Special for Passover: When we discuss the miracle every year of the ten plagues that God inflicted on the Egyptians in order to free the people of Israel from Egypt, we are of course talking about national ties and the release from shackles to freedom and liberty.
But what are the shackles that keep us imprisoned on a personal level in order to achieve goals on a personal level? Dietician Adina Bachar has the guide to a healthy and balanced life that each of us can adopt.
The 10 plagues of today
1. Stress: the intense lifestyle and the daily pursuit of perfection, whether it is at work, as a parent, as a family member or any other “hat” we place on our heads in life puts us under pressure. Release that pressure. Try to focus on the good things on a daily basis, be grateful for what exists and direct the energy to good things, that way the positivity will return to you. After all, stress affects health and when you avoid and reduce it, health is affected for the better
2. Sitting: When you sit for long hours during the day, there is a risk of damaging your back. Try to get into the habit of getting up and walking around. Try to go up the stairs instead of choosing the easy option of going up in the elevator. Another option is to park your car far from your destination and thus purposefully insert a few minutes of walking into your daily schedule. In addition, adopt a hobby that gives you pleasure – volleyball, tennis, pilates or maybe even surfing. Any activity you choose will get the blood flowing in your body. It will also reduce the chance of getting sick and will make you feel vibrant and energetic.
3. Junk food: To be honest, this continues in everyday life and it is not an official concept on behalf of a health organization. Junk food is a fast food that is made of large amounts of fat, sugar and calories and does not contribute to the body nutritionally (empty calories). Learn to live with it and reduce its consumption and if you were nevertheless tempted by one or another “corrupt” food, treat it as a one-time and unusual event and return to your routine as soon as possible.
4. Eating quickly: Rule number one for an effective and healthy meal – eat leisurely. Eating quickly to make room for the next thing can bring with it many health problems, one of which is weight gain. When you rush to eat, you do not concentrate on the action itself. Therefore, try to put your phone aside when you eat, concentrate on your food and remember that an ideal eating time for a meal is about 20 minutes.
5. Blame: If we fail to lose weight and achieve the result we want, we often blame ourselves for not acting “correctly” and not meeting the goals we set for ourselves. If you are in a situation where you manage to recognize that you are blaming yourself, be forgiving to yourself as you would be forgiving to another in the same situation. Surround yourself with people who lift you up and don’t put you down and try to think clearly about the situation.
6. Emotional eating: Emotional eating has nothing to do with hunger or satiety, and no amount of calories will satisfy the emotion. Stress, distress, or any mental trigger sometimes causes a feeling of lack of control, how can emotional eating be regulated?
Eat in a balanced way all the time and that way in an emotional state you will not feel deprived of any food. When you go shopping, try to stock the house with healthy food. When you recognize that you are in a state of emotional eating, take a deep breath and think of positive things. Think about what else could make you feel better. (A phone call, short walk, shower or something else).
7. Daily weighing: Our weight does not necessarily indicate the amount of fat in our bodies. About 20% of people with high weight are thin, which means that the amount of muscles, bones and tendons (lean body mass) is relatively high. These are metabolically healthy people and their appearance will also look healthy and vital.
Have you started a process of losing weight? Do not weigh yourself obsessively every day because there are fluctuations that are also related to the balance of fluids in the body. Find a regular day and time and weigh yourself once a week to see a change. Just don’t get enslaved by the number on the scale.
8. Fearing fats: A common mistake is to think that fat makes you fat. Don’t blame the butter for what the bread did. The truth is that eating excess carbohydrates causes the body to secrete insulin in response to high blood sugar. High insulin inhibits decomposition processes of general fats. This then causes the storage of sugar as glycogen first and when the small (200 calories) glycogen reservoir is full, the body turns the carbohydrates into fat.
A ketogenic diet improves the balance of diabetes thanks to the reduction of carbohydrates and the emergence of a situation where insulin secretion decreases and fat breakdown becomes possible. Diabetics can verify this with a continuous blood glucose meter and without injections.
9. Drinking sugary drinks: These drinks are addictive, unhealthy, cause fatigue and increase sugar levels. Countless studies have already shown that excessive sugar consumption, especially in beverages, is directly linked to obesity, diabetes, liver and kidney damage, heart disease and hypertension. Take them out of your menu and if you are looking for variety in drinking water, mix in mint and sliced cucumber to add flavor and good health.
10. Finally, don’t compare yourself to others: You know the saying, “the grass is always greener on the other side”? So, it’s not. Stop comparing yourself to others, most likely they are also comparing themselves to you. Always aim high and compare yourself to yourself and your abilities.
Focus on the things you’ve done that make you proud and pat yourself on the back for your successes, eating a healthy and balanced meal, adopting healthy habits, exercising regularly and avoiding stress.
Adina Bachar is a dietitian for diabetes and ketogenic diets at the DMC Center for the Treatment of Diabetes and author of the book “The Ketogenic Diet” and chairman of the Atid Association
