1. Cut down on sugar consumption
The old adage “a moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips” is quite wise. The glucose derived from excessive sugar intake cannot be completely processed in your body and actually goes into storage for later use.
The preferred storage is fat cells! Going sugar-free all in one go can be extremely difficult, but by taking small steps you will start to notice a difference. Start by not adding sugar to your coffee and tea. Next replace a soda with a glass of water with lemon. Then change your sweetener to raw honey instead of white sugar.
Top natural sugar recommendations are local raw unpasteurized honey or coconut sugar.
2. Turn off the TV/computer
TV watching is linked to the onset of obesity, mostly because the more TV you watch the less activity you are doing. With the beautiful summer weather, it should be easier to convince yourself to get out for an after dinner walk. Start out slow – 10 minutes a day, then gradually work your way up to a goal of 30-60 minutes. It will also increase your overall energy and improve sleep. A 5 or 10 minute walk is better then no walk at all.
3. Improve your digestion
Fibre naturally improves your digestion. The best way to increase your fibre intake is eating more fruits and vegetables. That’s right, just whole natural foods.
Again the summer is a great time to start up this new regime with all that fresh produce around. Clinical evidence shows that dietary fibre promotes weight loss, improves blood sugar control and decreases the amount of calories absorbed by the body.
Try adding 1 to 1½ tbsp chia seeds to your breakfast or ½ cup of well-rinsed beans or lentils to your lunch. These simple additions can pay dividends towards positive health changes.
Eat some fresh green beans (readily available at the farmers’ markets right now) for dinner instead of a side of rice, or go for a walk. If you get hot, don’t reach for a can of pop. Instead add some lemon slices to a glass of water.
By starting slow and keeping hydrated, you will start to see signs that your waist to hip ratio is going down and with that your risk for disease also goes down