Healthy Weight Nutrition Plan
5 Key Areas of Focus
by Nancy Hearn

A healthy weight nutrition plan begins first and foremost with understanding the importance of drinking enough water daily to stay fully hydrated.

Also, as you have probably already figured out, there is not a single one-fits-all diet or healthy weight nutrition program that is going to be optimal for everyone.

There are so many factors that go into healthy eating and weight management. Just a few include:  

• Your current health condition
• Your body metabolic type
• Your blood type 
• Your daily activity level and lifestyle – active or sedentary
• Your relationship with food -  psychological dependence and/or addictions
• Your family and cultural environment – food preferences and eating habits
• Your personal economy – which affects the quality of food you can purchase
• The air and water quality in your environment (both indoors and outdoors).

Even though there as so many variables, specific guidelines are applicable to everyone and can be implemented with few exceptions.

Thus, I recommend focusing on the following key areas for a successful healthy weight nutrition plan.

5 Key Areas of Focus

1. Stay hydrated.  Water helps to metabolize stored fat and can suppress appetite naturally.  Studies have shown that a decrease in water intake will cause fat deposits to increase. Drink half your body weight in ounces of clean, filtered drinking water daily.  Be patient because a chronically dehydrated body can take weeks or months to rehydrate.
2. Eat fresh food daily.  This means eating an abundance of fresh vegetables, a few servings of fruits, moderate healthy fats (such as olives and olive oil, coconut oil, nuts and nut butters, seeds, avocadoes, and salmon), and moderate amounts of quality protein (plant or animal based). See our Healthy Food Nutrition overview for more details.
3. Burn fat.  Eating healthy fats while reducing the intake of starches (bread, cookies, crackers, chips, cereals, etc.) and sugars (all forms, including excess fruit) will enable your body to burn fat. The more efficiently your body burns fat, the more likely you will be able to maintain your health and weight. It is the high starch and sugar content of one’s diet (not the healthy fats) that makes a person fat.
4. Reduce body acidity.  Excess acidity in the body can lead to weight gain as well as a number of unhealthy conditions in the body. Some of the typical causes of over-acidity in the body include:  dehydration, alcohol, drugs (medications or recreational), cigarettes and other tobacco products, excess animal products, caffeinated beverages, sodas and sport drinks, sugar (all forms), processed food, fast food, lack of exercise, stress, and negative thoughts and emotions. Choose one of the above to work on for a period of time, and then switch to another. Incorporating healthier choices and overcoming dependencies or addictions will be a lifelong process for many of us, but well worth the effort.
5. Assist your body to detox.  Even though our bodies are detoxifying every minute of every day, many of us our burdened by excess accumulation of toxins from all of the above causes of over-acidity in the body, as well as literally thousands of chemical toxins that we are exposed to in our environment (both indoor and outdoor). Our bodies store many toxins in fatty tissue. Assisting one’s body in the natural detoxification process is a critical part of maintaining a healthy weight. And this doesn’t mean you have to fast for 10 days or take a cleansing product that requires that you to stay near the bathroom.  It can be as simple as drinking lemon water regularly, drink a gentle detox tea or aloe vera juice to cleanse the colon, take 5-10 deep, slow breaths throughout the day, brush your skin with a loofa sponge or natural bristle brush, or take a sauna. Read more body detoxification tips here

In summary, a healthy weight nutrition plan is not a mystery. Focus on the five key areas of focus and make changes as needed. It also helps to keep a journal to keep track of your progress.  Be patient and seek personal or professional support if you get stuck in a rut or need help to overcome unhealthy food addictions.

CAUTION:  If you have a health condition, consult with your doctor before implementing any dietary changes.

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