Resolution-ary Diet

The changing of the calendar year is a time for reflection and resolution. Every New Years in an attempt to improve their quality of life people make promises they have every intention of keeping. Yet another year has passed and the scale has not altered, exercise is a distant fantasy and no extra money has entered the bank account. The goal this year is to be PRO-ACTIVE! Reevaluate and don't get stuck in your old ways of destructive behavior. This year is the year to make resolutions that work and break the cycle of ineffectiveness. We have a new approach this year, something resolutionary. The Resolution-ary Diet.

The Resolution-ary Diet achieves success by following simple common sense actions that will guarantee success. Attempting to decipher conflicting reports on numerous healthy alternatives can be a defeating process. The Resolution-ary Diet eliminates the guesswork. Listed below are four actions that deliver the most bang for your buck. One of these self-help picks practiced for the next twelve months will dramatically improve your health and quality of life for many years to come.

Drink water. How can we identify increased water requirements? The body has a variety of sophisticated thirst signals. Diseases including hypertension, weight gain, high cholesterol, asthma, indigestion, allergies and lack of energy are actually symptoms of dehydration. Dehydration is not limited to physical maladies and may manifest as emotional conditions. According to Dr. Batmanghelidj, M.D., author of Your Bodies Many Cries for Water, “the social stresses of fear, anxiety, emotional and matrimonial problems and the establishment of depression are the results of water deficiency to the point that the water requirement of the brain tissue is affected. The brain uses electrical energy that is generated by the water drive of the energy generating pumps. With dehydration, the level of energy generation in the brain is decreased. Many functions of the brain that depend on this kind of energy become inefficient. We recognize this inadequacy of function and call it depression.”

The human body can become dehydrated even when abundant water is readily available. The necessity for water is usually associated with our thirst mechanism. Over time as we age due to chronic dehydration the thirst mechanism becomes compromised. Even when we are thirsty there is confusion between fluids and water. Drinking beverages that contain water like alcohol, soda, tea and coffee does not hydrate the body. Caffeine, sugar and other ingredients found in these beverages have a strong diuretic action on the kidneys classifying them as dehydrating agents. The kidneys are responsible for urine production and excretion of excesses in the body as well as waste material.

When sufficient water is not available or dehydrating agents are present the whole renal system is put into a squeeze eventually resulting in kidney damage.

The general consensus by medical authorities for water intake is two and a half quarts a day or half your bodies weight in ounces. When you ingest water is just as important as volume intake. Give your digestive system a nice shower by starting the day with one to two eight-ounce glasses. Ingesting an eight-ounce glass twenty to thirty minutes before eating aids in digestion and is the first remedy in cases of heartburn, reflux and ulcer conditions. When water enters the stomach it is pushed out and into the intestines within thirty minutes. This paves the way for a neutral environment when food is consumed and allows digestive enzymes and stomach acids to execute their job properly.

Improve your dietary intake by only eating food. Genetically modified organisms (GMO’s), artificial sweeteners and hydrogenated oils/trans fats are not food.

GMO’s are plants that have been genetically modified to withstand the highest doses of pesticides and herbicides during the growing process. This enables farmers to utilize huge amounts of weed and pest killers in order to keep agricultural costs low and harvest production high. After the plants are sprayed they drown in the chemical solution until it seeps into the soil where the root system of the plant consumes it to develop. These chemical properties are then passed onto humans and livestock when the fruits, vegetables and grains are eaten. Manufacturers are not required to inform the public when they are using GMO products. Look for labels that say Non-GMO indicating that only pure farming practices have been employed. When possible buy organic meats as this designation indicates the livestock has been fed exclusively non-GMO feed.

Artificial sweeteners are chemicals. They are marketed in mass to an unsuspecting dieting public and those with diabetes. There is not one shred of evidence that these products facilitate weight loss. When ingested into the body aspartame breaks down into methanol, which then converts into formaldehyde and will primarily affect the brain and tissues. It has been proven in numerous studies that saccharin causes cancer in mice. Artificial sweeteners disturb the physiology of the body causing headaches, menstrual dysfunction and may have toxic effects on the nervous system.

Hydrogenated oils also known as trans fats were developed to increase food shelf life. They are found in cooking oils, margarine, solid vegetable shortening, cookies and cakes. The processes of artificially hydrogenating oils deform fatty acids creating an unnatural species known as trans-fatty acids (TFAs). Ingesting TFAs can unbalance the hormonal systems that regulate healing, lead to the construction of defective cell membranes and encourage the development of cancer. The essential fatty acids (EFAs) found in olive, flax and hemp oil are not trans fats but fats scientists have determined to be essential for normal body operations. We seem to process oleic acid the principal fatty acid found in olive oil better than any other making olive oil the healthiest choice for our oil needs.

Extra-virgin expeller cold pressed olive oil is best.

Get Moving. The easiest step toward preventing chronic disease and increasing health is exercise. We know we ought to do it yet 60% of the U.S. population is sedentary. Somehow we don’t have the energy, time or stamina to make physical movement a part of our daily lives. The joys and benefits of fitness are numerous. A report from the U.S. Surgeon General, Physical Activity and Health, said that regular activity improves your chance of living longer and healthier. The report also stated that protection from heart disease, hypertension, high cholesterol, certain cancers, osteoporosis and weight gain can all be achieved through regular exercise. Whatever your age and condition right now, physical exercise can improve it.

What would it take to get you moving? Dancing, swimming, hiking and skating are not just exercise but have the capacity to instill great joy and pleasure. Spending a day immersed in this kind of fun activity may also result in a deep state of complete relaxation. Think back to your childhood. You didn’t join a gym to get physical. You would just go outside and play! Find activities that light you up. Have fun! Moving your body is an event you can look forward to not a chore.

Sleep. Modern day society tends to deprive people of sleep. Whether it is from staying up late or rising too early, people exist on 6-7 hours of sleep a night (or less) for years on end. However, good sleep is associated with many health benefits, and sleep deprivation is a risk factor for numerous serious conditions including heart disease, artherosclerosis, obesity, insulin resistance and diabetes. A recent study at the University of Chicago tested the blood of healthy young men after six consecutive nights of only four hours of sleep. Their blood sugar results matched those of diabetics with their ability to process blood sugar reduced by 30%. The subjects also had elevated levels of a stress hormone called cortisol, which can lead to hypertension and memory impairment.

There is an old philosophy that speaks of the evening sleep train arriving at 10PM. When possible aim to be horizontal when it arrives. For many, missing the 10PM train is the principal contributor to lack of sleep because the next train doesn’t arrive until close to 1AM. Eating whole grains and getting enough physical exercise are essential. Whole grains promote the production of serotonin, a brain neurotransmitter that promotes better concentration, feelings of well-being, and deep sleep. Exercise works off physical tension that can keep you awake at night. Creating a bedtime ritual, abstaining from eating after 8PM or drinking chamomile tea can also prepare the body for earlier rest.

Decide today to change one thing in your life and then take a first step in making that change. In time, your small successes will build your confidence. Not creating a deficit in your health to begin with will give you a great head start. Instead of going hog wild from Turkey day till the first of January, begin now. Don’t try to do every tip on the list just attempt one consistently until it becomes a part of your life. Then add another and so on, always understanding each enhancement is an additional step in your life long journey for health and happiness.

Rose Payne is the founder and Director of High Level Wellness a holistic health and nutrition center in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. She is an AADP certified Holistic Nutrition Counselor and National Educator with a private practice that offers assistance countrywide. She is also the Director of the Immersion Graduate Program at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in NYC. Her passion is helping clients transform their lives through the power of nutrition. You can contact Rose at info@high-level-wellness-online.com

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