Uncommon Senses
Weight loss and stress
Are you carrying the weight of the world on your waistline as well as your shoulders?
Stress reduction is not only good for your mental health but for your weight too. Stress is counter productive to weight loss because it can shut down parts of the digestive system and stimulate the hormones that help lay down body fat. Stress can also make you more likely to crave fattening and nutrient depleting foods, furthermore keeping your body undernourished and overweight. This is also made worse if your stress is causing you to lose sleep, as the only way for the body to increase energy and combat tiredness is by taking in more calories. My advice is reduce your stress first then try to lose weight.
Gold Kiwi fruit
You may have never seen one, but these NZ grown fruit contain powerful antioxidants. Much higher in Vitamin C than both oranges and the regular kiwifruit, they can be a good choice of fruit to help boost your immunity. These kiwis are also very high in folate, zinc, and vitamin E so they are a natural food choice if you want to boost your fertility or are expecting. The small seeds in kiwifruit are also good for helping to move sluggish bowels and can even be crushed to produce an oil rich in omega 3 essential fatty acids. Recent studies show a regular intake of kiwifruit can be useful in improvingchildhood asthma too. So instead of going green, go gold as well.
Living foods
Cooked, cold and raw foods are the foods eaten by most people most of the time.
Yet often vegetables are over cooked and nutrients are lost, and raw vegetables can cause unnecessary digestive upset. So have you considered supplementing your diet with living foods? Living foods are vegetation which is growing and giving off oxygen, hence containing more life and vital energy than just simple calories and fibre. These foods provide the digestive tract with an instant boost, nourish the blood and can enhance immunity. Living foods include sprouted seeds, alfalfa sprouts, wheat grass and mung beans. To reap the benefits add a punnet of living sprouts into your daily diet which can easily be grown at a home using a sprouting kit.
Eating for your spirit
Your attitude to food matters deeply. We talk about what is added to our foods in terms of additives but what about your mood when you cook / eat? If you tend to cook meals in a hurry you may have a tendency to fry too many foods. If you cook for your kids in a bad mood, don't be surprised if they don't enjoy the meal. Or if you don't bother at all to cook healthy meals you may be sending your body the message you are simply not worthy or wanting of good health and well being. So instead send your body the right messages when eating. Eat and enjoy good food with good company and if you do eat something you shouldn't, then enjoy it, it will help digest it, however, guilt won't. Western nutrition is often faddy, so its best to enjoy all foods in moderation as well as discover what foods makes you feel best.