Mindful Eating Marathon - 26.2 Tips [Infographic]

The Mindful Eating Marathon - 26.2 Tips
Infographic from Spryliving.com

Many health, wellness and weight loss experts believe that mindless eating (a modern day phenomena) not only contributes to weight gain, obesity and eating disorders, but can have other serious health and emotional consequences as well.

Mindless eating includes ignoring our body's satiety and hunger cues, eating when we're not even hungry, grazing, skipping breakfast and other meals, eating on the go, while watching TV, talking on the phone, driving or multitasking.  It also includes eating to calm down or for comfort, continuing to eat despite feeling full, and making food choices without giving our choices any or much thought.

According to some nutritionists, dietitians and holistic health professionals, the practice of mindful eating corrects mindless eating and can profoundly alter our relationship with food in a positive manner, prevent and heal digestive disorders (which are thought to lead or contribute to various chronic diseases), help maintain a healthy weight and aid in weight loss, including toxic belly fat, and generally improve our energy levels, health and sense of wellbeing.

This infographic entitled "The Mindful Eating Marathon" illustrates 26.2 suggestions and tips to help individuals begin eating mindfully:

1.   Eat like a gourmet (smell, touch and savor)
2.   Sit down to eat
3.   Pull out the fine china or at least a pretty plate
4.   Don't multitask
5.   Turn off the TV
6.   Move mindfully (try yoga!)
7.   Eat dietary fiber
8.   Put your fork down between bites
9.   Eat with your non-dominant hand
10. Sip water between bites
11. Rate your hunger before you begin to eat
12. Take a deep breath before eating
13. Give thanks
14. Find your compassion
15. Stay hydrated
16. Get more sleep
17. Don't fight cravings
18. Eat your favorite food last
19. Distract yourself before giving into the urge to eat
20. Mindfully cook
21. Plan for tomorrow
22. Place healthy foods where you can see them
23. Try new foods
24. Be mindful of your dining companions
25. Put even more effort into what you do well instead of trying to change what you struggle with
26.  Focus on nourishing foods
26.2.  Write reminders to eat mindfully on your calendar

These 26.2 tips are from Susan Albers, PsyD, a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in eating issues, weight loss, body image concerns and mindfulness and the author of several excellent books on the subject, including:

✿ Eating Mindfully: How to End Mindless Eating and Enjoy a Balanced Relationship with Food

✿ The Mindful Appetite: Practices to Transform Your Relationship with Food

✿ 50 Ways to Soothe Yourself Without Food

✿ Eat Q: Unlock the Weight-Loss Power of Emotional Intelligence

Related:
Mindful Eating Tips
What is Mindfulness Meditation?

Infographic source and for a large version, please visit: SpryLiving.com

Water: Do You Need 8 Glasses a Day [Infographic]

Water:  Do You Need 8 Glasses a Day?
Infographic from ClevelandClinic.org/HealthHub

We know that adequate daily intake of clean, good quality water is essential to good health and is almost always recommended by nearly every weight loss diet plan and every detox or cleanse program.

According to Dr. F. Batmanghelidj, unintentional chronic dehydration contributes to and even produces pain, many degenerative diseases and mental health conditions including depression, cancer, weight gain and obesity.  Dr. B maintains that many of these diseases and conditions could be prevented and even treated by increasing water intake on a regular, daily basis.

For a more thorough explanation of Dr. Batmanghelidj's work, read
Obesity Cancer & Depression: Their Common Cause & Natural Cure or one of his other books.

So, just how much water should we drink?  Is 8 glasses a day too little, too much or just right?

It turns out that the 8 glasses per day recommendation is just a guideline.  In fact, each person's water intake requirements is different and depends on several factors as illustrated in this infographic. Factors influencing a person's individual water requirement include his or her size (weight), activity level, metabolism, geographical location, diet and general state of health.

Dr. B gives some guidelines on how much water to drink and the most beneficial times to drink it.  He also warns that if you are thirsty, your cells are already dehydrated.  He advises monitoring the amount and color of urine as a guide to whether or not you are taking in enough water and being aware of other symptoms of dehydration - including decreased coordination, fatigue, muscle cramps and headaches.

To stay properly hydrated, this infographic also offers some excellent tips.

Related:
Why Dehydration Makes You Fat and Sick
Daily Water Intake Table
How Alcohol Affects Your Body (and Belly Fat!)

Infographic Source:
ClevelandClinic.org - HealthHub

The Real Food Summit Free Online Event

The Real Food Summit Free Online Event

The Real Food Summit, a 9-day free online event, hosted by Sean Croxton, presented by UndergroundWellness.com takes place July 8 - 16, 2014 and features 27 video presentations by nutritionists, farmers, researchers and other "real food" experts.

For more information and to register, visit The Real Food Summit. Note Skinny Diva is not affiliated with this event.

The summit speakers and topics include:

Real Food Defined
Joel Salatin - Founder, Polyface Farms

The Role of Fish and Seafood in the Real Food Diet
Chris Kresser, L.A.c - Integrative Health Practitioner

The Historical Truth about Raw Fruit Consumption
David Getoff - Board Certified Clinical Nutritionist

Eating Whole Foods for Body, Mind and Soul
Paul Check - Founder, C.H.E.K. Institute

Genetically Modified Foods:  What the People Want to Know
Jeffrey Smith - Author, Seeds of Deception 

The Bountiful Benefits of Bone Broths
Sarah Pope - Blogger, The Healthy Home Economist

Weston Price on Primitive Wisdom
Chris Masterjohn - Blogger and Doctoral Candidate

Pottenger's Prophesy:  The Powerful Impact on Food on Epigenetics
Gray Graham, N. T.P. - Author Pottenger's Prophecy: How Food Resets Genes for Wellness or Illness

Real Food for Fertility
Donielle Baker - Author, Naturally Knocked Up

The Role of Raw Milk in Rebuilding the Broken, Depressed American Immune System
Mark McAfee - Founder, Organic Pastured Dairy

Reviving the Tadition of Fermentation
Jenny McGruther - Blogger, Nourished Kitchen

Breaking Through the Hype:  Five Simple Questions
Catherine Shanahan, MD - Author, Deep Nutrition: Why Your Genes Need Traditional Food and
Food Rules: A Doctor's Guide to Healthy Eating 

When Animals Eat Right, You Can, Too
John Wood - Farmer, US Wellness Meats

Superfoods:  Why You Should Add Them to Your Diet
Yuri Elkaim - Blogger and Author, Eating for Energy

Real Food and Nutritional Ignorance that Caused Obesity
Zoe Harcome - Author, The Obesity Epidemic: What Caused It? How Can We Stop It?

Homo Carnivorus:  What We Are Designed to Eat
Barry Groves, PhD

Why You Should Take Fermented Cod Liver Oil
Kelly the Kitchen Kop - Blogger and Author

Cure Tooth Decay:  Remineralize Davities and Repair Your Teeth Naturally with Good Food
Rami Nagel - Author Cure Tooth Decay: Heal And Prevent Cavities With Nutrition - Limit And Avoid Dental Surgery and Fluoride [Second Edition] 5 Stars

Fat and Happy:  How Traditional Fats Affect Well-Being
Kim Schuette - Certified GAPS Practitoner

Pedicide:  How to Feed Your Children So They Don't Become Victims of Our Modern Food Culture
Pam Schoenfeld - Registered Dietician

Real Food and Weight Regulation
Matt Stone - Blogger, 180 Degree Health

Micronutrient Deficiency:  The Missing Link in the Fight Against Obesity?
Mira and Jayson Calton - Co-Authors Naked Calories : The Calton's Simple 3-step Plan to Micronutrient Sufficiency

Real Food Digestive Troubleshooting
Jordan Reasoner and Steven Wright - Bloggers & Authors

Solving Adrenal Burnout
Pam Killeen - Author Addiction: The Hidden Epidemic: Common Sense Solutions for our #1 Health Problem

Empowering Fertility
Kaayla T. Daniel, PhD - Author, The Whole Soy Story: The Dark Side of America's Favorite Health Food

We Are What We Eat:  How What We Eat Affects Everything Within and Around Us
Aaron Lucich - Film Producer and Director

Why Dehydration Makes You Fat and Sick [Infographic]

In his book, Water: For Health, for Healing, for Life: You're Not Sick, You're Thirsty!,  Dr. F. Batmanghelidj explains why and how persistent dehydration leads to various chronic diseases, illnesses and ailments (including overweight and obesity) and cites 46 vital reasons why our bodies need adequate amounts of water every day.

Much of what Dr. Batmanghelidj so thoroughly explains in his book is reflected and summarized in this fantastic infographic entitled "Why Dehydration is Making You Fat and Sick".

It is thought that chronic dehydration is linked to fatigue, high blood pressure, asthma, allergies, high cholesterol, digestive disorders, bladder and kidney problems, constipation, joint pain or stiffness, premature aging, excessive weight gain and obesity.

Research suggests that drinking plenty of clean, fresh water (while forgoing sodas, commercially prepared fruit juices and caffeinated beverages) helps to relieve pain and aids in the healing various illness and diseases.

General good health is essential to maintaining a healthy weight.  Drinking enough water is further thought to have a direct impact on preventing weight gain and promoting weight loss.

Many health experts now advise drinking about 8 ounces of water immediately upon waking and again right before sleeping, about 16 ounces of water before and after each meal and throughout any exercise or physical activity session.

Some health professionals advocate drinking lemon water first thing in the morning as being one of the best ways to detox the liver, kidneys and other organs. Lemon water is thought to cleanse and purify the blood, eliminating poisonous bile from the body and flushing out other toxins that have accumulated during sleep.

It should be noted that each individual's daily water requirement is different and depends of various factors, including weight, activity level, diet, medication and climate.  For more information about your body's water requirements, see this Daily Water Chart.

Related:
How to Naturally Cleanse the Body

Infographic Source: Bittopper.com - Dehydration

10 Tips for Guaranteed Weight Loss [Infographic]

10 Tips for Guaranteed Weight Loss
[Infographic from Health Me Up]

As the end of the year approaches, many people begin thinking about their New Year resolutions.  For many, at the top of the resolution list is to lose those extra pounds "once and for all".

Unfortunately, for most dieters, this is not the first time they have resolved to make a big weight loss effort in a new year.

Sure, a new year feels like an excellent opportunity to start a new diet, to join the gym, finally sign up for that yoga class, or take up another type of exercise or physical fitness program.

But for many people struggling with obesity or being overweight, past experience demonstrates that it is often very difficult to stay on a diet plan or with an exercise program, despite the best intentions and initial firmest resolve.

This may be because most people do not make adequate preparations before beginning a new weight loss program. Many experts in the field agree that certain preparations and planning are the key to success in losing the extra weight.

This infographic entitled "10 Tips for Guaranteed Weight Loss" outlines some of the important and useful ways to prepare and plan, including:

1.    Deciding how much weight to lose
2.    Managing one's time
3.    Stocking the kitchen
4.    Eating healthy home cooked meals
5.    Starting a cardio and weight training workout
6.    Altering snacking habits
7.    Having at least one active hobby
8.    Finding a solution to combat stress
9.    Drinking plenty of water
10.  Planning healthy vacations

These are all really great tips for starting and maintaining a weight loss program successfully.  Other suggestions include:

❤ Making sure to get enough sleep
❤ Joining an online or local weight loss support group
❤ Adopting a regular meditation practice

So regardless of which weight loss or exercise program you choose, be sure to plan and prepare ahead using as many of these tips as possible.

Related:

10 Common Weight Loss Mistakes
Top 10 Foods for a Speedy Metabolism
Stress Relief Activities
Anatomy of Walking
Vegetables and Physical Activity - the Ultimate Way to Fitness
hCG Weight Loss - Rapid and Long Lasting

Infographic source and further information at:
Health Me Up - Weight Loss

East vs. West Medicine [Infographic]

In the West, we are obsessed with dieting, as evidenced by the sheer number of diets, dietary supplements, weight loss and physical fitness programs and exercise equipment.

Although the desire to be thin often stems from societal pressure to look good, there is a more important reason why we should worry about being overweight, particularly if we have a big waistline and lots of belly fat - obesity and being overweight is linked to many chronic, debilitating and even life-threatening diseases and medical conditions.

Yet, it is thought that various diseases and chronic illnesses (as well as certain "modern" medications) actually cause weight gain and/or impede weight loss.

Hence, in the West, an overweight or obese person who also suffers from certain illness or chronic medical condition is sometimes trapped in a vicious cycle.  This may be because Western medicine often seeks to treat only the symptoms of each condition separately with a prescription for drugs for that particular condition.  When the drugs stop working, or complications due to drug interaction or other reasons arise, the next step is often invasive surgery.

In contract, Eastern medicine (such as Ayurveda) seeks to address and treat the underlying causes of the illness or medical condition, taking into consideration each individual's unique physical, mental and emotional constitution.  By treating the cause (rather than just the symptoms), the symptoms resolve once the cause is discovered and treated.

Eastern medicine also typically relies on only natural courses of both internal and topical treatments, such as proper nutrition, herbal preparations, acupuncture, acupressure and massage, meditation and yoga, detoxification, lifestyle modification and other holistic remedies.

This Infographic entitled "East vs. West Medicine" illustrates some of the key differences between the two approaches, including the history, basic theory, examination and diagnosis, and the duration of treatment for certain ailments and conditions.

Insofar as obesity and being overweight is concerned, most functional medicine physicians and holistic health practitioners agree that any weight loss effort must first begin with a healthy physical, mental and emotional constitution.

The idea is that with a proper diet, program of physical activity, lifestyle changes and natural treatments specific to the individual person, the underlying causes of the illness will be address and weight loss will occur naturally and more easily.

Luckily, in the West, we now live in an age and time when we have access to both systems of medicine.  If we are doing something that is not working, we can become informed and educate ourselves concerning all of our available options.***  A good place to start is by reading some of the books suggested below.


***Nothing in this post should be interpreted as medical advice or a suggestion to stop using currently prescribed medication or other courses of treatment without the supervision and oversight of a qualified medical professional.

Infographic Source:  HealthExecNews.com

Infographic: 5 Herbs Your Liver Will Love

Infographic:  Herbs for Liver Health

With our daily contact with and exposure to chemicals and toxins in the environment, in our food and drinking water and in the personal hygiene and household products we use, it is especially important to regularly detoxify the liver.

A healthy liver is vital to good health because it is responsible for so many important metabolic processes in the body, including regulation of blood cholesterol levels and fat metabolism.

Poor liver function is linked to a variety of degenerative diseases and chronic conditions, including obesity and weight gain and weight loss difficulties.

Regular detoxification of the liver, kidneys and gall bladder are essential to weight loss and healthy weight management as well as to optimal health.  Studies have shown that certain herbs, spices and vegetables are very beneficial to proper liver function and can be powerful detoxifying agents.

This infographic entitled Five Herbs Your Liver will Love - Detox, Boost Function and More illustrates five herbs that are widely known and accepted as excellent natural remedies to detoxify, heal and promote healthy liver function:

✿ Artichokes

• stimulates bile production
• aids in regeneration
• protects liver cells

✿ Burdock Root

• strengthens the liver
• protects against abnormal growths
• blocks cellular damage

✿ Dandelion

• aids in clearing liver congestion
• stimulates liver function
• excellent blood cleanser

✿ Milk Thistle

• prevents absorption of toxins
• protects liver cells
• enhances regeneration

✿ Turmeric

• reduces inflammation in the body, including the liver
• blocks absorption of chemicals and toxins
• is thought to kill liver cancer cells

Related:
Your Amazing Liver
15 Foods that Cleanse the Liver
Top Foods that Chelate the Body of Heavy Metals
Environmental Health 101

Infographic Source:  Natural News 

Ghrelin and Obesity

Obesity Research Breakthrough (via Planetsave)

Reposted from Examiner.com: Most of us have never heard of ghrelin (pronounced GRELL-in). The hormone has made headline news because a study published [this week] has explained how it interacts with FTO (fat mass and obesity-associated protein),…

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The Obesity Epidemic and the Costs of Commercial Cures

The statistics and data on the overweight and obesity rate in the U.S. is alarming. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it is estimated that over two-thirds of American adults are overweight or obese with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 25 or greater and over one-third are obese with a BMI of 30 or greater.