It’s been said that “we’re stressed out, high on caffeine, depressed with too many obligations seeking the holy grail or magic bullet solution to any and all of our issues.”

Wow, that’s a mouthful.

With that much stress in our lives, it’s no wonder many people don’t have the time to prioritize their health and fitness.

Last time I checked, over 60% of Canadians are overweight or obese and this rate is increasing.

So how do we stop the madness?

It begins with your diet.

We have to move away from the processed, high refined foods that have become the norm for many in our country due to their convenience, price and even taste.

Unfortunately these highly processed foods have very low nutrition value – meaning you’re eating something but not getting any nutrients from it.

Sure you’re getting some carbs, some protein, some fat, but you are not getting all the vitamins and minerals that your body and every cell desperately needs to function.

The problem with this goes on…

Because you are not getting the nutrients your body requires, it does not switch off the hunger signals, so you continue to eat (potato chips come to mind here)…

With the digestion of this food, there is more stress on your system with little energy in return.

And this leaves you less full and ready to eat more to fill those nutrient needs.

The take home point…

Remove nutrient deficiencies and your body will function better.

• this will increase thyroid production from t3 to t4
• metabolize carbs more effectively
• recover from workouts more efficiently
• build more lean muscle

The health risks of tomorrow will outweigh the cost of the healthy food today.

So here is a food for thought paradox question for you:

Q – Can a person be overweight and malnourished?

A – Absolutely, you can be eating a low calorie, fake food diet, void of any vitamins and minerals and your body will literally halt the fat loss process.

Here’s an overview:

A nutrient deficient diet –> increases cortisol –> decreased ability to fall into deep sleep where cellular revitalization and regeneration occurs (most people never experience this) –> wake up tired, craving coffee/sugar –> consume caffeine and sugar —> stimulates adrenal gland and energy is generated (this doesn’t last long) –> adrenal stimulation is followed by adrenal fatigue –> if this cycle continues, adrenal exhaustion will occur —> cortisol is chronically elevated and begins to catabolize muscle and promotes storage of body fat (lower cortisol levels will circumvent this cycle)

• the first signs of stress are sleep deprivation, fatigue, mental fog, irritability, weight gain, craving sugar/starch/caffeine
• this is indicative that your stress threshold has been reduced
• something is out of balance
• as humans, we tend to deal with each symptom ignoring the underlying cause
• we use coffee and sugary foods to ward off fatigue
• sleeping pills to sleep, alcohol to numb our senses
• restrictive diets for weightloss,

Where does the madness end?

• don’t eat carbs in the am – this directly inhibits HGH (human growth hormone) slowing recovery. Carbs in the morning also increase insulin (which will prevent fat loss unless comsumed post workout)
• consume a post workout drink/meal with carbs + protein (the protein blunts insulin from spiking, increases HGH and the body is anabolic (promoting the building of lean muscle)
• eat more spinach (it has so many nutrients your body needs)
• sunlight = vitamin d – if you’re not getting sunlight, you need to supplement with vitamin d (so many benefits)
• a dark room for sleep and limited electronics in the room increases melatonin for deep sleep
• eat protein before bed to increase HGH (casein protein)
• get quality sleep of at least 7 hours/night(cortisol reduction begins here)

Don’t stress about the above list. Every journey begins with 1 step. Pick 1 of the things from the list above and take action. Then add another thing when you feel dialed in on that habit and repeat.

Committed to your success,
Josh Saunders
BEFIT