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🍴 FOOD HACK

‘MindFul Eating' (Or... The Simple Hack To Transform Your Health By Simply Changing 'How' You Eat — Not 'What' You Eat)

When people think about eating or nutrition, they usually focus exclusively on 'what' they should be eating… usually forgetting that 'when' or 'how' we eat our food is just as important...

That’s right, you can eat the exact same food but in a different timeframe, or in a different way, & it'll have a completely different effect on your body… (as modern research proves!)

We covered the 'when' in the previous edition of this newsletter where we talked about fasting & intermittent fasting schedules...

This week, we'll focus on the 'how'...

'How' exactly should you be eating?

People in ‘blue zones’ (that is, we remind you, the geographic locations where people statistically are the healthiest, suffer the lowest risks of health problems & live the longest!) have practiced ‘mindful eating’ & mindfulness in general long before it became the trendy thing to do & became popular in the West!

An example of mindful eating people in blue zones practice is; they almost never eat until they’re absolutely stuffed!

The Okinawans (in Japan) for example, call it ‘hara hachi bu’, which is to stop eating when you are about 80% full...

The other thing difference in how centenarians eat is that they...

Eat slowly…

…which is completely opposite to our eat-in-a-hurry 'fast-food' culture in the West!

(by eating slowly, they usually end up eating less also... helping with weight management & lower rates of disease!)

This is also a very logical thing to do if you think about it...

Consider this: how are you going to enjoy what you are eating if your focus is not on your food and/or you're eating it as quickly as humanly possible?

You're not going to taste anything while you are reading the news on your phone when you eat your beautiful organic salad...

And if what you are reading or watching is triggering stress hormones to be released, alongside eating too fast, that’s a double whammy of stress you could really do without...

Secondly… how again are you going to know when you are full? 

Research indicates that…

So if you’re eating too fast, you’ll naturally end up eating more as this feeling of fullness won’t kick in early enough…

Now, another little tidbit we’ll throw in there along the lines of lowering stress levels, mindfulness & eating is to…

Take 5 long slow breaths before eating anything.

I mean, we don’t breathe properly for a start, always rushing around stressing about something... which is why breathwork has started to take the health world by storm...

There are huge health benefits to simply becoming aware of your breath & working on slowing it down in everyday life, including before/while you’re eating...

So, there you go... you don't even need to change 'what' you eat (although obviously, the greatest benefits come from dialing in all of the above at the same time - what, when AND how)...

…but by eating more mindfully, slowly & in a calm emotional state you'll start reaping some amazing benefits starting today!

🌿 HEALTHY RECIPE

Tofu, Broccoli & Cashew Stir Fry

Coming back to 'what' you can eat (mindfully, slowly, in a calm & relaxed state of mind & body), here's a great recipe you can try out...

It's a clean, healthy & easy-to-prepare vegan dish (of course you can replace tofu with fish, chicken or beef if you so wish)...

...however, when seasoned well & made with a tasty sauce, tofu can be an awesome animal protein replacement, which will give the digestive system a much needed break from processing big clumps of flesh.

A good note here is that...

However, it's not all sunshine & rainbows, unfortunately (here's a warning when it comes to tofu consumption)...

Tofu is made from curdling soy milk which is made from soybeans.

Unless you’re buying organic tofu, it is likely GMO - which isn't good!

It’s only legal to grow GMO crops in 7 countries around the world, showing that this Frankenstein experiment is probably not a good idea & I don’t know about you but I don’t want to be a lab rat for hideous corporations such as Monsanto who brought you the chemical weapon agent orange…

So… organic tofu is best!

There are still mixed opinions on whether soy (organic or not) is good for you…

Some believe it causes breast cancer (due to elevated estrogen levels), while more recent studies show it actually lowers the risk of cancer!

It is proven to… lower chronic inflammation, promote heart health, lower blood sugar levels, & improve bone health due to the high amount of minerals such as calcium, phosphorus & magnesium that tofu contains.

However (again), tofu does contain goitrogens, which are compounds that can interfere with the production of thyroid hormones…

For this reason, it’s important to keep soy intake in moderation, especially if you have a history of thyroid issues.

So our take is… replace animal protein with tofu around 3 times per week & you’ll reap the health rewards while not messing up your hormones too much!

As well as tofu, this stir fry recipe packs a powerful antioxidant punch with loads of broccoli & red bell peppers!

Broccoli, for example, contains a huge amount of vitamin K (one cup containing more than 270% of your RDA!), which some say builds stronger bones better than calcium!

Lucky for you broccoli also contains calcium, which vitamin K works with to positively affect the balance of calcium in the body.

So it’s a one, 2 death punch to any potential bone health problems when you’re regularly eating plenty of broccoli!

And finally, we have a tasty crunch in the form of cashew nuts which always goes well in any stir fry to mix up the textures... mmm enjoy!

• Serves: 4 people

• Time: 23-30 minutes

• Difficulty: Medium

Ingredients:

• 400g (1 pack) tofu

• 2 red bell peppers

• 1 head broccoli

• 3 tbsp cashew nuts

• 1 thumb ginger

• 2 cloves garlic

• 2 tbsp soy sauce

• 2 tbsp hoisin sauce

• 2 tbsp rice vinegar

• 2 ½ tbsp coconut oil (separated into 2 portions of 1 ½ tbsp & 1 tbsp)

• 1 ½ tbsp sesame oil

• Large pinch sea salt

Method:

1. Beforehand, press tofu, letting sit for 20-30 minutes (see video if you need to know how)

2. Mince garlic and ginger

3. Preheat large frying pan on med/high heat for 30 seconds, then add oil

4. Slice tofu 1 ½ inch thick & add to pan in single layers, gently shaking the pan occasionally but not disturbing tofu otherwise

5. Slice red pepper into 1 inch square pieces

6. Gently turn tofu using a spatula and cook for a further 4 minutes

7. Cut broccoli into small florets

8. Take tofu out of pan and place on paper towel

9. Mix soy sauce, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, minced garlic and ginger in small bowl

10. Add 1 tbsp coconut oil to pan on med/high heat, then add broccoli and red pepper and cook for 4-5 minutes

11. Add cashew nuts and cooked tofu to pan, add sauce, mix well and cook for 2 more minutes

12. Serve as is for the ultimate weight loss cure!

💭 QUOTE OF THE WEEK

🏃 HEALTH HACK

Don't Take Life So Seriously 🤪 

Speaking of fun, laughter & centenarians…

Another one of the common habits of the longest-living people is that they don't take life too seriously, embracing a more fun, care-free, youthful approach to life...

In one survey of ‘centenarians’ for example, 60% say that they did not ‘feel old’... 

...even though they were 100+ years old! 

And each ‘centenarian’, on average, felt (& acted!) as if they were 21 years younger than they actually were! (age is just a number, right?!)

Renowned Harvard psychologist Ellen J. Langer proved this was a healthy mindset to have when she conducted a study in 1981, taking eight debilitated men in their 70s suffering from severe arthritis…

She placed them in a monastery that only had items, technology & even clothes from the 1950’s. 

They were instructed to live as they did in 1959... they could only talk about events that happened prior to 1959. 

Amazingly after just 5 days of living as if they were 22 years younger, they all showed better physical strength, dexterity, posture, memory, cognition, hearing & vision!

Additionally, almost all 'blue zones' have a phrase or saying along the lines of 'care, but not too much' or 'don't worry, be happy'...

The question is...

How can you adopt this approach better into your life? (your body, immune system & overall health will be sure to thank you & reward you for it!)

📖 FREE EBOOK

Longevity Secret: The 6 Mindsets & Habits Of The Happiest, Healthiest & Longest-Living People In The World!

If you’d like to learn even more about the mindsets & habits of centenarians living in blue zones (a.k.a. the healthiest & longest-living people in the world!) you can download this free ebook:

👉 Download the ebook for free here »