I've studied and experimented with nutrition extensively, and the more I learn, the more I've realized that healthy eating is often extremely simple.
Intrinsically, we usually know what'll do us good and what'll do us harm, but we need to listen to our bodies and trust our instincts.
Here's a simple guide to determining what you should and should not eat.
Step 1: IMAGINE - close your eyes and hold the food in question in your hand (or at least imagine it clearly with your mind's eye).
Step 2: REMEMBER - remember how you felt the last time you ate that food (mentally and physically) both immediately and a few hours after eating.
Step 3: ANALYZE ? ask yourself some simple, logical questions about the food you're analyzing:
- Is this food natural or processed?
- Is it colorful and alive, or drab and dead?
- Is it something I'd eat with my fingers, or would I only touch it with a fork?
After doing steps 1-3 above, you can make excellent food choices 90+% of the time. Sound easy? Well, guess what? it is!
EXAMPLES
?Pizza makes me feel sluggish and tired. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth that's still there the next morning. To the touch, it's very greasy and leaves a bad smell on my fingers. It's not very colorful or alive. I think I'll choose to eat something else.?
?Stir fried vegetables always make me feel light and satisfied. The stir fries I like best are colorful with the veggies only slightly cooked. I usually use a fork, but I wouldn't mind eating with my fingers. I think this is a really healthy choice for me.?
DON'T BELIEVE THE HYPE
90% of the current information about nutrition is absolute rubbish. There has never been so much ?awareness? about health, yet more people suffer from degenerative illnesses than ever before.
Obviously, this ?awareness? is just hype. You have to be your own nutritional counselor and investigator because no one knows you better than you.
HEALTH HYPE: HALL OF FAME
Dr. Robert Atkins (the man who started the high-protein craze) weighed 258 lbs, suffered from a heart attack, congestive heart failure, and hypertension before his death in 2004.
This year (2007), two of the best-selling health/diet books are written by authors who are not just overweight?they are obese!
Take a look at U.S. Food & Drug Administration's Food Pyramid. Anyone can see that this plan supports American agricultural interests more than it does your health.
SO WHAT DO I EAT?
This is a big subject, but let me give you some basics. Everyone I've ever worked with feels better when they eat a diet that is rich in water-dense fruits and vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats (nuts, seeds, cold-pressed oils), and superfoods.
Minimize white rice, white bread, processed sugar, and sweeteners; but instead of ?giving up? foods, ?trade up? to better, more nutritious options.
It's hard to get excited about diet restrictions, but it's easy to get enthused about discovering newer, healthier options.
?Nothing tastes as good as being healthy feels!? - Tony Robbins
DO I HAVE TO BE A VEGETARIAN?
There are loads of meat-eating, milk-drinking, beer-guzzling people who are in perfect health, but these lucky fools are genetically blessed. For the rest of us, a vegetarian or vegan diet is usually a VERY healthful choice.
Dairy products (milk, cheese, butter) usually have more adverse effects on our health and the planet than meat, so if you're just beginning down this path, start by cutting back on dairy and see how it goes.
The next logical step forward would be to cut back on flesh foods, and maybe, some day, you'll eat an almost entirely plant-based diet like me and my tree-hugging friends;)
Making dietary changes can be highly emotional, so just do your best. There is no such thing as a perfect diet (we've all got vices), and no reason to feel guilty about eating. Food should be a celebration!
Remember, even a small change goes a long way for your health and the health of our planet. If you make a conscious effort to improve your diet, you'll surely achieve great results!
Please send any questions or comments to: questions@yogabodynuturals.com
Anti-inflammatory drugs are now one of the most commonly prescribed drugs in the market. These drugs, like pain killers and muscle relaxants, are often used to relieve chronic pain. While anti-inflammatory drugs, which can be administered to affect only small areas of the body, are now used in various specialized fields of medicine. In particular, these drugs are starting to see more use as an anesthetic during oral surgery.
For decades, mild anesthetics have been in used for oral surgery to minimize the pain or discomfort of patients. Dentists, particularly those in the field of orthodontics, have been using a variety of pain reducing formulas to lessen or prevent the sudden movement of patients who will naturally react to the surgical procedure, if not anesthetic is used. However, with the limited effects of anesthetics, relief from the pain and discomfort that comes after a major dental procedure is only for a very limited time.
For this reason, the use of Anti-inflammatory drugs is being marketed as a potential alternative or supplement to anesthetic use. The anti-inflammatory effects are confined to a specific area and almost always immediate, making it ideal for dental and orthodontic applications. Anti-inflammatory drugs are also widely accepted by dental professionals as medication for other post-surgery care and therapeutic procedures.
What is the actual application of anti-inflammatory drugs in dental care? These medications are administered to control the swelling of gums and minimize the pain from tooth extraction, root canal operations, setting up of dental braces, and even oral prophylaxis. By working on the tender and sensitive oral tissues, the dentist often has to provide pain killers and other drugs that reduce swelling inside the mouth and gum structure. In fact, anti-inflammatory drugs have been found to reduce pain better the the usual muscle relaxant or pain killer.
Why so? The active ingredients of muscle relaxants are only concentrated on muscles attached to the main skeleton, or those muscles that require the base support of the skeletal system in order to function. Pain killers, on the other hand, are less selective or less precise in terms of its effect on the body. Pain killers can be compared to a shotgun, while muscle relaxants can be compared to an ordinary rifle. Anti-inflammatory drugs, however, can be likened to a sniper rifle with a mounted scope.
Although still in use today, anesthetics can be difficult to administer before oral surgery because it has to be injected into the patient's gums. Anti-inflammatory drugs are now gradually seen as a viable alternative because its potency can be concentrated on a specific spot and its efficacy is appropriate for dental use. Still, these drugs are not considered as the total replacement for conventional anesthetics. Currently, several studies are being conducted to improve the uses of these drugs in oral care and surgery to finally determine its worth not only as a pain and swelling reducer, but also as a viable alternative to anesthetics.
Both Lucas Rockwood & Michael Corvin are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Lucas Rockwood has sinced written about articles on various topics from Yoga Practice, Meditation and Yoga Practice. Lucas Rockwood is a yoga teacher, vegan chef, nutritional coach, and the founder of YOGABODY Naturals, an all-natural nutritional supplement company that helps people gain flexibility. For more information, visit:. Lucas Rockwood's top article generates over 8100 views. to your Favourites.
Michael Corvin has sinced written about articles on various topics from Lose Weight, Health and Yoga Practice. DrugStoreTM.Com not just provides products but valuable information, which will be helpful in your daily living. Get to know more information: ::. Michael Corvin's top article generates over 12100 views. to your Favourites.