TO SAVE YOUR LIFE, SWITCH TO A WHOLE FOODS DIET

SAVE YOUR LIFE BY SWITCHING TO A WHOLE FOODS DIET!

I would love, love, love to hear your recipes using whole foods and your experiences of changing to a whole food diet! 


Today I watched on Netflix the show called FORKS OVER KNIVES at the suggestion of a Facebook friend (thank you, David N.!) who has lost 30 pounds in 4 weeks and says he feels great!


This production showcases clear and conclusive research that supports what we have all felt in our gut for a long time! Studies that have been done over years and years in China, Philippines and Japan combined with studies done in the United States are discussed. Individual case studies are shown. It is very convincing evidence that we should be eating these things for good health: fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes! The best rule of thumb, as one doctor in the show puts it, "...if it has a father and mother, don't eat it."

In the show Forks Over Knives, it was explained why the obesity problem exists in America. To grossly over-simplify, it is because the foods we eat are too rich and our bodies are fooled into thinking that we are not getting enough nutrition. So, we have to eat more to get satisfied. The doctor who explained this said "people are not more lazy now than they were before..."  He said that most of us need to learn how to eat whole foods which are nutritious and start eating a plant-based diet. There is an incredible amount of data showing that cultures who are introduced to eat the way we eat in America then start to have the same sicknesses and weight-problems that we do.


Initially, the reason that I paid attention to my Facebook friend David's post is because I have recently noticed that when I eat a smoothie for breakfast and a salad from my garden for dinner, I am completely satisfied. It has been a mystery to me because I know the amount is much smaller and there are not as many calories as the standard meat--veggie--starch meal. I wondered why I felt fuller longer when I added one single lettuce leaf to my morning smoothie. 


The whole foods diet answers that question: Because we get the nutrients we need from what we ingest, our appetite center signals our brain by saying, "Way to go, you feel perfectly satisfied!" 


I'm keeping this short, but if you have Netflix, you probably want to watch that show! It is a little bit scientific, but they do a great job with charts and diagrams to make it more easily understandable. 


And please share your recipes for some yummy whole foods dishes!  

YOGA or Fat Burn? Or both?

Just returned from my first yoga class. Well, I seriously should say my only yoga class for awhile. Even though I found the stretches very beneficial and trying to balance myself (plus my extra pounds) on one foot while in a weird contortion very rewarding, it will be a while before I return. And return I will. But right now, that hour could be spent in burning off the extra weight. I can always do a lot of the stretches at home instead of spending my time at the gym getting centered and moving at a turtles pace for an hour.

Yoga is not for sissies. It is tough, not joking. My muscles feel like tomorrow will be a wee bit painful. It looks easy and the people in the class who have been doing it for a while look very graceful and limber. Who am I kidding? I actually looked pretty graceful, too. The movements are slow and methodical, so for the most part gracefulness is inherent by design. 

I wish they had 15 minute yoga classes, because I would be more inclined to join in before hitting the elliptical. Ah-ha! An epiphany! I can go to the yoga class, say hello, stretch and yoga-ise for a bit and then excuse myself to the elliptical. Nice! That's the best idea I've had all day. So far...

This is one move that I could not do because my abs and back are not yet strong enough to lift my extra hip and leg weight up that high. However, I modified it and did my best. This is called the boat pose. Looks easy, right? Try it!!!

It seems like yoga is something one could do at home with a video or a book showing the poses. Our yoga instructor kept saying to use our breathing to find our balance. And believe me, we moved s-l-o-w-l-y . . .!

OH! I also found this link which was pretty good. They may have one of these classes in your area if you are interested. . . .http://www.yogadork.com/news/fat-yoga-no-longer-a-four-letter-word/ 

So, this Yoga Thing . . . What is Your Experience?

Yoga sounds like a great idea. I tried it once several years ago and it was dreadfully boring. Maybe I chose the wrong type of yoga.

I found this site which may be helpful to get started. If you have any other ideas to share, you can leave them in the comment section.

http://yoga.about.com/od/beginningyoga/a/howtostart.htm

This Trainer Says Add Strength Training

I just happened upon this blog today while looking for something totally different and it is great!  I had no clue that obese people had so much more of a difficult time losing weight! OOOOH MAN! It's tough, but do-able! 

The bottom-line on this article is to avoid becoming obese, include strength training, and commit for six months to any fitness change program. SIX MONTHS. Considering that healthy activity should be a lifestyle, let's just say the transition period will be six months and the increased activity in life will be for the rest of our lives. Ya wanna?  ;D  We can do it!  It really is much more fun to walk the dog or play with children than to sit in front of the television and eat, right? Not to mention, skating, bicycling, swimming, and all those other fun activities!

Enjoy this blog! If you are struggling with obesity, this will be very, very helpful in helping you to understand that you have more to overcome and I believe it will help you make that commitment to work harder! 99% of all self-improvement effort is in our minds!

http://gregghoffman.hubpages.com/hub/Obesity-and-Fat-Loss 

BOO YAH! TODAY IT IS BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN!!!!

Who is doing this thing with me? Oh yeah. I have my tools and I am ready to go. I was doing well a couple of months ago in exercising and getting in shape, but I have been going through some stuff and slacked big time. It is back to the lifestyle which I know is better for my bod.

The first thing I think will be helpful is that I have two friends who are weighing in this morning and we are going to have a weight-loss "contest". I think it will be friendly! Haha! I hope so! At the end of each month, we will tally up our weight loss and whichever one of us loses the most will get paid $10.00 from the other two. Twenty dollars is not that much, but it is enough to work toward. I am thinking that when I win, I will donate my winnings to help this guy, Yeah Samake, win his presidential election. http://samake2012.com/about/ He's a good guy and there are many people who need good strong leadership in the third poorest country in the world. After the election is over, I will send my winnings to his wife, Marissa, who will make sure my donations feed the hungry http://firstladymali2012.com/2012/03/07/hunger-a-beatable-problem/ They are both the kind of people I wish could run MY country! ;D

Next up for me, I have joined the community at  http://www.myfitnesspal.com/post/recent. It is a free website for people who are working toward becoming more fit. It motivates me to hear their stories, and I will probably make some friends on there. I can also track my weight loss and there is a calculator which told me I need to keep my caloric intake at 1260 calories to meet my goals.

Within a day or two I will again read my favorite motivating book, THE END GAME DIET (http://www.amazon.com/The-Game-Diet-Bryan-Daybell/dp/0981884970/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1331562737&sr=8-1) Even though the book is called a "diet" it couldn't be more non-diet-ish! Haha! It is all about a lifestyle change. It's a quick read and there are a lot of you-can-do-its in the book. The main thing I like is it helps remind me of how to eat and exactly which food choices will be best for my caloric intake goal. Plus, spreading my calories throughout the day helps to keep me from being hungry. One of my problems in eating is that I wait until I am very hungry and then eat quickly. This is the opposite from thin people who eat a little bit six or seven times a day. Some thin people I know do not like to chew that much, so they drink something when they get hungry. This End Game Diet book helps me to remember to eat a little bit of food often. Plus, it's just really encouraging. Kinda makes me feel successful before I even start!

Ok, and my last plan of action is my exercise and physical recreation goals. I have been collecting some new videos and magazine articles of things I can do at home. This way, if I do not make it to the gym because my schedule is tight, I can work out right here at home. I also have some workout DVDs. Here is one of my favorite workouts I saw on Pinterest. I cannot do these exercises the way she does them, but I can modify them to do something!!! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=1hgv3Y7HKxw)

All in all, I am very excited to get started today! Woot!

As always your comments are welcome! Your comments can be in any language because Google translate is amazing! Here is a link so you can add it to your bar: http://translate.google.com/translate_tools

Happy Fresh and Healthy Lifestyle to you!

P.S. Disclaimer: I don't know who is in this picture, and I hope he doesn't mind that I borrowed it.

92 Year Old Woman Teaching Yoga

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gip5sjGy8pM&feature=pyv

Today is the first day that I have heard of this woman, Porchon Lynch. She is 93 now. This is a video of her when she was 92.

How inspiring is this? This is great motivation to stay in shape and be healthy!

EXERCISES GALORE!!!

There is never a need to be bored of exercising again!  Look at this variety on this website:
http://weightloss.allwomenstalk.com/exercises-for-losing-stomach-fat-fast/#mostliked

And then, for video you can look at the www.bodyrock.tv and other exercise vids on YouTube!

Uh.huh. It's all about the exercise, isn't it? Ok, and the fuel. The fuel is best if it has nutrients, too, and that will be the topic of a different post!

Happy WORK OUT!!!

Getting Fit, Healthy and Strong is the New Focus

Hey there, just to assuage any confusion. This blog used to be known as Lose 40 Pounds by Christmas and you may still see that around. But, I am changing up the name so we can all participate. Even thin people want to be healthy and fit! And who does not want more strength? :D

So, please contribute in comments or enjoy reading!

You are awesome! Be a part of the Fit, Healthy and Strong community!

Emotional Eating and a Great Work Out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hgv3Y7HKxw&feature=player_embedded

I saw this on Pinterest. I hope the link works. It is originally from bodyrock.tv (on YouTube?) and I'm sorry I do not know who this girl is, but she does a great job addressing emotional eating. She has a very lean body and does a nice workout in a small space. I think this will give you some ideas on exercises to do right at home. If you know who she is, please comment so we can give her the right credit! I saw the name Lisa on there somewhere....?

I have to admit right now that I cannot do all of these exercises. I have to modify them. But, as she says in the video, doing something is better than doing nothing! But for those of you who are advanced, you will love this workout for variety!

Ok, so, as a side note I discovered www.bodyrock.tv where people can post their own home workouts. How fun is that?

Yo Ho Ho and a Bottle of Purified Water

You know it was so great to lose that 10 pounds that I lost. But I guess it was kind of missing me because little by little it is finding it's way back to me. Awww, how sweet, like a little puppy finding it's way home.

NOT!  haha! It is not ok!  So, it is back to the lifestyle that works for getting stronger and staying healthy!!!

Here is the book that is going to get me going! http://www.amazon.com/The-Game-Diet-Bryan-Daybell/dp/0981884970/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1331246361&sr=8-1 It is called THE END GAME DIET because it is no longer a fun game to lose weight and then gain it back and then lose it again. This is the system that is going to get me to the right place and keep me there. It is called a DIET, but you know what? It's not. It is more about a lifestyle. I mean I guess you could call everything we eat a "diet". My uncle used to say he was on a seafood diet. You were supposed to say "really?" and he would laugh and say, "Yes, the SEE FOOD and EAT IT diet"  Bwahaha!

Ok, so this EGD book is your basic old school book. But is you want to get back on the right track with me, order yours and I'll see you back here next week. Let's start on Monday, March 12th!

Love you! This is NOT going to be easy to get started, but it will get easier as time goes on! In the meantime, stock up on and start drinking lots of water. We've been buying purified water and it tastes yummy and I think my skin is doing a lot better!

IS IT TIME TO START AGAIN?

Spring is around the corner! IS IT TIME TO START AGAIN? I can't hearrr youuu...... ;D

Let me know what you think. Anyone ready to resume eating ultra healthy? Not just your basic healthy?