“To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art.” -La Rochefoucauld
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| Nutrition on Purpose |
We all know that good nutrition helps us achieve good health and well being, with the ultimate purpose of good nutrition being to stay alive and to avoid disease. However, food is not just about physical
nutrition, it also has an emotional, mental, and spiritual component. Some may call it holistic nutrition, whereas all aspects of your needs, including psychological, physical and social should be taken into account and therefore seen as a whole. Holistic nutrition views food, eating, wellness,
and exercise not just in terms of calories or weight loss, but in
physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual terms.
Just think about how hard it would be to experience clarity, subtle insight, or even a calm state of mind
when there's heaviness, sluggishness and fogginess in our bodies, or when turned around... being too hyper or too wired with excess energy in our bodies. A poor diet
creates sluggishness in our digestion, in our energy level, and in
mental activity. To be alert, aware and clear is what we should want from our
food.
“Our food should be our medicine and our medicine should be our food.” – Hippocrates
So therein lies the motivation to be purposeful to choose to eat nutrient-dense and appropriate food. The benefits of healthy skin, good energy, strong bodies, good sleep, etc are derived from a healthy diet, but the
deeper purpose is much greater. Ask yourself these three questions when you approach your next meal to see where you stand on being intentional and purposeful when choosing foods for your next meal and your whole health.
Exercising control over your urge to eat, paired
with having the right foods around, will add certainty that you don't go haywire from your diet, but trying to lose weight and controlling those hunger pangs makes it hard. You may find that you're often hungry while dieting and wanting to satiate that hunger, you reach for junk food...simple carbohydrates
and sugar to satisfy your appetite and before long, negate the diet completely.
Have you given thought to appetite suppressant foods? They are healthy whole foods which curb hunger, giving you the feeling of fullness, while helping you lose weight. While reading an article by Bhakti Satalkar at Buzzle, I found that these natural foods could be my secret weapon to staying true to my weight loss plan. Pack these foods for lunch, eat them before or during holiday or special occasion parties, or for just as a snack, between meals. So, if you'll eating for a healthier lifestyle or wanting to lose weight, eating foods that suppresses your appetite proves to
be useful.....anytime.
Appetite Suppressant Foods:
- Almonds: The body uses the pinolenic acid, which the almonds contain, to
manufacture hormones, that suppress hunger.
- Apples: Apples are the best appetite suppressant; the fiber
content gives a feeling of fullness and when chewed well it takes longer to digest.
- Berries: My
favorite appetite suppressant food are the berries;
cherries, strawberries, mulberries, blueberries,
raspberries, lychee, etc. They are rich
in fiber and are known for their antioxidant properties. Eating a
handful of berries will satiate your hunger and you will not feel hungry
for a longer period.
- Chocolate: The
bittersweet taste of the pure dark chocolate (not milk chocolate) will give you a very
satisfied feeling.
- Citrus Fruits: Fruits
like oranges, tangerines, sweet limes, etc. can be had, whenever one is
hungry. They are a good source of
fiber and it is recommended that you not juice the fruit, but eat the whole fruit for all of the nutrients and fiber,
which actually causes appetite suppression.
- Coffee: Coffee is one
of the appetite suppressant foods. You can have a cup or two cups of
coffee with non-fat cream. Try to avoid sugar in the coffee.
- Green Tea: Green
tea not only burns fat but also is a very good appetite suppressant
food. It stimulates the release of hormones, which are responsible for
curbing food carvings.
- Oatmeal: By far, one of the best appetite suppressing foods is oatmeal. It is filled with rich fiber and is responsible for giving you a
satiated feeling for a longer period.
- Water: Water
helps in keeping the body hydrated and keeps hunger at bay. If you have
a glass of water before your meals it will help in suppressing your
hunger. Drink a glass of water at least 20
minutes before meals.
- Whey Protein Powder: Whey protein helps in building muscle mass.
The muscle mass burns the fats easily, which helps in weight loss and at
the same time it also gives you a feeling of fullness. Add it to milkshakes or smoothies.
The next time you need a power boost for those hunger pangs, reach for some healthy, whole, appetite suppressant foods. For more of these foods, read more at Buzzle.
