Everyone knows someone who wants to lose weight, get leaner or just stay at a low and healthy body fat percentage.
But did you know that, as different as those three goals are, they require the same strategies?
I’m talking about detoxification, a process that can be very effective, regardless of a person’s current weight or future goal. The following foods and detox techniques can kickstart fat loss by doing so much more than just raising your metabolism.
Food of the Gods
Chocolate can aid in weight loss, since raw cacao contains no sugar and has small amounts of caffeine, depending on the variety of the bean and where it was grown. It’s also a powerful antioxidant, high in magnesium (known to be good for the heart) and a strong appetite suppressant. Try small amounts and see how you feel, but don’t use for extended periods of time.
Pure Water
A significant amount of weight can be lost just by drinking enough pure water. The key word, however, is “pure.” Acidic, unstructured, synthetic vitamin- and mineral-filled water will only further contaminate the body, so drink up eight glasses of the pure stuff (alkaline water) to neutralize the acids in your body.
Qigong, Yoga and Massage
Deep tissue massage helps to break down calcifications under the skin and gets the lymph fluid moving. Qigong and yoga also serve as forms of massage by putting the body into awkward postures. Combined with the proper breathing, internal organs are able to get stimulated and massaged, breaking up fat stores that can form around them, and flushing out toxic materials.
Healthy Fats
The body needs dietary fat in order to know it’s OK to release the body fat it’s already storing. Processed trans-fats and cooked saturated fats are stored in the body and clog up systems. Diabetes and heart disease have been directly linked to the storage of these kinds of “wrong” fat, which puts stress on the cardiovascular system and the internal organs, interfering with the effectiveness of absorbing nutrients and clearing the body of toxins. CLA, coconut oil and omega 3 fats, on the other hand, are good for you in moderation, and help the body to release fat.
Vitamin D
Hormonal imbalances (such a high stress, which produces excess cortisol) and vitamin deficiencies (such as lack of sunlight, which means a lack of vitamin D3) are common reasons for difficulty in losing weight. Vitamin D is actually considered more of a hormone than a vitamin because of its crucial role in proper endocrine system function. To make sure you’re getting enough of it, spend 15 to 20 minutes in the sun each day — preferably your whole body. Alternatively, find a tanning bed with electronic ballasts instead of magnetic ones.
Deer Antler
Deer Antler extract can help regulate hormone production, but for the best results, and so the endocrine system does not start to rely on an external substance in order to stay balanced, it must be taken very gradually.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are not the enemy for those who want to get lean. But quality is everything, so get your carbohydrates from vegetables and sprouted grains and breads. Processed carbohydrates will throw insulin levels way out of whack, causing insulin resistance.
Celery
Eating celery provides quality hydration and automatically creates a calorie deficit, since the calories are burned up in the digestion process. But since just eating a few celery sticks won’t produce dramatic results, try making celery juice — and lots of it. Get creative and mix in other vegetables, along with a little water to dilute it, and make sure the ratio of celery to the other ingredients is higher. In fact, 50 percent of your water intake should come from water-rich vegetables and fruits.
Fiber
A quality source of fiber like oatmeal will keep you feeling fuller longer and can supply lasting energy throughout your day. Steel cut oats are best; instant oatmeal or rolled oats are processed and are therefore higher on the glycemic index, which means a faster spike in energy, followed by a drop. Long-lasting, consistent energy is the goal. More energy means more effort during workouts, which means more calories burned.
Raw, Organic Live Food
Eating only raw food is the best way for the body to normalize and reset. Raw, live, whole foods contain enzymes, quality protein, and vitamins and minerals in their natural form. Eat raw food long enough and you’ll become lean, energetic and full of vitality.
A Far Infrared Sauna
Sweating is crucial for detoxification at the deepest levels. The effect from the heat produced from a far infrared sauna is unique to that of a traditional sauna: Radiant heat penetrates deep within the body to detox internal organs, without heating the air of the environment around the body. Detoxing without the movement from exercise has a more gentle effect on the body, especially for people who already have high levels of stress or are in extreme pain. Using a far infrared sauna increases heart rate and metabolic rate, making it a unique and safe way to keep the inside of the body clean.
Calorie Cycling
Creating a calorie deficit is necessary for losing weight, but sustaining the deficit for too long will cause the body to go into starvation mode, forcing it to hold on to all its fat stores. Eat a big breakfast on most days, and have a high calorie intake. On other days, skip it, and keep calories low.
Fast
If you’re healthy, you can start experimenting with fasting. Fasting once a week will keep the body guessing and create a unique situation in which certain hormones can be released. Studies have shown that fasting for 24 hours can cause a 2,000 percent increase in human growth hormone in men and a 1,300 percent increase in women. HGH burns fat, builds muscle and slows aging.