When people around North Texas think about losing weight and gaining health, their minds inevitably think of diets, deprivation and excessive exercise. For too many, healthy living and eating is perceived as difficult disengaging, bland and boring.
“When we engage in something, we attract it,” says Cindy Carbone of Southlake-based Commit to H.E.A.L. (Healthy Eating And Living). However, the health and nutrition coach explains the virtual impossibility of truly engaging in a diet because of the negative associations that are at the heart of programs designed to deprive and restrict the habits of those looking to lose weight. “Healthy living is quite the opposite,” says Carbone. “It is about enjoyable activities, cooking and trying new things, and that brings engagement, which is a whole different ball game.”
Carbone knows changing your beliefs isn’t easy, but she also knows success comes from breaking down bigger goals into simpler daily activities. Case in point She runs marathons. Regardless of how complex your own personal health goals are, she’s got a few pointers:
1. B U I L D SWEAT EQUITY
The best way to engage with the positivity of maximizing your body’s potential is to find an exercise program that you really enjoy.
“Exercise in a way that makes you happy,” saysCarbone. “I don’t care if you run, walk, skip or pole dance. Move your body in a way that makes you feel alive. And don’t do it to lose weight. Do it because it feels good.”
Exercising to avoid weight gain or because you feel an obligation will work in the short term, but it ultimately will not lead to a healthy relationship between you and your body. Rather, exercise because it makes you feel strong, proud, and generally reduces stress and puts you in a good mood. These elements are essential to bringing enjoyable activities into a lifelong plan.
Carbone wants to change lives by getting people to engage in healthy living habits when she says, “Whether we are proactive, reactive or inactive, each year our bodies and our health changes. It is up to each of us to determine if we will change for the better or not.”
2. E A T MORE PLANTS
Yes, it can be that simple, yet plant nutrients are severely lacking in the Standard American Diet (SAD). “The SAD consists of 63 percent processed foods, 25 percent animal products, and 12 percent plant foods,” says Carbone. “What’s even worse, the plant portion is mostly comprised of iceberg lettuce and French-fried potatoes.”
Carbone explains that reducing the intake of foods you normally eat is helpful, however she adds, “it’s what we eat that really matters. Many fail to realize the quality of the food we eat is more important than the quantity. What we eat drives our gene function, metabolism and health."
Afraid of feeling hungry? Eat more plants. It’s a win-win. You can increase the quality and the quantity of food you can eat, and at the same time upgrade your body, and your health.
3. W A T E R YOURSELF
What’s good for plants is good for you, too. Carbone advises to drink half your weight in ounces of water per day. “Water supports the optimal functioning of every cell in the body,” she says. “It detoxifies, helps us think clearly and aids your metabolism.”
Cindy Carbone is a mom, wife, Health Coach, and an inspiring Wellness Speaker, with a contagious passion for nutrition, food and healthy living. Her mission in life is to change the way America eats by tapping into the massive power that women hold within our culture. Cindy prides herself on offering programs and seminars that educate, empower, and inspire people to change their mind, life and weight for good. Visit her at CindyCarbone.com.