How to Easily Manage Your Weight

So many of us are on a diet roller-coaster and always want to lose some extra pounds. Just saying the word ‘diet’ conjures feelings of hunger, but what if you knew of a way to enjoy eating again, without feeling deprived or starving yourself, while also satisfying your cravings with healthier substitutes? These are my suggestions and guess what, you don’t have to count calories or cut back on your portions of food!

Minimize Flour Products To Manage Your Weight

I love any kind of bread, but am always conscious of how much I consume, and feel better by doing so. Think of a piece of bread that gets wet. And now imagine that bread trying to work through your intestines. Nothing gums up our system like flours do, and they are a huge contributor for weight gain. Please know that whole grains like brown and basmati rice, oat groats, corn, millet, quinoa, buckwheat and barley are not flour products and offer many nutrients as well as fiber for daily bowel regularity.

Choose these healthier options: Mary’s Gone Crackers, tortilla chips & corn tortillas made from stone ground corn (instead of corn flour), sourdough breads without added yeast and sugar, Manna breads (cakelike in texture and can be purchased online or in the frozen section of health food stores), sprouted breads, which are easier to digest, and Ezekiel wraps and breads.

Replace Sugar With Brown Rice Syrup

As a former sugar addict, I can honestly say that brown rice syrup made it easy for me to stop eating sugar. I never felt deprived!!

The beauty of a grain sweetener is that it is a complex, not simple sugar, so it’s released into the blood slowly, providing fuel for the body, instead of the rush and crash we get from sugar.

The average American consumes well over 20 teaspoons of added sugar on a daily basis, which adds up to an average of 142 pounds of sugar, per year! Begin reading labels for packaged foods, and you’ll see that practically everything has sugar included.

One regular bottle of soda contains 16 packets of sugar! There is a reason most of us are completely addicted, and while sugar is a natural plant, it’s highly processed, refined and addictive. Our body just wasn’t meant to consume massive amounts of sugar.

Since brown rice syrup is a liquid, you need to adjust your recipes a bit, and substitute ½ cup of syrup for every 1 cup of sugar. I also recommend 100% pure maple syrup, local, raw honey and dark chocolate. Practice having your dessert at night, after dinner, and you won’t have cravings all day long.

Eat Real Food

I ate nothing but junk during my childhood and early adult years, and know how convenient and addictive they are. I also know how everything in my body changed without them. Did you know that these fake foods have been created in a lab, by chemists who master the tastes that human taste buds have proven to overeat and crave? In my opinion these products should not be offered as food, but rather, food-like products.

Again, begin reading labels, and avoid anything that has ingredients you don’t recognize, as your body won’t recognize them either! Always avoid trans fats, (they are basically like plastic), table salt (switch to Celtic or Himalayan sea salt), and chemical preservatives that are used to sustain a really long shelf life. If we want to address our nation’s health and weight crisis, these artificial foods are what we should hold accountable.

Eat Seasonal Fruits and Veggies

Add seasonal fruits and lot’s of veggies into your diet each day. Especially emphasize leafy greens, which are a powerhouse of nutrients:  broccoli, green beans, napa cabbage, dandelion greens, scallions, leeks, parsley, bok choy, watercress, kale, collard, mustard and turnip greens.

Water And Oil Help As Well

Keeping our body well hydrated is crucial for our health, and helps us eliminate toxins as well. Switch to olive oil, sesame oil and coconut oil for daily consumption. They are the healthiest and most easily digested fats for our body. And yes, our body needs healthy fat!

Dairy Products

Consume whole dairy products, raw cheeses and butter, animals that have eaten the foods they were meant to eat, and avoid low-fat foods. These are easier to digest, and in their natural form. Low-fat foods have been processed and are not healthy or beneficial for weight loss.

Others

- Find physical activities that you really like doing. Don’t do difficult workouts, unless you really like them that way. Walk, do gentle yoga stretches, with deep breathing. Just move your body every day.

- Work to make you happy. Address whatever needs your attention. Do you need to mend or put boundaries on a relationship? Is your career fulfilling? Are you communicating your feelings? Sometimes cravings are just our body’s way of satisfying a deeper desire we have.

I guide my clients to do their best 80% of the time, while splurging and living the life that makes them happy, 20%. Patience with your process is so important. Gaining weight didn’t happen overnight, and losing weight will not either. Take your time, and make changes that will last. Eat things that you love and enjoy your food! Try new recipes and make substitutions with healthier oils, salt and ingredients.

When we supply nourishment to our body, we eventually become aware of the meals that make us feel good, and the ones that don’t. And when you have a splurge meal or day, don’t surrender and beat yourself up~ just begin again the next day. Nothing lost!!!

Changing our patterns with food is difficult enough, and feeling our best and being healthy, is really the ultimate goal.

5 Foods You Should Eat Every Day

The majority of foods that the many people are eating are dense with ingredients that are helping to create poor health or foods that are processed in such a way that is helping (a big helping) your health take a downward spiral if consistently eaten.   These foods should really come with a warning label!

Foods that are packed with nutrients like vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytochemicals, enzymes arepowerful in terms of creating optimal health and it is these types of foods that will take you to living a vibrant quality life full of energy and lack of symptoms, illness and disease – optimal health.

Here are 10 Foods You Should Eat Every Day:

Green Tea

There are a vast amount of studies showing green tea’s health and weight lost benefits.  What is responsible for green tea’s ability to prevent disease and more?  The catechins contained in the leaves of the tea plant.  Catechins are a group of antioxidants that are powerful in their protective ability against illness and disease.  Green tea is also beneficial as an adjunct to any weight loss program.  The catechin EGCG contained in it ramps up metabolism as well.

Almonds

Almonds are high in the heart-healthy oleic acid that is responsible for many health benefits including a better memory.  Almonds are high in fiber and protein and because they are so crunchy, just one ounce will go a long way compared to other nuts.

Blueberries

Blueberries are one of the most antioxidant rich foods in the world.  Antioxidants are necessary for life and are well known to reverse and prevent heart disease and even cancer. The blue color of the berry comes from its polyphenols which provide most of its antioxidant properties. Blueberries are also high in vitamin C and fiber.

Bell Peppers

Bell Peppers come in many different shades such as green, purple, orange and red.  Each of them, because of their color, adds a distinct different array of phytonutrients that will help to create optimal health.  Bell peppers are dense with vitamin C and vitamin E..both protective against poor health.  The regular intake of antioxidant nutrients such as you find with these 10 foods, can help reduce the likelihood of chronic inflammation from the typical processed modern diet.

Yogurt

Greek yogurt has less natural sugar Lactose and more protein than regular yogurt.  This means that ounce for ounce, you are getting a nutritional punch of calcium (a single cup has almost 25% of your daily requirement) and that translates to more lost body fat and better health.  Yogurt also contains beneficial bacteria that calm down inflamed digestive tracts as well as boosting your immune system.  Your digestive tract is where 70% of your immune system resides

5 Tips To Winterize Your Natural Black Hair

Do you live in place where temperature falls significantly during fall? Are you concerned to take care of your black hair in fall?

Cold temperatures usually include low moisture in air and also less humidity, which can lead to breakage of hair.

So, in order to combat with cold winds and protect your natural black hair in winter from breakage (hair breakage), here are few tips.

1. Always try to keep your home moist and hydrated. You can use humidifiers to keep your home moist or you can create moist and humidity in your home by boiling a large container of water in your home. This way, as long as you stay in your home, you can protect your hair from extreme cold.
2. Use scarves and hats, instead of woolen or cotton fabrics to your hair. The reason in quite simple, wool and cotton can snag your hair and make your hair to break. However, it is very important for you to choose scarves and hats that have stain lining in it.
3. Don’t use more amounts of shampoo for hair. This doesn’t mean that you should not wash your hair regularly; rather you should cleanse it with less amounts of mild shampoos.
4. Prefer hair styles that don’t need hair pins and other contact accessories. It would be better to leave your hair down.
5. If you usually use liquid conditioner for your hair, during winter try to use creamy hair conditioners. Even, home made hair conditioners work great for your natural black hair.

What Causes Bad Breath?

Bad breath, or halitosis, can be a major problem, especially when you're about to snuggle with your sweetie or whisper a joke to your friend. The good news is that bad breath can often be prevented with some simple steps.

Bad breath is caused by odor-producing bacteria that grow in the mouth. When you don't brush and floss regularly, bacteria accumulate on the bits of food left in your mouth and between your teeth. The sulfur compounds released by these bacteria make your breath smell.

Certain foods, especially ones like garlic and onions that contain pungent oils, can contribute to bad breath because the oils are carried to your lungs and out through your mouth. Smoking is also a major cause of bad breath.

There are lots of myths about taking care of bad breath. Here are three things you may have heard about bad breath that are not true:

Myth #1: Mouthwash will make bad breath go away.

Mouthwash only gets rid of bad breath temporarily. If you do use mouthwash, look for an antiseptic (kills the germs that cause bad breath) and plaque-reducing one with a seal from the American Dental Association (ADA). When you're deciding which dental products to toss into your shopping cart, it's always a good idea to look for those that are accepted by the ADA. Also, ask your dentist for recommendations.

Myth #2: As long as you brush your teeth, you shouldn't have bad breath.

The truth is that most people only brush their teeth for 30 to 45 seconds, which just doesn't cut it. To sufficiently clean all the surfaces of your teeth, you should brush for at least 2 minutes at least twice a day. Remember to brush your tongue, too — bacteria love to hang out there. It's equally important to floss because brushing alone won't remove harmful plaque and food particles that become stuck between your teeth and gums.

Myth #3: If you breathe into your hand, you'll know when you have bad breath.

Wrong! When you breathe, you don't use your throat the same way you do when you talk. When you talk, you tend to bring out the odors from the back of your mouth (where bad breath originates), which simply breathing doesn't do. Also, because we tend to get used to our own smells, it's hard for a person to tell if he or she has bad breath.

If you're concerned about bad breath, make sure you're taking care of your teeth and mouth properly. Some sugar-free gums and mints can temporarily mask odors, too.

If you brush and floss properly and visit your dentist for regular cleanings, but your bad breath persists, you may have a medical problem like sinusitis or gum disease. Call your doctor or dentist if you suspect a problem. They can figure out if something else is behind your bad breath and help you take care of it

Divine Food for Divine Beauty

The phrase "natural beauty" has been abused and misused beyond restoration. The modern use is almost never associated with its true meaning. Someone said there should be a portrait of a healthy person in a museum so people would know what they are talking about. If we don’t know what a healthy person looks like, how do we know what natural beauty is?

In our unnatural world, the word "natural" no longer means without effort, at least not in the realm of obtaining your best look. One thing is a must in defining natural beauty: its achievement must not involve any sacrifice of health. None, period. If health is compromised in any way beauty is not natural.

Our body was created in the image of God, the Supreme Beauty. When our actions are in opposition to nature, the results are different types of bodily ills, deformities, and ugliness. Since there can be no natural beauty without eating 100 percent natural food, most of you have never seen the natural you.

There is an urgent need for another word. The contemporary meaning of natural is too far from the divine. I suggest filling this void with "rawsome", a new word circulating in the raw food community. It is a combination of two words:" raw" and "awesome" with the meaning being something between natural and divine. The diet of raw fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds also needs to be renamed. I have often been told that the phrase “the raw food diet”, sounds like eating raw meat, particularly sushi, which is misleading. The raw food diet is so awesome that it should be called the very name it inspired- the Rawsome Diet.

Most of us feel our appearance lacks something. In reality, ugliness is more about excess. Toxic accumulations in our bodies are responsible for stealing our health and attractiveness. Beauty lies latent under cushions of retained fluids, deposits of fat, and sick tissues. Your beauty is buried alive, but in most cases it can be revived in a version that will be satisfactory to you. You must take immediate action to revitalize it. When you do, your uncovered beauty will surprise and delight you.

Eating cooked food will leave residues the body cannot utilize, and they will be deposited in places our Creator never intended. Everything not fully digested and properly eliminated, the body will treat as an abnormal substance. It will pocket these toxins as far away from the vital organs as possible--on the peripheries of the body--where it will invariably be reflected in our outward appearance. If the body cannot use it inside, it will deposit it on the outside. Nutrients from the food you eat spiral upward to the epidermis, and their quality will determine whether you will have a glowing clear complexion or skin spotted with growths, such as moles and skin sores.

Some physical characteristics of our face and body we cannot change--they were determined prior to our birth. But the consumption of the raw plant diet as an adult will make a difference in the texture of skin and hair, the health of nails, weight and complexion. All of these traits and more are determined by daily choices, with food being one of the most important and, luckily, the one we can fully control.

The Rawsome diet is the most suitable one for human physiology. It is salubrious to the body’s health and salutary to its beauty. The ability to renew cells is built into your body, and the body itself is capable of making you look more attractive. After all, we were designed to bloom continuously as old cells get replaced by new ones. The Rawsome diet makes the most of this rejuvenating ability of our bodies.

Rawsome beauty is not manufactured from the outside but cultivated from the inside by nutritionally charged food. Whole raw food restores the integrity of every cell and facilitates the optimal operation of every organ inside and out. The body, having been awakened by the improved diet, in its wisdom, will reach out to the places where health was lacking, and you will gradually see your beauty surfacing. The Rawsome diet will eliminate all the toxins on a deeper level and bring amazing changes to your appearance.

Only the body sustained on raw food will host natural beauty, or should we say Rawsome beauty. The landscape of the body will change. The surface of the skin will become soft and smooth but still firm and supple. Visible pores will diminish. A sallow skin with a yellow pallor will turn into a porcelain-like complexion. The whites of eyes, once red, will become bright with a bluish tinge. As natural collagen production improves, it will fill in the places where it is needed as in hollow cheeks. Raw food eating will clarify and refine your features and bring delicacy to your face.

On the Rawsome Diet, you will marvel at how the Master Artist will make the most of your individual features and bring balance to the entire face. Texture, hues, and shape will be harmoniously arranged into a genteel whole. Perfection and imperfection will be tied together into a unique original version of beauty.

Each time I see a woman, I study her appearance, and I see not just the way she looks but the way she could look. What I see is how far her image falls short of her potential beauty. I perceive her beauty as it would stand out after the body has cleansed itself from toxins and excesses.

From age 15 until recently, I wore my hair permed, only to discover at 45 that straight hair in my natural color was the best possible frame for my face. Did my preference change? Not at all. My face did. So let me give you a hint, if you need a camouflaging hairdo, you are not looking your best. The changes in your face brought about by raw foods will bring the freedom to arrange your hair in any way you want. When your peer group is thinking: “I am losing my looks”, you will be finding yours. At 45, I enjoy looking in the mirror while before I detested my reflection.

As the cleansing initiated by this diet is completed, you will be very pleased to see how you were meant to look. Your body will exhibit beauty and dignity. You will become satisfied, even fascinated, with your appearance. When you look your very best, you look perfect, in a sense that you are as close to the divine image for yourself as you could ever be. You accept yourself completely. Natural beauty is above conformity; it doesn’t demand to be accepted by the dictates of the beauty norm.

People who have been on the raw food lifestyle for several years begin to have a glow, the kind not often seen in middle-aged people. Optimal health is recognized by an emerging radiance. Glow is hard to fake because it is internal. It comes from an abundance of clear, pink, almost transparent cells that light up the face. Only superior blood circulation can bring this transfiguring glow. Several years on the raw food diet will make you look as though you just stepped out of a painting by Renoir--the impressionist best known for his preoccupation with light.

I have come to believe if you do not embrace the 100 percent raw food diet, you will never meet The Most Beautiful You. The best proof that the Rawsome diet is optimal for the body is it makes you beautiful. Slim face, slender waist, and clear skin with smooth coloration-these subtle changes will convince you the raw plant diet is the best for good health and graceful beauty. No woman knows her true beauty until she cleanses her body completely of all waste.

You can say there are people who are beautiful, and they are not on this diet. That is true. It is hard to believe, but even they haven't seen the best of themselves. Dissatisfaction with one’s appearance arises not from perceiving our bodies inaccurately but because subconsciously we are aware we haven’t achieved our optimal look. The Rawsome diet gives a feeling of authenticity, an assurance we have become what we were meant to be.

Raw food not only corrects beauty’s shortcomings but also lifts the limitations of one’s spirit and releases strains and tensions in both your mind and body. People on the raw food diet have an aura about them, a transcendent nobility and complacent dignity. Sickness is goodness lost, and our unhappiness is a longing for goodness. One takes in the goodness in the form of fresh fruits and vegetables and feels its purifying process on the inside. Goodness in one’s food summons up goodness in one’s appearance and character.

Do you think it is hard to follow this life style? Women have done so many outrageous and dangerous things to themselves in the pursuit of beauty, I believe they should at least try the Rawsome lifestyle, which promises to transform them into beautiful people. What a woman won’t do for health, she will do for beauty. This is the first time beauty asks no sacrifice from health.

Helpful Tips For Expectant Moms in Their First Pregnancy

Expecting a baby is the most exciting and scary time for a woman. The excitement of becoming a mother is often a lifelong dream for many women. Not knowing what to expect during the pregnancy as well as actually giving birth are things that definitely raises the fear factor. There is no better advice than from women that have already experienced pregnancy and childbirth to offer some helpful tips. Some of the tips may be about maternity clothing and how to find stylish maternity clothing without breaking the bank and how to stay in shape during pregnancy too. Other tips will be offered in this article as well.

There are so many new things to think about once you find out that you are expecting a baby. Many things that you enjoyed doing before that time, may not be healthy now that you are pregnant such as drinking alcohol, consuming a lot of caffeine or even eating certain foods like mercury filled fish. One of the best sources for pregnant women is the book titled, "What To Expect When You Are Expecting". It takes you through your pregnancy month by month and helps you to understand the various things that may happen over the course of the pregnancy that may seem unusual to you but are actually perfectly normal.

There are actually a lot of things that you can do prior to becoming pregnant to ensure a better pregnancy for you and your baby. If you are dependent on caffeine and cigarettes, attempt to quit both of them before getting pregnant. Also, if you are overweight, try to lose those extra pounds and become more physically fit before getting pregnancy as maintaining your exercise regimen during your pregnancy will make your delivery and recovery that much easier. Sometimes, the most important preparation happens before you even get pregnant.

Once you are pregnant, many women experience what is called morning sickness the first trimester. A good way to curb the nausea is to keep saltine crackers by your bed and try to eat some of them before you get up for the day. Also, sucking on peppermint or ginger candy may help with the nausea as well. Most women get rid of this problem in the second trimester. Another issue is discomfort in the legs and back as your belly increases in size. Try to continue to exercise during pregnancy to keep you strong to handle the weight of the baby and also have a pregnancy massage to relieve that soreness.

Try to eat healthily during your pregnancy too as you only need an additional 500 calories for the baby and really should not eat for two. Swelling may occur in your feet so try to elevate them whenever you sit down to prevent that from becoming a problem. Another great tip is to have your friends that are Moms have a maternity clothing swap party where you can share your maternity clothes with each other. There are also some great online sites for cute maternity clothing as well.

Connor R. Sullivan and his wife purchased maternity clothing online for their daughter to use during her pregnancy. His wife loved the stylish maternity clothing offered online for her daughter.