You are what you repeatedly think and do. If you're anything like me, you have indulged in all the tasty treats this holiday season in Morgan Hill CA and are now ready to undo the damage.

Gained a few pounds? No problem, it will come off. Feeling tired and lethargic? Definitely fixable! But only if you act now! Don't let those temporary indulgences become your new habits. You are what you repeatedly think and do.

If you allow your sugar and processed food addictions to become the rule rather than the exception, you are headed for ill health, weight gain, pain and autoimmunity.

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Regaining Control in Morgan Hill CA

So how do we regain control? Or how do we gain control if we didn't have it in the first place?

I challenge you to think about and commit to the following three steps:

• Eat whole foods only.
• Make your first meal protein and fat.
• Move your body every day.

What do I mean by eat whole foods? Eat foods that you recognize in their natural state. Can you pick it from a tree or a bush? Can you pull it from the ground? Does it come from an animal? Those are whole foods. If it comes in a package with unrecognizable ingredients, then it is not a whole food.

Foods to avoid, at least temporarily while getting back on track, include grains, sugar, most dairy products (milk and cheese) and all processed foods and additives. You will also want to avoid all refined oils like canola, soy, corn, and vegetable oils. These foods and oils contain ingredients that increase inflammation and disrupt your microbiome. They also increase cravings of the very foods you're trying to avoid. Therefore, it's best to avoid them 100%! Cold turkey.

It sounds easy, right? If eating this way is new for you, it can take a week or two to acclimate and figure out what to eat. Give yourself some grace to make mistakes and keep trying. The benefits will reveal themselves!

A great resource for recipes, ideas and troubleshooting can be found at Whole30.com.

What do I mean by eat some protein and fat for breakfast? A protein and fat breakfast might be an egg scramble cooked with broccoli, onions and spinach in some grass-fed butter. You can also try reheating last night's dinner of salmon and mashed cauliflower. You could try a protein smoothie with undenatured grass-fed whey protein, a frozen banana and some spinach. Or you can keep it simple and have a couple of boiled eggs with a handful of nuts.

Why it matters: foods that contain proteins and fat help keep your insulin levels low. This stops the cycle of craving sugary or high carbohydrate foods that keep you stuck in a cycle of lethargy, bloating and inflammation. If you are tired late morning or late afternoon and are craving a sugary snack, I'm talking to you! You can get out of this rut by changing what you eat in the morning.

What do I mean by move your body every day? It's exactly what it sounds like. Make a decision to move and find something that you're willing to do. Try going for a walk or a bike ride. Turn on a yoga video. Check out YouTube and do a body weight strength training class. Move your meat! Get down on the ground and then get up again. Do it 10 times. That's moving the meat. Do push-ups at your kitchen counter. Try sitting down and then standing up again. You just did a squat! It doesn't take anything fancy to move your body, just commitment.

Remember: you are what you repeatedly think and do. If you repeatedly do something good, good will come from it. Forgive your mistakes and commit to eating, moving, and thinking well.

I wish you all a very happy new year!

Dr. Nicole