I recently completed a full range fitness test given by my personal trainer. Based on the results, I had to really choose to what I call, “Work my Process.” What I mean by this is taking the information that I received about my fitness level and consciously use the tools I have in my toolbox to hear the course corrective feedback/information neutrally as a result of taking the test. Sometimes this is easier said than done! I noticed afterwards that I did not focus on all the wonderfully positive feedback. I noticed myself focusing only on the course corrective (and I labeled it negative at the time) feedback. So, in some areas I’m quite fit and my ego was fed (an interesting food metaphor) and in other areas, I had to work really hard to not go into self judgment. Well, let’s be honest, I had to work really hard to not go into “much” self judgment.

It seems that for every level or layer that I release about what my body is and what it is NOT, I get tested to see if I learned the lesson I was to receive. I find this in a lot of areas of my life actually. I might even call it a spiritual principle. Did I really learn the lesson? Let’s check! While in place of feeling really confident that I am very strong physically and work out five days a week generally, it was quite challenging to hear that I don’t actually get enough oxygen to my muscles when working out at my maximum heart rate due only to my physical weight. My trainer recommends me releasing weight! This struck me as quite ironic and downright humorous; as if what I have been doing for the last 20 years wasn’t intending to do just that!

Let’s take a closer look at the metaphor: “I don’t give enough oxygen to myself when I’m working hard.” I don’t give myself breaks. I work too hard. I don’t acknowledge myself enough. The list could go on.

I am amazed by how much we as humans (and I include myself in this embarrassingly enough) seem to feel that we must begin something with as much energy and enthusiasm as we can muster which more often than not tends to then fizzle over as little as a couple of weeks. Does this sound like the way you approach releasing weight? It’s a black/white, on/off, all/nothing game that tends to get played. My experience has led me to believe that this particular method of accomplishing one’s goal or Ideal Scene is just not sustainable.

Have you ever seen a teenager trying to learn to drive a manual transmission car, and they stall the car? I sure did that plenty of times. Have you ever seen one throw their hands up and declare that they’ll never be able to drive (giving up), that it’s the car’s fault (our body), that if only they had premium gas it wouldn’t have done that (different food or supplements), that the driving instructor didn’t teach them correctly (putting the blame outside ourselves – our doctors, our advisors, etc.). Sounds absurd, doesn’t it?

Can you see a teenager saying that they want to learn to drive an automatic because it’s too hard to drive a manual or stick shift transmission? I can picture this more easily. Yet, how many times do we wait for different circumstances to change before we begin something? I know plenty of teenagers that can’t wait to go fill up the gas tank for a chance to drive. It’s about intention. Teenagers learning to drive have a clear intention, however they need to work it in order to go and to do that.

It boils down to choice (yet another food/cooking reference): Am I going to participate in this weight and body image journey of mine in a state of struggle or flow? Chances are if you are reading this, that you or someone you care about are already going through this journey. Most would agree that it would be a much nicer ride to go through it in a state of loving, gentleness, self-nurturing, and flow, than one of self-judgment, not doing whatever enough, and generally being down on yourself.

It’s a simple concept, and all it takes is choosing differently. The great thing about it is that we get an infinite number of opportunities to choose how we are with ourselves as we go through our journey. Let’s face it: how we are with ourselves as we go through the journey is really the issue. So how do you want to continue your journey? What is your intention?

What is a bland diet? It is a diet specially set to treat certain gastrointestinal or stomach problems such as heartburns, ulcers and gas.

mediaimage
An answer to a question, what is a bland diet, is that it is a simple treatment for people suffering from any one or more gastrointestinal disorders such as chronic gastritis, ulcer, esophagitis and dyspepsia.

Bland diet is a dietary regimen for people suffering from stomach disorders. Hence, it is quite understood that ingredients of a bland diet are soft food items, which are easy to digest with a capacity to keep the acidity to low levels. Questions about diet may be asked to your physicians and he/she can suggest the diet or recommend a dietician to do it.

Diet medical questions may include the queries about the food stuffs to eat and food stuffs to avoid during the time while a person experien ces any gastrointestinal disorders. However, before a dietician could decide the bland diet for a person, he/she needs to seek answers to several medical questions related to the person such as any food allergies or irritations associated with any food items and emotions medical questions of people.

Bland Diet:

The diet prescribed as a bland diet will include food items that are easy to digest and low in fiber and acid contents. Even giving up alcohol and smoking is advised while patient is on bland diet. Also a patient is advised to have 4 to 6 light meals after regular interval to avoid heavy and large meals.

Chewing food properly and eating slowly helps in the digestion of the food. Adequate sleep, avoiding smoking and controlling anxiety are supportive treatments for the standard treatment of the problem.

Allowed Food Items:

• Dairy Products
Milk, cheese, yogurt with low-fats and other dairy products are easily digested and hence, can be included as a part of bland diet. However, there is no restriction on ice-creams and one may consume even ice creams during bland diet, but it should not have any product such as nuts that are not allowed in bland diet.

• Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
Fresh vegetables and fruits are allowed to a bland dieter. However, while carrot, squash, green peas are good to eat in a bland diet, broccoli, onions and green peeper should be avoided as it forms gas. In fruits, oranges, grapefruits, and bananas are allowed.

• Proteins
Protein requirement of the body, while on a bland diet should be met with soy products and meat. Fried chicken and greasy hamburgers are not allowed to be consumed, while grilled and baked chicken is allowed.
Low-fat peanut butter and eggs are also efficient to meet the body’s protein requirement in a bland diet.

• Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are contained in whole grain breads, pasta, oatmeal, corn flakes, white rice and sweet potatoes. All these food items are allowed.

Bland diet is designed for treating certain medical circumstances such as gastrointestinal problems. Hence, to answer what is a bland diet, we can say that this is a diet that aims at improving the digestion with the help of a timed-routine diet and soft to digest food items. Once the problem is controlled patients can return to their normal diet.

This article gives pertinent information about Dukan Diet and its side-effects

mediaimage
Pierre Dukan, a French doctor and nutritionist, challenged with the case of obesity started to look for alternative ways in curing the illness. After 20 years of thorough research he published in the year 2000, a book called, “Je ne sais pas maigrir” or translated as, “I don’t know how to get slimmer.” It gained the best-seller in France after a year it has been published.
It was made a hit in UK when Kate Middleton, now the duchess of Cambridge, tried the Dukan Diet before her marriage to the beloved Prince William, she reportedly claimed a loss of two dress sizes. It also allegedly claimed to help five million French. The book is also gaining fame in the US in the year 2011 when actress/singer, Jennifer Lopez, lost pounds after her pregnancy by following this diet.
Dukan Diet: What is it? How does this work?
Dukan Diet is similar to the famous Atkins diet. Atkins and Dukan are much alike in terms of non-intake of carbs initially and do not require portion control or counting calorie consumptions. In Atkins, it requires net carbohydrate intakes and unlike Dukan, it suggests a daily intake of oats, increase water consumption and 20 minutes of everyday brisk walking. Dukan Diet adopts four phases namely: Attack, Cruise, Consolidation and Stabilization.
Four Phases of the Dukan Diet
Attack: In this starter phase, the dieter is only allowed take protein rich foods that are exquisitely low in fat. Dr. Dukan provided 72-item list of foods to be eaten, it excludes pork, lamb, poultry products and cheeses. Food should always be cooked but without adding any fat to it, it best to cook in grilling or roasting. It also requires you to eat 1 ½ tbsp. oat bran & 1.5 liters of water per day. This phase should be followed around 2-7 days or more. Results from this initial phase within 5 days may result in 4-7 lbs. loss. This phase promotes quick loss of weight since it is strictly based on a protein-only diet.
Cruise: Cruise, the second to the fourth phase of the Dukan diet scheme. During this phase dieters who were only allowed to eat protein-only foods can now alternate a 28-items of non-starchy vegetables. They may take attack phase diet for today and take non-starchy veggie diet for tomorrow, and so this phase must go on by alternating these two types of diet each day. This phase may last long enough as much as you want by reaching your desired weight and assuring 2 pounds per week loss.
Consolidation: As one achieves the desired weight, one has to go the next phase called Consolidation, this is the maintenance phase of this diet scheme where you have to prevent putting back excess pounds. The plan in this phase is less strict compared to the first two phases. During this phase you are permitted to eat protein-only and veggie diet along with a piece of low-sugar fruit, 2 slices of whole grain bread and a portion of hard cheese. In this phase you are allowed to have 1-2 serving of starchy foods and one celebration meal per week. The phase of consolidation does not expect to loss off pounds but rather it is steadily the maintenance process.
Stabilization: Stabilization is the final phase and a life-long phase of the diet scheme. In here maintenance of the life-changing diet may be a challenging and tempting. During this portion of the scheme, one is already permitted to allow any food intake that a person wants and by also sticking to the diet rule in the consolidation phase. As Pierre Dukan suggest, that staying on the phase 1 rule once a week and eat whatever you like for the rest of the week lowers the chances of regaining weight.
Pros and Cons of Dukan Diet
Pros: The fast results of this diet scheme is beneficially rewarding and motivating. It allows you to have protein and veggie meal plan diets and does not require you to count off your calorie intakes.
Cons: It is highly restrictive and can exclude healthy foods. Dieters can experience side-effects such as symptoms of headaches, nausea, lethargy, irritable and loss of concentration. Dieters may acquire halitosis (bad breath), metallic tasting mouth and strong smell in their urines. For those people who have problems with their kidneys and liver are not advised to follow this diet plan. It is not also recommended for pregnant and nursing mothers.

Views and Opinions by Health Experts on the Dukan Diet
There are lots of critics in this diet plan. Due to the restrictive type scheme of this diet, some fruits, grains and nuts which are healthy and have high amounts of vitamins and minerals that are vital to the nutrition of the body are eliminated. Keri Gans of American Dietetic Association, said that the lost amount of multivitamins that should be acquired from those restricted foods are not compensated in the Dukan diet. Experts have also criticized that experiencing such side-effects may not be healthy at all.