|
The following is an overview of a three-step process for dramatically improving your health and vitality through the relationship between diet and exercise. In a nutshell, it is living your life with as little effort, fatigue, apprehension and hesitation as possible. Each "Phase" is intended to take three weeks, but can be done according to individual preference.
Just as poor quality or "heavy" food creates effort, fatigue and catabolism physiologically, so does the typical exercise program. Exercising to effort and especially fatigue creates catabolism within the muscle (e.g., soreness, the need to rest the muscle for a day or two, etc) as well as physiology as a whole. This is reflected in your diet by an increased desire for heavier foods as a result of pushing your physiology from too strenuous an exercise routine. You will also have some apprehension or hesitation about going to workout. For most people, the motivating factor is typically the results and satisfaction of accomplishment, not the experience, as who wants to feel effort whether physically or mentally/emotionally (e.g., having lunch with someone who is going to be difficult on a regular basis...blah!). By exercising and eating within optimum physiologic limits (i.e., as long as it feels physically and emotionally energizing…without excessive effort and fatigue), you will notice a life with less and less hesitation and a physiology that just keeps getting healthier. The real icing on the cake is an increased presence and clarity. Your life begins to reflect more of you and not who you have become…to whatever degree that may be. So notice how you feel as you make your lifestyle choices. You will find at times, for example, that ice cream or beef feels good due to some aspect of stress in your life. You will also at times make choices you know will not feel good and do it anyway. That may not be the best choice, but it was an aware choice and a choice you will make less and less. Enjoy.
Phase 1
Phase one is about making a few "introductory" lifestyle choices. You will continue to eat foods that you like or don't feel you can do without, but in smaller amounts. Either start with a stretching or body awareness program or if already exercising, then simply shift gears slightly. See below.
Diet
- Add more vegetables and fruits to your diet. This will naturally decrease the amount of protein, dairy and starch (grains, nuts, potatoes, corn, pasta, etc.).
- Add olive oil and coconut oil to your diet. Coconut oil is the only oil you should cook with as it will not turn rancid or oxidize with cooking. Choose coconut oil and olive oil over butter and butter over margarine.
- Use guacamole instead of cheese when possible.
Exercise
- If you are not currently exercising, then begin with either stretching, yoga or pilates for a couple of weeks before starting or adding a more intense program such as resistance training, running, etc.
- If you are currently exercising, then increase your intensity to what feels emotionally and physically invigorating and DO NOT GO TO EFFORT OR FATIGUE. That is, stop when it no longer feels invigorating or fun. By exercising without going to fatigue or failure you will avoid creating feelings of hesitation or apprehension commonly experienced with the typical mind set around what it takes to obtain great results. Exercising this way will keep the body in anabolism. Thus, the body is consistently gaining strength and tone as there is much less time and need for muscle and joint recuperation and repair. Over-exercising or not exercising puts the body into more catabolism. Your diet will reflect this by craving heavier proteins, fats and carbohydrates.
Supplements
- Start on the three Nutritives: Aerobic Support, Metabolic Support and Anabolic Support. This supplies optimum sources of protein, fats and carbohydrates, thus reducing your desire to snack as your metabolism begins to find its balance. In fact, many people actually begin craving vegetables and fruits.
- Start on Medicinal Formulas for any acute or chronic condition or disease.
Phase 2
This is where you really start noticing and reaping the benefits of your new choices. By this point you are probably noticing feeling better and more satisfied with "lighter" protein and carbohydrate choices than heavier ones. You should also be more aware of the line between feeling strong and invigorating vs. effort vs. fatigue.
Diet
- Begin making better protein choices. Choose fish over shellfish, fowl and eggs; Choose shellfish, fowl and eggs over beef and dairy.
- Begin making better carbohydrate choices. Choose yellow and orange vegetables over sprouted grains beans; Choose sprouted grains and beans over whole grains and beans; Choose whole grains and beans over processed grains (pasta, chips, etc), potatoes and nuts.
Exercise
- As you are ready, slowly increase intensity within optimum physiologic limits. That is without going to fatigue or failure. At this point, you should be able exercise at least three consecutive days before taking a day off. If not, you are going to far into effort or fatigue with your exercise program.
Supplements
- As a condition clears, you may decrease or drop the Medicinal Formula in question. If you are not consistent with your diet, you may need to stay with the Medicinal(s).
Phase 3
This is where you decide how good you really want to feel. You may decide Phase 2 is as far as you would like to go, but this is the Phase that feels "life changing". This is where you really start getting "living without apprehension or effort". This is also where you realize those aspects of life, work, etc. that create apprehension, hesitation and fatigue.
Diet
- Continue to increase vegetables and fruits.
- Try having a large salad for a meal without any starch, grains, fish or meats.
- Try going a day or two without any starch or grains.
- Try going a week or two with only fish, avoiding fowl, beef and dairy.
- Slowly increase the amount of raw vegetables within your tolerance. If you feel bloated or have loose stools you need to either chew better, decrease starch more (grains, etc.), increase coconut or olive oil, or you may be increasing the raw vegetables and fruits too quickly.
Exercise
- By this point you should be exercising with high intensity and feeling more energy and clarity after your workout than before your workout.
- You will more than likely be increasingly aware of having more strength and better recuperation on vegetables and fruits than the heavier foods.
Supplements
- If your diet has reached this level with good consistency and your energy, wellbeing and health is good, you may be able to drop the Medicinal Formulas provided the related condition has resolved. However, you may need the additional support for a few months. Please consult your healthcare provider.
Back to Metabolic Diet
|
