Three Strategies for Your Weight Loss Journey

Live in the moment.

Eating is a pleasure as well as a necessity, but do we really enjoy eating when we stuff down a piece of pizza or anything, for that matter. If you are not even paying attention to the taste, the smell, and texture, we've given away a chance to enjoy that moment of pleasure and replaced it with mindless and sometimes regretful eating. Being in the moment can pertain to everything we do, including eating. Where are we rushing to? Looking for happiness? It could have been right on your plate, but you missed it.

Procrastinate.

Procrastination doesn't sound like a good thing, but it can ward off doing something without thinking first. I've had clients use this technique before they indulge in something they are craving, but tell themselves, they will wait wait 30 minutes and see if they still want the indulgence. By then the craving as stopped. Success and they feel empowered.!

Have a plan.

I've talked about this before, but it works. Not just planning your meals, but planning ahead if your eating out or packing for a camping trip. Know before you go what you want to order from the menu or what you want to pack for your camping trip. You'll be prepared and be able to relax and enjoy the company and the meal!

Mind/Body Connection

5 Ways to start fighting off inflammation and slow down the aging process.

1. Feed your body what it needs and wants. Be conscious of eating healthy fats and vegetables like avocados and leafy greens instead of refined sugars. What we put into our bodies is a big reason some people seem to age very slowly. What goes in, manifest on the outside.

2. The sedentary lifestyle is literally killing us. "And the problem goes deeper than a simple lack of exercise," says Heather Hamilton MD, a family medicine physician at Memorial Hermann Convenient Care Center in Houston. "This is not just getting regular exercise, but also pertains to prolonged periods of sitting." "One study even indicated that standing up every 30 minutes throughout the day can have similar health benefits as quitting smoking."

3. The importance of sleep cannot be stressed enough. An article in the Harvard Business Review written by Harvard Medical School professor Charles Czeisler warns us that people who sleep less than five hours a night for five years in a row are three times more likely to develop hardened arteries. (Cholesterol deposits are first deposited on the inside of the arteries and then become hardened.)

4. We need to preserve those muscles! "The aging process is associated with changes in muscle mass and strength with decline of muscle strength after the 30th year, write Karsten Keller and Martin Engelhardt in the journal Muscles, Ligaments and Tendons.While your muscles are wasting away, your metabolism slows down. (This is when I hear the excuse, I'm getting older so that's why I'm gaining weight.) Do some strength training and keep your muscles to keep your metabolism burning  at it's best.

5.Be at peace. Whatever this means for you. Since I have added meditating to my morning routine, I feel less stressed. Music also gives me an uplifting energy and lets me forget the stressful situations in  life. According to the American Psychological Association, chronic stress makes existing health problems worse. It encourages the formation of bad habits, such as smoking and overeating. It can even increase your risk of cardiovascular disease. If thinking about something  makes you feel stressed, change your thinking and enjoy this moment! 

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Alkaline vs Acidity in your Diet

The body does a wonderful job of keeping us in homeostasis-a balance. Healthy Inspirations is all about balance. One of the diets that focus on this balance is the alkaline diet. Some studies have shown  that eating foods that are alkaline provides the body with substances to use so the body has an easier time maintaining this balance.

Eating 80 % Alkaline foods and only 20 % Acidic foods should help you maintain an ideal pH balance.  It indicates the acidity or alkalinity of a solution; measured on a scale of 0-14 The lower the pH, the more acidic the solution; the higher the pH, the more alkaline the solution.When a solution is neither acid nor alkaline, it has a pH of 7, which is neutral. You can purchase test strips to test your pH. 

Balance! Balance! Balance!

"Our bodies were designed to function at an alkaline state. Not too acidic and also not too alkaline, ideally at pH of 7.365. An acidic body is a by-product of today's increasing acidic diet of sugar, alcohol, red meat, dairy products, processed foods, and coffee, teamed with pollution and stress. Many health issues are associated with an acidic body-low energy, weight gain, craving carbs and sugar may all mean you're acidic."

There is always new insight about nutrition and our bodies in the scientific world, but one thing that has never changed is that vegetables are healthy and our bodies appreciate real unprocessed foods! Here at Healthy Inspirations we understand our bodies do a lot to keep us in balance. If they know how to treat us well, we should treat them well and equip them with the nutrients they need to do their amazing jobs!

10 Alkaline Foods to Eat:

Avocados / Ripe Bananas / Almonds / Asparagus / Watermelon /Cayenne Pepper / Papaya / Lemons /Broccoli /Garlic

10 Acidic Foods to Avoid

Sugar / Hydrogenated Fats /Saturated Fats / Microwavable Meals / Fast Food / White Pasta /White Bread / Red Meats / Beer /Spirits / Milk Chocolate