Five Keys to Weight Loss
Often my patients ask for advice to lose weight. Although acupuncture and herbal medicine can be supportive, I tell my patients to pay more attention to their eating and lifestyle habits during the rest of the week. The following recommendations aren’t magic, but if followed, they are very effective.
1. If our digestion is poor, we have to eat more in order to feel satisfied. Here are a few tips to improve digestion and reduce food intake, without going hungry. If followed, these simple rules can improve ones health and well being dramatically.
a. Eat slowly and chew your food well. This simple rule will greatly enhance your sense of fullness and satisfaction.
b. Stop eating before you are completely full. There is a 15-minute lag between the time we eat something and the time the brain registers the sensation of fullness.
c. Try to eat your main meal in the middle of the day and when you are genuinely hungry and can better burn the calories.
2. In the brain, the hunger signal and the thirst signal can easily get crossed. As a result, when we feel hungry, our bodies are often crying out for water and not food. So, staying well hydrated is an important key for appetite control. The next time you have a hunger attack, try drinking one or two glasses of lukewarm water. After about 15 minutes, you may find that your hunger has disappeared completely.
3. When it comes to exercise, there are two important factors to weight loss: muscle tone and walking. If we can build up our muscle mass, we will burn considerably more calories in our normal daily activity. For three days a week, do 30 minutes of weight training, under the guidance of a professional trainer to start with. During the other four days of the week, begin a walking program, gradually working up to 2 or 3 miles per day. If you have a health concern, it is important to discuss exercise with your doctor in order to design a program that is best suited for you.
4. Soothing the mind and the emotions will often reduce our craving for food. Nothing is more effective than deep breathing in order to increase the body’s energy and release blocked emotions. Try to be more aware of your breathing all during the day and take extra deep breaths as often as possible.
5. If you follow the above recommendations, you may eat what you want, in moderation. Except, you should strictly avoid junk foods, fried foods, butter, margarine and pork. Also, avoid alcohol or at least reduce to one glass of wine each day, with your main meal.
Final Note: Above all, relax and try to be happy with your body type. Very few of us are meant to look like fashion models, even though the advertising media would like us to believe otherwise. Strive for moderation in all things. If we maintain good health, we will very likely achieve the correct weight for our unique body type.
Thank you for visiting my blog. If you have questions about acupuncture and shiatsu, or if you have a specific health concern, please contact me at:
Bart Walton, L.Ac.
Licensed Acupuncture & Shiatsu
Portland, Oregon
503/939-5805
Tags: Acupuncture, diet, digestion, portland, Portland acupuncture, weight loss