San Diego Chiropractor

It seems that at the start of each year we resolve to do better for ourselves – usually in the form of diet and exercise.  The problem is that our efforts are short lived because we look at these changes as only paying dividends in the long run – typically diet and exercise take time to produce visible changes but deep down the positive effects are nearly immediate.  This is the kind of information that I like passing on to my San Diego Chiropractic patients because it can help them stay the course of health improvement.

Healthy Girl

Recent studies have tracked the impact of a healthy diet on our bodies.  In the time line example below, this is how our bodies respond to a clean diet that begins with a healthy breakfast made up of lean protein such as egg whites with fresh fruit and whole grains.   This breakfast is the beginning of a diet with no fat, no sugar and no processed foods.

After 15 minutes: Our bodies recognize complete nutrition.  When we eat a breakfast as described above the stomach sends signals to the brain that indicate that you are full.  By eliminating processed foods (such as white bread and sugary cereals) and substituting healthy foods you will feel energetic and mentally alert after just one meal.  When we consume healthy, nutrient dense, bioavailable, unprocessed foods our bodies don’t crave more foods and therefore we tend to eat less.

3 hours later: Your arteries are able to expand allowing increase blood flow to the body’s muscles, tissues and organs.  This increased blood flow improves mental clarity and helps maintain your energy levels.

6 hours later: HDL cholesterol (the good one) in your blood starts scouring LDL cholesterol (the bad one) from your blood.

12 hours later: Your body begins to burn the fat it has stored for energy because you’ve eliminated sugar from your diet. When you eat sugar, your body uses the sugar for energy and holds on to its fat.

16 hours later: Your clean diet contains no stimulants to you sleep better and feel more rested when you wake up the next morning.

24 hours later: You are most likely 1 to 2 pounds lighter.  At this point your body has already begun to flush excess water and a host of toxins from your system.

3 days later: Once your body begins to lose excess weight, cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels start to improve.  All this in just 3 days!

1 week later:  Cholesterol levels can drop significantly. Blood levels of vitamin C and vitamin E are higher. You should notice improved digestion and you should be at least 5 pounds lighter.   Cleaning processed foods from your diet and replacing those items with lean proteins, fresh fruits and vegetables significantly improve digestion.

2 weeks later:  2 weeks of clean eating will reduce your blood pressure by a noticeable amount.  You should have also lost up to 10 pounds at this point.

1 month later:  At this point your new diet should be easy to maintain.  You should be feeling much better and have tons of energy.  Lab tests show that at this point LDL cholesterol should be up to 30% lower.

6 weeks later: You should have lost up to 20 pounds at this point.

12 weeks later: All of your health markers such as blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides and glucose levels should be within normal ranges.  All of this occurs within 3 months of healthy eating.

The benefits of eating healthy go on and on.  The purpose of this post was to empower you to stay the course of health related New Years resolutions because research shows that the benefits come fast and have long term positive impacts on your health.  Consider for a moment how much faster this improvement takes place when clean eating is combined with 30 to 45 minutes per day of aerobic exercise.  Stay the course and the results can come shockingly fast.

Yours in Good Health,

Dr. Steve Jones

Click Here For Your San Diego Chiropractor

(619) 280-0554

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