The Paleo Diet! soooo easy, a Caveman can do it?  The REAL "skinny" on this rather extreme, latest fad diet that is sweeping the country! 

Well, it was bound to happen! Me commenting on the Paleo Diet that is sweeping the country claiming to be the answer to losing weight, being healthy, and living close to nature!  Hmmmm, so where do I begin?  I think I'd begin in saying,  I wouldn't follow it.  But everyone has to make their own choices.  And I hope to arm you with enough information that you can decide for yourself. The fact that it has the word "diet" in it, already makes me forewarned that it is a diet, and those tend to phase out over time!  So now, let's talk about the pros/cons!  But first, a snapshot of what this "Diet" is about.  Think of the food pyramid.  This back to the caveman type eating, promotes the largest, bottom of the triangle to be devoted to meats/eggs/fish, but LOTS of meat!  And while they "say" they promote "wild meats," like buffalo, deer, elk, etc. which I agree is less fat, grass fed, etc., in truth all of the blogs I see show recipes replete with hamburger, beef, bacon and sausages, you name it. Most every meal!  I have two problems with this. 1) Consuming large amounts of fatty meats has never been shown to be a modern day, healthy way of eating.  I do not promote you to be a vegan, although I am a mostly vegan, because you need PROTEIN, true. And most won't balance it as vegans. But the source of your protein needs to be varied and much of it NOT from meats/dairy/etc. WHY? Because MOST of today's meats are grown/bought/eaten from horrendous conditions. PLEASE watch Forks Over Knives (the documentary) to see I am correct!  The greatest health statistics have shown for ages, that groups like the Seventh Day Adventists, folks who live in the Hunza countries, where they eat mainly high end grains/roots/veggies and fish, have one of the longest and healthiest lifestyles! Folks may think they are screening their meats and dairy, but it is FILLED with hormones and antibiotics, nitrates, and who is really going to pay outrageous prices for grass fed, totally organic meats for every meal.  Meat will just become, "bought at the grocery store, meat.." and that makes me cringe!  Not that you can't eat meat. But when you do, have it be a deck of card size, definitely,hormone/antibiotic/nitrate free!  In Caveman days, the colon was soooo short, and they had incisors galore, (our teeth are flat for grinding) and so meat didn't sit in yards of a maze of a colon!  Where it sits now for up to 12 hours, inflaming and putrifying!  Creating digestion issues, cancer issues, inflammation issues. Nope, I just cannot swallow, after 38 years of studies, that large amounts of meat should be the base foundation for our diet! Yes, it contributes to weight loss when you eat no carbs, but c'mon now, is it healthy?  MEAT is one of the foods that makes you most acidic, NOT alkaline in ph...and you THRIVE in an alkaline ph.  Now for 2) Dairy is part of the meat equation...cheeses, drinking and cooking with milk, etc. etc. And dairy is a liquid, straight to the body source of hormones/antibiotics, etc. And it is the greatest of mucous creators, and clogger of the year, for the lymphatic system, sooooo vital for keeping the body detoxed! So we want to have our base diet be meats/probably farm raised salmon, dairy? NO NO, did I say NO!  Yes, she did...smile!

  

Now while I appreciate Paleo folks saying they are trying to eat whole/real food, I preach that, it does not override the two main parts of their "diet!" Heavy meat intake.  And NO grains! They do allow veggies/some fruits, and do as I said, promote them to be organic, whole, not packaged/canned, and I can appreciate that! And they do allow NUTS, one of the basics of my diet, if not oiled and salted, especially almonds/walnuts/pistachios/cashews and Chia seeds, etc.  And I will agree, wholeheartedly, that MAN, in his desire to make food fast, quick, and easy, refined it, concentrated sugars, made carbs a dirty little name!  And I see processed, wheat/gluten refined carbs as a HUGE problem in the SAD, standard American diet! But, I believe, that the right, complex, gluten free carbs are part of a balanced diet for us, serving as glycogen delivered properly, not in a sugar high, so the brain can function, energy is fueled, and grains like brown rice, quinoa, non-gluten flours can be filled with necessary vitamins and nutrients. AND once the refined sugars/processed white carbs are taken out of the system, the body can adjust and digest these enzyme intact whole/complex/ wheat free carbs, and allow us not to go into a state of deprivation, where we will NOT stick with a healthy eating plan for life! Oh, trust me! And while the Paleo diet tries very hard to make "baked goods, and goodies" out of their own devices, why not just use the real deal in moderation, and break the BAD carb addiction, and slowly learn to like the healthy carbs in moderation. Yes, we know we become addicted to refined sugar, white carbs, but I broke that 37 years ago, and still get to eat red velvet, non gluten cupcakes for a treat, have some pumpkin custard, a piece of cheesecake only once in awhile, and I'm surely not giving up my Kind wheat free granola, or legumes or beans in soup or Mexican food...lol...I want BALANCE and WHOLENESS in my eating, but NOPE, not deprivation. 

So, yep, the choice is yours. To try another "DIET," like this one that is sweeping the blogs, having folks swear by it...like they did the Atkins diet, the Zone Diet, the South Beach Diet, and on and on. Isn't it enough, to just try to have your lifestyle gradually stairstep to less processed in general, healthier meats, less dairy, more veggies and whole fruits, like berries and apples, and to put in exercise, cardio and core development, and to pursue a whole life concept spiritually/mentally as well??!!!   And yes, live to be a 100 and enjoy getting there! Sooooooo, I will teach you correct principles I have learned for now, nearly 4 decades. Nothing faddish. Just common sense, and the tricks to "tweek" what you already do, to make a better version. I'm sorry. I'm not a cave woman. I'm a sixty something, multitasking woman, trying to keep on the journey, eat the best I can to block my genetic time bombs, to avoid degenerative disease and to still enjoy eating while empowering my body! CHEERS to each of you! I LOVE having you follow with me! Be reasonable. Be balanced. Most of all be healthy and happy! Linda: AKA: HealthAngel ;-)

Working Out and Eating! Before and After! Natural Energy Boosters.......

Those of you who want both a more fit, leaner body, AND optimal health, know already that it is a combination of eating less processed and more whole/real foods, AND burning calories and sculpting the body through both cardio and weight resistant training.  If I had to pick ONE part of that lifestyle that would hold more "weight," (bad pun, I know) in being most valuable, while I dearly know many of you love your exercise, like the hubs, ( who almost gets obsessive, ) it would be........the consistent, healthy eating.  Now don't go, WHAT is she saying?   I am endorsing exercise and working out, and MOVING in general, as paramount to health and fitness.  But one of the most renown fitness people recently said that proper eating, (as much as she loves exercise to control her weight) over a lifetime,  will play the greatest role in superior health, and keeping a constant fit size!  Before I expound on that, let me say, that the folks with the greatest health, will be indeed the people who BOTH eat quality whole foods, and do things like walking, treadmill, pilates, zumba, yoga, hitting the gym, and certainly building their core area!  But, if you are exercising, and the size of a minute and eating junky, processed, grab me quick food, not planning and paying attention to quality food, whole food, clean/real food, then being trim, being thinner means little.  You would still be prone to degenerative disease, even heart disease and cancer.  So be balanced!  Be moderate.  Be wise. But DO NOT depend on your exercise to let you under eat, or in other words eat dead, processed foods, too much dairy and meat laced with hormones and antibiotics and to forget the long range benefits of live veggies/fruits and juicing!  

The younger you are, the easier it will be to control your weight with rigorous exercise, and even have some thinking they are able to get away with not paying so much attention to the quality and portion size of your foods.  But as one ages, it requires more and more exercise to keep your body at it's proper weight, due to hormone fluctuation, metabolism slow down, and the natural decline of body mass and muscle.  IF you have slowly reprogrammed to only mainly complex, whole carbs (I hope gluten free) in moderation, (namely quinoa/brown rice/sweet potato, etc.)  healthy protein choices such as nuts, wild seafood, beans/legumes, lean meats if you choose (mainly chix/turkey) hormone/antibiotic/nitrate free of course, and have a routine of salads, steamed or raw veggies and fruit by itself, (and don't forget juicing!) THEN your exercising will continue to work at the level it should. Otherwise, get ready to pound, pound, pound, and possibly look healthy, while your health, longevity, and protection against disease may be compromised!  I hope this is making sense!

About a decade ago, I was painting inside my house by myself, and stepped out onto the back concrete landing with my paint tray, lost my footing and fell 16 concrete stairs to the bottom to the basement landing where I laid unconscious.  Having no cell phone then, and not having close neighbors to hear my cries,  I crawled up (in shock) to a neighbor's.  I had one badly broken right ankle and a small fracture and sprain to my other ankle!  For six months I could only go from the bedroom to the restroom with a walker  w/great difficulty and spent much time rehabbing.  Due to my healthy lifestyle that had been in place for two decades, I healed slowly but amazingly to the doctors surprise. (I had such great bone strength from spinach/kale/dark greens, NOT dairy, smile) Now think of it though!  What if I had depended on my Exercising to keep myself at a certain weight??  I am now able to walk, and do adequate exercise, but if I had not already reprogrammed to whole/live foods, small portions often, I would imagine instead of gaining five pounds during that time, it may have been fifty!  And now being past that big SIX O mark, it is my eating habits that help me not balloon up, even more than the valuable exercise I am still able to do. I tell this story, so you see that the workouts are valuable, exercise rocks, but will you be able to keep up your level you are doing in your 20's/30's/40's without also empowering your body with whole/live/real foods as you age? I think you see, we want to do BOTH.  But it is VITAL you program to the proper foods and portion sizes if you want to ensure a naturally fit, good weight size, for LIFE!

NOW: Food tips and energy boosters while working out!  BEFORE you work out, I find it valuable to use some complex carbs (those not refined, and hopefully NO WHEAT) as they fuel the body slowly, with no insulin spikes, as the body has to break through the outer intact exterior and does a time release type effect of ENERGY RELEASE!  But it is also important to add just a little protein to lock in that energy as well.  You could eat a small bowl of lentil soup,  have a half a sweet potato and just a few almonds as well,  a small slice of udi's raisin bread with a thin layer of butter and then almond butter, a little bowl of leftover brown rice with some rice  milk on it, and some chopped walnuts, (like a cereal) w/a smidge of pure maple syrup and cinnamon....well these are just some ideas!  DURING your workout, consume water, water! And if you are doing RIGOROUS workouts, consider the healthy equivalent of Gatorade, Knudsen's Recharge!  AFTER your workout and cool down, it is then time to consume anywhere from 10-25 grams of protein depending on your size, gender, and amount of workout done.  Perhaps you do your coconut oil and scrambled eggs, or a smoothie made w/rice milk/almond milk and whey or rice or pea protein (not soy isolate, please)  You can add some frozen berries OR that lovely expensive but well worth it, highend cacao powder, for a dark chocolate boost!  And follow in awhile with more water, of course.  Other pick me ups, could be a KIND nut bar, a handful, (about 12) of almonds/cashews/walnuts that may be roasted but NOT oiled or salted!  It is perfectly OK to later, have a few squares or small bar of dark chocolate, if it is at least 62% cacao or more...and a good brand from the health food store!  Ask an employee if you need help in choosing one!   B vitamin supplements also help w/workouts, as well as L-Carnitine, an amino acid and CoQ10.  Avoid the urge to use sports drinks with caffeine/guarana, etc. as they pick you up and drop you later!

So keep up the good work! Slowly follow along to learn how to totally reprogram to more whole life living, allowing and planning for snacks and desserts that are "legal," meaning they are still yummy but have been "tweeked" with different flours/sweeteners, etc. to be less refined, less health zapping and less likely to cause weight fluctuation. I welcome questions, and also comments that give good ideas to all of us who are trying to live to be a 100, and enjoy getting there!  CHEERS all!

Your fat burning.....get rid of your toxins....lose weight....stay healthy   ORGAN....and you "forgot" to take care of it!

Well, blow me down!  We might go on a DETOX...be exercising to yank those toxins out as well....even eating much healthier versions of our foods we used to, and yet we still don't feel quite AWESOME, still struggle to lose some of those fat bulges, and wonder WHAAT??????

Well, I betcha, I know part of the problem!  And you never even thought about it!  I do, because I know about the incredible (no edible in there...lol..) LIVER!  Let's talk quickly about why you should treat this organ like the royalty it is!  And trust me it truly is! Without it.....you cannot live!  And if it is impaired, you can have a faulty immune system, be sluggish, not lose weight, and be full of toxins, even if you follow DETOX programs and exercise.  Yep, that's right!

It's "just" a little reddish brown,  3 pound lil guy on the right side of your stomach!  But boy should you consider the following!  It converts nutrients from the food we eat into essential blood components,  and stores vitamins and minerals,  while producing proteins and enzymes to maintain our hormone balances.  It also helps our immune systems to fight infections,  removes bacteria from the blood, and makes bile,  which helps digest our meals!  Is it a SUPERSTAR??? ohhhhhhh, yeah!

And what happens if it gets fed years of junk food,  from fried fast food to pop to hmmmm, I'm just gonna leave it to your individual imagination....But bottom line, it gets overworked,  decreases ohhhhhhhhhhh so slowly in function, and you have subtle signs that you might even miss!  Weight gain,  white coating on the tongue,  less white white around the eyeballs,  dull and maybe breakout skin,  headaches, and on and on to the BIG STUFF!  Oy Vey!  At which time you realize you're not up to snuff,  hear about all the super duper DETOX programs,  choose one,  and complete it!  Oh oh!  Did I just hear the overcrowded,  much overused human (the liver) GARBAGE COMPACTOR just grind/hiss/and almost come to a halt?!!!!  Well, here you are with herbs/eating regimes/exercise programs that pulled all those nasty toxins out of everywhere in your body, and the LIVER,  the only one who can be the TRASH HAULER OUTTER, is toooooo pooped to do it!  Knowing how resilient it is,  it likely gets some out into water soluable output,  but leaves a lot behind.  After all,  it can only do so much with extra toxins,  cuz it just is barely keeping up with it's regular jobs, anyhow!  Surely, you NOW see the picture!  So WHAT can you do to help this amazing organ do it's job,  so you can have those detox programs work,  so the exercise you are doing is optimal, so that weight just sheds naturally as you integrate more healthful living??? I'm going to lay it out simply,  easily! If you want details, then ask me directly,  and certainly you will have more ideas by continuing to follow this blog!

ONE)  Unload the liver of all these toxins and literally rebuild it with my favorite herb of all herbs, and that would be Milk Thistle, sometimes known as Silymarin.  If you are ill, under a doctor's care,  then ask for guidance.  I personally go to a GOOD health food store, and ask a savvy worker there for a standardized GREAT brand,  and I take it as directed until the bottle is done.  I do this TWICE a year.  You do not want to do it constantly,  only once or twice a year.  I find it amazing.  I had hepatitis as a child, and it helps me stay so healthy!  It may be contained in your "detox kits," milk thistle, but not in near enough quantity to do what it can separately!

TWO) Try for at least 3-4 weeks, while it heals, to refrain from processed foods,  too much red meat and pork,  wheat and wheat products,  refined sugars,  corn and white potatoes,  too much alcohol or over abundance of caffeine,  and deep fried or pan fried foods. Do also limit DAIRY!   DO intake an abundance of clean water,  (this is where fresh lemon and water is a groovy combo)  clean/whole foods, from unoiled/unsalted nuts (can be roasted, walnuts/pistaschios/almonds are best)  wild fish,  berries, (especially blueberries) grapefruit,  and every veggie that will jump into your mouth, (JK!)  salads galore,  (get in lots of broccoli/spinach/kale) and just whole/real foods that you don't need to even read a label on!  Soups will usually be welcomed as well, as long as they are not meat driven, greasy, etc. 

THREE) get in your healthy essential fatty acids/oils.  Coconut oil/olive oil/Barlean's emulsified Fish oils from the refrigerated health section are delicious and liver friendly! You do need plenty fiber,  so go ahead and have some brown rice, all those veggies, a sweet potato, and yes, fresh butter is OK!  Eat beets like they are the new food that everyone loves. If ya don't like em, read the LAST STEP!

FOUR)  The very BEST thing you could do to unload your liver is to JUICE!  Not make a smoothie.  Not use a Vitamix.  Not use a Magic or NutriBullet.  But buy or make RAW VEGGIE juice, with predominantly, a carrot base, add a few beets, pieces of apple, some raw ginger, and kale or spinach. (ya have to shove it in and put the chunky stuff on top, and the PLUNGE AWAY!)  If you do THIS, it will make your LIVER a LOVER!  Wow, will your life, your weight, your everything,  CHANGE!  OK....if you want to keep it simple:  GO easier on the junk food,  take some Milk thistle for a 2-3 weeks,  and JUICE! (or buy it) 

PLEASE LET ME KNOW, SOMEONE WHO LISTENS TO ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT BLOG I'VE SHARED YET....WHAT HAPPENS AFTER YOU FOLLOW THIS!  YOU SHOULD LOSE SOME HEALTH ISSUES, HAVE YOUR BODY BEGIN TO RESCULPT, AND HAVE THE DETOX YOU DID...... FINALLY DETOX!  And.....your LIVER......thanks you!  (and so do I :-)

Solution to BETCHA CAN'T EAT JUST one: THE SNACK PATROL Answer!

Solution to BETCHA CAN'T EAT JUST one: THE SNACK PATROL Answer!

Tonight isn't a big ole long teaching lesson! It's such a simple trick that I've taught for years and years, I thought everyone knew about it, until a girlfriend said, "Wow, I'm so tired of having to give up my snacky snacks, cuz before ya know it, I've done MINDLESS EATING as usual and eaten the whole bag!"  Happens soooooooo easily. I used to do the same thing, until I learned something that works so well, I taught it to her, and she lost a whole jean size just with this little routine.


It helps with any snack food. Hopefully, you'll start to know that snack foods can still be tasty and satisfy either sweet or salty, but just have higher grade, unprocessed ingredients in them. I like some brands like Barbara's, Bearitos, Pamela's cookies, etc. etc. We'll learn those later. But as you know when you read the back of the bag, it gives the calorie/carb count, and you go, "Oh, that's not too bad," forgetting that it gives those stats for ONE serving. That's a trick they even do with smoothie drinks, etc. You can look at an Odwalla chocolate protein smoothie, and it's not that big a bottle, and look carefully, it isTWO servings. Ya kinda get tricked into thinking the carb/sugar/calorie count, (the only things I really look at besides ingredients, ) is for the entire bottle/sack/etc. It's NOT!
OK, so when I shop, I come home, and say I buy a sack of Barbara's corn puffs (they satisfy my cheddar cheese urge, w/out eating the cheese itself, and  they are GOOD!) I turn the bag over, and you will see it says approximately how many servings are in the bag after it lists the readout of calories etc. for ONE serving. So this particular bag in the picture I've enclosed, says five servings. I get out my five BAGGIES, open the bag of snacks, and before I even start eating them, and have half the bag gone, I CREATE five servings to grab outta the pantry. You can eyeball em, or in the case of cookies, count em!  After baggying them,  we have plastic open containers in the pantry, I baggie them, MAKE sure they are closed tightly to avoid going stale, and VOILA, I throw them in the containers so I can grab one when a snack attack comes on.  Today when I ate my cheddar corn puffs, I was thinking, THIS IS ALOT!!! LOL....because instead of MINDLESS EATING, you are aware and eat each one savoring the taste, but it really seems you get full and have eaten the exact right amount.  ONE SERVING, Yay~!
TRY this on all your snacks. Read how many servings there are, and  baggie em up as SOON  as you get home from the store, and no more guessing, no more empty bags while watching TV and not paying attention, and the calories/carbs saved over time, can culmulatively make a BIG difference in how your clothes fit! OK, that's it! It REALLY works well. 



That's it! I hope you are beginning to see, it just takes awareness, and we can begin to rebuild our health, feel our clothes fit bit by bit a little looser, and realize that we don't have to really ever go on a diet roller coaster again. CHEERS, and I surely appreciate your comments and questions! ;-)

ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS: Fattening AND Dangerous??? And DARK CHOC RULES!

ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS: Fattening AND Dangerous??? And DARK CHOC RULES!

Soooooooooo, if you are sitting in a restaurant and want to sweeten your drink, etc., which colored packet do you choose? 
I hope we ALL know the answer to this one.  Oh, and you will notice one color packet is missing! White, or refined white sugar!  (that is a brown packet on the end!)
Well, the answer is simple, pick the best choice, which for me would be the brown one, which is raw (not just caramel colored white, highly refined sugar) but more in it's natural state, not chemically made, raw sugar. It is definitely the "lesser of the evils,"  smile!

So why not the "sugar free" ones like the Yellow Splenda packet, or Pink Equal or Blue Nutrasweet??? 
Well, in my opinion, there are TWO reasons to avoid them, not just in these packets, but in ALL foods/POP, that have these ingredients that are in the yellow/pink/blue packets!


Theoretically, you may think, I'm trying to keep my weight in control, I don't want to promote diabetes or other disease, and I still enjoy the sweetness that these products give without the calories of white sugar!  But studies are beginning to show, that folks who eat foods/drink pops etc. with these artificial sweeteners are actually GAINING weight overall. Look at the number of people who drink diet pop only to be mildly to overly obese.  And this may be the reason why.


Use of artificial sweeteners may actually be a TRIGGER and have you craving sweets! You get used to liking SWEET foods/SWEET drinks, and so you give into desserts, candy, etc. in addition to your food choices made with the artificial sweeteners. And also, your mind subconsciously says, oh, I've used artificial sweeteners in some things, so I can splurge on the regular (refined sugary things.) My goal is for you NOT to deprive yourself of treats.  But my treats are planned treats, that are NOT made with refined sugars/flours (and mine are gluten free.)  This is important. The more whole/real foods you use, even in making your treats, such as having some dark chocolate not made w/white sugar, you will grow to DISLIKE the sweet sweet taste of both artificial sweeteners AND refined sugar/white flour treats. I PROMISE!  Since artificial sweeteners are nutritionally empty, but carry toxins due to it's synthetic, chemical makeup,  the body has nothing to process, and can only store the chemicals ingested, and does this in your fat cells!!  YIKES!!   Since the body didn't receive REAL food, the brain says, more, more, more food that I can really break down and use!  And you overeat sweets in the end!  That is why artificially sweetened pop drinkers drink more pop even, than regular pop drinkers! 


Also, there are continued studies that these artificial sweeteners can be involved in making unhealthy changes in the brain, as well as the verdict is not in on their relationship to the growth of some cancers, etc.  Remember saccharin, and how the FDA said it was SAFE for decades, until so many cases of cancer were found related to it's usage, and it was banned!  Why would you want to wait until the Pink/Blue/Yellow packeted artificial sugars may end up with the same evidence, which seems to be widely mounting??  And WHY does it say on products with these artificial sweeteners in them, do not eat when PREGNANT? Hmmmmmmm!!!


So think about whether you could begin to use less sugar,  less refined,  super concentrated sugar (like white sugar or high fructose corn syrup, etc.) BUT if it were a choice to me, I'd rather see you use any type regular/real food than these synthetic chemicals!  Try things like agave, evaporated cane juice, stevia, maple sugar granules, etc.  AND as a side note, ending to today's blog, GO FOR THE DARK CHOCOLATE  in your treats for special occasions.  Most Dark Chocolate is wonderfully high antioxidant, actually helps get rid of free radicals, and  has less SO much LESS refined sugar than milk chocolate.  Sorry, milk chocolate has no redeeming value, and I know the transition is an adjustment for you milk chocolate lovers, but try mixing it up, or just going totally dark chocolate! Find one 55% cacao or above that still is to 2die4~~~~~I'll be posting my favorites!

Everything is about moderation, and better food choices when we DO have treats. Think of the type treats you'd get at a FIVE star restaurant. They use real ingredients. Yes it may be decadent, but enjoy it, and go back to your regular healthier eating habits the next day. Don't feel like you are a failure because you ate a less refined/real ingredient treat. If you are truly addicted to sugar, then perhaps, we'll have to give you instructions on how to break that addiction!  I did it! Broke the addiction, and so can you! I will give your recipes for fabulous treats, made with unrefined sugars and non-gluten whole grain flours. And I'll wager, your family and friends will not have a clue they are eating something healthier if you use the right recipes!  In going on this journey with me, yes, I'm happy your clothes will fit better, and that you like the pounds off. But, this is so much more about obtaining OPTIMAL HEALTH and reversing the aging process!  Cheers! And thanks to all who read my blogs! CHEERS! If you have suggestions for recipes, COMMENT!

CARBS: Yes??? No???? When??? GOOD NEWS for "Carb-O-Holics!"

CARBS: Yes??? No???? When??? GOOD NEWS for "Carb-O-Holics!"

It's always the same proverbial question when it comes to wanting to eat a bit healthier, and keep the waistline in bounds!  CAN I STILL EAT CARBS???  And of course, the answer is a resounding YES you can, with a few suggestions!


Carbs are a very necessary part of your everyday diet. I do not approve of too low or no carb diets. I just suggest you understand that eating more complex(unrefined) carbs, vs. ALL refined, simple carbs, (white sugar/white flour products and pop namely) is healthier and will help you in the battle of the bulge!  So while you enjoy those special treats, and may eat some simple carbs now and then,  you will have an edge relying more on Complex Carbs because they empower the body WITH:

1)  A long term  energy that lasts longer, without spiking insulin and blood sugars.

2) Weight Loss and Maintenance:  FAT/weight gain=Insulin output.

3) Intact enzymes that weren't robbed in processing are still in unprocessed, Complex Carbs, so you digest easier w/out bloating.

 4) Fiber, so vital to disease prevention, giving a feeling of fullness and aiding in eliminations.
 5) Vitamins essential to health, especially B-vitamins, crucial to the nervous system & hormone health.
And there are many many more reasons the right kind of carbs are essential to wellness and weight management!


Here are the Complex Carbs you will want to incorporate more than the simple, stripped, white or sugary ones. Remember again, it's all about moderation.....a lot of the good, a little of the bad, and don't sweat it. But if you eat refined carbs as your main carbs, expect your body to be starved of nutrition, to be acidic (not alkaline Ph where you thrive)  and therefore leave you open to diseases and to battle your weight continually!  And you may have candida, or yeast in the body, which can cause a myriad of problems from migraines to an impaired immune function!

Complex Carbs You may Want to Eat:
Sweet Potato/Red potato/Yams:  in order of first to last in how they break down.

Sweet potato is a good choice w/butter. If you do potatoes, red only. NO RUSSETS!

Oat bran or steel cut oat hot cereals from scatch/or dry cereals that are whole grain but 

Gluten-Free. You'll only find these at Whole Foods/Health food stores. Try KIND cereal.

Brown rice/brwn.basmati rice/wild rice.  Limit white rice, as it turns to glucose asap!
Lentils/Kidney beans/Black beans/Garbanzo beans/Hummous/Split peas/even refried!
Whole grain/gluten free breads in moderation. If you want to go midway, use SPELT.

Dave's Killer SPELT bread, or any Spelt bread.  For optimal health, Gluten Free!

Most vegetables, Excluding white potatoes and corn, and fruits like apples/berries/pears in the raw. Choose a sm/med organic apple, fresh or frozen blueberries/raspberries! Vegetable juicing is great. Smoothies, watch the FRUIT!
While getting into this, and still feeling like you need chips/crackers??? Just read the label, go Gluten Free, and try to baggie the bag into sandwich baggies the minute you are home!

I eat mainly Complex Carbs. And when I want a dessert, I do eat one, without guilt. As I choose dark chocolate, cupcakes/pies/cookies that are  delish, but just have some twists on the recipes, such as being made with an all purpose, gluten-free flour, using  LESS and NO refined sugar! ( Brown sugar in the store is JUST caramel colored WHITE refined sugar! Do not think it is less refined.) We'll talk about "legal" sugars, for now use Turbinado, Evaporated Cane Juice, or I like Trader Joe's Maple Sugar Granules for cookies/etc. MORE on this later!

So this week, I will be having Maple Custard  from Marlene's Market and Deli in Federal Way, Wa.  It is "off" my normal routine of  Total Complex Carbs, and that's fine. I don't eat Simple Carbs, as a rule,  but I've been at this a long time!  I will teach you the recipe for gluten free red velvet cupcakes, and other goodies!  If you need to bake, follow the ingredients I will share w/you! If you overeat, OVEREAT on the good stuff!   I personally DO NOT bake, because willpower does not exist for some of us recovering  Carb Addicts...SMILE!  However, some of you have families who want cookies/desserts, so I'll provide those recipes w/substituting!  Planning/Re-Education is KEY!  For me,  I'll buy a wholesome, but decadent dessert and eat ONE PIECE, THERE!  Let's not have deprivation,  let's not make this a science,  but let's go back to WHOLE LIFE/WHOLE FOOD LIVING and SOAR!  Please ask questions! I welcome ANY and ALL!!!

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

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

EGG FRITTAS in a MUFFIN TIN

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.  (I generally have my hot fresh lemon water w/raw honey or agave upon arising, get ready, and then have something w/PROTEIN for breakfast with some Complex Carb)   See ideas below! If you are not Vegan, (or semi-vegan like me)  then please listen:  Brown, cage free, antibiotic and hormone free eggs are excellent sources of protein, and will not drive your cholesterol up. Egg whites and Egg Beaters, NEVER in this house! If you need the research on this statement, message me! :-)

So we often get duped into thinking "enriched,"  grain 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 section of your store, etc.   But don't do a CARB ONLY breakfast! I like KIND brand (the cool, nut bar company, google it!)  gluten free granola chuck full of healthy nuts, when I do cereal! TOO MANY CARBS, and THE WRONG CARBS are NOT  always your Best Friend!   If you remember nothing else, remember this,  FAT, is only stored when Insulin is released!  What triggers insulin?? CARBS!  So I will teach you What/How much/What brands!  I LOVE carbs. I just know which ones to eat! And how much!  Also, avoid  pre fab oatmeal in packets!  They are refined and sugary. If you do oat bran or non-gluten whole oatmeal,  add your non-dairy milks and a smidge of sweetener, (could be agave, pure maple syrup, raisins)  but add chopped up nuts!  I copy the packet you get w/Starbucks Oatmeal...namely fresh pecans/walnuts/almonds. Protein.  If you don't want to go gluten free, (I think you will, after my Gluten Free segment, smile :-)  then please buy SPELT bread, it's easy to find, and rely on ALMOND BUTTER and fresh, real butter on it!  Message again, if you want to know why Peanut Butter is inferior to Almond Butter.  I grind mine at the local Fred Meyer's health food section!  You can buy it in jars as well!  And if you do a protein smoothie, PLEASE use a rice/almond/or coconut milk base with NO SOY ISOLATE protein, but either NutriBiotics Brown Rice Protein, or Whey!  We will have a segment:  SOY is not what you think it is!  Add frozen mixed berries, and if you use the Magic/NutriBullet (my choice) they make healthy smoothies better than blenders!  And yes, do throw in spinach or kale IF you have some fruit such as frozen berries or fresh pineapple to sweeten naturally and disguise the "green stuff." :-)

If you use breakfast meats for Protein at breakfast, please consider using nitrate free, free range, and things like turkey sausages which taste great if you get the right brand, such as SHELTONS. In the above picture, some have turkey sausages in Lloyd's slots, and mine has tons of stuff, but no meat!  You choose!  Just make certain Breakfast includes both Protein and Complex Carbs! I hope to teach you simple recipes for gluten-free breads/pancakes/waffles. I will be giving you my 2DIE4 pancake recipe that is truly adored by my family! SO FLUFFY! SO YUMMY! Food has to STILL taste wonderful for you to be happy and stick with REAL/WHOLE foods your whole life.  Nothing should taste health foody, and if you feel deprived, you will bolt!  Don't worry, I get that!  Smile!  But do give yourself time to re program to REAL foods/Whole foods, as we've been indoctrinated, addicted, many of us to pre fab/refined/non REAL foods.  The change will come if you just follow along!  I promise!   And my motto, always:  a lot of the good, a little of the bad, for most!  And don't try to eat an elephant in one bite!  It took me about a year to re program for life!  So trial/error is NORMAL.  It becomes a red flag to what your food triggers are, to what you need to do for better preparation!  And you go for it again!  And I AM ALWAYS HERE FOR QUESTIONS AND SUPPORT! Message me!!!!

To Recap:  1) Do you have your special water glass and are you increasing water intake?  2) Are you trying some changes to Real food/Whole food living but not using pounds off as a measuring stick of success?  3) Are you adding lemons in hot water/your regular water squeezed in from fresh lemons as often as you can?  And 4) Can you make the choice to try and have Breakfast be the first, but important meal of the day, and include Protein and Complex CARBS, as much as possible?  That is plenty for today!  

And begin to celebrate accomplishments/success as we go along with a NON FOOD reward!  Yipeeeeee! I know I'm a nut! But I am sooooooo happy if you only take some of these habits that have empowered my life, my health, my happiness!  CHEERS! And where are your questions? Ask them at the end of this blog or message me through FB! Hug a roonies. You all deserve to have all of the tools and information you need to STOP disease, aches, pains, and to have AMAZING health and ENERGY!  Will your body likely stop dropping in weight?  Yep,  you will  just have to deal with that, "Fringe benefit!" Smile!  Go slowly!  This is a lifestyle change,  NOT a diet!  Isn't it time you truly discovered, yes, Health is your Greatest Wealth!

NOTE: For the recipe for the above, make the night before, Egg Frittata in Muffin tin, you will need to click on the Weight Coach Linda Facebook page! Find it there! Hooray! And FYI: I only use Coconut Oil! Best oil you can use! Brand? Use Nutiva or Spectrum! Or let me know if you have a favorite! ENJOY!

weight coach Linda: "THOU, SHALT NOT DIET..."

weight coach Linda: "THOU, SHALT NOT DIET...": I dislike the word D-I-E-T so very much, I call it the "D" word, or a "four letter word." So, I will have Weight Coach Linda con...

"THOU, SHALT NOT DIET..."

I dislike the word D-I-E-T so very much, I call it the "D" word, or a "four letter word." So, I will have Weight Coach Linda continue w/this namesake blog and page until we address those of you who see losing weight as the end result in what you learn from me. But truly, my goal is to have weight loss be just a fringe benefit of my teaching. I want you to understand from the get go, that anyone can lose weight. Deprive yourself of food, exercise to the hilt, or arggggg, take one of the "diet aids" everyone thinks are such silver bullets to drop weight, quickly and easily, (from green coffee beans to hormone growth drops to you name it!) I was a General Manager for Nutri System Weight Loss clinics when they had centers! I saw over 600 clients a week! Pre-packaged food in my opinion is again, "diet mentality!" And watching a 98% failure rate of re-gaining the weight back (and more) within a year, I quit a lucrative career to start my own business. I knew that I would not, could not ever promote quick fixes, silver bullets, and focus on people's obsession of losing weight! My goal for you is soooo much more than that!

Overeating, and eating highly processed comfort foods is more addictive for many of us,  than heroin, cocaine or alcohol addiction! Food is sooooooo intertwined with behaviors relating to emotional issues, stress management, and traditions, that I believe you will appreciate my training and experience in this area, as much as my extensive nutritional guidance! The Blog Posts will give the short version of my teaching points, but my Weight Coach Linda page will give you the expanded step by step plan to reach a goal, where you've reprogrammed your eating habits forever! So click like on that page to receive that valuable additional information. If you need help on how to follow that page, let me know and I will send an invitation!

So we begin. We are going to start slowly, with a few simple requests from me to you. I would like you to put your scale away. Give it away. Do not measure SUCCESS by losing weight! It means nothing! If you begin to detox, clean out your body, and even make a few of the changes I suggest, your jeans will tell you that fringe benefit I told you about, is happening. So FIRST assignment. No weighing yourself for at least a month! Or NEVER. I do not own a scale on purpose. SECONDLY, I'd like you to buy a hard see through large size plastic cup with screw on lid and hole for a straw (the type you see in Starbucks, mine is from Disneyland..wahoooo ;-) because we will begin simply by upping our water intake and need to "monitor it," with this type cup. Never, will you find me, without finding my cup! I refill it as soon as it is empty, carry it in the car, and it is the first thing that appears on my desk in the morning. MORE water will enhance the program we are about to embark upon, by beginning to cleanse, detox, and empower your body to get ready for this wonderful plan you are about to discover! THIRD, I'd like you to buy netted bags of LEMONS! I suggest you use at least TWO fresh lemons, squeezed a day into hot water (with raw honey or not) and squeezed into your regular daily drinking water! LEMONS are amazing. They begin to detox your system, slowly, but ironically they create a PH that is more alkaline, than acidic. YEP. Just the opposite of what you think. And they support the liver to be able to unload toxins and begin doing it's intended job, to turn your food into the ingredients that can be used by the body. It's a fat burning furnace when fine tuned! I start my day, EVERY day with hot water, a half of a big lemon squeezed in it, and a tablespoon of raw honey. If you are diabetic or don't want honey, use stevia, or drink it down sour. DO NOT USE REFINED SUGAR! Agave is also an alternative. 

So for now, I will re cap what you need to do to begin our journey together. Agree not to weigh yourself on a scale, or to see "pounds off" as the successful part of this journey. Optimal health, high energy, and lack of degenerative disease, ESPECIALLY heart disease and cancer, are my goals for you. Falling to a natural, healthy weight WILL happen, but quite frankly, the slower you lose the pounds, as you learn the skills and change behaviors, the MORE likely you will keep that new shape! Secondly, you have been asked to have a special glass to ensure your water intake is adequate. I do 6-8 refills in my glass a day. And I use only clean, pure water. And thirdly, you may wish to begin the daily using of fresh lemons, to assist a mild detox, and to support liver function, one of the most vital organs in the body. My goodness, it has 600 jobs it performs. So that is enough for Blog number ONE. On the Weight Coach Linda page will be more tips, breakfast ideas, some recipes, etc. I will try to post regularly there. And YES, you will be able to even have cupcakes, chocolate, and most all of the foods you do now. Just in a healthier version, but oh, just as tasty!  It took me 30 years to learn the "trading out part." And I will "share..." smile! 

CHEERS!  I make a promise to you to give you ALL that you will need to be successful! Follow through faithfully. Do know, having a friend join you on this journey will double your chances for success. In 1974, I nearly died. Three hospitals and 12 doctors later, Providence led me to the doctor who saved my life and truly taught me, "YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT."  I will be forever grateful. If I can even impart a small portion of my vast knowledge of how to implement this concept into your everyday, busy life, than, I feel privileged, thrilled, and humbled! Well, actually, I am over the moon! This is my greatest mission, and gift I have been given, I believe!

In a few days, I will give a POP QUIZ (what do you expect from a former teacher, smile) It will give you an idea of what you know, what you don't know, and what you will be learning. I think it will be a huge eye opener. Without your health, you truly have nothing!  And for those of you reading this who say to yourself, "I'm healthy"...hmmmmmmm, in the blink of an eye, you could see, you were not. It's my role, my desire to have you really understand how to have the greatest health, you ever imagined! So, 1) Throw out the scale  2) Get the glass and begin the water intake and  3) Get those fresh lemons in every day. And most important, go step by step with me, "HealthAngel," with the Blog Posts and the Weight Coach Linda page on FB. And as you go, will your share me with your group of friends and family?  Hug a roonies!  I couldn't be more excited!  How bout YOU? 2013, here we come!  I'll close with my dear friend, Carla, and how following this plan changed her life!  Thank you Carla, for being the inspiration for me to begin teaching again!