The Secret to Losing Weight is a Total Body Affair

     In order to reduce the weight from your body, you've got to get your body working right. It all comes down to an controlled balance of diet, exercise and healthy habits.

While the existence of harmful parasites is up for debate between the medical and scientific world and certain holistic health practitioners, the bare truth of weight loss comes down to what goes into your body, what comes out of your body, and what you do with your body.

You may very well build up unwanted poisons in your body if you're not prepping it for prime action. Then you've got a sickly, floppy, rusty contraption that is uncomfortable and doesn't work right. This is what has caused the epidemic of obesity. To lose weight and experience true weight loss, not just temporarily, look at what goes into your life and your body.

An excess of processed foods and white flour in your diet may cause a reduction in the body's ability to eliminate waste for a temporary amount of time. That can lead to bloat, general discomfort, lessening of nutritional absorbency, and lethargy. These are also the result of poor diet in general, because of an overall lack of the right nutrients and just plain not giving your body what it requires. In turn, you do not feel much like exercising. Unfortunately, this is part of the cycle that leads to weight gain problems and unhealthy lifestyle.

The more natural and wholesome foods you put in your diet, the better. Foods high in fiber content help the body to function optimally and minimize what the body doesn't need. The less processed your food is, the more originally occurring vitamins and nutrients you absorb from your food. The more the body gets what it needs, the less you'll crave the nasty stuff. And the fewer empty calories your body has to store, the less padding you'll have.

You must stay fully hydrated to help the body get rid of harmful poisons in your system. This allows the body to function properly by keeping the cells healthy. In turn, food is properly digested and the function of body systems are optimal, leading to mush improved metabolism. Drinking enough water, along with high fiber foods, helps you feel more satisfied and less prone to cravings shortly after eating.

Fiber is necessary in the digestive process. The body cannot completely break it down. As it passes through the digestive tract, it absorbs and binds intestinal residue to itself. This ensures that the unwanted waste passes from the body regularly and remains easy to pass, as well as getting all the harmful stuff your body doesn't need out of there!

The best sources for fiber are very well documented: whole grains, vegetables and fruits. Fruits such as plums and apples provide much of their fiber from the skins, as does the potato. Leafy greens, of course, carry the fiber in their leafy parts. Celery contains a large amount of fiber in the stalks, which is also an excellent vehicle for tasty protein like peanut butter.

Insufficient fiber in the digestive system can lead to an array of intestinal disorders, including diverticulitis, hemorrhoids, and it has been linked to bowel cancer. Refined foods are processed so highly that the vast majority of fiber content is removed, not to mention nutritional value. White flour, white bread, white sugar, and instant products are all refined foods. A quick in doesn't mean a quick out, and the high caloric intake of these items means more has to be burned.

Insufficient exercise can lead to intestinal disorders and less effective digestive function. Exercise promotes the activity of the intestines and keeps the body's metabolism up. So, little or no physical activity not only slows down your metabolism, it also slows digestion. No wonder the less we move around, the more we expand and sag. It only makes sense.

The body's systems are all connected, and you really are what you consume and what you do. Pay close attention to the body from top to bottom, and take heed of the whole health value of what you eat and your daily activity level. Chances are, then, when you commit to a healthier digestive system and regular exercise, you will see regular weight loss.

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