10 Powerful Questions To Ask Yourself

10 Powerful Questions to ask yourself, if your goal is to be healthy and to lose weight?

Over the last few years of researching, I have discovered there are many reasons why people don’t achieve their health and weight loss goals. They set out with great intentions to get healthy, fit and to loss weight. In the beginning while they are on their new diet they loss the weight and then something happens. They return to old eating habits all that weigh returns. To their great disappointment it returns with friends and take up permanent residency on your hips.

The following are some reasons why most weight loss returns, sugar, food cravings, insulin leptin and hormone resistances, emotional eating patterns, under-active thyroid, trace minerals depletion, vitamin D deficiencies and poor digestions.

Read these 10 questions carefully, If you’re going to set some health and weight loss goals. I strongly advise you to first start by asking yourself these ten powerful questions:

1.What is my why?  What do you wish to achieve in your health and weight for yourself? You need an emotional “anchor” to give you the behavioral leverage to get there. Are you losing weight to feel better about yourself? To improve your longevity? Is it your Health insurance? So that you can still go dancing, play golf or tennis? Are going to a class reunion or wedding? Figure out your top reasons for wanting to achieve your health and weight goals and use that reason as leverage to guide you in that direction.

2. Am I committed? Have you committed the TIME to realistically accomplish your health goals? You’ll need to set aside the time for exercise as well as time for fresh food preparation. Learn more about your heath options and to become a student of yourself.

3. Am I Eating with Awareness? When it comes to eating your food you’ve got to be 100% centered, free of distractions and consciously connected to the food you are eating. A new study reports; watching TV, texting, driving, or any other distracting activity during a meal can make you eat more than usual. Instead, make each meal something you put on a plate and sit down and enjoy, even if you’re eating alone.

4. Do I still eat processed food and sugars? The consumption of processed foods is one of the main contributors to leptin resistance and fat storage. Avoid processed foods as much as possible with a long list of artificial ingredients and food additives that we often can’t even pronounce let alone digest. If you’re still drinking sugar waters (Coke or sports drinks) forget about your health or weight loss goals. You first need to quit the sugar habit. Are you consuming enough fresh fruit and vegetables? Include fresh foods as much as possible.                                                                                                                                 Focus on color! Yellow, orange, dark green, deep reds, purples, blue and black.             Jen;s 10 top vegetables: Asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, capsicum, kale, spinach, watercress, mushrooms, sea vegetables and fermented vegetables.

Jen’s 10 tops Fruits: All berries, avocados, apples, kiwi, pomegranate, grapes, papaya, mango.

5. Am I consuming probiotics every day?  Probiotics are amazing, not only in boosting the digestive and immune systems, yet the whole-bodies health. This friendly bacteria has the ability to help us lose fat, particularly from the abdominal region. They do this by regulating the hormones in our bodies that send signals to our brain relating to being hungry or full.

So it is important to add probiotic-rich foods to our meals with such as yogurt, kefir and sauerkraut, kim chi, miso, tempeh (or probiotic flora-food supplements).

6. Do I get enough vitamin D?  Without vitamin D, weight loss almost never works. I take cod liver oil every day. Try adding foods like, fatty fish (such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring, tuna), walnuts, flaxseed,  free-range eggs and Chicken or Duck Pate.

7. Do I get enough fiber in my Day?  You should aim to get 30 to 50 grams of fiber into your diet every day. The type of fiber you choose is also important. Some great choices include fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds, Chia seeds, Jen’s Noodles, and quinoa.

8. Have I got off my but yet? You need a minimum of 10 minutes of exercise every.  This can be brisk walking, dancing while the add are on TV, go swimming or cycling. Weight training is also very valuable if you do it safely. I do a 10 minute high intense workout 3 days a week.

9. Do I understand the emotional reasons why I overeat or binge? When we eat to satisfy an emotional need instead of our body’s need for nourishment. We are not only avoiding dealing with the emotional hunger, we are creating a whole new set of problems. Including excess weight and an addiction to foods. Inside every person who isn’t happy with his or her body weight is someone who still has some emotional stuff to work out. Get some support from friends, family or professionals. Find out WHY you tend to overeat. Explore your habits and behavioral patterns. Are there certain things that trigger  your over-eating and cravings?

10. Am I still using toxins in my environment  (home, office)?

If you are struggling to lose weight despite eating well and exercising your butt off, maybe the toxins you use daily could be interfering with your body’s metabolism.

Here are some Ideas to reduce the toxins 

1. Replace the conventionally grown foods you eat with as much organic food as you can find and can afford. This eliminates the most fattening chemicals–pesticides–along with all the food additives and hormones.

2. Drink a lot of pure water. If you are drinking tap water with all its pollutants, that water is just making you fat. My best advice for you is to get a water purification/filter unit that removes the pollutants and leaves the minerals.

3. Use nontoxic or natural cleaning products. Cleaning products are among the most toxic in the home–and the easiest and least expensive to replace.

4. Control pests using natural methods. Those same fattening pesticides found in food are also present in household bug sprays and garden insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides.

5. Use natural beauty and hygiene products, preferably those made with harmful toxic ingredients. You can find these easily in food stores and online.

My message of this blog is this: Eat real food. Food your grandmother would have recognized. Food that usually doesn’t come in a package. Real food—whole food with minimal processing—contains a virtual pharmacy of nutrients, phytochemicals, antioxidants, enzymes, vitamins, minerals, anti-inflammatory and healthy fats, that can keep you slim  and energized forever. Also to minimize the toxins in your, food, skin care and home.

And remember, how you eat is as important as what you eat. Mindfulness and consciousness in eating—like in everything else in life.

www.healthcoachjen.com  email: info@healthcoachjn.com

Why I take Probiotics (Part 2)

Hippocrates once said, “All diseases begin in the gut,”

OK so we know when the bad guys are in charge of our immune system it’s weakened. So we are more likely to get colds, flu, allergies, skin problems, irritable bowel syndrome and even some autoimmune diseases.

Why don’t we have more good guys and fewer bad guys?

What’s to blame?

Antibiotics – These destroy bacteria in the body, both good and the bad guys. If you take antibiotics, contraceptive pills, painkillers, supplement your body with new Probiotics immediately during and afterwards to rebuild your reserves.

Chlorine – Another reason to avoid drinking tap water or even bathing in chlorinated water. Get a water filter and shower filter to limit your exposure to chlorine.

Additives/Preservatives– Poor-quality, non-organic, highly processed food may not kill good bacteria but may encourage bad bacteria to thrive and be a factor in the increasing number of food allergies. Dr. Dale Jacobson’s epic essay on digestion (jacobsonchiropractic.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/microvilli1.pdf) describes eating sugary or white-flour products as “basically making a paste in your gut, that promote[s] gut worms and other exciting parasites.” That sure seems like a description of bad gut guys getting the upper hand.

Antibacterial soaps and antibacterial cleaners– The next time you use that antibacterial hand and body cleanser, remember that you’re killing good and bad guys. Isn’t it better to wash more frequently with hot water and regular soap than to subject our immune system to yet another insult?

Stress – It’s also widely known that stress is a trigger that causes multiple chronic disease processes to occur. It is essential to realize that not only could stress affect your gut health, it could be caused by your gut health. Scientific evidence shows that nourishing your gut flora with the friendly bacteria with fermented foods or Probiotics is extremely important for proper brain function, that includes psychological well-being and mood control.

How do I feed the good guys?

When I first started looking for some answers to help rebuild my immune system. I came across some amazing teachers like Donna Gates, who wrote the book, The Body Ecology.   I discovered the importance of cultured vegetables and Kefir was for my immune system.

Another great teacher is Sandor Katz, who came out with his DIY book, “Wild Fermentation” in 2003. He book shows you how to make sauerkraut, kimchi, sourdough bread, yogurt, miso, tempeh, cider, ginger beer, vinegar and more!

I have been experimenting ever since. These are a few of  my favorite  Probiotics that I consume at least a tablespoon with breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. They are rich in enzyme, vitamin and bacteria.

What Are Fermented Foods?

Fermentation is one of the oldest traditional ways to preserve food.

Raw cultured veggies are one of the easiest and yummiest ways to heal, build your immunity, balance your inner ecosystem and enhance digestion to nourish our amazing your body. The body is able to access more of the precious nutrients available in plants when they are fermented.

Fermented foods do more than ease your digestive burden. Research tells us that this missing food group may be able to safeguard against a long list of health disorders.

When you ferment raw food, you allow beneficial bacteria and yeast to colonize and feed on the food. As communities of specific health-promoting bacteria grow, they consume sugars and produce valuable enzymes.

Fermented foods are pre-digested. This means that bacteria have already done some of the digestive work for you.

During this fermentation period, the friendly bacteria are having a party. Reproducing and converting sugars and starches to lactic acid. [Cultured veggies] Are ideal for appetite and weight control, very alkalizing  and cleansing to the blood.”

How to make cultured vegetables.

Cultured vegetables are made by shredding cabbage or a combination of cabbage and other vegetables and then packing them tightly into an airtight container. Leaving to ferment at room temperature for several days or longer. Friendly bacteria naturally present in the vegetables quickly lower the pH, making a more acidic environment so the bacteria can reproduce. The vegetables become soft, delicious and somewhat ‘pickled’.

The airtight container can be glass or stainless steel. Use a container that seals with a rubber or plastic ring and a clamp-down lid. Room temperature means 72 degrees Fahrenheit, 22.C. Three days is the minimum, I prefer to let ours sit for at least six or seven days. I have even left them culturing for weeks. You can taste them at different stages and decide for yourself.

Adding Cultured Vegetables to Your Diet.

As with any Probiotic food or supplement, cultured vegetables should be slowly implemented into the diet. I would start by adding a tablespoon or two to each meal, working my way up to about 1/2 cup per meal.

Another great Probiotic is Kefir 

Grains of the Prophet

The word kefir means “feel good” in Turkish. It is in the Caucasian Mountains that this lacto fermented wonder is believed to have originated. The Prophet Mohammed gifted the orthodox peoples of the region with the magical kefir grain and instructed them how to use it.

Kefir is full of naturally occurring bacteria and yeast living in symbiosis as the result of the fermentation process. Kefir is rich in minerals such as phosphorous and essential amino acids such as Tryptophan.

Tryptophan plays a crucial role in calming the nervous system as it is converted by the body (with the help of calcium, magnesium and vitamin B6 – all found in kefir) into the neurotransmitter Serotonin, which is essential for a healthy mental state and sound sleep.

Phosphorus, the 2nd most abundant mineral in our body that helps the utilization of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, which aid in cellular growth and maintenance.

Studies have shown that it can even be consumed by the lactose intolerant because the yeast and bacteria provide the enzyme lactase, an enzyme which consumes most of the lactose left after the culturing process.

There are a few different Kefir grains.

Dairy Kefir  which is creamy, drinkable yogurt style fermented milk. You make you own at home, it can be made out of whatever type of milk you like. I love almond or coconut milk.

Water Kefir Grains is a wonderful mildly zesty fermented sugar-water beverage.

If you are interested in eliminating dairy from your diet, keep your inner ecosystem thriving without the dairy yogurt, try Water Kefir or Coconut  Kefir  yogurt.  These Beneficial Probiotics feed on the sugar in the water and leave a slightly fizzy, sour, champagne-like elixir that you can add to your healing foods.

Ginger water kefir

Another of my favorite Probiotics is homemade, dairy-free Ginger Water Kefir—a naturally fermented beverage made from water Kefir grains.

I use ginger because of it amazing benefits.  Take a look here

While you can make Water Kefir with kefir grains  you can use a starter packs, with much less work, by using a simple quality Probiotic capsule or two.

Coconut Kefir

According to Donna Gates author of The Body Ecology, a half cup of the Coconut Water Kefir with meals greatly helps digestion. You can add ginger, stevia, lemon, and/or lime if desired. A half cup at bedtime will help establish a healthy inner ecosystem. Studies from Europe show that when you are lying still during sleep, the microflora reproduce faster. In the morning, have a half-cup of the Coconut Water Kefir as a great wake-up tonic.

Probiotic Supplement Buying Guide

Although fermented foods and cultured dairy are a great source of beneficial bacteria and should form an integral part of a balanced diet. They may not deliver the powerful therapeutic doses required to overcome specific illness or combat the negative effects of an antibiotic treatment.

Your local health food store should provide a variety of Probiotic supplements. Though I have found that online vendors consistently offer lower prices as well as a better selection.

Look for supplements that:

• List the Genus, Species and Strain of the beneficial bacteria included
• Have CFU counts of at least 1 billion organisms per serving
• Contain members of both the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium genera
• Are manufactured from reputable brands such as (but no limited to) Culturelle, Florastor, Jarrow, Natren, Theralac and VSL#3
• Provide a clear expiration date
• Don’t include processed sugars or preservatives
• Have been kept refrigerated
• Come in either Capsule or Single Packet delivery formats (Powders are okay too)

I would love to know what your favorite Probiotic foods are and how adding a Probiotic has helped your health?

Sources:

http://www.healingwithprobiotics.com/cultured-vegetables

http://www.kefir.net

http://www.naturalnews.com/bacteria.html

http://bodyecology.com/articles/category/probiotics

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/04/09/chronic-stress-gut-effects.aspx

 

Why I Take Probiotics (Part 1)

The word probiotics literally means “for life” (from the Latin pro, meaning “for” and the Greek biota, meaning “life”).

While I was researching to improve my autoimmune system, I discovered that 80 percent of my immune system was located in my digestive tract. I now believe, that the root of most of my health problems was related to an imbalance of intestinal bacteria.

The beneficial bacterium in your gut will in fact help prevent allergies. By training your immune system to distinguish between pathogens and non-harmful antigens and respond appropriately.
Traditional diets around the world have included raw and fermented food loaded with bacteria, including many beneficial strains. From yogurt, to kefir, to sauerkraut to fermented fish, cultures around the world are not afraid, of little bacteria.
I began to introduce kefir, fermented food and Jens Noodles (a prebiotic) to my food plan and started to see some amazing results.

Here are my top Ten reasons WHY I use probiotics… everyday!
1. Prevention of Allergies to Food: A new study shows that probiotics may play a role in the prevention of allergies to food. This study, which was published in the Journal of Nutrition, showed that when mice (sensitive to the whey in milk) were given a supplement containing a probiotic (along with a prebiotic fibre) they experienced a reduced allergic response to milk. Not only did the mice exhibit less skin signs of allergy, they also showed a reduction in the number of antibodies to the whey found in milk.

2. Some allergies and skin problems can be improved by taking a probiotic. It has been shown to delay the development of allergies in children. Eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis, is very common in infants and young children. It can be particularly beneficial for dairy sensitivities and allergies.

3. Helps with Weight loss: It appears that those symbiotic, friendly little bacteria actually have the ability to help us lose fat, particularly from the abdominal region. They do this by regulating the hormones in our bodies that send signals to our brain (relating to being hungry or full) by destroying fat calorie absorption in the intestines.

4. Relieves sugar cravings: Fermented Foods and drinks are perhaps the most important way to reduce or even eliminate cravings for sugar. If you happen to eat something sweet, like a piece of fruit or a sweet potato, the probiotics in fermented foods and drinks will eat up the sugar, reducing the damage that sugar would do in your body.

5. Some illnesses can be treated or prevented using probiotics: COLDS AND FLU  Studies carried out on healthy people found that those who use probiotic supplements and probiotic foods have fewer colds and winter infections. Probiotics can prime the immune system and increase resistance to infection by producing antibiotics. Biotic reduces unhealthy bacteria in the intestinal tract and they can help alleviate IBS. They also prevent, slow, or treat infections along the digestive tract. Some studies also show it is also possible for Crohn’s disease to be alleviated and ulcerative colitis is more likely to remain in remission. Celiac disease or gluten sensitivity (GS) symptoms are handled by adding probiotics. Studies are still occurring and beginning to show that probiotics may even help prevent colon cancer.

6. Probiotics increase the availability of essential vitamins and nutrients: Probiotics produce many important enzymes and increase the availability of vitamins and nutrients, especially Vitamin B, Vitamin K, lactase, fatty acids and calcium. It becomes easier to absorb nutrients and digest foods.

7. Probiotics can help build the beneficial bacteria after you have recently taken antibiotics: A harmful bacterium, Helicobacter pylori, often causes ulcers. The antibiotics used to kill these off can have unpleasant side effects. Taking probiotics can help reduce these effects.

8. Probiotics help to kill harmful parasites, viruses and bacteria: Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that may be instrumental in treating your parasitic infection by destroying it and eliminating it from your body. When you are travelling or at risk of food poisoning, probiotics can help kill off bad bacteria like salmonella and e.coli.

9. Probiotics remove excess cholesterol by breaking down bile in your small intestine: The Imperial College London followed out research on mice and probiotics and spotted a change in the way the mice with probiotics handled bile acids, which were released into the gut to help the body break down fat. They found chemical clues in the mice, which suggested that the probiotics might, in some way, be helping break down bile acids more effectively.

10. Happiness and mental wellbeing may be directly related to the health of your digestive tract: The truth is that 90% of the body’s serotonin is produced in the gut, while only 5% is produced in the brain. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that influences mood, sleep, appetite and pain sensations.
Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride discovered how to cure her son of autism through a diet that restored his probiotic levels and heal his inflammatory conditions. She developed GAPS, gut and psychology syndrome, confirming the connection with gut health and mental health.
When our digestion is functioning properly and we are absorbing and assimilating all the nutrients we need, our immune system tends to be happy and thus better equipped to wage war against disease and illness.
In my next Blog I will talk about building up you good bacteria…
For now simply incorporate Probiotics and fermented foods into your diet.

Tips include:

• Replace regular bread with a fresh sourdough variety.
• Choose kefir and yogurt over regular milk. Both are delicious in smoothies
• I make my own coconut ginger kefir, once a week.
• Kombucha is a fermented drink found in many grocery stores. Look for naturally fermented vegetables such as pickled cucumbers, beets, onions, sauerkraut and kimchi. Add a spoonful to any dish.
• Use miso to marinate fish or in soup.
• Try tempeh instead of chicken.

Sources include:

http://www.naturalnews.com/040516_probiotics_weight_loss_gut_health.html
http://eprobiotics.com
http://www.probiotics-for-health.com/health-benefits-of-probiotics-blog.html
http://wellnessmama.com/2303/do-you-have-a-stinking-gut/

Trying to cut sugar? 10 Ways I Reduce My Cravings

Are you in the sugar addiction cycle?

Most of my life I have had a sugar addiction, like most addiction I didn’t know I had a problem until it became a serious health and relationship issue. One Morning I had enough; I made a commitment  to cut sugar  completely from my diet, just for 21 days, That meant No sugar or starchy carbs.

After a few  weeks I saw a remarkable change in my skin, huge increase in energy, plus my moods swings, cravings and pains had disappeared.  I finally felt in control again, so I  decided to continued and go 90 days, not only did I drop 25 kg, I fell in love with real  food again, I came up with some amazing recipes. I started listening to what my body was tell me, yeh sure I am human, there were days where I wanted to listen to my ANTs (automatic negative thinking) though I made a commitment  within 4 months my whole body had reshaped completely.

Having a sugar addiction is like having a drug addiction; it can be very hard to overcome.   It is essential to have the right mindset and being prepared is super important. I read and loved  David Gillespie book The Sweet Poison Quit Plan,  he details five key steps: have the right attitude; stop habits associated with sugar (such as watching TV at night); get rid of the sugar you have at home; withdraw from sugar – have one last celebratory supper of your favorite sugary treat; and restock your cupboards.

So here I have list just a few tips that I have used in my life to over come my cravings.

1. Commit yourself to sugar-free timeout. Even if it is just one week or one month, set the date and commit, reap the benefits of time out without sugar will bring to you. Get it in your mind that absolutely nothing will derail you from getting sugar out over this time period. Tell yourself that sugar is not your friend.  It robs your body of the essential minerals, ages you by speeding up the degradation of elastin and collagen, both key skin proteins. Sugar has been linked to many diseases. Heart disease, cancer, hypertension are just some of the few.

2. Have a breakfast of protein, fat and phytonutrients to start your day off right. Having a good breakfast is essential to prevent sugar cravings and these are filling, nutritious and delicious. I found that if I had a breakfast full of sugary or starchy foods, I would be craving sugar and starches all day, then circle starts again.

3. Include protein in every meal. A meal with carbs alone cause blood sugar spikes and crashes, which leaves you feeling tired, hungry and cranky. Protein helps slow this from happening, so that the carbs you eat aren’t converted to body fat, and allows the energy to be released slowly. Some of my favourate protein sources are lean grass feed meats, fish, poultry, dairy and unprocessed soy products like Miso and Tempeh. I have approximately 100-120 grams usually the size of my palm per meal.

4. Include healthy fats in every meal. Fat is calorie-dense, 9 calories  per gram  it’s important that you eat them in moderation, they also have a positive impact on slowing insulin response, like protein, which also helps with the sugar cravings. My favorite healthy fat source are nuts, seeds, avocados, olives, and fatty fish (e.g., salmon). The fat source you choose should be about the size of your thumb, I have 2 serving per meal.

5. Drink and Eat your water You may sometimes think that your body is asking for food or sugar, when in fact it’s dehydrated and really craving water! ask your self these questions! 1. Am I thirsty ? 2. Am I hungry? 3. Or is my stomach just empty?                      I found that I drank more if I Measured and recorded my water intake.I have a 1 litre bottle in front of me all day, I drink 1 litre before 11am and then another before 2 pm, that way I will not be up during the night. Eat your water, means increase high water dense foods. Have a piece of fruit, eg apple, strawberries, it should satisfy a sweet craving and is much healthier. Many fruits and vegetables contain 90 – 98 percent water.  I  love fresh young coconuts they are about 95% water, they also contains the electrolytes sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium and phosphate as well as small amounts of many essential amino acids.

6. Fill up on fiber. Fiber contains only 1.5 to 2.5 calories per gram, while other carbs contain 4 calories per gram essentially, you can pile your plate with plenty of high-fiber foods without worrying about caloric-overload, high-fiber foods burn more calories during digestion than it actually contains. Fiber is absorbed by our bodies more slowly than other foods, which means we feel full longer and less likely to overindulge. Jen’s noodles are the highest source of  fiber.

7. Include Probotic foods, Fermented Foods and Drinks, are perhaps the most important way to reduce or even eliminate cravings for sugar. In fact, this one is so effective that I’ve read that it nixes sugar cravings in about 4 – 5 days! You can make your own Kefir and fermented foods it helps relieve the desire for sugar and processed foods. It also eats up the sugar, reducing the damage that sugar would do in your body.

8 .Take L-Glutamine, 100-300mg every couple of hours as necessary. It often relieves sugar cravings as the brain uses it for fuel. L-Glutamine is amino acid, it Improves brain function, stabilizes blood sugar levels , reduces cravings, maintain/supports the gut and its functions \and Support the Immune System.

9. Explore the emotional issues around your cravings. Emotions such as fear, anxiety, stress, boredom, sadness are all triggers to sugar. If you have insulin issues, Candida, PCOS, or allergies, it makes it even harder to get rid of sugar. They must be dealt with to create the health you desire. What are you really craving for? Today, I want to ask you to focus on WHY you are eating? Are you truly hungry when you have a meal or snack, or are you using food as a replacement for something else that isn’t working in your life?  Distract yourself, go for a walk, best would be to go for a walk in nature if possible, do some push ups. Cravings usually last for maximum 10-20 minutes and then pass. If you can manage to distract yourself with something else, it often passes. The more often you do this, the easier it gets and the cravings get easier to deal with.

10. Do 21 day cleanse, when I first started to get sugar out of my life, I had the most success when I did  the Reshaping System for  21 days. This gives your body enough time to get over the sugar cravings, when you  journal and listen to your body you get to understand what your body is intolerant to and you discover what you are really craving for in your life.

When I started to reduce my sugar intake I found that my taste buds started to change. I begin to enjoy the naturally sweet taste in foods. To free yourself from sugar cravings, embrace a new way of thinking and eating that is naturally energizing, anti-aging and nourishing.

10 Principles of Intuitive Eating

Wouldn’t it be great if you had a manual with a list of life principles to live by?

I have been in Bali for just over a week, I have had some technical issues with my ipad. so I missed last weeks blog.

Before I left home,  I set an intention that I was going to improve my skill with eating Intuitively.

In today’s blog, I would like to share with you the 10 Principles that I have been using from one of my favorite books, Intuitive Eating, Authors Evelyn Tribole & Elyse Resch.
Over the years I have read some amazing books, in search to help me heal my relationship with food.
In this book they share 10 important principles that I live by every day. Many of the principles listed are lessons which I have integrated at one point or another. Through these principles, I have made peace with my foods, and I have stopped the negative internal and external voices about eating, I have also learnt to find ways to nourish myself and ways to cope with my feelings.

Do you have a set of principles which you live by?

What is Intuitive Eating? 
Intuitive eating is an approach that teaches you how to create a healthy relationship with your food, mind, and body–where you ultimately become the expert of your own body. I call this mindful eating.
Intuitive Eating is not about will power or self control.It’s about trusting your body to give accurate information about the what, when, and how much to eat. This trust can only come from going through a process of making peace with all foods, so no food is forbidden.  Forbidding or restricting certain foods creates a sense of deprivation and a subsequent period of overeating as a backlash to the deprivation.    When you finally truly belief that you have unconditional permission to eat any food, without judgment, and without fear of future deprivation, the more balance in eating evolves.

You learn how to distinguish between physical and emotional feelings, and gain a sense of body wisdom.   It’s also a process of making peace with food–so that you no longer have constant food worry thoughts.  It’s knowing that your health and your worth as a person do not change, because you ate food that you had labeled as bad or fattening.

1. Reject the Diet Mentality Throw out the diet books and magazine articles that offer you false hope of losing weight quickly, easily, and permanently. Get angry at the lies that have led you to feel as if you were a failure every time a new diet stopped working and you gained back all of the weight. If you allow even one small hope to linger that a new and better diet might be lurking around the corner, it will prevent you from being free to rediscover Intuitive Eating.

2. Honor Your Hunger Keep your body biologically fed with adequate energy and carbohydrates. Otherwise you can trigger a primal drive to overeat. Once you reach the moment of excessive hunger, all intentions of moderate, conscious eating are fleeting and irrelevant. Learning to honor this first biological signal sets the stage for re-building trust with yourself and food.

3. Make Peace with Food Call a truce, stop the food fight! Give yourself unconditional permission to eat. If you tell yourself that you can’t or shouldn’t have a particular food, it can lead to intense feelings of deprivation that build into uncontrollable cravings and, often, bingeing When you finally “give-in” to your forbidden food, eating will be experienced with such intensity, it usually results in Last Supper overeating, and overwhelming guilt.

4. Challenge the Food Police .Scream a loud “NO” to thoughts in your head that declare you’re “good” for eating minimal calories or “bad” because you ate a piece of chocolate cake. The Food Police monitor the unreasonable rules that dieting has created . The police station is housed deep in your psyche, and its loud-speaker shouts negative barbs, hopeless phrases, and guilt-provoking indictments. Chasing the Food Police away is a critical step in returning to Intuitive Eating.

5. Respect Your Fullness Listen for the body signals that tell you that you are no longer hungry. Observe the signs that show that you’re comfortably full. Pause in the middle of a meal or food and ask yourself how the food tastes, and what is your current fullness level?

6. Discover the Satisfaction Factor The Japanese have the wisdom to promote pleasure as one of their goals of healthy living In our fury to be thin and healthy, we often overlook one of the most basic gifts of existence–the pleasure and satisfaction that can be found in the eating experience. When you eat what you really want, in an environment that is inviting and conducive, the pleasure you derive will be a powerful force in helping you feel satisfied and content. By providing this experience for yourself, you will find that it takes much less food to decide you’ve had “enough”

7. Honor Your Feelings Without Using Food Find ways to comfort , nurture, distract, and resolve your issues without using food. Anxiety, loneliness, boredom, anger are emotions we all experience throughout life. Each has its own trigger, and each has its own appeasement. Food won’t fix any of these feelings. It may comfort for the short-term, distract from the pain, or even numb you into a food hangover. But food won’t solve the problem. If anything, eating for an emotional hunger will only make you feel worse in the long run. You’ll ultimately have to deal with the source of the emotion, as well as the discomfort of overeating.

8. Respect Your Body Accept your genetic blueprint. Just as a person with a shoe size of eight would not expect to realistically squeeze into a size six, it is equally as futile (and uncomfortable) to have the same expectation with body size. But mostly, respect your body, so you can feel better about who you are. It’s hard to reject the diet mentality if you are unrealistic and overly critical about your body shape.

9. Exercise–Feel the Difference Forget militant exercise. Just get active and feel the difference. Shift your focus to how it feels to move your body, rather than the calorie burning effect of exercise. If you focus on how you feel from working out, such as energized, it can make the difference between rolling out of bed for a brisk morning walk or hitting the snooze alarm. If when you wake up, your only goal is to lose weight, it’s usually not a motivating factor in that moment of time.

10 Honor Your Health–Gentle Nutrition Make food choices that honor your health and taste buds while making you feel well. Remember that you don’t have to eat a perfect diet to be healthy. You will not suddenly get a nutrient deficiency or gain weight from one snack, one meal, or one day of eating. It’s what you eat consistently over time that matters, progress not perfection is what counts. 

I  found in the beginning I needed to started out just focousing on just one princable at a time, that way  it wasnt so over whelming and I could impletment them into my life to live a nushished lifestyle.          

10 Tips For Increasing Fibre in Your Diet

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Are You Getting Enough Daily Fiber

(recipe & video Below)

You should aim to get 30 to 50 grams of fiber into your diet every day. The type of fiber you choose is important, too.     Most people think that bran is the best type of fiber to eat. But bran (wheat fiber) is mostly insoluble and doesn’t get digested. Think of it as more of a scouring pad for your intestines. That’s good for getting you regular, but it just can’t help your health the way that soluble fiber can.

Dietary fiber, or sometimes roughage and ruffage is the indigestible portion of food derived from plants. Fiber is an essential nutrient needed by the human body. Some of the benefits of fiber include the aiding of digestion and elimination of waste in the body, as well as helping control caloric intake.                                                                                             There are two main components:                                                                                      Soluble fiber dissolves in water. It is readily fermented in the colon into gases and physiologically active by products, and can be prebiotic and/or viscous. Soluble fibers tend to slow the movement of food through the system.                                                                  Insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water. It can be metabolically inert and provide bulking or prebiotic, metabolically fermenting in the large intestine. Bulking fibers absorb water as they move through the digestive system. Insoluble fibers tend to accelerate the movement of food through the system.

10 Tips For Increasing Fiber in Your Diet                                                                        By Dr Mark Hyman                                                                                                                       1. Get the flax. Get a coffee grinder just for flax seeds, grind 1/2 cup at a time, and keep it in a tightly sealed glass jar in the fridge or freezer. Sprinkle it on salads, grains, or vegetable dishes or mix it in a little unsweetened applesauce.                                                     2. Add Chia seeds to your salads, great to make gravy and sauces.                                       3. Load up on legumes. Beans beat out everything else for fiber content!                          4. Bulk up on vegetables. With low levels of calories and high levels of antioxidants and protective phytochemical, these excellent fiber sources should be heaped on your plate daily.                                                                                                                                                         5. Go with the grain. Whole grains like brown rice or quinoa are rich in fiber, too.             6. Eat more fruit. Include a few servings of low-sugar fruits to your diet daily (berries are the highest in fibre and other protective phytochemical).                                                       7. Go nuts. Include a few handfuls of almonds, walnuts, pecans, or hazelnuts to your diet every day.                                                                                                                                               8. Start slowly. Switching abruptly to a high-fiber diet can cause gas and bloating. Increase your fiber intake slowly till you get up to 50 grams a day.                                            9. Consider a good fiber supplement. If you’re have trouble getting your fill of fiber, choose a supplement that contains both soluble and insoluble fiber and no sweeteners or additives.                                                                                                                                                 10. Choose GM. By now, you know that my favorite kind is glucomannan (GM), or konjac which is what is in Jens noodles.

Benefits of Jen’s Noodles

Everybody loves noodles. The problem, however, is that most noodles are loaded with quickly digested, high-calorie carbohydrates that spike your blood sugar, that race toward your stomach and hips, where they take up residence and plan their retirement. Most noodles have harmful wheat and gluten in them; Jen’s Noodles offer a healthy option for those who crave the noodle experience.

No Calories. Jen’s noodles are starch-free noodles, they are visually translucent and calorie invisible. They have very low calories, the “Chicago Tribune” reports. A one-cup serving of traditional spaghetti noodles sends 221 calories your way, even before you add them with any sauces or flavors.  As a bonus, the absence starch  that makes Jen’s Noodles diabetic-friendly. Japanese Women Eat To Stay Thin. Featured on ABC News.

Gluten Free. Jen’s noodles excludes the protein gluten, found in grains such as wheat, barley and rye. A 100% gluten-free lifestyle is considered absolutely necessary for people with gluten intolerance, also known as Celiac Disease, because they suffer an immune reaction every time they eat foods containing gluten; there are those pasta-lovers who have gluten or wheat intolerance can eat Jen’s Noodles to their hearts’ content.

High Fiber. Jen’s Noodles are low on calories, but generous with fiber. The fiber in Jen’s noodles, called glucomamman, GM, is water-soluble. It controls blood sugar and lowers your triglycerides and bad cholesterol, the Body Ecology website notes. The fiber scrubs your intestinal tract, aids digestion and assists with weight loss.

Prebotic GM fiber functions as a prebiotic, encouraging Lactobacillus bifidus growth in the lower intestine, according to the Konjac Foods website.

Increases Satiety. Jen;s Noodles enhance your sense of fullness. You can eat less and feel sated. They prolong digestion and reduce food cravings so you are less likely to feel the need to raid the pantry for a post-dinner snack. Plus, it pushes more calories out through your colon, rather than letting them be absorbed. It also lowers the energy density of the food you eat. In other words, it bulks up food in your gut — creating a lower calorie content per weight of food you eat.

High in Alkaline. According to a Japanese Researcher, Dr. Kotaro Nishizaki, when measured up to all of the foods on the pH Value chart, the konjac powder indicated to be the 2nd highest in alkaline value(Alkalinityon the whole foods chart. The food with the highest alkalinity on the chart is Seaweed Wakame.

Slows down insulin. By slowing the rate of food absorption from the gut to the bloodstream, Jens noodles reduces the amount of insulin produced after a meal, which also controls your appetite.

Flexibility and Ease. Because they lack their own flavor, Jen’s Noodles absorb the essence of whatever sauces and ingredients accompany it, making it the perfect pasta for fragrant and spicy dishes as well as your mild-mannered cheese topping. Jen;s Noodles don’t need to be cooked. All you have to do is take them out of the bag and heat them (ready in 60 seconds)with your spices and flavoring foods. Jen’s Noodles can remain packaged on your shelf for as long as one year.
As you can see, fiber has big benefits for your health –can also help your health in other ways. In addition to weight reduction, the super fiber has been studied for its effects on constipation, serum cholesterol, blood glucose, blood pressure,and insulin resistance syndrome.

Savory Mince Fettuccine

Ingredients/ serves 2

1 bag of Jen’s Noodles Fettuccine                                                                                                       200 grams beef minced                                                                                                                        ½ onion                                                                                                                                                  ½ red capsicum                                                                                                                                      8 cherry tomatoes                                                                                                                                   4 mushrooms                                                                                                                                           1 tablespoon of pesto                                                                                                                              1 garlic glove                                                                                                                                          ½ tablespoon ginger                                                                                                                            ½ teaspoon chilli powder                                                                                                                      ½ teaspoon cumin ground                                                                                                                 ½ tablespoon tomato paste                                                                                                                  1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese (optional )                                                                                          1 tablespoon olive oil

 Method

1. Rinse Jen’s Noodles as packet instructions
2. Pop the ginger, garlic into a food processor and blend till fine
3. Add the capsicum, onion and tomatoes, mushrooms and pulse a few times
4. Heat a non stick pan; then add the oil to cover
5. Add in the onion, capsicum, garlic and tomatoes,Simmer for 1 min
6. Add beef mince and cook for about 5 minutes – until brown
7. Stir in the cumin, chilli powder, tomatoes paste and pesto
8. Turn off the heat and add Jen’s Noodles and mix well
9. Sprinkle with the cheese on top

              http://www.jensnoodles.com

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/fiber-health-the-super-fi_b_594153.html

http://konjacfoods.com/index.html

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Raw Pesto Chicken Fettuccine

The health benefits of Pesto.

The amazing thing about pesto is that each ingredient, well maybe not the cheese, has amazing health benefits. I have a great Italian friend Paula who makes the best Pesto, she has shared her secret recipes with me

I have added some variations below.

This is a healthy meal is full of great fats, super fiber, proteins, and is loaded with anti oxidants.

Basil is a very effective anti-inflammatory herb with extraordinary healing benefits that work for arthritis, allergies, and inflammatory bowel conditions, to name a just a few. Basil is also an excellent source of beta carotene, a powerful antioxidant that prevents free radical damage. Free radical damage is the primary cause of heart disease, cancer, and many other serious health conditions, as well as aging. Because of its dark green colour, it is an excellent source of vitamin K, calcium and magnesium, which is good for the bones. It is also a great source of iron, manganese, vitamin C and potassium.                                        Pine nuts have the highest concentration of oleic acid. That’s a monounsaturated fat that aids the liver in eliminating harmful triglycerides from our body. That helps protect our heart.                                                                                                                                               The garlic also offers antioxidant protection and can lower blood pressure.                        Extra virgin olive oil contains vitamin E and has natural antioxidants to help fight cancers and heart disease. The high level of oleic acid helps to protect the heart as well as the stomach.

These noodles are really easy to prepare.  They are ready to eat, pre-cooked noodles that don’t require any cooking. Simply rinse and enjoy!  Jen’s Noodles absorb the flavours of any soup, stir fry, sauce or dish you wish to add them to. They are smooth, not “chewy” like many other brands of shiritaki noodles.  You can taste the difference.

Jen’s Noodles are available in boxes of 10 packages – enough for 20 servings.  And each serving has ONLY 6 calories!

Whether you’re on a low calorie, low carb, low GI, low fat, sugar free, soy free, dairy free, wheat free, gluten free, Vegan or Vegetarian or detox diet — or you just want something quick and easy to prepare — Jen’s Noodles are the perfect choice.

Raw Pesto Chicken Fettuccine

Ingredients                                                                                                         Feeds 2

• 1 pkt Jens Noodles Fettuccine
• 200 Grams chicken breast sliced

Pesto Sauce:

• 2 cups fresh basil,
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
• 1/4 cup, pine nuts
• 1 medium/large clove garlic
• 2 tablespoons fresh- lemon juice
• sea salt, ground black pepper to taste
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper

The Fun

1. Prepare Jen noodles by opening the packet and pop them into a colander and rince them under hot water and allow the to drain.
2. Heat up the nonstick fry pan medium heat, add some oil, pop in the sliced Chicken and cook turn occasionally  for 5 minutes.
3. To make the pesto,  pop in a blender or food processor,  the basil, olive oil, Parmesan Cheese, pine nuts, garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and blend until smooth. Be careful not to over blend.
4. Add the 2 Tablespoons of  pesto sauce to  the chicken and add  Jen’s “noodles” and toss gently but thoroughly.
5. Sprinkle with some extra Parmesan cheese .

There are many other healthy varieties, these are a few favorites.

Variation 1  Raw Pesto with coriander. Follow the basic recipe, but replace the basil with coriander. Variation 2  Raw Pesto with rocket. Follow the basic recipe, but replace the basil with rocket.    Variation 3 Raw Pesto with with spinach or  1/2 spinach and 1/2 Basil . Follow the basic recipe, but replace 1/2  the basil with spinach.                                                                                                                                    Variation 4 Raw Pesto with Walnuts . Follow the basic recipe, but replace the pine nuts with raw walnuts.                                                                                                                                                                               Variation 5 Raw Pesto with Macadamia.  Follow the basic recipe, but replace the pine nuts with raw macadamia nuts.

If you have a recipe with these delicious noodles –email me it to me  for a FREE packet

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5 Meals In 40 Minutes

When it comes to nourishing your body and mind, nothing is superior to preparing your food from scratch, with quality ingredients and served with Vitamin L (love)

We’re all strapped for time, but making meals doesn’t always have to be a three-hour chore. In fact, you can whip up and eat a delicious and healthy, fat burning, anti aging meals in less time than it would make your order at a restaurant.

By planning ahead you can make meal times, easier,faster and fun.

Have you got 40 minutes on a Sunday afternoon? then you’ve got enough time to make 5 delicious meals ready to go when you’re hungry.                                                      Stop the stress at meal time by creating these healthy meals in 1/2 the time:

Feel free to substitute your family’s favorite ingredients in the following recipes.

Please make sure you follow strict food safety guidelines,general to assure your food remains safe and of high quality

• Refrigerate the food for the next meal to keep it safe. Refrigerating the leftovers promptly in shallow containers, covering them well so they don’t dry out in the fridge, and using them within 2-3 days.
  
• Special care with Meat, Fish, Eggs and Dairy. Perishable cooked foods, such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy products shouldn’t be at room temperature longer than TWO hours TOTAL.
  
• Plan the next meal. Pull out from refrigerate only the portion to be served for your next meal before you set the food on the table.
  

Shopping List

 

Protein:                                                                                                                                             4 chicken breast about 120 -150 per person (600 g)
4 salmon fillets 120-150 per person (600g, 2.5 cm) skinned.

Produce:                                                                                                                                           (142 to 227 g) lettuce, mixed salad greens (enough for 4 individual salads)                               (400 g) spinach chopped                                                                                                                     3 capsicums  (red, yellow and/or orange)                                                                                       1 head of broccoli                                                                                                                                 1 medium size sweet potato cut into pieces                                                                                      4 mushrooms sliced                                                                                                                             1 zucchini  sliced                                                                                                                                  1 Onion sliced                                                                                                                                       2 tomatoes, sliced                                                                                                                               1 large cucumber or 2-3small Lebanese cucumbers, sliced                                                     Small ginger head diced                                                                                                                       2  gloves garlic                                                                                                                                       3 limes                                                                                                                                                    2 avocados

Refrigerated:                                                                                                                                        6 eggs                                                                                                                                                     Hemp seeds (optional)

Nonperishable:
2 packet jens noodles                                                                                                                      200 ml coconut milk/cream
coconut/olive or hemp/macadamia/avocado oil                                                                            Dried dulse flakes                                                                                                                                 25g or 1/4 cup almond meal
Himalayan salt
black pepper
powdered cumin
chilli powder or cayenne powder
dried dill
coconut amino or tamari sauce

Get Your Tools Ready                                                                                                                   2 baking pans
1 or two cutting boards (i use one for meat,chicken,fish and one for my vegetables)
Sharp knives for cutting veggies and chicken
(28 cm) larger skillet
(20 cm) larger pot                                                                                                                       Medium food processor

Cooking Instructions for 5 Meals in 40 Minutes

• Preheat oven to (230º)
• slice sweet potato into bite size pieces,
• slice capsicum, zucchini, mushrooms, and broccoli into small piece
• place in a baking pan, season with herbs, toss with coconut oil
• Pop into the oven

Prepare the Salmon

• Take the chicken and  salmon out of the refrigerator
• Season the salmon lightly with salt and pepper
• Place in a baking pan and put in the oven with the veggies
• Set a timer for 12 minutes; this is a reminder to take the salmon out
• When you take the salmon out, take the veggie out also
• Once the veggies and the salmon are in the oven
• juice the limes into a small bowl, chop the onion, garlic and ginger and set aside

Lime salad dressing and the ginger, garlic and mint

• Whisk together 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of lime juice,
• ½ cup (125 ml) of olive oil/hemp/macadamia or avocado oil
• pinch of salt
• Set aside. (Don’t discard remaining lime juice.)   Ginger garlic and mint
• In a small blender or coffee grinder,
• add 2 cloves of garlic 1 cm chunk of ginger
• 4 stems of mint  leaves
• Blend them together and pop into a bowl

Cook the chicken

• Slice the chicken very thinly into (25 to 50 cm) long slices
• Lightly season with salt and pepper
• Check the salmon – is it done?
• Grab your 28cm skillet and 20cm pot
• heat up the pan and skillet
• Add about a tablespoon of coconut oil to each over medium-high heat
• When the oil is hot, add 1/3 (450 grams) of the sliced chicken to the skillet and cook for 5-7 minutes
• Turn the heat off under the skillet

Jen’s noodles with Ginger Chicken Creamed Spinach

• While the Chicken is cooking
• In the heatet pot add some coconut oil, when the oil is hot add the chopped the onion, garlic, mint and ginger and saute for a min then add the rest of the chicken to the pot
• Stirring once or twice, until it’s cooked through, takes about 5 minutes
• To the 20cm pot with the onion, garlic, ginger and chicken, add half the spinach and ½ the can of coconut milk. Bring to a boil and simmer for five minutes then turn off the heat under the pot

Take the veggies out of the oven. Turn the oven off and turn on the stove

Salad

Can be prepared when needed

• (142 to 227 g) lettuce, mixed salad green
• 1 tomatoes slice
• 1 cucumber sliced
• 1 onion sliced
• 1 avocado sliced
• 1 teaspoon of hemp seeds
• 1 table spoon of your choose of oil
• add the salad dressing when it is ready to eaten

Recipes                                                                                                                                 Salmon Salad

• 2 (113 to 150 g and 2.5 cm) salmon fillets skinned
• I large tomato sliced
• 1 small cucumber sliced into rounds
• (120 g) salad greens (enough for 2 individual salads)
• ½ lime
• olive oil/coconut oil enough cover the pan
• pinch of dulse flakes
• 1 avocado

Preparing Instructions:

Salmon Salad:                                                                                                                                 Set each of the two remaining fillets over several handfuls of salad greens.                          Garnish with sprinkle of dulse flakes. Right before eating add ½ of a sliced avocado to each salad and lime dressing.

• Salmon Cakes
• 2 (113 to 170 g and 2.5 cm) salmon fillets skinned
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 capsicum chopped
• 1 sweet potato mashed
• (200 g) chopped spinach4 eggs, lightly whisked                                                      
• 25g, 1/4 cup almond meal
• Dulse & freshly ground black pepper

Preparing Instructions:

Salmon Cakes

Use a fork to flake two of the salmon fillets into small pieces.                                                                    Grab a bowl and whisk the eggs together really well.                                                                           Add chopped capsicum, onion,mashed sweet potatoes, almond meal, pinch of dulse, pepper and dill.        Divide the salmon mixture into 8 equal portions.                                                                                        Heat oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat.                                                              Add the patties and cook for 3-4 minutes each side or until golden brown.                                      Remove from heat.

Salmon cakes: Are best cooked when needed or all at once reheat or eat them cold.         Serve over a bed of salad greens if desired with ½ mashed avocado and lime and dulse flakes.

Chicken Stir-Fry

• 220 grams of chicken breast
• 1 capsicum (red, yellow or orange)
• 1 head of broccoli
• 4 mushrooms
• 1 zucchini
• 1Onion
• 2 tomatoes
• olive oil/coconut oil/macadam oil for the pan
• salt pepper
• coconut aminos or tamari

Preparing Instructions:

Chicken Stir-Fry with jens noodles:                                                                                Toss remaining chicken slices with veggies rinse and add the noodles                                Season lightly with coconut aminos or tamari.

Chicken Salad

• 1pkt Jen Noodles
• 220 gram of chicken
• 1 capsicum (red, yellow or orange
• 120grm salad greens mix
• 1 tomato
• 1 small cucumber sliced into rounds
• powdered cumin
• chilli powder
• ½ capsicum
• olive oil
• salt
• 1 avocado

Preparing Instructions:

Chicken Salad:                                                                                                                        Place chicken slices and capsicums over mixed greens. Lightly season the salad with a few pinches of hemp seeds, cumin and chilli powder.                                                                   Right before eating add 1/2 of a sliced avocado to each salad and the lime dressing.

Jen’s noodles with Ginger Chicken Creamed Spinach

• 1 bag of Jen’s fettuccine noodles
• (220g) Chicken Breast sliced
• (2oo g) spinach chopped
• 1talbespoon of fresh ginger chopped finely or crushed
• 1 garlic glove, diced
• ½ (400 ml) can coconut milk
• 1 lime
• 1 capsicum (red, yellow or orange)
• olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dulse flakes

Preparing Instructions:

Jen’s Noodles with Ginger Chicken & Creamed Spinach:                                   Rinses jens noodles, roughly chop several slices of roasted red pepper.                                Add them to the pot of chicken and coconut milk mix                                                             Season with lime juice, dulse flakes and pepper.

These meals are for 2 people, I usually have the salmon cakes for breakfast, 2 mornings and I mix the other meal through the next 2-3 Days

I would love to hear from you! What meals do you like to cook once eat twice?

17 Tips For Healthy Shopping.

I don’t tend to do much shopping at Conventional grocery stores, they are filled with heavily processed foods.  Though buying groceries can be stressful. There’s so much to choose from, labels are confusing, which can lead to an unhealthy diet.

Eating a cleaner, healthier food plan has  many benefits from weight loss to disease prevention, helps take back control of your health from the food scientists plus freshly prepared food just tastes better!

Unless you’re doing all of your shopping at a farmers market, The next time you’re grocery shopping, follow these simple tips to help you make healthier food choices.

Smart Shopping Tips & Video Below

1. Make a shopping list and stick to it. Planning ahead can help you avoid buying foods on impulse, and helps keep you within your budget. Think about the meals you want to cook over the week and make a shopping list based on the ingredients for each meal – that way you’re more likely to stick to it in the supermarket and avoid filling your trolley with things you don’t need.
2. Eat the 100 Miles Diet. Shop at local farmers markets if possible. Support local farmers.  Here is a link to find one near you.
3. Buy fresh food whenever possible. Organic fruits and vegetables are best, if possible, buying from the farmer markets, are less likely to have been sprayed with pesticides and chemicals. Learn about the Dirty Dozen here.
4. Think RAINBOW. When you are buying fruits and vegetables, the greater the verity of colors, the better. That way you will get as many different phytonutrients.
5. Never Shop Hungry. I never go shopping when I am a hungry. This helps me from impulse buying  junk food.
6. Ask what has your food has been eating? If possible buy organic grass feed meats, organic free range chickens and eggs. If you can not afford of find organic products, chose lean cuts of meats and remove the fat and the skin from chicken as this is where toxins are stored.
7. Choose ocean wild caught. Wild caught fish is generally better than farm raised fish which are usually full of PCB’s. Learn more with the Sustainable Seafood Guide.
8. Most of your shopping should be in the outer aisles. In his great book FOOD RULES Michael Pollen states that, the inner aisles are usually full of processed foods that are full of sugar, trans fats and other preservatives that extends their shelf life.
9. Become a label reader. Personally, I will not put anything in my shopping cart, on my body, or in my body without reading the label and understanding what is in the item first.
10. Don’t eat anything that your grandmother wouldn’t recognize. As a general rule. If there are ingredients that you cannot recognize, pronounce or spell, don’t buy them.
11. Choose one ingredient whole foods. Foods that are the closest to mother-nature. Avoid refined or processed food, they have less the nutritional value.
12. Real food don’t need labels. “If a product has to try to convince you that it’s good for you, it’s probably not” ” says Yoni Freedhoff, broccoli doesn’t needs a label.
13. Be wary of “all natural” natural flavoring labels. Natural Flavoring on a label is often meaningless and deceptive. The fact is that most processed foods contain flavoring additives that have been made in giant chemical factories.
14. Avoid MSG. Manufacturers also hide MSG as part of “natural flavorings,” label because it is a natural product.  But being natural is not the same as being harmless. Here is a partial list of Additives that always contain MSG and the most common names for disguised MSG.
15. Say no to Low Fat. If the item is low in fat, it may be high in sugar and sodium.
16. No sugar added. The label typically refers to refined or processed sugar, not natural sugar. Look for sugars in all its different forms on the label. A variety of different versions of refined sugars are often used to trick you into thinking that there is not much sugar in the products.                                                                                                        Here are some of the different versions of refined sugar – cane sugar, brown sugar, beet sugar, date sugar, grape sugar, glucose, sucrose, maltose, maltodextrin, dextran, dextrose, sorbitol, corn syrup, fructose, high fructose corn syrup, corn sugar, fruit juice, fruit juice concentrate, barley malt and caramel.
17. Look for the number of grams of Carbohydrates on a labels. 4 grams of refund carbohydrate, is equivalent to 1 teaspoon of sugar. It is best to buy foods that contain 12 grams or less.

Great quick video about Supermarkets Secrets form Micheal Pollan  Author of Food Rules

 

Home Made Bone Broth

  Chicken Broth

What is Bone Broth?

Bone Broth is a very nutritious liquid made from simmering bones from organic, free range poultry, grass fed beef, lamb, or wild caught fish in water with vegetables and vinegar for up to 40 hours. While the bones are simmering they release minerals into the broth that can be easily absorbed.   Then the bones and vegetables strained from the liquid and discarded. The remaining liquid is the bone broth or also referred to as stock. When broth is cooled, it congeals due to the presence of gelatin. The use of gelatin as a therapeutic agent goes back to the ancient Chinese.

The result is the perfect balance of minerals that are easily absorbed by the body to support bone health combined with lots of collagen for connective tissue health as well as super healthy fats from the marrow to make all the above more bio-available into your system. 

Bone Broth’s Health Benefits

Besides making any dish taste delish Bone broth has some amazing health benefits:             Bone broth has been used for centuries to promote healing. Bone broth has been shown to be beneficial in helping those with leaky gut and auto-immune diseases. Bone broth has also been found to reduce inflammation, to aid in attaining optimal levels of nutrients, help with issues of bacterial overgrowth, and boost the immune system.

Bone Broth is Rich is Minerals. Rich in calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, sodium, potassium, sulfate, and glucosamine, Bone broth also has a protein molecule called collagen. Collagen contains two very special amino acids: proline and glycine.

Bone broth also contains gelatin which is extremely healing and two very important amino acids, proline and glycine.

Bone Broth Helps Get The Toxins Out. The gelatin in bone broths helps detoxify the body because it is loaded with the amino acid glycine which assists the liver

Bone Broth Heals Your Gut!

One of the most vital nutrients for healing the gut is gelatin. Gelatin helps aid your digestion which can assists with the healing of many chronic intestinal disorders such as colitis, Crohn’s disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and others.

Promote Joint Health. bone broth nourishes all your  body parts, it contain one of the GAGs  glycosaminoglycans. Everyone knows it as — glucosamine.

Dr. Shanahan states,

This means that glucosamine-rich broth is a kind of youth serum, capable of rejuvenating your body, no matter what your age. After decades of skepticism, orthopedists and rheumatologists are now embracing its use in people with arthritis, recommending it to ʻovercome or possibly reverse some of the degradation that occurs with injuries or disease. (Deep Nutrition)

Chicken Broth Cooking Instructions

All that is required is one good quality organic chicken, preferably from a local farm that practices pasturing of its poultry.

You can make chicken stock using either a whole uncooked chicken or with just the leftover bones from which you have removed all the usable meat.

To make the stock from a whole chicken, place the bird into a large stockpot and just cover with filtered water. You may add the feet to the water as well if you are able to get these from your farmer. Chicken feet impart a lot of extra gelatin to the broth. If you are making the stock from leftover bones, you may want to brown the bones first in the oven, for extra flavour.

1.      Add ¼ cup of vinegar and stir.

2.      Add 1 large onion and 2-3 carrots and celery stalks – all chopped if desired. The vegetables add additional minerals to the stock

3.      Let stand for about 30 minutes to let the vinegar begin to draw the minerals into the water.

4.      Bring water to a boil and skim off any foam that comes to the top. This foam consists of impurities and off flavors.

5.      Reduce heat and let simmer for up to 24-48 hours.

6.      About 10 minutes before taking the stock off the heat, add a bunch of parsley to add even more minerals to the broth.

7.      Remove the whole chicken or bones.

8.      If you used a whole chicken, let cool and remove the meat from the carcass. This meat is wonderful for chicken salads, sandwiches or Mexican dishes. Soft leftover bones may be given to your pet or discarded.

9.      Strain the stock into a large bowl and keep in the refrigerator until the fat comes to the top. Skim off the fat and reserve in small glass bowls for sautéing vegetables.

Store the stock in containers. Stock kept in the refrigerator will keep for about 5 days. Freeze what you will not use within that time.

Making other stock basically follows the exact same process.

Why Do You Add Apple Cider Vinegar?

It is important to pull these precious minerals from the bones during cooking; this is why we add an acid, like apple cider vinegar, to the water before cooking.

The fats in bone broths help restore greater gut health and therefore increase the absorption rate of the minerals present in broths.

I use my Broth in soups, stir-fry, or just add Jens Noodles with some chicken,  most days I just heat it up a drink, it so yummy and soothing.

http://nourishedkitchen.com/bone-broths-adrenals-bones-teeth

http://undergroundwellness.com/top-5-reasons-why-bone-broth-is-the-bomb

http://bodyecology.com/articles/bone-broth#.UWSr3EoqjYU

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