Clever Magazine, Vol. IV, #10 " Like to Eat? " (www.clevermag.com)

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Speaking of food ~

Like to Eat: go for it!

by Monique Rider

Do you want to have energy all day long, burn mega calories, strip body fat, AND have a healthy digestive system? Then eat – and do it frequently! Yes, your body needs food and plenty of it to get through the daily grind. Eating four to six small, frequent meals per day is truly the key to a healthy body and a healthy lifestyle.

Eating frequently keeps adequate calories in the body. Most of us really don't eat enough. We are all running around with a full daily schedule, stress, trying to exercise (or not) and expecting to do it all on a few meals per day. Yet we can't figure out why we're not healthy or why we're not losing weight. Focusing on small, frequent meals ensures that we are getting the full amount of calories we need.

You have to eat more, to burn more calories. Now this doesn't mean four to six "junk" meals each day. It means reasonably sized meals that include protein, carbohydrates, and a LITTLE fat. When you restrict calories by not eating, your body refuses to give up the extra body fat. So you must give your body what it wants, and it'll burn calories more efficiently. By eating this way, you’ll also keep your energy level high all day – no more mid-day fatigue. That’s the crash you feel when your blood sugar dips too low. Keeping food in your body at regular intervals will prevent that crash. It will also prevent trips to the vending machine. Because when the blood sugar dips, the brain receives a subconscious message to find sugar aka junk food.

You may not realize it, but food affects your mood. When you don't eat or when you don't eat healthy, your mood changes drastically. That's your body trying desperately to tell you something -- and your loved ones and coworkers get the brunt of it! Your mood isn’t the only area that will improve -- the digestive system works better, too. Our digestive systems aren't designed to work on overload. As a matter of fact, overeating/under eating is unhealthy for all of the internal organs. By eating only a few times a day, our natural reflex is to stuff ourselves. Give your body food in small amounts and your insides will appreciate it much more.

Let's face it, eating more often takes time and thought. But it's very possible and when you put a little thought into what you're doing you tend to do it better. You'll be amazed at how quickly you'll begin to learn about nutrition when you focus on it a little bit. Once you begin eating frequently, your body will respond quickly. Pretty soon you won't be able to go more than 3 hours without something to eat -- that's a good thing. Your body will tell you what it needs and when.

Eating in this way will challenge you to step out of your comfort zone. What have you got to lose -- except weight and bad habits! Challenge yourself to this method and see what happens. It'll also make a great conversation topic.

Monique Rider is the owner of Trinity Coaching Services, a business that offers fitness training and personal development services to clients worldwide. Monique's mission is to use her life experiences to help others grow. To learn more about Monique, visit her website http://www.personaljoy.com
or email her: monique_rider@msn.com