There has been a surge in obesity in America and it’s commonly held believed that our insatiable craving for junk food is the main culprit.

Have you ever wondered why we always end up succumbing to our food desires? And did you know that by changing the way our brain works, we can lay off the unhealthy habits and get in shape? Our psychological well-being can make a tremendous impact on the physiological function of our bodies. With that being said, it’s possible to overcome the temptations and change the formation of our unhealthy habits by regulating our emotions and using our cognition.

In this article, I will unfold the biggest secret of the way our brain(limbic system) functions and hopefully help you understand losing weight is not far-fetched. As an old saying goes “If there’s a will, there’s a way”. Read on for the ultimate guide to weight loss.

Limbic System – Hypothalamus, hippocampus, amygdala

The first part of our brain that was developed as a survival component is called the limbic system. Don’t let the terminology trick you – it has nothing to do with our limbs or mobility.

It is a primary part of our brain that was designed to process the input from the external world for a better chance of survival. It also can process a wide range of emotional events to help us categorize actions that make us feel good and bad.

In short, it plays an important role in dieting, habit-forming, and weight management.

Limbic System comprises three structures called the hypothalamus, hippocampus, and amygdala that can make a significant impact on our psychological and physical well-being.

Hypothalamus is the epicenter of our brain that delegates tasks to different parts of our body and finds balance with our hormones, emotions, and whatnot. It’s associated with leptin which is the component that usually signals our hypothalamus that we’re full and then let the hypothalamus delegate tasks accordingly. In short, the hypothalamus regulates hunger, metabolism, and overall digestion too.

Hippocampus is the second portion of our brain that categorizes memories based on given stimuli and registers our emotions in the cerebral cortex so your body knows how to respond to certain situations or senses.

For instance, when we taste food that makes us happy or sad, we will register the feelings in the cerebral cortex. When our hippocampus is overactive or underactive, it will cause habits to form and even the hypothalamus to trigger an autonomic nervous system response to make us repeat the actions, be it good or bad.

Amygdala is another part that is associated with our strong emotions, such as anger, fear, and pleasure.

If we have strong fear for certain foods like junk foods, the amygdala will help us avoid those foods and make it difficult to form these unhealthy habits or store the memories from the hippocampus to trigger the autonomic nervous system response from the hypothalamus.

How to Condition Your Limbic System Better to Beat Food Addiction?

Now, after learning about how our brain functions and how it impacts our habit formation and dietary choices, you may wonder what’s the next step to control your limbic system.

In order to overcome food addiction, you can use mindfulness training to help you become disenchanted with your behaviors and more cognizant of the harms that your unhealthy eating habits give.

If we instill more context-dependent memory, we can use the youngest part of our brain, the prefrontal cortex, to make rational actions in the future and restrain ourselves from unhealthy behavior.

To nourish is usually defined as to make food available for individuals or even other living things such as pets so as to ensure they are healthy and most of all to make them grow. In humans, for example, babies require lots of good healthy food for them to grow as without that they will be weak and they will not make it to adulthood. Flourishing, on the other hand, means to succeed or to grow strongly and fast. Therefore, when anything, be it a human or an animal is said to have to be flourishing, it simply means that it’s growing properly and in good health, since it’s in the ideal conditions.

It is therefore clear that it is impossible for us as humans to flourish without nourishing first. So how do we ensure that we are nourishing so that we can flourish? Having a healthy diet is one of the first things you can do so as to nourish. Consuming whole foods such as a lot of fruits, wild fish, eggs, vegetables, and healthy fats such as nuts are the key to the best health you can possibly have. Also, eliminate or reduce the intake of refined sugar and salt which are bad for your health.

Consuming these whole foods while in their natural unprocessed state is the best thing you can do for your body as it will ensure that your body is in constant supply of nutrients it requires so as to flourish. It will also help you to improve your general appearance, it will make you feel much better, and will help you to live much longer as your body will be healthy enough to be able to fight most of the diseases. Eating healthy is the first thing you do so as to nourish to flourish but it is definitely not the last.

This is because for us to flourish fully, we must be able to attend to our bodies, spirit, and mind. Eating healthy ensures that our bodies have the right nutrients they deserve but our mind and spirit also require to be taken care of and one way of doing that is by ensuring that you have a positive attitude and keep out stress. Some of the things that you can do to ensure that you are nourishing your mind and spirit include;

• Spending some time in nature. This is essential because nature has a way of making us relax, and if you are relaxed it means that you will be without stress which is harmful to your health as it brings your immune down.
• Exercising regularly. This is one way of ensuring that your body and spirit are nourished as exercising basically engages both the body and mind. There are very many ways of exercising so you simply choose the one suitable for you.
• Being able to listen to your own thoughts even for a few minutes can do wonders to you. The stillness that comes with meditating takes over your mind, body, and soul, helping you to be able to let everything go.

It is true that the best investment that you can have is in your health as there is nothing more important than your well being. When you are feeling out of shape, there are several things that you can do to get back in shape fast. This, however, is by no means an easy task as most of the times, lifestyle changes are necessary and therefore one must be ready to work extra hard and be disciplined. One of the best ways of losing weight fast is by increasing your body’s rate of metabolism.

The first thing you have to do for you to be able to increase your metabolism rate is for you to be conversant with your diet numbers. The primary reason why this is essential is that your body, your health history, and your schedule are all unique and therefore by knowing the exact amount of calories you consume so as to maintain your weight you can be able to avoid taking more calories than your body requires. You can compute your numbers either by keeping a journal of what you eat throughout the week or you can opt to use an online calculator to estimate the number of calories your body requires.

Another way of ensuring that you lose weight fast and get your body back in shape is by managing your food consumption. Since by now your metabolism has increased, you are bound to feel hungry more often than before. You should ensure that your calories intake is not going up, instead, consume foods that are rich in fiber such as whole grains as such kinds will help to curb your hunger. The other thing that you must do is to increase your daily movements. This is another sure way of increasing your rate of metabolism which will in return help you lose weight fast.

This means that you will have to change your lifestyle to achieve this, which means that instead of driving to go get your groceries, walk and carry them home. Also, avoid using elevators and instead, be using stairs. Doing such kind of activities will keep your body active and healthy and you can also include workout sessions such as strength training which will help to boost your body’s rate of metabolism. Keeping fit has a lot of benefits and one of the benefits is that it gives you a clean bill of health.

This is something that has been scientifically proven as researchers have established that individuals, who eat healthily, are active and exercise often, are at lower risks of contracting deadly diseases such as arthritis and diabetes. Living a healthy life also ensures that you stay energetic at all times and it also helps to raise your confidence levels since you will be looking great. It is clear that individuals who are active are more productive as they are less fatigued during the day since they get enough sleep during the night which helps them to relax

Healthy Lifestyle

Healthy living has become a very essential issue in this day and age and rightly so, as our well being primarily depends on the kind of lifestyle we are leading. A wise man  once said that keeping our bodies in a good state is a duty which if not properly done, it hinders us from keeping our mind clear and strong. Good health cannot be defined by the lack of diseases, even though health is the state of total mental, social, and physical well-being. Therefore, healthy living can be described as the act of making informed health decisions both for today and in the future.

So what are the ways of living healthy? The following are some of the ways of ensuring that one leads a healthy lifestyle;

• Exercising on a daily basis. This is very essential as it helps you to live a healthy and a long life as it makes your muscles stronger, helps to normalize your BP, it improves your eyesight, and increases the density of your bone marrow, among other benefits. One of the easiest ways of exercising daily is by making sure you walk some distance every day instead of using a car every time.
• Having good sleeping habits. Sleeping is very important but unfortunately, most individuals do not have good sleeping habits. Having a good sleep helps your body to relax and also helps in the repair and recovery of your arteries and your heart. For those who always have trouble sleeping, they can use various techniques used for relaxation such as yoga.
• Adding vegetables to your diet. Vegetables are very ideal for your health and an increase in their consumption helps to reduce the risk of colon, stomach, lung, and pancreas cancers among others.
• Thinking positively. You can never underestimate the power of positive thinking as it has been proven to boost the overall health of individuals and to contribute to a healthier immune system. This means that those think positively are less likely to fall sick regularly as their immune system is much higher than that of those who are always sad and pessimistic.
• Having a 5-meal ideal. Having at least five meals per day helps to keep your energy and metabolism levels steady throughout the day. Another importance of having such a plan in place is that it helps you to keep your weight in check since you will not give in to your cravings which are bad for your health.
• Keeping good company. If you constantly hang around individuals who live very unhealthy lifestyles, you are most likely to follow them. Therefore, always make certain that you are surrounded by people who are living a healthy lifestyle.
• Choosing carefully what you eat. Since you are what you eat, stay away from trans and saturated fats and instead consume foods which have plenty of omega 3 fatty acids. This is essential as omega 3 fatty helps in reducing the risks associated with cardiovascular disease. These fatty acids can be obtained by regularly consuming sardines and wild salmon, among other types of fish.

 Here are the top health benefits that practicing yoga has to offer

1. Practicing yoga can improve your flexibility, strength, and posture

Practicing yoga can improve your overall muscle strength, flexibility and posture. The muscles you build while practicing yoga can lower the risk of injury involved in other sports and could help to lower back pain and other joint problems.

2. Practicing yoga can improve weight loss and help you maintain a healthy weight

Practicing yoga can lower the level of stress hormone known as cortisol in human body. Constant stress and anxiety can drive up the level of fat hormone or cortisol. However, practicing yoga can help to calm your nervous system and improve weight loss.

3. Practicing yoga can help to improve your immune system

Practicing yoga can improve your overall health by improving the blood circulation and nervous system. Yoga can also help to lower the risk of many chronic and degenerative diseases and boost your immune system.

4. Practicing yoga can improve memory and brain function

The stretching and breathing techniques that involves yoga can help to improve your memory capacity and concentration. In fact, research shows that yoga can improve memory and lower the risk of Alzheimer’s and cognitive problems.

5. Practicing yoga can improve your mental health

According to researchers, depending on your lifestyle choices (such as diet, exercise, stress, anxiety, or environmental toxins) somewhere between 10,000 to 100,00 free radicals attack our living cells.

Nutrient-dense superfoods are packed with valuable micronutrients, phytochemicals and antioxidants and can improve overall health and longevity. They could also significantly lower the risk of chronic diseases and reduce the damage from free radicals and toxins.

As they say “the food you eat can be either the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison”.

Food is the most powerful medicine and has the power to heal us or harm us. Keep in mind that the organic farmer is more important to your children’s health than the pediatrician.

You should add nutrient-dense superfoods to your diet on a regular basis and cut junk foods, processed foods, fried foods, sugary foods and foods that have artificial sweeteners, coloring, additives and preservatives.

Here are the top 10 superfoods that you should add to your diet on a regular basis:

1. Green leafy vegetables: such as kale, broccoli, celery and cabbage
2. Berries: Blueberries, goji berries, raspberries, and strawberries
3. Superfruits: Pineapple, mango and papaya
4. Raw organic cacao beans
5. Nuts and seeds: walnut, sesame seeds and flaxseed
6. Super-spices: Cinnamon, ginger, cayenne pepper, saffron and turmeric
7. Superherbs: Basil, mint, and parsley
8. Spirulina and chlorella
9. Seaweed
10. Avocado

Here are the 5 top foods that help to boost up your metabolism:

1. Opt out for organic foods whenever you could:

Genetically modified foods and conventional foods that are treated with chemicals such as endocrine disruptors, rBGH/rBST growth hormones, and antibiotics can screw up your metabolism and make you gain weight. Organic foods on the other hand, have much lower level of chemicals, pesticides and herbicides linked to obesity and weight gain.

2. Incorporate rich-fiber foods to your diet

Raw organic foods are high in fiber and other valuable nutrients such as micronutrients, antioxidants and phytochemicals and can help to cleanse the body from accumulation of toxins and free radicals and improve weight loss.

3. Include foods high in Omega 3 fatty acids to your diet

Food sources high in omega 3 fatty acids or DHA are essential for improving intelligence and proper brain function of babies and growing children. Foods sources high in omega 3 fatty acids can also help to get rid of bad fat or stubborn fat in the body. Wild sockeye salmon (lowest mercury fish), nuts, seeds, avocado, olive oil and avocado oil are great source of omega 3 fatty acids.

4. Include foods high in magnesium

According to researchers, more than 80% of Americans have Magnesium deficiency. Keep in mind that the ratio of magnesium to calcium happens to be a very important factor in improving health. In the Western diet, the ratio of calcium to magnesium happens to be 1 to 6, but many nutritionists suggest that the ratio should be more like 1 to 1. Organic green leafy vegetables, raw cacao beans, seeds and nuts such as sesame seeds, almonds and cashews are great source of magnesium.

5. Drink more water and skip sodas and sugary drinks

Drinking water on a regular basis throughout the day can improve weight loss and help to cleanse the body from accumulation of free radicals and toxins. You should drink at least 3 liters of filtered water throughout the day and skip drinking sodas and sugary drinks.