P.S. to Tonight's Blog When you go DESSERT, MAKE IT WORTH IT!

This is a P.S. to tonight's blog post. When you eat a REAL goodie, and we all have birthdays, holidays, or just a time when we want to be decadent, remember this! Don't buy it at a bakery that looks superb but uses only that 100 times concentrated ole WHITE sugar and WHITE absolutely dead flour. PAY THE PRICE, for something from Whole Foods, in my area, Puget Consumer Co Op (8 in our area) or a bakery that makes an effort to use things like Evaporated Cane Juice, something healthy about the flour, etc. because then you will continue to NOT SETTLE FOR COMPLETE JUNK FOOD. The bakery at Whole Foods shown here is so GOURMET DELISH, and yes it tastes like the REAL DEAL, but you and they are compromising and making it somewhat healthier. You feel you are still STRIVING to keep some degree of nutrition in it, and that makes you CHOOSE MORE WISELY OVERALL. I will be showing my CUPCAKES from scratch with recipe NEXT WEEK! And talking about CAKE POPS! So don't be an everyday sweetaholic, but when you do have a treat, make it FABULOUS, and just TWEEK IT! I can't wait to share with you, and I've probably food triggered you galore with this photo...but if you EVER need a CAKE of the YEAR, WHOLE FOODS BAKERY is the BEST! Enjoy. And remember, if you have it, ENJOY it, EVERY LAST BITE. Then next day, have a good nutritious, maybe soup day, etc. Hugs and you CAN have it ALL! ;-)

Tonight I just wanted to review again the importance in maintaining energy, health and weight by eating BREAKFAST, and items made with healthy ingredients. Have you realized by now, that really you are not starting a whole new DIET (we don't use the "D" word...smile) but you are just SUBSTITUTING white/processed/dead ingredients for natural, more whole ones?!!!! Take for instance my breakfast muffin on the left, which I have when in a hurry in the morning. It is made with my secret blend of non-gluten "pastry" flours that will look NO different and taste even better than your WHITE, unbleached (still poor) wheat flour! It has great fiber, and yet is MOIST as all get out, due to the zucchini and a finely shredded carrot, and I use a good oil, sweeten with a little maple syrup or Evapoated Cane Juice and have walnuts inside and on top for protein. This muffin would make the ALL-STAR list at any household. And you could tweek it. Or buy it if you don't want to bake. I'll supply you with brands. I have a quick 1/2 size smoothie w/it, and I'm good to go and feel like I've BENT THE RULES it is all so DELISH!!! My thumbprint cookie is so YUMMY, and YES, it is high fiber, low in refined sugar, but sweet enough to be a YUM treat. NEVER use deprivation. THE WORLD IS YOURS with delicious food. If you haven't discovered how tremendously wonderful it is in  learning the tricks of the trade in just programming to new ingredients, well, you have a lot to look forward to! The jam is fruit juice sweetened and so "normal" tasting, if I served you EITHER of these, I bet you would think, NOT HEALTHY...LOL...TOO TASTY! I can teach you it's OK to have snacks, treats, of all types. But they TREATS. Not eaten constantly.  And not from refined, white concentrated spikey sugar and white dead flour. It seems so easy to me, after 30 years, I sometimes forget you are learning step by step, so remind me. ASK QUESTIONS.

So in summary, EAT BREAKFAST. Skipping breakfast may seem like a good idea if you’re trying to lose weight — but the body goes into "hibernation" mode and will LOWER YOUR METABOLISM.  By skipping breakfast, you aren’t fueling your body when it needs it most, and I'll repeat again, you are  forcing your system into starvation mode. For every breakfast skipped, your body takes and begins FAT STORAGE! When your body thinks it’s starving, every calorie taken in becomes crucial to survival. 


Enjoy the holidays by just making a few changes. Read labels. Use some more unrefined items in your baking and cooking. Or buy at a co op or Trader Joes or Whole Foods and feel good that the treat you are allowing yourself, is WHOLESOME. G'nite, and PLEASE ask questions if you need specifics on products to use in the substitution basis. YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT, so why not have it be DELICIOUS! 

BREAKFAST: Most Important Meal of the Day! MAKE IT EASY!!!

Now I know you have all been told many times that BREAKFAST is the most IMPORTANT meal of the day, and yet is often the most rushed, skimpiest one, especially compared to dinner! 


You often are rushing to get out the door to work, to get kids to school on time, and perhaps you end up on empty by lunch, and frankly, you may never catch up! BREAKFAST is what you or your children are using as fuel clear into the afternoon. And IF you are starting it with refined sugary cereals, the norm of the SAD (standard American diet) you or the kids end up w/low blood sugar, may become so unfocused due to the drop, and some even become irritable. So begin to have a paradigm shift in your thinking, and remember BREAKFAST, broken into two words, means Break Fast. You've been a whole night without eating, and need to 1) start your metabolism going, which has slowed down and 2) fuel nutritiously for the next 4-5 hours, with a SUSTAINABLE meal. 


So we often get duped into thinking "enriched," whole grains added cereals by the big companies like General Mills/Kelloggs are really COMPLEX CARBOHYDRATES! You'd have to show me one that is. I haven't found ONE  that is yet...smile.  So if you're going to use a boxed cereal with Rice milk/Almond milk/Coconut milk (twice as much calcium as regular milk w/out the hormones, antibiotics and mucous building factor...yes, YIPEEEE) then try some true complex carb cereals that MAKE THE GRADE...from Whole Foods, PCC, Trader Joes, Health food store or section of your grocery store. They have EQUIVALENTS to ANY cereal you or your kids eat. They just will have more unrefined grains and sugars, and not all the fake COLORS! Oh, we could do a WHOLE segment just on what red dyes, etc. do AKA years of studying Dr. Feingold and watching my own son when he was eating artificially dyed foods. Also, the Quaker type pre fab oatmeals in packets are often refined and sugary. TRY buying OAT BRAN, add your good milks and a smidge of maple syrup, even peaches, etc. for a fun breakfast, and it's FAST! Also, yogurt with some healthy granola with walnuts mixed in is an alternative as well as a whey or brown rice protein shake with frozen fresh berries. And the gluten free waffles found in many stores are great with almond butter spread on them while warm over the butter or Spelt toast with Almond Butter and a smidge of honey. And I like Barbara's PUFFINS cereal. YUM!


But we know the best would be a breakfast with wholesome scrambled eggs, maybe some sliced round potatoes, onions w/spices, but who has time to cook that in the morning. YOU DO! See the picture of Trader Joe's NEW addition of the most wonderful 2 1/2 minute Breakfast. (Breakfast Scramble!)  I LOVE it! It is reasonable, tasty, (DO NOT OVER MICROWAVE) and will be a welcome addition to a STURDY breakfast other than your complex carb breakfast days. 
If you use breakfast meats with this type breakfast, please consider them nitrate free, free range, and things like turkey sausages which taste great if you get the right brand, such as SHELTONS. I make a quick omelette for Lloyd, with a little mozzarella cheese and veggies prepped from the night before, with some chopped organic turkey sliced lunch meat.

So TRY the new TRADER'S Breakfast item if you have a store near you, and give some consideration that Breakfast starts your day right and keeps you going. I will soon give you a picture collage of the most popular regular cereals with their healthier counterparts side by side. ENJOY the week, and remember, what you feed yourself is important, but what you feed your children will determine their day! So work a few healthy alternatives in.  And will some of you comment on your quick but healthy breakfasts you enjoy. Me, I eat soup often for breakfast, but then I AM a health food NUT!!! LOL Thanks again for re-thinking.....YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT...but don't forget, we aim for ALOT of the GOOD, a LITTLE of the BAD.


P. S.   Try to think of a PYRAMID, with the wide base being BREAKFAST and the middle lunch and the top SMALL triangle, DINNER! Most Americans eat totally the opposite. Why make supper your main meal, to just watch television and go to bed w/in hours of eating. Doesn't it make sense to have a good complex carbohydrate or protein meal in the morning, and have it fuel you for hours when you most need a meal's benefits??? CHEERS and G'nite...and HAPPY BREAKFASTING! ;-)

I want the STRESS HORMONE, CORTISOL to go DOWN DOWN DOWN!

LINK BETWEEN CORTISOL, (STRESS HORMONE,) FAT AND ILLNESS~

Today's SAD (Standard American Diet) of high fat, processed and sugar filled foods is indeed contributing to the epidemic of mild to more extensive obesity. But researchers have also found that the causes of being overweight are not simply the result of overeating or lack of exercise. Excessive and prolonged STRESS can cause the body to produce too much CORTISOL.  This can play a large role in craving "comfort" foods, in overeating, in feeling up and down in energy levels and mood swings, and in storing of excess fat in very specific areas.

Cortisol is frequently referred to as the "stress hormone" because it's also secreted in higher levels during the body's fight or flight response to stress. Unfortunately, we burn the candle at both ends, and often "grab" poor food choices and many use caffeine in the form of coffee, candies (chocolate) and POP and energy drinks and the adrenals become exhausted from continued stress and lack of proper sleep!  Overuse of caffeine is one of the largest reasons Cortisol is on the rampage in our bodies today, and here are some of the tip offs that you may be having Cortisol, the stress hormone, depleting you in a way that could lead to:
Fatigue: You have an up, and then a down, and a true feeling of sheer tiredness and exhaustion.
Impaired Immune System:  Constant high Cortisol levels shrinks the Thymus gland and results in any illness you are DNA predisposed to. It especially encourages auto immune disorders!
Insulin Resistance, High Cortisol levels interfere with the ability of insulin to manage the glucose in the body, to metabolize it, and therefore, the result is weight begins to creep on, abdomen first, on the back below the shoulder blades, and in the face! And of course it is a diabetic's NO NO!!!
Inhibits the growth of Healthy Flora in the colon! Therefore, you will be more likely to have more colds, allergies, headaches, and digestive problems. High quality probiotics will be needed to build the immune system back to a higher level.
Moodiness and Depression, are common with high Cortisol levels that are chronic. Your serotonin levels rise and fall with this hormone, and leave you emotionally unstable oft times.
Need I go on??? I would say, most of you reading this have some level of TOO HIGH CORTISOL LEVELS due to juggling, juggling, juggling, not eating enough whole live foods, and not getting enough quality, deep sleep!   So what simple things shall we do to reduce it????


FIRST:  Begin to LIMIT caffeine! If you need a cup or shot of coffee in the morning and at times during the day to "pick you up," you may be in a high cortisol range. But remember, if you are drinking pop, using energy drinks, and eating chocolate for that pick me up, it is to be moderated as well. 200 mg. of caffeine (one cup of joe) will elevate your Cortisol levels up  40% and that can last for 18 hours! Can you even imagine why adrenal exhaustion and the symptoms above are becoming more and more common?!!!


SECOND:  Sleep Sound and Deep~  And anyone who personally knows Ms. "HealthAngel" knows this is my waterloo that I work on over and over again~The hours between 9:00 and 11:00 are tied to the Circadian Rhythm cycle, and THAT is when MELATONIN is produced to create great REM sleep, deep sleep, repair sleep, and to reduce CORTISOL Stress levels. For every hour you sleep starting at midnight, just cut it in half, and ramp up your Cortisol levels 50%!  Oh, my, this is the one I totally know is true. When I follow the proper sleep guidelines, I operate like a TOTALLY different person and have much greater stamina  and health. Go ahead and feel free to NAG me on this one ;-)


THIRD:  Exercise regularly to build muscle mass and increase brain output of serotonin and dopamine, brain chemicals that reduce anxiety and depression and yes, CORTISOL levels! Do what ever works for you. It will be the gym for one, biking or hiking or walking for another, it just needs to be routine, consistent and hopefully utilize both cardio and weight resistance.  


FOURTH: Avoid/Moderate sugar in the diet and refined carbohydrates to keep from spiking your insulin production. Eat frequent small meals balanced in protein, complex carbohydrates and good fats like olive oil and coconut oil. Diets rich in complex carbohydrates keep cortisol levels lower than low or refined ones~ again, foods less processed, and more in their natural state are the ticket! And keep plenty of pure, clean water hydrating your system. I bolded this one on purpose. It is crucial to optimal health and weight and lowering the culprit, high CORTISOL LEVELS!


FIFTH: Meditate, practice yoga, have a quiet time where you read, whatever you do to take yourself, "out of the world," be it for a moment or an hour! Keep positive thoughts going into the subconscious mind, even in moments of challenge and strife. This is so important~


SIXTH: Consider supplements and herbs. I suggest an excellent multiple vitamin for a "cover the bases" approach as well as an emphasis on B Complex. And I like two products, Ashwagandha and Rhodiola. You can google these for further info and I suggest consulting your doctor if you wish on these. 


Lowering CORTISOL levels is crucial, longterm. You will not do all of the tips to bring it down, down, down, but why not start with the ones that you CAN do to bring you more energy, less illness, a happier disposition, and MORE OPTIMAL WEIGHT FOREVER!!! CHEERS! Thanks for all those who "wade through" and read my posts. Your comments and support have been so heartwarming. We all seek to be healthy, happy and in the "zone" of where we choose with our weight. Here's one area we can all begin to work on. Now, Linda, GET TO BED ON TIME~~~~ ;-)

Soda Pop: How to GET OFF All SODA POPS for WEIGHT and HEALTH reasons!

It has been reported that we Americans, if you counted cans consumed by a headcount, boils down to over 50 gallons of soda per person each year!!! We know that pop is "liquid sugar," for the most part, and that it  serves to spike our insulin levels and encourage our bodies to store energy as fat, contributing especially to BELLY FAT!! Many go to the "diet versions," which makes me cringe because of the many studies possibly linking the aspartame/nutrasweet or other artificial sweeteners to everything from birth defects, to neurological disorders, brain tumors, etc. etc. Why do you think the FDA puts a warning on all products with aspartame: DO NOT DRINK IF YOU ARE PREGNANT? Remember it took millions of people connecting the dots to cancer and saccharin before it was removed after years and years on the market. Do you really want to trust that aspartame or nutrasweet are safe in the long haul???  And did you know, that when you drink diet sodas, the brain finds nothing recognizable nutritionally to make healthy cells, and since it wants to get fed, it triggers cravings for more food. You will often overeat the wrong kind of foods, from this cycle!  Many studies show that people who drink "diet pop," get addicted to the taste, drink it regularly, and ironically because of the craving cycle, gain MORE weight than regular, sugar laden pops. Oh my!


Now for some SURPRISING information on DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DRINKING CAFFEINE FREE POP????? Let's look at the REAL truth! And then we'll talk about how to get off of the soda pop cycle, and alternatives to do so!


Okay, so most enlightened consumers already know that colas contain a fair amount of caffeine. It turns out to be 35 to 38 milligrams per 12-ounce can, or roughly 28 percent of the amount found in an 8-ounce cup of coffee. But few know that diet colas -- usually chosen by those who are trying to dodge calories and/or sugar -- often pack a lot more caffeine.

A 12-ounce can of Diet Coke, for example, has about 42 milligrams of caffeine -- seven more than the same amount of Coke Classic. A can of Pepsi One has about 56 milligrams of caffeine -- 18 milligrams more than both regular Pepsi and Diet Pepsi.  A recent study by John Hopkins, showed that over 90 % of pop consumers do not know the real caffeine count of their soft drinks. ALL cola drinks natural have caffeine in them because of the Kola Nut, even w/out caffeine added! 


So we may know we don't want to have Soda Pop add weight, to be nutritionally empty, to weaken our bones, to cause constant DEHYDRATION, or  to ingest artificial sweeteners with unknown negative properties! And perhaps caffeine  is off our "want" list!  But how do we slowly get off the soda pop habit without withdrawals???


Well, for every 12 ounce can of pop you drink, because it brings your body into an ACIDIC state of about 1.5 (BAD, you want to stay ALKALINE or at about 7.5)  to help negate the effects of the soda, many studies say it would take 32 glasses of alkaline water to bring you back to alkalinity. Let's keep it simple: Acidic= where disease happens! Alkaline= where it doesn't!  Why not try alternating and programming off with some of the new tasty healthier soda pops? (See picture above of Zevia, sweetened with a stevia natural sweetener with no carbs! Comes in ALL flavors) Also, Hansens has a great Soda Pop out, there is one called Chill, low in carbs and sweetened with natural sweeteners. If it is the carbonation you like, we take a favorite juice, Lloyd's is Pomegranate Lime-ade, and he adds selzer, plain carbonated water, on ice. There are so many combinations that are healthier while you program away. If nothing else, CUT BACK, and see the difference in health and weight! 


If you are an ardent soda pop drinker, it is going to be your choice to scale back for health and optimal weight. Pop, like sweets, was originally intended for a treat, once in awhile, and then became an everyday part of the American diet! I do not drink pop, and at first missed it, but have not had any for 15 years, and frankly do not miss it at all. But it took adjusting and working it out of my choices of beverages!  I feel POP is on my TOP TEN list of items to take out of your diet forever, if you so choose and can gradually wean off!  Think of it, if you didn't do soda, you could have so many fun "legal" delicious treats instead of the pop, regular or "diet." CHEERS, and remember, you are learning. It may be small steps you are making, but education is the catalyst to those steps. Thanks again for all your comments, feedback, and support. :-)
   

FOOD TRIGGERS: Plan AHEAD and Beat the HOLIDAY De-Rail and Getting you OFF TRACK!

Aha, you say, Linda posting THIS on her blog? Don't TORTURE us! Smile! Well, I have just initiated what for many of you, will be a FOOD TRIGGER! A Food Trigger is anything that sets off a craving for you to want to eat something, either from looks, smell, past memory of a feeling it gave you, or what I call, The HOLIDAY food trigger extravaganza!  

My goal is that you will learn that food triggers can be an awareness factor that help you be in charge of your eating during the holidays, so you DON'T have to make a New Year's Resolution because your pants are too tight, or you just don't feel good from ingesting too many celebration foods for months and months. (From October through New Years)

There is nothing wrong with having your fun  holiday get togethers with special treats, and enjoying some extra treats. But often, because of the addictive nature of sugar, once a person begins with Halloween goodies, they continue through New Years, over indulging, and many have a hard time getting back on their "healthy lifestyle quest!"  As you may have guessed, my goal is not to just get you to an optimal Weight, but to make choices to prevent disease, promote wellness, longevity, and to reverse one's aging process!

So be aware of food triggers all year long, but especially as the holidays emerge. It is SO difficult for those near their goal weight, just to lose 5 pounds gained over the Holidays.  So here are some tips to begin NOW to not fall in the trap, of the Holiday binging and setting off an unbalanced course of overeating. If you are like many, once you fall off the wagon, you say subconsciously, I've already "blown it," so let's just keep going. And this is faulty thinking, as success is not about the scale, it is about continuing to create a healthy lifestyle with food, exercising and mindset, even if we have to have setbacks to show us how to avoid FOOD TRIGGERS!


Begin to think:  What are MY own specific Food Triggers!  If it is having the food around you, put it in non see through containers, or just don't choose your favorite candies to give for Halloween, it will be less tempting. If smells create food triggers, from fresh breads to cookies, then perhaps you could bake when you are full, or not your all time favorites, or bake at someone else's home. You CAN bake you if you enjoy that.  I can make a deliciously similar chocolate cake, I would just use a wonderful non-gluten pastry flour, a high cacao count dark chocolate, the right kind of oil, and I'd sweeten with an unrefined sugar. The frosting, I have a special one, that is a mousse type. Yes, it is sugars, but anything unrefined is better than processed, refined and that uses ingredients like a  Ferrari on the Glycemic Index! Do remember,  if you overload on refined, white flour/white sugar products, (sugar is so addictive)  it may TRIGGER you into more goodies, but if you eat a full meal, and plan for a goody of healthier ingredients,  then you choose your destiny, rather than food and FOOD TRIGGERS choosing it for you.

Programming away from liking white refined sugar is the key to kicking the habit of letting it food trigger you continually. Remember, you can have a healthy Thanksgiving dinner. Just think about substitutions for some of the recipes you use, and overeat on the "legal," and graze before the real meal. If you are not eating small meals/snacks often, then you may really be food triggered into overeating! Eating slowly, also make you feel more full. So slow down your eating. Are you baggying your treats that are healthier, but still CARBS?!!  This saves me SO many times. And don't forget to adorn your holiday tables with veggie trays and fresh fruits! We always have pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving, but it is made w/just some "tweeks"  to make it actually a delicious but nutritious!  A trick, I often will do is to eat the inside of the pie and leave the wheat,white flour crust, and call it good! If you have questions on substitutions, ask me specifically in the comment section. I welcome that!

To be honest, the year I reprogrammed into my healthier way of eating, I did several things to help me reprogram. And, BTW, if you left an entire sack of different Halloween candy at my house, it would go stale. I used to love it, I don't now. I like HIGH END, top quality ingredient, NO refined sugar goodies when I am going to indulge. But remember, it takes TIME and TRIAL and ERROR to program to wholesome, whole, unrefined foods. Choose to do it slowly, or cold turkey. The choice is yours. I NEVER have more than ONE of even these more QUALITY made treats in the house at one time. I know my limitations. OR I baggy and freeze them. I eat before I go shopping, or to a party, and even take my own treat packed away, so I can eat my special yummy treat that is healthier, while still being a great guest! ONCE YOU PROGRAM OFF REFINED SUGAR, you have it made in the shade. Your taste buds change. You taste chemicals, refined sugars, and for awhile you still have a fantasy about it, but then it is replaced by the REAL DEAL, 5 star restaurant goodies that satisfy, and you will say, THAT IS TOO SWEET!  So perhaps this is the year, you will substitute ingredients, will always eat before treats, you will recognize your FOOD TRIGGERS and make PLANS to stop them in their tracks. And when you give in to them, NOT A PROBLEM! If you get back on your exercising, healthy eating the next day, you are a SUCCESS story. It is the mentality, I've fallen off, so it's TOO LATE! Not so! Life is a process, NOT an EVENT. If you stick to the process, the EVENT will happen. This is so true with programming to a healthier way of living. You don't eat an elephant in one bite! Awareness is the biggest catalyst to your success! I will be showing some food ideas, recipe switch a roonies, and giving you actual pictures! CHEERS! Let this holiday season be one enriched with family, friends and memories while you enjoy food, but don't let it be in control of your weight and wellness, because you recognize FOOD TRIGGERS, sight, smell, memories, mood, and being too hungry, can try and lure you into eating for the wrong reasons. If you PLAN for a treat, eat it and enjoy it. Once you understand the Power of FOOD TRIGGERS and take steps to handle them, it is such a good feeling. If you'd like to comment on what your particular food triggers are, please share, and I'll give you specific stategies. Let's begin our resolution for more optimal Health and Weight, NOW, 2011...Holidays and all. Thank you for being on the journey with me. It is so delightful as gradually, one's life changes, just because we realize that truly, WE ARE WHAT WE EAT. G'nite, and thanks for your support and stories! Hugs!

WHAT?? I can have these in FRIES/MASHED TATERS/STIR FRY/SOUPS and be more HEART HEALTHY????

Oh for goodness sake!   This was so yummy, I ate half of it in the kitchen to where I set it down for a quick photo snap! What is this YUMMY concoction that I eat like this, or as baked fries, or mashed like potatoes, and in soups and stir fry?  It's the wonderful HEART HEALTHY, SUPERFOOD.....(drum roll) YAM!!!!


I had some organic garnet YAMS baked, so just cubed it w/the skin on, sauteed it with some olive oil, butter, and some onions and chard and spices.  It is naturally sweet, and makes terrific fries, we mash it with butter and ricotta cheese and one of our milk alternatives,  and eat it often. Why do I call a YAM one of the TOP 10 SUPERFOODS that we eat?!!! Several reasons. And if you say, oh, I won't like it, just try it, you get to fall in love with the taste.  I will take mashed yams or fries over potato ones any day, and I used to think they'd be distasteful!  They are now a staple in our meals!

So let me ask you??? Do you think  Arteriosclerosis, hardening or plaque formation in the arteries is just something to be worried about in the 40's, 50's or 60's??? Do you think if your cholesterol comes back in normal range after a check up, whether normally or from statin drugs, that you are in good shape to not have blood clots or a heart attack?  Have you known anyone personally who had a heart attack or blood clots in their 30's?  Well, I've known, way too close to home, that we ALL should be concerned about America's TOP KILLER, RIGHT NOW, at ANY AGE!  My brother died at 42, and they used a saw of sorts to saw through his 95% cement like closed arteries!!!  Unless you have had specific tests to show the actual blood flow and condition of your artery openings, you are kidding yourself, in my opinion if you don't pay attention to something MORE than your cholesterol count.   Be aware, that way back in the Viet Nam war, in autopsies, hardening/plaquing of the arteries showed up in a majority of the young men in their TWENTIES!  


So why should we pay attention to really knowing if we are having tendencies for heart issues, (even if we exercise,) other than the usual check ups and cholesterol numbers?  When my brother died, his cholesterol was 202~ So what could  he have possibly looked at to see how his arteries were functioning and if he had something in his blood that said RED ALERT!!!
And first of all, besides genetics, which can be minimized by our lifestyle, (not speaking about congenital defects) what causes this closing of the arteries? It's pretty simple! It's affected by the food that goes through our mouths!  The wrong type fats, meat as the main part of most every meal, processed foods with sugar and hydrogenated oils, and FREE RADICAL damage.
Now Free Radical damage is discussed in another blog post. But when you hear Free Radical, think BAD GUYS. When you think ANTIOXIDANTS, think GOOD GUYS! (the Pacman who  gobbles up the free radicals!!!) A simplistic discussion, I realize, but pretty accurate. And it is NOT just what we eat WRONG, but equally as important, the sin of omission or what we DON'T EAT that compounds the problem.


So what do I consider important when the doctor gives me a good exam since I have SO much heart history issues in my family?  I want to know my HDL (good cholesterol) to LDL (bad cholesterol) ratio as that tells a much more COMPLETE story, and I want to take steps to not have high HOMOCYSTEINE levels!!!!  We'll talk just a smidge on Homocysteine, as you can google it if you need more background.


Homocysteine is a common amino acid (one of the building blocks that make up proteins) found in the blood and is acquired mostly from eating meat. High levels of homocysteine are related to the early development of heart and blood vessel disease. High homocysteine is associated with low levels of vitamin B6!  There appears to be a link between high Homocysteine levels and damage to the arteries, causing  Arteriosclerosis,  (hardening of the arteries), and the formation of blood clots.  Hmmmmmm, and guess what! Taking vitamin B6 pills  is fruitless in lowering Homocysteine levels. It has to come from the real deal, Mother Nature! 


So why do I list the yummy, versatile, not fattening like white potatoes, YAM as a food to incorporate into your diet regularly? Because it is high in FIBER to guard against hardening of the arteries, and it fills you UP, not OUT, and it is  a Nature made food, full of Vitamin B6 that just goes Head to Head with lowering Homocysteine levels. It is also a good source of potassium, and some feel it has properties to keep hormones more balanced due to it's nice B6 levels. But for me, I eat it because it is a HEALTHY carb, and we all like carbs, and because of it's benefits to HEART HEALTH!  Bake over boiling!  Store out of the refrigerator, and not in plastic bags. Try it in small chunks in crock pot soups, if you mash, use some coconut or rice milk and spices and perhaps some ricotta cheese before you whip it smooth. And I bake them, cut them in strips, drizzle with butter (the kind I told you to make healthy by mixing butter with olive or expeller cold pressed canola oil) and bake with some sea salt. We LOVE YAM fries! 


So if you knew your young children or teens were already getting plaque in their arteries, and that by age 20's or 30's, it could be so hardened that they are at risk from that point on, wouldn't it be grand to make a few changes to alter that course?!!  By making meat the condiment, not the main attraction, and less RED meat, for certain. To lessen white sugar/processed foods which raises cholesterol and creates more free radicals. To eat more WHOLE, LIVE foods, to add fiber, to move the bad fats, etc. out before they do their damage, and to supply antioxidants to STOP FREE RADICAL damage.  It's a step by step process, but awareness is the Beginning. Think about your health now. Don't wait until a wake up call that could be a major event!  I shall never forget my brothers and father who died from heart attacks. All so young. All who just ate the SAD, Standard American Diet not knowing how risky it might be to their LIFE, their HEALTH, their LONGEVITY.  I dedicate my book/blog and my teaching to you, to them.  CHEERS, and remember, Cholesterol readings can be misleading. Adding in WHOLE LIVE foods, well, it likely saved my life! Whether you do any of it, or all of it, I just believe it will make a difference. And isn't your Health taken for granted, until it is taken away?!!!! G'nite all. YAM, think of it when you are going for Russet potatoes, and say, hmmmmmmmm, maybe I'll try it. :-)

CURVY girls/THIN girls....Why LOOK at the BODY INSIDE as much as OUTSIDE????

This week, a photo of a nude, but carefully posed picture of Plus Sized Tara Lynn, a model featured in Elle magazine, appeared on FaceBook. It included a story of whether one wanted to be a whale or a mermaid. The whale was portrayed as nurturing, loved and surrounded by friends and family, and being more concerned with living large, than worrying about her larger size. The other choice was really not considered realistic, as mermaids cannot have babies, be moms, be social and nurturing and wisely live life to the fullest, since they are who they are, a fantasy with limitations.  And so the controversy sparked  lively discussions. And lots of thumbs ups!

I found the discussion of interest, since I am fully aware of both sides of the coin! I know that most people think I have magically always been thin and trim and can eat whatever I want. Well, surprising to many, because we all carry our weight differently due to our bone structure, height, etc. I tipped the scales at 50 pounds heavier some three decades ago. I tell you that, because I am very aware of the media fueled, unrealistic portrayal of beauty and fitness and the continuing use of too thin women as "examples" of what fit and beautiful are supposed to look like!

My title of weight coach Linda should really be Health Coach Linda, because my goal is only to get your weight in line where you are HAPPY and HEALTHY. I know a person can count calories on the new sites that do it not considering QUALITY of the calories and you can become a toothpick if you wanted. That's FOOLISH, in my opinion. And yes, as Oprah taught, shame on the media to promote super thin as the standard for beauty! It's just plain wrong and creates non self acceptance for many.  Having said that, NOT paying attention to MORE live, whole, non processed or refined food for your HEALTH, is like waiting for a ticking time bomb to implode! Don't dwell on the weight. Dwell on your health! You can still have goodies, you can have family food favorites, you can have most anything! But why not try to substitute, even on a small scale at first, some of the refined, processed, dead foods that beget ill health and for some, possibly even death.  The results CAN and ARE amazing. To be truthful, I'd rather have you be a size 16 because you ate too large a portion of healthy, wonderfully empowering food, than for you to be a size four who overexercises, counts calories and eats empty, dead, processed, refined foods! The story with the picture might have been better to have used the analogy, do you want to be a dolphin, or a mermaid? Using the excuse that we have to overeat, be overweight in an unhealthy way, to enjoy Life, Food, Family....it's not wise nor realistic in my opinion!  And yes, obesity, as most know, can often contribute to diseases from heart disease to cancer to diabetes. To best gauge your acceptable weight for optimal health, consider finding out your BMI or Body Mass Index by going to:  http://caloriecount.about.com/cc/bmi.php  This gives you an idea of your fat content in your body. But even it is arbitrary. Do allow if you are large boned, are above 5'6 or taller, and if you carry your weight more in your legs and arms than breasts, abdomen, or hips. Now let's quickly talk about why eating refined flours/sugars and NOT eating complex fibers like brown rice, veggies in the raw, some fruits like apples, pears, berries, etc. can create a fat that can be deadly.

Here's a picture to show you what happens sometimes when you eat ice cream as a regular treat, drink pop for a beverage, eat too many white flour or white sugar carbs.  Fat under the skin, is subcutaneous fat, and while it can increase weight and affect how your clothes fit, it is not as dangerous as VISCERAL fat! This fat accumulates if there is substantial intake over time of highly refined foods from Mac N Cheese to ice cream, cookies, pop, fast food and well, you know it, chips and lattes, and need I go on. VISCERAL fat the BAD fat. It encourages high production of triglycerides and the bad cholesterol, LDL, as well as may be a top breeding ground for cancers since it can extend in women to the breasts, and female pelvis area. So having too much fat, of the wrong kind, is not about VANITY, it's about preventing and living without disease. And don't be lulled into thinking if you are younger, you have no worries. Many folks are getting sick in their 30's, dying of sudden heart problems and breast cancer is striking women earlier and earlier on.  So this is not about, is the Plus Sized model beautiful??  She is!  It is about OPENING YOUR MIND, that you making a few small choices I recommend in this blog can make a huge difference in securing your health. And if you are toned from enough walking or exercise, and are beginning to substitute from the dead/naked/stripped stuff to food from Mother Nature at her best, then be happy with the best weight for you, IF YOU ARE INCORPORATING at least some of the suggestions in changing over to healthier eating. READ, EDUCATE, and you WILL NOT HAVE TO BE DEPRIVED! I plan on having my cookies/chocolate/a cupcake here and there/spaghetti/mashed potatoes, and on and on. BUT I change up the ingredients w/out taking the taste away. Give yourself time. Take baby steps. And for you folks counting calories and thinking ALL CALORIES are ALIKE, they are not. Again, 1800 calories of processed colored "wheat" bread, white rice, white noodles, milk chocolate, quick processed foods are NOT the same as complex carbs, like brown rice, unrefined sugars, dark chocolate and so on and so forth. LET ME EDUCATE YOU. Be the BEST you can be. And whatever you do, do not think you can eat junk food as your mainstay without paying a huge price whenever the body decides, enough is enough. CHEERS, and I hope you find LOVE, HEALTH, HAPPINESS, ACCEPTANCE of yourself, and above all, I will share everything I know for you to succeed in these things. Hugs and G'nite!

RUNNING/EXERCISING, a Little or Alot, Do You Replenish with Lloyd's FAVORITE??

As an Exercise Guru for decades, my husband has always taught his clients and makes sure he, himself Replenishes and Hydrates the body after Exercising! And before and during as well. And water, for the most part, is not enough! Here is a summary on the importance of why a product like RECHARGE by R.W. Knudsen may be of interest to you. Lloyd uses it daily! Consider it the "healthy" version of sugary/artificial Gatorade in his opinion.

Electrolytes are elements like sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium that are needed for the body to function properly. These elements help to regulate fluids, and they're essential for muscle and nerve function. When you exercise, you sweat out electrolytes--especially if you work out for longer than 30 minutes at a time.  Even with this amount of exercise, you can lose up to 2% of your fluid volume in your body! This can put stress on the heart, and w/electrolyte depletion, you can later find yourself with headaches, leg cramping up to 24 hours after, dehydration even though drinking water, and fatigue and tiredness!

We prefer Knudsen's Recharge and feel it is a perfect product for exercising. It is all natural, not colored and flavored with artificial "stuff" like it's perhaps overrated competitor. It is sweetened with a very moderate amount of white grape juice, there are no sugars added. It has the necessary electrolytes and minerals to replenish and bring your blood sugar up, without the DROP from the refined sugary  "other one." It is mild tasting, will not taste overly sweet and comes in orange, mixed berry, lemon, and grape, and just came out in a powdered one serving packet to be mixed in water!  We purchase our RECHARGE when it is on sale at a local chain grocery store here called Fred Meyer, and usually pay .99 a bottle and buy it by the case!  You need to watch for the sales, but it is well worth trying if you work out, run, or exercise at all!  We find it glycemically loads so much better over all other sports drinks used. If you open our kitchen cupboards, you will see Recharge in abundance ;-)

Now for some fun!  There is currently alot of research showing that for the serious, consistent exerciser, there is a drink packed with carbohydrates and protein, something that depleted muscles need to recover. It is suggested that a moderate serving of Chocolate milk (remember Michael Phelps doing this?) after you exercise may rebuild exhausted muscles .  Muscles that have been "ripped and torn," in rigorous exercise need to repair and rebuild into healthy muscle mass. And the combination of a good carb, I suggest DARK chocolate for the sweetener, and a drink with some protein and calcium may be a winner. But you KNOW, I am not going to suggest regular chocolate milk!  Too much refined sugar, and milk, as Mayo clinic says, is on the NO NO list for health. (Creates mucous, can be a liquid form of ingesting hormones and antibiotics and is often hard to digest) Soooooooo, do not fear! Be creative, and as always, looks for a substitute. In the above picture, this particular brand of chocolate soy milk is not genetically altered, so may be an option.  Even better,  if you use Rice Milk as we do, or Coconut milk or Almond milk, they are great alternatives, and come already in the chocolate mode, or I found the following chocolate you could add, available at Trader Joes.  Or you can find other hot cocoa mixes with a high cacao percentage and sweetened with something other than white sugar. Usually it will be evaporated cane juice, as in this one. Drink it hot or cold in your "alternative milks," OR put a small amount of your rice,  almond  or coconut milk in your cup or glass, add your teaspoons or tablespoon, your preference, of natural cocoa/chocolate  mix, stir and microwave, THEN add the rest of the cold liquid. If you try and mix this cocoa mix in cold milk first thing, it won't work or mix.  The method I use, works fine.

So consider these options when doing one of the most important parts of the GOOD HEALTH and OPTIMAL WEIGHT  "wheel." EXERCISE! 
Consider RECHARGE. Consider dark, antioxidant rich, chocolate in moderation in an alternative milk if you are needing to repair muscles, etc. Both will do much more than just using water, thinking that is enough when you are running/working out/swimming/or weight lifting! CHEERS. I am so happy to see SO many of you making consistent changes to improve your lives! Thanks for being MY inspiration! ;-)