Super-foods Can Help With Weight Loss

berries-best-healthiest-food-on-earthSuper-foods are nutritional powerhouses. They help build bones, improve eyesight, keep our minds sharp as a tack and they prevent chronic diseases.

But their contributions don’t stop there. Many super-foods can also help you lose weight and stay slim.

Here’s a list of some of the more commonly found and enjoyed super-foods that will also help you tackle your weight loss issues. (This is just a short list…there are so many more)! [Read more…]

Dehydrate Your Fresh Fruits and Veggies to Last Longer

Newly-Designed-5-Tray-font-b-Food-b-font-font-b-Dehydrator-b-font-font-bThe “raw” food diet (the “living” foods diet) that many people have adopted or are considering has lasted long enough to no longer be considered a fad.

The basic premise of using a raw food diet is that cooking on high heats destroys many of the precious vitamins and minerals that you paid a good price for. And, if that’s not enough, it also destroys the enzymes that are important to our health.

When foods reach a temperature beyond 118 degrees F they are no longer considered raw because the foods’ nutrition has been diminished.

A popular trend that many raw food enthusiasts have adopted in order to keep their diets from getting boring is the use of dehydrators which add important crisp texture to foods like seeded crackers and vegetable chips as well as enjoying them as snacks. [Read more…]

Basics Rules for Conquering Weight Loss Resistance

weight resistanceHumans are rather comical. It’s hard for us to believe that achieving success with most things is done in the most simple ways…and this rule carries through to health and weight loss.

Most people who experience weight-loss resistance perceive food as their enemy. But that’s the very thing that is causing issues with their weight loss.

If you really want to get past the weight-loss plateau, you must learn how to make food your friend…you must get food on your side and working with you not against you. [Read more…]

Low-carb Vegetables are the Healthy Choice

low carb veggiesCarbohydrates are one source of energy the body utilizes to function properly throughout the day and unlike proteins or fats that need breaking down first, carbohydrates can be used immediately and is your body’s preferred source of energy.

Carbohydrates in moderation play key roles in maintaining a balanced diet.

The main sources of carbohydrates in most diets include grains…breads, rice, pasta, cereals as well as vegetables, fruits, dairy products and other foods containing added sugars such as cookies, beverages and pastries. Most types of fish, poultry and meat do not contain carbs.

Low-carbohydrates vegetables are the healthy choice because they provide less calories with high nutrients. [Read more…]

Do I Need to Go Gluten-Free?

gluten-free2Gluten-free…it’s one of the primary catch-words tossed around in health circles these days.

But what is gluten-free and why are so many people suddenly using these products?

In order to understand what gluten-free is and why it had become so popular we need to begin with understanding what gluten is.

Gluten is a major protein found in all forms of wheat (bulgur, duram, semolina, spelt, farro, etc.), barley rye and triticale which is a wheat-rye cross).

Unlike proteins from other grains and sources such as rice and meat, gluten is relatively hard for humans to digest completely and has made many people very sick. In fact, for 1% of the population gluten can actually be a matter of life and death (a condition known as celiac disease) and must be avoided.   [Read more…]

Pure Water for Proper Hydration

water1The easiest and most effective way to accelerate your weight loss results is to hydrate consistently.     

Water (after oxygen) is the most critical element in maintaining and properly facilitating your body’s chemistry.

Your healthy, energy and in the end, your life all depend on water.

So, how does one stay properly hydrated? You must consume a minimum of 7 oz. of water (not tap water, but pure water) for each 10 lbs. of body weight you carry. This increases if you are active, consistently work-out or live and work in dry climates. If you do  the math, that ends up to be just over 3 liters of water for a 150 lb. person. [Read more…]

Anti-inflammatory Super-Foods

superfoods3We hear the word inflammation tossed around a lot these days. But what exactly is inflammation and why should we be concerned?

Inflammation is a process through which the body’s white blood cells and chemicals work at protecting us from foreign substances such as viruses and bacteria as well as infections. The chemicals from the white blood cells increases the blood flow to the injured area or area of infection resulting in slight warmth and redness as well as swelling in the tissues.

These increased cells within the injured area…like an injured joint, irritate the area causing swelling of the joint lining and eventually wearing out the cartilage that protects the bones.

In autoimmune diseases, like arthritis, the immune system will trigger an inflammatory response even though there are no foreign substances to fight. The results are that the immune system normally used to protect us actually causes damage to its own tissues. [Read more…]

Eating the Wrong Foods Is What Makes You Fat

healthy-fatsThe study of how nutrients interact with our human genes is called Nutrigenomics and is a blossoming new field of study. It studies the genes associated with health and disease which includes resistance to losing weight.

Most people are already aware that certain foods contain information and instructions for cells and hormones along with nutrients and calories. They are now trying to figure out how this information can turn on or off the expression of certain genes.

Recent studies prove that you do not get fat from simply eating too much. It is now a known fact that you do get fat from eating the wrong types of fat and the wrong types of carbohydrates.

Eating foods like high fructose corn syrup programs your body to become and stay fat. [Read more…]

Mouth-watering Raw Desserts and Treats

raw dessertsWho doesn’t love to snack?

From snack bars to cookies, pies and cakes all the recipes you will find in “Healthy Raw Desserts” volume one and two are unprocessed, easy to make, wheat, gluten, dairy and sugar free!

These treats pack loads of flavor and nutrition into every bite even though they seem deceptively simple.

When you substitute these mouth-watering snacks and desserts for the traditional baked treats you are more familiar with, you will be giving your body much needed nutrients while sacrificing none of the flavor.

Have you ever created dessert without using sugar, flour, dairy, soy or eggs as ingredients? If that seems impossible, you are in for a grand surprise! [Read more…]

7 Clean Eating Principles to Follow for Health and Weight Loss

insulin-resistance-hinders-normal-weight-lossThe typical “American Diet” includes food like fast food, fries, hot dogs, white bread, sugar and fat laden ice cream, sugary sweet drinks, snacks and cereals and let’s not forget the chips.

It’s no wonder that we feel awful, lethargic, and keep piling on the body fat.

Clean eating is gaining popularity as a way to gain better health, easily maintain weight and as a way to lose weight and keep it off for life. It is crucial to the maintenance of a lean and strong body, optimum performance, and good health.

Clean eating is not a new concept. Anyone who has been involved in any way with health, fitness or nutrition, from competitors to personal trainers to health-conscious individuals have known about eating clean for years. [Read more…]