‘’Sur mesure’’ diets are all over the place; gluten free, high protein, low fat, low sodium … There are a lot of people suffering from bloating. In restaurants for example those people spend half an hour choosing what to eat to avoid later cramping attacks. The bloat free diet will put an end to bad days dictated by your belly’s mood!
Bloating results from a constriction of intestinal muscles as a reaction to stress thus causing abdominal cramps and distention. This condition is know as IBS or Irritable Bowel Syndrome, a stressful life can lead to high level of stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline that trigger intestinal sensitivity. Whether it is an exam you have to pass, an interview for a new job or even a fight with a friend or partner your body goes into a fight or flight situation whereby your ancestors ran in the wild to escape dangerous animals when all you are doing today is escape the wildness of your personal life.
Exercise is the only thing that no one can do for you… Unfortunately or finally (depending on which group you belong too lazy or energetic) you and only you will be the one hitting the gym. Your trainer or home DVD will be your ‘health friend’, the one who will put you out of your laziness and into the training shoes. Hands up Partner!
There is a lot of misconception regarding diet and exercise; people tend to do whatever they hear regarding miracle substitutes to exercise (electrotherapy, power plates…) but those are not risk free, power plate for example creates vibration that can stimulate muscle function which can cause cartilage damage, lower back pain, blurred vision and even brain damage.
It is sad to see how people tend to become diet addict to the point where eating out has become a big issue rather than letting go and having fun. While dining in groups a lot of discussions revolve around new diet trends, tips and guidelines from untrustworthy sources. Women are extremely picky on the way they look and consider photoshopped models as a benchmark. Young ladies are influenced by new fashion trends, as they always want to dress to impress and diet to fit in. The media has poisoned our minds to think that bling and thin are a must to succeed, creating a lot of insecurities! Motivation is the base of every dream for it to become reality whether it is a car you want to buy or an exam you want to pass, stubborn kilos you want to lose, you should always push yourself to do what it gets. Wrong goals will lead to failure at achieving, one should be aware of the true meaning of happiness before engaging in anything. Some women tend to think that by losing a couple of pounds they will regain happiness.
Engineers of all kinds are controlling crops in order to harvest good-looking apples or cucumbers. Corn is invading everything we eat or drink from juices to biscuits to serve market demand rather than nutrition. Cornfields became genetic labs with standardized produce; weather forecast is no longer the farmer’s biggest concern but the need to acquire knowledge in the latest pesticides and insecticides for mass production.
Organic products have a minimum exposure to chemicals thus bringing us back to traditional agricultural methods thus preserving biodiversity.
Hunger must be one of the most talked about subject, whether it is to fulfill it or to combat it, people are always wondering whether it is time to eat or not. The best indicator is your body’s inner signals. Unfortunately diet and overeating disrupted our sense of normality thus creating an imbalance in our biological clock.
What is the practical definition of hunger and fullness?
Is it a sense of discomfort in the belly after food consumption or belly noises before eating?
‘Eating your emotions’ is very expressive as our emotions dictate the way we eat, sleep and socialize. Happiness draws a smile on your face, excitement gives you an adrenaline rush, stress raises your blood pressure, and sadness stops you from enjoying life.
You must be wondering what is the link between food and emotions, well food is a way of expressing emotions.Eating less or excessively in sad moments differs from one person to another yet feelings can be reflected by the amount of food we eat. For some people, healthy meals depends on mood for example when dining in a nice place surrounded by friends they eat quality foods but at work fast food is the first thing that comes into their mind due to the stressful environment.
Pairing food to increase nutrition density of meals is a thing you will learn to master with experience and a thorough understanding of micronutrients interaction in the body. Let us put it that way, some vitamins and minerals are not easily absorbed in the body due to some competition that happens at the receptor doors between molecules that resemble each other such as calcium,magnesium ,iron and zinc.
Eating vegetables with fat allows a better absorption of beta carotene,an antioxidants found in most colored veggies which is a precursor of vitamin A.For vegetarian ,eating tofu with bell pepper which is also loaded with vitamin C does the trick.
Iron absorption for example is increased when ingesting vitamin C rich foods such as citrus fruits and broccoli.
Adding garlic and onion to whole grains makes zinc and iron absorption more bioavailable.
Vitamin D is important for calcium absorption in the body so pairing calcium rich food with vitamin D is essential ex:kale and fatty fish.
Avocado fat will also enhance the carotenoid absorption in tomatoes,so avocado and tomato salad is a good choice.
peanut butter and banana is a very good choice for a post workout treat as it is perfect for muscle recovery.
Turmeric and bell pepper also have mood enhancing properties as piperine found in pepper pairs with turmeric to boost your mood.
For more health and nutrition information visit www.skinnykc.com
Video Courtesy of Dounia Dina – http://douniadina.com
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