Weight loss and the dirty “D” Word – DIET!
What kind of brain-washing marketing has made us believe that doing something completely unsustainable, unhealthy and often ridiculous (think grapefruit and lemon diets) for 5 to 14 days of our entire lives will allow us to lose the excess body weight which we have probably gained over the past 5, 10 or even 20 years!
Amazing marketing, that’s what kind. The kind of marketing that is thought up by a boardroom of white coats who are ‘doctors of food’ with money to boot. Colourful posters, shiny packaging and skinny women drinking their shakes are all that is needed to top off the ultimate con of man.
If you need to stop eating physical food for any kind of liquid, need to pop ‘snack’ pills when you’re hungry or if your ‘food’ contains an ingredient list that most biochemists probably could not pronounce – AVOID IT AT ALL COST!
Have you ever heard someone say they maintained a supermodel body after their 10 day fast? Not only does the weight lost often return when we go back to eating solid food, but how could 10 days of fasting have positively influenced our lifestyle or changed any of our bad habits that got us there in the first place?
I will resist the urge to debunk each well-known diet individually (it would probably also render me liable!) but instead will provide you with the easier, cheaper, better, sustainable and smarter choice in my opinion.
What is DIET’s hip new cooler replacement called? LIFESTYLE CHANGE.
Harder? Yes. More effective? Definitely. Unfortunately there is no magic pill that will zap fat and erase all the damage caused by poor lifestyle choices. To succeed in a lifestyle change you need to change your life for the long term by making daily choices which reinforce these goals and above all else - ask for help.
Exercise and diet are very public domains but there are health professionals who train for years in nutrition and weight loss. No matter how many blogs you read or pump classes you attend you should never treat yourself. Get a health care practitioner you trust on your side to guide you through these changes and to keep you on track.
Have you been punishing yourself with different fad diets over the years and had limited or no success? How much longer will you continue to do something that is not working for you? Why not try something different. There is nothing to lose – except the weight!
Let’s start a movement that includes eating real food, in a simple way. Eating whole foods, in all their beauty. Plus let’s educate each other that this will be enough when done correctly. If we eat the right amount when we are hungry, drink plenty of fresh water and say no to things we just don’t need in our body, then there is no need for drastic measures or painful regimes. We know they don’t work!
That being said, I do have a few secret tips to share:
1. Exercise is the single best thing you can do for your overall health and wellbeing.
2. Eat REAL food. Nothing skimmed or trimmed, plumped or packaged.
3. Take herbs made for YOU by an Herbalist (not off the shelf). An individual herbal tonic may be the closest thing to a magic pill we will ever have as they can help enhance our body’s natural ability to regulate and rebalance body systems.
Melissa is offering a free individualized herbal tonic worth $50.00 with every initial herbal consultation in February. Offer must be mentioned at time of booking. Offer available until February 29th, 2016. MOJO HEALTH - Ground Floor, Charlestown Square PH (02) 4023 5320 www.mojohealth.com.au
