How are you coming along with your "New Year Resolutions"? Especially the ones you made regarding eating healthier, taking better care of your body and adopting an exercise program?
How would you like to lose weight AND build a healthier body at the
same time? It's easier to stay healthy when your environment is healthy.
So... where do you start?
How do you create a body that's healthy from the inside-out?
Time for a Change
Over the holiday season, my mother and I both gained between 8 to 10
pounds! We gave ourselves the month of January to get back on track. Mom
has had better results than I have over the past weeks, as I had
several after-holiday gatherings.
I still have 5 more pounds to go!
I've always been told,
"The hardest part about doing anything... is getting started". Once you get started, a game plan will help you stick to your goals and will help you to achieve them.
Everyone's goals are different; some may want to shed those last
stubborn 10 pounds. Others may want to cut out fast food or reduce the
amount of animal protein and dairy consumed. And for some, the goal may
be a complete lifestyle change.
Whatever your goal, stick to it and you will achieve it!
Allow yourself time, as it could take weeks, months or even years to
see the results of the goals you have laid out for yourself. Regardless
of how long it takes, remind yourself,
"All things are possible." I did not say easy - I said, "possible!"
Did you know it takes 21 days to form a habit? We hope to empower you with the knowledge and support you need to establish a new habit.
We have some healthful tips and great tasting recipes to burn fat and build muscle.
I am glad we are on this journey together!
Real Food (vs Dead Food) Makes you Thin and Healthy!
What is "real" food? Real food gives life and has the right
balance of vitamins and nutrients. There's a misconception that if you
eat less, you will lose more weight. The fact is, if you eat more real
food, you will lose more weight.
Real foods:
- fruits
- vegetables
- whole grains
- legumes
- wild caught fish
Dead foods have been stripped of nutrients and live enzymes, have added
chemicals and preservatives, or actually are detrimental to your health
like:
- most pre-packaged, processed foods
- most fast foods
- refined sugar
- extra salt
- red meat
- dairy, including cheese, butter and ice cream
The Thin Commandments
- Eat nutrient rich "real" whole foods vs dead foods.
- Eliminate or reduce refined sugar.
- Use olive oil or coconut oil instead of animal fats.
- Stay clear of additives and preservatives.
- Remove butter, heavy cream and margarine from your cooking.
- Practice "light" cooking: Brush oil onto non-stick pans for sauteing.
- Choose steaming and braising to preserve vitamins and your figure.
- Eat foods with zero fat like legumes, fresh fruits, and whole grains (rice, pasta, bread, muesli.)
- Eliminate consumption of processed meats likes sausage or bacon.
- Get enough vitamin C - the body uses it to break down fat.
- Take ionic minerals.
- Be conscious of the vital nutrients that burn fat - Calcium, magnesium, chromium, iodine, selenium and B vitamins.
- Never skip a meal! If you don't have time to make a full meal, mix up a protein shake.
- Don't eat after 7pm.
- Exercise a minimum of 30 minutes a day.
The body responds best when you nurture it from the inside out. That
means some of us may need to give our body supplements and minerals to
assist with a sluggish liver or impaired thyroid. If either of these are
out of balance, it is difficult (and maybe impossible) to lose weight.
It is equally true that without adequate Vitamin D in our system, we
cannot lose weight or build muscle. Your body will feel better through
proper nutrition, daily supplements and exercise.
If you haven't yet started, think about tomorrow being the first day of
the new you! We can do it... together! We can enjoy a new beginning one
bite at a time.
My Plan of Action
I followed our
Detox Program
for 14 days to help me get rid of the nasty sugar and starch cravings I
developed over the 6 week food binge. During that time I lost 4 pounds.
Here's the program I followed:
First thing in the morning, I had the juice of 1/2 lemon squeezed into 8oz of water and drink. This helps to flush the liver.
Breakfast - I would have two
AM Cleanse capsules with a large Strawberry and Banana Fruit Smoothie, with a combined 2 cups of fruit and 12 ounces of water instead of the nut milk in the recipe.
I liked being creative and experimenting with fruits that are
in-season, such as, apple, banana, blueberries, strawberries, peaches,
mango, pineapple, kiwi, pear, cherries.
Mid-morning - 4
Liv-Rx capsules and 8 oz
Green Juice drink.You can make your own
Green Juice with fresh-n-simple organic ingredients like
spinach, romaine hearts, kale, alfalfa sprouts, carrots with tops,
broccoli, parsley, cucumbers, celery, kiwi, ginger, lemon, white grapes,
granny smith apples and grape tomatoes.
Naked Juice Green Machine or Bolthouse Farms Green Goodness are good choices, and may be less expensive than making your own, depending on the season and where you live.
Lunch - 2 more AM Cleanse capsules and a big bowl of
Miracle Potassium Broth soup, or a large glass of fresh juiced carrot juice.
Mid-afternoon snack - I would have a cup of
Peppermint Tea for digestion and wait five minutes. Then, I would have another 8 oz of green juice with 1/2 teaspoon of
Life Transfusion Liquid Minerals in it.
Dinner - I would have a large bowl of
Miracle Potassium Broth and one baked Red Potato with skin, drizzled with flax seed or virgin olive oil for dressing.
An hour or so after dinner (always before 7pm) I would have
a large glass of fresh juiced carrots, beet, 1/2 apple, celery,
cucumber, ginger, handful of white grapes, a clove of crushed garlic and
one teaspoon cayenne powder.
Before bed - 4 PM Cleanse capsules, 3 Liv-Rx capsules, 1/2 of the lemon (the other half from the morning) squeezed into 8oz pure, filtered water.
I kept a large glass of pure water with three drops
Life Transfusion Liquid Minerals and one-half teaspoon cayenne pepper powder at my bedside to drink during the night.
I followed this program religiously for 14 days. It was amazing how good I felt! My system and palate were totally cleansed!
After I finished the cleanse, I continued to eat sensibly, exercised daily and added the Green Coffee PLUS+ and Night Time Fat Burner weight loss formulas to my regular supplements.
Here is my Post-Cleanse routine:
First thing in the morning - 1/2 lemon with 8 oz warm filtered water
Workout - I workout 45 minutes a day. This includes either a brisk walk, 45
minutes on the circuit at the gym or a workout DVD at home (from my
15-year collection :-)).
Breakfast - I usually have a protein smoothie, oatmeal or fruit salad (see recipes below.)
Mid morning - 8 oz. of Juice (carrot, celery, apple, spinach, beet or any combination of these…fresh)
or 1 cup of tea Peppermint (digestion), Red Clover (energy) or Burdock Root (weight-loss)
Lunch - For lunch, I like to eat soup, salad, maybe a grilled portabella or veggie burger (see recipe ideas below.)
Mid Afternoon - 2 handfuls of raw green veggie (broccoli, cucumber, jicama, celery, green beans and a cup of green tea.)
Dinner - For dinner, I love making a rice dish with whole grains with a hearty
salad. This is a time where you can be creative! Look at other recipes
on our site or try the ones I've chosen below.
Supplements - what you take will likely differ based on your own personal needs.
With breakfast:
1 Green Coffee PLUS+
2 Ultra D3
2 Miracle of Life
3 Balanced Woman
2 Thyroid Energy
Lunchtime:
1
Green Coffee PLUS+
2
Ultra D3
3
Balanced Woman
2
Thyroid Energy
Before bed:
2 Age-less Anti-Inflammatory
3 Night Time Fat Burner
1 oz of Emperor's Chi with 6oz hot water
Recipes:
Do you have specific questions about getting started, cooking or preparing plant strong meals? Have a favorite recipe you would like to makeover?
Email us your recipe and the story of your journey. We will be happy to help you create your own healthier dishes. And we might even share your story (and new recipe) in a future newsletter for everyone to enjoy.
Until we eat again!
Pamela
Editor of Our Community Kitchen