Live Long Naturally ©2012

In looking to research 2 popular and 1 not-s0-popular diets, I came across many such as: the Hallelujah Diet, Shangri-La, and even a French Women Don’t Get Fat diet (among many others). I was pleasantly surprised to come across one that I would actually recommend to someone in need of structure and accountability.

Personally I don’t believe someone should need to pay someone on a weekly or monthly basis to tell him/her to eat better (and less). Weight should never be an issue! A foolproof way to accomplish that is to eat healthy most hours of the day and days of the week. What constitutes healthy? Food without labels! It as simple as that!

The not-so-popular, but highly effective diet that encourages this type of eating is the Pritikin Diet. It has been referred to as the Recession Diet.  Most of the foods can be purchased in bulk, thereby saving you money! Why pay for packaging? The foods on this diet include:

• Fruits and vegetables
• Whole grains, beans and peas
• Starchy vegetables like potatoes and yam
• Nonfat dairy (or soy) and fish

It is based on 30 years of scientific research, it includes exercise and stress management, and… UCLA Scientists have published over 100 clinical studies in various medical journals including New England Journal of Medicine. Benefits include:

• Long-term weight loss
• Reduction of all heart disease risk factors
• Lowered blood pressure and cholesterol
• Eliminating need for angioplasty and heart bypass surgery
• Control/reversal of Diabetes
• Reducing/eliminating pain and arthritis
• Elimination of many medications
• Reduced risks for breast, colon and  prostrate cancer

The benefit of living a longer naturally healthy life is priceless. For less than $20 (book), you can learn the Pritikin Principle, lower your grocery bill, and see the pounds and inches melt away without ever having to diet again.

isn’t it time you feed your body and not just your taste taste buds?

For those of you who don’t know what Kombucha is… it is a sparkling and invigorating fermented tea. It is highly beneficial – once brewed, the tea contains Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, and B12, folic acid, antioxidants, enzymes, probiotics, polyphenols, and glucuronic acid (which helps detoxify the body and liver). It has been around for centuries, used by many to increase energy, aid in weight loss, improve well-being, and cure diseases.

There are “starter” batches sold in the range of $30, though… you don’t need it to start making your own. Simply get yourself a raw unflavored store brand and use that as a starter tea. The are many variations to the recipes and the supplies needed. I will say that quite often less is more. You don’t need fancy equipment or tea bags for that matter.

One last key to making your own flawless batches are to keep your hands and all supplies/ingredients clean at all times.

Only you can decide which is best for you and not until you’ve tried them on yourself. Each person is different – no two diets and lifestyles have been the same since day one, so each person will react differently to foods. Even blood type can play a role in likes and dislikes. What causes bloating in one person may make another feel fabulous. The health of one’s intestines plays a huge role on how the body responds to diet.

For instance… if a person goes from eating a Standard American Diet (SAD) of fast and processed foods then decides to eat raw… you’d better believe there will be some discomfort! And it won’t all be bad. Chances are the body is in detox mode, which quite often will lead to bouts of feeling worse before feeling better.

It is possible to try all three ways of eating. Summertime is a great time to eat raw, though you can eat raw warming food in Winter. Macrobiotic is delicious and nutritious with an Asian flare. While vegan… it’s easy to go vegan for a day or more. Nowadays eating vegan and vegetarian are easy and the choices are many.

Whatever your food preference may be, make it real!