Ever heard of the term prana? If you haven’t, it’s time to brush up on your terminology–it could make you skinny. A new diet reported by US News says that following a prana diet, a Sanskrit word meaning “life force,” could make you naturally thin without counting a single calorie.
However, diet expert Kasia Faser, who founded a website based on the prana diet, says it’s much more than that–it means nourishing your body only with the best raw, whole, or organic foods available.
“Prana is anything that’s fresh or organic,” says Faser, who is currently based in Los Angeles.
Emily Potter, a holistic health counselor from Coeur D’Alene, Idaho, goes on to say that prana isn’t just important for being thin–it also helps your body get more “good energy,” creating drastic improvements in your health.
Better yet, it improves your mind.
“[They are] foods that radiate energy,” says Potter. “Vegetables and fruits are getting the most sunlight, so they have the highest life force. Mostly, we don’t want to pay attention (to food) unless we want to lose weight. But food can change our mood and how we feel about ourselves. If your prana is high, you will be more dynamic and energized.”
On the other hand, says Potter, low prana foods, such as foods rich in sugar or fat, can have the opposite effect on ourselves–making us feel sluggish, tired, and often contributing to weight gain. And when that occurs, it’s easy for us to slump into a depressive routine, one that leaves us craving more of these low prana foods–and making us fat.
Switch that out for a high prana food and you’ll feel happier immediately, however, says Potter.
“High prana food also provides a form of happiness that’s more sustainable than the quick hit of a cup of coffee or soda,” says Potter. “Although we’ve generally been socialized to reward or comfort ourselves with junk food, eating foods that will actually make you feel better long-term is a better tactic.”
So how do you follow a prana-based diet?
1. Switch out meat-based proteins for vegan sources instead. Believe it or not, you don’t need to gulp down big burgers to get a lot of protein–vegan sources work just as well. Potter’s suggestion? Try protein sources such as hemp, pea, or spirulina, which come in powdered or raw forms.
2. Add sprouts to your diet. Though they look strange, sprouts are a great way to add raw, antioxidant foods to your diet without splurging on calories–about a cup’s worth of sprouts won’t reach more than 100 calories. Different varieties also add different flavors to your diet as well, such as alfalfa (slightly grassy) to broccoli (a more milder taste).
3. Was the food manufactured in a facility? Toss it. These foods typically are processed and carry more “bad prana,” such as fat and sugar, which you don’t need in your diet. Instead, reach for raw or organic forms of your favorite products, such as organic tofu or free range eggs.
4. Add “sea”food to your diet. In this instance, Potter doesn’t mean stocking up on shrimp and crab–instead, reach for raw sea plants instead, such as algae or nori. Though the taste may take some getting used to, these plants pack innumerable rewards, such as high amounts of iodine, vitamin C, and vitamin B2. Other research even indicates it may reduce your risk of breast cancer.
Overall, Potter says that this diet can help you lose weight naturally–but you’ll become mentally healthier as well too.
“It is important to remember that eating foods with high prana is not a “diet” in the traditional sense, but a “lens” through which to look at food altogether,” says Potter.
Readers: Would you try this diet?
Source:
Why You Should Consider a High Prana Diet – USNews.com
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