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Showing posts with label 8 Simple Steps to Health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 8 Simple Steps to Health. Show all posts

The Most Important Step

A few years back I posted these posts  and put them in order here on my blog.  They had been part of a Neighborhood Biggest Looser contest.  I have had many people go through the steps with excellent results!  They are telling me that they are loosing cravings for sugar and junk food, they are loosing weight and keeping it off, they are finding a new found freedom in a healthy lifestyle they never thought was possible!  They know they will never have to diet again!  As people have told me their experiences I have started noticing that maybe one very important step wasn't brought home quite good enough.  Most people have figured it out but have expressed the idea of maybe having it be a step all on it's own!


You'll see it in the step about Green Smoothies and I mention it should be a big part of dinner when I talk about the main dish salad in Less Meat;  really it's sprinkled throughout most every step but as I have thought about it and have gotten feedback from readers who have been doing it I feel like there should be a 9th step!  It's so important that I probably should have prefaced my steps with this important principle.  Well I am doing it now!  Those of you who have followed and implemented the 8 steps I hope you already find you are doing this but if not I HIGHLY suggest you take it to heart and do your best to implement this step also!  It is....










RAW FOODS
Always eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables is very, very important, in fact I think that it is ESSENTIAL to long term health and sustained weight loss.  I have studied and read lots and lots of info about health, diets, etc. etc. etc.  One thing I have found in a lot of my studies is that I can always find some expert contradicting another expert.  A lot of times both view points make sense and I can see some truth in most of them.  Sorting it all out and deciding what works for you can sometimes be a little tricky. (Hopefully another subject for another post!)

I have noticed though that NEVER is there info stating that fresh fruits and vegetables are bad for you.  There are however many, many test and studies that sing their praises! (Note that these test are usually done with conventional produce, so to me that means organic is just going to be that much better!  Regardless of what kind, we should be eating lots and lots!) 

I don't think anyone is going to argue with me on this point!  We all know fruits and veggies are good for us!  We all know we should be eating more of them!  I'm sure you have also noticed that a lot of the recipes on this blog are cooked.  Made from whole foods but still cooked!  It's obvious that I don't push a 100% raw food diet.  I don't think one is necessarily bad, in fact I think depending on how it is implemented, can be quite good!  I even "go raw" myself for a week or two at a time once or twice a year, just to cleanse and sort of "refresh" my system.  I do think to always be 100% raw takes a HUGE commitment especially to feed a family that way!  (Again probably info for another post!)  I like having the ability to make really yummy healthified treats and a nice comforting healthy dinner with a cooked dish.  BUT just because that is most of the recipes you see here know that they are actually the smaller portion of what we eat.

I really like to keep things Simple and so there isn't a set amount of what we eat everyday.  But I do try to have some goals and guidelines.  In our family we try to always eat at LEAST half of our food in it's fresh raw state.  The goal is 80-90% but we usually only achieve that in Summer and Fall!  I think we average between 60-70% raw.  And we try to eat some enzymes with EVERY meal so it can help to better digest and absorb the nutrients in our food.  For a look at what we eat on a typical day see my eBook Simply Scheduled: 2011 Chapter 4 - A Typical Day the Simple, Healthy, Tasty Way!

Here are some things that has helped us to achieve these goals and guidelines:
  • Smoothies Especially Green ones (Leafy greens are the highest concentrated nutrient foods on the planet!)  Blendtec Total Blender Wildeside is my favorite blender for easily making smoothies for the whole fam!  It blends everything super smooth and the large jar holds over 96 ounces!
  • Growing our own garden and planting fruit trees, berry bushes, etc.  Eating lots of it fresh then freezing or drying (so it still preserves the nutrients and some enzymes) the excess to use during the winter when we don't have a garden.
  • Using Bountiful Baskets (We love this we use a large variety this way and enjoy trying new things!  Plus it saves us money!)
  • Buying a share in our Local CSA!  We love Jacob's Cove which is our local CSA!  I think it's super important to support your local farmers!  To find one near you try Local Harvest.  You never know when gas prices may get so high that we can't afford shipped food.  If that time ever comes I hope we all know and support our local farmers and know how to grow a good garden ourselves!
  • Sprouting!  We like to be sprouting on a regular basis!  Sprouts are an easy thing to add to most anything and they are FULL of enzymes!  We have put sprouts on granola, on sandwiches, or even a dinner dish!  A very cheap, easy way to always have fresh food!
  • Main Dish Salad!  We try really hard to have a big salad every night!  Usually it's a simple green salad with leafy greens, sprouts and whatever else we have on hand.  Sometimes though it might be a big cabbage salad,  veggie tray or even and cucumber and tomato salad.  The point is to have a large helping of a fresh raw salad before or with the cooked dish.  Start to always think of your salad as the main dish and anything else the side!  Look in my Soups and Salads category for yummy salad and dressing ideas!

It isn't hard to incorporate lots of yummy raw foods into your healthy lifestyle.  In fact I think it's the only way to have a truly nourishing and healthy lifestyle!  You can make it fit your tastes and it can be a lot of fun!  For those picky eaters who think they will never like lots of fresh stuff;  When I first married Ryan he would get mad at me if I put one, yes ONE little tiny alfalfa sprout on his sandwich.  He said he hated sprouts!  I started learning how to sprout because he started craving them and asking me for them.  He still on a regular basis will pick up some micro-green sprouts from the health food store!  He loves them and eats them all the time!  When you give your body what it needs it starts to crave it.  I promise tastes will change if given a chance.  Find what you like and use green smoothies to disguise some of what you don't like.  As you continue learning about a Simple. Healthy. Tasty. Lifestyle I hope you will understand a large part of it is..............







RAW FOODS!


You can do it!


I have a few posts here that I have decided to post! But first let me share a little background. Not long ago my neighborhood did a Biggest Loser contest! They asked me to be their nutrition consultant and to post some tips and ideas on their blog that could help them. There were some sneaky people delivering cookies to their opponents trying to sabotage their efforts! It was lots of fun but by the end of the eight weeks the group of them together had lost over 100 pounds! They also said that they had learned some things that many hoped to continue to implement and to choose to have a healthier lifestyle for not only them but their family too! This was my beginning post I hope that you can maybe benefit from them too!

To start off you are going to have to decided what you want to get out of this! Aside from building friendships, getting to know each other better and strengthening bonds, we get that either way!

My question for you is; Do you want to see long term results and renewed health that will last long after the 8 weeks are over with healthy habits that you can pass on for generations.......OR are you just wanting a quick fix, to be the Biggest Loser then go back to doing what got you here in the first place to gain it all back twice as fast and nearly twice as much and be less healthy then when you started?

My friends the choice is up to you! 
I have been on both sides of that fence and I will happily help you with either! I have crash dieted and taken off 10 pounds in a week and then found out the hard way why that is not a long term solution! (which I will be more then happy to share if you ask) I also know what it's like to finally decide that It doesn't matter what the scale says or what size my pants are, the important thing was to try to be as healthy as possible so I could pass those habits on to my children. (Quite frankly it's the kids I worry about how the heck are they going to have any chance of being a healthy adult if they grow up in this fast food nation and are not taught! It's a great motivator look around, kids these days now have diseases that only "OLD" people got when I was a kid!) I have seen the results of that decision...................here I will let you see since most of you didn't know me "before!"


(Those of you who care to read more about my personal story can do so here.)
I am hoping some of you will choose to get long term results! I am obviously bias toward that one! For those of you who do I promise you will wonder why you didn't do this sooner. I will post ONE, yep just ONE thing a week for you to implement. (First Step to be posted soon!) Each week will build on the other and you will want to continue each one throughout the 8 weeks! After that you will have some great tools to work with in deciding if you want to adopt and continue this new healthy lifestyle while molding it, of course to fit your personality! Not to mention you WILL be the Biggest Loser!!!!

But no matter what you choose I want to help and support you! Please ask lots of questions! I will answer the best I can! I have tried almost every diet out there (well at least ones that would be "legal" for this and yes Matt I have tried Slim Fast and NO Matt it's NOT healthy!) And I am willing to help you find what works for you! So let's get started!



YOU CAN DO IT!!!!

Week 1

Alright sorry I'm a little slow at getting this posted but no worries it's so simple I'm sure most of you are already doing it! ;) Before I tell you the first step I want to mention a little bit about exercise. Exercise is very important but like most things it has been WAY overdone. People tend to go from one extreme to the other. Now if you are a very active person and love to exercise and have been doing it for years hooray for you, keep it up! I have found that most people like how they feel when they exercise but never stay consistent with it. I think part of the problem is that they go from hardly any or no exercise to trying to do big workouts at least an hour a day. I don't blame them for not sticking with it! That's just a killer and I'm sure your body will yell at you!

Okay my point; If you already have a exercise routine that works for you stick with it. If you find you don't exercise much try to do some form of MODERATE exercise (the P90Xers are now breathing a sigh of relief;) for 20 minutes 5 days a week or 30 minutes 3 times a week. Go for a little walk, get a mini-tramp and jump on it, do some Yoga or Pilate's, play a sport, ride a bike just something you enjoy and will do consistently. As with all things be sure to use common sense! If you do something dumb and hurt yourself don't blame me. If you think it would be wise to consult your Doctor be sure to do so.

Now if you have health problems that keep you from exercising DON'T WORRY implementing the 8 weekly steps will help! You will find you not only look and feel better but you just may find you are able to get up and move! Just listen and be nice to your body it's the only one you've got!

Now for the first step! Starting with week 1 and continuing through the 8 weeks and hopefully longer. All you need to do is......

DRINK WATER
 Yep that's it! You do not need to worry about doing ANYTHING else this week just drink water! You can still drink your soda and juice and whatever else you normally drink but this does NOT count toward your water intake! You should be drinking 1 ounce of water daily for every 2 pounds of your body weight. So a 150 pound person would need to drink 75 ounces of water a day. There are 8 ounces in a cup so this person would need to drink about 9 1/2 cups of water a day. How much are you drinking?

Most people do not drink enough water! It is so important! I cannot stress it enough! I know we have all heard that we could go for weeks without food but you can only live for a few days without water! I won't go into any more detail here but if you would like to learn more about the importance of water may I suggest this book.

One more thing: I suggest you get some type of a filter like those ones that go in the pitchers or hook up to your kitchen faucet. Chlorine is nice for cleaning the water but our bodies really don't want it so it's best to filter it out. I won't go into the Fluoridation thing either but I also think it's best not to drink it either. We actually have a R.O. unit which I highly recommend they are at least 150 bucks but worth every penny! If neither of those are an option you could also just add a little lemon or lime to the water it will help clean it a little and it's also quite cleansing and very good for you and most people really like the the taste! Now there you have it...........

DRINK WATER!

Week 2


At LEAST a few times this week try having a
GREEN SMOOTHIE!

They are a very easy way to get a lot of servings of those fresh fruits and greens that you know you need but just can't seem find the time or the taste buds to munch them all down. This week try a few different kinds of green smoothies out! Have one at least 3 times this week and then see if you can't manage to have them at least 4 or 5 times a week for the rest of the contest! Don't worry about changing ANYTHING else this week, just notice the difference in how you feel! When I first started drinking lots of green smoothies my baby was not sleeping well at all but I found that because of the smoothies I was not tired like I should have been. I had more energy, didn't need to take expensive supplements, I gently cleansed (so expect a little of that) and I LOST weight! Just to name a few things! If you have a phobia to green foods you can start with less greens and more fruit and then as you see that there is nothing to be afraid of ;) you can add more greens.

Our nation is one of the most overfed yet undernourished countries in the world! Green Smoothies are a very simple way to add lots and lots of nourishment with very little effort! Trust me your body with thank you!!! Many of us are literally starving for nutrition and we don't even know it. We will get lots of cravings because our bodies are trying to find a way to fulfill it's nourishment NEEDS! We will gain weight and then we try to diet only to add more to the starvation. Once I found ways to truly nourish my body I found my cravings started to go away! Anymore I don't even crave junk food in fact most times I find it pretty tasteless and unappealing!

So come on give it a try! Just play with it and don't give up if you really hate the first one I promise they grow on you. Plus you can make it according to your tastes. If you really hate raspberries you don't have to put them in. Start with Spinach for the greens (since it is very mild and you won't taste it) and then you can add others for more nutrition as you start to see that the taste of green gets covered by the fruit! I have a basic recipe here on my blog. And if you think there is no way they can taste good be sure to give my Creamsicle Green Smoothie a try and I just posted a Chocolate Peanut Butter one so be sure to give it a try!

So there you have it your body will be more nourished than it has ever been! It's a great way to start the day and Matt it can EASILY and very HEALTHFULLY become a meal replacement drink unlike Slim Fast which is mostly sugar and synthetic nutrients. That will leave you wanting and will slow your metabolism WAY down because you are essentially STARVING yourself! Which will then cause you to put on weight even more easily! So forget the Slim Fast and go get you a

GREEN SMOOTHIE!

 

Week 3

Just a reminder this was written for my neighborhood Biggest Loser contest just in case you are confused! ;) I hope the info can be beneficial to all who read it and I hope many of you are trying the challenges!

Alright this week is probably going to be your hardest yet! Are you strong enough to try it? You only have to do it for 6 weeks and if you don't see the benefit for not only you but your entire family you are welcome to go back to your old habits! But if you are serious about this Biggest Loser stuff and you really want to see some long term results you will jump on and do what I did over 7 years ago! You will...............

TOSS IT!
 
So what is it you have to toss? Is it your scale? That actually wouldn't be a bad idea but since you are using it to compete right now you may want to hang on to it for a few more weeks! ;) Is it your FAT clothes? Again tossing those would be good too! I know the neighborhood is having a yard sale and would love to sell them back to you if you find your just not cut out to be the Biggest Loser! Maybe it's your video game console or heck your whole dang TV? Again any of these things would probably help you on your way to becoming the Biggest Loser but for right now the ONLY thing you need to toss is the.............

..... JUNK FOOD!!

Come on just do it! Go through your house and just get rid of it! ALL of it! I don't want to hear, "but the kids will have a fit without their soda, candy bars, and goldfishes!" I think Dad and Mom will miss it more then the kids! Quit using them as your scapegoat who are the parents anyway! You can just tell them that you need their help in winning this Biggest Loser contest I'm sure they will be happy to help especially if you offer them half your winnings. Common your not scared are you? It's only for 6 weeks! What are you afraid of? Admit it you are addicted to at least one, four, ten, or more different kinds of JUNK food! You tell yourself that you could go without it at any time. Well here is your chance to prove it to yourself. If you are addicted you WILL have withdrawals and cravings for a little while until it is out of your system. Six weeks is just about enough time to let your body know that you mean business and that you are serious about getting rid of those junk food cravings.
You will find for a little while you will really crave your comforting junk food. But if you have been drinking your water and green smoothies your body will be thanking you and won't find too much time to complain and I promise it won't complain for very long. If you find you are still very scared and not quite up to it you can go here and try making some healthier treats that will help you through your cravings. Also if you need that extra motivation and something that will help you to be informed instead of being easily swayed by marketing try reading the book Sugar Blues or Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills, heck do a search and see that the only one who benefits from you eating junk food are those selling it to you! Are you really going to let them win? Wouldn't you much rather be the one in control? I have also heard that  Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal is highly motivating!

To make it a bit more simple I will give you a list of a few ingredients that I want you to start looking for. Go through your cupboards and throw out ANYTHING that has these ingredients listed as one of the first five. Then be sure not to buy ANYTHING with these ingredients in them at all.

Here is the SHORT list! ;)
Refined White Sugar
High Fructose Corn Syrup
Fructose
Sucrose
Aspartame (Nutrasweet)
Sucralose (Splenda)
Saccharin (Sweet & Low)
Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
Artificial Colors (Red 40, yellow, lake blue, etc.)
Partially Hydrogenated (Oils of ANY kind also known as trans-fats)
Shortening
Margarine (one molecule away from being plastic you don't eat plastic do you?)

Now just for fun I thought I would post this little video!

I'm sure most of you have seen the corn syrup commercials. You can read my opinions about it here! Think about it do you really want good marketing to control what you eat. You wouldn't put the wrong kind of gas in your car! If you did it wouldn't run! So why do you keep expecting to put the wrong kind of food in your body and have it run properly? Give your body what it needs! They call it JUNK food for a reason! It's JUNK! It belongs in the garbage so go ahead, just

TOSS IT!

Week 4


Alright I'm assuming everyone is doing great with last weeks challenge since I have not heard any of you complain or ask me questions! ;) Alright I'm sure you have all pretty much written me off after that thinking oh whatever she is just nuts! I sincerely hope some of you will trust me on this and at least give all these steps a try and do your best at them for a LEAST the last 5 weeks! Common ANYBODY can do something for that long. I know if you honestly try you will be so glad you did! Don't worry you won't become a crazy health nut like me! You will just move to a different level of health and give yourself more options on how healthy you would like to see your diet!

This week you will want to add......
WHOLE GRAINS

Many people today are suffering from gluten intolerance, wheat allergies or sensitivities and related health conditions such as indigestion, lethargy, and headaches. A primary cause of many of these health conditions stems from continued over-consumption of refined grains.
Just to illustrate a little about what refined grains are like. Say I come over to your house and we are going to clean! I take everything you own but I tell you not to worry because will get plenty back. Then I give you back one of your outfits and say the cushions from your couch. Would you be okay with that deal? That is pretty much what happens when you use refined grains (ie. white bread and pastas etc.) Refined grains lack many essential nutrients because of the removal of the nutrient-dense bran and germ during processing. Of course they do put a few nutrients back in, but you weren't happy with just your couch cushions were you? So why are you happy with your white bread with most of the nutrients stolen out of it? Also refined grains don't contain ANY fiber and tend to just stick like glue in your system. Ever make paper mache using white flour? Well then you know what I mean!

Now since there are a lot of whole grain products available these days this should not be a hard thing to do. Of course you want to be careful that it also doesn't contain the ingredients you have tossed from last weeks challenge. I have seen and used lots of whole grain pastas in the store. If you want to make your own bread I love this recipe. And if you don't have your own wheat grinder come on over and I will grind you some! (I seriously mean that I have done it for lots of people I totally DO NOT mind! ANY TIME!) If you have been thinking about getting one it's a great investment  THIS MILL is my favorite kind but there are others out there for less that will get the job done.  Blendtec sells one that is much cheaper that I know a lot of people use and it does the job just fine too!

Now Remember whole grains are NOT limited to whole wheat there are many grains out there that are super good for you when eaten in their WHOLE state! Barley, Quinoa, Amaranth, Brown Rice, Oats, etc. I have a paper that overviews grains if you would like me to email you a copy of it just let me know I would be happy too. If you have ANY questions feel free to ask most whole grains are easy to use and quick to fix!

My blog has cookies, cakes, breads, muffins, cinnamon rolls, granola and all sorts of tasty things that use whole grains. I promise you won't feel deprived. (Although if you are not used to eating ANY whole grains be forewarned that you WILL have a few cleansing symptoms. But that is actually a good thing. If you would like to know what those would be you can come ask me I'll be happy to share! ;) And like I said you can even get lots of whole grain breads and cereals from the store now just be sure to read those ingredients!

So since you wouldn't want to get back only part of your stuff let's make sure and not eat only part nutrition either! Make sure you get your

WHOLE GRAINS!

Week 5


Again just reminding you that this was part of some posts that I did on my neighborhood Biggest Loser Contest blog. Just in case you were a little confused. I hope you are enjoying them and finding them helpful.

So how is everyone doing!?!?!?!?!? Are there any success stories? Are you losing or gaining? Has ANYONE even tried my suggestions? I hope everyone is accomplishing their goals and seeing success! Please let me know if I can help!

I have heard from some of you and I'm thrilled to hear that you are drinking green smoothies and eating whole grains! Way to go!!! Sorry I am so late this week posting! I really don't have an excuse just that I have been putting it off because if you haven't banished me already (ie. started another blog and didn't inform me of the change ;-) You may be more inclined to after this! But after much procrastination I decided that it is only fair to be straight forward and honest with you in sharing what I know and my experiences.

So here goes. I won't sugar coat and I will tell you exactly what I think. If I were in your shoes I would hope you would do the same for me! This weeks challenge that you will hopefully try for at least 4 weeks is to have no, meaning not ANY, none, nada, zip, zilch, absolutely

NO DAIRY!

Alright now I said it! Before you throw your mouse at the computer and curse my name please hear me out! And don't worry remember this isn't permanent (just 4 weeks although I highly recommend 6 but that's up to you) then you can decide! Giving it up for at least 4 weeks will give you an idea of how much better you may feel without it! Does it mean you can NEVER have ANY dairy again!? Well of course not that all depends on what you want and what works for you. Just hear me out I want to share my experience and quote from some others experiences. It's a little different for everyone some people give it up entirely some choose to have it only once a week. Some choose certain forms of dairy that seem to agree with them and have it every day. But you really need to let it go for at least 4 weeks before you are able to judge properly.

Since someone asked me about my dairy stance recently on my blog I am just going to share my answer with you here!

I have not really "preached" a lot on my blog about my stance on dairy because I have seen many people with very different opinions. I'm not necessarily "anti-dairy" I am open to using it if I feel it would help my family and get some things that we are lacking. Lately I have thought a lot about making kefir out of raw goats milk but then found out you could use Young coconut milk also. I think I would like to try that first. Mostly I want that because I feel we need to get more live active good bacteria also known as friendly flora in our diet.

Here has been my opinion on dairy. Aside from all the propaganda, big dairy business stuff, hormones and antibiotics given to cows. I have for a very long time felt that milk from another animal was meant for that animals baby. I like to think how did "Nature" or God intend for things to be? I especially have looked at a cow! A calf is born usually at about 80 pounds and grows to be over 600 pounds in the first year topping up to over 1000 in the second year! They also have 4 stomachs that is very different from humans. I just did not feel that it was meant to feed humans ESPECIALLY baby humans. The protein is much too concentrated and can be very hard on a little ones system. I think that is part of the reason so many people are lactose intolerant and/or allergic to dairy.

Well there you have it that is my opinion. I'm sure others would disagree with me but I always come back to wondering what Nature may have intended. I do think in it's raw form it is better because it still has some enzymes and is easier to digest. And definitely goats milk just because they are so much smaller would be better than cows milk for humans. That's where I'm at right now it doesn't mean that I won't learn more and find I would like to add some animal products back into our diet if we find we are lacking. But so far my family and I have had this similar diet for about 8 years and have been very pleased with our health!

Here is how someone else responded to my comment:
I just wanted to agree with your anti-dairy stance. I have read research about all of the reasons you've listed. For me personally, I'm so much healthier without dairy. Joint pain went away when I quit using it and my kids quit getting ear infections. My face also slimmed down, which was great! I've just discovered coconut milk and I'm in heaven. I love it! Most people don't realize all of the great sources of calcium out there, like broccoli. Anyway, thanks for all your effort and for sharing this with us.

This one is from a book review from Moooove Over Milk:
What many people don't know about dairy is revealed in this book. And not many people will believe it til they try first hand going with out it for a while. I tried it and it changed my life! I used to get sick all the time as did my daughter. We are now non dairy and never sick! Our doctors are amazed and applaud me on this decision. I urge everyone to please read this book and at least try going without it for a while. I used to have skin problems, sinus infections, bronchitis and other problems. I no longer suffer from this! My daughter used to have ear infections and colds a lot and no longer gets those either. She also had a behavioral problem, and the doc said he could not figure it out. She no longer has this problem and HE AGREES it had to have been the dairy. The book discusses this as well.So please read this book. If you are worried about calcium, you will be amazed at what this book says about that too. Milk actually DAMAGES your body! Stop being lied to. Read about the "udder side of dairy" Take care and be healthy.

Here is what someone else said in a email I received recently:
I just wanted to mention, as some of you know we cut dairy out about a month ago hoping to see my baby's eczema get better (it is better but not sure if that's just the dairy to blame)but I will say, over the last month I have lost almost FIVE pounds. I am not eating any different at all except for the dairy being cut out. I do workout at the gym but I have done that for a very long time and have been maintaining my same weight almost the entire time. I haven't been trying to lose weight at all just trying to stay exercised and fit. So I can definitely say with confidence that getting rid of the dairy made me lose weight! It is so weird. I am under 120 now and that is the weight I was before I was pg with baby #2. Though I can't hope to be much smaller, it was a fun surprise to see the scale. I have had a few people ask me if I have lost weight too and I just laughed at them, until this morning when I saw the scale for the second time this month. So what my point is, is if you have considered cutting dairy, it has some big benefits!!! I feel so much better and have so much more energy. And when I'm cooking with rice milk instead I am having people ask me "mmm what is this pleasant sweetness in this?" And its the sweet rice milk. Its been great in everything and besides occasional butter or mozzarella we will definitely be keeping the dairy at a major minimum. I have so much energy and less tummy ache complaints from my 2 year old. High five for dairy free! Just wanted to share.... I no longer consider dairy free a sad thing!

I also found I lost those extra pounds when I gave up dairy and have not had to worry about my weight since! I think dairy just tends to make some people fat! (if that was just the worst it did) Again you need to find what works for you and your family but I have seen many benefits! A big one has been that one of my sons was born six weeks early he ended up having asthma since lungs are the last to develop. We were able to use diet and herbs he has never needed steroids or other drugs for his asthma. We had given up dairy just before he was born. He is now almost 7 and he has very few if ANY symptoms of asthma. He can run and not get wheezy he sleeps well at night! He only gets "the cough" when he has a cold but it goes away quickly now and it's maybe twice a year! It has been nothing short of a miracle for us! I thank the Lord every day for that blessing! I think a huge contributing factor was not having dairy!

If you want to do a little research I highly recommend the books MOOOOve Over Milk and
The China Study! I hope at least some of you will take the challenge I mean really what have you got to lose? I personally have seen great benefits! Are you afraid you will too?!?!? My only regret was NOT doing it SOONER! Just try it 4-6 weeks and just see how you feel! Common

NO DAIRY!

And that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

If you are wondering what you are going to eat go to my blog! There are lots of creamy, comforting, dairy tasting recipes on there that are ALL dairy free! Even super tasty dairy free ice creams! In fact if you decide to do this let me know I'll make you up a batch! My favorite is the Pumpkin Pie kind!


P.S. A friend of mine said she gained 12 pounds since the end of last Summer! She said the only thing she did different was she started eating dairy again! Hmmmm interesting don't you think?

A Little Encouragement for this Weeks Challenge!


Also this movie looks good I am looking forward to seeing it! Remember knowledge is power, learn all you can from lots of different sources and then make YOUR OWN educated decision don't let others make it for you!

 

Week 6


Hey everyone I am much more excited for this weeks challenge! For me when I learned this I was so excited! I grew up in the era of No Fat/Low Fat diets and I always thought that fat made you well; FAT! But guess what I have learned differently! Only certain kinds of fat can make you fat! Not all fats are created equal! Some are actually good for you and will cause you to not only be healthy but to lose weight! How cool is that!

This week I want you to add....
GOOD FATS

I can't tell you how many times I have heard people say that they couldn't eat avocado because is was too high in fat! That logic just doesn't make sense to me anymore. I have learned that fats are just not created equal and really neither are calories! I remember back in the day being concerned with counting calories and fat grams. Now for years I have not even bothered! I really think the thing that is important is WHAT you are eating not how many calories or fat grams it contains!
So I became a INGREDIENT freak! I like to know what is in what I am eating! I find if I am just aware of what I am putting in my mouth the other stuff doesn't really matter!
Alright so here is the low down on fats! Remember this is just a basic list but I tried to make it simple yet thorough.

Fats and Oils 
The Good the Bad and the Ugly!

Good:Eat as needed or wanted, best in it's purest least heated form.
Unsaturated Fat - Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Flax Seed Oil, Virgin Coconut Oil, Grape Seed Oil, nuts and seeds, Sesame Butter(Tahini), Almond Butter, Most nut and seed butters, Olives, Coconuts, and Avocados

Bad:Try really hard to not eat much of! When you choose to eat it, try to eat in its most natural form.
Saturated Fat - Butter, Milk, Cream Cheese, Yogurt, Ice Cream, Sour Cream, Meats, and Eggs Animal Products typically contain a lot of Saturated Fat. A good clue is, if it comes from an animal, it contains saturated fat. I do not think these are as bad if they come from properly fed animals that have not been given antibiotics, hormones and other harmful things. Animal forms of Saturated Fat have been said to contribute to heart disease so not overdoing is a good idea. They are also very mucus forming so people with sinus, allergy or lung issues find they do much better without them. 



PLEASE NOTE THAT YOU CAN MAKE A LOT OF THESE THINGS USING COCONUT MILK OR NUT MILKS SO DON'T THINK YOU WILL HAVE TO DEPRIVE YOURSELF!


Ugly:You basically just want to avoid these if you want to lose weight and be healthy!

Trans fats, Better known as Partially Hydrogenated Oils and Interesterified fats - Margarine, Chips, Crackers, Pastries, and snack foods in general. Read labels, if it has any trans fat or says partially hydrogenated anything in the ingredients then you don’t want it. These fats are unnatural processed products that our bodies are unable to process effectively. They contribute in a huge way to excess body fat and cancer causing free radicals in our systems. There are now some snack foods that don’t contain this type of fat. They aren’t really "healthy" but a much better option than those "Ugly fats."

It was so great when I realized that I could eat all those rich creamy things that are so good! I just had to make sure they were made with the good kinds of fats! So go ahead it is VERY important that your body gets fat both for healthy brain and metabolic function! I found that all those years of me on my NO FAT diet actually slowed down my metabolisim and made me fatter! You may have noticed that a lot of the recipes on my blog call for these good fats! Trust me we get plenty around here and it doesn't make us fat! So go ahead and indulge! If you want you can make yourself dessert every night for the rest of your life as long as you make sure it is with...

GOOD FATS!

Week 7

Oh man only two more weeks to go! I wonder who the Biggest Loser will be?!?!?!?!? This weeks challenge is really quite simple and I hope you will try to make it more of a lifelong habit! I want you to really pay attention and try very hard to eat MUCH......











LESS MEAT

I am not really sure but I'm guessing Americans love affair with meat has A LOT to do with really good marketing! I could go on and on about how making meat your main course and basing most meals around it is NOT healthy. But I won't torture you! I'm sure though if you stopped to think about it you would see it's not serving you or helping you meet your weight loss goals.

I'm not saying you should give up your meat unless of course you want to ;) just eat much, MUCH, less of it! Start thinking salads, and other really healthy foods as your MAIN dish! (Of course beware of dressings most name brands WILL NOT help you READ INGREDIENTS! Have a little meat on the side if that's what you like but make it the side dish! If you are worried about getting full enough think of potatoes, whole grain pastas and breads, brown rice, and plenty of beans of ALL kinds!

If you are wondering what you are going to make you can start here these are many of the main dishes we have on a regular basis. If you are wondering about some of the ingredients that you have not heard of please feel free to ask me about them. I will be happy to tell you where I get them, the best price and brands I like, or heck you can even come over and I'll give you the weird ingredients you need so you can try a recipe! (Seriously I mean that!) Again if you want your meat have a little on the side or a tiny bit mixed into the dish but just try to make a habit of thinking differently about how meat presents itself on your table. I think you will find eating less meat will also save you money and who doesn't need to save a bit of that right now! So go ahead it's a great habit to get into. Eat....


LESS MEAT

Week 8

Wow it's been 8 weeks! So who is the biggest loser going to be? How has every one done? Did you at least accomplish a few of your goals? I hope you have picked up a few new habits along the way that you plan to keep implementing and make part of your new healthier lifestyle! If I could give you only ONE habit to keep and hang on to for the rest of your life it would be this last weeks challenge! Being aware of and doing this one thing is so simple yet will make a huge difference in how you look and feel. And really the health of the whole fam! I want you to from now on and forever be aware of and.......





READ INGREDIENTS!

It would be nice if we only ate food that had not been packaged! But since that is simply not the world we live in we are going to be eating quite a few packaged foods. So what you need to do is get really familiar with that little paragraph labeled "INGREDIENTS:" on EVERY package, can, box, or container of food you bring into your house.








Don't worry about all the numbers and percentages just look and the INGREDIENTS: Know what you are putting into your body! ALWAYS!! Be aware it makes a huge difference.
Alright to help you out just a bit I'm going to give you an example using a loaf of bread! In fact why don't you go get the kind you buy out of your pantry and look at the ingredients on it while I show you this little comparison.



Here is a pretty average loaf of bread that you will find at your grocery store. I believe it is what most people would consider "healthy." But I look at the ingredients and a few things pop out at me. First why are there so many ingredients in a simple loaf of bread! That can't be good. Next ENRICHED that's code for, "We took all the healthy stuff out and added synthetic stuff that your body really can't use." Then I see HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP I won't get into that, you can do your own research on it but just know it's way overly processed and very very unhealthy. Next I do notice that it doesn't have partially hydrogenated oils but it does have canola oil which is not quite as bad but really close! Then again just notice all the different things most of which your body doesn't really need or want.

Now if you will look below, I took a picture of a loaf of bread I had in my pantry. I bought this at Costco I have seen different brands with similar ingredients also at Smith's and Wal-Mart. So you can get them you just have to look because out of all the loaves at the grocery store there are probably only one to three kinds that will be like this.



Look at that 6 ingredients! And I know EXACTLY what all of them are. I ONLY buy bread with ingredients like this! Of course making your own is even better but finding time to always do that can be difficult. So look at your bread. What ingredients are in it? Now EVERY time you are grocery shopping read EVERY label before you put it in your cart. I have a pretty thorough ingredient list on my blog that you can look at here. I have pretty much gone by that and it has served me well for many years now. But just in case you are not ready for that here is a very basic list you could start with! Print it up and take it to the store with you and try really hard to NOT buy anything with these things on the ingredient list.


Ingredients I NEVER knowingly eat, buy, or feed my children:

Partially Hydrogenated Oils
Margarine
MSG (MonoSodiumGlutimate)
High Fructose Corn Syrup
Aspartame and all other artificial sweeteners

Ingredients that we may sometimes compromise and eat but it is so very little you can say we pretty much never eat these either:

Sugar (that's the white refined kind)
Artificial Colors (Like Yellow, Lake Blue, Red 40 etc.)

Preservatives (all those big words you can't understand)
Enriched (we want the whole grain not enriched)

There you go short and simple! Start slow but pay attention and be a smart ingredient reader. Being aware is really most of the battle! So from now on always be sure to.....



READ INGREDIENTS!