Dont just think about losing weight, do it!

We've all been there, does this sound familiar? You begin a new diet, lose a couple of pounds in the first few weeks,  except instead of being energised and ready to take on the world you feel exhausted. Many people report feeling run down or fatigued when they start a new weight loss plan, thinking it goes with the territory. But, there is no reason to accept being tired as a normal dieting side effect.

Weight loss is about regaining your health, and fixing a damaged metabolism. If you are feeling more tired and anxious while dieting, then you are not making the best health changes. When you start dropping pounds, you should feel energetic, have a more positive outlook, and sleep better than you have in years. Sleepwalking through your day is a sign a few adjustments are needed. In fact, a new feeling of vitality should kick in before you see a physical change.

While people think they are doing all the right things, eating less and burning more, they are actually working against themselves. Dieters end up feeling miserable, face first in a gallon of double fudge ice-cream. That's because, dramatically limiting calories, fasting, and over exercising wreaks havoc on the body. These added internal pressures trigger the stress hormone cortisol. Not only does cortisol cause the body to store fat, it is a natural anti-sleep agent. With high levels of cortisol in your system, it is impossible have restful sleep.

People become anxious when they try to lose weight. To relieve grogginess, you must regulate the cortisol and other stress hormones released by the adrenal glands.

You can avoid fatigue by allowing yourself to be free in ways not involving a tight reign on self control. Let loose in ways you enjoy separate from food. Treat yourself to a day at the spa, or go shopping. Choose something you enjoy and allow yourself to feel free, live life basically.

If you are unable to control obsessive thinking, you can reduce anxiety with other techniques. Refocusing with meditation works well, I have tried this myself and it does wonders for the mind and gives you back control. Even though you want to lose weight, try focusing on something less exhausting when you feel worn down. Meditation is a proven way to reduce anxiety and fatigue. Learning to meditate can help relieve tension when battling your weight.

Of course, we can't ignore the role food plays. Health professionals advise going natural to increase energy. "One cause of fatigue is eating processed diet foods. These packaged foods have no enzymes, and are often full of chemicals for enhancing flavor, such as MSG and aspartame," explains raw food expert Susan Schenck,"such exitoxins cause fatigue."

I fell into this trap once and would fill up on packaged 'nutrition' bars and then wonder why I would have to take forty winks! I found that eating a diet of whole foods alleviated a lethargic mood. A diet high in raw foods is rich in enzymes, giving the pancreas a rest from cranking out digestive chemicals needed to compensate for enzymes lost when cooking.

- Drink plenty of water. Drink half your body weight in ounces. Spring or filtered water is best, not sparkling.

- Combine high quality proteins and carbohydrate sources, such as nuts, seeds, beans, legumes, eggs and low-fat cheeses. Generally small amounts of protein spread evenly throughout the day keep blood sugar stable.

- Eat lots of cruciferous vegetables. They help prevent cancer, balance hormones and are high in potassium and phytonutrients.

- Eliminate grains and starches. Your body will burn those sources of sugar before stored fat.

- Eliminate caffeine and get on a regular sleep schedule. Cutting stimulants out will be hard at first, but will eliminate the roller coaster effect on adrenal hormones and insulin. This results in more energy at the right time.

- See a nutritionalist to help you balance hormones and properly supplement your nutritional needs.

So don't just look in the mirror wondering what you would look like, start today, the result is a stronger, leaner body. So, take control of your weight loss and experience the vitality and happiness you deserve from a healthy lifestyle.

Have a great weekend

Energize yourself with Honey, Ginseng, Cinnamon and Bee Pollen

Energized Honey with Black Seed, Ginseng, Cinnamon and Bee Pollen

One of the things I have learned during detox is about energizing honey.  Honey is a miracle food; it never goes bad. It was reported that archaeologists found 2000 year old jars of honey in Egyptian tombs and they still tasted delicious! Many people find it rather surprising that bacteria cannot grow in honey because all things being equal, bacteria loves sugar. The unique chemical composition of low water content and relatively high acidic level in honey creates a low pH (3.2-4.5) environment that makes it unfavourable for bacteria or other micro-organism to grow. Thus, "Best Before Dates" on honey buckets indicating honey shelf life do not seem to be very important after all.

One recipe came from a herbalist who had the basics down, but as we now understand more about nutrition nowadays it can be tweaked somewhat. 

Honey has been long known as being a cure for the stomach and recommendations say take a spoon of honey with water before breakfast.

Surprisingly Honey is also good for cuts.  Using honey on a cut or graze will help heal the wound, I’m yet to test this one will let you know later this week.  There is however a huge difference in the many types of honey available.  Manuka Honey is one of the best honeys available.

Things to consider when buying raw honey is to make sure it is unpasterurized honey and not flash pasteurized at all.    Honey must be purchased in a jar and not in plastic containers.  Honey may absorb parts of the plastic if stored in plastic containers and become toxic.

Other benefits of honey are:

•               Natural energy booster

•               Treatment for all stomach ailments

•               Helps in the immediate recovery of cuts and burns

•               Used to help people lose weight

•               Will increase your immune system

•               Insomnia treatments

•               Hangovers can be remedies with honey

Bee Pollen Should be in Everyone's Diet:

It is a powerhouse of vitamins and nutrients.  You must start out slow with bee pollen, such as 1/2 teaspoon of ground and then work yourself up.  It does not take a lot to be beneficial.  Like honey, you should look for bee pollen in glass jars. 

  

Why Should Ginseng be Included in Recipes?

Ginseng can be used several ways in this mixture.  You can use the liquid vials of ginseng, or capsules, or powder.  The powder is not cheap and should be refrigerated once opened. Ginseng Powder is easily mixed and works well.  Look for a good quality brand.  Look for either Chinese, Siberian or American.  You do not need a lot but for 1/2 kilo of honey, plan on using two tablespoons. 

Some of the benefits of ginseng are: Diabetes, insomnia, stress, rheumatism, headache, colds, protects the liver, increases the immune system, used for cancer treatment and is effective in reducing cholesterol.

Energy Packed Honey

Ingredients: 

•               1/2 kilo of raw unpasteurized honey

•               2 Tablespoons of cinnamon
2 Tablespoons of Bee Pollen
2 Tablespoons of Ginseng powder or one vial or 12 capsules

•               2 teaspoons of black seed oil (optional)

•               2 tablespoons of royal jelly (optional)

 Directions:

 One jar of royal jelly will last you for a year, as you only need a bit to add to your treatment. 

 Place all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix together thoroughly.  Place in a sealed jar, not plastic and take 1/2 teaspoon to one teaspoon daily.  More than that is not necessary. 

What better way to get ready for the summer than a Detox, mine starts today

What better way to get ready for the summer than a Detox, mine starts today

In 4 weeks time my first Triathlon of the year starts so what better way to prepare than a thorough cleanse of the system. There are many ways to detox the body but why is detoxing important for your health.

Our bodies are bombarded by toxins every day, they are in our food, our water, and even the air we breathe. Toxins get into our body and accumulate over time. It takes a lot of work for your body to flush them out and as you get older more and more build up until the body just simply can't keep up. The result is that you gradually become lacking in energy and are more susceptible to illness and disease.

There are quite a few ways to detox the body and some include complicated mixtures of herbs while others simply focus on fasting. If you are considering a herbal product, make sure you get one that detoxes all four areas. These detox programs can last anywhere from 1 week to a month.

Fasting

Fasting has been a method of detoxifying for centuries and it can be very effective. The best way to start is to do a one to three day vegetable juice fast - you can fast for longer, but anything longer than three days you should do under medical supervision. What you want to do is get your body ready for the fast the day before by making your last meal consist of only fresh fruits and vegetables. On the three days of fasting, prepare your own fresh vegetable juices in a juicer and drink them as often as you want. Juicing your own fresh vegetables as opposed to buying juices from the store will ensure that all the enzymes which your body needs are present (store-bought juices are typically pasteurized which kills the enzymes).

Juicing

You can make juices out of any vegetable you want, lettuce, greens, tomatoes, cucumbers. Experiment with recipes to see what you like best and be sure to drink the juice as soon as you make it. During your fasting days be sure that you get a lot of rest and relaxation and don't schedule any exercise for the three days.

Kidneys

The best way to keep your kidneys in good shape is to drink a lot of water. If your doing a juice fast you also want to include distilled water because distilled water is void of anything other than water. However, drinking distilled water all the time is not recommended as it can leach important minerals from your body.

Foods to include in the detox plan

Your diet should include:

•                Fruits – your plan can include any fruit including fresh, frozen, dried or canned in natural fruit juice. This includes apples, bananas, pears, oranges, grapefruit, satsumas, sultanas, raisins, pineapple, mango, kiwi fruit, strawberries, raspberries, blackcurrants, nectarines, peaches, melons, star fruit etc
 

•                Fruit juice – either make homemade fruit juices or smoothies from fresh fruit, or drink ready-made juices. Make sure ready-made juices are labelled as being ‘pure’ or ‘unsweetened’.
 

•                Vegetables – eat any vegetables including fresh, frozen or canned in water (without salt added). This includes carrots, onions, turnip, swede, sprouts, cabbage, peppers, mushrooms, sweetcorn, peppers, leeks, courgettes, broccoli, cauliflower, salad, tomatoes, cucumber, spring onions etc
 

•                Beans and lentils – eat any beans, including those that have been dried or canned in water. This includes red kidney, haricot, cannellini, butter, black eye, pinto, red lentils, green lentils and brown lentils
 

•                Tofu and Quorn
 

•                Oats – sprinkle oats over fresh fruit or use to make porridge, sweetened with honey and fresh fruit
 

•                Potatoes, Brown rice and rice noodles
, Rye crackers, rice cakes and oatcakes
 

•                Fresh fish – eat any fresh fish including cod, plaice, mackerel, salmon, lobster, crab, trout, haddock, tuna, prawns, Dover sole, red mullet, halibut, lemon sole, monkfish, swordfish etc. Canned fish in water is suitable too eg salmon or tuna


•                Unsalted nuts – eat any including Brazil, peanuts, almonds, cashew, hazel nuts, macadamia, pecans, pine nuts, pistachio, walnuts etc
 

•                Unsalted seeds – eat any including sunflower and pumpkin


•                Plain popcorn – without sugar or salt


•                Live natural yoghurt


•                Extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar


•                Garlic, ginger and fresh herbs
 

•                Ground black pepper
 

•                Honey


•                Water – at least 2 litres a day. Tap or mineral water is fine.


•                Herbal or fruit teas

Foods to avoid during your detox

•                Red meat, chicken, turkey and any meat products like sausages, burgers, and pate


•                Milk, cheese, eggs, cream


•                Butter and margarine


•                Any food that contains wheat including bread, croissants, cereals, cakes, biscuits, pies, pastry, quiche, battered or breadcrumbed foods, etc


•                Crisps and savoury snacks including salted nuts


•                Chocolate, sweets, jam and sugar


•                Processed foods, ready meals, ready-made sauces and takeaways


•                Alcohol


•                Coffee and tea


•                Sauces, pickles, shop bought salad dressing, mayonnaise


•                Salt


•                Fizzy drinks and squashes, including diet versions

Detox Plan Breakfasts

•                Banana porridge
 Porridge made with water and topped with natural yoghurt, banana, raisins and sweetened with honey.


•                Fruit salad with yoghurt and oats
 Fresh fruit salad with natural yoghurt and a sprinkling of oats.


•                Fresh fruit smoothie
 Fruit smoothie made from fresh fruit, natural yoghurt and honey to sweeten if needed.


•                Muesli and yoghurt
 Homemade muesli made from oats, seeds, nuts and dried fruit served with natural yoghurt.


•                Fresh fruit and yoghurt
 Fresh fruit and a pot of natural yoghurt sweetened with honey.

Detox Plan Lunches

•                Vegetable soup and oatcakes
 Large bowl of vegetable or lentil soup (either homemade or supermarket ‘fresh’) with oatcakes.


•                Tuna and sweetcorn jacket potato and salad
 Jacket potato topped with tuna (canned in water) mixed with sweetcorn and natural yoghurt and served with salad.


•                Mediterranean salad with rice cakes
 Rice cakes served with rocket, avocado, tomatoes, fresh basil and black pepper. Plus a handful of unsalted nuts.


•                Guacamole with crudités
 Homemade guacamole made from avocado, lemon juice, fresh chilli, tomato and garlic served with vegetable crudités and oatcakes.


•                Avocado and prawn salad
 Fresh avocado served with prawns, salad, balsamic vinegar and lemon juice.


•                Jacket potato with grilled cod 
Grilled cod fillet served with jacket potatoes and lightly steamed vegetables.

Detox Plan Dinners

•                Chinese vegetable stir fry
 Stir fry a selection of vegetables such as bok choi, spring onions, mushrooms, bamboo shoots and beansprouts in a little olive oil with garlic and ginger. Serve with brown rice.


•                Baked salmon with jacket potato
 Bake a salmon fillet and serve with a jacket potato and steamed vegetables.


•                Tuna and prawns with noodles
 Gently fry a selection of vegetables such as onions, mushrooms, peppers, courgette and leek in a little olive oil. When lightly browned, add a handful of prawns. Cook for a few minutes, then add canned tomatoes, tomato puree, black pepper and tuna canned in water. Bring to the boil and simmer until the sauce thickens. Serve with rice noodles. 


•                Sweet and sour stir fry with rice
 Gently fry a selection of chopped vegetables such as onions, peppers, baby sweetcorn and mushrooms. Add canned pineapple (in fruit juice), canned tomatoes, tomato purée, white wine vinegar and honey. Bring to the boil and simmer until the sauce has thickened. Serve with brown rice.


•                Potato and bean casserole
 Gently fry a selection of typical casserole vegetables such as onion, carrots and parsnip in a little olive oil with garlic. When browned, add diced potato and fry for a few minutes. Add fresh vegetable stock, black pepper and your favourite beans. Bring to the boil and simmer until the casserole thickens.

Detox Plan Snacks

•                Fresh fruit or fresh fruit salad

•                Natural yoghurt mixed with honey

•                Plain popcorn

•                Handful of unsalted nuts or seeds

•                Mine starts today for the next seven days so im ready for the first Triathlon of the year, good luck with yours.