Keeping a Food Log

Okay, I really, REALLY thought this was a dumb idea back in the day. Turns out that it really does tell a lot. You can learn so much from keeping track of these things: Your weight, your measurements, what you eat, how many ounces of liquids you consume daily, and the time of day you eat.

For example, by keeping a food log, I learned that I can eat chicken for one meal a day and steak for the other, BUT... If I eat chicken for lunch and steak for dinner, I don't lose weight. If I eat steak for lunch and chicken for dinner, I lose 1/2 a pound by morning.

Another surprising fact is that I learned I can't eat after 6 pm if I want to lose weight by morning. In addition, ground beef causes me to stall in my weightloss or slightly gain by causing me to retain water weight.

Try keeping a food log and see what you can learn. I've lost 42 lbs since last April, with 32 lbs of the 42 lbs being lost since mid-November 2010. I'm always learning and hope you can, too. You have nothing to lose but the weight.  :)

Amazing, Super Easy, Homemade Ice Cream from Mia Cucina

Well friends, it's been a while. I've been creating in the kitchen in the mean time, though, and have an amazing sugar-free, low-fat, ice cream recipe to share with you. Before you start thinking you can't make it (flashback thoughts of the old, loud ice cream makers with the rock salt & ice), it's super easy to do, no rock salt or ice is needed, it takes about 30 minutes, and clean up is a breeze. Best of all, it's not bad for you and tastes better than anything store bought and the possibilities are endless.

This is Jorge Cruise "Belly Good" and also okay for HCG Phase 3 in moderation.

First, you need an ice cream maker.

Option #1 - Cuisinart (my favorite). I bought mine refurbished on eBay from TigerDirect's store for $32.99. Here's a link of an auction that is current as of today:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Cuisinart-White-Automatic-Ice-Cream-Maker-/350438180579?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5197be46e3

~or~

Option #2 - A Deni Ice Cream Maker for $19.99:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Deni-1-5-Quart-Quick-Freeze-Ice-Cream-Maker-/380321308450?pt=Small_Kitchen_Appliances_US&hash=item588cea9f22

I have both of these machines and bought them both from these eBay sellers on the links that I provided.

From Mia Cucina, a little recipe I created and tested with the family:

ICE CREAM (Basic Recipe)
Yields: Approx. 6 cups
2 c Heavy Whipping Cream
1 c Half & Half
4 oz Liquid Egg Beaters
1 c Stevia
1 tsp Vanilla

Optional Add-In Ideas:
1 c. mashed banana
1 c. tiny diced fresh strawberries
1 c. pureed raspberries
3 heaping tbsp unsweetened dark cocoa...  Or, whatever else you can dream up! ENJOY!!!

Dairy-Free Coconut Cacao Ice Cream

Some of us have no food allergies or sensitivities, others of us have one or a few. I wanted to make sure that I found a form of ice cream for anyone who has issues with being lactose intolerant and has to avoid dairy. Now you can enjoy your own homemade dairy-free coconut ice cream anytime for the cost of a can of coconut milk.  How awesome is that? You will need an ice cream maker, though.

To use the ice cream maker, make sure the freezer bowl is frozen solid. Leave it in the freezer until you’ve prepared your ingredients:

1 can coconut milk (not lite)
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup agave nectar
Cacao nibs for sprinkling
Fresh berries for garnish

First, if you are using dried coconut, soak it in water for a few hours to soften it up.  When you are ready to make the ice cream, drain the coconut and mix it in a bowl with the coconut milk and agave nectar. 

Assemble and turn on the ice cream maker, and pour the mixture into the machine.  Then sit back and let the machine do its work.  It will be ready in about 25-30 minutes.  When it is thick and icy and holds together while the machine churns, it is ready.

Sprinkle with some cacao nibs and fresh berries, and serve immediately.  You can freeze the leftovers (in a separate container, not in the freezer bowl!), but they will be pretty solid, so you need to take it out and let it thaw a bit before you dig in.  So easy and inexpensive, you can afford to make a fresh batch whenever you want!

Never Thought I'd Be Posting This In February, But...

I love to grill year round. Yes, even when it snows and you can, too. Ever since I got my George Foreman, I use it ALL THE TIME. If you don't have one, you really should consider getting one if you love to BBQ. It cooks everything lightning fast and is a breeze to clean afterwards. Best of all, you aren't limited to grilling in just the summer months. Here's one of my favorite, healthy meals.

Before you dive into barbecue season, take heed; gobbling sausages, hotdogs and hamburgers can wreck your waistline -- and clog your arteries in the process. If you want to stay slim and trim (or even lose the winter weight), you’ll need to grill wisely, which is the healthy barbecuing way. It’ll take a little more grilling expertise and some cooking know-how, but it’ll be worth it. I love kabobs with brown rice. Super easy to make and so good!

Asparagus is probably the easiest vegetable with which to practice your healthy barbecuing. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and grill until tender. It's amazing. Vegetable shish kebabs can also be tasty. Pick tough veggies, like zucchini, squash, bell peppers, and pearl onions. Most vegetables pack a strong antioxidant punch, are high in fiber and low in calories. And if they taste good roasted or pan-fried, they’ll likely taste better on a grill and they have less fat. A few tips:

1. Go for flat shish kebab skewers -- your veggies won’t swivel on the skewer and they’ll cook evenly.
2. A little olive oil goes a long way. Sprinkle or mist your veggies with olive oil, don’t soak them.
3. Simple dried herbs, like herbs de Provence or basil, can add nice flavor to your kabobs.
4. Try a simple marinade - some lemon juice, olive oil and crushed garlic to taste. (Great for chicken, too!)

Here's a fabulous marinade recipe for your lean read meats to soak in prior to making your kabobs:

1/4 cup steak sauce (any kind)
2 tbsps brown sugar (packed)
2 tbsps lime juice
1/4 tsp ground red pepper
Teriyaki marinade
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsps brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 tbsps Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp lemon juice

Have fun grilling!

Improving Your Liver Function & Digestion

If your liver is toxic, it won't matter how healthy you eat. It's important to make sure that your liver is functioning well. That's where a Castor Oil Pack comes in handy.

What is Castor Oil?
Castor oil has a long history of traditional medical use dating back to ancient Egypt. Castor oil is derived from the castor bean (Ricinus communis. Although it was once taken orally as a laxative, it's now known to be toxic and is used only externally over unbroken skin. It should only be used after consulting a health care professional.

What is a Castor Oil Pack?
A castor oil pack involves the use of cloth soaked in castor oil which is placed on the skin. It's used by some alternative practitioners to enhance circulation and to promote the healing of the tissues and organs underneath the skin. Alternative practitioners also use it to improve liver function, relieve pain, reduce inflammation, reduce the appearance of stretch marks and to improve digestion.

How is a Castor Oil Pack Made?
Castor oil packs are made by soaking a piece of flannel in castor oil and placing it on the skin. The flannel is covered with a sheet of plastic, and then a hot water bottle is placed over the plastic to heat the pack.

A castor oil pack can be placed on the following body regions:
~ The right side of the abdomen. Castor oil packs are sometimes recommended by alternative practitioners as part of a liver detox program.
~ Inflamed and swollen joints, bursitis, and muscle strains.
~ The abdomen to relieve constipation and other digestive disorders.
~ The lower abdomen in cases of menstrual irregularities and uterine and ovarian cysts.

Safety
Castor oil should not be taken internally. It should not be applied to broken skin. It should not be used during pregnancy, breastfeeding, or during menstruation.

Materials
- Three layers of undyed wool or cotton flannel large enough to cover the affected area Castor oil
- Plastic wrap cut one to two inches larger than the flannel (can be cut from a plastic bag)
- Hot water bottle or Heating Pad
- Container with lid
- Old clothes and sheets. Castor oil will stain clothing and bedding.

Method
1. Place the flannel in the container. Soak it in castor oil so that it is saturated, but not dripping.
2. Place the pack over the affected body part.
3. Cover with plastic.
4. Place the hot water bottle or heating pad over the pack. Leave it on for 45-60 minutes. Rest while the pack is in place.
5. After removing the pack, cleanse the area with a dilute solution of water and baking soda.
6. Store the pack in the covered container in the refrigerator. Each pack may be reused up to 25-30 times.

*** NOTE: You can also use a Castor Oil Roll On Stick for less mess

French Toast - YUMMY!

I'm a German girl and I love my bread. Thankfully I found Ezekial bread. It has no flour and no sugar and tastes amazing! I hope you enjoy this as much as I do!! ~ Amy

Ezekial French Toast

• 1 egg white
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons Stevia
• 1/4 cup skim milk or Almond Milk
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 cup Torani sugar-free caramel syrup or 1/4 cup vanilla syrup (Espresso Syrups) 
• 4 slices whole wheat bread or cinnamon raisin Ezekiel's 4:9 (both can be found in the frozen section of the organic foods section in Safeway or Fred Meyer)

1 Mix all ingredients together-whisk thoroughly in a small dish.

2 Dip both sides of the bread and set in a small overnight dish.

3 Add remaining of the egg wash to the french toasts.

4 Cover and refrigerate overnight.

5 Uncover and cook on stovetop with non-stick spray.

6 Serve warm with Ideal Confectionery (substitute powdered sugar), sugar free syrup or sugar-free jelly/jam!

I LOVE BROWNIES! DO YOU???

Well, I had a major chocolate craving this morning and I love, no LOVE brownies. Only one problem. It's hard to find a recipe that's not too terribly bad for you. Well, I found a great recipe that wasn't too bad to begin with (after much searching on the internet) and further modified it for you to make it even better than it already was. The key is to still eat these in moderation, but at least now you can have a brownie when you want one. Don't they look amazing? ENJOY! ~Amy

Rocky Road Brownies (ORIGINAL RECIPE / SUBSTITUTIONS IN PURPLE)
16 (2-inch) brownies

Active Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 3 hours (including cooling time) | To make ahead: Prepare through Step 3; refrigerate for up to 12 hours. Store brownies in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

1 cup less 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (Use unbleached, whole wheat flour instead)1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably natural (see Note)
1 1/4 cups sugar (Use Xylitol Powder cup-for-cup in place of sugar - see Note)1 large egg
2 large egg whites
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
8 regular-size marshmallows
2/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans
1/3 cup chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate or large chocolate chips

1. Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch-square baking pan with parchment paper or foil coated with cooking spray. (Leave enough of an overhang to be able to lift the brownies out of the pan later with the liner.) If you don’t plan to let the batter rest at the end of Step 3 before baking, position a rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F.
2. Thoroughly whisk flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl.
3. Melt butter in a medium saucepan until sizzling. Remove from the heat and stir in cocoa, then sugar. (The mixture will look like a mass of very dark brown sugar.) Add egg, egg whites and vanilla. Stir briskly until smooth and glossy. Stir in the flour mixture until just incorporated. Then stir briskly for about 50 strokes. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. The batter will be very shallow in the pan. If you have time, cover the pan and refrigerate for a few hours or up to 12 hours. (This hydrates the cocoa powder and flour and brings all the flavors into sharper focus.) Remove from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before baking; preheat oven to 350°F.
4. Quarter marshmallows with an oiled knife. Distribute the pieces over the batter, pressing them in. Distribute nuts and chocolate (or chips) around the marshmallows.
5. Bake the brownies until the marshmallows are golden brown, 25 to 35 minutes. (If you can find a place to test for doneness where there is no melted chocolate or marshmallow, a toothpick should come out with some moist, gooey batter clinging to it. Brownies in a metal pan will bake faster than those in a glass pan; if you’re unsure, bake a few minutes longer to make sure the brownies are done in the middle.) Let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack for about 2 hours. Lift the ends of the pan liner and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into 16 brownies.

Per brownie: 190 calories; 8 g fat (3 g sat, 2 g mono); 22 mg cholesterol; 29 g carbohydrates; 19 g added sugars; 3 g protein; 2 g fiber; 60 mg sodium; 89 mg potassium. (The sugar value will decrease with Xylitol in place of sugar)

Note: Cocoa powder comes in two styles: natural and Dutch-processed. Dutch-processed cocoa has been treated with alkali, or "Dutched," to neutralize the natural acidity of cocoa, while natural has not. For this recipe, we prefer the taste of natural cocoa powder, although either type can be used.

Five Weighty Mistakes That Many People Make & Advice For Shedding Pounds

1. You're Following Bad Advice

Sometimes the government goofs. In the late 1970s, the United States began advocating a high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet. In the early 1970s, the average daily energy intake was 2,450 calories. By the year 2000, that number had risen to 2,618. Almost all of those extra calories came from carbohydrates, according to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Do this: Eat fewer carbs. People are overeating carbohydrates, not protein and fat. So if you want to lose fat, start by cutting back on carbs. After all, ask just about any nutritionist what the main purpose of carbohydrates is and they'll say "energy." Trouble is, most people are consuming more energy than they can burn.

Imagine that the carbs you eat go into a bucket. When the bucket is full, the carbs overflow and are converted to fat. This is how it works in your body. But by eating lower carbs most of the time, your bucket is always about half full -- even if you're not as active as you'd like to be. This not only keeps your body burning fat, but when you do eat lots of carbs -- as long as you consume them when your bucket isn't full -- they don't end up on your hips or belly.

Bonus tip: The best time to eat a high-carb meal -- even if it's high in sugar -- is right after a workout. After all, your "carb bucket" is lower than ever, since you've just burned up a bunch of calories with exercise.

2. You Eat Fat-Free Foods

Warning: Low-fat foods may make you fat. Cornell University researchers reported that when overweight men and women were told they were eating low-fat M&Ms, they consumed 47 percent more calories than those who were given regular M&Ms (the M&Ms were actually all the same). On average, low-fat foods contain 59 percent less fat, but only 15 percent fewer calories than full-fat products.

Do this: Go ahead and eat full-fat foods - for instance, cheese, sour cream, nuts and even a nice, marbled steak. They have slightly more calories than their lower-fat counterparts, but they'll help you feel full longer after you eat. And that'll reduce the number of calories you eat at your next meal.

Keep in mind that you won't store fat if you aren't eating too many total calories. Studies show that calorie-reduced diets containing upward of 60 percent fat are just as effective for weight loss as those in which fat provides only 20 percent of the calories (both approaches lower risk of heart disease). Plus, the high-fat dieters also report feeling less hungry and deprived. And just as important, they tend to automatically reduce their food intake so that they lose fat without counting calories.

3. You (Still) Don't Eat Breakfast

Sure, you've heard this one before. But it's important: Researchers at the University of Massachusetts found that people who don't eat breakfast are nearly five times more likely to be obese than those who make it an everyday habit.

That's because if you sleep for six to eight hours, and then skip breakfast, your body is running on fumes by the time you get to work. And that sends you desperately seeking sugar, which happens to be easy to find.

4. You're Eating Too Much Sugar

According to a USDA survey, an average American eats 82 grams of added sugar every day. That's almost 20 teaspoons, which contribute an empty 317 calories.

The researchers report that 91 percent of these added sugars can be attributed to intake of regular soda (33 percent), baked goods and breakfast cereals (23 percent), candy (16 percent), fruit drinks (10 percent) and sweetened milk products (9 percent) such as chocolate milk, ice cream and flavored yogurt.

What's not on the list? Meat, vegetables, whole fruit, and eggs, along with whole grain and dairy products that haven't been sweetened.

The bottom line: If you simply eliminate the added sugars from your diet, you're going to automatically weed out most of the junk food as well as empty calories. The result is a pretty decent whole food diet. And from there, you can tweak your diet even more -- by managing your "carb bucket" -- to speed your results.

Do this: Carefully read labels -- especially when it comes to cereal (a serving of Kellogg's Health Heart Smart Start packs as much sugar as a serving of Froot Loops). Or even better, trade your morning bowl for an omelet. St. Louis University scientists found that people who had eggs as part of their breakfast eat fewer calories the rest of the day than those who ate bagels instead. Even though both breakfasts contained the same number of calories, the egg eaters consumed 264 fewer calories for the entire day.

5. You Don't Lift Weights

In a study at Ball State University, scientists put overweight men on a 1,500-calorie-a-day diet, and divided them into three groups -- one that didn't exercise, another that performed aerobic exercise three days a week, and a third that did both aerobic exercise and weight training.

Each group lost almost the same amount of weight -- about 21 pounds. But the lifters shed 5 more pounds of fat than those who didn't pump iron. Why? Their 21-pound weight loss was almost pure fat, while the other two groups lost just 15 pounds of lard, along with several pounds of muscle.

Do this: Make three total-body weight training sessions a week a non-negotiable part of your weight-loss plan. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that lost muscle is replaced by fat over time. This not only makes you look flabby, but it also increases your pants size -- even if you somehow manage to keep your scale-weight the same. The reason: each pound of fat takes up 18 percent more space on your body than each pound of muscle.

Sugar-Free Blackberry Shortcake

The Shortcake:
4 eggs, separated
4 ounces of cream cheese
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp thickenthin/not starch
1/2 packet SteviaPlus, or 1 packet Splenda

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

If using a pan, grease. If using non-stick, make sure pans are clean and ready to go.

In one mixing bowl, separate egg whites from yolks. Add cream of tartar to whites and whip until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes.

In another bowl, combine yolks, cream cheese, 1/2 packet of Stevia (or 1 packet Splenda). Mix until smooth. Add thickenthin/not starch. Let rest 3-5 minutes, or until mixture thickens slightly.

Carefully add half of the yolk mixture to the whites. With a tall, slender spoon, make a lazy S through the mixture one. Turn bowl 90 degrees and repeat. Repeat with other half of the yolk batter.

With a large spoon, evenly distribute batter between 8 small cake pans* or into 8 piles on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven.

Let pans rest for 5 minutes on a rack, and once the small cakes have shrunken from the sides slightly, carefully nudge from the pans very gently. I use a spoon (careful not to scratch your non-stick surface!) Do not allow cakes to cool in the non-stick pans or they have a tendency to stick.
 
Fresh, Whipped Cream
1 cup fresh whipping cream
1/2 packet SteviaPlus, or 1 packet Splenda

In a mixing bowl, combine whipping cream and sweetener. Using a mixer on high speed, whip heavy cream until stiff peaks form, about 3-5 minutes. Refrigerate remaining whipped cream (but should be used as it is whipped for best results).


To assemble the shortcakes:
Place a cake layer on a plate. Top with whipped cream. Carefully press down the next layer. Add more whipped cream, and top with a few, plump blackberries.
Makes 4, 2-layer shortcakes

Nutritional Information per 2-layer shortcake: Calories: 405, Carbohydrates: 7g, Fiber: 1.5 g, Net Carbohydrates: 5.5 g, Protein: 6.5 g,  Fat: 25g

Guiltless Dark Chocolate Covered Strawberries (Sugar & Dairy Free)

1 pint of strawberries
4 ounces of unsweetened chocolate
1-4 tablespoons raw honey (see note above)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 tablespoon high quality coconut oil
Dash of sea salt

1-Gently wash and dry strawberries. Set aside.

2-Chop chocolate up into small chunks. Place a few inches of water into the bottom of a double boiler and bring to a low simmer. (if you don’t have one, like me, then create your own by using a pot with a heat proof bowl that rests on top of it. The bowl should never touch the water).

3-Place the chopped chocolate and the rest of the ingredients in the top part of the double boiler (or in my case, my heat proof bowl). Using a heat proof spatula or spoon, stir everything together just a bit, and then place over the simmering water. Continue to stir while everything melts, and take off when there are just a few pieces of chocolate left to melt. Make sure you don’t burn the chocolate!

4-Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Take your washed and dried strawberries, and holding their stems, dip into the chocolate. Tips: If the chocolate rolls off the strawberries too quickly, let it cool and thicken a few minutes. If it starts to get too thick to dip, then place over simmering water to melt again. Place the dipped strawberry onto the baking sheet and continue the process until all of the strawberries are dipped. Leave at room temperature in a cool house or place in the refrigerator to solidify for a few hours and enjoy! Eat within 24 hours or less.

Do You Know What Healthy Portion Sizes Are?

In order to eat a healthy diet, you need to understand how big a serving really is. For instance, a tasty looking hamburger club sandwich with a large side of fries looks like an average meal. However, there is enough ground beef to qualify as at least two servings, plus one serving of bacon. The lettuce and tomatoes are great, but the bread counts as three servings. One serving of potatoes should equal about one half a cup, so there are about four servings of a starchy vegetable there.

According to the USDA, one serving of meat is equal to two or three ounces, which is about the size of a deck of cards. The USDA Food Pyramid suggests two or three servings of meat per day. This meal would satisfy that requirement all alone. Can you believe that? The potatoes, lettuce, and tomato would total about five servings of vegetables and the USDA Food Pyramid suggests a total of three to five per day. Again, this meal covers all the servings of vegetables you should have for one day.

It is also important to note that a meal like this may have up to 1500 calories. Unless you are VERY active, that would be way too many calories for one meal.

Determining Healthy Portion SizeAccording to the USDA Food Pyramid:
A serving of meat is about two or three ounces, or about the size of a deck of cards. Serving sizes for other proteins would be two tablespoons of nut butters, two eggs, and one third cup of dry beans.

A serving of bread is equal to one slice of white or whole grain bread, one ounce of prepared cereal, or just one half cup of pasta, or rice.

A serving of fruit or vegetable is equal to one piece, one half a cup of chopped fruit or vegetable, or three-fourths cup of 100% juice.

A serving of dairy is equal to one cup of milk or one and one half ounces of cheese.If you really can't picture these serving sizes, then you might wish to purchase a kitchen scale to help you. It is amazing how much we overeat.

100 grams of meat is equivalent to 3 ½ ounces. Anything more than that, and you are putting in more than your body will be able to burn.

http://www.mypyramid.gov/

Food Additives to Avoid

Food Additives to Avoid

There are over 14,000 man-made chemicals added to our American food supply today. Food additives are not natural nutrition for humans or their pets. Children are suffering the most from food additives because they are exposed to food chemicals from infancy, and human bodies were not meant to be exposed to the degree of chemicals and food additives that we are currently.

It is important for everyone to be aware of the types of chemicals and food additives they are consuming. I have selected merely a few chemical food additives listed below as examples, but recommend you use the internet resources to research the myriad of chemicals and food additives inundating our modern food supply.

CSPI REPORTS Food Additives to Avoid (listed alphabetically)

Acesulfame K

Known commercially as Sunette or Sweet One, acesulfame is a sugar substitute sold in packet or tablet form, in chewing gum, dry mixes for beverages, instant coffee and tea, gelatin desserts, puddings and non-dairy creamers. Tests show that the additive causes cancer in animals, which means it may increase cancer in humans. Avoid acesulfame K and products containing it. Your sweet tooth isn't worth it.

Artificial colorings

The great bulk of artificial colorings used in food are synthetic dyes. For decades synthetic food dyes have been suspected of being toxic or carcinogenic and many have been banned. Whenever possible, choose foods without dyes. They're mostly used in foods of questionable nutritional worth anyway. Natural ingredients should provide all the color your food needs.

Aspartame

This sugar substitute, sold commercially as Equal and NutraSweet, was hailed as the savior for dieters who for decades had put up with saccharine's unpleasant after taste. There are quite a few problems with aspartame. The first is phenylketonuria (PKU). One out of 20,000 babies is born without the ability to metabolize phenylalanine, one of the two amino acids in aspartame. Toxic levels of this substance in the blood can result in mental retardation. Beyond PKU several scientists believe that aspartame might cause altered brain function and behavior changes in consumers. And many people (though a minuscule fraction) have reported dizziness, headaches, epileptic-like seizures, and menstrual problems after ingesting aspartame.
Avoid aspartame if you are pregnant, suffer from PKU, or think that you experience side affects from using it. If you consume more than a couple of servings a day consider cutting back. And, to be on the safe side, don't give aspartame to infants.

BHA & BHT

These two closely related chemicals are added to oil-containing foods to prevent oxidation and retard rancidity. The International Agency for Research on Cancer, part of the World Health Organization, consider BHA to be possibly carcinogenic to humans, and the State of California has listed it as a carcinogen. Some studies show the same cancer causing possibilities for BHT.
BHT and BHA are totally unnecessary. To avoid them read the label. Because of the possibility that BHT and BHA might cause cancer, both should be phased out of our food supply. To play it safe, phase them out of your diet.

Caffeine

Caffeine is found naturally in tea, coffee, and cocoa. It is also added to many soft drinks. It is one of the few drugs -- a stimulant -- added to foods. Caffeine promotes stomach-acid secretion (possibly increasing the symptoms of peptic ulcers), temporarily raises blood pressure, and dialates some blood vessels while constricting others. Excessive caffeine intake results in "caffeinism," with symptoms ranging from nervousness to insomnia. These problems also affect children who drink between 2 to 7 cans of soda a day. Caffeine may also interfere with reproduction and affect developing fetuses. Experiments on lab animals link caffeine to birth defects such as cleft palates, missing fingers and toes, and skull malformations.
Caffeine is mildly addictive, which is why some people experience headaches when they stop drinking it. While small amounts of caffeine don't pose a problem for everyone, avoid it if you are trying to become or are pregnant. And try to keep caffeine out of you child's diet.
Note: Caffeine can be ingested in cases of severe migraine headaches to quickly relieve pain due to its dilating effects.

Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)

Early in this century a Japanese chemist identified MSG as the substance in certain seasonings that added to the flavor of protein-containing foods. Unfortunately, too much MSG can lead to headaches, tightness in the chest, and a burning sensation in the forearms an the back of the neck. If you think you are sensitive to MSG, look at ingredient listings. Also, avoid hydrolyzed vegetable protein, or HVP, which may contain MSG.

Nitrite and Nitrate

Sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate are two closely related chemicals used for centuries to preserve meat. While nitrate itself is harmless, it is readily converted to nitrite. When nitrite combines with compounds called secondary amines, it forms nitrosamines, extremely powerful cancer-causing chemicals. The chemical reaction occurs most readily at the high temperatures of frying. Nitrite has long been suspected as being a cause of stomach cancer. Look for nitrite-free processed meats -- some of which are frozen, refrigeration reduces the need for nitrites -- at some health food and grocery stores. But regardless of the presence of nitrite or nitrosamines, the high-fat, high-sodium content of most processed meats should be enough to discourage you from choosing them. And don't cook with bacon drippings.

Olestra

Olestra, the fake fat recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is both dangerous and unnecessary. Olestra was approved over the objection of dozens of leading scientists.
The additive may be fat-free but it has a fatal side-effect: it attaches to valuable nutrients and flushes them out of the body. Some of these nutrients -- called carotenoids -- appear to protect us from such diseases as lung cancer, prostate cancer, heart disease, and macular degeneration. The Harvard School of Public Health states that "the long-term consumption of olestra snack foods might therefore result in several thousand unnecessary deaths each year from lung and ,prostate cancers and heart disease, and hundreds of additional cases of blindness in the elderly due to macular degeneration. Besides contributing to disease, olestra causes diarrhea and other serious gastrointestinal problems, even at low doses."
FDA certified olestra despite the fact that there are safe low-fat snacks already on the market. There is no evidence to show that olestra will have any significant effect on reducing obesity in America.
Despite being approved as safe by the FDA, all snacks containing olestra must carry a warning label (similar to one found on cigarettes) that states:
This Product Contains Olestra. Olestra may cause abdominal cramping and loose stools. Olestra inhibits the absorption of some vitamins and other nutrients. Vitamins A, D, E, and K have been added.
CSPI advises consumers to avoid all olestra foods, and urges major food manufacturers not to make olestra-containing products.

Potassium Bromate

This additive has long been used to increase the volume of bread and to produce bread with a fine crumb (the non-crust part of bread) structure. Most bromate rapidly breaks down to form innocuous bromide. However, bromate itself causes cancer in animals. The tiny amounts of bromate that may remain in bread pose a small risk to consumers. Bromate has been banned virtually worldwide except in Japan and the United States. It is rarely used in California because a cancer warning is required on the label.

Sulfites

Sulfites are a class of chemicals that can keep cut fruits and vegetables looking fresh. They also prevent discoloration in apricots, raisins, and other dried fruits; control "black spot" in freshly caught shrimp; and prevent discoloration, bacterial growth, and fermentation in wine. Until the early 80's they were considered safe, but CSPI found six scientific studies proving that sulfites could provoke sometimes severe allergic reactions. CSPI and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) identified at least a dozen fatalities linked to sulfites. All of the deaths occurred among asthmatics. In 1985 Congress finally forced FDA to ban sulfites from most fruits and vegetables. Especially if you have asthma, be sure to consider whether your attacks might be related to sulfites. The ban does not cover fresh-cut potatoes, dried fruits, and wine.

http://www.cspinet.org/reports/food.htm

What Are the Benefits of Juice Plus?

Juice Plus products include pills, chewable supplements and drink mixes, with each intended to be supplements that offer benefits similar to those you'd obtain through eating fruits and vegetables. According to the official website for Juice Plus, these products contain nutrients from 17 distinct grains, fruits and vegetables. Some of the foods included in Juice Plus products are blueberries, grapes, raspberries, some of which are the "most powerful and healthful antioxidants" available, according to Juice Plus. Although Juice Plus products are nutrient-rich, you should note that supplements are not intended to replace a healthy diet.

Reduced Cholesterol

According to the official website for Juice Plus, one of the major ingredients in Juice Plus supplements is oat bran, which provides dietary fiber. The Mayo Clinic notes that dietary fiber from sources such as oat bran and oats may help to reduce cholesterol levels. Specifically, the clinic explains that fiber may reduce levels of LDL, or bad, cholesterol, rather than HDL, or good, cholesterol.

 

Appetite Control

Although not calorie-dense, some of the ingredients in Juice Plus products may help to reduce your appetite. The Mayo Clinic explains that fiber, such as that contributed by the oat bran in Juice Plus, may help to increase feelings of fullness. The Mayo Clinic also explains that fiber helps to slow the absorption of sugar, which keeps blood sugar levels stable. Rapid swings in blood sugar may cause you to feel lethargic and hungry after an initial energy surge.

 

Strengthened Immune System

According to the official website of Juice Plus, several of the ingredients in these products -- including Acerola cherry, orange, peach, pineapple and broccoli -- contain vitamin C. Vitamin C offers a number of benefits, and the University of Maryland Medical Center suggests that one of the most significant effects is the promotion of a healthy immune system. However, the center explains that this does not necessarily guarantee you will have a reduced risk of illness.

Improved Circulation

According to the official website of Juice Plus, several ingredients, such as beet, kale, parsley and spinach, contain folate. According to the online nutrition resource World's Healthiest Foods, folate provides a number of benefits, including improved circulation. World's Healthiest Foods explains that folate prevents the build-up of homocysteine, which supports healthy circulation. The Mayo Clinic also suggests that fiber may reduce blood pressure, which has positive benefits for circulation.

Where do I get Juice Plus?  http://www.preventioniskey.com/

My Juice Plus Representative: Tricia Nelson

360-403-9013  | Mobile:425-501-6667  trishjphealth@mac.com

SOURCE: http://www.livestrong.com/article/299826-what-are-the-benefits-of-juice-plus/#ixzz1BkD83mM0

Big Changes Underway

Walmart has announced an extensive five-year plan to make its food healthier and more affordable. Let's hope the rest follow suit. In the end, it's still up to us to learn how to read food labels and start with learning the serving size before looking at the rest of the numbers.

http://pagingdrgupta.blogs.cnn.com/2011/01/20/walmart-pledges-to-make-food-healthier-more-affordable/

Random Thought...

I think that junk food in stores should be like porn dvd's in a cheesy mini market. You know it's there, but it's in a separate room where you have to make a choice to go there, not in plain view. It would be so much easier to avoid it. lol...

Benefits of Omega-3

Omega 3 benefits are pretty darn astounding.

And making sure you're getting these exciting omega 3 benefits in your life is probably the 2nd most important thing you can do for your health. (We'll get back to the 1st most important thing later.) 

Research studies are published almost weekly where the scientific community discovers more and more amazing omega 3 benefits.

If you haven't already been swept up in the net, here are seven proven benefits you should know about.

1.    Freedom from pain and inflammation. Omega 3 fish oil fatty acids, particularly EPA, have a very positive effect on your inflammatory response. Through several mechanisms, they regulate your body's inflammation cycle, which prevents and relieves painful conditions like arthritis, prostatitis, cystitis and anything else ending in "itis."

2.    Better brain function and higher intelligence. Pregnant and nursing mothers can have a great impact on the intelligence and happiness of their babies by supplementing with omega 3 fish oil with DHA. For adults, fish oil improves memory, recall, reasoning and focus. You'll swear you're getting younger and smarter.

3.    Feeling better with much less depression. Making you smarter is not all that fish oil does for your brain. Psychiatry department researchers at the University of Sheffield UK, along with many other research studies, found that fish oil supplements "alleviated" the symptoms of depression, bipolar and psychosis. [Journal of Affective Disorder Vol. 48(2-3);149-55]

4.    Lower incidence of childhood disorders. Just to show how fish oil fatty acids leave nobody out, studies show that children (and adults) with ADD and ADHD experience a greatly improved quality of life. And those with dyslexia, dyspraxia and compulsive disorders have gotten a new lease on life thanks to fish oil supplements.

5.    Superior cardiovascular health. Fish oil's DHA, EPA and DPA have also been proven to work wonders for your heart and the miles and miles of arteries and veins that make up your cardiovascular system. They help lower cholesterol, tryglicerides, LDLs and blood pressure, while at the same time increasing good HDL cholesterol. This adds years to your life expectancy.

6.    Protection from heart attack and stroke. When plaque builds up on arterial walls and then breaks loose, it causes what's known as a thrombosis, which is a fancy way of saying clot. If a clot gets stuck in the brain, it causes a stroke and when it plugs an artery, it causes a heart attack. Research shows fish oil fatty acids break up clots before they can cause any damage.

7.    Reduction of breast, colon and prostate cancer. And finally, fish oil has been shown to help prevent three of the most common forms of cancer – breast, colon and prostate. Science tells us that it accomplishes this in three ways – by stopping the alteration from a normal healthy cell to a cancerous mass, by inhibiting unwanted cellular growth and by killing off cancer cells.

So you can see why learning more about fish oil is possibly the 2nd most important thing you can do for your health. Do you have any idea what the 1st most important thing is?

That's right. It's time to put this knowledge to work and start eating more fish and regularly taking pure fish oil supplements. That's the only way to be sure you're getting all the benefits of omega 3 fish oil.

But even if you don't like fish (or choose not to eat it), you can still get what you need from dietary sources. WebMD Weight Loss Clinic "Recipe Doctor" Elaine Magee, MPH, RD, says one answer lies in plants rich in omega-3s -- particularly flaxseed.

"It's safe to say this is the most potent plant source of omega-3," says Magee, author of The Flax Cookbook. While flaxseed contains no EPA or DHA, Magee says, it's a rich source of another omega-3 known as alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which the body can use to make EPA and DHA.

Flaxseed is available in health food stores and many supermarkets, sold as whole seeds, ground seeds, or oil. Although flaxseed oil contains ALA, Magee says ground flaxseed is a much better choice because it also contains 3 grams of fiber per tablespoon, as well as healthy phytoestrogens. Other sources of omega-3s include canola oil, broccoli, cantaloupe, kidney beans, spinach, grape leaves, Chinese cabbage, cauliflower, and walnuts.

"About an ounce -- or one handful -- of walnuts have about 2.5 grams of omega-3s," says Sandon. "That's equal to about 3.5 ounces of salmon."

 

A Few Informative Slideshows on Foods

24 Foods That Can Save Your Heart
http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/slideshow-foods-to-save-your-heart

Foods That Can Wreck Your Diet
http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/slideshow-foods-that-can-wreck-your-diet

Why You Should Start a High-Protein Diet
http://www.webmd.com/diet/slideshow-high-protein-diet

Mistaking Hunger For Thirst

Did you know that when you're dehydrated, you actually feel hungrier?

The high salt levels present in many processed products and foods cause the sodium levels in the blood and extracellular fluids to rise within a few hours. This forces the body to hold more water, and in turn, creates a thirst for more fluid to settle the fluid balance.

To break this cycle, you need to recognize if your hunger pains are simply a drive for fluid. This can be achieved by drinking a large glass of water and waiting for a half hour. If hunger is still present, then maybe try a reduced-salt snack or a meal made up of natural, fresh and wholesome, low sugar and low carb foods.

I'll speak from experience. I actually practice this. I found out that my body is often trying to tell me that it needs more water, not that it's hungry. It's saved me from over-eating counteless times. It's really hard sometimes to drink 6 to 8 glasses of water a day. There are days that I have to remember to drink a glass of water every two hours or set a reminder alert on my cell phone. Do what you have to do. Your body needs water to rid itself of water as well as waste. Most people think that by drinking too much water, they'll gain water weight. The opposite is true. If you're drinking less than 6 - 8 glasses of water daily, your body will want to retain the water.

What color means you have healthy urine?
A light yellow urine color typically signifies a very healthy urine. The light straw yellow urine will have a low odor, few bubbles in the urine, little to no foam in urine, and have a clear urine consistency. Congratulations, your urine is probably healthy.

Shouldn't healthy urine be clear?
While it would seem that the clearer the urine the more healthy, that is not necessisarliy the case. If you urine color is very clear, it is showing a high concentration of water and a lower concentration of actual waste. Clear urine could mean you are very well hydrated, but a low concetration of waste is not necessarily a good thing. What this means is that you need to pee more in order to get rid the waste your body doesn't need.

http://www.urinecolors.com/

How much sodium should you have in a day?

The American Heart Association recommends that adults stay under 1500 mg of sodium per day, and never take in more than 2,300 mg a day.

The Link Between Sugar & High Blood Pressure

Watch this YouTube video to learn about sugar in your blood:
Death by Sugar - by Jorge Cruise
http://www.youtube.com/user/jorgecruise?blend=2&ob=1#p/search/2/aH47sGmJZaQ

I have become to view sugar as poison. The more I learn, the more it makes me sick that I used to put so much into my body, and even then, not knowing how much I was really putting in. I had know idea, aside from "sugar can make you fat" or "cause cavities", that sugar could cause problems with so many other things. It directly affects your kidney function and is a cause for high blood pressure, along with sodium.

Here is a great link to read, and within that link, there is a link to pulling up foods with a lower glycemic index:
http://www.highbloodpressureinfo.org/sugar-and-high-blood-pressure.html

Tipping The Sugar Scales & Pictures You Can't Afford Not To See

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports that the average American consumes anywhere between 150 to 170 pounds of simple sugars, also known as refined sugars (this includes glucose, fructose, and sucrose) or simple carbohydrates, in one year!

You may be thinking, "I don’t consume that much." Well, it is also said that for every American who eats only 5 pounds of sugar each year, there is one who eats about 295 pounds per year. That is A LOT of sugar - especially when you compare to it how much we used to consume in the past. Less than 100 years ago, the average intake of sugar was only about 4 pounds per person per year.

Can't get a grasp on how much sugar 150 to 170 pounds is? Here is a visual: imagine 30 to 34 five-pound bags of sugar lined up next to each other on a counter. Now imagine one person, perhaps yourself, eating all of that sugar. To break it down even more, eating 150-170 pounds of sugar in one year is also equivalent to consuming 1/4 to 1/2 pounds of sugar each day. Don't think consuming this amount of sugar is easy to achieve? Think again... here are some more numbers:

Sugar, Soda, and MathThere are 120 teaspoons in one pound of sugar. This means 1/4 pound of sugar is equivalent to 30 teaspoons and 1/2 pound of sugar is equivalent to 60 teaspoons. An average 12-ounce can of soda contains about 8 ounces of simple sugar. This means that just four 12-ounce cans of sodas will equal 1/4 pound of sugar! For some people, drinking this amount of soda in one day is not a difficult task to accomplish.
This is calculating only the amount of sugar found in soda. Just think about the other sources of sugar in our diet. Americans consume refined sugars in numerous forms - there are the obvious sugary culprits - doughnuts, cookies, cake, and ice cream. However, sugar is hidden in so much of what we consume each day. Sweeteners such as high fructose corn syrup can also be found in salad dressings, breads, hot dogs, peanut butter, pickles, canned-fruits and vegetables, ketchup, canned soups, crackers, cookies, and several other food products.
If You are Sick Several Times Throughout the Year, You May Want to Look at Your Sugar ConsumptionHow does eating sugar relate to being ill? Excess sugar consumption depresses your body's immunity. Studies have shown that consuming 75 to 100 grams of simple sugars (about 20 teaspoons of sugar - the amount found in two-and-a-half average 12 ounce cans of soda) can suppress the body's immune responses considerably. These sugars are known to create a 40 to 50% percent drop in the ability of white blood cells to kill bacteria and germs within the body. The immune-suppressing effect of sugar starts less than thirty minutes after ingestion and may last for five hours. By consuming 150 to 170 pounds of simple sugars each year, a person may have up to 80,000 hours of immune suppression!

With the average American consuming 150-170 pounds of sugar annually, I am not surprised to hear that around 60% of the US population is currently overweight or obese. There are obviously other factors that play a role in this statistic, but I am pretty sure our consumption of sugar has a lot to do with it.

I don't know about you, but to me, it makes sugar sound "not so sweet" after all...

Take the time to look through these 60 pictures and see how much sugar you actually eat without knowing.
http://izismile.com/2009/05/06/how_much_sugar_is_in_different_products_60_pics.html

Hidden Sugars - Let's look in my cupboard & you can look in yours

I have quite a bit of foods in my home still that I will never eat again. They're just sitting in my cupboard. Hmmmm... It's really crazy to think about how unhealthy I used to eat, although I didn't realize how bad it really was at the time. I am so thankful that I found the resources that I need to get healthy, and hope that by sharing them with you, you can also get on the path to better health. I think tonight, I'll box them up so I can donate them to my local food bank. Before I do that, though, I'll go through a few products and list the sugar/carb values so that you get an idea of how many foods have hidden sugars.

Here we go... (I'm sure some will be okay, but I'm expecting most will be bad, knowing what I know now)

IGA Canned Green Beans (1/2 Cup) - 2/1
Sugars 2g / Carbs 4g

Hy-Top Small Whole White Potatoes (2/3 cup) - 0/2
Sugars 0g / Carbs 22g

Fred Meyer Natural Applesauce (1/2 cup) - 12/1
Sugars 12g / Carbs 15g

Del Monte 100 Calorie Pear Halves Naturally Sweetened (1/2 cup) - 12/1
Sugars 12g / Carbs 15g

Whoa, whoa, whoa! I thought naturally sweetened fruit was supposed to be good for me? So glad I'm learning and I hope you are, too. Let's continue....

Smucker's Magic Shell Chocolate Flavor (2 Tbsp) - 16/1
Sugars 16g / Carbs 17g - Not to mention, a whopping 210 calories for those 2 tiny tablespoons.

Campbell's Tomato Soup (1/2 cup) - 12/1
Sugars 12g / Carbs 20g - We all know how tiny 1/2 cup is! Sheesh!

and, lastly... One from the fridge. I wanted to bring this one up because most of us view this as a health food. At least I did. I was so wrong. Most yogurt is loaded with sugars.

Yoplait Light Fat-Free Yogurt (6 oz) -  14/1
Sugars 14g / Carbs 19g - I used to eat this all the time!

As you can see, most things with the exception of the Magic Shell, sound pretty healthy, right? Remember, anything over 15 grams of sugar per day and 6 servings of carbs that we eat, will stick to us like glue. What I read on the labels sure surpised me. Especially when it came to all the hidden sugars. No wonder I used to eat healthy and still not lose weight. Heck! I even gained it. It feels nice to know you can get control back, doesn't it?

Okay, I want to hear from you. Go look in your cupboards for me, comment on this post, and give me some examples of what surprised you the most as far as hidden sugars.

A little gross, but we have to go there...

Okay, I didn't know this until I learned it from Jorge. Do you know how much you're supposed to poop or what it's supposed to look like? Yeah, I know, a gross topic. If you don't know, you don't know how clean your colon is and it could be making you gain weight. Watch this video by Jorge. I'm also including a link for you to purchase the product that he recommends to keep your system clean. I just ordered mine!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lirn4pW71zo&feature=player_embedded

This is the exact brand that Jorge uses:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002RWUNYM/ref=ord_cart_shr?ie=UTF8&m=A11S5II6PNQC4O

Low Sugar, Low Carb Shopping Made Simple

Okay, I know most of us complain about the time it takes to read labels at the grocery store. I used to be the same way. Eventually, I did take the time, but I’ll make it even easier for you. Below is a list of foods that will help stabilize your insulin levels, that contain low sugars and/or carbs. Cool? I think so.

These are some of my personal favorites and my waist line isn’t expanding! For lots of other ideas, buy Jorge Cruise’s book “The Belly Fat Cure” to learn about counting your sugars and carbs servings (which is just what I did). This is a book that won’t collect dust. There are lots of other options. You just have to read Jorge's book and start reading labels. These are just some of my favorites and ones that I think taste great.

SWEETENERS
Xylitol - 0/0
Stevia - 0/0
Truvia - 0/0
PureVia - 0/0

CEREALS
Post Shredded Wheat (1 cup) - 0/2
General Mills Cheerios (1 cup) - 1/1
Old Fashioned Quaker Oats (½ cup) - 0/1
B & G Instant Cream of Wheat (1 packet) - 0/1

NOTE: Instead of milk, which contains high amounts of sugar (my 1% milk contained 14 grams of sugar in 1 cup), use a small amount of Almond Milk Vanilla Flavor

SALAD DRESSINGS
Newman’s Own Caesar Dressing ( 2 Tbsp) - 1/0
Bernstein’s Restaurant Recipe Italian Dressing ( 2 Tbsp) - 0/0

CONDIMENTS/SAUCES
French’s Classic Yellow Mustard - 0/0
Nature’s Hollow Sugar-Free Ketchup (1 Tbsp) - 0/1
Kraft Real Mayo (1 Tbsp) - 0/0
Vlasic Snack’mms Kosher Dill Pickles (3 pickles) - 1/0
Heinz Dill Relish (1 Tbsp) - 0/0
Heinz Savory Beef Homestyle Gravy (¼ cup) - 0/0
Ragu Cheesy Classic Alfredo Sauce (½ cup) - 0/0
Kikkoman Less Sodium Soy Sauce (1 Tbsp) - 0/0

SPREADS & MORE
Horizon Organic Sour Cream (2 Tbsp) - 1/0
Wholly Guacamole (2 Tbsp) - 0/0
Challenge Butter Whipped (1 Tbsp) - 0/0
La Victoria Salsa Suprema (2 Tbsp) - 1/0

FRUIT PRESERVES & SYRUPS
Nature’s Hollow Sugar Free Raspberry Flavored Syrup (¼ cup) - 0/1
Nature’s Hollow Sugar Free Raspberry Preserves (1 Tbsp) - 0/1
Joseph’s Sugar Free Maple Syrup (¼ cup) - 0/1

NOTE: Although you can find many fruit preserves, jams, jellies, and syrups readily at your grocery store, make sure they don’t contain artificial sweeteners which are harmful to your health.

OTHER STAPLES ON MY GROCERY LIST
Oscar Mayer Bacon Real Slices - 0/0
Sirloin Steak - 0/0
Chicken Breasts - 0/0
Egg - 0/0
Blue Diamond Almonds (1 oz) - 1/0 (Great snack in between meals & always in my purse)
Cheddar Cheese - Most are 0/0, but read the label for sugars & carbs
Green Tea Decaf - 0/0
Galceau Vitamin Water ZERO - 0/0 (Lemonade is my absolute favorite)
Pellegrino Sparkling Natural Mineral Water - 0/0
Bud Light or Coors Light (12 oz) - 0/1 (I’m a German girl. Have to have my beer!)
Kirkland Signature Cabernet Sauvignon (5 oz) - 0/1
Cooks Champagne Extra Dry - 0/0
Dove Sugar Free Chocolate Crème Dark Chocolates (5 pieces) - 0/2
Shrimp - 0/0
Tilapia - 0/0
Tuna - 0/0
Lettuce Iceberg (4 large leaves) - 1/0
Tomato (1 cup) - 5/1
Avacado (¼ cup) - 0/0
Broccoli (1 cup) - 2/0
Cauliflower (1 cup) - 1/1
Arrowhead Mills Organic Soy Flour (for pancakes)
Half-and-Half
If you have trouble finding any of these at your local grocery store, you can easily Google the brand and look on the manufacturer website for a store finder. Many can also be found on Amazon.com and can ship straight to your door. Happy shopping!

You can find the "The Belly Fat Cure" book here:
http://www.amazon.com/Belly-Fat-Cure-Discover-System/dp/1401927181/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1295313854&sr=1-1

TIP: When I get home from the store, I find it helpful to take post-its, write the serving size and the sugar/carb value and tape them to the product itself. Then, to make sure I don't go over my 15/6, I write out the menu for the next day the night before.

Pumpkin Pie isn't just for the holidays! Just ditch the crust & sugar.

My family and I had a fabulous pumpkin dessert today. YUM!

Xylitol Pumpkin Desserts
Ingredients:
2/3 cup Emerald Forest Xylitol
2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice mix (cinnamon, ginger, cloves)
2 medium eggs
1 15 ounce unsweetened pumpkin mash
1 12 ounce can evaporated milk
Directions:
Heat oven to 425 F. Beat eggs lightly in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin, xylitol and pumpkin pie spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk. Pour into ramekins, 1/2 cup in each. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 F.; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool to room temperature before serving.
Whipped Cream Topping
Mix heavy whipping cream, xylitol, and vanilla (or favorite flavoring) together. You can vary the amount of xylitol to taste. Let stand for 15 minutes. You're done!

Time to Prepare: 10 minutes
Yield: 9 Servings

Why sugar is ruining your health. How many reasons do you need?

It will probably come as no real surprise to learn that eating a lot of refined, white sugar is bad for you. You are probably already aware that enough scientific studying has been done on this particular food product over the last several decades to fill an entire library with data on the subject. What you’re probably not aware of is the sheer scale of the widespread use of refined white sugar in all kinds of foods. You HAVE to read labels for your health.

Jorge Cruise & Dr. Oz talk about the dangers of sugar. Dr. Oz is great at explaining what sugars do to your body in simple terms that anyone can understand. After watching this, comment on this post. Let me know what you found most suprising about what sugars do to our bodies. The more we share, the more we learn to help each other.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAHgChvUwh8

Here is a link for 146 Reasons Why Sugar is Ruining Your Health:
http://www.rheumatic.org/sugar.htm

50 Names For Sugar You May Not Know:
http://www.dietriffic.com/2009/03/26/names-for-sugar/

For my good friend Melissa & the rest of you Costco lovers

Jorge on snack foods & alcohol. Healthy, belly good snack choices made simple.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYYVVp6SlDc&feature=channel

Hidden Sugars & Healthy Carb Swaps

We’ve all been told that if we want to lose weight, to eat less calories and work out more. Up until Jorge Cruise, it never occurred to me that what I thought was actually healthy, contained tons of hidden sugar which will keep the weight on, regardless of the calories you’re taking in.

Here’s a great, short video example of Belly Good foods and Belly Bad foods and carb swaps by Jorge:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mzK_Wp_8Us

It’s hard to believe that so much sugar can be in something that we’ve always been taught was healthy, right?

Well, if you thought that video and the info on it was amazing, take the time to watch these two additional videos with Jorge on Carb Swapping and Fast Food Choices.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKxUuJnvuZU - Carb Swap Demo 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsONYk44Lh4&feature=channel - Carp Swap Demo 2

What if I can't cook? What if I'm on the road?

Well, as discussed before, processed food should be avoided as much as possible. That means fast food, too! If you happen to be traveling, or unable to cook, there are a few fast food options as published in Good Houskeeping by Jorge Cruise that won't kill your diet. Yes, really! Just don't make a habit of eating out at fast food joints very often. I hope this helps!

http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/diet/diet-cruise-fastfood-0806

Detoxifying is a great place to start!

I’m not a doctor, so I can’t tell you whether or not this is right for you, but my doctor gave me the go ahead and I can speak from experience. Colon Cleansing makes me feel so much better and helped me with my weight loss. If you have any reservations, check with a medical professional before doing one.

Colon Cleansing is a method where your colon is cleansed to remove toxins. It’s believed that disease and illness begin with a toxic bowel. Getting a regular colon cleansing can not only heal the body, it can also make you feel more active.

The first benefit of colon cleansing is the reduction of constipation. If one suffers from a poor diet or is deprived of the essential nutrients of the body then, the intestine line walls of the same person become lined with a plaque-like substance which is not at all good for health. Colon cleansing not only helps out in removing the junk out of his intestine walls but will also allow the waste to pass off more freely.

Colon Cleansing has a wealth of health benefits. Whether you are suffering from excess weight, diabetes, cholesterol, hypertension, depression, stress, anxiety, bloating, heartburn, skin irritation, headaches, migraines, sleeping problems, or struggling to rid yourself of toxic overload, colon cleansing can help. This is a method that works efficiently to flush out all the toxic waste from the bowel walls.

We pick up toxins from climatic extremes, pesticides, Wi-Fi Waves, cell phones , carbon monoxide, pesticides, genetically modified foods, caffeine, sugar, white flour, and deep fried and processed food. It’s a dangerous world we live in, huh?

Colon cleansing is one of the most effective forms of detoxifying your colon and your entire body. In time, all your major systems – gastrointestinal (colon, liver, and gallbladder), urinary (kidneys, urethra, and bladder), respiratory (lungs, throat, sinuses, bronchial tubes, and nose), skin, and lymphatic– can reap the benefits of a colon cleanse.

There are a lot of products out there, the one that I use, I pick up at Bartell Drugs for about $15. Here’s a link for my personal choice: http://www.drugstore.com/qxp216883/applied_nutrition/10_day_acai_berry_easy_cleanse.htm

Boost Your Metabolism and Get Trim in 8 minutes a Day

Thank you, Jorge!

http://www.oprah.com/health/Jorge-Cruises-8-Minute-Get-Trim-Workout

Let's talk about processed foods

Let’s talk about processed foods. We’ve all heard that they’re bad for us, right? Right! But… we continue to buy them for convenience. I know it’s not realistic to cut them all out, but reducing them is important.

Here are just a few reasons you might want to think twice before putting processed food into your shopping cart:


- CANCER:  Some synthetic chemicals used in the processed foods industry are known to have carcinogenic properties.
- In fact, a seven-year study conducted by the University of Hawaii of almost 200,000 people found that those who ate the most processed meats (hot dogs, bologna) had a 67 percent higher risk of pancreatic cancer than those who ate little or no meat products.
- OBESITY:  Heavily processed foods are usually higher in sugar, fat and salt, and lower in nutrients and fiber than the raw foods used to create them, making them the perfect choice if you're interested in unhealthy weight gain and water retention. Next time you’re at the grocery store, watch how people shop, look at their weight, look at what’s in their carts. It’s eye opening.
- According to the World Health Organization, processed foods are to blame for the spike in obesity levels and chronic disease around the world.
- HEART DISEASE:  Many processed foods have trans fatty acids (TFA), the dangerous type of fat you don't want in your diet. TFA's give a rise to LDL, the dangerous cholesterol, and squash HDL, the good one.

Harvard recently conducted a study which found that women who avoided high-carb processed foods cut their heart disease risk by 30%.

You all know that I believe in what Jorge Cruise teaches. In addition to the fabulous books he has out, he has a wealth of information available on the internet for us. I hope you find these links as helpful as I do. Enjoy & keep learning!

http://www.lifescript.com/Experts/Jorge.aspx
　

Yummy, but not bad for you breakfast - For maintaining weight, not losing

I love this recipe, but I'd swap the regular english muffin for Orowheats whole wheat english muffin or the small, round, thin sandwhich breads. On the side, instead of hashbrowns which are very starchy, have a cup of berries, a cup of melon, an apple, or a grapefruit.

http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/grab-go-breakfast-sandwich-63765.aspx

Nutritional Information is on the link. Remember, you're not worrying about fat. The goal is to keep your sugars at no more than 15 grams per day and no more than 6 servings of carbs. As a reminder, one serving of carbs is 1 20 grams, 21 - 40 grams is 2 servings, 41 - 60 is 3 grams. Even if your meal is 21 grams of fat, it counts as two serving, no cheating!

When did eating healthy ever look this good? Sure doesn't look like health food, or taste like it, does it?

I'm gonna have green tea with my breakfast, as I do most mornings. My hubby will probably have his black coffee. You can always use a little Almond Milk and Stevia as a sweetener. Avoid the juice. There's lots of sugar in it. In addition, if you find a low or non-sugar juice, you're having an artificial sweetener which is bad for you.

For a mid morning snack, I'm gonna have a small handful of walnuts or almonds.

For lunch, we're planning on having pizza & salad. Then for dinner, we're thinking sirloin steaks and salad with cheesecake for dessert.

Could you eat that way? If so, follow this blog.

I started this blog because...

A few months ago, I was sick of feeling sick. My energy was sapped, I was getting sick all the time, my joints hurt, I was losing hair, I had insomnia, suffered from anxiety, the list went on...  I was 167 lbs and fat for my petite 5'2" frame. I was outside of the healthy BMI range. I felt like complete and total crap. I had been 138 lbs at 9 months pregnant when I delivered my children. Up until 2 years ago, my heaviest non-pregnant weight was 132. So, what happened? I'll tell you. I went through a stressful time in my life and packed on the weight. Then, I met my husband and he made me amazing breakfasts in bed and took me out to many dinners. Really, there is no excuse. Bottom line, I ate too much and excercised too little, and I ate all the wrong foods. It all added up and my weight quickly got out of control. Yes, I'll probably be one of the only women who will ever put my weight out there for the world to see, but I'm not going to be embarrassed over it. I'm human. I had a weight problem. I knew I needed to fix it. Instead of whining about it, I did something about it. You shouldn't feel bad about it either, because YOU can change it. I am now 134 lbs, but still on my journey. I'm hoping this might give you some inspiration.

Well, it was just before the holidays, a week before Thanksgiving as a matter of fact, and I decided there would never be a good time to diet and I started right then and there. People thought it was crazy. Who diets on Thanksgiving or at Christmas time after all, right? Well, thankfully my husband was looking for a lifestyle change as well and jumped on the health bandwagon with me. A blood pressure level of 140/90 mmHg or higher is considered high. His blood pressure was hovering around 190/120. He was a heart attack or stroke waiting to happen and I wasn't going to let them happen. We just got married in August and I wasn't about to be widowed over something that we, yes WE, had control over. I told myself that we would find a way to get healthy again, and so we began the journey to a healthier lifestyle. The journey to helping our kids stay healthier and lead great lives free from the childhood obesity that is growing out of control in this country. God gave me three beautiful, amazing children and it is my job to take care of them in the best way possible. Feeding them lots of processed or fast foods increased their risk of becoming diabetic, getting different types of cancer, and a host of other problems. How could I be a good mother if I was putting my children at risk because processed and fast foods were easier? I couldn't and I'd been feeding them wrong for way too long. What I know now is that we all have the ability to feel better, to reduce the medications that we're on, lower our blood pressure (my husband's is now 145/90),to sleep better, have more energy, but it does take work. You have to want it and know why you're doing it. If you're ready to take that step, you're ready to get healthy, then I'd love to help you and be a part of your support system along the way. We feel amazing now and the kids really love the way we all eat. If you offer my 6 year old son cookies, he's likely to ask you for carrots instead, and not because we tell him to. It's because he craves that healthy food that his body has become so accustomed to. Still, I make sure my family has sugar-free or low sugar desserts available for whenever they feel the need to indulge because "Eating Healthy Shouldn't Be Hard".

I actually started with a pretty drastic diet, but once the weight was gone, I wanted to make sure it stayed off and that my health problems wouldn't return. I didn't want to have to "diet" again. It was miserable and full of strict guidelines and sacrifing foods I loved. I wanted to find a way for my entire family to eat that we could stick with and still feel like we weren't sacrificing to be healthy. I spent countless hours daily reading article after article on nutrition, studying different diets, and everyone had something different to say. The way that we eat as a family may not work for everyone, but it's certainly the closest way to eating the types of foods that most Americans love, but with little or no guilt. Follow this blog for tips, health facts, recipes, encouragement in your journey to health, and more. If there's something that you feel would be of benefit to you, a food you love and don't want to give up, then let me know. Maybe I can find a "smarter" way for you to have it. You just never know.

Here is a short list of our family's basics when it comes to the way we eat. We are not actively trying to lose weight, but to now maintain. If you even start with this, it will make a HUGE difference in the way that you feel...

BASICS: No more than 15 grams of sugar daily, no more than 6 servings of carbs (1- 20 grams of carbs = 1 serving / 21-40 equals 2 servings, you need to be exact. If it has 21 grams, it still counts as 2 servings - VERY IMPORTANT), eating low glycemic fruits and foods, eating nothing with added sugar, using Stevia in place of sugar, avoiding artificial sweeteners as much as possible, drinking 6 - 8 glasses of water daily, drinking green tea daily, eating 3 protein rich meals daily and at least 1 healthy snack in between meals, always have dessert if we want it so that we aren't letting our cravings get out of hand, and get 6 - 8 hours of sleep minimum a night. Yes, we eat pizza, hamburgers, cheesecake, chocolate, the same things you love. We just eat smarter now.

We are also very big fans of the following:

http://www.jorgecruise.com/ - How I learned to eat right and get my family on the right path - He's my inspiration!

http://www.traderjoes.com/
*The finest quality, natural ingredients. This means:

NO artificial flavors, colors or preservatives

NO genetically modified ingredients

NO MSG

NO added Trans Fats

http://www.preventioniskey.com/ - Juice Plus ~ The next best thing to fruits and vegetables.

http://www.slenderwine.com/ - No sugar, diabetic wine, shipped straight to your door from http://www.empirewine.com/

http://www.miraclenoodles.com/ - Watch the video on the site. These can be purchased on Amazon.com

http://www.cookschampagne.com/ - No sugar & No carbs.