27th August, 2014
By Sharon Jane Akinyemi
A woman I know ate mostly junk food coupled with her sedentary lifestyle. When she broke her wrist in an accident, her body did not contain the proper minerals needed to heal the broken bone properly. When the bone was completely knitted, the wrist had an ugly bulge on it .
Her physician explained that her body had to use second choice-nutrient because adequate amount of calcium and phosphorus were lacking. Nutrients do not perform their specific function alone; they work as teams. If one member is missing, the body functions will be performed poorly or the job may not get done at all.
What baffles me most is for one to indulge and behave as if tomorrow won’t come. Let me make this clear – we have no excuse eating the wrong foods. It is by choice.
Our culture promotes celebration throughout the year, from one birthday party, wedding ceremony, burial ceremony, house warming, I can go on and on. These are occasions to eat all the wrong thing and postponed the healthy eating days to the future that may never be realised because the excuses continue day after day. You see?.
Parties can be so much fun, but let me tell you why I have a real love/hate relationship with them and trust me, I’m sure you can relate.
Here’s what I love. I love spending time with family and friends, especially people I may not have seen in quite some time. It’s such a wonderful time to catch up on all of the great events that happened in the past year.
I also love getting all dressed up and putting on clothes that makes me comfortable, but for the “Head gear” count me out, I wish I can completely do without it. I may even put a little makeup on my face and brush my hair. Wow…that would make it a real party!
Here’s the part I absolutely hate (and yes, hate is a strong word, but you’ll see what I’m talking about in just a minute). It always upsets me when I experience “junk-food pushers” at parties. I also like to call these people “trolls.” You know the people I’m talking about here…
“Oh, just have cakes and fried meat (or whatever). It’s a party, for goodness’ sake.”
“Oh, don’t worry about eating all of this bad food. You can just start dieting the next month like the rest of us.”
Or the worst one of all: “Geez, just one won’t kill you.”
Look, I think you should treat yourself to whatever tasty food they like as part of a healthy eating plan, but going on an all-out binge because of the parties and – that’s just going to end up having you feel awful by the time you get to the next month.
How can you get through these party situations effectively and run away from the “junk-food pushers” and “trolls”?
Here are my strategies for surviving the party scene…
•Eat before you go. I use this one all the time. I eat a hearty meal that contains healthy protein and fat to keep me satisfied so I am not running to the buffet table upon entering the party. When asked, “Are you going to eat?” I just say, “Yeah, I’ll get to it.” Or “I had a really late lunch. I’ll eat a bit in a little while.” I don’t get into a full dissertation about how their oily , fried and sugar laden food is horribly bad for you. No one really wants to hear it, especially at a party. So I just keep it light and keep it moving and keep the conversation flowing about everything else, EXCEPT the food.
•Bring your own stuff. I have become so famous for this, people expect me to walk in with a delicious treat. Everyone loves my grilled chicken, fish and veggie side dishes, its often the first thing they ask. “Hey, what healthy concoction did you make this year?” People really do want to eat healthy, it just needs to taste good! Whenever in doubt or at a loss for a delicious recipe, just head on over to the Body Confidence Diet recipe
•Do not let one bad party dictate the rest of your season. Here’s another one I see all the time. You mess up one time and you think it’s the end of the world. Not true! Just get right back on your horse and start healthy the next day. This is not an all-or-nothing plan. This is a clean, healthy lifestyle. So you didn’t “blow” your diet. You just had a little treat…end of story!
•Start off on the right (healthy) foot. For me, this means a full two cups of water blended with a cup of green tea and some garden egg( not blended) This is how I start every day, but it’s especially important on days when I may be eating at a restaurant, a party, or a relative’s house. When you’re not the one preparing the food, you might be overindulging without even knowing it.
Fruits and vegetables are the all-natural, whole food that has been designed to cover the daily nutritional needs of active people. With just this one as juiced if possible,drink every morning, I ensure that I’m getting the highest quality vitamins, minerals and nutrition each day.
The growth and maintenance of bones depend on protein, vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin D, calcium , phosphorus, magnesium, and fluoride,to mention only a few. However it is dangerous to take individual vitamins or minerals without a health practitioner’s supervision. Overdoses can create a shortage of other nutrients and the body can be harmed as a result.
Many people are sick and tired because they do not get the proper nutrients from the foods they eat. If you want to stay well and have more energy make sure your diets is balanced.
Let’s take a closer look to these vitamins minerals:
Vitamin A- liver, carrot leafy greens sweet potatoes and pumpkin, Ewedu, ugu and okazi.
Vitamin A functions in visual processes, helps maintain healthy skin, thus increasing resistance to infection.
Vitamin B1- whole grains, fortified cereals nuts, dry beans. Vitamin B aids carbohydrate use; promotes appetite; aids nervous system.
Vitamin C- Oranges, pawpaw, mango, grapefruits, water melon, apple.
Vitamin C strengthens blood vessels; hasten healing; increases resistance to infections; aids in use of iron.
Calcium- milk especially skimmed milk, yoghurt, sardines. Greens, unripe plantain.
Calcium aids in building bones & teeth in blood clotting, muscle relaxation and nerves.
•Balance With Exercise
•Get active by adding exercise to your weekly routine. I know, there’s that dreaded word again – exercise. But people who add exercise to their weight loss plan tend to lose more weight in the same period of time as those who only diet.
With aerobic exercises (jogging, skipping, stair climbing, running) you will be burning fat and calories, and strength training will help build lean muscles.
The more lean muscles you have the higher your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is and the more calories you will burn.
Try adding a least 30 minutes of some types of activities a day.
With just 30 minutes a day at least 3 or 4 times a week will have a positive impact on your over all health. Not only will this rev up your metabolism naturally, you will feel more energized.