Get stubborn pounds off for good, boost your energy levels and libido, stop mood swings

What if every day you woke up and:
   ... liked what you saw in the mirror?
   ... felt no aches and pains?
   ... had a digestive tract that worked?
   ... felt energized?
   ... felt purposeful, focused and joyful?
   ... felt restful?
   ... were disease free?

What would your life be like? What things would you be doing right now that you are not, because you do not have the energy or focus or self confidence?  

I want to help you find your way to being the best you can be by showing you the keys to getting your body back. There are 7 basic keys to keeping your body full of life, energy, looking and feeling good, no matter what age you are. I want to give you these keys to unlock your body's wisdom so I am inviting you to a free Webinar that I will be giving on December 11th. 

 Once you understand these keys, you will be on your way to becoming disease free and feeling and looking wonderful.  Now, how is that for health care reform?  The insurance and pharmaceutical companies would not know what hit them if we all knew and really believed that our bodies were designed to heal themselves and not be riddled with cancer, diabetes, digestive problems, obesity, heart disease, depression, anxiety, ED, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, etc.

To find out what these 7 Keys are, please join me for this free Webinar on December 11th, 5:30-6:30 PST.  These keys will unlock the mystery of how to heal your body, lose stubborn weight, get rid of heartburn, food sensitivities, depression, migraines and feel and look ten years younger.    For many of you, these 7 keys will be life changing.  They will be the beginning of the way back to feeling well enough again to live life with energy, excitement and joy.  This is more than just looking and feeling younger, although that is always nice, it's about getting your life back again.

If you can not make the designated time of the airing, no worries.  A recording of the Webinar will be available for you to listen to for one week after airing but in order to have access to the recording, you will need to sign up for the Webinar.  And again, this is free.  I would like for everyone to know, that there is no need to be overweight, sick and/or tired. You do have the innate power change your body.  You just need the right tools and that is what I will give you.
Reserving your spot is easy. Just click on the link below.   https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/528720312224755202

Please pass this on to anyone you know who may be interested in taking charge of their health and well-being and staying or becoming disease free.  The more people I can reach and empower, the better the world will be.  And I know that that may sound a bit overstated but if people feel good and whole then what they put out into the world can be wonderful!  I have been privileged to watch this happen many times over with my clients from West to East coast.  

This webinar is the first step to a renewed life.  And you men, out there...this is for you too :-).

Sugar Sugar everywhere!!

It’s the middle of November and I’m echoing the sentiment of where has this year gone? I had so many topics that I'd wanted to write about and bring to you and there just never seems to be enough time to get it all down.  This month I decided to write about hidden sugars in the foods that we eat and drink as it’s come up many times, for one reason or another, in the past 30 days with clients and friends.   I know that we are coming into the Holiday season so my timing of this may be welcomed and then again maybe not be :-).

I think most people realize that sodas are not a good thing to put in our bodies. They are full of high fructose corn syrup which also means a high sugar content which translates into a fatty liver, a big middle, weight gain, high triglycerides, insulin resistance aka diabetes, heart disease and empty calories. These sugary drinks cause an excess elevation of blood sugar levels, which tells the pancreas to make extra insulin to march out and rescue us by putting all those extra molecules of glucose/sugar in our blood into our fat cells for storage.  Yes, insulin is a fat storing hormone!!! When you eat or drink something with a high sugar content, just think of putting on FAT.  

But sodas are not the only source of a lot of extra sugar. Unbeknownst to most, we are consuming seemingly healthy foods and beverages that contain an incredible amount of sugar.  Most people think that they are eating healthy and doing their bodies a favor by eating these drinks/foods when nothing could be further from the truth.  So I'd like to shed some light here. 

There are fresh juice bars popping up all over California and people are flocking to them in an effort to detox, lose weight, and stay healthy.  Some are embarking on the 1-5 day juice cleansing systems that are often offered for a not so friendly price tag.   I actually like the idea of a little bit of juicing (I prefer blended drinks which still has all of the fiber)  but unless you choose carefully, you may be consuming an astounding amount of sugar without knowing it.   Below, I have listed some popular “healthy” drinks, juices and a few foods so you can see, at a glance, how much sugar you might be consuming.  

So let’s take a look at what I mean.  I used 16 oz as the serving size as that is the size of many of the freshly juiced bottles and Naked Green Juice (one of the original juices).  Please note that the source of sugar found in the items with an * next to them is naturally occurring, mainly from fruit-some have a little bit of agave nectar (mainly fructose and highly processed) added as well.  The grams refer to the amount of sugar found.

• 16 oz Coke: (The gold standard)    32 grams 
• Nekter Juices: Raw  *                     18- 27 grams
• Jamba juice Smoothie                     58 grams   
• Naked Juice Green Drink *             56 grams
• Kerns Apricot Nectar                       62 grams
• Cranberry cocktail                           64 grams
• NonFat Milk *                                   24 grams
• Orange juice *                                 51 grams
• Acai bowls                                       28-40 grams                  
• Prego Spagetti sauce 1/2 cup        10 grams
• Cliff Bar                                           22 grams

As you can see, many of what has been listed here have more sugar than coke or close to it !!!! Are you surprised?  If you are not, then you are way ahead of the game!!  

IF the first ingredient listed in a juice is apple or some other kind of fruit, more than likely there is going to be a high sugar content.  If there are two or more fruits listed first, it's going to be even higher.  If your juice is a combination of apples, carrot and beets, all of which have a very high sugar content, or they are the first ingredients listed, then you are in for a spike in your blood sugar up and putting a burden on your body.  The best way to pick what you drink is by looking at the ingredients first and then nutrient label to see the grams of 

sugar. 

I was curious to see how much sugar I actually consume, so I wrote down what I ate and drank for two days and took an average.  Although, I do eat pretty well, I am far from perfect but when it comes to sugar I do tend to eat less than the average bear.   I averaged about 120 grams for the two days.

 I’d like to throw a friendly challenge out to you!!  Keep track of how many grams of sugar you consume, from everything that you eat and drink, over an average of two days, just to be aware.   And then I'm going to challenge you to consume just 100-125 grams per day for 7 days.  You may be surprised how many hidden places you find sugar, even though it is 'naturally' occurring.  To help you with this, www.myfitnesspal.com or the app is a  great  resource to use to plug in what you eat. It has an extensive data base of popular foods including fast foods to make it easy to calculate your sugar consumption.  I am hoping that some of you will post and share your experience here.

Happy counting....

Little more on juicing.....

Juicing/making blended drinks are a great way to get your greens if you find that you have a difficult time getting enough throughout your day and they are a great way to detox.If you make your own juices, I recommend blending them as opposed to juicing them in order to get the whole fruit and vegetable which includes the fiber which will slow down the absorption of the fructose or sugar.  Using mainly greens with just one piece of fruit per 8 oz serving, would be a great way to make a tasty nutritious drink without a whole lot of sugar.  If that is too hard to swallow at first, then add more fruit to start and then slowly lessen the amount as your taste buds become acclimated.  Please, Please use only organic greens, and fruit with thin skin, especially apples, pears, berries, etc.  Even fruit with thicker skins absorb pesticides through the soil and water so it is best to use all organic when you can.  Be sure to see my post of my Living Green Drink that I like to make (but haven't in awhile and need to!).

Your Fork is a Powerful Tool

Perhaps The Most Powerful Tool You Have…

The most powerful tool you have to transform your health or to keep your health is your fork! Use it well and you will thrive. Use it poorly and you will more than likely suffer.  In my practice, I find that the less a person uses their fork, the more likely they are consuming foods that are high in bad fats, sugar, high fructose corn syrup, additives and preservatives, all of which are found in abundance in fast foods, chips, sodas, baked goods, and prepared and processed foods.  What your fork needs to find are foods that are “whole” and real and living.

Whole, Living foods not only taste better, they make us feel better and are part of preventing disease. When we give our body Living, real food, it has the raw materials that it needs to heal and protect itself.  Mounds of scientific evidence points to the power of food as medicine. These “medicinal” foods are simple and are what our bodies need to make us sparkle and feel alive!  

 We can treat and prevent most chronic illnesses with a whole, organic, real, unprocessed diet of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, avocados, olive oil, coconut oil, small omega-3 containing fish like sardines and herring, and lean grass fed animal protein. These are basically,foods that our ancestors gathered and hunted.  We have not evolved much over the past years and our bodies basically need the same nutrient rich food for fuel and optimal health. Whole, real, living foods are our first line of defense against disease, including autoimmune disease, cancers, depression, ADD, heart disease, diabetes and the myriad of other chronic diseases that we suffer from because we do not feed our bodies what they need.

So, how can you easily tell if a food is a Living food?  It's actually very simple.  It will spoil or change at room temperature in 7-10 days. (the exception is a dehydrated food) The fact that the food is changing means that it is still living and full of enzymes that our body needs to operate at a peak level.  An example of this: Tortillas and breads should become moldy in about 7 days at room temperature.  If they don't, they are no longer a living food but have been made inert with added preservatives, chemicals and/or heat.  Dead foods do not help to keep our bodies energized and disease free and they "dumb" us down.

Foods to Avoid Forever:There are certain foods that should be avoided forever.  They are not meant for human consumption.  These are Frankenfoods that have been created by food scientists that benefit the food industry's pocket book, not you!  They can be found in abundance in your friendly big grocery store chains, and in the myriad of fast food establishments.

Go into your kitchen: Look through your cabinets and throw away anything that contains ingredients on the list below. And when you go to the grocery store, make sure to read the ingredient labels of all foods you purchase to avoid reintroducing these substances into your home and diet.

1. High-fructose corn syrup (and corn syrup) This is a manufactured byproduct of corn (which 90% of is genetically modified in the US) and is a marker of poor-quality food, and has more harmful effects on your health than regular sugar. This sweetener is metabolized differently than sugar, through the liver and can actually cause a fatty liver and liver damage, in much the same way that alcohol can.  Take a look at your Wheat Thins, Breakfast bars, cereals, ketchup, BBQ sauce, even your peppers in a jar to see if this sweetener has been added.
2. Trans Fats.(aka as hydrogenated or partially-hydrogenated oil)  Do not be fooled by packaging that states there are zero trans fats or the nutrition label that says zero trans fats.  You must read the ingredient label to see if there is hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils in the product.  These fats are used to extend the shelf life and add creaminess and texture of baked goods, peanut butters, etc but these fats have been proven to cause heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. New York City has banned trans fats, and I hope you will too.  (Read your Skippy and Jiff peanut butter ingredients.  Take a look at your Mission Flour Tortillas.)
3. Food additives, preservatives, and artificial sweeteners:  The average person consumes pounds of these compounds every year. Aside from being harmful themselves, they bring with them many other poor quality ingredients. Stay away from the following:
4. Artificial Sweeteners:Aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal), saccharin (Sweet n’Low), sucralose (Splenda), acesulfame-K (Sunette, Sweet-n-Safe, Sweet One) What can you do instead?  How about using a little bit of Stevia which is a natural herb or even a little bit of Inulin which is a mildly sweet powder that the beneficial bacteria in your gut gets nourishment from and grows.  A couple of other sweetening ideas include, sucanat, and raw local honey.

• Any food additives:Potassium bromate, propyl gallate, sodium nitrite, sodium nitrate, monosodium glutamate, maltodextrin (you will be surprised at how many products have this little sweetener and interestingly enough, it is not counted as a sugar).

I always encourage eating as much organic and grass fed as your budget can bear, but even if you do nothing else, simply by eliminating foods with any of the above ingredients in them, you will go a long ways toward improving your health and the health of your loved ones, as well.

It really is simple.  Just start eating whole real, fresh, organic (when you can), unprocessed food and watch how you look and feel so incredibly much better!

Our tastebuds can change

As I was throwing together a spinach salad the other night, I picked out a leaf and popped it in my mouth and could not believe how sweet it tasted.  And I thought to myself, I wish everyone else could taste what I am tasting.  I know, I'm strange but that is what happens when we side step processed foods which are full of sugar and salt and start eating real food.  Our taste buds change and all of a sudden we are able to taste the slight sweetness of a piece of lettuce. Now, don't get me wrong, I am no angel nor a purist but compared to the average American, I probably eat about 75% less sugar and salt than most Americans. 

Our taste buds have been hijacked by the big food conglomerates such as Coca Cola, General Mills and we need to get our taste buds back.  So,  I would like to invite you to do a fun little experiment. and track how many grams of sugar you consume over a two-three day period. This could be a really fun thing for your kids to be a part of as well. To track the amount of sugar in all of your foods including fruits and veggies, you will have to use the internet for the items without labels.  My favorite source is myfitnesspal.com or there are many others to choose from and have apps available for the iphone. 

1. Here it the drill, track your sugar intake for at least 1 day but preferably 2-3 days to get an average. 
  
2. Next, look at your main sources of sugar intake and see how you can cut your intake of sugar to 100 grams per day without using any sugar alcohols (xylitol, erythritol, sobitol) or sugar substitutes other than stevia.  That means no splenda (aka sucrulose), aspartame, or truvia (it has erythritol, a sugar alcohol in it).  If the label says no or low sugar and it tastes good, more than likely the item has one of these artificial sweeteners or sugar alcohol in it.  You have to read the ingredient label.  

3. After you have determined how many grams of sugar you consume, then try eating only 100 grams per day for seven days and notice how you feel and how your food tastes.  This is a great way to get awareness and of getting back to the basics and eating more like our ancestors ate.  

Have some fun with this!!!

Why cooking can save your life... (this is an excerpt taken from a post on Dr. Mark Hyman's blog)The cure for what ails us, both in our bodies and in our nation can be found in the kitchen. It is a place to rebuild community and connection,  strengthen bonds with family and friends, teach life-giving skills to our children, enrich and nourish our bodies and our souls. Yet, in the twenty first century, our kitchens and our taste buds have been hijacked by the food industry. In the 1900's only 2% of meals were eaten outside of the home, today that number is over 50%.

The "food Like" substances, full of fat, salt and sugar offered by the industrial food system tricks our taste buds into momentary pleasure. But our biology rejects the junk forced on our genes and on our hormonal and biochemical pathways and the results is the disaster that we have in America today. 70% of us are overweight and in less that a decade the rate of pre-diabetic or diabetic teenagers has quadrupled. Increasing from 9% to 23%. 
  
 My editorial...Another way to look at it is that almost 1/4 of our teenagers have blood sugar issues. That's a very scary thought and sad as well. The cost to the health care system will be staggering unless this is turned around and turned around soon and more importantly, the quality of life for these young people as they become adults will be severely compromised.

I hope you will consider cooking at least 5 meals a week at home and involve your kids, young and old as well. It brings benefit on so many levels.  Bon Apetite!