Dr. T's Blog

“Change 1 Thing” Challenge

Have You Accepted the Challenge?

Take One Year to Develop a Lifetime of Optimal Health!

“Change One Thing” is a 12 step process over one year to help you achieve your health goals.  You simply commit to make one change in your lifestyle every month, so that by the end of the year, you will have completely transformed to a healthy lifestyle. 

Why each month?  It takes about 21 days to establish a new habit.  So each month, you will firmly establish one change before starting another.  Are you willing to take the challenge?

Your March Challenge (should you choose to accept it):

“Get the White Out and Go Whole”

“Get the white out” refers to getting the refined foods out of your diet.  Refined foods are generally white: they include white flour, sugar, and white rice.  What’s wrong with these foods?  First of all, they are refined, which means that they have been stripped of the many nutrients that they had in their natural state.  White flour is a stripped form of whole wheat flour, just as white rice is a stripped form of brown rice.  They’ve also been stripped of fiber.  Not only are they devoid of nutrients, but they add inflammation to your body.  That same process that contributes to asthma, arthritis and heart disease!

What can you expect from this one change?

Weight loss: A major contributor to obesity is the excess sugar that we take in, whether it’s from actual sugar, or from foods that are quickly broken down to sugar (like white flour).  When you eat whole foods instead, you eat less, because whole foods are more bulky, and therefore filling.  Also, they slowly and steadily release glucose into your bloodstream keeping your appetite under control.

Regularity:  By replacing refined foods with whole fiber-rich foods, we decrease constipation.  At least 40% of Americans are chronically constipated because our diets are low in fiber. 

Decreased risk of heart disease and stroke:.Refined foods are inflammatory.  And one by-product of inflammation is hardening of the arteries which leads to high blood pressure (making your heart work harder), and poor blood circulation to vital organs (like the heart and brain).

Feeling Better:  When your blood sugar levels are steady, you maintain a steady energy level.  Decreased inflammation will cause an improvement in the aches and pains that you may be chronically dealing with. 

Tips:

• Replace white rice with brown rice. 
• Replace white bread with whole grain bread.
• Stop the sugar.  Learn to sweeten your foods with fresh fruit, fresh fruit juice, and even small amounts of grade B or C maple syrup.

And don’t forget to continue your:

January habit of drinking at least 8 glasses of water per day (1/2 your weight in ounces of water per day)

February habit of eating 7 to 9 servings of fruit and vegetables per day

“Change One Thing” is a 12 step process over one year to help you achieve your health goals.  You simply commit to make one change in your lifestyle every month, so that by the end of the year, you will have completely transformed to a healthy lifestyle.  Why each month?  It takes about 21 days to establish a new habit.  So each month, you will firmly establish one change before starting another.  Are you willing to take the challenge?

February Challenge

Eat 7 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables every day

Benefits of fruits and vegetables:

Full of fiber: Increased fiber content in your diet which will help keep you regular, and will stabilize your blood sugar.  Increased fiber intake also helps you lose weight. Fiber keeps our digestive systems healthy and prevents constipation, a problem for at least 40% of Americans.

Full of anti-oxidants: What are anti-oxidants?  Chemicals that get rid of damaging free radicals that cause cellular damage.   Examples of antioxidants are vitamin C and beta carotene which are found in a variety of fruits and vegetables.

Full of vitamins and minerals:  The American diet is deficient in numerous vitamins and minerals.  The average American consumes a diet containing low levels of calcium, potassium, fiber, magnesium, vitamins A, C and E to name a few.  We know that low calcium levels contribute to bone disease.  Potassium is important for regulating blood pressure.  Magnesium deficiency also is associated with insufficient bone mineral density, and also increased levels of inflammation which contributes to many diseases.

High water content: It is estimated that 75% of Americans are dehydrated – chronically!  Dehydration causes aches, pains and fatigue.  Not only do we drink too little water, but we also eat too much dry, dead food.  Fruits and vegetables have high water content.

Tips:

• Eat fruit with breakfast, like a serving of berries in your oatmeal
• Have a hearty salad with lunch
• Make a smoothie of blended up fruits and vegetables
• Eat a serving of raw fruit or vegetables as snacks between breakfast and lunch and dinner

    Continue your January habit of drinking at least 8 glasses of water every day!