An undeniable aspect of the aging process is a change in body composition. In fact, the average woman gains ten pounds of fat and loses five pounds of muscle with each decade of life. As part of the normal occurrence of aging, when we put on unwanted weight, the loss of muscle mass and muscle tone actually increases.
Fortunately, this phenomenon - known as sarcopenia - can be reversed, and there is no better time to start realizing the promise of a new you. Whether your New Year's resolutions include younger looking skin, losing weight or improving your overall health, it is with great pleasure that Dr. Nicholas Perricone invites you to join his challenge to start fresh.
To help you get started, here are some dietary and lifestyle tips:
Follow the anti-inflammatory diet.
Eat plenty of salmon - especially Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon, which has the highest concentration of Omega-3s of any fish.
Take targeted nutritional supplements.
Go organic and free-range whenever possible. Avoid any poultry products with nitrates, often found in lunch meats.
If weight loss is your goal, be especially mindful of your consumption of complex carbohydrates in the forms of grains and legumes, and limit them to morning and afternoon meals.
Learn to control stress. Stress is highly destructive. When we are under stress, our adrenal glands produce hormones, including cortisol. This produces a host of negative effects that include increased inflammation and appetite, storage of fat (particularly around the abdomen) and acne flare ups.
Start your meal by eating the protein and enjoy fruit at the end of the meal for optimal blood sugar control.
When choosing olive oil, opt for extra-virgin, cold-pressed Spanish varieties. They tend to have higher levels of an antioxidant known as hydroxytyrosol.
Dairy: choose low-fat varieties and look for free-range, pasture-raised or grass-fed products whenever possible.
Enjoy organic, unsalted, raw nuts and seeds.
Follow a regular (ideally daily) exercise regimen. In an ideal world, exercise at least five times per week for 30 to 45 minutes per day. Even three days a week will make a difference.
Drink pure spring water. If you must sweeten anything, rely sparingly on Stevia, a low calorie sweetener, available at most health food stores and some grocery stores.
When choosing beef, go for pasture-finished, grass-fed cows. Not only do they have a more heart healthy omega-3 profile, grass-fed cows naturally have higher amounts of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), an excellent fat-metabolizing nutrient.
Get enough sleep. An important study at the University of Chicago demonstrated that sleep deprivation causes us to overeat. When we don't get enough sleep, our levels of grehlin, a hormone produced by stomach cells and believed to increase feelings of hunger, increases. If we are sleep deprived we crave carbohydrate-rich foods, such as sweets, pasta and breads.
Eat three small meals and two snacks each day. This will help keep your blood sugar stable throughout the day and hopefully prevent you from becoming ravenous and losing will power.
Stay well hydrated. Water naturally suppresses the appetite and helps the body metabolize stored fat. Studies have shown that if we decrease our water intake, our fat deposits will increase. Conversely, an increase in water intake will reduce fat deposits. When we give our bodies adequate water (6 to 8 glasses per day), we should also notice a decrease in our appetites.
In addition to these tips, Perricone invites us to this link:
http://www.perriconemd.com/category/start+fresh.do
The menu can be found here:
http://www.perriconemd.com/category/start+fresh/28-day+menu.do
Day 1 example is as follows:
DAY 1
Wake up and immediately have an 8oz. glass of water.
Exercise for the day: Aerobics
Breakfast:
3-4oz. smoked Nova Scotia salmon
1/3 cup slow-cooked oatmeal sprinkled with cinnamon with 2 tablespoons blueberries
1 teaspoon chia seeds
Green tea or water
Lunch:
4-6oz. broiled turkey burger (no bun)
Lettuce and tomato
White bean and Asparagus Salad with Watercress
Afternoon Snack:
2oz. sliced turkey or chicken breast
4 hazlenuts
4 celery sticks
Dinner:
2-6oz. broiled salmon
1 cup Creamy Artichoke and Watercress Soup
1/2 cup steamed spinach
Green tea or water
So, in conclusion I wish you all the luck in 2013 and so does Dr. Nicholas Perricone. Let's get moving on that challenge!
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