The Ketogenic Diet

I've been on the Ketogenic Diet for about 3 weeks now and I'm kind of stalled out at around 12 lbs of weight off.  However, my measurements scream "Keep doing this!  It's working BIGTIME!" 

What's ketogenic?  Well, it's getting your body to a state of ketosis, where basically it burns fat instead of sugar.  How?  Well, that's the hard part, you can't eat any sugar.  Not just simple sugar, but any sugar really.  No Carbs!

You're aiming for consuming 70% fat, 25% protein and 5% carbohydrates.  This is harder than some people realize. 

What can you eat?
Meat
Eggs
Veggies

I try and eat as much eggs, meat and avocados as I can.  Add in a little cheese, tomatoes, and weird cream cheese concoctions as I can and it mostly keeps me happy.  I do throw in some sugar free ice cream now and then.  It's not all bad!  I keep meat and cheese snacks in my car....yep, the ones from the gas station.

You can do it.  I promise.  If I can do this, anyone can do this.  Start with eggs for breakfast, don't rule out the power of bacon and sausage either.  And stay active.  I'd shoot for 5,000 - 10,000 steps per day and at least 30 minutes 3 times a week of some real exercise.

Carb Cutting

Many moons ago, I lost a whole bunch of weight cutting carbs.  I didn't hate it either.  Now, recently I tried to shed a few lbs with Atkins and thought I was going to die.  So, I'm going to go back to cutting out potatoes and bread and substituting my regular corn or quinoa pasta with black bean pasta.  My little glutenoid loves it when I cut carbs, he gets better food to eat because I cook more gluten-free stuff naturally.  But, the rest of my family doesn't so much love it. 

This is the most filling spaghetti I've ever had.  And, you can really make so many things with these noodles!  Check out the black bean pasta selection on Vitacost for some penne pasta or rotini....you can make tons of dishes with black bean pasta!  They go really well in TexMex dishes!  Costco carries the spaghetti noodles, but I've never seen any other black bean pasta there.  HUGE BOX too!

Detox Bath

Detoxing your body is an uncomfortable, yet amazing experience that leaves you feeling rejuvenated.  Detoxification of your body through bathing in a detox bath is an ancient remedy that anyone can perform in the comfort of their own home. In detoxification circles, your skin is known as the third kidney, and toxins are excreted through sweating. A detox bath assists body in eliminating toxins as well as absorbing the minerals and nutrients that are in the water. Although uncomfortable, it'll leave you feeling refreshed and awakened.

Start with adding simple epsom salts to your bath.  The epsom salts actually helps replenish the body magnesium level, and can actually combat high blood pressure. The sulfate flushes toxins and helps form proteins in brain tissue and joints.  Epsom salt is very inexpensive and can be purchased.

• For children under 60 lbs, add 1/2 cup to a standard bath.
• For children 60 lbs to 100 lbs, add 1 cup to a standard bath.
• For people 100 lbs and up, add 2 cups or more to a standard bath

After a few simple epsom salt baths, you can also add up to 2 cups of baking soda.  It leaves skin feeling soft AND has anti-fungal properties.

Add some ground ginger.  Start with 1 Tablespoon.  You can work up to 1/3 cup in a few bathing sessions.  You may sweat profusely and this is normal.  Ginger can also:

• Relieve nausea
• Stop diarrhea
• Reduce gas and bloating
• Improve digestion
• Soothe menstrual cramps
• Provide Relief from headaches
• Decrease cholesterol
• Aid in stabilization of blood pressure
• Anti-Inflammatory (ie. reduces pain from rheumatoid arthritis)
• Encourage circulation
• Cold and Flu Relief

You can purchase a detox bath containing essential oils for detox:
Click here for the Lip Crack Detox Bath
It comes with a vial of essential oil blends for detox and all the epsom salts and sodium bicarbonate you need for a great detoxifying bath!

 

http://organiclipcrack.com/shop.html

 

New Shoes!

I got a new pair of Puma in the mail the other day and I love them.  I'll be honest I'm usually a New Balance kind of girl, but these Puma are light weight and really let my feet breathe in the heat of summer!

Great New Natural Lip Balm From Organic Sources

Lip Crack is available on the Etsy Store, at L. Salon in Roseville, Illinois, at Grand Escape Day Spa in Macomb, Illinois and on the website for $3.50.  There's also a nice stretch mark stick made from cocoa butter.

From Food To Plate

Remember, the closer to your food source the food is when you get it, the better it's going to be.  Buy local, eat local, be healthier.

Does Your Back Hurt?

My husband and I have this Inversion Table and we LOVE it!  We've owned it for about a year and it's so great to stretch out your back on.  I can highly recommend it because I've used it!!

Still Losing....

I've been on a healthy weight loss journey for 2 years and I've lost 63 lbs.  That's not too bad.  I started Weight Watchers in May 2011, 5 months after my youngest child was born.  I had a lot of weight to lose and I knew I had room to improve on my nutrition.  In January 2012, my youngest son was started on a gluten-free diet at a year old and my family was thrown into eating cleaner and working closely with a dietitian to meet our nutritional needs.  In March 2012, I partnered with BeachBody as a Coach to help others with their health, nutrition and fitness goals.  I can't believe how my life has changed in the last 2 years and how much better I feel.  I'm not going crazy with insane workouts, I'm not doing crazy health food crazes and kicks.  I'm eating right and losing weight the right way, slow and steady.

The largest change I've made lately is incorporating the healthy nutrition into my favorite foods.  I recently made homemade tenderloins (that's right!) fried in coconut oil.  Lets talk about the benefits of coconut oil for a minute.  Now, I've used virgin, not virgin.  I know virgin is supposed to be better, but both beat butter.  (I do eat butter in my diet, but a variety of healthy oils in your diet is good.  And, everything in moderation.)

Straight from care2.com

Health Benefits of Virgin Coconut Oil (cold pressed):

1. Thyroid-stimulating: Research shows that coconut oil contains a medium-chain fatty acids accelerate that stimulates metabolism, gives you more energy.
2. Get candida in check: Coconut oil has a good quantity of caprylic acid in it which is well known to kill off excess candida by targeting harmful bacteria.
3. Lowers cholesterol: It is rich in lauric acid which protects your heart by reducing total cholesterol and increasing good cholesterol.
4. Helps with weight loss: Here is an interesting fact about coconut oil; even though it is a fat, it actually helps with weight loss!  Read more here: Weight Loss With Coconut Oil. The healthy medium chain fatty acids do not circulate in the bloodstream like other fats; they are sent directly to the liver and are converted into energy. Thus the body does not store the fat in coconut oil as fat; it uses it to produce energy instead.
5. Helps keep diabetes in check: It does not produce an insulin spike in your bloodstream. Instead it helps control blood sugar by improving the secretion of insulin. Note: This is not a free pass to eat a lot of sugar and other dumb carbs. 
6. Reduces heart disease: studies on people in the Pacific Islands found that their total caloric intake included thirty to sixty percent from fully saturated coconut oil. These Pacific Islanders have nearly non-existent rates of cardiovascular disease.
7. Gastrointestinal malabsorption diseases: Combining Vitamin E supplements with coconut oil through the skin proved to be a good alternative for those with gastrointestinal malabsorption diseases. Study in Canada 1999 University of Western Ontario
8. Supports the immune system. It is rich in lauric acid, a nutrient that supports the body’s immune system.
9. Good for the skin: When applied externally it forms a protective antibacterial layer protecting the infected body part.  Also, coconut oil speeds up the healing process of bruises by helping to repair damaged tissue.  http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/coconut-oil-super-powers-pt-2
10. Nourishing for the brain: Studies show that it improves cognitive function, and stalls, or even reverses, neurodegenerative diseases in their early stages.
11. Ancient medicine:
Coconut oil has been part of Ayurvedic medicine for 5,000 years in India.
12. Speeds Recovery:
People in Panama drink a glass of coconut oil to protect themselves from illness as it is also believed to speed recovery from sickness.

 I've found that the more kinds and types of food you eat, the more healthy you eat because you have a wider variety of foods and flavors in your diet.  Fry something in coconut oil, like a tenderloin and you'll be surprised.  Just note, use low temperature or you'll burn the oil!

Crossift Shoes

Check out these crossfit shoes!  Love them for my workouts.  I lost 8 lbs last month with clean eating.  Hoping to chop off a few extra lbs with crossfit this month!  What's your workout?

Doxiderol

Doxiderol
Doxiderol is a nootropic "brain and energy booster" and mainly focuses on the brain with concentration and focus.  Many people use it paired with an all natural diet in place of ADD and ADHD stimulation medications, like Ritalin and Adderall and with less side effects.

What's in it?  Well, it's natural.
Vitamin B5, a key component for neurotransmitters,
Vitamin B12 to increase cellular metabolism and brain function,
Caffeine as a stimulant,
L-Theanine to increase dopamine levels across the blood/brain barrier,
Vinpocetine is a potent vasodilator that increases blood flow to the brain, that aids in learning, concentration and increased memory.  It has been used to treat dementia patients,
Bacopa, an aquatic plant used to aid in memory retention and has been used to help Alzheimer's patients.
Citicoline that increases glucose metabolism and increases neurotransmitter activity and reduces oxidative stress in the brain.
Acetyl-L-Carnitine is a potent nootropic, anti-oxidant and amino acid aiding in overall brain health.  ALC is being researched in aiding in benefits for Parkinson's patients.


Users report mental clarity, increased focus, increased energy.  

BO: The Gross of It

I've recently been paying a LOT more attention to my body and what it's telling me.  The last few weeks I've been noticing a strange scent to my body odor.  It's not the usual sweat odor I've had in the past.  What does it smell like?  Well, slightly like ammonia.  What causes this body odor?  Too much protein, not enough low glycemic index carbohydrates; nuts, dairy, veggies, soy milk, pasta, fruits, rice, popcorn, oatmeal, citrus fruits, peaches, apples, prunes,  pineapple, leafy greens, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower....there's more, but there's a good basis, and not enough water!  So, as usual, I'm going to talk up WATER!  It's good for you, it helps your body release toxins and balance pH....DRINK IT!  Not tea, coffee, soda, juice, sports drinks....just WATER!  Now, the good of lately, I've been really watching what I eat, so much that the bad has happened, I don't have enough carbohydrates in my body.  I haven't been working out extremely hard, but have been living a VERY active lifestyle full of kid chasing, housework and traveling. 

Kettle Bell Workouts

I Want KETTLE BELLS so bad!  I can't wait to work out with them.  Who Loves Kettle Bells?  Comment blow on your favorite Kettle Bell Workout!

G-free egg noodles

2 c gfree all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
3 lg egg yolks
1 lg egg
1/2 c water

Mix. Divide into 4 parts. Roll out dough on floured surface and cut into strips. Let dry 30 minutes. Add to boiling water and boil 5-7 minutes.

These noodles worked beautifully in chicken noodle soup and beef and noodles...YUM!

How To Lose Weight Effectively

There's one big secret when it comes to weight loss; you have to do the work!  If you can't put in the time, effort, blood, sweat and tears, you can't lose weight.  You have to be dedicated to doing what it takes with your workouts and nutrition to get the goals you want!  So, get off your tush, plan your meals, plan your snacks, plan your workouts.  Then, stick with the plan and DO IT!  That's the big secret nobody tells you.  You actually have to do the work to get the results you want.  It's that easy...not that it's easy at all.  But, you have to get up off your rump and move a little bit.  You may get sore, but that's just the weaker you talking.  So, step it up!

Zinc and It's Importance In Flu Season

I'm serious when I say I was skeptical.  But, Zinc is where it's at!  Yesterday, I was super-motivated.  I got up, got my paint cloths on and started painting the inside on my new garage.  By lunch, I felt like I got hit by a truck!  My hubby came in the door with a bottle of Zinc chewables and said, "Take one now, then take another one in a few hours and another before bed."  Feeling like I did, I was willing to try anything!  So, into my mouth the chewable Zinc went (with raspberry flavors).  I ate my lunch, put my 2-year-old down for a nap and headed to the bathroom for an epsom salt bath.  My 4-year-old kept "checking on me" because I didn't feel well.  He's sweet like that.  Then he sent me off to bed for a feel better nap.  I love that kid.  Something crazy happened.  I woke up from my nap feeling a little better. As the day went on, I felt better, not worse.  By this morning, I felt like a million bucks!  So, I called my hubby's grandma to thank her for her Zinc she had given him to "save him from sickness".  It saved me.  So, if you're feeling sickness coming on, take some Zinc. A whole bottle runs around $10 and it'll save you a trip to the store for your sickness foods; chicken noodle soup, 7up.....whatever yours is!

How Diverse Is Your Diet?

The more diverse your diet, the healthier you are, studies show. If you eat a wide variety of flavors, you tend to have less cravings!

Thank You!

Thank you to all my readers out there, new and old.  Without you, I wouldn't still be blogging.  With over 18,000 views, I feel blessed for others to like to read what I have to put out there.  That being said, What can I blog about for you?  I put my own ideas out there, give you what works in my life.  This isn't cookie cutter.  This is life.  What would you like to know about to make your life easier?

Leave a comment below and I'll be sure to do all I can to get a blog up about your comment!

Mmmmm

Thank you Good Housekeeping for these yummiest!

How Blood Type Effects Your Body

 Your Rh status describes whether or not you have a protein on the surface of red blood cells. If you don't have the Rh factor, you're considered Rh-negative; if you have it, you're Rh-positive. About 85 percent of people are Rh-positive, though it varies by race.

Strange Facts Concerning Rh-Negatives

* Rh-negative women and men display Reptilian Traits:

* An EXTRA-Vertebra (a "Tail Bone"). Some are born with an actual tail (called a "Cauda"). In Sanskrit, Ketuu = The south Lunar Node, also known as Cauda/Draconis, in latin, "dragon's tail" in English.

* Lower than normal Body Temperature

* Lower than normal Blood Pressure

* Higher mental analytical abilities

* Higher Negative-ion shielding (from positive "charged" virus/bacteria) around the body

* High Sensitivity to EM and ELF Fields

* Hyper Vision and other senses

* Have a strong sense of mission or purpose

More TRAITS found in RH negatives:

There are certain similarities that occur to those having RH negative blood - according to some who have it there are common patterns found, which include the following:

1. predominance of green or hazel eyes that change color, also blue eyes

2. reddish hair , brown

3. low pulse rate

4. low blood pressure

5. keen sight or hearing

6. ESP

7. extra rib or vertabrae

8. UFO connections

9. love of space and science

10. a sense of not belonging to the human race

11. piercing eyes

12. para-normal occurrences

13. physic dreams

14. truth seekers

15. desire for higher wisdom

16. empathetic illnesses

17. deep compassion for fate of mankind

18. a sense of a 'mission' in  life

19. physic abilities

20. unexplained scars on body

21. capability to disrupt electrical appliances

22. alien contacts (Many Starseeds are RH negative)

Distribution of Blood Types of Blood Donors:

O Rh positive:  37 percent
A Rh positive:  36 percent
B Rh positive:  9 percent
AB Rh positive:  3 percent
O Rh negative:  7 percent
A Rh negative:  6 percent
B Rh negative:  1 percent
AB Rh negative:  1 percent

Back On Track

I'm happy to report that after a little holiday rut, I'm back on track with Shakeology and workouts.  I LOVE my shakes.  I love my workouts.  Luckily I didn't gain any weight through the holidays, which I think is huge for anyone.  So, just getting going again is a big step.  I'm a pretty busy person and I think I just needed a push.  My upline coach, Jessica called me recently "just to check in with me".  Thank You Jessica!  It's exactly the little bit of motivation I needed to get my workout on!

Remember, you don't have to wait until tomorrow to start doing things right.  Just because you had a Big Mac and French Fries for lunch doesn't mean you can't have a smoothie and salad for supper and squeeze in 8 glasses of water!  Get going!  It's about consistency and lifestyle, so make it a part of your life, not a temporary solution to losing weight.  Be healthy and happy in the end instead of skinny.