WE LOVE EVERY NEW FAD.  IT’S LIKE THE PROVERBIAL “EATING AN ELEPHANT?”

How do you eat an elephant?

“One bite at a time,” as they say.

LATEST NEW TREND, DETOXING, IS LIKE THE PROVERBIAL EATING AN ELEPHANT

Grab the newest fad.   If it’s a new thing it looks exciting.  Not one bite at a time.  Let’s just do it!

We get excited about a new trend and go to it, no piecemeal for us.   If it’s a new fad we jump on the bandwagon NOW!

NEW PROJECT SOUNDS EXCITING, MAKE A TEAM

Empty the schedule, make calendar/Day Timer note, “Elephant eating,” get supply box with big knife, forks, water bottle…  Get a team.

First of the week.  Gather the team, and supplies.  Begin, one bite at a time.

Going great at first:  “It’s great to have a goal.  Finally got up courage to do this.” “Glad you guys are with me, part of something big!”

EXCITEMENT WANES AS WE SEE THE SIZE OF THE PROJECT

But…after 4-5 days, half of the team doesn’t show.  Excuses,  last-minute appointments, car breaks down, lost the big knife, mother-in-law getting married….

Elephant eating is a big job.  “It’s not as though I don’t have a million other things that take my time,”  “How big is an elephant?” “How many days…”

It’s not easy sticking with a project, especially one that will take a long, loong time.

WE ALL LOVE EXCITING NEW TRENDS AND FADS

We love fads as long as they don’t last too long.

In that way a fast/cleanse/detox is like eating an elephant.   The proverbial “40 days and 40 nights,” of lemon, water, and juices.

Master cleanses are like that.  BIG ELEPHANTS.  Fads everywhere.  T.V. advertising, the World Wide Web  Master  Cleanses,  Detox Programs.

We jump on the latest great idea, the magic health cure without taking our stressful schedules into account.   It’s just life, but every minute of every day is packed with activity.   We think it’s no big deal to add a detox.   We have little respect for what our body is required to do.

Problem is, we start and because we’re not educated about what is involved we don’t stick with the program.  Healthy living is about little changes to the daily routine, changes that, over time, support true health.  Habits that remain part of everyday life.

TOXIN BUILDUP SLOWS BODY SYSTEMS

Don’t get me wrong. I’m in favor of regular cleanse/detox.  John and I do a cleanse on a regular basis.

Toxins slow normal actions of our organs.  Cleanse systems (liver, kidneys, colon, skin, and lungs) don’t function 100% when sludge keeps them from working smoothly.   We gain weight, especially around the middle,  when our bodies can’t clean out toxins.  So, yes, do a detox/cleanse.

But pick a detox you can fit into your already busy, stressful life.  Begin slowly if you intend to take this regular habit into your healthy routine.

INCLUDE PROTEIN TO RETAIN LEAN MUSCLE

A few tips for your journey:

• Always include protein when you’re cleansing.  During a detox you’re restricting calories, so your body might interpret that restriction as famine and lower your metabolism.  Without protein along with your detox drink, your body may take calories from lean muscle, not from stored fat.  Snacks can include boiled egg and a small green salad with lemon juice dressing, a handful of raw almonds, or celery sticks. This should go without saying, but avoid all processed foods which are mostly carbohydrate-based, and have no essential nutrients.

• When you’re not eating normal meals, you’re allowing your body to switch from digesting food to cleansing.  Respect and support your internal wisdom. Don’t ask your body to support heavy exercise.  You won’t profit from your detox.

• Cut back on exercise. An extended cleanse/detox can, if you allow your inner wisdom to guide, bring you to a “different” reality.  You might want to let that happen.  Some have noticed a more introspective, a more “spiritual” mood.  Respect that and take time to assess your life.  Instead of vigorous exercise, take a walk outside, in the fresh air noticing the natural world.

• Keep a journal.  If you’re serious about a healthy lifestyle, and if you believe your body has internal wisdom, you want to learn from yourself, and you’ll want a record of that learning, during this experience.

• Do not do any detox or cleanse if you have health problems, such as diabetes, unless you’re under the direct care of a physician.   This is very important.  Check with your doctor first.

John and I have what I think is a great routine.  We take 1/4 cup of Isagenix “Cleanse for Life” drink every night just before bed (2 hours without food between dinner and bedtime).

That way we’re cleansing all night as we sleep!   Regular cleansing routine is easy, and over time we’ve lost a lot of that bulge around the middle.

SHARE YOUR PRODUCTS AND IDEAS WITH US BELOW

Whatever product you use and either love/hate share your thoughts in the “Comments” section below and let’s learn from each other.   It’s much easier to find a routine and stick to it when you’re talking to others and sharing ideas.

Hope to “see” you below soon!

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“What foods go along with the Acai Berry diet?”

Melissa asked that question on the blog.  I think she’s trying to loose weight and wants to know what would be helpful to eat while she’s on an Acai Berry diet.

WEIGHT LOSS: WILL POWER NOT THE ANSWER

One thing I know for sure: “If you’ve ever tried to lose weight, you know that will power isn’t enough: Crash dieting never works against deeply primal instincts…Our hunter-gatherer ancestors survived by…” eating whatever was available.  Those genes still operate in us.  Crash dieting/lowering calories signals to our bodies that we’re dangerously close to starvation.  Survival kicks in and the body lowers metabolism. 

Back then, what was available was just food: real food, natural off the tree, from the bush, out of the ground.   Raw, minimally cooked, unprocessed, no chemicals added.

Our bodies are designed to function on such a diet.  Natural Whole foods.

Little shift here. 

One of my favorite columnists is Martha Beck.  She writes a regular column in “Oprah.”   I’m quoting and paraphrasing extensively from her most recent, “The Buying Diet,” “Oprah,  March, 2011, pg 47-50.  Her advice applies to her topic, overconsumption, but also equally well to our topic weight loss.

EATING FLIPS PRIMAL INSTINCT SWITCH

“Thousands of years later…eating still flips the switch that tells our primitive lizard brains we’re well supplied for hard times…” relax, there’s abundant food; we’re not starving. 

To remain healthy, overweight, we want to flip that switch that lets our body know we’re not going into starvation mode.  We don’t want the body mind to try to “save” us by lowering metabolism.  It’s wise to not limit calories so drastically the body will interpret this as starvation.  It will, then, lower metabolism and not burn stored fat.

We want to eat abundantly, but without eating foods that don’t really nourish.  When processed foods without real nutrition are the bulk of our diet, our bodies crave more to fill that lack.

SUCCESSFUL “DIET” IS MOSTLY WHOLE FOODS

Give your body food as close to its natural state as possible, still containing essential nutrients.  Cook minimally, eat some raw, mostly vegetables, healthy meat, some fruit.

Avoid processed food in containers with labels.  Food with labels (except for labeled produce) is processed.  Avoid it.  It’s not nourishing your body, and will cause cravings.  It contains sugar to make it taste good.  Gradually cut down on sugar consumption.

Unprocessed food is the food your body must have for best operation.  When your body is supplied with essential nutrients, cravings are minimized.  (Minimized over time.  Be patient.)

FLIP THE SWITCH TO ABUNDANCE

Beck recommends three steps break an unhealthy pattern:  “There are three steps to accomplishing this:

“First, avoid deprivation.  Focus on abundance.”

Eat more food.  Love those berries.  With them eat raw, whole foods.  Eat lots of it.  High quality protein: check on organic meats from family farms and farmer’s markets.  Whole grains, vegetables.  Get enough high-quality protein. Drink lots of water. 

Think abundance in your food choices. Abundance of good nutrition. Prepare vegetables you like and enjoy them.  Baked sweet potatoes with real butter.  

In my morning shake (undenatured whey protein), I add couple of spoonfuls of canned organic coconut, maybe a tsp. of organic cocoa powder or a tsp. of cinnamon, perhaps berries.  Don’t avoid good, natural fats such as olive oil, organic butter, avocado, coconut, and grape seed oil for cooking.    I avoid manmade fats because some are unstable, breaking down to products difficult for the body to digest.  As far as I’m concerned margarine is off the list.

PROTECT YOURSELF FROM TEMPTATIONS

“Second, shield your brain from temptations that trigger unconscious overeating,” Beck. 

Just say, “No,” to buying it. Don’t bring processed food home. Nutrients that will spoil have been removed from processed foods for a long shelf life.  Your body, however, needs those nutrients, so it will crave more food.  How many bananas can you eat in a sitting?  Two or three and you’re full?  How about potato chips…   

SPLURGE TO FLIP THE SWITCH TO ABUNDANCE

“Third, learn to splurge moderately to keep yourself feeling well-supplied without being deprived,” Beck.

Maybe it’s time for a dish of favorite ice cream for dessert.  Buy the good stuff.  I know it costs more.  You do, however, get what you pay for. 

Look for brands that use milk from dairies that don’t feed hormones.   Check labels. You might see something like, ”Without antibiotics, synthetic hormones and persistent pesticides…”  on the carton.

Did I answer Melissa’s question?  In a roundabout way, I guess. 

Build habit patterns for good eating in natural, whole foods that you prepare yourself. 

Don’t drastically limit calories. 

Give yourself a treat on a regular basis. 

You’re not just trying to loose weight, are you?  Aren’t you in this game for the long-haul?  Building health that will carry you for many years into the future? 

Good luck with it, and let me know how you’re doing!

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BIG NEWS, LITTLE BERRY

Melissa asked in the comment section of the blog about the Acai Berry diet. 

“What kind of diet do you guys think I should be on while taking acai berry and what workout plan works the best with it?

It’s all over the Internet.  The Acai Berry diet.  Even Dr. Oz on Oprah’s show, touted the health benefits of the Acai Berry , from the Brazilian Amazon rain forest. 

He’s right. 

The Acai Berry contains anti-oxidants and, like many berries, many of which grow in the U.S., Acai Berries support the body’s natural cleansing.  It’s that cleansing action that aids weight loss.

You can find all sorts of Internet claims for the Acai Berry:

“I lost 30 pounds in 3 months.”

“I lost 20 pounds in 2 months.” 

Some use the Acai Berry diet alone, some take it with a colon cleanse.  (Ever done a colon cleanse?  Had fun, did you?  I didn’t think so…)

The Acai Berry has become big business, along with African Mango, for quick, no-effort, weight loss.

Many berries, though, are high in anti-oxidants.  Berries are good for you.  They

• neutralize free radicals,
• reduce belly fat, (the fat stomach)
• promote urinary tract health,
• preserve vision,
• support brain health. 
• With their high fiber content they even dissolve “bad” cholesterol,
• control constipation,
• fight cancer. 

WOW!  It’s an impressive list! 

Red, blue, and black berries do all this.  They’re really good for you!

This includes Acai berries, but also more common blueberries.  Those little round blue berries are in every produce section in the country.  And, blueberries come from a lot closer to home than either African mango or Acai Berries!

What’s with this fascination with exotic berries?  We’re looking for the magic potion which will answer our obesity fixation without personal sacrifice?

Does it bother you at all that this magic potion comes from a distant rain forest?  The berries are imported, even though we have farmers growing healthy blue berries right here at home?

Acai Berries are sustainably grown.  Right?  Or are we contributing to destruction of the rain forest with our purchases?

They’re shipped from Brazil to the U.S.  How far is that?  What resources are used to get those berries to our plates?

We Americans are fascinated with quick, health gimicks, especially when they promise easy solutions that don’t involve personal sacrifice. We’re easily motivated by advertisers with astoundingly exaggerated weight loss claims.

If you’re committed to the Acai Berry diet, though, or a diet including other berries, what foods should you include and what sort of exercise will bring best results?  Melissa’s question again,

“What kind of diet do you guys think I should be on while taking acai berry and what workout plan works the best with it?”

Let’s talk about that on the next post!

Stay with me,

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We’re making Christmas cookies!    These are Peanut blossoms.

I suppose most families have traditional foods this time of year.  John’s family was famous for Christmas cookies: green spritz wreaths decorated with tiny red berries–real works of art, powdered-sugar snowy Mexican wedding cakes, red-sprinkled shortbread, peanut blossoms, and tangy lemon bars. 

Mexican Wedding Cakes

Made with butter!

I don’t bake as much as I used to, but when I take time to make holiday cookies I use butter.  None of the chemical concoctions manipulated to taste like butter.  I use the real thing or I don’t bother. 

Since this is a blog devoted to healthy living, (Healthylivingbeyondfifty.com/) why, you might ask, am I devoting an article to baking Christmas cookies with butter?  Actually butter is something we should talk about.

A couple of Michael Pollan’s rules for healthy eating, “In Defense of Food,” are

• Eat Food.  ”Avoid food products containing ingredients that are unfamiliar, unpronounceable, more than five in number…”
• “Avoid food products that make health claims.”

(You know Michael Pollan…”The Botany of Desire,” “The Omnivore’s Dilemma,” and “In Defense of Food.”)

Pollan means you should eat things your body recognizes as food, not chemical concoctions stirred up in a lab by white-coats who have never touched a cow, let alone milked one.  Processed foods make your liver work overtime trying to break up and excrete the toxins they contain.

Your body recognizes butter.  It knows what to do with it.  It’s just butter, and, hopefully, it’s organic without antibiotics or hormones which very often are part of the cow’s food and which are, once again, toxic to our bodies.

What about Pollan’s second point: health claims?  What’s wrong with health claims? 

Whole foods don’t come with written health claims. There’s no list of health benefits on the side of an orange or apple, ribe eye steak,  or an onion.

If it’s packaged with health claims on the side of the box it’s probably processed.  If it’s processed most nutritional value has been removed because nutrients are the part of food that spoils and shortens “shelf-life.”  Shorter shelf life means lower corporate profits.

Look at a package of breakfast cereal.  Natural, essential-for-good-health nutrients are removed so the cereal can sit forever on the shelf.  To sell you on buying it, though, the sides of the box will be plastered with health claims for the few chemical vitamins that have been added back to replace lost nutrients.

Some mis-guided advice tells us to avoid butter because it’s a saturated fat that will raise “bad” blood cholesterol and also cause weight gain. According to Dr. Mercola butter slashes heart attack risk in  half.

Gaining weight?  You’re more likely to gain weight on simple carbohydrate foods, processed foods containing simple carbs, and toxins your liver can’t break down for excretion. 

Natural saturated fats such as coconut and butter are stable.  Some vegetable oils, on the other hand, turn into unstable compounds that aren’t good for your body. 

Butter is especially good when it comes from cows eating green grass because it contains a compound that helps build muscle rather than store fat, and it has an excellent ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids.  It contains many fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, K) and essential minerals difficult to get in our depleted western diet.  I always buy organic butter (Organic Valley brand) because it doesn’t contain those antibiotics and hormones.

Holiday baking is one of the fun things we do.  John is in the kitchen right now perpetuating the family tradition.  I think it’s lemon bars today.  Our two grandsons will be here next week, and they check out the cookie area where we stack the tins.  Father Daniel parses out the cookies or they’d finish them all in one fell swoop, I’m sure.

Have fun baking and sharing with friends and family. 

P.S.  Oh.  If you want to check out Dr. Mercola’s article on butter here’s the link.  More nutritional information that I quoted here.  http://bit.ly/hC84kQ

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We’re getting fatter.  All of us.

Most of us weigh 25 pounds more than we weighed 20 years ago.  And, it’s not just a U.S. problem.

It’s a world wide trend.

Dr. David Ludwig, Boston Children’s Hospital,

says doctors worldwide are seeing 6-month-old

children (babies!) who are obese.

Come on!  Read that again.  Doctors are seeing 6-month-old children already obese.  This is not due to lack of exercise and too much food!  These are babies we’re talking about.

There must be another reason.  Something we’re not seeing, or not admitting.

Babies–the canary in the mineshaft.

Ira Flatow, NPR, “Science Friday;” (I love “Science Friday;” I’m a regular listener.)  But in an interview Friday he parroted the same useless factoids we’ve heard for years,

“We’re driving cars, sitting at computers–not exercising enough to burn all the calories we eat.” 

Too many calories; not enough exercise. We’ve heard that song too long

I say, “Horse Pucky!”

I know we’re more sedentary and we’re eating more food, but that by itself doesn’t account for the obesity of babies!  There’s something else going on.

WHY are we eating so much more? 

WHY are so many children at risk for Metabolic Syndrome?

Metabolic Syndrome: 

•  abdominal obesity

• heart disease (high triglycerides, high LDL choles, low HDL)

• high blood pressure

• prediabetic, insulin resistant

Calories and little exercise.  That talk doesn’t go far enough to explain this alarming trend.

Could it be something we’re eating that’s causing havoc in bodies all over the globe?

Something a lot of us are eating a lot of?

“The number one source of calories in the U.S. is high fructose corn syrup…the food that most people get

MOST of their calories from is high fructose corn syrup, primarily in the form of soft drinks,” Dr. Mercola:

http://articles.mercola.com

If High Fructose Corn Syrup is the number one source of calories in most people’s diets perhaps we should take a look at it.

Let’s talk.  Where did HFCS come from?  Why is it used in so many processed foods?  Is this just more talk about too much sugar in our diets?  What’s the difference between plain old sugar and fructose corn syrup anyway?  It’s just sugar.  Right?

Take care of yourself and I’ll see you next time,

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TOXINS MAKE YOUR STOMACH FAT

Your body stores toxins in fat cells. If your liver can’t break poisons down, it keeps them away from important organs by hiding them in fat and water, and that’s usually around the stomach. 

We’ve all known people, and perhaps we ourselves, who have lost weight, but who even with weight lost still have fat stomachs. 

That’s roughly where the liver is. When toxins overwhelm that organ, so it can’t do its job, it does the next best thing. It surrounds toxins in fat and water and “sequesters” impurities. Fat doesn’t have much blood circulation so toxins stay out of touch with the rest of the body.

Brilliant mechanism, but a fat stomach is annoying and not healthy. Fat bellies, if they stick around too long, are risk factors for metabolic syndrome, which includes diabetes, heart, and blood pressure problems.

So, it’s not just that we don’t like the look of fat bellies, they really are a sign our health is out of whack.

LIVER, MYSTERIOUS DETOX LAB

At the source of the problem is toxin overload. If I could encourage my body to get rid of poisons–help the liver detoxify–then maybe the fat would release naturally because it wouldn’t be needed any longer.

See, when the body recognizes a substance that can’t be used for fuel, mechanisms kick in to break it down to get rid of it through the skin, lungs, colon, and kidneys. 

To my mind those mechanisms are miraculous and mysterious, and most of the time they’re effective at keeping our bodies free from poisons.

DIETS DO NOT TAKE CARE OF TOXINS 

Restricting calories (diets) does not help the body handle toxins.  Nutritional cleansing is different from dieting and counting calories.

Traditional cultures have used certain natural ingredients for centuries to encourage toxin release. 

Aloe Vera is one of the best known.  And Licorice root, Burdock, and Yellow Dock.  Burdock has been used for centuries to clear the blood stream of impurities.  Yellow dock is a spring tonic to improve general health.  Licorice root is an over-all body tonic, and Aloe Vera is known for its healing properties.  Peppermint, and Fennel, too.

But, I’m not ready to start taking any of these without some advice on how to use them.  How would I go about putting them all together?  All herbs have effects in the body.  I don’t know enough about them to jump right in and start medicating myself.

Our youngest son Daniel is an herbalist.

The “Berry Boy”

He could help me identify cleansing herbs.  He’s loved plants since a little boy.  On family hikes his nickname was the “berry boy.”  He stuck by that early interest and studied in New Mexico, Alaska, and now California.  He understands it can be difficult to use healing herbs in proper combinations to gently encourage the body to release toxins.  Practitioners can help, but it does take patience and knowledge.

YOUR BODY IS EQUIPPED TO DETOXIFY

I’m probably not going to put my own herbal concoction together. 

But I know I need to consciously take steps beyond just eating good food.  My body needs a little more than that.

HELP THE BODY DETOXIFY AND LOOSE YOUR FAT STOMACH

Healing herbs and whole, natural foods used to be viewed as medicine.  That is not the case today in America for a couple of reasons.

• Corporate food production today has become a money-making industry.  More money can be made processing natural foods than selling those foods unprocessed.  Processed foods with low nutritional value and long shelf life, are what most Americans eat today.  The bottom line is profit, not good health.

• Foods grown in soil depleted by chemical fertilizers, devoid of minerals and living organisms, do not contain the full complement of vitamins and minerals that were present in food tested only twenty years ago.

• Personal products, cleansing products, exhaust from vehicles and factories, manmade chemicals in water and air, and pesticides and herbicides on our fruits and vegetables surround us and threaten health daily.

The knowledge of what is healthy food is largely gone from our culture.  The preparation of healthy meals from “scratch” is a lost art in many homes.

Most Americans have no idea what food is healthy and what food is nothing more than empty calories.  Our culture is no longer the repository of that knowledge.  Our bellies are satisfied temporarily by bulky processed grains and our taste buds by high fructose corn syrup.

So, what to do today?  Today you can make a difference in your health.

• Begin carrying around a water bottle with filtered water everywhere you go, Drink from it all day. Water is the great purifier. Your kidneys, lungs, colon, and skin will begin throwing off poisons almost immediately when you furnish your body with plenty of pure water.

• Become aware of processed food. Anything in a package is processed. Become aware of how much food is processed, not “real,” food.

Check the Blog for articles.  Do you know what happens to food animals in America? http://cleanse-for-better-health.com/blog/factory-farm-or-family-farm/

 We’ll talk more about that issue in future issues, for right now get into the kitchen and fill your water bottle… 

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Toxins Are Stealing Your Health and Energy

Environmental Toxins Linked To Most US Disease

There are 72 different insecticides, pesticides, and chemical poisons in our fruits and vegetables. Animals are injected with hormones, heavy metals, and pharmaceuticals, and our air, filled with toxins. PAH toxins, from anything that burns (barbecues, cigarettes, automobiles, factories), are linked to the breakdown of immune mechanisms that protect us from breast cancer. Toxins in our environment are a serious problem, linked to most disease in the U.S. today.

LIVER: THE BODY’S CLEANSING FACTORY

The liver is the body’s cleansing “laboratory.” It filters toxins from the blood, breaks them down, and sends them to the lungs, skin, kidneys, and colon for excretion.  It’s the liver’s job to disable toxins to isolate them from important organs.

WHY YOU HAVE A FAT STOMACH

Poisons the liver can’t break down must be stored away from important body organs.  They’re coated with fat and water and deposited.

There are no boundaries to man’s creativity, so there are manmade chemicals beyond the liver’s ability to disintegrate. To immobilize and hide them, the liver coats them with fat and water and stores them.

Heavy metal toxins, aluminum, lead, and mercury, from lipstick, anti-per spirants, vaccines, and pharmaceuticals, when absorbed, are stored in more fat and water. 

By-products of the petroleum industry in plastics, cosmetics, and shampoos are coated in fat and water and stored.

The result is an accumulation of fat and water in upper arms, thighs, and the belly.

THINK YOU’RE HEALTHY?  YOU’RE TOXIC

Fat buildup. Water Retention.  Fat Stomachs.

80% of us are overweight; 31% meet the criteria for “obese.”

We spend over $75,000,000,000 (billion) a year on weight–related diseases.

No matter how good you think your health is, toxins are part of your reality. Because of toxin buildup internal organs are sluggish and unable to function, and disease becomes part of life.

4 TIPS FOR FIGHTING TOXINS

• Become aware of cleaning products for house, and clothes.  Chlorine is a poison, so investigate natural cleaning and “green” laundry options. Use vinegar in a spray bottle, a non-toxic sanitizer/cleaner.

• Be aware of ingredients in personal care products. If you can’t read the name, it’s a toxic chemical.

Anti-per spirants contain heavy metal aluminum. Shampoos contain ingredients in auto anti-freeze.

• Eat Food, Whole Food, with natural packaging. Processed food has little or no nutrition, and many toxins.

• Eat food in its natural state. 

Read the labels on Twinkies, Cool-Whip, Sara Lee’s, Soft & Smooth Whole Grain White Bread. (white bread, with the whole part of the wheat kernel removed, can be called whole grain?)

More than 5 ingredients=frankenfood, not real food. Avoid.

Michael Pollan’s, In Defense of Food, Penguin Press, 2008. 

SHOULD YOU CLEANSE TOXINS?

You can undertake a “cleanse,” to cooperate with your body. Some cleansing products on the market, recommend no solid food while cleansing.  “Fasting” should be with a physician’s guidance because our bodies, with today’s fast-paced lifestyle, need balanced fuel: carbohydrates, fat, and protein.

MUSCLE NEEDS HIGH-QUALITY PROTEIN

1. No solid food for many days won’t give the body fuel it needs to build and maintain lean muscle tissue.  Support muscle growth and maintenance with ample high-quality protein.  Your heart is a lean muscle.

2. Drink water, preferably filtered, to flush toxins.  No little plastic bottles, please, no chlorine, at least 100 oz. a day.  

To flush toxins your body needs plenty of water, not high-energy caffeine drinks. Energy drinks give you energy by pulling from the body and depleting the body’s reservoir.

BEGINNING A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE

Take the few steps above. Become aware of toxins in your world, and take small steps to minimize impact.

As they’re flushed, fat and excess water will be released, and you will feel more energetic than in years. Your fat stomach will begin to shrink.

Built-in systems seek balance in your body. When you cooperate natural good health, your birthright becomes an easy companion.

Check the link in the upper left corner of this blog for  the “Cleansing for Better Health” free newsletter. 

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Do you drink a meal replacement drink for breakfast?  A quick lunch?  A snack between meals?   

  WHAT KIND OF PROTEIN IS IN THERE… 

PROTEIN IS ESSENTIAL TO SUPPORT LEAN MUSCLE

One of the first ingredients in that drink should be the protein source.  Protein supports lean muscle–psst: your heart is lean muscle…

Do you want to loose a fat stomach?  How would it feel lying in bed, with your hands flat.  Wow.  That’s worth a lot.  To know your body is getting what it needs to build muscle in every organ, in your stomach, along your arms, down your legs, feeding your brain.

Give your body that every day. Don’t skimp on protein. Make it high-quality.

Protein builds muscle to support your immune system and every other bodily system.   Muscle does burn more calories than fat, by the way, so you’ll find with exercise your body will feel trimmer. Muscle supports internal organs and gives you energy to live your life.  

What you eat should mimic structure in nature.  Everything we eat in natural form contains a bit of the three components of food: carbohydrate, fat, and protein. With carbohydrate, fat, and protein at each meal or snack, digestion slows and blood sugar remains stable.

Carbohydrate alone and your blood sugar rises.  Insulin rushes to lower it.  More carbo, and it rises again, a recurring cycle which can cause the cells to become resistant to insulin, bringing further problems. 

When blood sugar rises too rapidly some extra fuel may be stored as fat, especially around the middle.  That can be one reason for a fat stomach.  Your body’s protective mechanism.

If you’re trying to loose fat and gain muscle make sure every snack or meal is balanced with protein, carbohydrate, and fat.  Whole foods do that naturally; you don’t need to check if all three are present.  Fruits and vegetables have all three components naturally.

Back to the meal replacement drink.

The most common protein used in meal replacement drinks is powdered denatured whey. 

WHAT IS DENATURED?

In the dictionary denatured is “a change the structure of a protein, change the nature of, to take natural qualities away from…”

When whey protein is denatured it is changed so it doesn’t go rancid, change color and flavor.  It stays on the shelf longer without degrading which makes for higher profit.

UNDENATURED WHEY IS A COMPLETE PROTEIN

Undenatured whey protein, however, is a whole food with complete protein. Complete protein means it contains all the essential amino acids.  Our bodies don’t make protein; we have to get protein in a complete form by combining various foods.  Meats are complete for the most part, but vegetables such as beans are incomplete and should be consumed with other proteins to include all the amino acids. 

Undenatured whey, though, is an excellent source for complete protein.  With undenatured whey you have a complete protein that your body can use right away to build muscle and organs and support body systems.  When science denatures whey protein the chemical structure of protein is changed from complete to incomplete.  It is a product different from the original.

TAKE IT EASY ON YOUR LIVER

Some meal replacement drinks use chemical derivatives of products rather than whole foods.  It may make the product less expensive to the consumer to include specific vitamins (C, D, A, for example) than to use whole herbs.  The product will also have a longer shelf life without whole foods because whole foods break down rapidly.

Everything you eat has to pass muster with your liver.  Toxic preservatives and chemicals are broken down by the liver and excreted from the body to protect important organs.  If a chemical cannot be broken down for excretion, it is taken out of circulation by the liver and stored in fat cells.

The real solution to permanent weight loss then is cleansing chemical toxins. Fat can then be released naturally.  As consumers and guardians of our health we want to avoid products with chemical additions and preservatives that tax the liver. 

FIND MEAL REPLCEMENTS WITH UNDENATURED WHEY PROTEIN AND NO PRESERVATIVES.

Your job, if you decide to take it, is to check labels, and read ingredients. 

You can find meal replacement drinks with undenatured whey protein and whole foods, without added preservatives and chemical vitamins.  They are on the market, but it may take time and persistence.  It’s worth the trouble if it means you’re building true health.

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