I'm lucky. I have a perfect
body. I¹m the perfect weight, and always have been. I would have
argued strongly against that suggestion though 20 years ago. I spent at
least 10 of those years obsessed with my weight. I was forever on a
diet, often unhealthy and overly restrictive, and was seriously self
destructive in my eating habits and relationship to food. I was just a
normal woman, and my body consciousness was very much a part of the
American culture I had been born into. It took me many difficult years,
and a lot of work to come to terms with my body.
Having children really cured
me though. For once in my life I had a mandate to gain weight, and have
a large stomach. It was liberating as I gained nearly 40 lbs, and lost
the lot afterwards while breastfeeding. I was no longer afraid of being
fat, and no longer equated even the smallest weight gain with being
unloveable. I learned to value, and even love food, for its taste,
nutritional value, and how it made me feel. Although I can eat
anything, and don¹t generally worry about weight, I do have some
very effective tips which help keep my body happy, while providing a
positive example for my children, minimising cravings, keeping my
metabolism stable, and skin glowing. Follow these, and you will never
have a weight problem.
1. Never say diet
The whole concept of a diet
is short term, and bound to fail. Deprivation, faddishness, hunger,
contradictory advice: who needs it. There is one dietary principle I
live by, and it works for all people, young and old, sturdy or
frail. Make every bite count. While the occasional piece of candy
won¹t kill you, empty calories are a waste of stomach space. If
you eat for nutrition, you really won¹t go wrong.
2. Stay hydrated
Drink 6-8 glasses of water a
day. Heard this one before? Every diet mentions it; every nutritionist.
That is because you really need the fluid. Much of what we feel as
hunger is really thirst, and lots of water not only keeps your food
cravings at bay, it also keeps your digestive system working well, your
metabolism in order, and your skin glowing. One commonly stated trick
is to just fill a jug with the right amount of water and keep drinking
from it throughout the day until the jug is empty.
3. Miso Broth
Take a tip from the Japanese.
If you suffer from between meal cravings and hunger, just make yourself
an extremely nutritious and very satisfying cup or bowl of Miso Broth.
You can buy Miso in most big supermarkets, or at any health food store.
Just mix a teaspoon in a cup of boiling water for an instant pick up,
and if you are really hungry, add some chopped up tofu, some scallions
or spring onions, and some sesame seeds. Miso is made from fermented
soy beans, and it has a rich, salty taste. It is high in protein, fat
free, and has been reputed to assist in keeping your metabolism
constant.
4. Lemon Juice and Honey
Take a tip from Grandma. Have
a cup of hot water with lemon juice and honey at least once a day. The
honey is soothing; the lemon juice contains vitamin C, and is
invigorating. It will help your skin, and keep those between meal
hunger pangs in check.
5. Keep Active
You won¹t find a diet
anywhere that doesn¹t advocate some form of exercise. But
don¹t think of it as exercise. Just start thinking of yourself as
an active person. Walk wherever you can rather than drive. Take the
stairs rather than the elevator/lift. Dance with your kids. Jump on a
rebounder. Join a dance class. Get moving in any way you can
every day. You¹ll feel stronger, healthier, and you¹ll burn
calories quicker due to having a faster metabolism.
to be continued...
About the reviewer: Maggie
Ball is content manager for The
Compulsive Readerand is the author of THE ART OF
ASSESSMENT: How to Review Anything. Her reviews, interviews,
articles and poetry have appeared in a number of online and print
publications.
