10 Benefits of a Meal Plan

Meal Plans and Eating Methods are all the rage in todays society.

Let's first address what a Meal Plan is:
A Meal Plan is a set of meals to be eaten throughout the course of a day. Ideally, it is a Personalized Meal Plan that takes into account the whole individual, age, sex, lifestyle, schedule, finances, mindset, special needs and considerations, and so forth. 

Obviously, I'm not talking about a Hostess, Little Debbie, Cookie Diet, Burger/Fries Meal Plan here, I'm writing specifically about a balanced Meal Plan, full of live, fresh foods that fuel the body at the cellular level and leaves the consumer of such, feeling full and satisfied. 

Let's talk eating methods now:
- Atkins
- Zone
- Weight Watchers
- The Mediterranean Diet
- Intermittent Fasting
- Carb Cycyling
- Keto
- Paleo
-The Endomorph Diet
- Vegetarian
- Semi-Vegetarian
- Low Carb 
- Body for Life
- Jenny Craig
- Nutri System
- The Hackers Diet
- The Dukan Diet
- The South Beach Diet
- The Stillman Diet
- Th Beverly Hills Diet
- The Cabbage Soup Diet
- The Grapefruit Diet
- The Subway Diet
- The Juice Diet
- The DASH Diet
- The Diabetic Diet
- The Elimination Diet
- The Gluten Free Diet
- The Blood Type Diet

And on and on the list goes.

Let me ask you a question...
Do animals in the wild need diets?

THE TRUTH ABOUT HOW DIETS HAVE COME TO BE

Did you know the humans, like animals have built in mechanisms that inform us when we're hungry and when we've had enough? 

Do you realize the vast array of processed, manufactured, 'food', is full of chemicals foreign to the human body:

- preservatives (carcinogens)
- colors, dyes (carcinogens)
- manmade, synthetic vitamins and minerals (not plant which means they are much less, if at all, bioavailable to the cell)
- hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated  and other unstable (rancid) fats and oils (promote free radical damage)
- bleach (
- refined flour of bread, rice, pasta (spikes insulin, robs the body of vital nutrients, acts as a glue in the intestines)
- high fructose corn syrup
- artificial sweeteners (carcinogenic, scews the leptin and ghrelin receptors of the brain, causes migraines, seizures, destroys healthy bacteria in the gut and more...
- nitrates and nitrites (carcinogens and lead to diabetes)
- GMO's
- hormones
- antibiotics

The list goes on...

Long story short, the following is from body ecology.com and should be included in every health class taught in America:

1. Processed foods are addictive and can cause you to overeat.Whole foods are made up of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, fiber and water. When foods are processed the components of these foods are modified (for example, fiber, water and nutrients are removed) and in other cases, components are concentrated. In each case, processing changes the way they are digested and assimilated in your body.
   Eating highly processed or highly concentrated foods can artificially stimulate dopamine (the pleasure neurotransmitter), which plays a role in addiction. In this way, you are eating foods that lack nutrients and fiber, but create a pleasurable feeling. A food addiction starts because you feel good when you are eating these foods and they make you think they taste better. You crave that pleasurable feeling again and again and viola…this is what starts a food addiction.1
2. Processed foods are linked to obesity. Additives in processed foods, like high fructose corn syrup, sugar and MSG have been linked to weight gain and obesity.2 Dr. Mercola recently reported about a new study that showed childhood obesity could be reduced by 18 percent, simply by cutting out fast food advertisements during children’s programming.3 The Australian government is clearly more concerned about their children’s health as television advertisements to children were banned several years ago.
3. Processed foods often contain ingredients that do not follow the principle of food combining, which can lead to low energy, poor digestion, illness, acidic blood and weight gain. An example would be a frozen meat and cheese pizza. Cheese (a dairy product), meat (an animal protein) and pizza crust (a grain product) make a terrible food combination that can wreak havoc on your digestive health.
4. Processed foods contribute to an imbalanced inner ecosystem, which can lead to digestive problems, cravings, illness and disease. Beneficial microflora cannot survive in your digestive tract when you are poisoning them. Like us they thrive on foods that are made by nature not by man.
5. A diet high in processed foods can lead to depression, memory issues and mood swings. Ingredients in processed foods are often the lowest cost and sub-par, nutritionally. For example, the fats and oils used in processed foods are refined, which means they are stripped of the essential fatty acids necessary for healthy blood sugar levels, moods and memory. Your heart, hormones and brain suffer when you choose to eat these fats and oils. Instead choose the organic, unrefined or “virgin” fats and oils that are recommended on The Body Ecology Diet.
6. Processed foods often go hand in hand with “eating on the run” or multitasking. Most people will choose convenience if they are on the run and in today’s busy lives, who of us isn’t? Unfortunately, multitasking while eating causes people to lose touch with their natural appetite, often leading to weight gain. Additionally, multitasking sends the wrong signals to your digestive system, which needs to be in a restful mode to digest properly.
7. Nutrition labels on processed foods are often misleading and have harmful health effects. Many labels say “sugar free,” but contain other sweeteners like agave, which is like high fructose corn syrup. Additionally, product labeling may hide ingredients like GM (genetically modified) foods and harmful additives like MSG. (These are hidden behind words on the label like “natural flavorings” or “approved spices”).4
8. Diets high in processed meats (like hot dogs and deli meats) have been linked to various forms of cancer, such as pancreatic cancer, colorectal cancer and stomach cancer.5
9. Eating too many processed foods can lead to infertility and malnutrition. Processed foods, like cereal, are stripped of important vitamins and nutrients that your body truly needs. You could be eating a large amount of calories and still be malnourished if your diet is high in processed foods.
   Animal studies have shown that over three generations, a deficient diet causes reproduction to cease.6 Today, infertility is on the rise, affecting 7.3 million people in America.
10. Processed foods are made for long shelf-life, not long human life! Chemicals, additives and preservatives are added to processed foods so that they will last for a long time without going rancid or affecting the taste of the food. Food manufacturers spend time, money and research on beautiful packaging and strategies to lengthen shelf-life, with little attention on how the foods will lengthen your life or create lasting health.7

Sources:

1. Goldhammer, Alan, D.C., Dietary Addictions: Why eating healthfully is so difficult. National Health Association.
   http://www.healthscience.org/index.php?view=article&catid=75%3Ahealthy-eating&id=398%3Adietary-addictions-why-eating-healthfully-is-so-difficult&option=com_content&Itemid=123
2. Tsang, Gloria, R.D. and Girdler, Lauren. MSG and Your Weight. September 2008. Health Castle.
   http://www.healthcastle.com/msg.shtml
3. Mercola, Joe, O.D. Simple Change Could Reduce Obesity in U.S. by 20 Percent. Mercola.com.
   http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/12/13/simple-change-could-reduce-obesity-in-u-s-by-20-percent.aspx
4. Krebs, Al. New Poll – 94% of Americans Want Labels on GE Foods. Organic Consumers.
   http://www.organicconsumers.org/ge/newpoll102303.cfm
5. Tsang, Gloria, R.D., Processed Meat and Cancer. August 2006. Health Castle.
   http://www.healthcastle.com/processed_meat_cancer.shtml
6. Fallon, Sally. Dirty Secrets of the Food Processing Industry. Weston A. Price Foundation.
   http://www.westonaprice.org/modernfood/dirty-secrets.html
7. Davis, Jordan K., M.D. Shelf Life is Not Your Life. Total Health Communications. Feb/Mar 2005.
   http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/147070/shelf_life_is_not_your_life/index.html

So, there you have it. Think about this the next time you're tempted to go get fast food, hit the vending machine or corners store.

With the loss of dulled receptors, tastebuds that have become accustomed to 'hyper-palatable' foods, and neurotransmitters gone haywire with their receptors dulled, as well, people begin finding they are trapped in poor habits:

- fast food

- junk food

- sugar addiction

- late night ice cream, brownie, pizza habit

- chips, crackers, cookies, candy bars, chocolate

The very inner mechanisms that we were created with to instinctively let us know when we're hungry and when we're not have been manipulated through the careful, intentional, and power hungry 'giants', to line their pockets, entrap the masses, and set up a population for addiction, disease, and of course... the giants have set-up medical facilities and given all your symptoms names and titles of disease to further line their pockets.

I read recently that Americans are now consuming 80% of their diet from processed 'foods'. Where do you think this will lead?

Folks, plant your gardens, eat from the earth, from nature's goodness, fresh fruit of the trees, vegetables from the earth, fresh water, grass fed beef, free range poultry, unadulterated nuts and seeds... and your body will thank you. It knows what to do with viable nutrients at the cellular level, it builds a strong mind and body, clears itself of waste and foreign material such as the aforementioned and will fortify the immune system. Now, where will this lead?

People who mock at those following a Meal Plan understand not the freedom that comes disguised in a regimented Plan. One may appear as a 'slave' to a Plan, but in the process their tastebuds begin to recognize real, wholesome food once more, the gut begins to heal, the brain, liver, kidneys, and so on. It is when one is free that they realize they were prisoner to the food god(s). 

In the process, they find the ache joints have disappeared, the stomach issues, digestive issues, headaches, dry skin, 'beer' belly, and with it a new hope in life with more energy, positive attitude, and a desire to 'go after life', with life because now they feel alive, free and in control once more. 

Besides the benefits I've already mentioned, here are more to consider:

1. SAVES TIME
You can save a tremendous amount of time because your meal plan spells everything out for you: 
- What to eat
- How much of it to eat
- How to prepare it

Even a time frame of when to eat it. Believe it or not, this frees up a lot of your time. You no longer have to ponder, "Hmm...what to eat, what have I eaten so far, etc.".  I can't begin to tell you how much energy is saved simply because you're no longer standing in front of your refrigerator with the door wide open, mystified as what to eat. This is when the best of intentions becomes an ongoing dream, no plan means no success. You'll also save time at the grocery store since you have a list, and shop for only what's on your list. Since you eat the same meals a month at a time, you have this system down to a 'T', and get in and out of the store faster than 97% of the population.


2. SAVES ENERGY
I've already mentioned the amount of energy you can save, literally. Here I'd like to mention the energy saved mentally, which trips over into your physical realm, as well. Less thought equals more energy, and greater output elsewhere. I liken this to having children. You want to leave the house for a few hours, but don't want to bring your three kids 5 and under with you. If you leave them unattended, you're mentally preoccupied the entire time your away, consciously, and sub consciously, you have no rest, your energy is usurped. Now liken this to constantly wondering if what you're eating is what you should be eating, the amount you need, and if you're really even hungry. Many folks don't realize how preoccupied they are with food, until they have a meal plan, and feel a release from the guessing game, thus freeing up more energy.


3. SAVES MONEY
Meal plans are very affordable. Most people spend AT LEAST as much money going out for meals whether at fast food outlets, or sit down restaurants, not to mention all the garbage food and so called 'soft' drinks bought weekly. Save your money and put it where you will receive a pay back, just like a true investment. Look for ways to get back at least as much as you invest, hence, once you get your plan, FOLLOW IT!!!! The door only opens when you turn the handle, baby!


4. EASY TO FOLLOW
Everything is spelled out for you, there are no guessing games, no confusion, no tricks. Simply read through your plan, make sure you understand everything, ask questions and get answers if you don't, make your list, clean out your kitchen, and get shopping!


5. AFFORDABLE
Anyone can get a meal plan. Save up for your initial if need be, set aside $10.00 at a time if you have to, and get it done. Updates are a drop in the bucket when you look at the benefits you receive by being more healthy, more alert, more functional, happy, and invigorated. Yes, you're spending, but you are saving SO MUCH MORE!


6. EDUCATES YOU
Indeed, you are educated by simply following your plan each month. You learn how to eat, what it feels like to eat properly, how your body responds to good, wholesome nutrition, and even where to find the bargains, join a co-op, store, maintain, and prep, as a Pro! Soon your family and friends will begin asking questions. I haven't had a person yet, who has entered our home, and not left a better person for it. I don't mean this in a  boastful way. What I'm saying is, the next time I see them or they come over, they have a gallon of water with them, or tell me how they bought some asparagus to try, or want to show me their latest record in pull-ups. I love it. You will surely have an influence on those around you, just as you do now.


7. SETS YOU UP FOR SUCCESS
As you save money, time, and energy, and have more physical energy, you'll begin to branch out and look at other areas of your life you'd like to take action on. What once seemed only a dream, now seems to be something perhaps within reach, with some effort. As you feel successful, you will desire to succeed in other areas, as well.


8. REVS UP YOUR METABOLISM
I can't tell you how many clients come to me undernourished, underfed, and undermining themselves. You MUST EAT FOLKS. Starving is a slow death of both mind and body, it's half living. Following your meal plan makes it obvious the importance of eating, because guess what? You are always eating, lol. Meanwhile, your body is making adjustments and sending messages to your brain that the scarcity is over, it can manufacture its hormones normally, relax, and yes, burn, baby burn, that fat right up.  


9. FAMILY AFFAIR
It doesn't take long to figure out you've got to get your family on board, especially if you're a female, mother. You see, it gets draining rather quickly fixing meal A for you, meal B for the kids, and meal C for the hubby! Ditch it. Get everyone on board. Point out the benefits along the way, "You're sleeping so much better", "You're so energetic", "You're grades have improved", etc.


10. CONTROL
Okay, whether you want to admit it or not, chances are, somewhere inside of you is a nerve racking control freak, the only problem is your control freak is out of control when it comes to eating. A meal plan helps to teach the control freak proper etiquette per se.  

Then, alas, we are back functioning with our body's natural 'control' mechanisms in place. 

If you or someone you know is looking to kick a poor habit, get their control back, is struggling with food addiction, poor health, or just feel like they'r eating habits or tastebuds need a revamp, have them contact me at:

jillstightbodybootcamp@gmail.com