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Totally Unhealthy Eating Behaviors To Avoid by women!
by Nadia Lemmon
Many women today are victims of seriously unhealthy eating
behaviors. Ironically, many of them know their behavior is
consequential, but would rather jeopardize their health
to 'look good' than to try and follow a healthy eating
regimen. In a nutshell, this type of ritualistic behavior
is all about weight loss or weight maintenance. Most women
will try every and any thing that seems like a short cut to
achieve their success. These ladies are the ones who are
not making a point of educating themselves about the safest
and healthiest ways to reach their goals. Fortunately,
these are also the easiest people to work with because you
know they take their weight seriously and will commit to
the right program. They only need the right path laid
before them. However, because many women want results
through the quickest means possible, they still end up
taking steps backward before they move forward.
Over the years, I have counseled a number of women and have
noticed that many of them share the same unhealthy eating
habits. I would like to point out that there are plenty
eating behaviors that all women share, but I have chosen to
address only these ten because of the self-destruction
involved. I know for a fact that we all are related to
someone who is guilty of least one of them. Please, if it's
you, let this serve as an eye opener and allow it to
motivate you to make the changes necessary to become a
healthier and smarter woman! It is also important to remind
you that there are 6 essential nutrients that our bodies
require for health, growth, maintenance and development.
These are protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals
and water. If we deprive ourselves of any one these
nutrients, then we are jeopardizing not only our physical
health, but our mental health as well, each through mal-
nourishment. Any nutrition educator will tell you that your
body needs these nutrients to maintain itself. A deficiency
in any one of these life sustaining nutrients could be
detrimental. My husband tells clients each day, "Your body
needs essential fats, good protein and complex
carbohydrates for energy, healing, health, existence AND
fat loss or muscle building. Deplete yourself of any one of
the three and you're heading for defeat." Another excellent
nutritional educator that I recommend is Dr. Christine
Northrup Ph D. Her recently revised book, "Women's Bodies,
Women's Minds: The Connection" is an absolute masterpiece
and includes information for all ages, especially for women
over 40. Ladies, let's live a life filled with love,
vitality and self fulfillment. The following ten habits are
so easy to break.....
1. If you feel that you can't
function properly without your usual morning cup of brew or
that you can't go a day without it at some point, then YOU
are addicted to caffeine. Caffeine consumed in large amounts on a regular basis is one of the most unhealthy and
harmful things that you can do to yourself! If you're
unsure of whether or not you are addicted to caffeine, test
yourself by trying to go without it for 3 days. If you find
that you get a headache or that you are very fatigued, then
yes, you are addicted to caffeine. Caffeine is an addictive
substance that stimulates our central nervous system and in
turn affects the function of important vital organs such as
our heart, kidneys, and adrenals. Please, if you are
abusing caffeine, make an effort to STOP immediately, or to
at least cut back. If you have a cup of coffee and begin to
get drowsy, You are destroying
your adrenal glands! Caffeine can be consumed in a number
of forms. Tea, soft drinks, chocolate, and even
decaffeinated coffee contains small amounts of it. Reserve
this drink for before a workout or other luxurious moments
and limit yourself to 4 times a week but never before 12
noon or after 8 pm.
2. You eat only fruits and vegetables! I can't tell you how
many women I have encountered who are guilty of this.
Eating only fruits and vegetables is not the way to go. In
a nutshell, all you are doing is eating fibrous carbs and
simple sugars thus depriving yourself of the essential
nutrients found in protein, fats, and other complex
carbohydrates. If this is you, I'll bet that most of the
time, you are either hungry to the point where you are
starving or you feel really bloated, gassy, and are
emotionally irregular. If you continue, you will eventually
end up with either an inflamed bowel, a serious ulcer, a
tiresome physical appearance or a very slow metabolism. You
need protein, essential fats and complex carbohydrates for
optimal functioning. Fruit and vegetable foods are
essential but they burn like paper towels in a coal stove.
You need slow burning fuel that nourishes you. Do not limit
yourself of fats and proteins. It's foolish.
3. You restrict yourself to only 1 meal a day! This is
alarmingly common. We all know or have met someone who is
guilty of this. Following this type of eating
regimen can be very harmful to your health because again,
you are depriving your body from many essential nutrients
that can not possibly be consumed in only one meal a day
(taking supplements or not). You are not getting the
required minerals, essential fats and vitamins that your
body needs to be healthy by only one or two food groups.
There are 12. Further, your metabolism will slow right down
because you are not giving your body enough calories to
think straight. Thus, when you do increase the number of
meals you ingest, you will end up putting weight on,
especially if you're not exercising because the metabolism
has quit. That's why you bloat. But if you eat more meals
regularly, the bloating, and the body fat, will disappear.
True Organic revealed
The term "organic" is used to describe foods (or
ingredients) that are grown without the use of certain
chemicals or processes.
For meats, poultry, eggs and dairy products to qualify as
organic, they must come from animals that are given no
growth hormones or antibiotics. For vegetables and fruits
to be organic, they must be produced without the use of
most pesticides, sewage sludge-based fertilizers,
petroleum-based fertilizers, irradiation or genetic
engineering.
The big question - whether organic foods are actually
healthier for you - is still under debate.
Next month, the USDA will begin to enforce national
standards for foods claiming to be organic. Depending
on the criteria they meet, foods will be allowed to
carry the following labels:
- "100% ORGANIC" - All ingredients are organic.
- "ORGANIC" - At least 95% of ingredients are organic.
- "MADE WITH ORGANIC INGREDIENTS" - At least 70% of
ingredients are organic.
The new labels apply to foods grown in the U.S. and those
imported from other countries. The standards will be
enforced as of October 21.
Eighty-Five percent of Americans recognize that
regular physical activity is important to good health, but
only 40% lead active lives. It is very difficult for many
of us to get started on a regular exercise program. We
all know it is best for us, we all know we would feel
better, yet we continue to procrastinate. A very common
dilemna is the time factor. However, if you think long
and hard you will likely find you do have some time - if
you give up something else, such as that one hour soap
opera you tape everyday. Alternatively, you could decide
to exercise while watching that one hour program. When you
get right down to it, there truly is no good excuse. On
that note, following are some guidelines for you to help
you ease into an exercise routine that fits comfortably
into your life.
Think of physical activity as a pyramid. Start with a basic
level of activity -- walking, housework, yardwork, etc.
Then you work your way upward through a variety of more
challenging activities. We will call this the "fitness
pyramid".
Here is how you can climb the fitness pyramid:
Level 1: Enjoy an active lifestyle
Get physically active. Your activity doesn't have to be
organized or continuous -- 10 minutes of walking and 20
minutes of housework truly do add up.
By accumulating just 30 minutes of activity a day, you slow
or stop the loss of function that comes with a sedentary
lifestyle. You also increase your chances of living longer
and improving your quality of life.
Level 2: Do aerobic workouts
Now that exercise is a part of your life, build regular
workouts into your routine. An effective aerobic program
includes at least 20 minutes of continuous, rhythmic
activity three or more times a week. Consider walking,
jogging, cycling or aerobic dancing. Exercise at an
intensity that elevates your heart rate into the target
zone of 60% to 80% of your maximum heart rate (Maximum
heart rate = 220 - your age).
You can exercise outdoors or in a gym using exercise
equipment such as treadmills, stationary bikes and cross-
country ski machines.
Your routine should be enjoyable and comfortable. Increase
intensity and duration gradually. This will help you avoid
injury.
By challenging your cardiovascular system, you begin to
actively fight the effects of aging and reduce your risk of
heart disease and other degenerative conditions.
Level 3: Start strength training
Adding weight training to your workout gives you the
benefits you can't get with aerobic exercise alone. It
protects and builds lean muscle mass; promotes healthier,
stronger bones; and raises your body's metabolism so you
burn fat faster -- even while you're resting.
A typical weight-lifting routine should include 8 to 12
exercises targeting all the major muscle groups. Do up to 3
sets of 8 to 12 repetitions of each exercise. Schedule at
least two strength sessions a week with at least a day of
rest in between.
Level 4: Stretch to increase your flexibility
Inactive muscles become shorter, and their range of motion
gets more limited. Reverse that process by doing gentle
stretching exercises before and after workouts and at other
times during the week.
A five to ten minute routine should include all the major
muscle groups. Do static stretches that ease you into
position, then hold them for 15 to 30 seconds.
Flexibility training prepares our bodies for the tasks we
perform throughout the day, such as lifting and reaching.
You dramatically reduce your risk of back problems when you
increase your flexibility.
Level 5 (the pinnacle): Compete for peak performance
Getting involved in competive recreational sports isn't
essential for fitness, Zwiefel says, but it increases many
people's enjoyment of an active lifestyle. That
psychological benefit pays off physically.
If a sport challenges you and engages your mind, you're
going to stick with it. Find something you do well and
enjoy and most important of all, have fun with exercise.
It does not have to feel like work.
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