While many people know what to eat to be healthy, they may not always do it. Eating healthy can be just another hectic task to add to the “to-do” list in people’s busy lives. Additionally, food marketers and fad diets have complicated matters even more (i.e. the low-fat diet trend of the past), making it difficult for the average consumer to know what’s healthy and what is not.

The good news is that eating healthy can be simple and fun. It’s all about getting back to the basics and focusing on our the ancestral principles of the Paleo diet.

Follow these nutritious guidelines and you’ll eat healthier (and be healthier) every day.

1. Eat more vegetables

   This is why we love the Paleo diet. It is a plant-based way of eating. When vegetables become your main source of cellular (living) carbohydrates, and you omit processed carbs, your health changes for the better. Veggies are rich in disease-fighting and age-fighting antioxidants. They are also loaded with fiber, a key fuel source for your gut bacteria.

   This is the best way to prevent chronic diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. This is why the Paleo diet is so protective. It is because you get your carbohydrates from vegetables and this shifts the microbiome to be healthier and more diverse in bacteria.

2. Fast

   It is only natural to go through periods of feasting and fasting. Our ancestors went through times without food and this was normal (and healthy). Big food companies have urged us to not go hungry and snack at all hours of the day. Yet, this is not healthy. In fact, it’s harmful. Eating more frequently spikes the hormone insulin, pushing the body into “food storage” mode. When we go for periods without food consumption, insulin levels drop, and stored fat can be burned off for fuel. This is the body’s natural way of regulating weight, boosting metabolism, and stimulating immune and cardiovascular health.

   Indeed, fasting has many health benefits for the heart.

3. Drink better water

   Adequate daily hydration affects everything you do, and everything your cells do. Your cells need proper amounts of hydration to perform their biochemical functions. Additionally, the water needs to be a good quality, mineral-rich water. Reverse osmosis water is considered “dead” water as there are no minerals added back in. In order for water to make its way into cells and hydrate them, there needs to be ample amounts of minerals. Minerals are key for proper hydration.

   Our favorite water system is called Pristine Hydro. This water system takes water through ten advanced stages of filtration to remove even the most minuscule of contaminants, ensuring the highest purity. It then re-energizes it (by running it over stones) and re-mineralizes it. Get quality water you can feel good about drinking. Your health depends upon it.

4. Take digestive enzymes

   Digestive enzymes are your key supplement to help you break down your food (digest) and assimilate (absorb) your nutrients into your cells, where they belong. Due to a host of conditions such as leaky gut syndrome, inflammation, low stomach acid, etc., many individuals struggle to fully reap the benefits of the food they consume.

   If you think you have digestive issues, or may need digestive enzymes, we recommend 2-3 capsules of our Digest with each meal. If you’re wondering if you could benefit from digestive enzymes, you can also schedule a free, 20 minute health coaching consult here.

5. Cut the sugar

   Sugar is the one ingredient that makes its way into just about every processed food and drink product there is. Excessive sugar intake is linked to most every chronic disease such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer. This is another reason why we love the Paleo diet. It eliminates processed foods and refined sugar, which is a win-win for your health.

   Omitting sugar from your diet is one of the simplest things you can do for your health, but also one of the most powerful things. Read your ingredient labels and choose whole, living foods. Go Paleo.

6. Focus on fish

   Incorporate more fatty fish into your daily diet. Quality fish should be a staple in many of the weekly meals you make. Fatty fish such as salmon, sardines, mackerel and herring are rich in omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3 fats are essential fats that must be obtained in the diet as the body cannot make them. Most individuals are not eating enough fish. For cardiovascular protection, we like to see patients eating wild-caught fatty fish a minimum of 4 times per week. Omega 3 fatty acids are responsible for lowering inflammation in cells and normalizing blood lipid levels as well as keeping arteries healthy and elastic.

   If you are not a fish eater, it is strongly recommended to supplement. Take 2 caps daily of Omega DHA for a powerful omega 3 boost.

7. Meal prep

   An easy (perhaps the easiest?) way to eat healthier is simply to cook more at home. The main reason for cooking more at home and meal prepping on your weekends is that you get to decide on your nourishment. It is fun to eat out, but even at the “healthiest” restaurants, you can’t always control what ingredients are used. Instead, try to think of cooking as creative nourishment and focus on more ways to nourish your body and your cells.

   Another benefit to spending more time in the kitchen is that it is an act of self-care that empowers you and your relationship with eating. Focus on cooking nutritious meals that fill up your body and soul. Here are our top 20 heart-healthy meals you can meal prep on a Sunday. Happy cooking!

The post How to Eat Healthier Every Day appeared first on TDW.

Weight gain is linked to a myriad of health problems such as heart disease, cancer and Type 2 Diabetes. Furthermore, where those extra pounds are located on your body ultimately determines your risk for chronic disease. Abdominal adiposity (excess weight around your mid-section) is one of the greatest risk factors for coronary heart disease.

Here are our top 10 tips to lose weight and feel great for individuals over the age of 50.

1. Increase your fasting time

   In order to obtain sustainable weight loss (meaning you lose the weight and keep it off) you must engage in fasting. There must be periods of both feasting and fasting in your daily routine. The reason is that when we are always eating then the insulin hormone is always spiking and relaying the message to the body that it should be in “fat storage” mode. When you are in fat storing mode, you are storing caloric energy and therefore you cannot burn stored fat.

   Higher insulin levels signal to the body that it should store more food energy as fat. Conversely, when you go for periods without eating (i.e. fasting) then insulin levels drop, and your body can burn stored fat for fuel. Fasting creates the ideal circumstances for burning stored fat and improving insulin sensitivity. If you give your body the CHANCE, it will burn the carefully stored fat for energy. This is normal and necessary for optimal metabolic health. The concept of fasting focuses on “when” to eat. You can lose the weight AND keep it off with the practice of IF, a practice that has been around since the dawn of humanity.

   It turns out the commonly heard advice to eat 6-10 times a day and always eat breakfast was never based on scientific evidence. So why were these recommendations made? So that companies could sell more food products, of course. Increase your fasting time. Read more about the health benefits of fasting here.

2. Follow a Paleo diet

   Now that we’ve established that it’s necessary to adjust when you eat, we also should highlight the importance of focusing on what you eat. These two tips: when and what (you eat) are the essentials for successful weight loss. The Paleo diet is what we recommend to all. It is the way our ancestors ate and is a “common sense” diet to follow. It’s getting back to eating REAL foods. There is no calorie counting when you follow a Paleo guide to eating.

   The Paleo diet focuses on grass-fed meat, wild-caught fish, fresh vegetables, nuts, seeds, and seasonal fruits. This diet focuses on whole foods and eliminates processed foods and additives. The Paleo diet emulates how the hunter-gatherers ate. The reason it works is that it gets rid of empty calorie foods (foods that provide only calories and no nutrients) and replaces these foods with more nutrient-dense options. Nutrient-dense foods are high in nutrients but lower in calories, which is the shift that aids in weight loss. Additionally, the foods found on a Paleo diet are rich in vital nutrients needed for weight loss and energy balance.

3. Take your supplements

   While the key to losing weight and keeping it off lies depends greatly on when and what you eat, there are also evidence-based supplements that can assist you on your weight loss journey.

   Berberine supplementation has been shown to help enhance weight loss and also mitigate other chronic disease risks. It is our “do it all” supplement and for good reason (or good evidence). Berbe is our specialized weight loss supplement that also helps to regulate blood sugar and improve insulin resistance. It also makes cellular energy production less efficient in the body. This just means that the body makes enough energy for its cells to function but doesn’t store any excess energy with the use of Berberine.

   Take 2 caps twice a day about thirty minutes before meals (so that Berberine can act on blood sugar regulation).

4. Drink green tea

   Green tea is a great partner in crime as you work to achieve weight loss. Green tea catechins help to regulate grehlin (your hunger hormone) and ultimately increase satiety, which is a feeling of fullness. Normalizing grehlin levels plays an important role in alleviating hunger pangs. This is why green tea is so often paired with intermittent fasting. Together, they make a powerful combination.

   Interestingly, green tea has also been shown in research to increase brown adipose tissue thermogenesis, which is just a fancy way of saying it stimulates metabolism and energy burning within brown fat tissue. Additionally, there are a lot of polyphenols in the leaves of green tea, which means that it is great for restoring cellular health. Drink a mug or two of organic green tea daily.

5. Sleep more

   Individuals who don’t get enough good quality sleep are more likely to gain weight. Not getting enough shuteye can have adverse effects not only on your health but also on your waistline. Sleep deficiency is linked to weight gain. Lack of sleep can dysregulate the hunger hormones (and insulin) in our bodies. This causes the brain to not receive the proper hunger and satiety signals. Therefore, appetite, weight control, and energy metabolism all become impacted.

   Sleep deprivation also slows down your metabolism, leading to weight gain. Check out our tips for better sleep.

6. Lower your stress

   Chronic stress makes you more likely to binge on unhealthy food like fast food and processed foods. When stress causes you to eat more it exacerbates weight gain by increasing insulin levels. The stress hormone cortisol (released during times of stress) also triggers the storage of abdominal fat. Additionally, on top of all of this, stress interferes with hormonal balances and makes it harder for your body to break down stored fat.

   Stress management is key for weight loss so find a relaxation technique that works for you. Try deep breathing, go to yoga, or just pursue an activity that brings you joy and peace.

7. Meal prep

   Cooking your meals by hand at home is an act of self-care and a tool to aid in weight loss. This is because when you cook at home you control what goes into each meal. Home cooking means your meals can be free from added sugars, salt and unhealthy fats. Cooking at home means you can select what you want include (organic, fresh vegetables and healthy, grass-fed meats) and eliminate what you don’t want (additives, gluten, and refined sugars). You can also use heart-healthy cooking oils when you’re making your meals at home.

   One of the biggest factors holding people back from cooking at home is the belief that they can’t make a good meal because they’ve forgotten how to cook. If you’re in need of some home cooking inspiration, try our Mexican Paleo cookbook loaded with healthy recipes to get your cooking started! Click here for our favorite meals to prep on a Sunday.

8. Try apple cider vinegar

   Apple cider vinegar is a great tool for weight loss. Vinegar protects against elevated insulin levels and regulates insulin responses. Additionally, apple cider vinegar has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity and lower blood glucose levels after meals. A study found that apple cider vinegar reduced blood glucose levels by 34% after participants ate 50 g white bread (Source).

   Take 2 tablespoons of organic, raw apple cider vinegar in water at night before bed. This apple cider vinegar regimen has been shown to reduce fasting blood glucose levels the next morning and help the insulin hormone to function better.

9. Get rid of sugar

   This could be arguably the most important rule you follow, after fasting: eat no sugar. Sugar is an insulin-stimulating food responsible for major insulin spikes. If weight gain is due to hormonal imbalances (which it is), then we must ensure we balance the key hormone (insulin).

   Sugar also provides empty calories to the body. Empty calories are calories without nutrients. In excess, sugar gets stored as fat on the body, contributing to weight gain. And if you are insulin-resistant, then there is no more room for sugar in your cells. The result is that this sugar gets preferentially stored as fat and subsequently overflows into other fat cells and the liver, leading to fatty liver disease. Added sugar is the worse type you could consume. Added or refined sugars are added to processed foods, juices and candies. It acts as a foreign ingredient and the body struggles to recognize and break down this type of sugar. Eliminating sugar out of your diet is essential for weight loss and overall health.

If you are concerned about your health and well-being, we’ve got you covered! Schedule a FREE call with a Drs. Wolfson health coach and get the guidance you need. Just click HERE for a free health coaching consult.

The post Weight Management Tips for Those Over 50 appeared first on TDW.

TRANSCRIPT:

Are you concerned about cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, struggling with weight gain?

Well the answer is certainly not pharmaceuticals. It’s certainly not statin drugs.

I’ve got something natural for you and it is the perfect food to help you for any of those conditions.

It is the grapefruit.

Now grapefruit is a citrus. The other citrus work just as well.

They’re very high in something called naringin And naringin is a tiny little bioflavonoid that is proven to work wonders in the body.

Lowers inflammation. Lowers oxidative stress. Improves cholesterol. Lowers LDL. Lowers triglycerides. Raises HDL. Improves blood sugar. Increases of all the good enzymes and decreases the bad proteins.

This is the food you need to get into you diet on a daily basis. Make sure it’s organic and not sprayed with pesticide chemicals.

Shop at a natural store. Find a local Farmer’s Market. Have some fruit trees and reap the benefits of grapefruit, citrus and naringin.

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The post Cardiologist Says Eat Citrus Daily appeared first on TDW.