Defy Age Naturally

I have just been to a raw food super foods gathering to celebrate the launch of Kate Wood’s new book Raw Magic. It was such a fantastic group of people, and there were all sorts of delicious raw treats being passed around. Not only did I meet some amazing people, but I am even more inspired to consume as many super foods as possible.

I was flicking through the book, and one (of many!) thing that stood out was a line that said “If you want to lose weight, stop counting calories and start counting nutrients or super foods.”

This is a simple and effective way of phrasing what I have been saying for years. My sister and I continually have this debate because she is hooked on the idea that counting calories and ensuring they are low is the best way to lose weight.

And so companies such as weight watchers come out with these low calorie bars and ready made meals…but how many nutrients do they have inside of them? Are they really going to help people lose weight? And how long will the weight stay off? As soon as they stop counting the calories, the weight will just pile back on.

Further, will this obsession over calories offer them vibrant health? Will they feel more alive and experience true wellbeing by ensuring they aren’t overdosing on calories.

I know people who save their calories all week so they can have something really “naughty” on the weekend. Is this really the way to be a diet…and how long can it be sustained?

I believe, like Kate Wood, that the secret to losing weight and truly experiencing optimum health is to count the nutrients in the food you are eating. Love the food you eat because you know it will nourish your body, making you look and feel gorgeous.

I know people on the calorie counting diet who eat a breakfast cereal for breakfast that offers absolutely nothing of nutritional value whatsoever. Imagine how much more effective forgetting the calories are, and enjoying a healthy smoothie recipe for breakfast, made out of super foods like hemp seeds, flaxseeds, goji berries, bananas, blueberries, bee pollen, and some agave nectar.

Who knows how many calories it has…and who cares? Every ingredient is nourishing the body and mind. It is literally filling the body with the fuel it needs to be its most powerful.

I really enjoyed yesterday’s gathering and am inspired to carry on enjoying as many super foods as I possibly can. I wish that everyone reading this could have experienced the delicious array of food that went around. From raw chocolate cake (with frosting!) to delicious smoothies, to incredible raw bread with pesto and avocado topping…it was a super food feast!

Actually, now that I think of it, you can enjoy all of these treats by ordering Kate Wood’s new book Raw Magic. In it you will be tempted by the most delicious super foods recipes on the planet!

And you will never have to count a calorie again, while doing far more than losing a bit of weight!

Related Posts

• 10 Super Foods to Increase Libido

• Super Foods for Weight Loss

• Broccoli and Tomatoes Together Fight Prostate Cancer

• Long Living, Flu Fighting Super Foods: Bee Pollen

• Best Super Foods: Asparagus

• Healthy Smoothie Recipes

• Why Eat More Raw Food Super Foods?

• Best Super Foods: Apples

I am not a particular television watcher, although I do enjoy a bit of six feet under, lost, heroes and sex in the city (with the occasional American idol episode). Yikes! I sound like a real junkie, but it doesn’t really feel that way.

Anyway, too much TV is associated with poor health, and an increased risk of excess weight/obesity.

A recent study, which appears in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, examined the relationship between television viewing and weight in young adults aged 26-36. In this study, individuals were assessed for waist size, TV viewing time, amount of food and drink consumed during TV viewing, and physical activity levels during leisure time.

The researchers found that watching more television was associated with greater waist circumference. Women who watched 3 or more hours of TV a day had a 89 per cent increased risk of severe abdominal obesity compared to those watching 1 hour of TV a day or less. Men watching 3 or more hours of TV a day were more than twice as likely to have moderate abdominal obesity compared to those watching 1 hour of TV a day or less.

Further research surprisingly showed that variations in leisure time activity had little influence on the findings.

However, there does appear to be a link between TV viewing, food intake, and waist circumference. Why this is the case is not completely clear.

What we can gather from this is that TV viewing time is a marker for the weight and the overall wellbeing of a person. We can only speculate as to why.

Here are some possible reasons why this link might exist:

· Perhaps it is possible that people who choose to watch less Television have a tendency to want to eat healthy foods, due to education, motivation, or other factors.

· People who watch a lot of TV may have the tendency for overeating, and unconscious, mindless eating.

· People who watch a lot of TV may be more likely to eat a lot of junkie, snacky foods such as chips, fries and sweets. The TV turns the mind off, which turns off the mind body connection and the internal desire to eat healthy food.

· A person who watches a lot of television is more likely to be influenced by advertisements, which generally never encourages truly nutritious food.

More than likely, there is a mixture of reasons why people who watch TV tend to put on the pounds. The bottom line is, trying to cut down on the boob tube watching and filling our time with other, more engaging, mindful activities is always a good idea that will not only prevent disease and show on our waists, but will show in our life in general.

Related Posts

• Super Foods for Weight Loss

• Healthy Smoothie Recipes

• Why do you Want to Lose Weight?

• Fewer Carbohydrates and More Super foods