The statistics are alarming! Of all the myriad of diseases in our society, obesity and overweight must be the saddest conditions imaginable. Particularly true from the standpoint that we can actually do something about it and don’t do it.

Carrying extra weight as fat mass contributes to an overall decline in the body’s ability to prevent disease naturally. The rise of diabetes and its related costs to the healthcare system are just scary. As a part of the animal kingdom, homo sapiens were never designed to consume food the way we do or treat our bodies this way.

There is general agreement in the healthcare field that the first line of defense against diabetes and obesity is diet and exercise. So simple, yet so well ignored. There is no magic pill, surgery, miracle diet, you name it panacea. What works are following a few simple practices that in time will add years to your life and life to your years.

Step #1
Get moving! We are mechanically designed to move, not sit. Many experiments done at notable institutions have concluded that our bodies need a minimum of 40 to 60 minutes of physical exertion every day to burn the calories we consume and build lean muscle mass. Exercise enough to break a sweat every day.

Step #2
Eat a low-calorie, low fat diverse diet. Our convenience oriented dietary habits have not served us and actually have taken money from our wallets. You are not getting what you pay for with processed foods. Our diets are best created from fresh raw vegetables (preferably organic), lean proteins and whole grains generally. The more handling your food has received before you eat it, the less value it is to the body. Better than half of your intake should be in the form of vegetables and whole grains, 20 – 25% protein, 15-20% fat and the balance from other carbohydrates.

Step #3
Eat breakfast every day. Consume the bulk of your calories before mid afternoon. One way to express this is: “eat like a king during the day and a pauper by night”. Grazing throughout the day will serve your body and energy balance better than loading up on three a day.

Step #4
Maintain a consistent eating pattern during the week and on weekends. The statistics show that it is easier to keep weight off when a healthy pattern is followed. This means stay the course even on holidays and vacations.

Step #5
Monitor your progress. Rather than watch weight alone, look at how your clothes fit. Occasionally, measure your waist, hips and chest along with weight. As you change your body composition to more lean mass, the weight will not decline as much as you will notice significant inch loss and loose clothes.

Step #6
Catch a problem early. If you slip on your plan, recognize it and take action to correct the error quickly. The longer you go off-plan, the harder it will be to correct. An analogy for this is like driving your car in an unfamiliar city while reading a road map. For some reason (distraction) a turn is made and you are off the map. Unless you take action to get back on course, it is highly likely that you could get lost and not get to your intended destination. It is so much easier to correct problems early, instead of waiting for them to become overwhelming.

These are all simple actions that you can take to improve your health and body image. An important aspect of success with these steps is defining the ideal food intake based on your body needs and type. If you are interested in a personal consultation, visit our website.