During my workshops people frequently tell me how exhausted they are from many things ranging from work pressure to emotional stresses at home. That, I tell them, is a good sign, because they are feeling their bodies and the need to do something about it.
Your energy level determines your sense of well-being, happiness, creativity, mood and long-term quality of life. And, it is so easy to do something about it. You have the power to make that decision. Here are the first three steps. The others will follow in my next blogs:
1. Liberate yourself from sugar addiction
Freeing yourself from sugar addiction is one of the most important things you can do to boost your health. Sugar is a stimulant that puts your body on alert by boosting the stress hormone cortisol. Your blood pressure increases and initially you feel a boost of energy. The downside is that such a feeling is only short-lived like taking an addictive drug.
Did you know that the average Pizza you buy from the supermarket is filled with the equivalent of 25 teaspoons of sugar. All the common soda drinks have equally high white sugar content. Artificial sweeteners are suspected of causing Alzheimer and many other modern-day illnesses. See this damning report on how the pharmaceutical industry managed to bring it onto the market
Sugar upsets the calcium/phosphorus ratio and thus the homeostasis process in the body. Phosphorus is one of the most important nutrients your body needs because it helps filter out waste in the kidneys and stores energy. Most of it is also used to strengthen the bones and teeth.
Try and do without sugar for about 40 days and you will feel the difference. There are alternatives out there such as unrefined raw cane sugar, honey and stevia that you can buy in any organic store.
2. Drinking good water
Water is crucial to flushing out toxins in your body and is the most crucial life-sustaining drink. Between 50 and 75 per cent of your body is composed of water. It is responsible for functions such as digestion, absorption, circulation, creation of saliva, transportation of nutrients, and maintenance of body temperature. There are different views on how much each individual needs. It depends a lot on your age, the temperature and the amount of exercise you are doing. A lot of our tap water however is contaminated with heavy metals, hormones and pesticides. So be sure that your source of water is healthy – ideally spring water. You can also add flavour to your water by adding frozen berries, lemon or cucumber. Your intake of calory foods and soft drinks will naturally decrease.
3. Eat less and eat healthy seasonal foods
Local seasonal foods with short transportation routes still carry a lot of nutrients that you won’t find in those supermarket foods that have been in storage for a long time before they reach your table. Even many of the power foods no longer have the nutrient level they once had because of degenerating soils, long transportation routes and genetic manipulation. (see graph below) If you eat better quality food your portions can also be smaller. Eating slowly and with pleasure also gives the body time to digest.
|
Tested Vegetable |
Nutrient |
1985 |
1996 |
2002 |
Variation in % 1985-1996 |
1985-2002 |
|
Broccoli
|
Calcium manganese |
103 24 |
33 18 |
28 11 |
-68 -25 |
-73 -55 |
|
Spinach |
Magnesium Vitamin C |
62 51 |
19 21 |
15 18 |
-68 -58 |
-76 -65 |
|
Banana |
Calcium folic acid magnesium Vitamin B6 |
8 23 31 330 |
7 3 27 22 |
7 5 24 18 |
-12 -84 -13 -92 |
-12 -79 -25 -95
Source: 1985 Geigy. 1996 and 2002 Food laboratory Karlsruhe/Sanatorium Oberthal, Germany. |
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