Importance of Family meals and mindful eating

February 6, 2015

Importance of Family meals and mindful eating: why do they matter?

Importance of Family meals and mindful eating is one of the best ways of training children to adapt on healthy feeding habits.

Have you heard the wise saying that a family that eats together stays together? This is a virtue which is losing popularity in this time and age. Because of various reasons getting the whole family to sit down on around table for a meal can be very difficult sometimes next to impossible owing to the various activities like engagement in sport practice, working late to meet certain tight deadlines and homework taking up most of your evening hours. This culture has made many family members living in one house to take their meals at whatever time best suits them. Even though this may be fine to others it may not really impact positively to the children and even grownups who are struggling with certain health conditions relating to weight gain. Some studies have established that families who eat together have demonstrated positive outcomes when it comes to health, family relationships and social development. As we progress in this discussion, we are going to look at the importance of family meals and mindful eating in relation to keeping a healthy family.

According to the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center, it is the family meal time where children learn manners and healthy feeding habits share and interact freely with their parents; discuss what’s happening in their lives and experiences in new food stuff. It is important to note that it is not only about meal times but it includes even the preparation of food and the table setting process. The family involvement in all these roles will go a long way in shaping the mindset and feelings about the food taken. Doctor Akoury says that it is at the dinner table where your commitment to modeling your children is demonstrated. When you don’t eat together you may not be able to cultivate that culture of healthy feeding habits in your children. The consequences of this is not just about being obese but includes all the futility that comes with being overweight and obese. I encourage you to take the meal time at a family level seriously and be a role model for your children.

Importance of Family meals and mindful eating: Social changes affecting family meal times

Increased working hours and work load in places of work
The increase in population of people living alone
Number of women (particularly mothers) in office employment
Number of single parent households and/or family displacement
Use of technological gadgets in the household
The portion of income we spend on food and drink away from the home

Importance of Family meals and mindful eating: Benefits associated with frequent family meal times

Improved relationships between family members
Increased intake of healthy foods and healthier eating habits
Increased understanding of social behaviors
Improved speech for children
Better mental health outcomes
Decreased risk of children taking up smoking, drugs or having problems with the law.

Importance of Family meals and mindful eating: What you can do

If you’re not already eating together regularly, aim to do so just one night a week for a start.
If dinnertime is too hard to get everyone together, try to have a special family breakfast on the weekends or a family lunch.
During the week, don’t worry if everyone can make it. Sit with whoever is at home to enjoy a meal.
Ignore all phones, turn off the TV and ban texting at the table.
At a loss for conversation? Ask each family member to share one good thing and one bad thing that happened during their day.
Take turns talking so no one is left out. Use an egg timer for little kids if they tend to ramble!
Get your children involved in the meal preparation. Older kids can take charge of the whole meal, while younger ones can help set the table.

Importance of Family meals and mindful eating: Mindful eating

It is not uncommon these days to be constantly grazing on food without taking time to enjoy a full meal this is certainly not mindful eating. Often pre-packaged, these convenience foods are high in nutrients linked to increased risk of diet related diseases. And because many of us are poor in keeping time majority of us are eating hurriedly or in front of our computers surprisingly, such feedings are often not propelled by hunger. Instead, we should be choosing to eat mindfully; bringing our attention and focus to the present moment. Practicing mindful eating can help to bring back an appreciation and enjoyment of food.

Sit at the dinner table for your meal – It’s important to pay attention while eating, rather than grazing mindlessly. Put the phone down, log off your computer, turn off the TV and enjoy your food. That way, you’ll be less likely to overeat. Take the time to talk to family members about their lives and have a conversation. A meal should be a positive and enjoyable time for all. This way you will be avoiding certain health conditions associated with over eating.

Rate your hunger level – If your child says they’re hungry, ask them to rate their hunger level on a scale of 1-10 with one being very hungry, 5 being satisfied and 10 being so full that they feel sick. Do this throughout the meal and if they are not hungry, don’t force them to eat a whole meal. If your child is hungry, they will keep eating. Encourage them to stop eating once they rate their hunger as 5 and not to keep eating until they reach level 10.

Let kids serve themselves – If your child is old enough, allow them to serve themselves how much they would like to eat. While you can provide guidance so that they have enough veggies on their plate, allow them to decide how much will fill them up.

Encourage slow eating – Set the pace for the meal by eating slowly yourself. Take time to chew food properly and put your cutlery down before each mouthful. Aim to take at least 20 to 30 minutes to finish eating your meal. Make this a rule so your children know they will be sitting there for 30 minutes so they might as well eat their food slowly instead of rushing off to see what’s on TV or check their phones.

Discuss the food – At the dinner table, discuss how much you like or dislike a certain food. Ask your child to describe the taste or texture and if they don’t like it, encourage them to explain why that’s the case.

Make nutritious snacks easy to access – By having fruits in bowls on your kitchen bench or vegetable sticks cut up and in the fridge, your child is more likely to eat these foods. Stock your pantry and fridge with nutritious snacks.

Importance of Family meals and mindful eating: why do they matter?

Weight Cycling and Yo Yo Dieting problem

January 24, 2015

Weight Cycling and Yo Yo Dieting problem – Understanding the Implications of Yo Yo diet

Weight Cycling and Yo Yo Dieting problem can be corrected with a simple change in lifestyle

The dynamics of losing weight comes in various dimensions, and therefore if losing weight is one of your concerns, then you probably understand the dynamics. With this chances are that you may have heard of yo yo dieting. And for clarity purpose yoyo dieting occurs when one loses a significant amount of weight but letter on gains it back. Because of its recycling nature it is also called weight cycling or repetitive pattern of weight loss and weight gain. This is not a very good practice as it brings with it lots of discouragement to individuals who have committed to losing weight. This discouragement (weight cycling and yoyo dieting problem) can be a very big hindrance to weight loss progress. Doctor Akoury in her AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center is committed to resuscitating the dying hopes of those who have done through this process of losing and gaining. If you want lasting solution to all your weight related problems then you need to schedule for an appointment with doctor Akoury today.

Weight Cycling and Yo Yo Dieting problem – Causes behind Yo Yo Dieting

The starting point would be to understand the various causes of yo yo dieting as this will help you flee away from all the negative impacts it may inflict in your life. Ordinarily the yo yo effect is usually caused by weight loss plans which incorporate skipping meals either by fasting or crash diets which drastically lower your daily caloric intake. Remember that when the body is starved of the calories it needs for energy, it will adapts to the change by slowing down your metabolism which is the process through which your body burns the food you eat in order to produce energy. It must be noted that with this practice your metabolism may not get back to normal even when you resume your normal lifestyle. The implication of this is that you will gain more weight in the process. In some cases, not only will you gain back the weight you lost during the diet, but you may even gain more than before.

Weight Cycling and Yo Yo Dieting problem – Yo Yo Dieting and Muscle Loss

Muscle loss is another effect that is associated with yo yo dieting. When your daily caloric intake becomes extremely low, your body tends to digest your muscle cells. Less muscle mass also contributes to slower metabolism. Instead of the slim and toned figure that you’re aiming for, you end up with a thinner but flabbier body.

Weight Cycling and Yo Yo Dieting problem – The Effects of Yo Yo Dieting

It’s true that most crash diets and other rapid weight loss solutions can succeed in helping you shed pounds in a short time. However, it’s important to know that this weight loss is generally due to the loss of water weight and muscle mass. Aside from the fact that the weight loss is merely temporary, yo yo dieting has other negative effects. For example, your failure to lose weight permanently may eventually impact on your emotional health which is likely to results in depression, stress and eating disorders.

Fluctuating weight can also result in a higher risk of developing cancer and heart disease. You might also suffer from losing hair and developing osteoporosis, among other health conditions. This is due to the fact that most crash diets are weak in essential nutrients for healthy hair, bones and good health in general. Because of the low caloric intake, fatigue and difficulty in concentrating might also result from yo yo dieting.

Besides the above some studies suggest that weight cycling may increase the risk for certain health problems including:

High blood pressure
High cholesterol and
Gallbladder disease

These conditions often affects adults who are not obese and do not have weight-related health problems, experts recommend maintaining a stable weight to avoid any potential health risks associated with weight cycling. Obese adults, however, should continue to try to achieve modest weight loss to improve overall health and reduce the risk of developing obesity-related diseases.

Weight Cycling and Yo Yo Dieting problem – Losing and regaining weight

Losing and regaining weight may have a negative psychological effect if you let yourself become discouraged or depressed. Weight cycling should not be a reason to “feel like a failure.” Instead it is a reason to refocus on making long-term changes in your diet and level of physical activity to help you keep off the pounds you lose.

Weight cycling has not been proven to increase the amount of fat tissue in people who lose and regain weight. Researchers have found that after a weight cycle, those who return to their original weights have the same amount of fat and lean tissue (muscle) as they did prior to weight cycling. People who exercise during a weight cycle may actually gain muscle.

Some people are concerned that weight cycling can put more fat around their abdominal (stomach) area. People who tend to carry excess fat in the stomach area (apple-shaped), instead of in the hips, thighs, and buttocks (pear-shaped), are more likely to develop type two diabetes heart diseases, and high blood pressure. Studies have not found, however, that after a weight cycle, people have more fat around their stomachs than they did before weight cycling.

A person who repeatedly loses and gains weight should not have more trouble trying to reach and maintain a healthy weight than a person attempting to lose weight for the first time. Most studies show that weight cycling does not affect one’s metabolic rate. Based on these findings, weight cycling should not affect the success of future weight-loss efforts. However metabolism does slow down as one ages. Take note of this that irrespective of your age, making regular physical activity as well as healthy eating habits a part of your life will aid weight loss and improve your overall health.

Weight Cycling and Yo Yo Dieting problem – Preventing Yo Yo Dieting

The best way of preventing yoyo diet is by boosting your metabolism instead of slowing it down. This can be achieved by increasing your amount of physical activities. You should also look for ways to lose weight gradually and safely, because this produces a more effective and longer-lasting weight loss.

Finally getting information from different sources is very good because it makes you informed and so that you can do the right thing. For health issues of this magnitude, you will need to get to talk to the professionals on optimal weight loss. Therefore the starting point would be visiting AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under Doctor Akoury’s care for all the answers of your weight related concerns. Doctor Dalal Akoury cares for you and up on scheduling for an appointment with her, she will turn focus on Neuroendocrine Restoration (NER) to reinstate normality through realization of the oneness of Spirit, Mind, and Body, Unifying the threesome into ONE and your life will never be the same again.

Weight Cycling and Yo Yo Dieting problem – Understanding the Implications of Yo Yo diet

The best way to Losing Weight is through Family Approach

January 20, 2015

The best way to Losing Weight is through Family Approach – Everyone has a role to play in Weight Loss

The best way to Losing Weight is through Family Approach. Even though your self commitment will matter a lot, the family unit involvement is very important in losing weight

It is amazing that very simple things which could easily be handled without much constrain are giving the society great headache. Take for example the global problem of weight gain and the health complications attached to it. For sure this is one problem that could easily be addresses if the society can willingly accept to adapt to healthy lifestyle. As simple as it may sound, this has not been very easy to everyone. I appreciate that we all come from a given family and this is the best place where weight management can start from. Actually the best way to losing weight is through family approach. The full involvement of the family and bit of incorporating of weight lose professionals will surely put to rest the pandemic of being overweight. Doctor Dalal Akoury a re-known weight loss expert is sharing with us why the best way to losing weight is through family approach. Remember that if you have any concern associated with overweight and you need help, don’t hesitate to call the home of weight loss solution (AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center) a facility founded by doctor Akoury primarily to help you and your loved ones. Up on scheduling for that appointment, doctor Akoury will professionally evaluate your condition and administer the right treatment procedure.

The best way to Losing Weight is through Family Approach – Why the Family approach?

The reason why the best way to losing weight is through family approach is because it is wide and diversified. Like for instance, if you were to bring up your child in the most effective way to living a healthy lifestyle would be to set the pace by leading from the front. You must be the best example for your children to emulate. Remember that children usually don’t do the grocery shopping or food preparation. They don’t organize outside activities or drive themselves to the recreational center or park. In other words they are not able to change these activities on their own. Therefore to help your children eat better and be more physically active, you need to on top of everything. This should incorporate the entire family including the extended families like siblings, aunts, uncles, grandparents and other caregivers.

Various studies have demonstrated that children have the most success losing or stabilizing weight when a family approach is taken. However the direct opposite of this may also be true. When the family is not involved and they show unwillingness to make adjustment on the kinds of food they eat and the amount of time they spend in being active, the experts have also established that this can do the child more harm than good as it may cause them to loose self-esteem. The children who are obese in such families may have the feeling that it is their fault to be overweight and may never have the courage to make effort in losing weight.

Along the same lines, caregivers outside the immediate family such as a grandmother, uncle or babysitter may inadvertently sabotage efforts and become a barrier to progress. They may use food to create a bond with the child, they may use food as a reward or a pacifier, or they may have a weight problem themselves that they are not willing to address. Literally, anybody who is involved with anything related to food and caring for the child needs to be on board and involved in this process of health behavior change.

The best way to Losing Weight is through Family Approach – Focus on Health, Not Weight

The entire family should be engaged and focused on being healthy. It’s not about losing weight as much as it’s about eating right and being active in order to be healthy. When everyone in the family gets involved, it shows that eating healthy foods is not a diet for losing weight, but rather it’s a diet for being strong, fit and healthy, and it’s good for the entire family. Also, it’s not about short-term changes or quick solutions. When the family is on board and committed to making lifelong behavior changes, it highlights the positive while moving toward something good which can only be a happier, healthier family.

The best way to Losing Weight is through Family Approach – Strategies of keeping the family involved

Finally it is true that your determination supersedes the efforts made by the family to help you keep the desired weight, however it is still very important that they embrace the plan in totality. The following guidelines may be helpful for you in keeping them fully engaged:

To avoid temptation in the supermarket, put only the healthiest foods on your shopping list. Then ask your spouse and kids to have a “goodie run,” where they go to the market once a week and buy their favorite treats. Have them keep their treats in a place you don’t go every day maybe the garage or basement.
Ask each member of the family to make a list of their favorite treat foods. Then pick those that you like least to keep in the house. They’ll be satisfied, and you won’t be nearly as tempted.
If you all love the same treats, ask family members to eat the high-calorie ones outside the home. As a compromise offer to pick up the tab.
Control the portions. You can make your family high-calorie dinners or desserts, but make only enough for one meal. No left-overs mean less temptation.
Try the 5-2 Plan: Five days a week, you plan the meals; two days a week, others in the family get to choose where and what to eat. You compensate by eating smaller portions.

Remember that these strategies are only meant to have everyone on board. Careful attention must be taken to resist introduction of unhealthy foods under the cover of making compromises. In conclusion in all the steps you take consult with the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center all the time. A phone call is all you need and doctor Akoury will professionally attend to you with lots of respect and dignity. Remember that weight lose recovery is what she does best, call her today and jump to the world with renewed confidence.

The best way to Losing Weight is through Family Approach – Everyone has a role to play in Weight Loss

Handling Holidays Stress by Healthy Eating during the season

December 4, 2014

Handling Holidays Stress by Healthy Eating during the season – What we need to correct

Handling Holidays Stress by Healthy Eating during the season is the primary objective of everyone planning to go feasting during the holidays.Holid

We are now approaching that time when we want to do everything we have not done in the last eleven months in just a few days. We are accustom to accumulating activities and when we least expect we begin to get stressed up while trying to multitask to have everything done within that short time. If you are wondering of what am heading to, am simply trying to highlight handling holidays stress. The holidays and the stress that comes with them are around the corner if you were not aware. Truth be told, this is a very busy time of year. It comes with lots of activities like extra shopping, cooking, gatherings, and work related obligations… the list is endless. With all of these additional tasks all at the same time, the most common yet very important things we let slip are sleep and exercise; two things that rank as the best way to handling holidays stress.

Experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under Doctor Akoury’s care reports that many people actually gains weight over the holidays, with the increased stress. Doctor Dalal Akoury the founder of this facility (AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center) explains that Stress eating can be a major factor in weight gain. It normally sneaks in as grazing, night-time eating, extra snacking, or even binge eating. With any of these forms of stress eating, the food choices are likely to be unhealthy and the act of eating doesn’t satisfy the true needs of stress relief. So, how do you get through the holidays without putting on extra pounds?

Handling Holidays Stress by Healthy Eating during the season – Plan ahead

Take a few minutes today to plan how you are going to maintain your weight loss or continue to lose over the holidays (handling holidays stress). Make sure that you plan for the whole season and then reduce it down to smaller segments by months, weeks, and days and in that plan include:

Plan some stress relievers
Plan your exercise
Plan your meals
Plan your treats

Remember that if you fail to plan, you are actually planning to fail; therefore desire to plan nothing but to succeed.

Handling Holidays Stress by Healthy Eating during the season – Categorize the major events

Think about what your major obligations are like for instance:

Work and family get-togethers
Parties or dinners with friends
Shopping
Holiday celebration

Don’t let these activities sneak up on you. Instead, put them on your schedule of events in your calendar now and make a list of what you need to do and how to prepare for these obligations and when you need to start undertaking them.

Handling Holidays Stress by Healthy Eating during the season – Shopping

This is one of the major holidays headaches which when not properly addresses may cause you unnecessary stress. Therefore as a means of handling holidays stress, plan ahead when to shopping for gifts.

Make a list of those people you’re buying for gifts
Ensure that the gifts are within your budget
Decide in good time what you want to buy for them
Get to know where to get all these gifts

You can save time and money this way by not just wandering aimlessly through the shopping mall. And don’t wait until the last minute. Shopping on Christmas Eve is more stress than it’s worth.

Handling Holidays Stress by Healthy Eating during the season – Exercise and Stress Relievers

Plan your exercise and stress relievers. Exercise doesn’t have to be 30 minutes of cardio and 30 minutes of weights at the gym. For instance:

Ten minutes of exercise three times a day is just as beneficial
That might look like 10 minutes on the treadmill before work
Another 10 minutes of climbing stairs at lunch and
A final 10 minute walks with a friend in the evening

It can be walking through the neighborhood caroling with your family. It can be taking a stroll through the lights at the zoo. You could sign up for a 5k run or walk on almost any Saturday and even on Thanksgiving Day. Don’t forget that increased housework is increased activity as well. If you have guests coming, do an extra vacuuming for some additional calorie burn. All these done will go a long way in helping in handling holidays stress and weight gain effectively without much straining.

Handling Holidays Stress by Healthy Eating during the season – Sleeping and Relaxing

Stress relief definitely comes from exercising, but also from relaxing and sleeping. Make sure your schedule you allocate for some time each week with no obligations. Use those nights to get to bed early so you are refreshed for the next day.

Handling Holidays Stress by Healthy Eating during the season – Food

Lastly, plan your food. During the holidays, there is an over-abundance of high sugar, high fat and high calorie foods. Many are very tasty, but probably not all are your favorites. If there is a special treat or dish that you only get this time of year, have a small serving of it, but don’t waste your treat on high calorie foods that you don’t enjoy or may have during other times of the year. And make the next meal or snack extra healthy that day; maybe even add in an extra 10 minutes to exercise to compensate for the added calories.

Finally remember, the holidays have special meaning and shouldn’t be stressful. Plan to avoid stress and be successful with your weight loss goals and you will have even more to celebrate. In case of any difficulties and you feel you are struggling with handling holidays stress, you may consult with doctor Dalal Akoury for her professional input and this will be very helpful for you and your family. Remember that doctor Akoury is offering her exclusive NER Recovery Treatment to everyone including other physicians and health care professionals through training, clinical apprenticeships, webinars and seminars. You can become part of the many success stories emanating from those people who have passed through her care by scheduling for an appointment with her today.

Handling Holidays Stress by Healthy Eating during the season – What we need to correct

The Toxic elements and Weight loss during the holidays

December 3, 2014

The Toxic elements and Weight loss during the Holidays – The benefits of Detoxification

The Toxic elements and Weight loss during the Holidays. Toxic elements are the hidden obstacles towards successful weight lose. Consult the detoxification experts and lose.

The problem of weight gain and obesity is becoming a global pandemic. Many people are gaining weight ignorantly while other does so out of choice. The body builders gain weight and this does not affect them because it has nothing to do with accumulation of fats in the body. The holiday season further complicates the problem for many people. This is the time when a lot of food and drinks are displayed in plenty for you to jump on and in total disregard of your commitment to weight loss. However it is important to note that for one to lose meaningfully, the two types of hormones (leptin and insulin) must be adequate and carry out their functions effectively. The proper functionalities of these hormone can be hindered either by over consumption of sugar and processed grains and toxic elements. The distinct roles of these hormones are:

Insulin – this actually controls sugar and fat storage levels in the body.
Leptin – the primary role of this hormone is to burn the excess fats in the body.

Toxic elements are the greatest problem in the fight overweight. Irrespective of the season holiday or otherwise, when toxic elements enter your body they have an attraction for fat cells, because of their fat soluble nature. When the toxic elements attached to the outer cell membrane is made of a lipid bi-layer, this causes the cells to frequently release Leptin the hormone which communicates to the brain to burn fat for energy, therefore, weight gain that does not respond to exercise or diet is certainly due to Leptin resistance. Understanding this toxic elements and the various hormones involved in weight loss during the holiday is not anyone cup of tea. You will certainly need the wise opinion of a weight loss professional to be able to lose. The next hurdle to overcome would be wise selection of the experts for the job. That is where AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center comes in. this is a health facility primarily established by doctor Dalal Akoury to healthy weight loss programs to all people from all walks of life. Scheduling for an appointment with her would be the starting point to a more rubbers weight loss experience.

These toxic elements also cause the release of chemicals called cytokines which damages Leptin receptors in the brain which is also known as hypothalamus. Once the receptors to Leptin have been damaged, Weight Loss becomes a problem your body then makes an extremely important hormone called MSH (Melanocyte Stimulating Hormone). MSH is produced in the hypothalamus by Leptin, and it controls nerve, hormone, cytokine functions, skin and mucus membrane defenses, as well as controls the production of endorphins and melatonin. If your brain cannot hear Leptin you will eventually become MSH deficient. The effect of this would be that every immune and hormone response in your body will be altered. This then leads to so many different diseases like:

Depression
Diabetes
Cancer
Heart disease
Chronic fatigue
Fibro-myalgia and many more

The number of toxic elements or chemicals now threatens the reproductive ability of the human race and is also a large part of the cancer issue. These chemicals contribute to weight gain in various ways, including disruption of the hormone signaling system that regulates your metabolism, damage to and accumulation in your white adipose tissue, and increased risk for poisoning during weight loss.

The Toxic elements and Weight loss during the Holidays – Challenges

It is very clear that too toxins are released back into the circulation during weight loss. This is especially the case during significant weight loss. During a weight loss of 12 percent of body weight toxins in the blood increased 23 percent – 51 percent, with the heaviest individuals releasing the most toxins. Over a one year period of weight loss toxic exposure ranged up to a whopping 388 percent. Scientists have shown that such toxins can interfere with thyroid hormone function during weight loss. Human data shows that as the toxins go up in the blood during weight loss the levels of biologically active thyroid hormone (T3) go down. This data means that your plumbing and detoxification systems must be in good working condition for healthy weight loss or possibly even to engage weight loss.

The Toxic elements and Weight loss during the Holidays – Strategies detoxification during Weight Loss

The steps to take to boost antioxidant nutrients that are known to help detoxification processes while protecting the liver, brain, white adipose tissue, and circulation. Top choices are silymarin, R-alpha lipoic acid, chlorella, quercetin, grape seed extract and tocotrienols. It is now understood that “toxic” blood triggers the formation of new fat cells. This is because the endothelial cells of your circulatory system directly communicate to your body fat cells and can tell them what to do. Keeping your blood as clean as possible and supporting your liver are vital steps to ensure that this process goes smoothly. Finally as I had indicated above, this weight loss process is very complex and for you to have a break through, you will definitely need the services of doctor Dalal Akoury.

I am making reference to this great professional because of his over two decades of professional experience and her willingness and availability to serve you with dignity and respect. Together with her team of experts, she will focus on Neuroendocrine Restoration (NER) to reinstate normality through realization of the oneness of Spirit, Mind, and Body, Unifying the threesome into ONE. I want to encourage you that if you or your work mates are planning for a holiday, party, team building or just a small get together where you’re likely to fall into temptations of over eating, scheduling for an appointment with doctor Dalal Akoury today will be very ideal for you and your friends. Remember that together we will defeat this pandemic of weight gain and obesity.

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