Three Ways to Slim Down for Spring

Three Ways to Slim Down for Spring

Everyone gets motivated to shed some unwanted pounds as soon as the weather warms up enough for us to begin shedding some of our clothing layers! Rather than embark on a structured, short term diet, why not adopt three slimming, lifestyle principles that are easy enough to “wear” right on through the year?

1-Eat, don’t drink, your fruit

In the Garden of Eden there were no juice bars. Fruit was created to be eaten whole—flesh and juice together. This practice keeps the sugar levels in our blood stable and protects us against insulin resistance, diabetes, and obesity. So skip the juice and bite into whole fruit instead.

2-Cut down on the white stuff

As Americans, we are addicted to the white stuff—bread, pasta, cakes, cookies, rice. God created grains to be eaten whole as well, which means the outer bran must accompany the soft, white internal pulp that we have grown so fond of. By eating sparingly of the “colorless” foodstuffs you will again reap the benefit of stable blood sugar, slower digestion, and less need to store away those calories as fat.

3-Sleep more

Three quarters of Americans are under slept and 2/3 of adults are overweight or obese. Here’s the connection: Sleeping less than seven hours each night creates a hormonal imbalance in the brain which acts to stimulate your appetite throughout the day and suppress the “I’m full” feeling that you should be experiencing after eating an adequately-sized portion. While the act of sleep may not burn many calories, adequate sleep can save you from consuming too many throughout the day.

Need convincing? Recently, one of my patients dropped three clothing sizes in three months just by eliminating one glass of grape juice each day and switching the bread on her afternoon sandwich from rye to a sprouted, whole grain variety. With slimming changes like these, you’re bound to have a new Spring in your step this year!