Organic foods are all the rage. And for good reason. Our society is inundated with growth hormones, pesticides and genetically engineered foods. The consequences of which we are just starting to understand. But, I am not writing this to promote a weight-loss plan derived from eating only organic foods. That can certainly play a roll, but is not a fundamental part of this blog’s conversation.
Rather, I want to talk about organic in the ‘simple, healthful, and close to nature’ definition of the word.
If you’ve read any of my other blogs or ‘Like’ my facebook page you’ve seen my focus is on losing weight through sustainable, permanent lifestyle changes. I don’t promote quick weight-loss solutions. In fact I typically discourage that form of dieting. If it happens too quickly it probably won’t last. This is where my idea of ‘organic’ weight-loss is derived. Simple, healthful, and close to nature.
Think about the causes of obesity. The most simple, fundamental conversation on obesity will always include a calories in, calories out discussion. As a society we eat more and move less than ever before. We are surrounded by calorie dense, nutritionally bankrupt foods. Highly refined foods that send mixed signals to our brain and mess with our hormones. We think we’re still hungry even though we’ve consumed enough in one sitting to last us more than 24 hours. And then we do it again for another 2 to 3 meals. We sit at work for 8 to 10 hours, followed by sitting in front of the TV for another 2-3 hours to unwind from a high stress day. Even if we don’t have a sedentary job, our daily activity, without specified times for exercise, isn’t enough to compensate for our consumption. It’s no wonder we’re getting fatter and fatter.
The mess this lifestyle is wreaking on our brains and hormones is often left out of the conversation. But guaranteed, the emotionally rooted aspects of obesity are affected, if not in some part caused, by our lifestyles. We are not taking care ourselves physically, mentally, emotionally or spiritually. So we compensate with self-destructive choices and patterns that just reinforce our belief that we don’t deserve to be taken care of. And the cycle continues.
So, back to organic weight-loss. What am I promoting?
Our bodies, including our brain and complicated hormonal and chemical systems are remarkably resilient. Given the proper care, they can repair most of the damage we have caused. What is the proper care? Simple, healthful, and close to nature. If we start providing our body and mind with what they need to function at their prime, we will be rewarded with a body that has set a naturally sustainable, healthy weight. Simple, healthful, and close to nature. In practical terms what does simple, healthful, and close to nature really mean?
Our bodies were made to be on the move. And not just leisure movement. When scientists look at our muscles, our connective tissue, our bone structure, there is no arguing anything other than we were built for high levels of activity. A sedentary lifestyle is against our design. But because most don’t have the luxury of having highly active jobs it means we need to get out and exercise. 5-6 hours a week. That doesn’t mean you have to start that heavily. Just getting out and taking brisk 20 minute walks 5 to 6 times a week is a great start. Not only will this help with weight-loss, but your overall health, including your mental and emotional health, will improve dramatically. Over time, start introducing higher levels of activity. Lift weights. Take gym classes. Keep challenging yourself.
What about our food? First of all, just eat less. The truth of the matter is most people can’t even metabolize much more than 500 calories in a sitting. The rest just gets stored as fat. It also works our pancreas overtime in order to metabolize all the sugar and simple carbs we are eating, leading to insulin resistance and Type-II Diabetes. So why are we eating so much? It’s pointless and destructive. Start changing the types of food you eat too. Simple, healthful, and close to nature. Sound familiar? The bag of Doritos, Hot Pockets, Cokes and Big Macs are neither simple, healthful nor close to nature. Slowly weaning ourselves off these foods will go a long way in telling your body you once again care for it. Remember this simple principle: The more ingredients in the food, the less healthy it probably is. Simple, healthful, and close to nature.
This doesn’t mean you should deprive yourself of everything you love. I still enjoy an indulgence now and then. Our body’s filtration and cleansing system can handle the occasional ‘cheat’ food or meal. But the non-stop barrage of chemically laden foods puts such a burden on liver and kidneys that many people are living in a chronic disease state. So make your treats just that. A treat. In fact many have found the more healthy, whole, and natural foods they eat, the less they crave highly processed and unnatural foods.
It’s time to start taking care of ourselves. The life the majority of people are living is not the way we were meant to live. Being obese, chronically ill, overly medicated, depressed and highly stressed doesn’t have to be just a ‘fact of life’. These issues are largely caused by choices we have made knowingly or unknowingly. But now we do know. We know we can make better choices. We can change the path we are on. We can set a better example for our children. It will take time and effort. But it doesn’t have to be complicated. When making future decisions for your health just repeat these words: Simple, healthful, and close to nature.
