If you have ever tried to lose those unwanted pounds, you know it can sometimes be an uphill struggle. For those people with a slow metabolism, the weight-loss process can be difficult and downright disheartening because a low-calorie diet doesn’t always do the trick.
“The Slow Down Diet”, written by nutritional psychologist Marc David, shows readers how to boost their metabolism and lose weight by slowing down and making simple changes in your lifestyle. His eight-week weight-loss plan is not a diet, but instead focuses on our relationship with food, why we eat, and how we eat.
In his book, David informs us that a fast metabolism is much more than just basic physiology. His definition of metabolism includes the body, mind, and spirit. In his own words, “metabolism is the sum total of all the chemical reactions in the body plus the sum total of all our thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and experiences.” So, how DO we increase our metabolism? He goes on to say that eight factors can influence how we lose weight: relaxation, food quality, awareness, rhythm, pleasure, thought, story and the sacred. He dedicates each chapter in his book to one of these factors, which he believes to cause weight-loss when used in conjunction.
However, there’s more to “The Slow Down Diet” than just theory! David uses science and real case studies to prove his theories. At the end of each chapter, he presents practical ways that the readers can use his eight weight-loss enhancers to work to their advantage. Here are a couple of highlights from the book :
- Relax when you eat! The slower you consume your food, the faster you metabolize what you’ve eaten.
- Stress and anxiety spell bad news for your waist-line. When you are stressed, your body is in “fight or flight” mode. It’s harder for your body to digest food when your blood pressure is high.
- Practice deep breathing during meal-time. Oxygen plays a major role in determining how fast your food is digested. Davis recommends practicing some deep breathing before eating in order to burn your food more efficiently.
“The Slow Down Diet” is a fresh approach to eating that offers practical advice about food in an easy-to-read format. Since it doesn’t involve counting calories, it sounds good to us!
