For Higher Energy, Start This Nutrition Plan

Limit Sugar, Especially Fructose

Excessive sugar, specifically fructose, is a primary contributor to the obesity epidemic, as well as many other chronic and lethal diseases. Generally, our bodies use glucose for energy to fuel many bodily processes. But fructose is processed differently, and most of it is converted directly into fat. Dr. Mercola stresses that people are getting far too much fructose, notably more than our ancestors ever did. Our ancestors only consumed about 15g of fructose daily, while the average person is now taking in about 73g per day. He recommends that people limit themselves to just 25g of fructose per day.

Excessive consumption of sugars leads to both insulin and leptin resistance, which are at the foothold of most chronic diseases. Insulin resistance has even been shown to be an underlying factor in cancer formation.

Avoid Artificial Sweeteners

Dr. Mercola has spent years researching the effects that artificial sweeteners have on a person’s health. He believes they are even worse than sugar, advising that if people are going to drink soda, they should drink regular instead of diet. More adverse reactions from aspartame have been filed with the FDA, than all other food or food additives combined. Dr. Mercola maintains that stevia or xylitol would be a good alternative since they are natural sweeteners with almost no calories.

Avoid Too Many Grains

A high number of grains and sugars in one’s diet can cause significant amounts of insulin to be released into the blood. This can cause symptoms such as dizziness, confusion, headaches, and an overall poor sense of well-being. Dr. Mercola proposes that people should eat a meal every 2 hours, when transitioning into this diet. This keeps insulin and blood sugar levels stable, which will spare them of the negative side effects mentioned.

Have A Plan

It’s a very good idea for people to plan ahead. Dr. Mercola believes that not making a plan is ultimately planning to fail. He also points out that people should sit down weekly, and schedule out their meals for the week ahead. For convenience purposes, it would be a great idea for anyone to prep all of their meals on a particular day and reheat them when needed. This can save someone who has a busy lifestyle a lot of time. It can also help those who struggle abstaining from junk food when faced with hunger at an inopportune time.

Eliminate Negative Thoughts And Feelings

Letting negative thoughts and feelings take control can make it impossible for anyone to successfully convert to a long-term healthy diet. Comfort foods will eventually defeat willpower if negative thinking is a big problem for somebody.

Dr. Mercola suggests psychological acupuncture, because it is proven to help a person eliminate negative emotions. This form of acupuncture may be able to aid those by diminishing past emotional traumas, and assist in putting constant food cravings to rest.

Once someone has followed all of the guidelines laid out in the beginner’s plan, you can then find intermediate and advanced plans on Dr. Mercola’s website. These can be used for further improvements in health and well-being.

Resource: http://www.mercola.com/nutritionplan/beginner.htm