 Health and Wellness
Best Practices
The
Weight Is Over; The Time To Change Is Now!
By Dr. Cesar Lara
As we proceed in our current path of life, the new year
brings with it an opportunity to reflect on our current
state and become more focused on what we want or
ourselves in the new year. At the top of that "wish
list" is health - health for our loved ones, neighbors,
coworkers and, of course, us. Wealth is important, but
not at the cost or sacrifice of one’s health.
In an objective analysis of our health, three main
factors to consider are: physical energy, mental
clarity, and disease risk factors.
Physical Energy
This is easy to gauge. Do
you feel tired? If so, how tired? From the moment you
wake up, all day, or mostly in the afternoon or evening?
Are you missing out on activities you wish to do simply
because you are feeling wiped out? Are your stamina and
desire for intimate moments satisfactory to you or your
partner? Is your sleep rejuvenating and restful?
Mental Clarity
Are you feeling overwhelmed?
Do you feel anxious, sad, frustrated more often than
not? Are your thoughts consistent with your wants, or
are they a reflection of your fears and those things you
lack? Do you perceive each day as an opportunity to
experience moments of joy, satisfaction, and the
development of knowledge, or are they simply a multitude
of responsibilities and need-to-do's?
Disease Risk Factors
Do you have hypertension,
diabetes, hypercholesteronemia, heart disease,
arthritis, etc.? How are you managing these? Have you
had a yearly check-up? Do you take medications, and what
side effects could these be having on you, if any? Do
you smoke? Are you knowledgeable about nutrition and
“eating right”?
It is easy to take such an inventory of our current
state of health, and from it we can derive a perspective
of those aspects that we want to change.
Excess weight in our society is at the root of the
problem in a large percentage of people. And while there
are those for whom weight is not a factor, for the ones
for whom it is, the simple change of losing excess
weight will transform them into healthier, more
energetic and focused individuals.
To be successful in our quest for change we must be
clear in what we want. It is essential that we redirect
our thoughts away from what I call the "Quicksand
Thought Process," that being thoughts of those things
which we do not want. As similar as the thoughts of "not
wanting to be fat" and "wanting to be thinner" seem, one
focuses on what you want and, hence, sets forth a direct
pathway to your desired change, while the other triggers
feelings of frustration, guilt, and failure, and
ultimately paralyzes your desire. It is as simple as the
positive versus the negative thought.
We are what we eat! As old as these words are to our
ears, they are fact. In our desire to be healthier and
have mental clarity, increase physical energy and
improve our disease risk factors, what one eats is at
the core.
General recommendations in the area of eating are as
follows:
-
Decrease the size of your
meals by 1/4 to 1/3.
-
Remove all (or most) refined
carbohydrates and sugars.
-
Each meal should consist of
a ratio of 4:3:2 (protein, to good carbohydrates, to
good fats)
-
Aim for 3 small meals per
day and 2 to 3 small snacks in between.
-
Whenever possible, eat
organic or naturally grown products as, in my opinion,
they provide us with the best nutrients and lessen the
amount of toxins we ingest in our body.
-
Take a multivitamin and fish
oil supplements.
-
Drink a minimum of 1/2
gallon of water per day.
Regarding stress management
and exercise, those two go hand in hand, despite being
independent of each other. It is no secret that stress
causes disease and a good way to begin to manage it is
to become physically active and exercise. A brisk walk,
a game of racquetball, a bicycle ride, etc, etc! The
point is to put it into your schedule 2 to 4 times per
week.
Taking time to breathe deeply and slowly and reflect on
beautiful things, playing with the kids, or hanging out
with a good friend, are a few examples of what we can do
that allow us to refocus our thoughts on the positive
aspects of our lives and reduce our daily stresses.
Whatever your health assessment reveals to you, one
thing is clear: If you want change, you must focus on
the want and follow it with constant reminders to stay
on track.
In the business world, if it isn't written, it probably
isn't important and will be forgotten and not done. So,
regarding the business of your health, take a moment to
reflect and write down what you want for your health and
put yourself in the schedule. The time to make a
difference and change your experience and improve your
health is now!
Dr. Lara is a Board Certified and Diplomat in Family
Practice with over 20 years of extensive experience
helping manage Diabetes, Hypertension, Heart Disease,
Cancer, Strokes, Arthritis, Depression, and many other
illnesses. Now he is dedicating his experience and
expertise to fight obesity.
www.cesarlaramd.com.
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