ection>
The Health Optimist
Hanlie Combrinck
Copyright © 2013 Hanlie Combrinck
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior consent of the publisher.
The Publisher makes no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. Neither the publisher nor author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any commercial damages.
2013-07-10
Dedication
For Carl, David and Barbara.
Acknowledgements
I want to thank my friend Aranka of 33Smoothies.com for her wisdom and encouragement. My friend Lilia was the first person to comment that she could see optimism as a valuable character strength in me. This really was a tiny seed which germinated into the blog at healthoptimist.org and this book.
Furthermore I owe a debt to Dr. Mehmet Oz who has been doing health outreach for many years and provides regular inspiration on Twitter. His early television programs and wonderfully positive approach inspired me to make changes in my own life.
I also want to thank WebMD.com for excellent medical facts and inspiration.
Unless otherwise stated, credit for all photos in this book belongs to FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Why The Health Optimist?
My healthy-mind journey started twenty years ago, when I had a health scare at the age of twenty-five. I realized then that our health can affect the course of our life, and even our potential income. Years later, after a relapse, I made a conscious decision to choose the positive and see whether the choice to live optimistically could make a difference to me. As part of the journey I started The Health Optimist Blog at the end of 2010, to share my progress and hopefully help others. I’ve been in excellent health now for eight years.
In the blog, at www.healthoptimist.org, I chronicle experiences, recipes and strategies that I developed as a working mom and wellness enthusiast. As my mantra , I took a phrase from the well-known University of Kentucky psychology professor, Suzanne Segerstrom: “Optimism is something you do.” It resonates with many readers and subscribers. This book is a compilation of the weblog in a handy form, available as an e-book as well as paperback, through world-wide distribution. Purchasing options can be found at www.healthoptimist.org/book. You may also follow me on Twitter: @HealthOptimist. I hope my quest inspires you to make the choice for positive health.
Hanlie Combrinck, May 2013
Building Family, Community and Healthy Minds.
Strategies
The Health Optimist Eating Plan
This plan was adapted from a decades-old diet, which was known as the ‘Heart Foundation Diet’. We modernized it and added some options so that we can easily stick to it. The ingredients are fairly inexpensive, simple and easy to prepare. In fact, I find that my grocery bill has become smaller since following this plan, because I don’t buy unhealthy, expensive products.
One can almost call it a ‘Back to Basics’ plan. As with any eating plan, if you are over 40, or if you have any health condition, please consult your doctor before following this plan.
This plan consists of three days, Monday to Wednesday , repeated for 4 weeks. Then we take a two-week break, and start the cycle again.
Proven results: I usually lose 1.5 Kilo’s in two weeks.
Important note: Make sure you take 6-8 glasses of water each day with this plan.
Day 1: Monday
Breakfast:
1 slice toast (multi-grain is best)
1 tbsp almond butter (tbsp =tablespoon)
1 banana Green Tea (see Technique)
Lunch:
2 small cans tuna (I use the flavoured type, like lemon
pepper or tomato/basil)
8 multi-grain crackers
Black Coffee/Green Tea
Dinner:
300g Chicken breast (grill at 400C with honey, salt,
pepper, pinch of garlic powder)
1 cup Green beans ( I buy the frozen prepared beans)
note: 1 cup=250 ml
1 cup Beets (I buy the canned ‘Rosebud beets’,
easier than cooking beets for 3 hours) ½ cup ice cream
(Real Dairy Vanilla Ice cream with no extras)
Day 2: Tuesday
Breakfast:
8 small multigrain crackers (or 3 large Ryvita)
1 egg, boiled
1 Small yogurt
Coffee/Green Tea/Zero Ice Tea
Lunch:
1 cup cottage cheese
8 multi grain crackers
Black Coffee/Tea /Zero Ice Tea
Dinner:
2 all-beef sausages
1 cup broccoli
1 cup carrots
(I use Baby cut carrots and boil them up 15 minutes)
½ cup ice cream
Day 3: Wednesday
Breakfast:
3 slices cheese
8 multigrain crackers
Black Coffee/Tea/Zero Ice Tea
Lunch:
