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Post Holiday Nutrition:
Back on Track

By T. Darlene Cheek

A couple of weeks ago, it was turkey, dressing, candied yams, pumpkin and pecan pie, and all the trimmings. In a couple weeks more, there will be glazed ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, devil's eggs, fruit cake (heaven forbid!), and the all-too-not-low-calorie egg nog! Within a few days after that, mixed drinks, horsdouvres and champagne. Just a few days after that comes the guilt when we get on the scale.

Here's my first suggestion... DON'T GET ON THE SCALE! No, I'm not saying you should go into a state of denial. I'm just saying that an exact figure on what we've added to our figure can be depressing and self-defeating. When we're at a healthy weight and size, we can see it, we can feel it, and we just know. So give your emotions a break while you work on a few of the ideas in this article, and wait until you start to feel a little like your old self, or even better, before you get on the scale.

When I began studying hypnosis and weight loss, my teacher said one thing that was very important to me: DIETS DON'T WORK! There are so many fad diets and other junk out there that lead us down the wrong path when it comes to losing weight. With over 75% of our population falling into the "over weight" category, diet programs in North America have climbed over the $36 million a year mark. Another thing these fad diets and publicity campaigns fail to mention is that some of us who are over weight have a medical reason to be over weight. You and your doctor are the only ones who should choose a proper weight loss program for you.

We've all been taught to read the labels on our food. These labels, however, can be very deceiving. Here are a few ways that the media can mislead us:

"Light/Lite" can actually mean a lighter color (yes, it's true!)
"No Fat" can mean that yes, it is lower in fat... BUT, to maintain the flavor of the food, they may have added extra salt, extra sugar, and artificial ingredients that can harm us more than the fat.
"All Natural" foods only have to actually be 10% natural.

What does this tell us? Don't trust everything you read about eating healthy and losing weight. We who are over weight are a target audience for big business! I know that many of us simply stop eating to try to lose excess weight. This is just as bad for us as the fad diet. When our body isn't getting what it needs, our metabolism slows down tremendously. Our body struggles to retain everything we take in because it thinks we are starving. Those who have tried to eat hardly anything at all and have still not lost any weight are familiar with the term "plateau." This is where we stay at the same weight for long periods of time regardless of what we do to lose weight.

What it all boils down to is that if we eat too much, we can develop diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure. If we eat too little, we can develop fatigue, depression, mental confusion and lack of motivation. Somewhere in all of this is a happy medium that actually works. So, what is the trick? We need to learn how to eat properly balanced, nutritious, healthy foods. Doing this will make our body burn fat and calories efficiently and make us feel better all over.

What are the things that we've been told are bad, but we need in our diet?

Carbohydrates ~ These are necessary not only for the roughage they provide, but also to help our brain function. Carbohydrates are found in fruits, vegetables, potatoes, pasta, grains, rice, sweets, alcoholic beverages and beans. Too many carbs turn into sugar, and sugar turns into fat. Too little, and we can slower our metabolism to a crawl and land on a plateau where we aren't able to go anywhere. Again, we have to have balance.
Protein ~ Protein repairs all our body functions, even our immune system. They also regulate how our body uses the carbohydrates we take in. Proper protein comes from tofu, chicken, turkey, fish, eggs, lean red meat, and soy products.
Fats ~ Yes, we need fat! Good fats help to burn bad fats in our body. Fats can also help lower insulin production, as well as providing energy, assisting our body with proper use of vitamins, helping our digestion, maintaining our immune system and much more. Good fats can come from olives, olive oil, avocados, clear salad dressings, almonds, macadamia nuts and pistachios.

Of course we also need a proper diet of the four food groups. These things are not hard to keep track of. You need 3-6 healthy meals/snacks each day. You need lots of water and at least a little exercise every day. Here are some links to the real pro's on fitness and nutrition:

Some of us need just a little help with motivation, and this can be helped by using self-hypnosis. I can't begin to tell you how much this helps with weight loss. Self-hypnosis makes weight loss almost effortless! You can find a full script to use as a guide or tape word-for-word to listen to at Hypnosis For Weight Loss.

And, a few extra little tips:

If your body goes through a complete detoxification, it will begin to lose weight naturally, without any effort at all. Adding fiber to your diet will help this process - whole grain breads, cereals, nuts, vegetables... and a good daily multivitamin will help this process, too, along with drinking lots of water.
Drink one glass of grapefruit juice every morning. Not only is this an excellent diuretic, but it also suppresses the appetite and helps break down fats.
Increase your consumption of foods that are bitter, pungent, astringent, and hot (peppers are an excellent example of all these qualities)... these things will help our body eliminate waste more efficiently. Cut down on foods that are salty, sweet or sour.
Bladderwrack (kelp) increases metabolism. Nettle tea (found in a healthfood store) right before your meals is a good diuretic and metabolism boost.
Bee pollen also stimulates the metabolish and helps curb the appetite - 1 teaspoon daily.
Brewer's yeast will reduce cravings.
Chromium supplements helps balance your blood sugar levels and also balances the appetite.
Phenylalanine (an amino acid) encourages weight loss. (Don't take this if you are on antidepressants or blood pressure medicine because this is also an antidepressant... and it helps with pain in the muscles and joints).
Lemon, Juniper, and Lavender all help with fat reduction... works very well massaged onto the areas where we have cellulite.
Also, Juniper and Geranium scents are diuretics, as are fennel, grapefruit, and cypress. Any citrussy scent will help lower your appetite in general.
It also says drinking lots of water and a glass of fennel tea every day will help detox the body and flush out all the junk.
Adding Epsom salts, sea salt, or seaweed extracts to the bath can also eliminate toxins, and this should be done twice a week.
Thyme, Rosemary, Basil and Patchouli are excellent creams to rub onto cellulite areas to help break down the cellulite and stimulate our circulation as well as remove toxins.
Tea tree and eucalyptus help enhance our immune system while we're detoxing as well as all the scents listed above.

This should give you a good start. Feel free to ask questions if you have any, and any time you feel like you need support, there's a discussion thread.

Article courtesy of Suite101.com.