Wellness every day is as easy as A-B-C. The key is to keep the vital do’s and dont’s programmed in your consciousness. No need for complicated memory work—just the alphabet of good things for a better life.
Here are a few:
A—Apples. A rich source of pectin, it is the ideal diet food, as this speeds up the metabolic rate of the body.
Here’s a tip: Go on the apple diet; eat one whole apple one hour before meals (total for the day: three apples). Weight loss result: 2 to 3 lbs a week.
How it works: The fiber and pectin combine to give you a feeling of fullness. Thus, you will eat less and your daily meal intake is under control.
B—B-complex, the vitamin to calm the nerves, is the best antidote for stress. Make sure to take a dose of vitamin B every day. It’s a must for stressed people. On top of this, it assures you of a good night’s sleep. Best time to take it is an hour after dinner. Nutritional sources: whole grains, potatoes, bananas, lentils, chili peppers and beans.
C—One of the most important vitamins in the health bible. This is because vitamin C is not produced by the human body. C boosts the immune system. Recent studies on the benefits of vitamin C include cancer prevention and management and, in some cases, cancer cure via mega-doses. Natural sources: leafy greens, fruits. Nutritional sources: guava, kiwi, orange, grapefruit, strawberry and cantaloupe.
20 minutes of sunlight
D—The sunshine vitamin is easily sourced from fruits and vegetables. The one direct, free source of vitamin D is sunshine—at least 20 minutes of early morning light is enough. Baking yourself for longer will only give you a sunburn.
Nutritional sources: salmon, tuna, milk, cereal, pork, egg, beef, liver and ricotta cheese.
E—Exercise. It’s the best anti-aging regimen you can adopt. Just 20 to 25 minutes daily is enough to give your heart a moderate workout, your muscles enough toning and your bone sufficient stimulation to prevent osteoporosis.
Exercising daily ensures better sleep, especially when you burn calories in the late afternoon.
The only way to fight fat is to combine a healthy diet with a light-moderate workout.
F—Fiber. It gives roughage to your food and acts as a vacuum cleaner. It sweeps the fats and toxins from your system that otherwise can get lodged in your arteries, which could eventually cause hypertension and fatty liver.
Foods high in fiber include vegetables, fruits, psyllium husks and chia seeds, to name a few.
G—Grapes. Everybody enjoys eating them, especially to gourmets, who like to drink them as wine.
The resveratrol found in grapes (higher content found in red grapes) is a potent antioxidant. If there is a formidable anti-aging component, it has to be resveratrol.
So, eat your grapes—unless you are diabetic, in which case it should be consumed minimally.
H—Happy. This is a state of mind that ensures good health. Happiness is a state of mind and a choice we make. It leads to another H—the state of the heart. Know that depression leads to illness. So, choose happiness over sadness. And embrace good health and a courageous heart in the process.
Today’s affirmation: “Happiness is my birth right.”
Next week: Wellness from I to P
Love and light!