If You Want To Be Lean Start with GREEN ……… And Then What ?
This plan is about your body and what you put into it. We always think of GREEN as thinking ECO and good for the Earth and see this as a positive step which it is. But this ECO friendly mentality should also apply to the body too.
To get some clarity of the importance of this relationship I’m going to create examples of our responsibility for the damage we do in our bodies as it is similar to the damage we do to the Earth. These examples are to create understanding that in order to change your health and save your life (by comparing it to the planet), we need to begin to “go eco and get green from within”.
Think of the media coverage and the reports that “call for change” by politicians and celebrities on how the wilful damage we do to the planet is causing moral outrage and how we must do something now before it's too late. All of this is true but shouldn’t this same outrage be expressed for the wilful damage we do to our bodies and the greater problems we face.
One is the destruction of the planet ON which we live and the other is the destruction of the body IN which we live. Both are precious resources !
I’ll give you an example to start you thinking about this link.
I used this one a lot with former clients and also now with children to understand the benefit of drinking water or the importance of hydration.
When you don’t consume enough water, your body becomes dehydrated. The water content in your body drops below optimum for normal functioning and that means that the cells in the body are less efficient and don’t work as well as the body heats up and becomes drier. Doesn’t this sound similar to the Earth going through climate change and droughts by experiencing Global Warming?
Get up right now. Get a large glass of water – and drink it while you read on!
See we are already thinking GREEN or ECO and helping our “internal planet”.
There is a lot of media attention brought up on various environmental issues and now we know that with less rainfall combined with excess water wastage, the planet is getting warmer – which is a very bad thing for the future of the planet and mankind both as the implications of this are catastrophic.
From personal experience of using this analogy and the seriousness of what is happening, it seems to create a greater willingness through understanding of the need to drink more water – so from an educational aspect, the importance and knowledge is understood and so my goal to get people to drink more water is achieved.
Before taking you on other journey’s of similarities to the damage and consequence of the Earth and the human body, I want to explain the effects of how what you eat impacts on your “internal environment” because this week during the Global Health Challenge or Week 5 we have undertaken an internal “Human ECO-Cleanse” to re-establish a more “environmentally friendly state” within your body.
I have personally found this to be amazing. I feel great with loads of energy and my strength during my workouts has been phenominal. If you were to do this you would also feel fantastic.
You learn that the decisions you make about what goes onto your plate and into your mouth has a direct impact on your inner health and ultimately your fat loss goals to get leaner.
To put into context for establishing good nutritional habits, I have a personal saying of “if you want to be lean, then start with green” when choosing what I am about to eat. I think of what goes onto my plate and I apply this habit forming statement when I’m hungry and need refuelling. Notice I never said eat.
Food has for a long time been used as an emotional crutch for life issues.
I don’t want to make this a psychological point or debate but again try to establish positive nutritional habits that we use that are drawn from my personal experience with many thousands of clients.
This negative “emotional” state of refuelling creates a whole different set of reasons for eating but for us to become our own "Human Machine Mechanic" and improve our health, I urge you to start thinking of your food intake as nutrient re-fuelling for the body.
Again, to change this negative process, we need to “re-boot the software” to realize that nutrients supply energy and we need energy to live. That should be why food is consumed.
I can hear the complaints and excuses for NOT changing beginning now.
“But I love food”;
“I can’t survive on shakes and no meals”;
“I’m not like you Tony I really like the taste of food”;
“If I have to go on a diet then this plan won’t work for me”.
"I can't not drink alcohol with clients or what will they think of me?"
Do you notice the negativity of those thoughts and objections?
Let’s again remember that this better level of nutrient dense FUEL will enhance the quality of our LIFE by improving our HEALTH. It makes us “internally green and ECO”.
So let’s address those negative statements with what I would reply to clients.
“But I love food”
TONY– so do I and accordingly I pick foods that will not only taste good but be good for me so that I not only feel healthy on the inside but look good on the outside too.
“I can’t survive on shakes and no meals” –
TONY - I totally agree but if you are telling me that you can’t find the time to stop to eat then you will never succeed. What about if in the morning when you are time challenged we create a healthy fast food option such as an ENERGY POWER SHAKE almost like a booster “FUEL CELL” that will satisfy both your taste buds and serve as a nutritious on the go option. Then for the rest of the day you can eat what you consider real meals that fit in with our nutrient dense eating profile.
“I’m not like you I really like the taste of food”
TONY - this is my favourite excuse. Sure I would rather eat dirt and cardboard then enjoy the taste of my food. Wrong, I love the taste of my food however I choose the foods that NOT ONLY taste good but are good for me. There are some amazing recipes now for foods that can taste amazing and also help me to combat disease conditions.
“If I have to go on a diet then this plan won’t work for me”
TONY – Alright, so what you are telling me is you would rather continue to eat foods that are not only unhealthy to your internal eco-environment and going to ensure that as you get unhealthy you will most likely go through agonizing pain but this option is more attractive than having a little structure with your eating habits.
What are YOU thinking !!!
Aren’t these more positive based thought patterns that would assist our goal and could form part of the change process?
Okay, so now we know that this does involve YOU wanting to make changes and become part of the process. YOU will have to let go of some old habits that are doing you no health favours. However, look to the positive as I know that choosing a better quality and range of nutrients that we will assist our body to function more efficiently. It’s your personal choice.
I was out at dinner one evening recently when a friend questioned me (which happens a lot with friends) about my habit forming statement of “if you want to be lean, then start with green” as it’s kind of like a standing joke but then he said “but then what”, to which I thought for a minute and replied “then you see how many other colours you can get on the plate as well.”
Everyone smiled and so we then made it a game with everyone at the table to see how many colours they could get on their plates. We had to draw the line (and hand out a technical foul) at the girls trying to convince us that their glasses of “red and white” wine was a legitimate entry into the game.
If you do this with your friends (and I suggest you try it) remember HUMAN ECO MECHANIC LAW ONE - this game applies to the plate.
Additionally our overall goal will be to replace the “white” or less nutrient dense foods that are heavy on carbohydrate content on our plates with “other colours” that are filled with life-serving vitamins, mineral and phyto-chemicals. I will cover the alcohol (wine) debate later.
At the dinner for example we aimed to achieve a greater range of colours such as “greens”, “reds”, “yellows” and “oranges”. Notice how now it added a FUN, game based element to it, which made it less tedious and boring. If we make more things FUN in our lives we are likely to try them. And this is one game where “playing with your food is encouraged” and will be supported by your Mother.
You can find out more about this as I’ve got a chart of what those colours and foods are and how they benefit us that I will add to this blog tomorrow.
When it comes to eating habits what does “green” mean to you ?
The answers I always get are that :
- it could mean you eat organic,
- it could mean you only eat vegetarian,
- it could mean you aim to get daily intake of nutrients
Whatever your response to that question was, I want you to start thinking of the “wider sense of the word – GREEN – in relation to the planet and the environment for a moment. We are all now encouraged to do everything we can to limit the ongoing damage to the planet and I want YOU to think of the same responsibility when it comes to your body.
Aim for Human ECO-Cleansing of our Internal Environment. Sign up to save yourself.
Global Health Challenge - Week Five - Human ECO Cleanse Week
(8 week Overview reposted in earlier blog)
Goal of this week is to use the next seven (7) days as the “detox period for an internal eco-cleanse” to allow your Liver and Kidney to get some rest from the unhealthy habits. These 7 Days are important and supplied in earlier blog. NOTE - They say it takes only 21 days to form a life changing habit. Then this is your time as that is how many days are left after this week.
TONY 's DIARY - (Week Five - Day Five)
Protein Re-introduced but still increased Good Fats
Breakfast:
Energy Shake - 400ml Water + 40g Protein Powder + Combination Greens Powder + Organic Coconut Oil. Take a Daily Multi vitamin + Joint Power + 2 x Omega 3 Capsules
Mid Morning Snack:
2 x Green Tea + Apple
Lunch:
Tuna + Mixed Leaf Salad + Tomato + Cucumber + Strawberries + Egg + Low Fat Dressing + 2 x Omega 3 Capsules
Mid Afternoon snack:
6 x Corn Thins with Peanut Butter
Dinner:
Baked Salmon + Mixed Leaf Salad + Capsicum (Red pepper) + Tomato + Pear + Celery + Strawberries + 2 x Omega 3 Capsules
2 Hours before Bed:
400ml water + Fibre Shake + Combination Greens + Organic Coconut Oil
Overall - Water consumption = Increased it again for today. Changed up training session and kept my intensity below 100%. Added certain proteins back into my eating plan consisting of egg, whey powder, tuna.
Daily mantra:
I am totally committed to supporting my Human ECO System with my actions.
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