- Stick to 3 meals every day.
- Do not snack unless you are really hungry or know you’ll be hitting the
gym to burn the excess calories. - Make wise food choices all the time, and value your body and
appearance. - Your mom was right: always eat slowly and take time to chew your food.
- If you are so busy that you have no time for lunch at work, take a 5-
minute break. Eat a small meal or a have a piece of fruit rather than
eating a big meal while working and not concentrating on amounts. - Praise yourself for your daily accomplishments.
Relax
Are you juggling work, raising children, and managing a home? This can leave
you stressed or even burned out in no time at all, and stress can kill any diet.
During moments of tension, the brain stimulates the production of ghrelin, a
hormone that acts as an antidepressant. It calms your nerves, but it also makes
you hungry. Of course, there will always be stress in life, so you must find a
different way to deal with it. Whenever you feel stress kicking in, take a deep
breath and say to yourself, “I can handle this.” This strategy pulls your body
away from the response of rapid breathing and tension, which can lead you to
run to food for comfort.
Also stress—particularly when it is unresolved or prolonged—forces your
body to produce cortisol, the stress hormone. Remember, cortisol gives you a
boost to run from danger, but it’s dangerous in large amounts since it can lead to
central obesity, the most dangerous type. Cortisol is secreted every time you
watch a horror movie, encounter problems in a relationship, have a bad day at
work, or find yourself stuck in traffic. Chronic high levels of cortisol can also
lead to disease development and premature aging.
Relax. I’ve had the opportunity to treat several centenarians in my practice.
When asked about the secret to their longevity, they all responded, “We don’t get
stressed out.” Try to identify the sources of stress in your life and learn to
manage them better. Moving to a tropical island would be nice, but it may not
solve all your problems. While fear may stop you from making some radical
changes, a healthy life will not start until you take action.
That may include finding a new job, getting out of an unhealthy relationship
(or getting into a healthy one), and having a spiritual attitude in your life. You
should live your life all the way, and enjoy every single day. Also, make sure
you get plenty of rest and relaxation, and find time to meditate. Only you control