Fat Tuesday!

By: Red Hot Mamas

Published: March 9, 2017

Contributed by Pam Rand RD, LDN, CDOE, RYT- Red Hot Mamas Medical Expert

Fat Tuesday just passed, does that mean that you can gorge yourself with food and alcohol and the almighty says it’s OK, right?  One lousy night of eating and drinking excessively doesn’t make a difference and we all could die tomorrow so we may as well live it up, right?   After all, this could be the last big hurrah.  How many times have you said or heard this?  Let me answer for you… plenty of times.  There are so many reasons to shovel it in…birthdays, holidays, Thursdays, Fridays, family dinner on Sundays, vacations, etc.

Settle down people, you’re NOT ON THE MOON yet…did you know you weigh less on the moon?

Enjoying your food and drink is a good thing until you don’t know when to stop and it’s affecting your health.  If booze, bacon, burgers, or Cheetos are constantly calling your name and you can’t stop, maybe a weekly mini-fast from whatever is making you Sick Fat and Nearly Dead http://www.howtolivehealthy.org/fat-sick-and-nearly-dead-diet/ would be a good experiment to try and re-set your organism.  The guy in this documentary, Joe Cross was really determined and his juice fast lasted 60 days but you may scale back his experiment and use a mini-fast for yourself and still get results depending on your imbalances as written in this article http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2017/02/16/Study-finds-fasting-mimicking-diet-has-major-health-benefits/5571487255137/

I see plenty of people who claim they CAN’T change and plenty who have changed their eating and activity patterns.  An insulin dependent diabetic I know moved from Rhode Island to San Francisco and became healthier than ever before…his entire lifestyle changed with eating and activity…he no longer takes the long list of pharmaceuticals he once was prescribed!   Of course, his MD changed as well and he may have been motivated and encouraged by his new care giver to practice lifestyle changes vs. pills, potions and powders.  This guy’s story is not realistic for most of us but you do NOT have to move 3000 miles away to feel better.  Nothing tastes as good as healthy feels.

If you have a chronic illness like diabetes, high blood pressure, or MS, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2016/05/28/multiple-sclerosis-could-be-reversed-with-calorie-restricted-die/ these mini-fasts at 2-3 days per week or 5 days per month may cause quite an upset and set you back on track with a healthier system.  Ever heard the old adage, ‘starve a cold, feed a fever’?  Don’t wait until you’re sick to re-boot the system, try a mini fast TODAY, tonight, this week, every Thursday and Friday throughout the month of March.  Just do it and say good bye to FAT TUESDAY forever!  Your first fast can be 12 hours through the night…if your dinner is 7pm; no food until 7am.

So how do you eat 50% less and net between 800-1100 calories if you don’t have any idea what you are eating now?!?!  You could use pre-packaged low fat frozen meals and read the labels counting your calories for the day and/or try these strategies:

1.  Alcohol and marijuana can’t be in the mix…they are bound to cause failure.

2.  Plan ahead and stay focused…breathe for mental and physical energy.

3.  Do like Joe Cross did in Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead and try a juice/vegetable fast.

4.  Eat 1 solid meal and 2 HOMEMADE liquid meals (cold or warm w/o crackers)

5.  Clean out the fridge, car and cupboards of any foods that are tempting.

6.  Enjoy the increased energy!

7.  If you are a daytime worker, go to bed earlier, around 9pm!

8.  Read vs. watching TV in bed (the TV ads can lure us to the kitchen).

Pam is the author of YoGuides, book and CD. YoGuides is a personal wellness tool for use at work, home and school using breathing, exercise and guided imagery techniques which require absolutely no previous yoga experience.