Marcia's Blog is a lifestyle change and dieting blog written by a beloved and respected nutritionist/weight loss counselor/lecturer Marcia Bodenstein. She has helped thousands of kosher consumers achieve and maintain weight loss.

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Happy Sunday morning to everyone. I hope you are all enjoying the beautiful weather (I hope it's just as glorious where you are as it is here), and that your summer schedules are a bit more relaxed than during the winter months. I am so grateful that mine is. It allows me to do some of those little things I dont have time for, or rush through. One of those things is browsing the bookstores (Barnes and Nobles in particular). I love to read and can't pass a bookstore or a library without going inside (and usually dont leave without a book). I am interested in many sections, but first, I gravitate toward "Diet and Health". Guess what? They all say the same thing!! Most of our food for the day shoud be natural, unprocessed. In short, it should look like what it loooked like in its original form - a baked potato, not french fries or potato kugel, fresh fruit rather than smoothies). I find this advice pretty simple (not easy!) in the summer when the fruits are beautiful and tasty and the veggies colorful and sweet! Save the slow-cooking for the colder months and eat your food fresh and cold (even chicken can be batch-cooked and eaten straight from the fridge). Every book talks about exercise - a cool refreshing swim sounds so appealing, no? And SO IMPORTANT - is drinking drinking drinking WATER!! During the summer we lose so much to perspiration, respiration and elimination. It has to be replaced and NOT BY SODA! Every function of our bodies need water (even the fat-burning process). Dehydration can lead to headaches, kidney stones, fainting and a host of other problems. Not thirsty? How come we dont wait to get hungry to eat but we feel we need to be thirsty to drink? By the time your body signals thirst, you are on your way to being dehydrated. So, remember to drink - it's easier during this hot weather, but important all year long.
By the way, there are some great novels in the bookstores, too. Grab a great read and relax!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

This weather is the greatest: swimming outdoors is just wonderful. It's refreshing and there is never any hard impact on your body like there is in jogging or speedwalking. I wish I could do it more often.

Anonymous said...

I haven't been able to catch up on my sleep and it is wreaking havoc with my eating. It is amazing how being tired plays tricks with your willpower. Lately, we've been taking road trips with the kids and our schedule is completely thrown off so not much exercise and a lot more eating is making me meshuggah!!

I did get to swim on one of our stops and of course, I felt great afterwards. Exercise is usually what keeps me sane.

Marcia, what about a sweetener called Stevia? Is it acceptable on the plan and Kosher?