When You Don’t Want Fruit in the Morning

December 30, 2011 By Leave a Comment

 

I was hungry early this morning, which is unusual for me. When I thought of eating, I knew right away I didn't want cold fruit.
 
For some reason, I was craving carbs. Maybe because I was a cheesehead last night with that dish in the previous post. Everyone loved it too and after three hours, our food had digested and we were HUNGRY again.
 
That is how you know you are digesting properly. The food leaves your tummy and you feel hunger, a true hunger, not the false 'sugar high' hunger that is never satisfied.
 
Because my appetite has picked up I know my metabolism is also running on high. I weighed myself this morning and I really don't want to lose more than a couple of pounds, so I am going to eat what I need to, when I need to.
 
Remember that fruit in the morning speeds up the weight loss and detox process.
 
Back to not wanting to eat fruit this morning…
 
I knew I wanted carbs and how many of us want carbs in the morning? The fact that Krispy Kreme is where it is today verifies this morning carb deep desire. But just because you crave carbs doesn't mean you need to choose a donut. There are other more satisfying carb meals that will leave you satisfied and with energy.
 
I easily said NO to the 95 pounds of Boston Baked Beans (I have seen others pop them in their mouth at all hours of the day…) and decided I wanted REAL beans this morning… and the carrots sitting in the fridge looked really good too.
 
I found a can of organic beans, threw them in the Vitamix, added some salt, lemon juice, a drizzle of olive oil, a dash of onion and garlic and it was whipped into what you see below; it looks a bit like oatmeal.
 
 
I ate my mini-meal and was quite satisfied. This way of eating is more in line with The Living Well Suppressed Metabolism Plan so if you are struggling with fruit in the morning, you will want to try this approach.
 
The raw carrots are amazing as they speed the transit time through the bowels and they cause you to chew a lot which is good when eating carbs. It is important to fully masticate the carbs in your mouth before swallowing because carbs are digested in the mouth, with saliva.
 
Chewing also releases certain endorphins (this is listed somewhere in The Living Well Plan) and that is why people run to crunchy foods when they are stressed. Carrots are the perfect crunchy food and they also help remove toxins which is a very good thing.
 
Also, I include canned food in the recipes because I believe everyone should have extra food in their house in case of an emergency. All of us should be prepared for any natural disaster, and that means knowing how to cook out of a pantry as well as cook and cut with fresh foods. When you cook with mostly fresh and use canned and frozen for convenience (occasionally) it is much more doable and healthy in the long run. You will also be prepared and know how to cook if there is an emergency and you can't get to the store.
 
The idea with Living Well is always doing the best you can with what you have at the moment.
 
Have a great weekend everyone!
 
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Confessions of a Wheat and Cheese Addict

December 29, 2011 By 5 Comments

I confess.
 
My worse food addiction during the past few years has been the occasional craving for … pizza.
 
It is true.
 
I have even believed that I was addicted to this concoction at times, so I tried to avoid it. 
 
The Fukushima business has also made me shy away from cheese, but I have yet to completely remove it from my eating plan. 
 
This past couple of weeks I have reduced my cheese intake to almost none, and I have kept the cheese away from any wheat. 
 
But then today came and I had that craving for a pizza. Actually, the craving first came on Tuesday but I ignored it until today.
 
When my husband brought home some zucchini and crookneck squash from the farmer's market this afternoon, I knew I had to make something with sauce and cheese right away. I get a craving for the taste of Italy sometimes. I blame it on the Italian blood that my father so graciously provided for me.
 
There is always a way to Live Well, no matter where you are. There is always a way to make the best choice possible and do the best with what you have in front of you.
 
The truth is, Living Well just means rearranging a few things, so that you can facilitate digestion and keep your energy levels high and your body eliminating regularly. This happens when your meals are dominated by vegetables.
 
When dealing with cheese addictions, make sure to eat it with some high water content foods to help move it out of your body easily.
 
You can still feed your little cravings and keep yourself from bingeing and harming your body with excess food.
 
Know this important fact: OVEREATING is the cause of more bodily harm than anything. It doesn't matter if you overeat good or bad foods, the overeating and the excess is at the heart of most illness in our day.
 
Pay attention to those foods that nag you and keep you bloated. Cheese and wheat is the most common bloating combination you can eat. 
 
Maybe you crave another poorly combined dish? Tell me what it is and I will find a solution for you.
 
The idea is to make all of what you do livable, for life.
 
Your eating plan must keep you healthy and give you energy, keep you free from bingeing, and completely satisfy your taste buds too. This is the only way you can stick to a new lifestyle longterm.
 
You also need a coach and I am happy to help you here.
 
Continual support is KEY so visit often and join all of us who are Living Well!
 
 

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What about beverages: coffee? tea? milk? wine?

December 28, 2011 By 2 Comments

 

 

        From: Paula

Date: December 28, 2011 12:35:26 PM EST

Subject: Re: HealthnBeauty.com is Back

To: healthnbeautycom@aol.com

As a long-time, trusting user of Tooth Soap, I immediately checked out your HealthnBeauty website. I have a question:

What about beverages: coffee? tea? milk? wine?

Thanks,
Paula

 

Hi Paula,
The highest level of health would be to exclude any foods that would cause any type of inflammation in the body. Maintaining that high level is a challenge in our world. If coffee, tea, milk and wine are something you regularly drink, and you don’t want to exclude them from your eating plan just yet, there is a way to work them in.
Moderation is key though, and you will have to minimize your consumption of them if you are planning on encouraging weight drop.
The best way to drink them would be on an empty stomach, as to not interfere with digestion. Wine is best on an empty stomach; you will feel it faster thereby drinking less since there is no food to absorb the alcohol. Coffee and tea are okay between meals for some people.
There are, however, those that retain water by including caffeine in their eating plan. They will still be able to drop weight, but when a plateau rolls around, that is the time to tweak and remove some of those things that have been a constant before.
Drink milk alone and I suggest organic and raw if you are going to drink it.  Milk is loaded with hormones and pesticides and some dairies are still monitoring the radioactive particles that came out of Fukushima.
I am not a milk drinker and I didn’t drink milk while losing weight. You will have to see what works best for your unique body.
Go slow with everything and the more you add to your eating plan, the more you will want to exclude. This happens over time.
Here is more information from The Living Well Plan regarding drinks and water:

What about diet sodas, mineral waters and other bottled drinks?

Diet sodas are carbonated drinks that make you fat by aggravating your sweet tooth and encouraging your body to retain water.  They keep you addicted to that artificially sweet taste. Besides aspartame has been proven to give headaches.  And we all know the truth about saccharin.  Mineral waters can make you retain water because of the carbonation and salts and they are also acidic.

As far as bottled water goes there is much controversy on that subject.  Too much fluoride is toxic, not enough of the naturally occurring kind can contribute to tooth decay.  Find out about the water quality in your area.  If it is bad you will know it.  If the city agencies tell you it is good, know that their standards are a lot lower than yours.  Their regulations keep it at a level that is considered “safe for consumption”.  Pesticides are considered to be “safe” too, according to government standards.  But bottled spring water is not necessarily the answer.  Think of all the gallons of water sitting in warehouses growing bacteria.  There are no standards for levels of bacteria in bottled water.  Mountain spring water also contains inorganic minerals that your body can’t use.

There are some really sophisticated water filters out there now.  Some filter the water to remove lead and chlorine and then treat it with ozone and ultraviolet light inside the unit to kill microorganisms and parasitic cysts.  Then there are the health gurus that recommend you only drink distilled water, but I have also read that distilled water leaches the minerals out of your body so it is not good to drink it long term.  It is fine for when you are trying to heal, but it could cause problems down the road.  Check Chet’s site for more info on distilled water.

Drink filtered water at all times as chlorine is deadly.  It never ceases to amaze me why information on the dangers of chlorine are not more widespread.  Researchers proved years ago that most cases of bladder and urinary cancer have direct links to chlorine and it’s byproducts in our drinking/bathing water.  Further studies have implicated chlorinated water in increased rates of deadly pancreatic cancer, rectal cancer, and possibly even breast cancer in women.  (AM J Epidemiol 92;136(7):836-42) (Epidemiol 98;9(1):29-35) (AM J Epidemiol 93;138(7):492-501) (Cancer Causes Control 97;8(2):192-200)

In this latest study involving brain cancer, the longer you drink chlorinated water, the greater your risk of developing cancer.  What is surprising about this study is that that association between chlorinated water and brain cancer was stronger among men than women.  Maybe because men drink proportionally more water than women?  Men drinking chlorinated water for 40 or more years are at 2.5 times more risk that those that did not drink chlorinated water.

You must drink filtered water especially when taking fulvic acid.  It will attach itself to small particles and deliver it to your cells quickly, so make sure to take fulvic only with pure, filtered water.  Don’t put your health in jeopardy by consuming tap water at any time whether you are taking fulvic acid or not.


 

 

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The Body Melt Begins

December 27, 2011 By 5 Comments

There is an ancient saying that goes like this, "The beginning is in the end and the end is in the beginning".  I can see this truth revealing itself once again in my life as I embark on another wonderful journey with reviving The Living Well Plan.

 
I am seeing The Living Well Plan and the benefits, in action, before my very eyes.
 
My family doesn't eat much meat, except for Friday night, or celebrations or special occasions, and last night was one of them. We ate meat, sauteed vegetables and a huge garden salad.
 
I was so content with my meal. I felt so good afterwards!
 
Around 11:00 pm I could feel the melt… I could feel that my body was in fat burning mode. At that point, I imagined the melting butter in the pan. I knew that any excess on my body would soon be history, just like before.
 
There is this feeling you get when you combine your foods properly. Your stomach is not bloated, and feels empty sooner. It is an awesome feeling!
 
I spoke with Dr. Berzow about this yesterday and she also noticed when her body was in the 'melting mode'. It is a certain feeling in your body and gut and I know it well.
 
This morning when I opened my eyes I felt pure joy and bliss!
 
I felt so good.
 
I had to wonder for a moment if proper digestion is that important to everything and honestly, I have to say YES! Digestion is everything!
 
If you are sick and tired, of being sick and tired, of being fat, bloated and disgusted, help is on the way!
 
It has been over 13 years since I first brought The Living Well Plan to the world via the web and after reading the info again, I am more excited than ever to Live Well again! 
 
I was a believer in facilitating proper digestion back in the day, and I am a most firm believer in it now.
 
As a person who has been reviewing products, diets and all sorts of items relating to health and beauty for over a decade, I give my highest recommendation to The Living Well Plan!
 
I know that might sound a little biased, but I can't help it.
 
Join us!
 
 

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Wheat Belly AKA Bloated Belly

December 26, 2011 By 3 Comments

 

 
Having gone wheat-free once in my life for over six months, I know the freedom that goes along with it, but it is certainly not easy in our culture.
 
I am once again working to keep wheat out of my eating plan, and I can say before ever reading the book "Wheat Belly", that wheat makes me puffy, it interferes with my sleep, and makes my joints ache, especially as I climb that hill towards fifty.
 
Wheat is also highly addictive and that is simple to see when you can't stop at just one cracker. Or one bowl of cereal. Or one brownie, etc…
 
I chose to go five days without wheat last week, but the day I included it in my eating plan, I ended up puffy and retaining some water the next day. It wasn't a lot of water, but enough to see it. That 'puff' is actually my body retaining water to dilute the irritation that wheat causes in my sensitive system.
 
My daughter was off of wheat for 4 days and she felt a difference too. The main thing she noticed was NO MORE BLOAT!
 
For sure, wheat causes a 'bloating belly' in many people.
 
"Wheat Belly" is a most appropriate title for the new book by Dr. William Davis, a cardiologist who has seen extraordinary results in his patients that he put on wheat-free regimens. 
 
Dr. Davis states that a wheat-free diet is associated with significant benefits including:
 
  • Weight loss of 20, 30, even 50 pounds in the first few weeks
  • Alleviation of metabolic syndrome and type-2 diabetes
  • Recovery from intestinal woes, like ulcerative colitis and celiac disease
  • Marked improvement in overall cholesterol and LDL counts
  • Improvement in bone density and reversal of osteopenia
  • Cessation of skin conditions from psoriasis to oral ulcers and hair loss
  • Reduction of inflammation and rheumatoid arthritis pain
 
Besides the obvious problem with wheat, which is the GMO factor, we are just getting too much of it in our diet, similar to how soy and corn are put in everything. Soy, wheat and corn are the three main crops in our country, so it is no wonder we are having problems with allergies and sensitivities to all three of them. The body needs a great variety of foods to meet nutritional needs and most people live off of the same foods daily.
 
Dr. Davis states, "Did you know that eating two slices of whole wheat bread can increase blood sugar more than 2 tablespoons of pure sugar can?"
 
Those of you that have read the chapter on "Chemicals" in The Living Well Plan know what I have to say about sugar. :-)
 
Consider eliminating wheat for a few days to see if you notice a difference. You will be glad you did (and you will be less puffy too).
 
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Moodiness, Irritability, Bloating & Wonder Drugs

December 21, 2011 By 2 Comments

When I see these symptoms in women (and men), I consider their diet first and foremost, because I know that these physical and psychological issues are absolutely rooted in a poor diet. If I had not seen the changes in women who made the choice to nourish their bodies years ago, I could not say that with full conviction, but I have seen exactly that, and have experienced this truth with myself. I have seen personalities change when they ate the wrong combinations of food or were eating sugar and processed foods. 

Recently, the birth control pills marketed under the names, "Yaz" and "Yasmine" were reported to cause more side effects than earlier birth control pills. The possibility of getting blood clots is much greater in these new designer wonder pills, according to recent findings.

I remember warning women about all birth control pills a decade ago, but when I stopped watching TV around the same time, I missed all the drug propaganda and commercials. I didn't realize that these birth control pills were being marketed for moodiness, irritability and bloating until today, when I watched the video below on CNN! Seriously, when I saw that the drug companies were marketing this way, my mouth dropped open. I said, "WHAT?!"

Why would we need a pill when we can change our diet from a chemically laden one to a whole food approach? This instant society we live in has deeply infected and affected our minds. I should have put the HealthnBeauty.com site back up sooner!

I find it to be pure comedy that the women in this video have the questions they do, but it is also a good thing that some are now using their common sense when they consider taking these drugs as an instant "fix it". Besides, weren't birth control pills supposed to be for preventing pregnancy? Now they are a wonder drug for every thing that ails a woman in our day?

Such hogwash, it is incredible that people fall for it. Then again, the marketing companies are MASTERS at knowing how to penetrate into the brain, the part that you don't even realize is there. It is called "neurolinguistic programming" and there are certain words used in marketing that instantly tell your brain to "believe" what they say. These drug companies know exactly what they are doing and when you don't know any better, you are a puppet on Big Pharma's string.

Precious ladies (and men): Crankiness, feeling bloated (and gross), has everything to do with your food not digesting properly. This theory has been around for over 100 years, and the doctor that wrote a book about it in 1902 was the same doctor that we quote in that Psych 101 class. Remember "Pavlov's dog"?

Digestion is everything and when you don't digest properly, you don't absorb nutrients and you are left hungry all the time. When you don't give your body what it needs, it will be moody, irritable, bloated and hanging on to excess weight.

Simple changes in your eating plan will make all the difference. Join us as we Live Well and reduce bloating, gassy tummies, moodiness and more!

 

Popular birth control pills Yaz and Yasmin linked to increased blood clot risk

Yaz and Yasmin were once marketed as "wonder drugs," used by millions of women across the country. But these two popular birth control pills may have some very dangerous side effects. 

New research shows that the pills are linked with a higher risk of blood clots. The FDA is holding a hearing Thursday to discuss these health concerns.

CNN senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen previews the hearing with Carol Costello and Alina Cho.

 

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Welcome Back

December 19, 2011 By 18 Comments

 

 

In 1998, HealthnBeauty.com went live and featured health and beauty product reviews, an active forum, ezines, and The Living Well Plan, one of the first online diet support networks for women (men liked it too). 

The Living Well Plan was a whole food eating approach that I used to lose weight after I gained 55 pounds during my second pregnancy. The Plan included hundreds of recipes, charts, and support from myself and other members.

Members lost weight, felt great, and always had a place to go to when they needed a boost in inspiration to live healthy.

Times changed, and The Living Well Plan was put into a vault, never to be seen again.

Over the years my life changed drastically, I was still working online, but I wasn't living well so much anymore. Living Well Members contacted me over the years, asking if they could access the information, but I could never get all of the information together, because some of the files were on an old laptop that needed repair.

When I finally got the laptop started again, and I read the member's testimonials and experiences, and saw the photos, I was inspired more than ever to Live Well again.

I realized that the wealth of knowledge in The Living Well Plan worked well back then, and it would most certainly work now!

Reminded of how much I missed supporting everyone in their quest to live well, I also realized that if I was going to truly live well again, by building up wealth for the body, mind and soul, I needed to support others in that same quest.

I have always believed those that struggle the most in certain areas of life are the ones that can best help others with those same challenges.

With that being my motto, I am so happy to bring HealthnBeauty.com live again, and I encourage all old Living Well Members to join us in building great wealth!

HealthnBeauty.com and The Living Well Plan are not only back, but now are truly new and improved. With  the addition of audio, video and teleseminars, support will be as easy as a click away.

I am thrilled to be able to bring this website back, and I am excited to inspire all of you to live well once again.

Now I have to explain about my name…

In 1998, I chose the name "Victoria" because the web was too unknown back then, and to be honest, I wasn't sure how long I would be online. Later on I let everyone know my real name was Karen and that Victoria was just a pen name.

Then, over six years ago, I was on an intense soul journey that changed my life completely, so I changed my name to Rachel {pronounced Raw-kul}. Being that so much of my life is about my soul, I am using my name Rachel here.

Again, welcome back to HealthnBeauty.com and I look forward to all good things!
Love,
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