Archive: June 2007

Fit by the Fourth

Think you can’t get a beach body by the Fourth of July? It may be easier than you think

by Richard Pojeta

Make some fireworks of your own this Fourth of July when you unveil that new halter-top or slinky spring dress! What? But I haven’t been exercising since New Year’s! There is no way I am going to bare my shoulders and back a month from now, you might be saying to yourself.

Yes, you can! You still have time to make a change to your physique. It isn’t too late to shed the last bit of that winter-warmth and spark some attention with a hot new you! Just follow these simple, yet challenging, tips to start your summer off right.

Nearly every day I am asked for the secret to shedding weight and the answer is never as short and simple as the question. Yet there are some simple changes you can make to your diet that will make a huge impact on your waist-line as well as your health.

First, I must challenge you to clear your mind of the thoughts and images that our modern media has implanted in your head.

Realize that everything you see and hear on the television or in print is intended for someone (other than you) to capitalize on and profit from. You must also come to the conclusion that there is a lot of money for someone to make from you being fat or sick. The only person to benefit from your good health is you.

The first secret to good health is your diet. It all starts with what we put into our bodies. Yes, I know that this is common sense, but let’s shed some light on what changes we can make to our diet that will surprise you. Eliminate all dairy from your diet, with the exception of yogurt.

I will repeat that for effect: eliminate all cow’s milk, cheese and other forms of dairy from your diet. Milk is biologically engineered by a cow to make their baby cow grow up big and fat. If you want to be a big fat cow, drink cow’s milk. We as humans are not designed to properly digest cow’s milk.

If you don’t believe me, drink a big class of milk right before bed and take a close look at the back of your throat the next morning. But what about calcium you might ask. Calcium is required to break down lactose; however, the amount of calcium needed to break down the lactose in a glass of milk far exceeds the amount of calcium that is actually in the milk to begin with.

You end up leaching calcium from your bones to break down your calcium fortified milk. You can get enough calcium from eating fruits and vegetables. Stop drinking milk or eating cheese!

My next secret is to drink water. You might be thinking, sure, I drink a couple bottles a day. Well, unless you weigh 40 lbs, a couple bottles a day isn’t enough water to keep you healthy. All chronic aches and pains can be traced back to dehydration. It’s no wonder that every time you go to the hospital, the first thing the nurses do is put in an IV and pump you full of saline. We do not drink enough water.

How much should we be drinking? Our bodies can safely handle 1 ounce of water for every pound of body weight. Remember that a gallon of water is 128 ounces, so a 128 pound person should be drinking a gallon of water every day. Wow, that is a lot of water!

If you drink enough water, you will never need to use lip balm or lotion because your skin will always be moist. You can toss your acne medication aside, since your skin will constantly flush the toxins out of your pores.

Say good bye to bloating or swollen ankles, since your body will not need to retain water if you are providing enough. I could go on, but I think you get the idea. Start drinking enough water!

Your body’s chemistry holds the key to the next secret. All of us are different, yet science has proven that our blood type plays a significant role in determining what foods our body can digest and what foods our body should avoid.

I strongly encourage all of my clients and friends to purchase a book relating to eating right for your blood type. You will be surprised to find that the foods you crave are on your beneficial list and the foods that bring you down are on the avoid list. Granted, I couldn’t find Oreo cookies or carrot cake on any of the beneficial lists, so I guess my “cheat foods” are just that – cheating. Start eating right for your blood type!

But what about exercise? You can’t have a hot body without exercise! Or can you?

If you have the discipline to make the changes to your nutrition, you can have the body of your dreams. Exercise can help you along the way, but it all starts with what you put in your mouth. Your fitness center needs to be your grocery store!