| Dr. Jai Maharaj 2004-11-04, 10:10 pm |
| WEIGHT LOSS
Forwarded message from fidyl@yahoo.com
[ Subject: Weight Loss
[ From: fidyl@yahoo.com
[ Date: Thu, 28 Oct 2004
Weight Loss
By Emily Kane N.D.
American Association of Naturopathic Physicians
http://healthy.net/scr/article.asp?id=857
Curbing Carbohydrate Cravings
There are many approaches to weight loss; it is a multimillion dollar
industry in our land of plenty. The bottom line is to eat fewer
calories than you expend daily, but not drastically fewer, until
you're happy with how you fit into your clothes, then resume a diet
and exercise program that will maintain the desired weight. Regular,
preferably daily, exercise is a must; and a brisk walk is a terrific
choice. Exercise not only burns calories, but gets you away from the
fridge, stimulates the cardiovascular system thereby improving blood
flow, tissue oxygenation and the overall sense of well being, and
promotes lymphatic drainage which will help rid the body of toxins.
Dean Ornish (new age cardiologist) says "Walk your dog every day,
even if you don't have one."
A basic comprehensive detox program is very helpful with weight loss.
If the "juices" are flowing well, total cellular balance
(homeostasis) is more readily achieved. This means drinking plenty of
fresh, pure water. At least 40 ounces daily, and not just in 1 or 2
sittings. Keep sipping on water throughout the day if possible.
Morning dry skin brushing is an excellent replacement for morning
java -- just as invigorating, works as a laxative, doesn't leave a
bad taste in the mouth, is less expensive, and gives you baby soft
skin! Such a deal. Brush the entire beautiful naked surface of your
body firmly with a natural bristle brush in long strokes towards the
heart. Don't forget the palms and soles, but avoid the face.
The chest and abdomen are especially important to stimulate
circulation.
Women: brush up under the breasts and gently down from the collar
bones.
Low heat saunas are highly recommended to promote, literally,
"melting" of the excess body fat which can then be excreted through
the skin -- our largest organ of elimination. Be sure to wash down
vigorously with a high fat soap and loofa once you've built up a good
sweat. Close the pores with a cold rinse before venturing outdoors
after the sauna.
Most reputable weight loss products contain three elements:
a diuretic to promote urination and water weight loss a mild
stimulant to keep you "on the go" and peppy feeling some form of
euphoric and analgesic so that you don't feel the "pain" of hunger or
calorie deprivation or increased levels of exercise.
Some "natural" examples in the above categories are as follows (make
up your own teas!):
Diuretic: Fucus vesiculus (bladderwrack, a common seaweed) or
Taraxacum officinale (Dandelion root)
Stimulant: Ephedra sinensis (Ma Huang), a Traditional Chinese
medicinal herb also useful in the treatment of asthma, or good old
Vitamin C. I prefer the buffered, powdered form, up to 4 to 6 grams
daily, mixed into water or juice. Don't take Vitamin C at bedtime.
Analgesic: Salix alba (White Willow Bark), the original source of
aspirin (acetyl salicylic acid), or oils of wintergreen or lavender
in 1-2 drops dosage, under the tongue or in warm tea.
Volatile oils work partly through the olfactory bulb. The sense of
smell is linked directly to the "primitive" midbrain so sniffing our
aromatic beverages is crucial to the beneficial effect.
Losing weight is difficult; be prepared. First, assess carefully and
honestly the amount of food you eat first. If you are overeating
regularly, please consider getting some counseling to help identify
the reasons for excessive "non-nutritional" eating. Everybody does
it; it's fine sometimes. But it's a tricky habit to break. When a
compulsive eater eats moderately and follows a wholesome regimen,
discomfort arises.
Many people do not appreciate discomfort so it is understandable that
they find unwholesome coping mechanisms. An awareness of this
dialectic can begin to provide a space for the discomfort. One
effective approach to working with compulsive overeating is a
technique called "re-framing." Every time you feel the gnawing
emotion we name hunger without needing food fuel to do work,
recognize that the "inner child" is screaming for love and
attention. Change the frame around "gnawing hunger" from needing food
to giving love. Instead of numbing the scream of the inner child with
french fries or oreos, give her love and attention. See if you can
get quiet enough to hear what she wants.
If you feel that the amount you eat is normal, but consider yourself
overweight, look at where the calories are coming from. At 9 calories
per gram, fatty foods are by far the most caloric. A handful of nuts
is 150 calories, or 1/10th of the caloric intake recommended for the
average dieter. Wow! Nuts are out for dieting! Any fried foods are
very high in fat, of course, and many sweet treats may disguise as
complex carbohydrates, but actually are extremely high fat. For
example, chocolate is higher in fat than any other desert item,
including ice cream.
Every wonder why it turns into syrup so nicely? That's right; cocoa
butter.
Other sources of fat are most animal products, including dairy, egg
yolks and chicken skin. Anything "roasted" such as granola and nut
butters are high fat, and so are most baked goods, including
crackers, especially sweets. Fat and sugar complement each other in
the yummy tasty department; sweet often disguises the amount of fat a
given delectable contains.
Check out the label of that "naturally sweetened, good-for-you"
cookie. If it's over 7% fat, forget it.
Other than working well to disguise fat, carbohydrates are the object
of many a dieters desire for numerous good reasons in their own
right.
For example, carbohydrates create a potent brain neuro-chemical
called serotonin, which promotes calmness, drowsiness and decreased
pain sensitivity. Biochemically speaking, this works because carbos
generate insulin, which sequesters all the amino acids except
Tryptophan (the key precursor to serotonin), which attaches to
albumin to get through the blood brain barrier and produce the
sedation. Unfortunately, carbohydrates eaten alone also sedate the
natural satiety center in the hypothalamus. In other words, eat a
plate of bare pasta for dinner and you'll be hungrier than when you
started. To negate the serotonin effect, the snack or meal must
contain 40% protein. Simple carbohydrates, such as sugars and fruit,
create a short term serotinin "flood" whereas whole breads and grains
will generate a tryptophan to serotonin conversion over a longer
period.
We know this on an intuitive level when we grab for a sweet snack
which will give us a quick "calm" high -- but only very temporarily.
So we'll go for it again, and again. And the real kicker is that
while carbohydrates are used by the brain for immediate fuel, any
leftovers get stored as fat.
In theory people with less body fat have larger appetites, to ensure
they get enough calories and building blocks for nerve tissue and
cell membranes. People with greater amounts of body fat are supposed
to have a smaller appetite, specifically for fat. The glitch is that
it tastes so good, especially laced with sugar. The desire to eat is
not always hunger.
It is important to honestly differentiate the two for ourselves.
Eating regularly when not hungry can create a state of hyperinsulin
secretion.
Insulin increases appetite because it signals the need to transport
sugar from the blood into the cells. The only known "remedy" for
hyperinsulin secreters is hard exercise (60 minutes at 65% maximum
heart rate capacity at least 4 times weekly). If you are a
carbohydrate craver, try taking protein and a wee bit of fat in with
each snack and every meal. This way your brain will register a
longer-term source of energy, and tell the taste buds "enough." And
don't forget, you don't have to eat it all today. It'll be there
tomorrow if you still have to have it.
Healthy snacks, 150 calories or less, to revive to interest in those
New Year's resolutions.
NB: never snack while standing or driving -- you miss out on the best
part!
1 or 2 rice cakes lightly smeared with dark miso (light miso is best
in summer) and a dab of honey [substitute].
1/2 cup grated cucumber in a 1/2 cup low-fat yogurt generously
sprinkled with fresh (preferably) dill.
A small baked yam with 1/2 a baked onion and a dollop of flax oil.
A thumb-sized piece of raw coconut, chewed very thoroughly.
An apple with a small hunk of soy cheese, nibbled together, European
style.
A slightly warmed chapati, then stuffed with sprouts and rolled up
loosely.
A freshly juiced veggie special (carrot, with some celery and a
little beet and ginger) plus a heaping teaspoon of Spirulina.
The following food items have less than 20 calories per serving and
should be used for grazing when the need arises throughout the day:
cabbage, celery, radishes, mushrooms, green peppers, zucchini,
spinach and all lettuces.
unsweetened dill pickles. Don't go overboard here: pickling your
insides may increase the risk for colon cancer.
unsweetened cocoa powder (1 Tablespoon), actually not too bad
blenderized into some sparkling water, or into black coffee, if you
insist.
sugar-free hard candy.
End of forwarded message from fidyl@yahoo.com
Jai Maharaj
http://www.mantra.com/jai
Om Shanti
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The terrorist mission of Jesus stated in the Christian bible:
"Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not so send
peace, but a sword.
"For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the
daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in
law.
"And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.
- Matthew 10:34-36.
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