Logan J. Davisson - The Colors Of A Optimistic World

Vitamins and minerals

There are so many things you have to pay attention to when eating that hardly anyone has an eye on whether they really consume enough vitamins and minerals. Most of us have some flaw. This becomes even stronger if, for example, you eat a vegetarian or vegan diet or have to do without certain things due to a food allergy.

Vitamins help to keep the body fit and also stimulate digestion. Especially vitamin C, which is found in fresh fruit and vegetables, also supports the connective tissue and helps to look slimmer.

Moreover, if you eat too few vitamins, your body always feels that it is deficient - and it expresses this through hunger. If you just don't have any vitamin-rich food at hand, you automatically reach for unhealthy things. A ravenous appetite, which always leads you to return to old eating habits, can also be caused by vitamin deficiency.

The question of whether one should take vitamins in the form of tablets is a matter of opinion. What is clear is that obtaining vitamins and minerals from food is easier for the body to digest and therefore healthier than adding tablets. Nevertheless, those who are unable to consume sufficient vitamins through food are still better off with tablets. So if you're not sure if you have a vitamin deficiency, it's best to get advice from a pharmacy and take a multivitamin if necessary.

Otherwise, the best remedy for any deficiency is to eat as much fresh fruit and vegetables as possible, and as many different varieties as possible. You'll always be well taken care of. If you don't manage to eat fruit and vegetables, drinking also helps - see the Smoothie tips in the breakfast chapter. With Smoothies you get vitamins, minerals and also fibre, because you always puree the fruits and vegetables with peel. And they make you full and taste delicious, so they are much better than any vitamin tablet.

Not all fats are the same

It used to be "fat makes fat". This is no longer true, because we now know that the body needs fat to live and that fat is sometimes very important. However, there are healthy and unhealthy fats.

Healthy fats are preferably natural, vegetable fats. You can find them in nuts or avocados, for example. They don't make you fat, they even help you get rid of your belly fat. Because fat doesn't make you fat, it makes you full. From a handful of nuts you are just as full as from a portion of French fries - with significantly fewer calories. And they are healthier because they also contain vitamins, minerals and protein.

You should avoid unhealthy fats such as in fatty meat, fried foods or chips. They can mostly be found in foods that are not very healthy anyway, so you can achieve a double positive effect by doing without them.

Drink enough

If you don't drink enough liquid, you may also get fat in your stomach. Because your body can't always tell whether you're hungry or thirsty. If you don't drink enough, you will feel a lack of food and you may even eat out of habit - although you are actually thirsty. Another sure sign that you are not drinking enough is frequent headaches or sore throats.

The best thing to do is to drink at least three litres of water or unsweetened tea every day. Both fill your stomach, give you a feeling of fullness and also give your body the fluid it needs - because water is much more important to your body than food.

If you have trouble drinking regularly, it is best to keep a glass of water on your desk at all times. You can also set your phone to remind you to drink every twenty minutes. And always take a bottle of water with you when you leave the house. With a little habit, you'll soon find it easy to drink enough fluids.

Why exercise is important

Especially if you have been struggling with your abdominal fat for some time, you may also be among those who avoid movement. Sport at school was no fun, the effort is too much and the sense of achievement is missing. In addition - as it is also stated in Chapter 2 - there is more to eating less anyway. Because the calories that you can burn with sport, you ate very quickly again. So why all the trouble?

Even if sport isn't for everyone, there are many reasons that speak in favour of dealing with it. And it doesn't always have to be the marathon run if you want to get more exercise into life. Small changes often bring just as much. You will learn how this works in the following chapters. But here are the reasons for more movement in your life.

Reason 1: Our body is made for movement.

There's nothing to shake about it. Our body is designed to run, climb, fight and carry loads. Since we no longer do this in everyday life, sport simulates this movement. When you start, your body will really crave more exercise.

Reason 2: A fit body consumes more energy.

When you have more muscles, you consume that energy, even when they are barely in use. Every step a muscular leg takes consumes more calories than a weakened leg. Even in sleep, if you're well trained, your basal metabolic rate will increase.

Reason 3: Only movement can shape the body.

If you eat less, you can lose weight and get rid of your stomach fat. You can shape your body as you would like it to be, but only through training. The connective tissue becomes tighter through sport, your posture changes and you look slimmer - even if you are not yet.

Reason 4: There is something for everyone.

There are so many sports that everyone will find something to enjoy. It doesn't have to be the gym or the swimming pool. You can do sports in a team or you can use the time alone to pursue your thoughts. You can shoot soccer, climbing, archery, cycling. Your body will thank you for it.

Reason 5: Movement makes you happy.

Endorphins are released during sport. These are happiness hormones, and after physical exertion you actually feel a little as if you were in love right now. And that's the perfect incentive for the next workout, even when it's exhausting.

Small changes can make a big difference

Going from zero to 100 isn't that easy. And it also does not make sense, because success is usually lacking. Have you ever planned to train for an hour every day from now on, and to hold out for a few days? And how did the whole thing end?

If we take on too much, we usually achieve the opposite of what we want to achieve. You want to get rid of your belly fat, are highly motivated to do sports every day, register at the gym and go there for a week. Then this is what usually happens: You'll get sick. It's a friend's birthday. Your leg hurts. Or you just don't feel like it. And skip once. So your complete plan to do sports every day has failed. In other words: Actually it doesn't make any sense anymore to continue with it. You are frustrated and in the worst case this endangers not only your "sub-goal" sport, but the whole project to fight your belly fat.

So it is important with such changes that you approach them in a way that saves you unnecessary frustration. The best way to do that is to set realistic goals. Nobody trains every day. Even professional athletes take breaks. That's what the body needs. And of course your life doesn't change from one day to the next, but the changes happen bit by bit.

So, instead of doing a lot of sports, it's best to start by planning more exercise into your everyday life. A good goal, for example, would be to consciously move yourself once a day to a place where you wouldn't have done it otherwise. For example, you can ride your bike to work. Or take the stairs instead of the elevator. Or walk to the first station. You will probably think of many more things when you look at your normal daily routine. And the great thing about such a somewhat broader goal is that if it rains in the morning and you can't take the bike, you can climb stairs later. A small setback does not mean that you have not achieved your goal.