oil and Fats?

Although fresh produce and olive oil (25 to 35 percent of total calories) are the true focus of the Mediterranean diet, lean meats are allowed in moderation, which reflects the eating habits of the Mediterranean peoples. Lean red meat is not off-limits, but followers of the diet should eat read meat sparingly.

Other protein sources like cheese, fish, poultry, and eggs are to be consumed in moderation throughout the week. Yogurt and cheese should be consumed in moderate amounts daily, while fish and poultry are to be eaten in limited servings weekly. Mediterranean dieters are encouraged to eat anywhere from none to 4 servings of eggs each week.

Like Western eaters, the Mediterranean peoples have long enjoyed a little something sweet each day. The Mediterranean diet calls for daily consumption of fresh, unprocessed fruit as a dietary treat. High fat, high sugar, processed sweets should be limited or cut out of the diet entirely.

And You Can Even Drink Wine?

Another health-affirming component of the Mediterranean diet is the addition of moderate amounts of wine. While over-consumption of alcohol is discouraged, Mediterranean dieters may enjoy one or two glasses of wine per day.

Moderate consumption of wine has been found to produce many health benefits, including reduction in incidences of kidney stones and reduction in risk of heart disease. Researchers have also found a link between moderate wine consumption and longevity.

While the Mediterranean way of eating is now supported by current dietary research, many adherents choose the diet for the simplest reason: it’s an enjoyable way to eat.