Diet Free Weight Loss

Serotonin

What exactly is Serotonin, and what part does it play in our Nutrition ?

Wikipedia has a long thorough explanation here for those who want all the intricate details. But basically, serotonin is a neurotransmitter, or chemical messenger, that plays a vital role in regulating our daily rhythms - regulating anger, aggression, body temperature, mood, sleep, sexuality and appetite. For our purposes, we need to know the following vital facts -

• When brain serotonin levels are high - the desire to eat is lessened
• When brain serotonin levels are high - we are filled with "feel good" hormones

Anyone want to guess what chocolate contains ?? Yes...serotonin. That's why we feel good when we eat it.  Any foods that contain serotonin give us the "feel good" factor.

For most of us, our moods control what we put in our mouths. Feeling miserable - we usually reach for comfort foods - foods high in serotonin. We have learned, subconsciously, that these foods make us feel better. And they do.  Nothing wrong with that.

But we can make choices here. When we need a boost, we can continue to reach for high calorie foods such as chocolate to do the trick, or we can make more sensible choices, and get exactly the same effect. I know you're thinking "The same effect as chocolate ? No way." But it's true. Any foods that increase the brain serotonin levels will help to make us feel good.

So...what choices do we have ?

Foods rich in carbohydrate

• cereals
• wholewheat or rye breads
• pastas
• potatoes
• couscous

By eating these foods, we will boost our serotonin levels. Don't saturate them in oils or fats though. Keep them simple and "feel good" without the need for the cookie jar or a large slab of chocolate.

Life is all about choices - and so is good nutrition. YOU decide.

The Step-by-Step Plan Overview

The Step-by-Step Plan is just that - a plan that will guide you, Step by Baby Step, to a healthier, slimmer you. Its a plan that involves a little dancing - the Cha-Cha-Cha - Changes, Choices and Challenges !

• Changes...changes that you will make to your eating habits over a long period of time. Of course, you can make the changes quickly - if that's what you want. But we need the changes to be permanent, to become habits that are ingrained in your lifestyle. That's why I recommend taking it slowly.
• Choices...learning how to make the best possible food choice for your lifestyle. All food is good - there's no such thing as bad food - but we can make better choices in food, that will take us to where we want to be.
• Challenges - nothing worth fighting for is without challenges. On the Step-by-Step Plan, we will discuss the challenges that arise in attaining a healthy lifestyle, and learn strategies to cope with them.

The aim for you, and me, is to enjoy a healthy lifestyle. We all want to be :-

• eating healthy foods
• exercising
• getting our BMI to where it should be for optimum good health
• getting our weight to where it should be for optimum good health
• having energy that lasts all day
• getting rid of aches and pains (that come from lack of exercise)
• having a good self-image
• feeling positive about our life

The Step-by-Step Plan will enable us to achieve all of this and more !

The links to each Step in the plan are listed below.

Step 1 - Attitude

Step 2 - Journaling

Step 3 - Water

Step 4 - Get Moving

Step 5 - Substitutions

Step 6 - Portion Control

Step 7 - Eat Breakfast

More Steps to come !