Drink THIS to lose fat & fix your digestion
by Dr. Kareem, Author of 14-Day Fat Loss Plan
The longer I’ve been in the healthcare industry,
the more I realize that a ‘balanced body’ is the key
to just about any health goal you might have. Whether
you want to lose weight, reduce bodyfat, build muscle,
or increase athleticism, the faster you balance your body
the quicker you’ll see results.
The first step is to balance your ‘Macronutrient Ratio,’
which is just a fancy way of saying that you have to
balance the amount of carbs:proteins:fats you consume.
Here’s a simple rule that I like to follow, as a general theme
to healthy eating and high energy output:
9 grams of carbs: 7 grams protein: 4 grams fat
Assuming you’re eating a large amount of veggies, that means
a good portion of those carbs will be indigestible fiber, and the
caloric ratio will end up almost equally balanced between
slow carbs, protein, and healthy fats.
Next, consider the ‘Nutrient Density’ in everything you eat.
Not all calories were created equally, not even from the same
macronutrient classification or category. Eating animal fats
usually means more dietary cholesterol, but this isn’t
necessarily a problem like most people think…
Cholesterol is actually normal and healthy for your body — it’s
something your body naturally produces because it’s required to
sustain life. However, inflammation combined with high levels
of LDL cholesterol can result in a very dangerous situation.
‘Triglycerides’ are often a root cause of inflammation and heart
disease as a result of poor diet. High triglycerides are often
caused by eating too much sugar and refined carbs and poor insulin
sensitivity.
If you eat sugar, you’re inflaming. If you eat cookies, crackers,
bread, cereal, or estrogenic products like soy and non-organic
fruits and vegetables (pesticides are estrogenic), you’re inflaming.
Ultimately, this means that your body will have a harder time
processing the carbs it consumes. Your body’s relationship
with a normal macronutrient changes, and it will affect you
differently.
If you have a lot of inflammation in your body, fix this first, then
adjust your diet for increased nutrient density. Get rid of any
trans fats, most of the grains you consume, and any food category
that you’re particularly sensitive to. Alongside, take a careful look
at your environment — if you are in a stressed-out situation, take
time each day to calm your mind through meditation, positive self-talk,
and visualization of happier circumstances. I recommend at least
15-20 minutes, as this seems to be an accepted time by HeartMath.org,
which is the leading organization for battling depression through
natural means.
Once you address the inflammation in your body, you can hone in
on eating the “right” foods, even if they have things like cholesterol
in them that scares you. Now its time for the grass-fed beef, free range
organic chickens, and the eggs they produce (yolks included!)
Last, but certainly not least, it’s important you balance your micronutrients
and hydration. These are the ‘invisible’ aspects of your daily health rituals
that need to exist. Hydration is pretty easy, unless you have some extreme
reason for dehydration — just drink half your bodyweight (pounds) in ounces
of water each day.
Micronutrients, on the other hand, are an uphill battle. To derive all of the
micronutrients your body needs simply from the food you consume is
very difficult. For example, you’d have to eat a variety of about 25 different
fruits and vegetables, but just small pieces of each one. This is how you’d
get the proper mineral balance, natural vitamins (not artificial), and antioxidants
you need for optimal health.
In addition, the health of your digestive tract determines how well your
body will respond to any of the information above. Digestive enzymes that
target ease of digestion and enzyme release specifically designed to break
up acidic foods, or difficult to digest substances, can make a game-changing
difference in the balance of your overall health.
Again, you can do a lot for your gut by consuming ‘probiotics’ in the form of
plain (non-sweetened) kefir and yogurt, and strengthen your digestive tract
significantly. However, this is only part of the equation, and it would have
to be daily habit.
For the fastest and most reliable (daily) solution to micronutrients, digestive
enzymes, probiotics, and electrolyte balance, I simplify my life with a unique
smoothie each morning (actually, my wife makes it for me — she’s awesome!) –
here’s exactly what goes in this daily digestive system healing smoothie:
*2 heaping tablespoons Athletic Greens (essential ingredient teeming with every micronutrient you need, digestive enzymes, probiotics, and powerful antioxidants)
*1 tbsp chia seeds (healthy omega-3 fats, lots of fiber)
*1 scoop protein powder (this protein contains no deadly artificial sweeteners)
*Frozen wild blueberries (handful)
*8 to 10 ounces of water (or use half water and half kefir if you want extra probiotics)
Drink this superfood-smoothie daily and watch your body balance out. You’ll be losing
fat in no time, and you’ll watch your digestion and overall health improve substantially.
Grab Athletic Greens for your daily digestion-healing smoothie here <--- (travel packets also available) If you like what you read, please consider donating to help support my blog, even as little as $5 will help.