Lately I have been interested in the benefits of raw foods. They are great for helping to maintain a natural weight. Raw food is touted for making the skin look amazing, which frankly as I get older, becomes more of a concern to me.
You may have heard me mention that I lost 70 pounds several years ago without dieting. One of the things I did was increase my raw foods significantly. I did what I found out later was crowding out. I ate so many raw and high water content foods that if I did eat less health promoting foods, their effect was negligible.
Since I have been thinking about raw foods and researching what it entails I was happy to find a great primer. Raw Food Made Easy by Jennifer Cornbleet is an easy way to start including more raw foods into your diet whether you are considering a
Continue reading…Raw Food Made Easy by Jennifer Cornbleet
A key weight loss mistake most people disregard is getting sufficient sleep. In our fast paced life we are using more energy drinks to keep us going long beyond our body’s ability to provide energy. Research shows that people who sleep less than 5 hours or more than 9 hours a night are more likely to be over weight. The less sleep they get the higher their BMI will be.
The Research
There are two key hormones at play in the connection between sleep and weight. The first is ghrelin which tells the body when to eat. The second is leptin, the counter to ghrelin, that tells the body when to stop eating because it is satisfied.¹
A joint research project with researchers at Stanford and the University of Wisconsin found that when a person gets less than 8 hours of sleep the levels of ghrelin jump significantly and leptin drops.
Continue reading…Weight Loss Mistake #3: Sleep
Dehydration is more common than we think. The body often mistake signs of dehydration for hunger, illness or lethargy. We have lost the ability to read the body’s signals and understand the purpose of cravings in the body. Therefore, we treat dehydration with food rather than pure water. Water is the only pure form of liquid that adequately hydrates and cleanses the body.
Symptoms of Mild to Moderate Dehydration
Dry, sticky mouth Sleepiness or tiredness Hunger Thirst Decreased urine output or dark urine Dry skin Headache Constipation Dizziness or light-headedness
Physiological Functions of Water
Our body relies on water to deliver oxygen and nutrients to the cells, muscles and organs. It is necessary for fat-burning and removal of toxins in the form of urine and feces. Water is used to regulate the temperature of the body to prevent over-heating through sweating and air vapor. Water is necessary for the lungs to remove carbon
Continue reading…Weight Loss Mistake #2: Dehydration
Probiotics are one of the essential supplements to any person’s cabinet. With our Standard American Diet (SAD) being heavy in protein, processed foods and low in fiber, our digestive systems take a beating. Add the prevailing use of antibiotics as a first line of defense in medicine, the natural bacteria in our intestines can be severely compromised. Children are at the greatest risk for having a compromised digestive system. Finally they have designed probiotics for children.
Essentially, what happens is our diet and use of antibiotics attack the natural bacteria present in our digestive system. These bacteria not only support the digestion of our food but is also a first line of defense for harmful substances ingested with our food. This leads to a weakening of our immune system and allows the harmful bacteria to proliferate in our body.
By taking probiotic as needed, the natural health-promoting bacteria in your digestive
Continue reading…Probiotics for Children
Welcome to the Avoiding April Showers Giveaway Event. This event is hosted by Put A Little Umbrella In Your Drink, My Mommy’s World, Taking Time For Mommy and And The Little Ones Too. This event features giveaways with a value of $25 or more at each of the participating blogs! Be sure to visit each blog from the linky below and enter for your chance to win!
Tropical Traditions is sponsoring our event with a gallon of their Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil ($120 Value)
Tropical Traditions Virgin Coconut Oil is one of the best coconut oils I have found. The quality is clear once you see this creamy coconut oil.
Here are some great ways to use coconut oil.
If you love smoothies, this video on adding coconut oil to smoothies is great. I no longer get clumps of
Continue reading…Avoiding April Showers ~ Tropical Traditions Virgin Coconut Oil
Sea Buckthorn is an ancient superfood emerging from Asia. It has been used there for centuries to treat skin and digestive conditions. Even today it is commonly used in Tibetan medicine. More recently it is proving to be beneficial for strong heart health. Dr. Oz is on board in his June 2011 show featuring Sea Buckthorn.
Sea Buckthorn grows in Tibet in the highland plains. It is not edible until the berries have been “bletted” (frosted to reduce astringency and increase sugar). Then the berries can be turned into juice and the seeds are used for their oil content. The oil can be taken in supplement form or used as a skin moisturizer. The whole berries can be freeze-dried and turned into supplements as well.
Why is Sea Buckthorn Different?
Sea Buckthorn should not be confused with Alder Buckthorn or European Buckthorn. While those are used for their laxative properties, Sea
Continue reading…Sea Buckthorn ~ The New Wonder Drug?
The first thing people do when they decide they need to go on a diet is start to think of all the foods they can’t eat anymore. We usually form it in our minds like that, too. “This food has to go forever. I better get as much as I can right now.”
We believe that the food is the sole cause of all this weight. “If only I could stop eating xyz, I could lose weight.”
It is not long before a deprivation mindset begins. We start to think of all the things we can’t have, aren’t good for us, “oh, yeah. I ate a bag of those yesterday.” In reality, any expert in food or nutrition is going to tell you that you can eat what you want, you just have to use moderation.
We, as American’s, aren’t so good with this concept of moderation. We want it all,
Continue reading…Crowding out foods
Yesterday was probably the worst day of the challenge for me. I know that Wednesdays are a very hard day, starting early and ending late. Yesterday, I didn’t eat as well as I would like and I didn’t get my exercise in. I realize I need to be more diligent with myself if I want to get my fitness in every day. Even if it is playing tag with the kids, I can get my heart rate up and every bit counts.
As a new week in the challenge began, I was reviewing my food journal and made some very interesting discoveries. For example, I eat in the kitchen, A LOT. Too much actually. I realized I eat there so the kids will leave me in peace to eat my food. My little ones still like to sit on my lap when I eat. So when we are alone together
Continue reading…Mommy Blogger Fitness Challenge ~ Feb 9 #21MBC
As any doctor would suggest eating plenty of fresh vegetables is the penchant to stay healthy. If you are thinking of a diet plan it should definitely include eating a whole lot of vegetables. When you are suffering from Candida some of your near and dear ones would suggest vegetables as remedy to quick relief. But do all vegetables help cure Candida? Any expert would suggest there is a lot of stress given as a part of Candida diet upon which vegetables should be eaten for quick recovery. To understand which vegetables you should consume, first of all goal of the Candida diet must be made clear.
Candida diet is a special course of dietary action taken to improve the health condition of individuals suffering from Candidiasis. Candida in plain and simple terms is caused by a microorganism known as Candida albicans, which develops within the intestinal tract of the host.
Continue reading…Effective Vegetables for Candida Diet
A New Year A New Me event is going fantastic. I’m so excited to introduce you to our final sponsor spotlight for this event.
Dustin Maher is a nationally renowned personal trainer who has helped hundreds of moms to get and stay fit. He has been on television over 200 times talking about his work to make moms look and feel great. His book, Fit Moms for Life: How to Have Endless Energy to Outplay Your Kids, is a wonderful resource for anyone looking to change how they feel in their body.
This book is refreshing in it’s approach. I have read dozens of diet/exercise books in my career as a health enthusiast. I’ve probably tried as many methodologies.
Maher’s approach to food is well-balanced. He advocates a low-crap diet, by removing the processed, chemically laden foods from the diet. I love that he doesn’t insist people avoid whole categories of macronutrients
Continue reading…Sponsor Spotlight :: Fit Moms For Life :: A New Year A New Me
|
FREE Integrative Nutrition Book
|
Follow Me!