Let's Talk About Weight Loss
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by Stephanie Martin
Do you ever feel bombarded with slimming plans, pills and diet foods? And then when dieting, you constantly worry about calories, fat grams, low-carb, sugar-free, wheat-free, portion size etc! Not to mention the social events you have to plan around, dinners you have to avoid, the moodiness, irritation and feeling of deprivation that arise… life is just not fair! 

natural_weight_loss_6Obviously this is an extreme example, but sadly, also a familiar one for many individuals. It is incredibly confusing tying to figure out which slimming advert to believe or diet plan to follow! Surely there is an easier way? 

Well I certainly don’t claim to have found the answer, but what I do know is that there is hope! There are some amazing natural alternatives to prescription weight loss pills out there that’d I’d like to share with you. And I’d also like to talk about how easy it is to lose weight healthily and permanently while enjoying life and eating a large variety of foods that are both delicious and nutritious! 

1. Eat a ‘Rawsome’ diet
Eating raw food is so simple! You don’t need to worry about counting calories or controlling portions any longer; all that matters is filling your plate with natural, nutrient-rich foods. Fruits and vegetables provide half the calories of cooked and highly processed foods with double the nutrients! As well as being low in calories, fruits and vegetables can even help turn off cravings for other types of foods and short circuit the food addiction cycle. Select vibrantly coloured whole fruits and vegetables as these are the most nutrient dense and beneficial to your body. 

saladscaleEating more raw food is as simple as starting your day off with a delicious power smoothie (blend your favourite fruit together with your choice of raw protein, raw nuts, superfoods such as maca or goji berries, almond or oat bran for extra fibre and some raw honey or xylitol for some sweetness). Snack on fruit and raw nuts whenever you get hungry or try out some vegetable crudités with hummus or home-made avocado dip. At lunch and dinner try eat some of your veggies raw or simply include a large salad full of exciting and colourful ingredients (remembering of course to avoid the cheese, croutons and oily dressings – rather go for cold-pressed olive oil with crushed garlic, apple cider vinegar and lemon). 

However if you are still in need of some help or inspiration, in the very near future Lifestyle Health with be hosting Raw Food Preparation courses to show you how to make delicious, exciting food from simple raw ingredients. Subscribe to our newsletter for more information or come and chat to us at our shop to find out more. 

2. Lifestyle 
jumpWhen embarking on a weight loss program, it is so important to get adequate amounts of good quality sleep (about 7 to 9 hours), as well as implementing regular stress-coping techniques. Yoga, Pilates or simple breathing exercises are all amazing ways to help your body relax and therefore reduce the tendency to over-eat, rush meal times and make wrong food choices. 

Exercise is also a vital component of a weight loss regime but before you pull a face, exercise doesn’t have to mean hours and hours of sweating away at the gym. All you need is 1 or 2 half hour sessions of interval training, as well as 1 or 2 sessions of weight bearing exercises a week. The bottom line is the more muscle you build the more fat you burn! And for those who avoid the gym, a daily power walk can do wonders in dropping excess kilos.

3. So how do I begin?
If you are serious about kick starting a weight loss program, one of the most effective ways is to give your body a good detox and liver cleanse. The liver is the major fat burning organ in the body and helps regulate fat metabolism so it is vital that this organ remain strong and healthy. It can also pump excessive fat out of the body through the bile into the small intestines. Be sure to include plenty of fibre in your diet so that this unwanted fat will be carried out of the body via the bowel actions. For more information on how to support your liver read previous article “Natural Liver Protection.”

4. Natural Appetite suppressants 
If you struggle with getting hungry all the time, these 2 nutrients are safe and natural appetite suppressers. 
hoodia-chips-400• Hoodia  Gordonii – (available in capsules, gel or as chewable chips) – Hoodia contains active ingredients which mimic the effects that glucose has on the hypothalamus of the brain, telling us we are full even when this is not the case. It has been used to reduce appetite, boost energy, treat indigestion, stomach ache and even hypertension. 
• HCA – Hydroxycitric acid is extracted from the rind of fruit of the Garcinia cambogia tree. Not only is it able to suppress hunger, but it can also help to prevent the body from turning carbohydrate calories into fat. 

5. Metabolism Boosters
Kick start your metabolism with the following herbs, spices and oils.
• Green Tea (either tea or capsules) – green tea can help reduce weight by boosting metabolism and inhibiting the storage of excess fat. It acts as an antioxidant and can help lower cholesterol levels and help regulate blood sugar and insulin levels. 
coconut_oil_frac• Coconut oil - is a medium chain triglyceride (MCT) which means that it breaks down quickly and is burned for fuel long before it can be stored in the body as fat. Coconut oil can even increase the rate at which you burn fat, thus boosting your metabolism and combating fatigue. 
• Kelp (best natural source of Iodine) – Iodine is critical for the formation of thyroid hormone in the thyroid gland. A shortage of iodine can cause changes to this gland that can directly lead to poor function of metabolism and hence difficulty in losing weight. 

6. Reduce Cravings and Regulate Blood Sugar Levels
Be sure to eat regular, balanced meals with the right amount of complex carbohydrates, good quality lean protein and small amounts of healthy fats. Eat slowly and chew your food properly can also help ensure you don’t get that mid-morning or mid-afternoon slump. The following nutrients taken with each meal can help restore balance and blood sugar regulation. 
cinnamon• Chromium – is a very important mineral that not only helps to reduce sugar cravings but also helps to reduce body fat and increase lean muscle tissue. Be sure to take it in a trace mineral complex as the other minerals will provide extra endurance in exercise and stamina if needed. 
• Cinnamon – rich in chromium, a teaspoon of cinnamon on your muesli in the morning or in your power smoothie, warms the body and enhances digestion, especially the metabolism of fats. It is even able to counteract congestion, relieve diarrhea and nausea and improve circulation. 

And of course, don’t forget to avoid junk food, excess alcohol and smoking; drink plenty of water (add lemon to support your liver and improve bowel movements), spend some time outside in the sun and most importantly enjoy yourself! Avoid feelings of restriction and deprivation by being creative and playful with foods. This is a big lifestyle change for many and if you’re not having fun, it’s not likely you’ll sustain it. So take a deep breath and start slowly, approaching the suggested changes one step at a time and most importantly ENJOY!