Friends, Happy New You!The promised land of great health suffers violence and only the VIOLENT health-conscious takes it by force (Matthew 11:12).The bible tells us that if we break the hedge (perhaps through unhealthy eating habits) the serpent (of say weight gain and diabetes) will bite (Eccl. 10:8)
As Kingdom women (and men too) our bodies are the temple of God (1 Cor. 6:15-20). The Bible tells us that whosoever defiles the temple of God (perhaps through overeating, smoking, recreational drug use, etc) shall be destroyed (could be through weight gain, diabetes, lung cancer…you get the point). MAY THAT NOT BE OUR STORY IN JESUS’ MIGHTY NAME!
Beloved, the Bible tells us to forget the past and look forward to a bright future (Phil. 3:13). We must always strive to improve ourselves and to be the best that we can possibly be for God. As written in Ephesians 5:16-18, we most certainly can “redeem the times” (the ones we have already lost to bad habits that is). Yesterday is gone; today is a gift. This is why it’s called the present 😊 Let us make a conscious effort to improve ourselves. Trust me, there is always room for improvement.
I have put together some tips that I have learned over the years through reading various magazines or watching various television shows. What might work for one person may not necessarily work for another. Little changes we incorporate will make A LOT of difference in the long run. It is my hope that any of these tips would assist or empower us in our decision for new and improved versions of ourselves.
Weight loss tips
Oatmeal has lots of fiber, is VERY filling and low in fat too. Though it is usually eaten as a hot cereal, it can now be made into fufu and eaten as lunch or dinner. It can also be added to baked foods and in smoothies.
Replace high calorie drinks with water or green tea. You can flavor the green tea with sweetners like stevia, monk fruit and lemon. Green tea can be enjoyed cold as iced tea.
Eat steamed or raw vegetables at every meal. You can make your vegetables more appetizing. I often stir fry my veges in some classic Asian sauce 😊Sometimes I flavor my veges with miso paste.
Replace white rice with brown rice, kinoa, bulgur wheat, or whole wheat pasta. I once made “combination” fried rice with brown rice, mixed veg, chicken, shrimps,fried egg, soy sauce, and onions. The kids loved it 😊 They said it tasted like Chinese food.
Try adding baked sweet potato to your diet. It is really good and packed with fiber and beta carotene.
Foods with probiotics like yogurt, kefir, and sauerkraut help your stomach digest food better.
Fresh fruits on an empty stomach acts as a fat burner
Plain water with a dash of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar first thing in the morning acts as a fat burner
Spicy foods accelerates your metabolism. Do not shy away from shaking some powdered cayenne pepper on your meals.
Stay away from fried foods. Bake, steam, broil your foods instead. I now use my air fryer to make crispy chicken that is similar to fast food.
When I enjoy an occasional piece of cake or any other dessert, the next day I eat a grapefruit on an empty stomach which acts as a fat burner. Sometimes I just have my lemon water or water with vinegar on an empty stomach and it sort of acts as a fat flush.Beloved, where there is a will there is certainly a way 😊
Exercise daily for at least 30 mins. You can break this down into two 15-minute sessions or three 10-minute sessions. My favorite form of exercise is to walk for 30 minutes daily.
Anytime you feel like a crunchy unhealthy snack (like potato chips) try healthier options like lentil chips or dried edemame instead. I usually get them from Ross or TJ-Max.
Food combining diet: If eating rice, yams, other carbs separate them from meats. Eat them with veges. If eating meats, do so with veges and no starches. Separate your starches from your meats. Eat starches with veges and meats with veges but not together!!! Many have recorded weight loss by simply doing this.
Cinnamon diet: Shake a little bit of cinnamon powder on EVERY meal if you can tolerate it. MANY have reported inches lost around the waist by just doing this.
Grapefruit diet: Eat half a grapefruit BEFORE every meal if you can. Many have reported weight loss by just doing this.
Hydrate: Someone lost A LOT of weight by simply drinking at least 8 glasses of plain water a day!!!
Psychological versus physiological hunger:When you feel hungry and you know you have eaten in the past 4 hours, drink a glass of plain water. If after that you are still hungry, then you have earned the right to eat because you are really physiologically hungry.
Jumpstart your metabolism: You can cleanse your system which jumpstarts your metabolism by going on a 3-day fruit and vegetable diet only. After this you can resume your regular HEALTHY eating.
ADD SPICES TO EVERY MEAL!!!
Add sweet spices to your pancakes, french toast, fruit salads, yogurt, and other sweet meals. Add savory spices to all your savory meals. Among other great health benefits, this revs up your metabolism and keeps your body in the fat-burning mode all the time.
SAVORY SPICES: Curry, pepper, garlic, pepper, oregeno, rosemary, etc.
SWEET SPICES: ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, etc
DRINK HOT TEA AFTER MEALS!!!
This is a slimming secret common among Asians.
NO CARBS AFTER 2PM!!!
If you can, try not to eat carbs after 2pm.
ACID/ALKALINE FOODS!!!
The human body thrives best in an alkaline environment. Most fresh fruits and vegetables are alkaline while most processed foods are acidic. Try the 80/20 rule (eat alkaline foods eighty percent of the time and acidic food twenty percent of the time).
THE 80/20 RULE
For the most part, eat right (alkaline foods) at least eighty percent of the time. The remaining twenty percent of the time, feel free to “indulge” (in acidic foods) but with moderation. This helps you to avoid binge-eating.
HOMEOPATHIC DIET!!!
Eat only natural foods (those that have not been processed). The body works better on a “caveman” diet. Let your foods include meats, fresh fruits and vegetables, “fresh” foods like rice, beans, plantains, yams, etc.
THE 16-HOUR FAST!!!
Don’t eat anything between 8pm and 12noon the next day. If you do this, what you eat between 12 noon and 8pm will be better absorbed by your body. The long stretch of no food (from 8pm till 12 noon) will also rid your body of toxins.
I wish you the best of luck on your decision to adopt healthier eating habits this year and hopefully for the rest of your lives. I hope you’ll follow me on my weight loss journey. I believe that what is good for the goose is great for the gander. Let’s hold one another accountable. I pray God will crown our efforts with bounties in Jesus’ mighty name!
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