According to the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition, data from 2009-2010 indicates that over 78 million US adults and around 12.5 million children and adolescents are obese. And recent reports suggest that by 2030, half of all adults
According to the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition, data from 2009-2010 indicates that over 78 million US adults and around 12.5 million children and adolescents are obese. And recent reports suggest that by 2030, half of all adults (115 million) in the U.S. will be obese.
These statistics are scary, but I believe true. So many factors affect obesity, not just overeating calories but also choosing the wrong type of food, and consuming too much processed food. Actually I’m not sure processed food, that has been produced in a factory and never touched a cook’s hand can really be called food.
In addition, many of us never have the chance to enjoy eating with family. Everyone is always rushing, with the high stress levels that are part of city life.
I have three suggestions for you today that may help decrease your hunger and support your weight loss process.
The first one is green tea. This is not really a surprise — green tea is loaded with polyphenols such as flavonoids and catechins, which function as powerful antioxidants. It has the ability to clear toxins so it can also aid in weight loss, which will release toxins into the bloodstream so that they can be eliminated from the body.
It contains caffeine, which may increase the metabolic rate at which we burn calories, and also helps increase glutathione levels. Glutathione is the body’s own most powerful antioxidant. Raised glutathione levels reduce the oxidation of circulating fats in the bloodstream and also protects our body from bacteria, toxins, pollutants, and cancer. Raised glutathione in the body can slow down aging, diabetes, cholesterol levels, repair cells, improve the immune system, increase energy, and more.
My second tip is rice bran fiber. This is found naturally in whole grain brown rice.
But if you are watching what you eat then regularly consuming brown rice may not be a good idea for you. A rice bran fiber supplement is a great option, that will help regulate bowel movements and support the detoxification process. It can also help lower cholesterol.
Finally, high quality whey protein powder will help your body make more glutathione and support your liver in clearing toxins from your body.
When your diet is low in protein, the liver, our natural cleansing organ, is less able to break down toxic chemicals. Adequate protein intake in your diet may reduce your hunger and also improve your immune system while raising glutathione in the body.
Eating healthy whole food sources of protein, and additionally adding good quality protein powder, together with healthy fats such as avocados, nuts and seeds, and lowering your sugar intake, will help you lose weight. But more importantly, you will improve your life quality.
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Ayda Ersoy is a nutrition and fitness director at The Diet Doc Hawaii. She can be reached at DietDocHawaii.com, Ayda@DietDocHawaii.com or (808) 276-6892
