Every summer it’s the same: women’s magazines churn out their repertoire of the same old articles saying: ‘Lose 10Ibs in 2 weeks’ or “Bikini Workout Program’. What if women and guys could maintain a beach body all year around without skimpy diets and punishing workouts? Well you can – here’s how…
Tip #1 Eat Clean Food
This means you eat food that is not processed, free of antibiotics and hormones, certified organic (if you can find that in your area) or locally grown sustainably (grown without chemicals or pesticides).
Locally grown, certified organic is your top choice. This food takes less fuel to get to you, as well it’s grown without the use of harsh chemicals that destroy the soil and your body. The plants literally absorb whatever is in the soil, so if your soil contains a high content of pesticides and fungicides that’s what you’ll eat.
Not to mention, the nutrient content of an organic plant is by far superior to that of a chemically derived plant. The certified organic plant is able to soak up all of the organic nutrients from a healthy soil.
On the contrary, genetically modified and conventional foods soak up mostly water. This is because the chemicals from the fertilizer that has been injected into the seed and put in the soil, can only use water to grow, not nutrients like organic plants. That’s why conventional and GMO plants just don’t taste as good as organic.
I’ve actually had clients who have put this theory to the test and done a formal taste test with eyes closed. Organic food won every time.
GMO foods also contain neurotoxins which are extremely harmful to the body. GMOs can actually change your brain chemistry as well as your DNA. I don’t know about you, but I certainly don’t like the idea of eating food that can change my DNA.
Not to mention, scientists haven’t been able to test these foods long enough to even know what it does to people’s health long term. It’s a little unnerving to know that the food industry continues to put food into the market that can be so harmful to the general public’s health. Plus they aren’t even required by law to label the food as GMO. So my advice is that if it’s not labeled organic from an organization other than the USDA, then it’s probably GMO.
If you can’t find locally grown certified organic the next best choices are certified organic or locally grown sustainably. Some farmers cannot afford an organic certification, so I suggest talking to them personally to find out what their farming practices entail. You can meet your local farmer at your local farmers market or visit the farm’s website.
Georgia Organics has a great website with a list of organic farms in the state of Georgia. You’ll be surprised how many we have and at how easy it is to find a farm close to you.
Get to know your butcher too. They should know everything about the meat they are selling you. If not, find a different one.
Tip #2 Eat Whole Foods
There’s a major difference between a whole food and an imitation food. Imitation foods generally come in a package and have been processed so heavily that they contain no nutritional value what so ever. Some examples of imitation foods include, but are not limited to, margarine, soy milk and skim milk.
These foods have been through a process where chemicals are added to them in order to preserve and have a longer shelf life. Some imitation foods even have formaldehyde added to them, yuck! More energy is used by the body to process an imitation food and you get no energy from it. So this actually puts you in a deficit when it comes to energy production. A general guideline to go by when shopping is the longer the shelf life a food has the less healthy it is for you.
Whole foods are your top choice. These include foods that mother earth has created as a whole, not separated. Some examples are organic fruits, vegetables, meats and dairy. Whole foods have more nutrient content and enzymes which are essential for digestion and energy production.
Tip #3 Pay Attention To Proper Food Ratios
Include a healthy carbohydrate (preferably from fruits, root veggies or dairy), high quality animal protein and fat with every meal.
Some great sources of healthy carbohydrates include tropical fruits, squashes, potatoes, carrots and dairy. These foods are pro-thyroid, meaning they are energy producing and help to regulate metabolism when eaten in proper percentages in combination with an organic protein and a fat.
You can play around with your ratios a bit and find out what works best for you. Some people do better with a little more carbohydrates than protein, some do better with the reverse and others do great with an equal percentage of carbohydrates to proteins and 10-20% fat. Pay close attention to your pulse rate, body temperature and energy levels 20 minutes after a meal.
Tip #4 Support Sustainable Agriculture
Even though we normally don’t think of supporting sustainable agriculture as an immediate way to get healthy, it is. This increases awareness within your community, you’ll feel a deeper connection with your food because you’ll know where it came from and how it was farmed. Most important, you’re supporting sustainable agriculture for generations after you are long gone, which creates an overall feeling of connectedness.
You can join your local CSA. Ask your local grocery store if they support any local agriculture. Go to your local farmers market and talk to a local farmer. This enables you to connect with a sense of purpose and positivity.
For me, it helps me feel good to be apart of such an important part of the community. Most local farmers I meet are doing what they do because they love it and they really want to provide people with healthy food. You can see the caring first hand on a personal level, which is so important when it comes to food. It just can’t get any better than that.
If your food doesn’t have to travel as far, it’ll naturally have more nutrients because of the freshness value. The longer a food sits on a truck the more nutrients a food loses. Even if it’s organic it can lose most of it’s nutritional value if it’s shipped across country.
If you’ve never grown veggies or fruit in your yard I strongly suggest you try it. It’s very empowering, especially if you have kids. They get really excited about watching the plants grow. It’s fun, easy and truly local. Imagine having fresh peaches out of your backyard every year.
If you don’t have a yard, try growing your garden or fruit tree in pots.
Tip #5 Exercise Smarter Not Harder
Exercising smarter not harder means you’re not exhausted and depleted after your workout. You feel energized and ready to start the day. Ideally you should have more energy when you finish, not less.
Weight lifting with adequate rest in between sets is ideal for hormone balancing and weight loss. Small circuit workouts are great when you don’t have a lot of time and want to energize yourself with exercise. So choose your workout wisely, less is so much more.
If you just want to get moving and are not sure how to do it, start walking. Walk your dog while listening to your favorite music or podcast, ride your bike to and from work or to the store. Take the steps instead of the elevator, park really far from your destination, walk to lunch, bring your lunch or walk to the park and have a picnic lunch. You can get really creative with it.
It’s so easy to work movement into your day, it doesn’t have to be complicated.
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