Purpose Driven Health: Fueling the Operating System
“I know, once people get connected to real food,
they never change back."
-Alice Waters
Way back then, when I was young, I overheard a guy say,” I am 60 years old, but I feel like I am 16”. “Yeah, right”, I thought to myself. I almost felt sorry for him, making such a ridiculous statement. But today, at the ripe, good age of 72, I know exactly what he meant. He felt happy, excited about life, and perfectly comfortable in his own body. Who knows, he was probably doing the DASH.
Purpose Driven Health includes the body, the mind, and the spirit. The body is the operating system, and without a working body, life becomes hard. At times, the operating system needs upgrading. There is no better way to do that than by eating a good wholesome diet.
The DASH has fueled my operating system for many years, and it has served me well. If you are not familiar with this eating plan, give it a chance.
In a world of fast food and fad diets, getting lost in a labyrinth of dietary choices is easy. But keeping the mind on what matters and why it matters, make things easier. What matters is fueling the body, our operating system. Eating fresh foods that nourish the cells, provide sustained energy, and taste delicious is what we must aim for. That describes the DASH diet plan in a nutshell.
The DASH eating plan was originally developed to lower blood pressure without medication. Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension, is what the acronym stands for. Backed by science, this wonderful dietary plan does more than just improve hypertension. It also works wonder for weight reduction, while lowering blood sugar and cholesterol levels as well. DASH is the wonder diet for cardiovascular (CVD) disease, the leading cause of death in the world. As if this is not enough reasons to celebrate and join the millions of adults, already benefiting from the DASH, it still gets better.
According to Marla Heller, MS, RD, the queen of DASH the New York Times best seller author. She has written several books on the DASH eating plan, says that by keeping our arteries clean, we promote health, longevity, and beauty from the inside out. This is all research based.
DASH works because it is high in fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts/beans, nonfat/ low fat dairy, and lean proteins. Fresh fruits and vegetables are loaded with antioxidants that delay and prevent cell damage and aging. Vitamin C and Beta carotene are substances that combat cellular damage caused by oxidation.
Fruit and vegetables also have high fiber content. Fiber, both soluble and insoluble fiber, provide our bodies with a host of benefits. Besides the antioxidants, we feel satisfied longer, while the fiber serves our gut bacteria. When consuming fiber, the food in the colon moves faster through the digestive system and promotes regularity.
Promoting cell health with the Dash works because the food is low in salt, but high in powerful minerals like calcium, potassium, and magnesium. By adding 30 minutes of aerobic exercise to our daily routine, and drink enough water, the body rewards us with health, beauty, and vitality.
The DASH eating plan is easy to follow. The number of servings of different foods is all figured out. Depending on your weight, age, gender, and activity level, a set number of servings are recommended especially for you. The sizes of the servings and portions are predetermined so there is no need to guess how much to eat. Just follow the plan, enjoy, and cross off the number of servings consumed during the day.
Here are 5 reasons to DASH for Health and Happiness
- The DASH is made up of non-processed food, real food that is readily available at the grocery store. It is easy to buy and easy to prepare. Potatoes, carrots, apples, bananas, green leafy vegetables, oatmeal, whole grain bread, pasta, rice, beans, cheese, yogurt, chicken, fish, and lean meats are all food that we know and ate before food moved from farms to factories. I certainly ate all these foods growing up in Norway.
- DASH works for the whole family, children, and grandchildren. It can provide for a lifetime of pleasurable and balanced eating.
- DASH boosts cardiovascular health, reduces inflammation, and promotes health in the heart, the brain, and blood vessels. By adopting this awesome diet, we naturally reduce blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar. The latter improves insulin sensitivity and can improve or reduce effects caused by diabetes.
- DASH is also an excellent weight reduction program if you need to reduce your weight. Extra weight is not always indicative of being unhealthy. But we need to be at a bodyweight that works for us, so that we can live the life we want.
- Improve your happiness with DASH. You will have more energy, feel better, and have enough stamina to engage in the activities that you love. Doing what we love and have enough energy to learn and become exited is vital to human growth. Regardless of you being 60 years old, feeling like 16, or being 90 years old, feeling like 19, adopt this fabulous eating plan. DASH is for life, for Health, for Happiness, and for longevity. The size, shape, and condition of our body should NEVER prevent us from living life to the fullest and to the best of our ability.
🇳🇴Annelie Holmene Pelaez believes that everyone has an attribute to share with others. Promoting cardiovascular health and helping adults over age 65 is her contribution. When we don’t let age define us, but rather empower us to grow, we discover health and happiness are byproducts of who we are.
What is your unique attributes? Sign up on my website for free information that can help you become a Northbound Spry.
Annelie is the author of the book, Say Yes to A Better Life, available at Amazon.
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