A person asked me recently for my top ten health rules. I decided to share them in my blog. You’ll read five rules this week and the other five next week. Here you go!
Rule One. Eat Real Food…that is colorful …organic…or local. Eat food that is grown in the ground, not in a box. Eat food that will spoil if not refrigerated. Colorful foods have many phytonutrients, which are substances that protect plants from disease – and offer similar benefits to us – humans – when we eat them! Budget for organic foods if they are pricey - I say, spend it now and enjoy delicious food…or spend it later at your doctor’s office, treating some type of disease. Buying local is good for the local economy, too, which helps just about everything around you.
Rule Two. Use Less Sugar…and work up to No Sugar. Cut out artificial sweeteners. Sugar has many names: cane sugar, brown sugar, high fructose corn syrup, fructose, maltose, maltodextrin. Agave, honey, molasses and maple syrup, while healthier, are sugars. Totally eliminate artificial sugars: aspartame, saccharin, sucralose, which go by the names of Equal®, NutraSweet®, Splenda®, and Sweet ’N Low®. Sugar is a direct cause of diabetes and heart disease and loves to feed cancer cells. It’s very addictive and inflammatory. A great alternative is stevia, an herbal sweetener, used as a powder or liquid
Rule Three. Get rid of grains. Break up with bread, pastas, rice. Grains can be very inflammatory, and many people simply feel better when they eliminate them. Wheat is an energy drainer, after sugar. If you are a big bread eater, especially when eating in restaurants, tell them to hold the bread basket, and order a sweet potato, baked potato and lots of extra veggies. If you must have a grain, think about switching to quinoa, amaranth or chia, which are really more protein, but they make us think we’re eating grains. And make the serving small.
Rule Four. Chew…chew…chew. Eat slowly and e-n-j-o-y and taste your food! Literally chew each bite of food at least 20 times. Learn to recognize when you are full. Eat in a good environment - get away from your desk, sit down to eat, turn off the TV and put the newspaper and your phone down. If you are eating from a container, take out a reasonable portion, and put it away. You’ll digest your food more properly and will feel better!
Rule Five. Hydrate! Drink lots of cool, fresh, clean water. My mantra is - drink half your body weight in water every day. Set your phone to ding every hour, and drink 8 ounces. Yes, you’ll have to use the bathroom more frequently, but moving is Rule Six next week, so you’ll already be ahead!
To Your Vitality!
These Rules are part of my Corporate Wellness Presentations. If you are looking for fun and interactive activities for your next sales meeting, Lunch and Learn, company retreat, or just a fun session to offer to your staff, give me a call!