Eating Well and Losing Weight

 

 

The number of people who are diet and weight illiterate is staggering, even among highly educated individuals. To make matters worse, this degree of ignorance and confusion is intentionally and carefully maintained and perpetuated by the media and commercial interests.

 

Libraries full of books have been written on this subject, but in my opinion, many of them are inaccurate. They may contain good information, but the 10 percent of misinformation or missing information in them completely upturns and invalidates the 80 or 90 percent that is accurate. There are some good resources out there, but they are too often drowned out by the hype of diet propaganda and the latest fad. The ideas exposed in the following few pages will be different. Herein, you will gain a basic understanding of what to eat and how to eat healthy.

 

As a general rule, I believe we should eat and drink in the approximate proportions our bodies are comprised. There is a reason nature made us this way. Common sense says that since we are 70 percent water, 70 percent of our daily meal weight should consist of water and/or foods that are mostly water, like vegetables. We are 18 to 20 percent fat, so we should eat 18 to 20 percent healthy fats during the day. We are about 10 to 15 percent proteins, so that should determine our intake; we should have a little less protein than fats, but proteins are still very important. Carbs should make up very little of the diet, as there are only a few tablespoons of sugar in the whole body. For this reason, these should be eaten only sporadically, and rarely should we drink them.

 

Proteins, Fats, and Carbs

 

            I am definitely opposed to the obsessive-compulsive labeling of foods into one of the three major categories: proteins, fats, or carbs. Most natural foods, as well as artificial ones, contain all three in various amounts. Artificial foods may harbor a bit more imbalance, but that is beside the point.

 

The point is that because of this obsessive classification, Americans mistakenly believe food falls into only one category. Many will tell you eggs are protein, cheese is fat, and beans are carbs. The truth is far more complicated. The problem is that these faulty, preconceived classifications and labeling influence major decisions on how and what to eat for a lifetime. In actuality, eggs contain far more than protein, and cheese contains other elements in addition to fat. They simply cannot be simplified that way. Many foods are alive and have and carry information, enzymes, life force, probiotics and prebiotics, vitamins, minerals, and many other food components; they are very complex foods.

 

My advice is to stop thinking in terms of proteins, fats, and carbs, except for some occasional argument and academic reasons.

 

Think in more practical terms, natural, live food versus fake, artificial, dead, manmade food. Think in terms of organic versus GMO, raw versus cooked, heated, and destroyed food. This is what is really important, not what category a label or mistaken common thinking throws a food into. The proportion of proteins and fats will naturally take care of itself when we eat mostly raw, organic, natural foods.

 

Cooking food destroys 40-90 percent of it’s’ nutrition. Cooked and chemicalized, fake food is foreign and toxic to the body.

 

Calories

 

It is not advisable to count calories or even to worry too much about them. This does not mean we should ignore portion control. On the contrary, we should make sure we are eating food in small amounts, much smaller portions than we think. The fact is that human beings can live on a few bread crumbs, fruits, and water for years. Eating is overrated. Most of the time, it is an addiction, not a necessity. Eat like this: Put the portion you think you want on the plate. Now cut it in half, then cut it in half again. This is the amount you should eat.

 

Calories Misconception

 

Think about calories as the energy released when we completely burn proteins, fats, or carbs. The issue is that we don’t burn them the same, and almost never completely. We generally burn mostly all carbs, but proteins and fats are more or less incorporated into the body structures. Calories from carbs are, therefore, far more damaging. Since they are not equal, the calorie system should be changed to a more accurate one, adjusting for proteins and fats and their incapacity to be burned completely, as well as the insulin stimulation capacity of each category of nutrients.

 

The fact that we eliminate solid waste regularly is proof that most calories are not completely burned. Counting calories is not the best way to go about losing weight, nor is it very accurate to what is really going on metabolically. Calories can be a bit of a crutch to lean on to help you monitor portion control, but that is all they should be seen as.

 

Eating is like many other things in life, a matter of discipline. Similar to finances, we can eat more and borrow from the future. Consider that you are only allowed so much food in your lifetime, and the sooner you eat all that up, the sooner you will die. Eating more daily is borrowing from your future. Therefore, the less food debt you have, the better, as is the case for any debt.

 

Fasting

 

Eat three meals a day, and I do not recommend snacks or second servings. If you crave snacks, you are eating the wrong things at mealtimes, and it could suggest that you are taking in too many carbs in the form of solid food or drinks. Do not drink your sugar calories either.

 

Just as the body requires energy, it also requires rest. For this reason, I also advocate periodic fasting, times when you do not eat or drink or when you avoid a specific food type. You might decide to try a raw foods-only day, or you could undergo a partial fast or a complete fast for a day or longer. However you fast, it will be good for you. When the fasting period is over, you will feel lighter, more focused, present, and younger. If you feel worse, it may be the result of withdrawal from an addictive food, or it may be that you are very toxic, and some toxins have been stirred up by the fasting process. Regardless, occasional fasting is a good thing.

 

Fasting was practiced in all ancient civilizations. Even animals fast in order to regain their health.

 

Warning: You will not be completely vibrant and healthy without fasting. I do not recommend fasting with carbs, aka juice fasting. Fasting should be either complete or relying only on something that does not raise blood sugar much, like tomatoes or avocadoes.

 

Healthy Eating Tips

 

• Ninety-five percent of your food should be plant based. People who eat a lot of raw vegetables and legumes, with an accent on the green, leafy ones statistically live longer.

 

• Meat should be consumed twice a week at the most. Eat meat only occasionally and in small quantities, always with vegetables and legumes. It is advisable that any meat you eat comes from free-range, organic farms. Eat fish more often, but it should also be eaten in small quantities. Remember that smaller fish that fit on your plate contain less mercury and toxins.

 

• Cow milk should be avoided, especially unfermented. If you are worried about calcium deficiency, know that you can get plenty of calcium from all plants; the fact that they grow tall is due to their calcium content. Calcium is their skeleton.

 

• Eggs are important, one of the best sources of nutrition. Do not dismiss the fact that an entire organism forms from the egg yolk; this means the incredible, edible egg carries all the ingredients necessary for life. Eat them frequently! Contrary to popular opinion, eggs do not raise cholesterol. Special interest groups try to feed us these myths and false information for their own agendas, but countless medical studies have proven them false. If you want to receive the healthiest benefits of eggs, eat real, whole eggs and not just egg substitutes or egg products.

 

• Eat beans frequently, even daily.

 

• Bread should be avoided, particularly American or industrialized, chemicalized and embalmed bread. Occasionally and very rarely, you can enjoy a bit of real oven Italian bread made from special flour like semolina; this bread has thick, crunchy crust and many holes in the middle. Bread should only be a rare treat, and if you want to be healthy, it is best to go without it.

 

• Flour-based products are not healthy. Whole grain is a no-no, a marketing gimmick, as are products with gluten-free labels. Do not fall for it.

 

• Most people believe losing weight is a matter of diet and exercise, in a 50/50 proportion, but this is also a misconception. Exercise is great for health, but it will not work for losing weight unless you carefully monitor and improve your diet as well. As far as losing weight is concerned, exercise is 1 percent, and diet is 99 percent. You can exercise for hours and wipe out all the benefits in a few bites.

 

• It is best to avoid sweets altogether: no sweets, no molasses, no sweeteners, no sweet meals, no desserts, and no sweetened drinks. As a rare treat, natural honey is acceptable, but even this should be eaten only on special occasions. Especially avoid ice cream, as it is one of the most addictive and unhealthiest of foods.

 

• Eat a few nuts every day, as they are very healthy. Almonds are particularly beneficial.

 

More Suggestions for Losing Weight and Getting Healthier

 

Being overweight is not due to one simple problem; rather, it is a consequence of a multitude of issues and behaviors. The good news is that some of these can be remedied by the methods below:

Mechanics

Chew well! All overweight people eat too fast and gulp down their food. Chewing is part of digestion, the first part of an important process, so chew enough times that the food in your mouth is liquefied, leaving no chunks. Chew thoroughly and take your time, and you will eat less, only what the body requires.

I can’t overemphasize this point: Chewing your food properly will help you lose weight. Eating too fast invariably leads to eating too much. People eat too quickly and do not chew their food properly, and this is a universal cause of problems when it comes to healthy weight and weight control. For most foods the number of chews necessary to pulverize and thoroughly mix the food with saliva is like 75-130. Some people advise to chew at least as many times as your age number.

Gulping food too fast and drinking sweet drinks are major causes of obesity.

Note: If a burp comes up towards the end of a meal, stop eating right there because any more food will be too much.

 

 

Emotions

 

Do not eat when you are emotionally upset or angry, and never when you are stressed or in a rush. Instead, play nice, soft music and enjoy pleasant conversation or no conversation at all. It is difficult to chew well, enjoy the food and keep a conversation in the same time. I recommend you thoroughly enjoy your food! In time, solve all and any psychological issues related to food, including obesity, past trauma, or a need to isolate or protect yourself or hide; food should not be a substitute for emotional relief or comfort.

 

Purity

 

The more life energy is in the food, the better. Therefore, eat only fresh, natural, organic foods, as close to raw as possible. Cooking, heating, freezing, microwaving, and all processing destroys the nutritional value of food. For example, if you boil a potato and plant it, it will not grow and will only rot! Use only light preparations that can be eaten immediately.

 

Timing

 

Try not to eat by the clock, on any set schedule. Only eat when you are actually hungry. The average person should eat only three meals a day and avoid snacking between them. Do not eat more often than every four hours. Try to differentiate actual hunger from food cravings. Skip meals when you are upset, but do not skip any in an effort to lose weight. Also, after lunch, for the rest of the day, avoid eating animal proteins.

 

Snacking

 

It is best not to snack at all. As a rare exception, enjoy an apple or a similar fruit that does not taste too sweet.

 

Drinks

 

Do not drink anything other than purified water. If you have a good-quality water ionizer at home, use that most of the time. Be warned that all sweet liquids, including any diet products, will cause you to gain weight, end of story. Occasionally, fresh, organic, home-squeezed juice can be enjoyed. Organic vegetable or fruit juices are sometimes acceptable, and lemon squeezed in water is beneficial.

 

Stress

 

Learn to manage stress, as stress hormones are known to cause weight gain and premature aging. Bless your food, be grateful and give thanks for it, and do not eat when you are stressed or upset.

 

Exercise

 

Regular exercise is important and should be an integral part of weight management, especially since it will lower insulin resistance. Insulin is the fat storage hormone, and it is released by all sweets and starches. You should exercise at least fifteen minutes a day, to the point of perspiration. Picking up the mail or walking the dog is not considered exercise.

 

Food Mixing

 

Eat simply and do not mix many foods. In fact, avoid eating more than three different foods at a time. Eat only one starch or protein at a time; for example, do not eat bread and potatoes. Cantaloupe and watermelon should be eaten alone or avoided entirely.

 

Do not drink milk regularly. Do not mix proteins with starches or sugars, as this creates gas and fermentation. Do not mix proteins with fats, as fats slow the digestion of proteins. Do not eat proteins with fruits or mix vegetables and fruits that grow above ground with those that grow underground. It is best not to mix vegetables or nuts with fruits, but apples and rice are beneficial in combination. Avoid eating breads/grains with cheese or meat; this includes macaroni and cheese. As often as we see it, peas and carrots should not be eaten together.

 

Eat naturally fermented foods regularly, even daily.

 

Water

 

Drink only room-temperature water, a minimum of eight cups a day, including two when you wake up and one thirty minutes before and after each meal. Refrain from drinking any liquids with your meals, including water. Occasionally, it is great to loosen up this rule—or any other rule, for that matter. Do not be too strict and rigid in anything, as this advice should be considered guidelines for healthier living, not torture for miserable living.

 

Top 5 Nutrition Mistakes in Hospitals and Homes

 

1. Allowing soda, juices, or any beverages other than clean water, especially for diabetics

 

All sodas and juice drinks are acidic, and most contain no natural ingredients and are generally toxic for the body. They increase insulin, depress mood, and are very detrimental to anyone seeking to be healthy. They are especially dangerous for addicted individuals.

 

2. Allowing bread, pasta, grains, cereals, oatmeal, or grain products, especially for diabetics

 

These are all very high on the glycemic index, are toxic and addictive, and are made from genetically modified (GMO) grains. It is documented that people who eat these suffer more heart attacks, more cancer, and more depression. Overall, eaters of these things are more miserable and overweight, as compared to ones who don’t.

 

3. Allowing artificial, diet, or light products

 

It is not surprising that there have been many complaints about these products, as they are all toxic and neurotoxic. The problems with them are endless; research aspartame and its many horrible effects to see for yourself. These are sold with utter disregard for the health of human beings, and in spite of their labels, they ultimately lead to unhealthy weight gain.

 

4. Substituting eggs with egg whites or artificial egg products

 

Eggs are the most complete of all foods, the very source of a living organism. Enclosed in that little shell is everything necessary to create life, lacking only one vitamin, with everything else perfectly proportioned. On the other hand, egg substitutes offer no building blocks or healing properties. In spite of their lower calorie counts, they are a total waste of money and a detriment to overall health.

 

5. Allowing cow milk

 

Many books have been written and products been made to counteract the rampant occurrence of dairy intolerance and allergies. The simple fact is that cow milk comes from a different species, and they are full of hormones, antibiotics, and chemicals in it as well. Thus, cow’s milk  is not generally fit for human nourishment.

 

A Civilized Society Sweetener Problem

 

We don’t realize how much sugar we are consuming in just one day, every day. Most sweet drinks, juices, and even some so-called healthy drinks contain anywhere from five to thirteen teaspoons of sugar in each eight-ounce serving. Imagine filling an eight-ounce glass with water, then adding thirteen teaspoons of white sugar to it. Would you drink that?

 

This is exactly what we are doing when we drink any kind of a sweet soft drink, juice, or sports drink available on the market today. Unfortunately, it is not just drinks that are loaded with sugar or toxic sugar substitutes. Most cereals and packaged foods contain sugar or some form of it, often listed as the first or second ingredient, which means it is the highest-quantity ingredient in the food.

 

Sugar is used by food companies as a dehydrator or as a preservative. Besides that, sugar gives a great taste and is highly addictive. The following words on a nutritional label may mean sugar and should probably be avoided:  glucose, dextrose, fructose, high fructose corn syrup, corn sweetener, corn syrup, dehydrated cane juice, dextrin, fruit juice concentrate, lactose, maltodextrin, malt syrup, maltose, maple syrup, raw molasses, raw sugar, rice syrup, saccharin, sucrose, syrup, erythritol, xylose, and many others. Honey or stevia should only be used occasionally.

 

Artificial sweeteners are definitely not good for us either. Sorbitol, saccharin, aspartame, sucralose, and many other products, so-called natural ones included, are actually worse for us than sugar itself. Every single one of these artificial sweeteners has been linked to cancer, tumors, and obesity.

 

Fortunately, in time, once you stop eating sugar, your addiction will eventually disappear, but you must stop your intake of sweets entirely to achieve this. Merely cutting back is similar to having a little less heroin rather than quitting. You cannot overcome any addiction by simply slowing down or cutting back, and sugar and carbs are no exception. Because of the addiction component, the first few days off carbs may feel a bit like detox, but the withdrawal symptoms will quickly disappear.

 

Sugar and starch are proven to contain morphine-like addictive components. Individuals who are on sugar and carbs crave them all the time. Meanwhile, people who are off sugar don’t even miss it. Weaning yourself off sugar and sugar-containing products will cause a change in your weight. Stopping refined carbs altogether will cause a dramatic change in your weight and overall wellbeing.

 

Chapter Summary

 

• Don’t count calories. They are deceiving.
• Eat 70/20/10: water/good fats/proteins.
• Eat sugarless, meaning nothing sweet or starchy.
• Avoid sweeteners, natural or artificial.
• Eat as close to raw food as much as you can.