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Collagen supplements
32—It's all about practicing
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Daily Fundamentals
Back to basics
I see a lot of people (both the health conscious, and the unwell), flittering about all over the place. They jump from one health-food craze, fad diet, or natural health practitioner1 to the next, in a desperate bid to improve their health. And they want it to happen immediately!
Unfortunately, if this is your approach to getting healthy, it just ain’t going to happen. If you want to master your health, you need to stop dabbling in health. Quit being so impatient already! Manage your expectations. Stop making things harder than they need to be (it shouldn’t be difficult to achieve good health as it is our natural state of being). Commit to the ‘long-game’.
You need to focus on getting ‘back to basics’ before you start experimenting with the likes of Kombucha, Coconut Kefir, Maca, and extreme diets… Because contrary to popular belief, they are not magic cure-alls. To get healthy, rather than continuously seeking out ‘the latest and greatest’ thing, you are far better off practicing daily fundamentals2.
Note: You may even find that you don’t need to seek out extraneous additions to your dietary regimen if you simply focus on having a ‘good diet’.
Back to life, back to reality
Sadly, I feel that it’s necessary to point out that there is no such thing as a perfect food. There is no such thing as a perfect ‘diet’. And there is no such thing as a perfect way of being or living.
Please stop wasting your time, money, effort, and angst striving for something that doesn’t exist. Put simply — it’s just not good for your health.
Daily Fundamentals
To master healthy eating you need to commit to practicing ‘the basics’ every single day:
What to eat & drink
It doesn’t take an Astro Physicist (or a Naturopath for that matter) to establish that the following recommendations are essential for optimum health.
Eat a fresh, seasonal, varied, and organic diet
(wherever possible)Eat simply
(use only a few ingredients per meal)Sip on filtered water throughout the day
(specifically don’t ‘chug’ fluid directly before, during, or straight after eating)When to eat
In order to function optimally3, you should aim to eat at regular intervals throughout the day4.
Eat every 3—4 hours
(e.g 7am/10am/1pm/4pm/7pm)Note: ensure you eat 3x moderately sized meals per day, and that you have two healthy snacks.
Where to eat
Humans are predominantly social creatures. Therefore eat in the company of others4. If you have time, go for a gentle walk in the fresh air once you’ve finished eating.
Note: If you have to eat alone, ensure you don’t do this at your desk (working), or while standing up at the bench! Instead, sit at ‘the table’, or sit under a tree with an enjoyable book or magazine (don’t take your work with you).
How to eat
I recommend my clients use ‘The Chew & Pause’ method of eating to promote better digestion. To find out more information on this, please check out my post on this technique: Lisa’s Faux-Fast Cleanses
Eat slowly, chew well, breath between mouthfuls, and don’t over-eat.
Or, if you want to get more advanced with your eating…
Please follow the advice I provide in this other article that I wrote: Mediative Munching.
A little extra somethin’ somethin’
If you focus on ‘healthy eating’ (and not just healthy food), for most of the week, there should be no reason why you can’t indulge a little5. Next week, I’ll share my ‘Adult Treat System’ with you…
Until then, I suggest you get some ‘Daily Fundamentals’ practice in!
Make an appointment with Lisa
Lisa Fitzgibbon is a degree qualified (2006), experienced and registered Naturopath & Medical Herbalist. She runs her own private practice – OOMPH in Grey Lynn, Auckland, New Zealand.
Lisa has been involved in the Natural Health industry for 16 years. She draws on her professional training and experience, as well as her own personal experience to bring you realistic, holistic health advice.
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