Get With The Program :: Weight Loss

Get With The Program
by author Mitch Mahler

This was the year we were going to start working out, eating right, looking good, and feeling better, right? What happened? Often we begin an exercise program with the best intentions but then find we lack the tools to stay dedicated.

The right tools - homeopathic remedies - can help sustain motivation by alleviating mental and physical challenges along the way. To achieve optimum health, first get into a daily program that addresses strengths and weaknesses and includes short- and long-term goals. A good program should also include sports nutrition, incorporating dietary supplements and homeopathic sports medicine to boost energy and relieve aches and pains.

Energize to Exercise

Improve nutrition at the cellular level to help overcome mental and physical blocks. Homeopathic mineral salts, often called “tissue salts” or “cell salts,” will support your cells without side-effects or drug interactions. Tissue salts used every day as a dietary supplement will increase your energy level and push aside the mental blocks that keep you from exercising. Add tissue salts to your water bottle, at a daily dosage of 10 to 20 tablets per one- to 1.5-litre water bottle. Your local natural health store can help you select the tissue salts that are right for you.

Improve Nutrition

Change eating habits as part of your program. Simply eat “better” rather than adhering to the strict program of a fad diet. Make small improvements. For example, tell yourself that instead of eating fast food three times a week, you’ll eat it once a week, then once every two weeks, or once a month. Add organic fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and nonprocessed foods to your diet.

Once you’re eating better, you’ll feel better; your energy will increase, your workouts will improve, and you’ll begin to look better. That’s when you can take your program to the next level. Track your calorie intake by recording what you eat and checking its calorie content. It’s often really easy to cut 100 to 200 calories per day by cutting “empty” calories so that you gradually lose weight.

Consistency is Key

It is better to begin with a shorter, less strenuous exercise program than a rigorous one, particularly if you’re a beginner. While some aches and pains are typical after a workout, too much pain can inhibit performance and signal that you are over-training. Homeopathic remedies before, during, and after workouts can prevent and alleviate aches and pains and keep you moving (see chart).

Words of Advice

If you really want results, find someone who has achieved a weight-loss goal and ask for advice. People who achieve any level of success in sports love to share how they got there. We all start out the same, getting advice from someone who is where we want to be and keeps us going.

Homeopathic Sports Medicine

Arnica Montana: for bruising and muscle soreness
Hypericum perforatum: for nerve injuries due to blows
Ruta graveolens: for pain from sprains, twists, and shin splints
Ledum pal: for stitching pain and inflammation
Bellis perennis: for sprains, swelling, and muscle soreness

Mitch Mahler has been in the health food industry for 12 years. He teaches part-time and does personal coaching in business and fitness. Reach him at mitchm@hylands.ca or call 604-590-8337. You can also visit his website at www.a1-weight-lifting-equipment.com.

Source: alive #257, March 2004

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