A diet that
makes you
feel
naturally
high also
raises your
fat-burning
metabolism.
Did we
mention that
it also
contributes
to high
self-esteem
as you begin
to feel and
eat better?
This is the
advice from
nutrition
experts Hyla
Cass, M.D.,
and Patrick
Holford,
coauthors of
the book
Natural
Highs:
Supplements,
Nutrition
and
Mind/Body
Techniques
To Help You
Feel Good
All the Time
(Penguin
Putnam). In
it they
present the
perfect
brain-food
diet based
on extensive
research in
the areas of
nutrition,
psychology,
and
neuroscience.
Statistics
show that
most of us
are
exhausted,
stressed and
depressed.
To combat
this we turn
to a variety
of boosters
to get us
through the
day (and
night). We
gobble a
muffin with
coffee in
the morning
to get a
rush, sip a
soda or have
a cookie to
overcome the
afternoon
slump and
wind down at
night with a
cocktail.
This often
adds up to
excess
calories,
weight gain
and feelings
of
hopelessness.
What we are
unknowingly
doing, say
Cass and
Holford, is
attempting
to regulate
our moods
and energy
with
substances
that work
only in the
short term
-- but lead
to caffeine
lag, blood
sugar drops,
tiredness
and an
unhealthy
cycle of bad
foods.
Here is a
highly
effective
weight-loss
diet the
experts
recommend:
-
Eat a
serving
of
high-quality
protein
three
times a
day.
Higher
quality
protein
is
better
absorbed
and more
efficiently
utilized,
so you
will
need to
eat less
of it.
Adequate
protein
promotes
good
moods.
However,
too much
protein
encourages
fat
storage,
so use
moderation.
Good
examples
of
high-quality
protein
foods
are
seafood,
poultry,
lean red
meat,
soy,
lowfat
yogurt,
rice
with
beans,
rice
with
lentils.
-
Eat
cold-water
fish
three
times a
week.
This is
one of
the best
sources
of
omega-3,
an
essential
fatty
acid
crucial
to
optimal
brain
function.
Omega-3s
are
found in
salmon,
tuna,
mackerel,
sardines
and cod.
-
Eat
two eggs
a week,
or
sprinkle
lecithin
granules
on your
cereal,
salads
or
vegetables.
These
are the
best
sources
of
phospholipids,
which
help you
metabolize
fat and
enhance
your
mood and
mental
performance.
-
Eat
one
serving
of low
Glycemic
Index
(low-GI)
complex
carbohydrates
at every
meal.
Complex
carbohydrates
are long
chains
of sugar
molecules
strung
together
that are
digested
slowly
and help
prevent
fluctuations
in blood
sugar
levels
that can
cause
depression
as well
as
cravings
for
sugar
and
alcohol.
Complex
carbohydrates
also
help
raise
serotonin
levels,
which
calm you
down and
lift
your
mood.
Good
examples
of
low-GI
foods
are
whole
grains,
bran,
beans,
apples,
cherries,
dried
apricots,
plums
and
pears.
-
Eat
one or
two
servings
of
antioxidant
fruits
and
vegetables
with
every
meal.
These
replenish
the body
and
brain
with
oxygen,
giving
you
energy
and
combating
illness.
Antioxidant-rich
foods
include
prunes,
berries,
kale,
spinach,
broccoli,
and
alfalfa
sprouts.
-
Have
a
heaping
tablespoon
of
ground
seeds a
day.
These
provide
you with
the
needed
energy
and
essential
fat to
keep
your
body and
brain
churning
out
maximum
energy.
In a
blender
or
coffee
grinder,
grind
half
flaxseeds
and half
sesame,
sunflower,
hemp and
pumpkin
seeds.
Keep in
a sealed
glass
jar in
refrigerator,
and add
to your
salads,
sprinkle
over
vegetables
or
cereal,
or have
in a
shake.
