Weight Loss

Positively glowing, my dear… that’s the pre diet boost!

I don’t know about you, but when I want to diet I start by boosting my body, inside and out. Sure, the food is ultra important, but so is clearing that clogged up skin feeling as well.

There are a few very simple things we can do every day to get glowing in no time.



1. Stretching,

A few gentle stretching exercises every morning starts everything moving. No need to over do it, just go for the ‘cat feel’. Start off in bed, stretch out your legs and feet, feel the muscles. Do the same with your arms, stretch your hands and fingers down the sides of your legs. Then try a little arch to stretch your back and neck – GENTLY! When you’re ready, get out of bed do a stretch up to the ceiling, link your hands and stretch them palms up over your head towards the ceiling. Stretch a little to each side, and then have a little shake. Let your body go limp and jelly like! Like a wet dog shaking……

Tai Chi and Qigong are fantastic to wake up to, as is a little gentle yoga.



2. Hot water and lemon,

Drink this every morning before breakfast to help start washing out the gunk and to balance your body’s acid-alkaline balance. A lot of diseases are caused by an over acid condition, so aiding your body back to a point of balance can only help you feel fantastic. Be sure to use purified or spring water







3. A brisk walk

It doesn’t have to be for long, just long enough to get you warm and breathing in deeply. It is probably best do this in the country or in a park as lungs full of morning congestion air doesn’t have the same benefits…. Take long strides while using your arms and taking deep breaths. Fill your lungs. Feel your rib cage and diaphragm moving out, your tummy expanding….You are not looking to tire or pant, this is to energise and give you a little ‘got up and glowed’ feeling!



4. Body Brushing

You are going to love this. It leaves you feeling all tingly and pampered afterwards and is so simple. All you need is a body brush, preferably with natural hair and a long handle. Then you brush yourself. I think it is best to do this just before a bath or shower, but any time is fine. Just brush on dry skin. The trick is to start lightly and become firmer as you feel is comfortable. Brush towards your heart, so down from neck, up from legs. This stimulates the circulation and exfoliates the skin. Be gentle on sensitive skin like your face or inner thighs, breasts etc. You will be at little pink afterwards, but only pink!! As I said, before a hot bath this is incredible.



5. Salt and Vinegar…

No, I’m not going to recommend visiting the chippy – this is to use on your self!! In the bath!

Salt is a fantastic cleanser, and also works as an exfoliator. Dissolve a cup in the bath, and then use a little to rub over your skin to exfoliate. Then soak! Personally I use natural sea salt, but really any salt can be used. If you wish, add a cup of cider vinegar for an extra boost.



Check out my secret tips page for just that – my extra special secret tips and bath time recipes….





Okay, diet tips for the week.



6. Buckwheat.

This incredible seed is packed full of goodness, and helps fight depression. It contains Rutin, which has been found to have anti-depressant effects in mice. Though how they test the level of depression in a mouse I’m not sure…..! The rutin also helps strengthen the blood capillary walls.



As it is a seed rather than a grain, it is gluten free, and also high in protein. It is also fibre rich and helps sate the appetite as you feel fuller faster, great in the fight against the flab. It has about 345 calories per 100g serving which means it is lower cal than brown rice. There’s also proof that this wonderful little seed has almost as many vitamins and minerals as many fruits and veg!!

If all the above is not enough they also contain a number of phenolics, which are powerful antioxidants and are believed to help destroy cancer cells and fight other diseases, lignans, which are believed to help fight breast cancer, helps control hypoglycemia, and they have been found ( in those mice again..) to boost the number of friendly bacteria in the digestive tract.

To me it has quite an earthy nutty flavor, and I love to boil the whole seeds and then stir fry with veg and mushrooms, or sprout and turn into cookies and crackers.



7. Go bananas…

Seriously, I mean it, I’m not aping around here… bananas make you feel good! They contain tryptophan, a substance that the body uses to make serotonin, the hormone that makes you feel happy. They're also packed with potassium, a mineral that can be seriously depleted by stress – something that most of us are feeling this days- and the vitamin B6 which helps regulate blood sugar and thus stabilise our moods! Wow!!

They are also full of fibre, very filling and help with the mid afternoon sugar slump a lot of us suffer. They are digested quite slowly so we feel sated and have more energy for longer. And although not as ‘lean’ as an apple, a small one still only has only around 100 calories.



8. Greens

Now, I really don’t want to sound like your Mum, but greens really can do it. Especially lettuce. The humble lettuce leaf also contains stress fighting potassium, but also has a slight sedentary effect; great before toddling off to bed. Mind you, it has apparently also got some aphrodisiacal effects as well!!

Greens also have loads of anti-depression nutrients like vitamin B9, (folic acid) and B6.

But the big thing for me about greens is that only do these foods have the highest vitamin per weight and do least damage, are so low in calories that you can eat and eat and eat…….something which I enjoy, as you will no doubt discover in time..!!



9. Oily Fish

Fish like salmon and mackerel contains a healthy dose of vitamin D, a vitamin that we usually obtain from being exposed to sunlight. This again boosts serotonin levels .. umm , salmon a la banana…..?

10. Chocolate.

Yes, I’ve said it, the good old cocoa seed. But not any old cocoa; raw cocoa seed!

They call it the food of the gods in South America, and there is no wonder. Packed with minerals like sulphur, for your skin and nails, magnesium, calcium for your bones, iron, and phosphorus, it is also full of B vitamins. Then you have your neurotransmitters, especially anandamide, also known as the ‘bliss transmitter’, and the amino acid tryptophan which boosts serotonin levels. And if you aren’t bouncing off the walls with joy by now there’s phenylethylamine, commonly called the ‘molecule of joy’ and its fabled aphrodisiacal qualities…! Oh, did I mention the anti-aging, anti-depressant and appetite suppressing effects of the MAO inhibitors, and the antioxidants?!

These qualities kick in when the chocolate is RAW, as heating destroys most of the goodness and actually increases the negative aspects like caffeine. Funnily, the caffeine doesn’t seem to have an adverse effect until heated..

I am trying to sort out a link to a local shop that has a mail order service for things like raw chocolate, but you can find loads of info on the internet. I like to make hot choc with warm water, raw cocoa powder, coconut cream, xylitol and a tiny tiny bit of cayenne for a kick..

Incidentally, cayenne, chilli’s and curry all have serotonin boosting effects as well….!



Well on that note I’m going to toddle on off and make myself a hot Choc now…..

About the author

A recovered bulimic, and trained healer, Sam is totally passionate about accessible health and weight loss help for ordinary people. Her web site, http://www.iamthatskinnycow.com and free weekly e-zine is full of tips, help, advice, recipes and stories plus the mandatory bad jokes....!! To contact her, just log onto her site or e-mail her at sam@iamthatskinnycow.com

Your Comments about:

Title:
Review/Comments:

*All fields required

  

Related Articles