With the expansion of technology, society at large has become sedentary and has adopted a hectic schedule devoid of time for exercise. This stressful lifestyle typically includes fast food or microwavable dinners. Over time, you may have noticed that it takes more coffee to keep you energized; your clothes do not fit as they once did; you have a lack of concentration, or that you now have various diet-related health ailments. Try giving yourself a full health, mind and body makeover, which can add vitality, energy, beauty, mental acuity and focus into your life.
Step 1
Avoid all food that contains partially hydrogenated oils, refined sugar, high fructose corn syrup or corn sugar, artificial flavors and colors or artificial sweeteners. Increase your intake of whole foods, including fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds and beans.
Step 2
Replace your white or refined carbohydrates with whole-grain breads and pastas. The glucose in complex carbohydrates is used as brain fuel. Eat your complex carbohydrates in the form of vegetables, legumes, brown rice and whole-grain pasta.
Step 3
Eat about six small, low-calorie, nutritious snacks throughout your day. Drink at least a tall glass of water to satisfy your thirst and calm your hunger 30 minutes before you eat. Calculate how many calories you should eat a day, according to how much exercise you do and divide it by how many snacks you eat to determine out how many calories to eat per snack.
Step 4
Eat more omega-3 foods to boost your brain. Make a salad with as many colors of vegetables as you can, and dress it with flaxseed oil or olive oil, fresh lemon or lime, herbs and spices. Reduce inflammation and strengthen your mind by preventing and treating memory loss, as well as ADD and ADHD, with omega-3. Obtain your omega-3s from flaxseed oil, olive oil, fish and fish oil supplements.
Tips and Warnings
- Have a periodic comprehensive metabolic blood test to make sure your nutrient levels are at healthy levels, along with a fatty acid profile test, to see if you have the correct omega-6 to omega-3 ratio.
