Nutrition

It saddens me to see the plague of obesity infecting our great Nation. People are Overweight yet extremely under nourished. They don't understand why or how and it's been programmed in them that its not a product of their control. "Bad genes", "Big bones", "Thyroid disease","Stress"...the list goes on. The problem is not your genes or your "disease", I'm sorry but its not. Instead, its under your control. Yes, you control this and that should give you confidence and sense of power rather than fear. I'm not saying that everyone can easily have six-pack abs and 5% bodyfat because there is a genetic disposition there. We can however be healthy, vibrant human beings who easily fall within a "healthy" weight category given our height and gender.

The key to achieving health from food is by eating food that is food in the first place. I'll explain: Most of the "food" that people consume in the U.S. should never be considered food. We have so much heavily processed, chemical laden garbage that is designed to be cheap (to make a profit) and taste good (more like over-stimulate), that we've lost sight of what food is. Food is a substance meant to nourish us. It's not our comfort, or reward, or drug that we get high on, and when you can start thinking in this manner you will begin to make positive changes. Food should be something close to the earth that you could grow, gather, or hunt yourself if you really had to. I'm not saying you have to grow and hunt your own food but you should ask yourself: Is this real food? Or is it processed to the point that only a lab or factory can churn it out. Read the ingredients. Can you pronounce the ingredients? If not, you probably shouldn't be eating it.

So what falls under this category of foods that are foods? Well in general it would be to eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar. The quantity of food you eat should support the ability to do exercise but not gain body fat. Don't worry about fat that you eat because you burn fat for energy. As long as you're not eating massive amounts of processed simple carbs - those carbs that you do eat will not spill over as extra bodyfat - which is what usually happens.

Get off the scale because losing weight takes time and should take time. Its a slow net loss and depending upon your water consumption will fluctuate day by day. Scales make people depressed and you don't need one. Get outside and go for a walk or a run...or a run, walk. Go for a bike ride. Reconnect with nature. You will thank yourself if you do. This isn't hard but can look overwhelming. Make slow steps in the right direction and you can do it, no excuses

In Health

Jake Brown, D.C.