by Brett Blumenthal – Sheer Balance
Our appetites can be quite the pranksters. It often fools us to think we are hungry, when often, we may be suffering from something completely different. Distinguishing between false hunger and true hunger will help you know when your body really needs food and when it needs something else.
Their is an art to drinking water and it is related to the science of your body and the water you are drinking. First and foremost it is important to make sure you take in around 1 to 2 liters of water per day (preferably filtered water free of harmful chemicals). Second make sure your water is at room temperature. This will make it easy on your body as far as digestion and absorption goes. When you bring ice cold water into your body and or any other temperature that is not equal to your bodies natural temperature you body has to work hard to bring that water to its normal temperature. This will use up your bodies energy.Last but not least drinking water during and around meals are a sure way to create many issues for the body like acid reflux & allergies. When you consume water right before, during and or after a meal, what ends up happening is that the water will dilute your stomach acids and their ability to break down foods quick enough for them to head on down to the intestines for proper nutrient absorption. If this happens enough over a long period of time you are guaranteed to have complications. It is recommended to take 20 minutes before meals , drink nothing during meals and 45 minutes or an hour after meals when consuming any liquids. For many this is confusing and down right silly. They ask, “How will you swallow your food and get it down your throat”? I am not sure what caused this myth that you need liquids to get food down your throat but the body is very well designed. It does not need any help with working food down to where it needs to be. Gravity, muscles and other slippery juices take care of that. Watch animals and tell me if you ever see then drink right after they eat. Its a natural habit and known fact in many other countries except maybe the U.S. I can not count the numerous times where I am in a restaurant and I am asked about what I would like to drink and I say nothing, I get the craziest looks. I have even had one waitress beg me to drink something asap because she was worried about me and the food now apparently lodged in my throat with nothing to guide it to my stomach.
The idea of heaven and hell to me is all relative. In other words one minute you could be in hell and the other you can be in heaven depending upon your own attitude. What we put in our bodies is a big determining factor. The more you learn about what is best for your temple the more you learn what is not so good for your temple. As you drive down the streets and visit your local markets you will begin to notice how so much of the food on the shelves and in our resturants offer ingredients that take away from your life and health. Ive notive more and more just how saturated our lives are with hell foods.
So many people complain that it is hard to find cheap health food. They complain about whole foods prices etc.. On some levels I agree that the prices at whole foods can be steep, however I have found a way to eat right on a decent budget. First and foremost you have to consider the investment that you spend on your food should always show returns of 150% meaning you get all the nutrients, minerals, fiber , protein etc… to keep your vehicle (body) running optimally. We spend more time and money on our cars then we do our bodies and wonder why the world is so backwards. It starts with you as an individual.
It does not matter how much money you save on food if that same dollar menu food is going to shorten your life, attention span and keep you so scattered that you can not even control you emotions enough to make sound decisions that may bring you a career that you love and a life that you desire.