Creatine

Loosing my weight

People keep asking me how I lost my weight. So here it is.  Through it all I had a great support system.  One important group was a that of Facebook.  If you aren't already a part of similar group, I encourage you to join ours.

Every step compounds on top of each other.  So by the fourth month you should be taking out preservatives, not eating sugar (a lot) of simple sugars, practicing portion control and working out regularly. It may seem like a lot but with every mile stone you will see a difference. Be patient. Remember, you didn't gain the weight overnight, you won't loose it overnight either.

Days 0 to 30: Do not eat preservatives aka Eat Clean.
Days 31 to 60: Take out sugar.
Days 61 to 90: Eat proper portions.
Days 91 to 120: Incorporate exercise into daily regimen.
             

For people who tend to quit easily; add rewards at the end of every 14 to 30 days. Just don’t overdo it. Example after 30 days of discipline reward yourself with two scoops of gelato while walking through the park on Saturday.

Day 0 to 30: Take out all preservatives.

Day 0 to 30: Take out all preservatives.

This means no fast food, no pre-made frozen/boxed food.

TIP: When reading ingredients, if you cannot identify all ingredients in their natural form, don’t eat it.

Alternatives: Cooking from scratch, invest in cookbook(s), Eat a raw food diet (not recommended right now)

Days 31 to 60: Take out sugar.

Days 31 to 60: Take out sugar.
No soda, no packaged candy, no powdered or granulated sugar and no “raw” sugar.
TIP:  Have a replacement for trigger foods.
Alternatives: Eat more fruit; replace sugar with honey, palm sugar, maple syrup.
More info on why you should take out sugar.

How I "work" my trigger foods:

• when I want chocolate... I eat Cocoa roast Almonds (cocoa dusted almonds)
• when I want a cinnabon... I eat cinnamon sugar almonds
• when I want chips... I eat flavored pistachios or kettle corn

Days 61 to 90: Eat proper portions.

Days 61 to 90: Eat proper portions.
Focus on eating fewer portions more often.  You should be eating at least 5 times a day.
TIP: Be sure you are drinking plenty of water. You should be drinking at least ½ your body weight in ounces.  So if you weight 120lbs drink 60 ounces of water daily. That’s only 7.5 glasses a day.

Days 91 to 120: Incorporate exercise into daily regimen.

Days 91 to 120: Incorporate exercise into daily regimen. 
Consult physician before committing to any new workout regimen, especially if you have ongoing physical limitations. With that said, here is what I did:
     Mon-Fri: 15-20 minutes of cardio, 30-45 minutes of resistance training (4days a wk), 30-45 abdominal workout 1 day a week
     Yoga: Mon-Wed-Fri
TIPS: Take 30 to 60 seconds breaks, have a workout plan before you get to the gym. You can find free workout plans at bodybuilding.com
Alternatives: Don’t have a gym? Invest in resistance bands, running shoes and workout mat.

GOJI Recipes

Goji Energy Bar

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup raw pecans
1 cup raw walnuts
2 TB honey
1 cup dried goji berries
1/2 cup coconut shreds
1/2 cup sweetened raw cacao nibs
Olive oil


DIRECTIONS:
Crush raw pecans and raw walnuts using a food processor, add of honey,  dried goji berries, coconut shreds and  sweetened raw cacao nibs to the mix, give it all a good stir with a spoon, then press mixture into a lightly oiled (olive oil) baking dish or tray. Put in refrigerator one hour to set, then cut into squares.

Oatmeal with Goji Berries Recipe

Bring two cups of water and a handful of goji berries to a boil. Simmer with lid on for 5 minutes to soften berries. Add 1 cup of oatmeal, give it a good stir, then cook over low heat with the lid on. After oatmeal is cooked, take off heat, add a handful of sliced almonds, half a cup of almond milk or unsweetened soy milk, give it all a good stir, and enjoy while it's hot. The quantities listed here make approximately 1 large serving

Goji benefits.

Goji Party

Why do we love Goji Berries?

Research shows that eating berries -- like blueberries, acai berries, cranberries, strawberries, and cherries -- offers some definite health benefits. Berries like the goji berry are filled with powerful antioxidants and other compounds that may help prevent cancer and other illnesses, including heart disease. Antioxidants may also boost the immune system and lower cholesterol.

Eating foods high in antioxidants may slow the aging process as well. It does this by minimizing damage from free radicals that injure cells and damage DNA. When a cell's DNA changes, the cell grows abnormally. Antioxidants can take away the destructive power of free radicals. By doing so, antioxidants help reduce the risk of some serious diseases.

Goji berries or Chinese Wolfberry also have compounds rich in vitamin A that may have anti-aging benefits. These special compounds help boost immune function, protect vision, and may help prevent heart disease.

We hear the word often, but what are antioxidants?

An antioxidant is a molecule capable of slowing or preventing the oxidation of other molecules. Oxidation is a chemical reaction that transfers electrons from a substance to an oxidizing agent.

Oxidation reactions can produce free radicals, which start chain reactions that damage cells. Antioxidants terminate these chain reactions by removing free radical intermediates, and inhibit other oxidation reactions by being oxidized themselves.

 Watch what Goji Berries did to this persons blood in 24 hours!

Goji Recipes.

Tis' so Sweet

I am a HUGE "sugar substitute" addict. I love to find ways to make my food work for me. Below is some information how sugar is processed and the link will give you information on what some sugar alternatives have to offer you. Enjoy Sweety!

When we eat, our body converts digestible carbohydrates into blood sugar (glucose), our main source of energy. Our blood sugar level can affect how hungry and how energetic we feel, both important factors when we are watching how we eat and exercise. It also determines whether we burn fat or store it.

Our pancreas creates a hormone called insulin that transports blood sugar into our body's cells where it is used for energy. When we eat refined grains that have had most of their fiber stripped away, sugar, or other carbohydrate-rich foods that are quickly processed into blood sugar, the pancreas goes into overtime to produce the insulin necessary for all this blood sugar to be used for energy. This insulin surge tells our body that plenty of energy is readily available and that it should stop burning fat and start storing it.

Things to WATCH out for:

• Hidden Sugar in Processed Foods: Watch for "hidden" sugar in processed foods like bread, ketchup, salad dressing, canned fruit, applesauce, peanut butter, and soups.
• Sugar in Beverages: Be aware of the amount of sugar in beverages, especially coffee and soda pop. It can add up quickly, and most such drinks aren't filling.
• Fat-Free Products: Sugar is often used to replace the flavor that is lost when the fat is removed. And as if that's not bad enough, without any fat to slow it down the sugar is absorbed into your blood faster.

Sugar Alternatives

Sprouted Almond Toffee Crunch Dip

Tired of serving sugary, fattening carmel with your fruit at parties?  Bored of the same ole, but delicious yogurt dip?

INGREDIENTS:

• Dates
• Raw Sprouted Almonds
• Water from sprouted almonds 
• Almond Milk
• Flaxseed Meal

DIRECTIONS:

Eye ball the amount of dates you would like.  Add a heaping spoonful of sprouted almonds.  Add a splash of sprouted almond water. Then two splash of almond milk and a tablespoon of flaxseed meal. Eat with apples, pears or strawberries.