I bumped into a friend recently who’d lost a lot of weight and looked great. I asked, “What’s your secret? What’d you do?” She smiled and replied, “Turns out it’s no secret after all. I’ve been watching what I eat and exercising regularly.”
We live in such a have-it-now culture that we rush to pills, fads, and quick fixes. And yet, to truly feel great over the long haul, we must establish a few healthy practices.
- A healthy diet that’s unique to us (and our food sensitivities)
- Lots of water (less sugar drinks)
- Regular exercise that we enjoy
- Consistent bedtime routine
- A renewed mind and redemptive self-talk (based on Scripture)
Recently on Middays, I spoke with health professionals, Danna Demetre and Robyn Thomson about their book, Eat, Live, Thrive Diet: A Lifestyle Plan to Rev up Your Midlife Metabolism. They talked about a three-phase plan to determine what your specific food sensitivities might be so you can build a diet plan that your body loves and that’s sustainable over the long haul.
For instance, did you know that certain foods can cause mood swings, joint aches, or even anxiety? You may feel no distress in your gut, yet certain foods may still wreak havoc on your health.
Here’s their three-step plan:
- Elimination phase
- Discovery phase
- Lifestyle phase
First, you eliminate key foods from your diet for 14 days, and then you add them back, one at a time, for a three-day period. You’ll be amazed to learn which foods bother you and which foods do not. This process is critical for determining how your regular go-to foods are affecting you.
They say that most people feel their absolute best during this elimination phase because they give their body a break from foods that are just not friendly to their particular system.
What I love about this plan is that it’s very doable and completely sustainable.
It’s important to note that you can do a lot of the right things with diet and exercise, yet still sabotage your efforts with negative thoughts and demeaning self-talk. Here are a few examples from Danna and Robyn’s book that may help you begin a new conversation with yourself about your health:
- I am excited to discover a healthier lifestyle and watch my body transform
- I love being active, so I make exercise a part of my daily lifestyle
- I choose to eat for maximum energy and health
- I am changing my unhealthy beliefs and attitudes
- I am becoming transformed by the renewing of my mind
- I can see myself leaner and healthier I the months ahead
Can you picture a healthier, more vibrant you? I pray you can!
Why wait? Start making healthy choices today. You’ll be glad you did.
My beloved friend, I pray that everything is going well for you and that your body is as healthy as your soul is prosperous. ~ 3 John 1:2