Any form of dietary discipline will yield good results. Sticking to just about any program will help us feel inspired, strong, and powerful. It may also reduce the old waistline. Perhaps the drama comes into the story when we either don't stick to our well laid plans or we jump around from one program to another...low carb one week and low fat the next. By the third week, it's all carbs and all fats all the time.
This is one reason why I believe and trust in ancient health programs. Dietary suggestions that have lasted for 5,000 years are no longer fads. They are most likely true for most people most of the time. Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda are two ancient healing traditions that I've been exposed to. I've personally been powerful healed by Chinese medicinal cures twice and I've been following simple Ayurvedic lifestyle suggestions for long time.
Some dietary tips from Ayurveda that have influenced the Yogic Diet program that I teach and the yogic lifestyle that I aim to live are:
1. Have two glasses of warm water first thing in the morning before any other food, drink, or even teeth brushing. This is hydrating and moves the bowels. See, you really don't need coffee.
2. Eat mostly fruits before noon. When I eat 4-5 servings of fruit before lunch, I always lose weight and feel way more energetic than if I eat grains. This is an Ayurvedic suggestion that I discovered last fall. And this is another way to ensure that I get my 5-7 servings of fruits, veggies, fiber, vitamins, and minerals each day.
3. Eat the large meal of the day at lunch time. Hot basmati rice, beans, lentils, warm veggies, and a small salad...now that's what I call lunch!
4. Take a 10 minute walk after each meal. This so aids in digestion and rids our bodies of that post meal sluggish feeling.
5. Eat a light dinner of mostly cooked vegetables.
Of course, even more important than the food that we eat are the thoughts that we think. Our good health, happiness, weight, beauty, and energy levels are highly determined by our thoughts. Therefore, practices such as silent meditation and thinking about positive outcomes are central to ancient medicines and to the yogic diet program as well.
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Good advice there! Some I already do.
ReplyDeleteOne question if you don't mind ~ why should the dinner vegetables be mostly cooked? I'm asking because I am about to start having green smoothies for dinner during my work weeks, both for ease in preparation and the simplicity my body craves after a long day (always love kale so I build on that). I'm wondering what benefit comes from the vegetables being cooked. Thanks!