Beauty for Ashes

There are so many ways we can lose weight – include these and watch the weight drop off !

1. Rise and eat: If you think skipping breakfast will help you lose weight, you are sadly mistaken. Missing breakfast tricks the body into thinking you’re about to starve and you’ll actually end up eating more as the day progresses.  Try to eat within one hour of waking for best results, but do make sure you have a properly balanced breakfast, as this will enhance weight loss. The healthiest choices contain a balance of healthy fat, protein, and carbohydrates, such as oatmeal with a handful of nuts, or eggs with tomato and mushrooms.
2. Eat “close to the ground”: If the food you want to eat wasn’t grown, picked or harvested, don’t eat it. That means avoiding sweets and baked goods which are refined carbohydrates. Choose instead real food like brown rice, sweet potatoes, or an apple. And while you’re at it, never eat a carbohydrate alone. Simply adding a bit of good fat, such as olive oil with lean protein will slow digestion, steady blood sugar, and keep the body from storing fat.
3. Have a drink: Even if all you do is drink more water it’s likely you’ll lose some weight. The body needs to be fully hydrated in order to maintain a healthy metabolism. Try drinking 30ml of water per kg of body weight a day, and watch what happens.
4. Eat more: Eating more frequently appears to burn more calories. So, to turn your body into a fat-burning machine, eat mini-meals throughout the day or “graze” continually. Each mini-meal should consist of lean protein, good fats, and complex carbohydrates. For example a piece of organic chicken, 1 cup of brown rice, and a big salad with homemade salad dressing.
5. Freshen up: When you go shopping, don’t buy things which will cause weight gain – dump the junk and fill your trolley with health-giving fresh food.  Try to avoid the boxes, the pre-packs, the processed food, tins, etc – stick with fresh, juicy foods and lean, fresh meats. Fill your refrigerator with live, fresh food only – leave the dead food on the shelves.  Anything which will go off in more than a week would not be fresh food.  Yes, it’s more work, but if you are keen to lose, you’ll find the time.
6. Move it: You’ve heard muscle weighs more than fat, but did you know muscle burns more calories? Weight training causes the body to burn more calories throughout the day, and when combined with regular aerobic exercise, the body will be better toned and burn more stored fat.
7. Live a little: You know what they say about all work and no play – that goes for weight loss too. Giving up all the foods you love may sabotage your efforts. Allow yourself a little reward or treat once a week (choose the “reward” carefully though) and you won’t feel deprived.

Sally-Ann Creed is a clinical nutritionist and the author of two bestsellers, Let Food Be Your Medicine and the Beauty for Ashes Health Journal for Women.  On 3 August 2009, Sally-Ann was awarded SA’s Most Influential Woman in Business and government 2009/2010 for her contribution to health. Her award falls into the sector of “Medical, Dentistry, Health and Veterinary Services.”  Visit her site at http://www.sallyanncreed.co.za.