Recently, I read an article on the Internet (what, not relevant? Hahahaha), about how to not gain weight over the Labor Day Holiday (italics, mine). That article was nothing more than a holiday specific version of How to not gain weight over the Holidays (again, italics, mine, just thinking about all those other articles over the years that want you to curb your holiday food and drink consumption). Who are those people kidding? Read the list of what is recommended for you to eat and then read the offered weight friendly recipes in those articles. Ugh, and more ugh. I for one, do not enjoy the tastelessness of cardboard and Styrofoam but if you do, bon appetite. Well excuse me if I find that the taste of food is wonderful when it luxuriates in flavor. And, so much of that flavor is dependent on fat ( no apologies here; I am a culinary school graduate of the old school and the three secrets of great tasting food is butter, butter, and more butter. And, your steak tastes great when it IS marbled with fat).
Well OK, fat is fat, period (good fat, bad fat? Only your doctor knows for sure; maybe). We can get into the various types of fat but not now. But I will admit that too much fat, depending on who you are, cannot be good for you (take notice, I said.....depending on who you are). However, there is a secret available to all of us that busts fat and so much more. Are you ready? Really? Here it is: diet, exercise, and sleep.....plus some common sense.
Here, diet means moderation and balance, not some quirky fad quick fix. Moderate your portions and give equal balance to meat, veggies, fruit, dairy, and whole grain consumption. And drink at least two quarts of water daily. Please understand that cookie cutter diets at the very least, are temporary and will not work for everyone. You need to experiment, to find your balance, to discover what's right for you. Unfortunately, exercise is a killer idea for many people.
Yes, exercise. Sorry, whatever you do while at work is not enough. You need to put effort into cardio: walking, running, or bike riding, several times a week. And, some weight training will help. Hey - it is what it is - you need to blow off the calories to get your heart and circulatory systems in tip - top shape. Oh, and if you smoke, for gawd's sake quit now.
The younger you are, the less you think about sleep and its importance. Regardless of age, 7 to 8 hours of good sleep a night is essential. It is during sleep that the body repairs itself and gets rid of harmful toxins. Good and restful sleep goes hand in hand with diet and regular exercise. During the holidays, I can eat and drink what I want, because of my attention to exercise, sleep, and moderation of what I eat during the rest of the year. But hey, that's me; maybe it can be that way for you too. When I am eating my stuffed beef tenderloin and boneless center cut pork, covered with bacon at Yule, and while drinking my Southern Comfort Manhattan, I may be thinking of you, but probably not. I'll be too busy enjoying myself.
Copyright @2012 Terry Unger
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