One small change to your eating can get big results

The Game Changer

There is just a few more days 0f 2017 and then on to a new year with new resolutions and renewed aspirations for a new you.  Gyms are packed with people January 1st but are back to the same by February. Why? Because we just want a quick way to lose lots of weight so we can go back to our old eating habits and our little to no exercise habits, and still keep the weight off, but are reminded quickly that this is an endless path to disappointment with our weight, appearance, and self-esteem. 

So what can we do about it? 

Consistency!  We have to find habits that promote good health that we can and will do consistently for the long haul. This is a proven effective way of reclaiming and keeping long-term health!

So why aren't more people doing this if it is a proven method for helping thousands of people reclaim their health for the long haul? 

Because most the time, these changes, that we can do, and are willing to do are usually small changes that do not bring immediate results, they work over time. And let's be honest, unlike our friend ELF, that's not our favorite:) 

This new year, make it your goal to build healthy habits that are sustainable, and stay clear of all the fad quick loss diets and focus on being mindful of what you eat when you eat, and how you eat. 

I want to give you one of the most important habits that you can practice and it's so simple you won't believe it's so valuable, but it is. And even know it's simple it's not always easy to be consistent, but if you are it with pay big dividends for your health in the long run! 

Eat Slowly. 

Here are some simple ways to eat slowly

• Put your fork down between bites.

• Relax. Breathe. Take a few extra moments before you pick the fork up again.

• Set a timer if needed — start with 15 minutes per meal as a basic goal. Work up to 20 or even 30.

• Chew a few more times than you think you need to.

• Enjoy and savor each bite. If you’re eating something delicious, take pleasure in it. Notice smells, flavors, and textures.

• Eat mindfully without distractions such as TV, smartphones, or the computer. (Pleasant conversation with friends and family is, of course, welcome.) 

Why eating slowly is so awesome!!

1. Slow eating creates mindfulness. Mindfulness creates awareness.

When you get the hang of slow eating and your body cues, you'll become aware of when they’ve over-eaten.

2. Slow eating attunes people with flavors, textures, and smells of food.

People instinctively begin to seek out better choices, simply because of increased awareness. Their emotional-brain elephant is gently guided, rather than wrenched unwillingly.

3. Slow eating provides important information to the GI tract and gives satiety hormones time to kick in.

If we rush, we don’t smell, taste, or texturally experience our food. Our bodies don’t notice stuff getting shoved into the pipeline until it’s too late.

However, when we eat slowly, our satiety hormones have time to work. We stop eating naturally, earlier.

4. Slow eating helps with digestion.

The step-by-step information processing also helps with cueing digestive activity such as peristalsis or enzyme secretion further downstream. Our GI tract doesn’t get caught off guard.

So you feel better after you eat.

If you suffer from heartburn this just might be a magic cure :)

5. Slow eating doesn’t depend on controlling what you eat.

This means you can do it anywhere, anytime, with any kind of food — whether that’s a Mother’s Day brunch, a business lunch, dinner at Grandma’s, a Vegas buffet, or S’Mores around a campfire.

No matter what’s on your plate or who’s around you, you can eat slowly.

6. Slow eating makes the client’s body the boss.

This means eventually you won’t have to rely on calorie counting, weighing and measuring food, or any other means of external control. you’ll feel much less anxious, and much more self-assured.

Paradoxically, relinquishing external control gives you more real control.

Mindfulness is the path to this outcome.

This year make a commitment to building habits that build a healthy you!

And if you would like to know more about this other habits that are proven to help you move toward your health goals, and would like help implementing them I would be happy to discuss more, just head over to my website or email me. 

Website: www.zaofit3.com                                                                                                               Email: zaofit3@gmail.com

Jerry Mullins                                                                                                                                       PN1, DSW, CPT, WMS

To Carb or not to Carb?

To Carb or not to Carb?

when I was a child I remember the food trend "Fat Free", yes every food was going or seem to be going fat free, why? Because Fat was the cause of our over-weight problem. Or was it? Well of course not, but that didn't change a great number of adults from buying fat free everything in hopes to take-off or keep-off those unwanted pounds. The sad things about the whole Fat Free craze, was that most the fat free foods were more unhealthy than the original. Good thing we got over that lie (for the most part) and moved on. Or did we?

companies are still making fat free and some people still believe fat makes you fat, but it doesn't have the momentum it had in the 80's, but there is a another belief that has stirred up a new diet craze. In the last decade we have demonized a new macro-nutrient, the carbohydrate. Yes the new make me fat macro-nutrient is the carb! Everywhere we go, we hear low carb, no carb, and a few others things I won't mention. I remember one diet that started in the late 90's and when I cared very little about what I ate or dieting, but what I did notice is a lot of friends and family members losing weight and attributing it to this specific diet.

What I also noticed is that they didn't look very healthy, they just looked thin. What, isn't thin healthy? NO! They looked as if they got sick and lost a bunch of weight; their skin  just kinda hung off their body they looked tired and had little energy, but they were happy to be thin, so I was happy for them. The worse part of it, was that I can't remember one keeping the weight off, and most were heavier one to two years later, with a higher fat ratio than before. Well that was then, when I didn't know what a carb was, and this is now; when nutrition is a passion of mine and I not only know what a carb is I know that they are a crucial nutrient for our body, and Our bodies most preferred form of fuel. And since we were created by a God that makes no mistakes, I don't believe it's a coincidence that our bodies preferred fuel is carbohydrates. Don't get me wrong I'm not saying that carbs are more important than fat, or protein, because they are all important. I believe in a right carb diet, I also believe in a right fat, right protein diet too. The biggest problem we have with carbs, is that we eat the wrong ones. We love the pre-packaged, highly processed junk food and sugary drinks. If were really looking to make a health a priority, this is where our carb cutting should be. One more thing about carbohydrates that we should take into consideration; Our brain also needs fuel and unlike our bodies that can use fat and protein for fuel if need be, our brain can only uses carbs.

  I suggest getting your carbs from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, think of this way: Good carbs come with friends. Their friends are fiber , and protein, and bad carbs the carbs you should cut out is carbs that travel alone, like soda pop. 

  If you are on a low carb diet and it works for you, that's great, but most of us don't do so well and should stick to fueling with our bodies most preferred and our brains only source for fuel. 

P.S. below is a couple links with great reads:  Always follow those that use science, here are two of my favorites! 

Dr. Sears Wellness Institute

https://www.drsearswellnessinstitute.org/blog/food-for-brain-health/

Precision Nutrition: 

http://www.precisionnutrition.com/low-carb-diets