Modern nutrition science is being used to update the notion of "healthy" food. Recently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) unveiled a proposal that would alter the criteria that manufacturers must meet in order to make the claim that their food or beverage product is "healthy." The previous definition, which was established in 1994, imposes stringent restrictions on how much sodium, cholesterol, total fat, and saturated fat a meal or beverage may contain. Additionally, it mandated that products include at least 10% of the recommended daily intake of dietary fiber, protein, calcium, iron, vitamin A, or vitamin C for an individual. According to the FDA, just 5% of packaged foods can currently be classified as "healthy," and more than 80% of Americans don't consume enough dairy, fruits, or vegetables. Regulators now want to emphasize the need of encouraging a well-rounded and balanced diet. According to the FDA's proposal, producers may label a food or beverage product as "healthy" if it includes a significant quantity of ingredients from at least one of the food groups or subgroups included in the Dietary Guidelines. These consist of food sources of vegetables, fruits, grains, dairy, and protein. So...what's "healthy"? This shift in thinking indicates that some foods that were formerly thought to be unhealthy are now viewed as essential components of a balanced diet by nutrition scientists. For instance, nutritionists increasingly recognize that the type of fats a person consumes is just as crucial to health as the quantity of fat they ingest. A few high-fat items can now be categorized as healthy under the new law. Salmon, specific nuts and seeds, avocado, and olive oil are a few of these. In fact, I am a firm believer that low-fat or no-fat trends that started to gain traction in the 1960's and the low-fat/no-fat labeled 'diet' foods that started flying off shelves by the 1990's are a HUGE contributor to obesity crisis now so prevalent. “ We’ve evolved so that now, when we talk about the right nutrition messaging around fat, it’s not just about quantity. It’s like your friends in life—it’s not about how many you have, but the quality of those friends. Will they be there for you when you need them?” said Hope Barkoukis, PhD, RDN, LD, FAND, chair of the department of nutrition at the Case Western Reserve University school of medicine. “We’ve made that huge transition—it’s not a focus exclusively on total fat, but rather the quality.” SO, WHY DOES THIS MATTER? Not only have the distorted definitions of what a healthy diet really looks like led to multiple generations of struggling, chronic dieters (which only compounds the problem), but also an influx in certain health conditions. A balanced diet has long been known to lower the risk of developing chronic diseases. A chronic condition like heart disease or type 2 diabetes, which are linked to diet and are preventable, affects half of the population in the United States. SO, WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT?
Breaking the cycle of years and possibly even decades of misinformation and repairing a relationship with food in order to FUEL your body in the ways it truly needs to be healthy is absolutely hard. I know that it certainly was for me. But, it can be done. Yes, you can go it alone, but if you have been a chronic or recurring dieter following outdated ideas that lead to restriction extremes (either in specific food types, macronutrient types or even the 'timing' of your eating schedule, etc.), it can be even more challenging. You don't have to go it alone. I know that I would not have achieved the success I have in my own journey without an amazing support system to help me stay focused and motivated along the way. The RIGHT supplements can help take the edge of some of the inevitable cravings and/or binge patterns that have kept you on the diet hamster wheel so that you can give the necessary attention to fueling your body in a truly nutritious way and on your way to living your life in with a happier and healthier body and mindset!
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I've been working with and advising college students for nearly two decades now and one of the biggest indicators of academic success is inner confidence. Some have it right away, but others have to work at developing it as they transition into a new phase of their life in order to maximize their full potential. Now, in working with coaching adults towards another type of goal - weight loss and wellness - I've discovered that inner confidence still plays a critical role. Personally, I did have inner confidence in some areas of my life, but it was absolutely lacking in others. This became glaringly obvious to me when I started to focus on my wellness journey. Once I was able to find the right tools and harness the power of confidence across a broader spectrum, there was no looking back for me. There are all kinds of strategies, ways of thinking, patterns of behavior and practical tips for improving your life and feeling better about yourself, but they're all redundant if the foundation isn't there. That foundation is the real you, the you that you know deep down you are. The trick is that it takes confidence to find that and to bring out who you are – here are the two keys to real inner confidence. 1. Get To Know Your Values Personal values are a big passion of mine and I often get carried away with myself when I talk about them. This is the topic of an entire lesson that I teach in my seminar to college students aspiring to be future teachers. I make no apology for that though – they’re one of the most important things you can know about yourself and are vital in getting genuine inner confidence. Your values are ten thousand feet down inside you, right at the very core of who you are; and they’re the building blocks, the foundations and cornerstones for you. A value is something in yourself, in others or in the world that’s most important to you, and could include things like beliefs, progress, family, fun, nature, achievement or freedom. Why is it that some people and situations leave you feeling angry, frustrated, demotivated or deflated? It’s because one or more of your values is being denied, suppressed or repressed – and we experience that as a negative experience because it’s denying a fundamental piece of who you are. You know those times when you’ve felt really alive, amazing or buzzing? Those are the times when one or more of your values are being honored, and you can get more of that by living according to them. When you get to know your values, you can start to make choices and align your life around them. It’s so simple and it feels amazing because all that really means is that you’re allowing who you are to live in the real world. 2. Exercise the Muscle Confidence is a muscle, and like any muscle you need to exercise it so that it doesn’t shrink and waste away. The problem is that unlike your biceps or glutes, which tend to stay in the same place, your confidence muscle can be harder to find. How do you develop your biceps or firm up your glutes? By doing exercises that are designed to work that muscle over a period of time until you see the results you were looking for. It’s just the same with confidence. Let’s say that you’re the kind of person that doesn’t take many risks, the kind of person who goes through each day doing what needs to be done and doing it well, but not really stretching yourself. You might talk yourself out of doing something because it’s too scary or because you think to yourself ‘I’m not good enough,’ ‘that’s not who I am’ or ‘I don’t really want it anyway.’ That kind of person lives within what they know and what keeps them safe and comfortable. The fewer risks they take, the less confident they need to be and so the less confident they become. To work your confidence muscle you need to be prepared to take risks – big or small. You need to be willing to stretch yourself in an unfamiliar direction, to try something new or try something in a slightly different way. You need to open yourself up to the possibilities around you and push yourself to increase what you know, what you do and who you are. The more open you are to risk, opportunity and possibility the more confident you need to be, and so the more confidence you’ll develop. That’s your confidence muscle – the question is, what are you going to do to exercise it? I see so many essentially talking themselves out of pursuing a healthier and happier existence because of a lack of inner confidence. Don't let that be you! Dig into understanding your values! Let those values motivate positive action and extinguish the fears that are holding you back! It's okay to be real... Do you have a solid understanding of what your core values are? If so, do you feel that you are currently using those values to guide your daily actions in an effective way? Why or why not? Please share your response to these questions or any other thoughts you have on this article in the comments. I'd love to hear from you! Don't forget... Sign up for the Create Your True Life mailing list so you don't miss a thing... If you have spent a great deal of time and exerted a great deal of effort on losing weight, it goes without saying that you do not want to put those ugly pounds back on. Done correctly, a weight loss program is an investment. As a consequence, you are going to want to embark on a program through which you will be able to maintain a healthy weight now and into the future. Of course, there are two fundamental keys to maintaining a healthy weight. First of all, you need to eat a balanced diet. Such a diet needs to be rich in fruits and vegetables and also high in lean proteins to support the growth and maintenance of muscle mass, a key component in revving up your metabolism. While healthy fats and complex carbs are important, you need to be careful to limit unhealthy fats and simple carbs (like refined sugars). In addition to eating correctly, exercise is also an important part of a program designed to maintain a healthy weight both after a weight loss program reaches its goal as well as on into the future. Many experts maintain that the glue that holds both elements of a weight maintenance program together is the proper usage of vitamins and nutritional supplements. A vast majority of weight control experts and nutritionists maintain that a person has a better chance at weight maintenance success through the use of vitamins and nutritional supplements. What you do need to keep in mind is that vitamins and nutritional supplements properly used are not designed as replacements for a healthy diet. Rather, these products are created to help aid and advance the benefits that you can derive from both eating a well balanced diet and from regular exercise. The natural supplements by Truvy are a great option to consider with a wide variety of options and price points. Truvy understands that there is no magic pill or single supplement regime that is perfect for every person. Every indivdiual has unique challenges and goals. That's why Truvy has options. If you are interested in a free, no-obligation and personalized Truvy supplement recommendation that could have you on your way to improved health and happiness, request a free assessment today. It’s okay to be real…Are there any vitamins or nutritional supplements that you swear by? How do they help you? Please share your response to these questions or any other thoughts you have on this article in the comments. I'd love to hear from you! |
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About meAfter struggling for years with my own career, marriage and health, I have discovered a whole new quality of life by changing my mindset, taking chances as well as finding and using the right tools to help focus on choices that lead to joy in the pursuit of health and happiness. Now, I'm called to share my journey, what I've learned and those tools so that they might help others, too! Archives
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