How to lose weight naturally and permanently and start living your life!
The good news is that you don’t need a diet program that tells you how to lose weight. We’ve really complicated life by allowing ourselves to indulge in general “diet” beliefs, such as counting calories to lose weight, low-fat foods to lose weight, sugar-free foods to lose weight – the list goes on. But all you really need to know to lose weight naturally and effortlessly is what foods to eat, what exercises to do, and how to change the way you think about food.
What food should you eat to lose weight?
I once went on a normal raw food diet for 3 months. The only cooked food I ate was a little bit of feta cheese and hummus. I’ve lost a lot of weight and feel really good! It was so liberating to go on this raw food diet, because I stopped thinking about dieting and losing weight, and I ate whatever I wanted—as long as it was raw and natural. I can comfortably say, you can eat the following in any amount whatsoever, as long as you stick to what’s on this list – the general rule is that any food should be unprocessed and unrefined, so you may have left out some foods, but be your own judgement.
Food combining (not eating certain foods together) also works well, as it ensures faster digestion, which affects weight loss.
The most important aspect of losing weight naturally, however, is eating what God intended the human body to eat – natural, whole foods free of additives and other toxins. In other words, the best foods to eat are those that go rancid within a couple of days. This of course does not include canned vegetables which can last for years! Please understand that if something has a long shelf life, you have to ask yourself what was added to it to make it last!
Here is a list of things that are good for your body, and that will help you lose weight almost automatically:
vegetables:
Zucchini, Peas, Corn, Onions, Garlic, Broccoli, Baby Zucchini (zucchini), Cauliflower, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Peppers, Carrots, Walnuts, Squash, Patties, Gemstones, Rhubarb, Asparagus, Mushrooms, Artichokes, Cabbage, Cabbage, Ginger, Leeks, Spring Onions, Lettuce, Olives, Tomatoes
Herbs:
Dill, fennel, watercress, parsley, mint, basil, rosemary, oregano
Nuts: (must be raw, never salty)
Almonds, cashews, macadamia nuts, brazil nuts, pecans, walnuts
Seeds: (must be raw, never salty)
Flaxseeds (it is better to grind them or the body cannot fully utilize them), pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds
fruit:
Figs, Grapefruit, Nartjes, Apple, Lemon, Grape, Kiwi, Lime, Orange, Papaya, Pear, Pineapple, Cherry, Plum, Raisin, Mango, Cranberry, Strawberry, Watermelon, Cranberry, Banana, Apricot, Peach, Cranberry
Fats:
Cold pressed olive oil, cold pressed sunflower oil, cold pressed flaxseed oil, hemp seed oil
herbal tea:
All herbal teas – make sure you don’t add anything processed (such as flavorings)
Sweeteners:
Honey, stevia, agave syrup, xylitol
Sprouts:
all sprouts
carbohydrates:
Sweet potatoes, brown rice, unrefined oats, potatoes
Beans and legumes:
Black beans, chickpeas, pinto beans, lentils, kidney beans, navy beans, pinto beans, and soybeans
Use sparingly, if at all:
Meat, chicken, fish, broth, sauces, butter, cow’s milk, cheese
Do not use:
All processed foods (sweets, salty snacks, chips, cereal bars, white bread, white flour, fatty meats, processed meats, margarine, artificial sweeteners (aspartame)
What exercise should you do to lose weight?
Different exercises do different things to the body. Ideally, you need a combination of aerobic exercise (anything that makes your heart beat faster), plus weights and stretching. You should be doing at least 30 minutes of exercise a day, and you should be straining your body in these exercises, which means less heavy breathing and sweating!
Changing the way you think about food:
This is the key to losing weight permanently. Food should be thought of as essential to survival. It should not be used to satisfy the emptiness inside, to entertain when bored, or to rest. Like I mentioned, I followed a raw food diet for 3 months, but I didn’t really get around to how I related to food, so when I finished the raw food diet, I gained all the weight I lost, and more. Without addressing this vital aspect, you are not likely to lose weight permanently.
Once you understand the simplicity of eating for nutritional value, along with portion control, your life will become much simpler and instead of counting calories per meal, you can start living your life doing much more important things than measuring fat grams!
