Sunday, February 28, 2010
So my Eat Clean Diet Book arrived in the mail the other day.
I have read page to page and love it! If any one is looking at becoming healthier, and losing weight this is the book to read.. There is no other way to lose weight but to eat CLEAN- foods in their whole natural state. You will not only lose weight, you will have soo much more energy that you have to exercise to get rid of the energy! your skin will glow, your hair becomes stronger and more shinier, you will be able to focus for longer and have more mental clarity, you wont crave sweet foods because you are always satisfied, you wont get sick as much, and most of all!: you will be happier and more confident.
What if you could be like this the REST OF YOUR LIFE?
That is exactly what this book is all about!! The word DIET is rather deceiving, its not at all a diet- it is a lifestyle! It is a change that can be made at any age or at anytime of your life.
It has pretty much the same guidelines as what I spoke about in my previous blog posting- eat lots of fruits and vegetables/whole grains and peer them with protein in every meal. It is so simple!
No starving yourself. In fact, you eat more!!!! More of nutrient dense foods. And you wont gain more fat by eating more. Your body needs all the nutrients and has a home and use for every single nutrient that goes into your body. The reason why we gain fat is because your body doesn't know what to do with trans fats and sugar, because it doesn't know what it is, so it gets stored as fat!
It also works for vegetarian and vegans. You just have to make sure you are still getting protein in every meal.
Here are the main guidelines of the eat clean diet:
  • eat more -eat six small meals each day
  • eat breakfast everyday, within an hour of rising
  • eat a combination of lean protein and complex carbohydrates at each meal
  • eat sufficient (two or three servings) healthy fats every day
  • drink two to three liters of water each day
  • carry a cooler packed with Clean foods each day
  • depend on fresh fruits and vegetables for fiber, vitamins and enzymes
  • adhere to proper portion sizes
What to avoid:
  • avoid all over-processed foods, particularly white flour and sugar
  • avoid chemically charged foods
  • avoid foods containing preservatives
  • avoid artificial sugars
  • avoid artificial foods (such as processed cheese slices)
  • avoid saturated and trans fats
  • avoid sugar-loaded beverages, including colas and juices
  • avoid (or do your best to limit) alcohol intake
  • avoid all calorie-dense foods containing little or no nutritional value. I call these anti-foods
  • avoid super sizing your meals
These are simple and common sense rules huh? Funny how we seem to ignore our common sense sometimes.
Another important thing I should mention is LISTEN TO YOUR BODY.. If you feel like shit after a certain meal, your body is sending you a sign that it doesn't like it!! Make sure you find out exactly what your body doesn't like, ie. gluten etc and remove it from your diet.
Even if you don't want to lose weight, do it for your body. Your body deserves it! Think of your body as a precise gift, treasure and care for it, because you only get one chance!! Do it right from the start. It isn't "hard" to transfer over to eating healthy. Either do it step by step or go into it with full force, however suits you! But once you get into it and see the transformations, you wont go back!! PROMISE
Start now and enjoy the process.
Plant the seed and cultivate your life.
It is more than worth it.
Follow the guidelines stated above and buy the book for extra tips and motivation.
I will defiantly let you know how my progress goes. I have taken the before photos. Will put the after shots up in a few weeks so you can see the difference it has made over a few weeks. You should try it to!!

Nothing could be healthier for your heart than a plateful of raw veggies, right?

Actually, a little steam treatment could be even better. New research suggests that steaming might improve the cholesterol-lowering capabilities of certain produce.

Lost in Digestion When researchers tested the digestive effects of both raw and steamed veggies -- beets, okra, carrots, eggplant, green beans, asparagus, and cauliflower -- something interesting happened. It's not clear why, but the steamed veggies did a better job of binding to bile acids. And that's a good thing. It means more bile acids get excreted, which in turn means the liver needs more bad LDL cholesterol to make bile -- which means there's less LDL circulating in your body.

Raw or steamed, your goal is to eat AT LEAST 5 servings of fruit and vegetables a day.

Thursday, February 25, 2010
If you want to lose weight it is best to focus on small progressions rather than perfection.
I have a new goal with eating. I will try to eat 10 servings of fruit and vegetables a day!!
Fruit and vegies are high in nutrients and low in calories.
I will serve each fruit and vegie with protein. ie. yoghurt, chicken, eggs etc
10 servings sounds like a lot but if you divide it throughout the day, it really isnt that much!
You should be eating 5-6 times a day. This boosts your metabolism, always keeps you satisfied so you don't splurge on trashy foods by regulating your blood sugar levels. You don't want to starve yourself because your body thinks you are in a famine and will start storing fat and your metabolism will slow down!!
So if you have two servings of produce for each meal, you will easily reach 10.
Another tip is; if you find you are having a problem with craving sugary foods after dinner or after a meal, you may need to increase your saturated fat content.. Coconut oil is a really healthy oil! Tastes nice to!
MAKE SURE PRODUCE IS ORGANIC. We are wanting to get rid of toxins not invite more into our bodies. Its worth it.
Serving sizes:
  • 1 fruit serving 1/2 cup, about a handful
  • 1 raw/cooked veggie serving is 1/2 cup, about a handful
  • 1 leafy greens serving is 1 cup, about the size of your fist
Enjoy! I will eat purposefully and consistently for 4 weeks and I will show you photos of the results at the end. (Before and after photos are great motivation)
Monday, February 15, 2010
So there seems to be a lot of research going on about saturated fat and cholesterol.. Society has proven that limiting saturated fats and cholesterol is not working!
I just thought I would share some research with you guys to see what you think?
So I went to the website; the American Heart Association to see what their view was on this topic. They stated; Saturated fats have a chemical makeup in which the carbon atoms are saturated with hydrogen atoms. Saturated fats are typically solid at room temperature. Eating foods that contain saturated fats raises the cholesterol in your blood. High levels of cholesterol increase your risk of heart disease and stroke. Saturated fats occur naturally in many foods. The majority come mainly from animal sources, including meat and dairy products. Examples are fatty beef, lamb, pork, poultry with skin, beef fat (tallow), lard and cream, butter, cheese and other dairy products made from whole or reduced-fat (2 percent) milk. These foods also contain dietary cholesterol. The heart association also advises you should replace saturated foods with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated oils.
I found a website www.westonaprice.org they are very pro saturated fats and cholesterol.. It is a nonprofitable educational organization. Basically Weston Price was a dentist and noticed that weston society had lots of dental problems but the indigenous people did not have any tooth decay etc. So he traveled to all indigenous countries to find out what their diet was like. He found, lots of meat, milk products, seafood, butter, lard.. Everything we are told not to eat.
I found a brochure about cholesterol. I will give you the interesting points. Please go to the website and read more if you are interested. I will start with the importance of cholesterol.
-Cholesterol is produced by almost every cell in the body
-Cholesterol in cell membranes makes cells waterproof so there can be a different chemistry on the inside and the outside of the cell
-Cholesterol is nature's repair substance, used to repair wounds, including tears and irritations in the arteries.
-Many important hormones are made of cholesterol, including hormones that regulate mineral metabolism and blood sugar, hormones help us deal with stress, and all sex hormones, such as testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone.
-Cholesterol is vital to the function of the brain and nervous system
-Cholesterol protects us against depression, it plays a role in the utilization of seratonin, the bodies "feel good" chemical
-The bile salts, needed for digestion of fats are made from cholesterol
-Cholesterol is the precursor of vitamin D, which is formed by the action of UVB light on cholesterol in the skin
-Cholesterol is a powerful antioxidant that protects us against free radicals and therefore against cancer
-Cholesterol, especially LDL-cholesterol (the so called bad cholesterol) helps fight infection..
Did the drug companies ever tell us these facts?? What else have they been hiding away from us all this time?
MYTH:cholesterol and saturated fats clogs arteries
TRUTH: There is very little cholesterol or saturated fats in the arterial plaque or clogs. Most of the material is a calcium deposit akin to lime and most of the fatty acids are unsaturated
MYTH: Eating saturated fat and cholesterol-rich foods will cause cholesterol levels to rise and make people more susceptible to heart disease.
TRUTH: Many studies show no relationship between diet and cholesterol levels; there is no evidence that saturated fat and cholesterol-rich food contribute to heart disease. As Americans have cut back on saturated fat and cholesterol-rich foods, rates of heart disease have gone up.
MYTH: Cholesterol-lowering drugs have saved many lives.
TRUTH: In the two most recent trials, involving over 10,000 subjects, cholesterol-lowering did not result in any improvement in outcome.
MYTH: Countries that have a high consumption of animal fat and cholesterol have higher rates of heart disease.
TRUTH: There are many exceptions to this observation, such as France and Spain. Furthermore, an association (called a “risk factor”) is not the same as a cause. In wealthy countries where people eat a lot of animal foods, many other factors exist that can contribute to heart disease.
What Dr. Price found was animal fat is high in the fat-soluble vitamin A and D. Back in the 1930s, Dr Price observed that rates of heart attack rose during periods of the year when levels of these fat soluble vitamins in local butter went down.
Please let me know what you think.. After reading the research, I personally am not afraid of my cholesterol levels and will eat the whole egg, and have butter with my vegetables ;)
There is a tone of info and books out on fats at the moment. They are proving the health industry wrong.
We know for sure things need to change.
Hope it was interesting and not too boring, but I guess
Although needed only in very small quantities, vitamin B12 is one of those nutrients that make life worth living. Deficiencies can manifest as the living hell of depression, multiple sclerosis, dementia, and psychiatric disorders, such as obsessive-compulsive behavior and manic-depression, not to mention life-threatening anemia, cancer and heart disease. Many cases diagnosed as Alzheimer's are actually the result of inadequate B12.
HAVE I GOT YOUR ATTENTION NOW?
Is this scary stuff or what?? One vitamin deficiency can cause these problems? Does this show how important nutrition really is?
Early signs of deficiency include fatigue, tingling in the hands and feet, sleep disorders and a tendency to irrational anger.
Usable vitamin B12 is found only in animal products. It is absorbed through a complex process involving an "intrinsic factor", secreted by the parietal cells in the stomach. Deficiencies are most likely to appear in vegetarians, who do not consume animal products, and in the elderly and those deficient in hydrochloric acid or pancreatic enzymes, who cannot produce or use the intrinsic factor.
B12 is rendered unusable by pasteurization, which is why it is so important for vegetarians to use raw milk products. Unfortunately, vegetarian groups have opted for soy products, rather than lobby for access to raw milk products as a religious right.
Rather than universal testing for serum cholesterol, wouldn't it be better to test all adults for B12 status on a regular basis? In the early stages of deficiency, symptoms can be reversed by supplements of the vitamin in a form that is easy to absorb. At later stages deficiency, the neurological damage is irreversible.
(Info from Nourishing Traditions)
Thursday, February 11, 2010
The best advice I can give for losing weight is to cut out all grains, and nuts. Unless you prepare them properly. The problem with nuts is the outer layer or bran. A lot of people are gluten intolerant. Basically gluten is phytate. All nuts contains phytate.
Phytates are the salts of phytic acid. More correctly named inositol hexakisphosphate, the acid (or salt) is a phosphorus based compound found in the many plants. Specifically those high in fiber, with concentrations generally being highest in foods containing large amounts of insoluble fiber. Occurring most frequently in nuts, seeds, legumes, and whole grains, phytates serve as the primary mechanism by which plants store phosphorus. Like so many other things in life, there is some debate about the health effects of phytates.
Untreated phytic acid can combine with calcium, magnesium, copper, iron, and especially zinc in the intestinal tract and block their absorption. This is why a diet high in unfermented whole grains may lead to serious mineral deficiencies and bone loss. Soaking allows enzymes, lactobacilli and other helpful organisms to break down and neutralize a large portion of phytic acid in grains.
Scientists have learned that the proteins in grains, especially gluten, are very difficult to digest. A diet high in unfermented whole grains, particularly high gluten grains like wheat, puts an enormous strain on the whole digestive mechanism. When this mechanism breaks down with age or overuse, the results take the form of allergies, celiac disease, mental illness, chronic indigestion and candida albicans overgrowth.
An example of soaking is
Almonds:
Use either whole or skinless almonds. Rinse 3 times per day. Sprouts are ready in 3 days. Sprout is merely a tiny white appendage, about 1/8inch long.
Lentils:
Rinse 3 times a day. Sprout 2 to 3 days until sprout is 1/4inch long. Steam or cook lightly.
Breakfast porridge: serves 4
1 cup oats, rolled or cracked
1 cup warm filtered water plus 2 tablespoons whey, yoghurt, kefir or buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup filtered water
1 tablespoon flax seeds (optional)
For highest benefits and best assimilation, porridge should be soaked overnight or even longer. Once soaked, oatmeal cooks up in less than 5 minutes- truly a fast food. (Note those with severe milk allergies can use lemon juice or vinegar in place of whey, yoghurt, kefir or buttermilk).
Mix oats with warm water mixture, cover and leave in a warm place for at least 7 hours and as long as 24 hours. Bring an additional 1 cup of water to a boil with sea salt. Add soaked oats, reduce heat, cover and simmer several minutes. Meanwhile, grind optional flax seeds in a mini grinder. Remove from heat, stir in optional flax seeds and let stand for a few minutes. Serve with plenty of butter or cream and a natural sweetner like Rapadura, date sugar, maple syrup or raw honey.
If you want to know any more information or recipes about soaking grains and nuts, feel free to leave a comment. Enjoy :)
Be inspired ** Be empowered * Be you
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Sooo... my wedding is next year... and I have gained a bit of weight over the last two months so I need to work on getting into shape!
My goals for toning up is getting a tighter bum, flatter stomach and a sexy back.
I want more energy, to be healthier and be less sick, be stronger, leaner and sexier.
I have been watching Zuzana on Youtube lately. She is an inspiration for all who want to get into shape. She does quick workouts-20/30mins long and very intensive. As stated in my last blog that is the best and only way to lose weight.
I will be following her workouts- timing, recording number of reps, number of rounds etc all in a journal so I can see how my progress is going. After a couple of months I will re-do these workouts again to see if I have gotten stronger by beating my old times.
In the journal I will also be keeping a food journal.. Research is continuing showing that food journals works to assist in losing weight. The main reason is to make people realize what exactly you are eating, it also helps you identify which foods are holding you back and slowing your metabolism.
I will be doing her workouts a few times a week, along with kettlebell workouts, and maybe some swimming and walking here and there. Research has shown that kettlebell training burns 1200 calories an hour!!!! That is crazy. If you have it in your home, you would be nuts not to use it! If not, go and invest in one!!
I will show you some healthy recipes that I am very fond of too.
If anyone else is keen in losing weight together with me, give me a comment below! :)
Sunday, February 7, 2010
I have been thinking a lot about what I want to do with my future in nursing. As we all know nursing has many many opportunities!
I have decided I want to start my career off in the emergency department. That way it will give me an excellent grounding and a ton of knowledge and experience. I then want to become a diabetes specialist. I am very interested in nutrition and holistic care so this will be good to start with. I want (if possible) do a paper on nutrition.
My eventual goal is to become a nurse practitioner. To become a nurse practitioner you need to do your masters which will take several years! If I wanted to, i could start off as a nurse practitioner specializing in diabetes. But eventually, I would love to start my own company and have my own practice. I will then be like a mini doctor. I will have the capabilities of diagnosing, doing minor surgeries and prescribing medication etc.
My company will be more similar to a life style and holistic clinic. I will be using natural ways of becoming healthier and overcoming diseases.
So these are my long term goals. As we all know our plans always change a bit but this is where I plan on heading in my future.
Friday, February 5, 2010
I'm finally back from holiday! It was amazing. It was great to get away from everything and not worry about setting alarms and do something for somebody else (work). I could do what I liked, when I likes and relax!
But now that we are back it is back to reality and achieving goals!
One of my goals is to get lean and sexy. So I have a secret for all. The secret to your exercise routine!
The secret is........
Metabolic Resistance Training
It has been proven that long duration cardio DOES NOT work!! So if cardio does not help you lose weight then what does??
Metabolic Resistance Training, of course.
MRT is hard, intense, muscle training that disturbs and disrupts your metabolism. This type of training will increase your EPOC ( excess post oxygen consumption ). EPOC simply stated is how long it takes your body to get back to resting levels after working out. If your workout is slow and steady, your EPOC will only be elevated for minutes. If your workout is hard and intense, your EPOC could be elevated for hours. Some studies have shown EPOC to stay elevated for 24 to 36 hours. INCREASED EPOC= INCREASED METABOLISM=BURNING CALORIES = FAT LOSS.
This is an example of a workout would be
Circuit #1 -beginner 1. Push-up, 10 reps 2. Bridge, 10 reps 3. Squats, 10 reps 4. Lunges, 10 reps Rest 60 to 90 seconds and repeat circuit as many times as you can
Circuit #2 -intermediate 1. Push-up- 15 reps 2. Squats - 15 reps 3. Dips - 15 reps 4. Pull-ups or Lat.Pulldowns - 10 to 15 * Rest for 90 seconds, then repeat the circuit as many times as you can.
Beaware these are intense workouts! You know you will be working hard because you will sweating like a pig!
These workouts are good if you can only workout 3 times a week or have limited equipment.
The advantage of MRT is:
-burns a lot of calories- even after the workout!
-creates a heavy after burn effect
-it respects our muscle mass
-it is very time efficient
-can be performed everywhere
-needs only minimal equipment
Now you know the secret of weight loss!
Give it a go and see what you think.

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Katie
Whangarei, Northland, New Zealand
Hi.. Im Katie. I am 20 years old. I am a student nurse. I love learning about healthy eating and living healthy lifestyles. There are so many lies and myths about the food we eat today and I am determined to spread the word. If you have any questions don't be shy to ask. Email me at k_rotgans@hotmail.com P.S I am not a doctor, I do not diagnose conditions. I am just hear to educate myself and others. Any symptoms I address please see your doctor.
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