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Are You Depression / Serotonin Deficient?

weight loss eco-nutritionist — Sun, 01 May 2011 01:23:52 +0000

Take The Quiz

YES or NO?

1. Are you a ‘glass-half-empty’ person? You look on the worry/negative side of things?
2. You identify with ‘I have low self-esteem’?
3. You identify as ‘impatient’?
4. You identify with being ‘anxious’?
5. For females – You have regular PMS?
6. You have trouble falling asleep at night even when you are really tired?
7. Cardio training makes you feel better?
8. You crave carbohydrates and sugary treats especially at night?
9. You have perfectionist behaviors example eating disorder?
10. You have general depressive mood?

YES?

There’s good news. Activity, diet and supplement change can help.

Activity:

Yoga & Cardio Exercise

Candles

A Bath

Mediation

Reading

Supplement:

5-HTP and St. John’s Wort

Maximize Weight Loss … VO2 Max + Scientific Ways To Maximize Results

weight loss eco-nutritionist — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 02:16:36 +0000

Well, I’m back from the holiday. Wow. What an amazing break. I feel free, open, clear and ready to maximize weight loss results.

Here’s the deal. I’ve lost a few pounds three to be exact, but I have a long way to go. And those little holiday treats just didn’t help. I’ve joined Lifetime Fitness’ Team Weight Loss. Yup. I’m ready to face the truth and openly share the journey. No more hiding and I’m ready to maximize my efforts.

Today I spent an hour on the stair stepper lost 312 calories and maximize the workout by knowing my VO2 Max.

A week ago I never thought I would have a heart rate monitor or ever take a VO2 Max test, but it’s a requirement for the Team Weight Loss program.

If you don’t know (I didn’t) — what VO2 max is, it’s defined as “the highest rate of oxygen consumption attainable during maximal or exhaustive exercise” I’m excited about it because it also shows you where your heart rate needs to be to maximize fat loss. Your optimum fat burning rate happens at 65% of maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max).

Want to know more. I recently got my hands on ‘Body by Science‘. Body by Science challenges everything you thought you knew about exercise and takes you deep inside your body’s inner workings–all the way down to the single cell–to explain what science now knows about the role of exercise in human health. With the help of medical diagrams and step-by-step photos, exercise scientist Doug McGuff, M.D., and weight-training pioneer John Little present a revolutionary new workout protocol that fully leverages the positive effects of high-intensity, low-frequency weight training, while avoiding the negative effects of traditional aerobic-centric exercise.

By using a proper science-based approach to exercise you can be on your way to achieving the following in as little as 12 minutes a week… including:

Build muscle size and strength

Optimize cardiovascular health

Increase your metabolism

It’s a great book. You can find it on Amazon. Here’s the link.

Chocolate, Cocoa & Cacao for Weight Loss?

weight loss eco-nutritionist — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 21:24:24 +0000

Cacao is a food from the Gods. Cacao bean in the raw unprocessed state contains theobromine, flavonoids, catechins and anti-oxidants. But remember cacao is a component of cocoa and chocolate. To receive these benefits you’ll want to get your hands on raw cacao — and it’s still very good.

So – what does that mean to you for health and weight-loss?

1. Mood: I’m a huge believer that it’s about mind and mood that moves us to eat and over indulge. So why not add a tasty snack that can help shift the way you feel. Theobromine, flavonoids, catechins and anti-oxidants are all elements in cacao that causes us a shift in mood. Cool? I believe that’s one reason women crave chocolate during PMS (although I haven’t seen research on this one).

2. Stimulant: You may have heard to never let you dog eat chocolate? Well that because cacao and cocoa are derived from the plant theobroma cacao. Two of the elements of cacao and cocoa are caffeine and theobromine and they are both stimulants to the body.

3. Satiety: That’s right there is something about finishing a meal with that little sweet treat. It’s like the cherry on the sundae. So instead of eating the sundae why not try a 2×2 bite of cacao to save the calories, heighten your mood and help you feel satisfied.

Resources

I get our cacao from two sources:

1. SunFood – the price is right and they have free shipping!

2. Navitas Naturals for powder form (good for hot cocoa drinks)

Enjoy!

4-Hour Body by Tim Ferriss – and weight loss update

weight loss eco-nutritionist — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 16:52:47 +0000

The Goal Weight 123
Current Weight: 139.6 (1-2 lbs is my pace)
Today’s Day: 13

As an entrepreneur, marketer and nutritionist I felt it was my job to get my hands on this sexy titled book. I met Tim in 2006 while speaking about SXSW and has been watching his career take off ever since. So I wanted to see what was next for him. And who doesn’t want to lose weight faster, run faster and build muscle with less effort?

Right?

Here’s the thing with doing things faster — you often sacrifice the joy in the present moment. This is not true for all people. In fact, I believe Tim thrives on this way of life.

For me, slow and steady change is perfect – (geeish why do you think this blog is 20lbs in 120 days – because I want to have my glass of wine and lose the weight too).

I felt a few things were missing in the book. Nothing about eco nutrition, ph diets and more about animal foods.

With that being said…. I highly recommend you get your hands on the 4-Hour Body book. Yes. Some of the claims are over the top, but it puts your focus on what is possible. And opens your mind to a different way of achieving goals.

In general, the book gives good concise information in an easy to read way. I find Tim’s writing style to be delightful and entertaining. Again – I’m a marketer – and much has a splash of hot copy.

It’s also a book that can encourage people to step and engage in a bigger life for them. And I can’ t help but give my – woo hoo – to that.

=========================================================
Personal Update Calculation:

The Diet:
My diet is consistent with The Zone (Anti-Inflammation) Diet proportions. Most of what I eat are eco, organic, and (dairy and wheat free). I’m never hungry – btw. Once I’m solid on some recipes I’ll share.

The Exercise:
In general, I’ve been getting in 1 hour of exercise a day. Meaning 3 miles run + stretching or hot yoga.

Totaling: 3 lbs loss in 14 days. I’m cool with that

Are You Obsessed With Peanut Butter? What About Weight Loss?

weight loss eco-nutritionist — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 05:16:00 +0000

Confession: I love peanut butter! So I went to investigate what the experts say about peanut butter and weight loss.

First – I have already made this observation…

Peanut Butter is the one thing I can eat a spoonful of and…

1. Not be hungry

2. Not have cravings

And get this… The International Journal of Obesity has showed that people who snacked on peanuts and peanut butter were shown to self-adjust their caloric intake spontaneously and did not add extra calories to their daily diets! Woo Hoo!

In fact…. the research show studies that indicate that regular consumption of peanuts does not promote weight gain and can reduce the risk of heart disease. So there!!

So – go ahead. Take you scoop of PB — like me

Enjoy!

Ph Diets – Do they really help with weight loss? (and what I must change)

weight loss eco-nutritionist — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 20:39:48 +0000

The Goal Weight 123
Current Weight: 142.8
Today’s Day: 9

Since the change in my diet 9 days ago, I’m starting to feel that I have a lot more energy and vibrancy. I secretly wish n the scale was a little lower however I see change and that excites me — Woo Hoo!

One thing I MUST change for my future health is the amount of water I drink! I find myself drinking tea, carrot juice and cranberry juice, but not a lot of water.

Why more water (and why alkaline)?

Chinese Medicine suggests that you begin each day with a glass of room temp water with fresh-squeezed lemon. Lemon water is alkalizing for the body. The purpose is to get rid of acidity that can affect digestion, liver function and overall health.

Why is this important?

95% of Americas due to poor diet have a condition called, “ACIDOSIS.” When I was first introduced to this concept, I was skeptical, however while working we nutrition clients interested in focusing on the pH Miracle Diet and The pH Miracle Diet for Weight Loss — I had a big shift. I saw those clients losing weight at a much faster rate than others and it made me a believer.

Here’s how it works.

The pH balance of our cells and especially the fluid with in our cells effect the way our body processes.

Dr. Young, who wrote The pH Miracle Diet says, “The entire metabolic process depends on an alkaline environment. Chronic over acidity corrodes body tissue, and if left unchecked will interrupt all cellular activities and functions, from the beating of your heart to the neutral firing of your brain. In other words, over acidity interferes with life itself.”

I know that sounds a little harsh, but I look at it this way. The body does everything it can to balance, so instead of stressing the body out to maintain balance why not help it by eating foods that support body function.

Learn more about Alkaline Diets at:

Here’s are some signs that you may need a pH Alkaline diet change…

If you feel lethargic especially between lunch and dinner — or just feel run down.
If you have skin conditions or just want your skin to look better.
If you are overweight and you just can’t seem to lose it no matter what you do.

What to drink and eat for a more alkaline diet…

Fresh and raw vegetables, salads, fresh alkaline fruits, seeds, nuts and alkaline water by adding lemon (or with an alkaline filtration system).

Are Wheat and Dairy Causing You Anxiety?

weight loss eco-nutritionist — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 18:22:32 +0000

The Goal Weight 123
Current Weight: 142.8
Today’s Day: 8

Mark Hyman, MD, the author of a series of best-selling “Ultra” books UltraPrevention, UltraMetabolism, The UltraSimple Diet, and The UltraMetabolism Cookbook and his latest The UltraMind Solution and his six-week UltraMind audio program.

The UltraMind solution shares how mental conditions like anxiety, depression and attention deficit might be related to our diet. Many people have allergens (which show up as inflammation in the body) and these allergens lead to brain problems / mental conditions.

The simple beginning solution: Take wheat (gluten) and dairy (casein) out of your diet.

Want to know more….

The following is a guest article by Monica Reinagel, M.S., author of The Inflammation Free Diet Plan.

Chronic, “silent” inflammation is a common condition that researchers have recently been focused on as an underlying cause of diseases from heart disease to depression – however systemic inflammation could also be making it more difficult for you to lose weight.

Lifestyle-Driven
Low-level inflammation is largely lifestyle-driven: Stress, smoking (or second-hand smoke), lack of exercise, insufficient sleep, and dietary imbalances all contribute to the problem. But the dietary connection may not be what you think. Although sweets, fried foods, and other dietary no-no’s are indeed inflammatory, some foods that we think of as healthful, such as certain fruits, grains, and meats, can also promote inflammation if not eaten in the proper balance. Low-carb dieters need to be particularly careful: Research shows that low carbs diets can increase inflammation in as little as two weeks.

Just being overweight is in itself a risk factor for inflammation, because fat cells are potent producers of inflammatory chemicals. This is one reason that being overweight increases your risk of things like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer (all conditions in which inflammation plays a big role).

Influence on Leptin
But if you’re trying to lose weight, there’s another reason that you might want to pay attention to inflammation. Low-level inflammation also makes your cells less responsive to the hormone leptin, which can make losing weight even harder than it already is.

Normally, leptin helps guard against weight gain by down-shifting your appetite and up-shifting your metabolism. As Dr. Galland argues in The Fat-Resistance Diet, systemic inflammation creates “leptin resistance,” which makes it harder to lose weight. An anti-inflammatory diet will not only lower your risk of disease, it will also promote easier weight loss by overcoming leptin resistance.

An anti-inflammatory diet
Certainly, if you struggle to lose weight even when you diet faithfully, it’s worth putting this theory to the test. So, what’s an anti-inflammatory diet look like? Well, it’s a little more complex than the over-simplified guidelines you see in most magazine articles on the subject. (Just to be sporting, however, I’ve included my own “quick and dirty” guidelines below.)

As I noted earlier, some healthful foods have inflammatory properties. To reduce or avoid excessive inflammation, you must maintain a balance between the pro- and anti-inflammatory factors in foods.

Pro-inflammatory factors include saturated fats, trans fats, refined sugars, and arachidonic acid (an omega-6 fat that is metabolized into inflammatory compounds). Anti-inflammatory nutrients include antioxidants, monounsaturated fats, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins B6, B12, folic acid, and zinc. Compounds found in garlic, turmeric, ginger, chili peppers, and a few other foods have powerful anti-inflammatory properties. The glycemic impact and ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats also play a role.

That’s a lot of things to keep track of! In the course of my research into the effects of diet on inflammation, I developed a formula that rates foods based on the amounts of over two dozen pro- and anti-inflammatory factors, giving you a standardized gauge of a food’s effects on inflammation. IF Ratings for over 10,000 foods are available on nutritiondata.com. The IF Ratings for individual foods can be combined to estimate the effect of recipes and meal plans.

Quick and Dirty Guide to an Anti-Inflammatory Diet, based on the IF Ratings:

Enjoy often:
· leafy greens and other colorful vegetables
· lentils
· berries
· citrus fruits
· “hot” spices like garlic, ginger, chili peppers, and curry
· Fish (with the exception of farm-raised tuna and salmon)
· Olive oil

Limit:
· Whole grain cereals and breads
· Beans
· Tropical fruits
· Poultry
· Eggs
· Nuts and seeds
· Lean cuts of red meat
· Low-fat dairy

Limit or avoid:
· Organ meats
· Veal
· High fat dairy products
· Farmed salmon
· Butter
· Margarine and shortening
· Corn and white potatoes
· Refined flours and sugar

Monica Reinagel, M.S., is author of The Inflammation Free Diet Plan and creator of the IF Rating™ system. She is chief nutritionist at NutritionData.com.

Comfort Eating – Why do we eat for emotional reasons?

weight loss eco-nutritionist — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 17:42:03 +0000

The Goal Weight 123
Current Weight: 142.8
Days: 114 days left on journey to reach goal
Today’s Day: 7

Sometimes I feel I need a treat! Do you ever feel that way? I know this is some emotional trigger from something deep in my subconscious mind and acknowledge this as my “comfort eating dragon (just one of my diet dragons)”. I am completely aware of this dragon before I choose a treat, sometimes it doesn’t stop me, but it doesn’t help reveal what’s really going on inside.

Why do we eat for boredom, comfort, anger, fear and other emotional feelings?

In my Seven Dragons book, I talk about T.I.M.E. which stands for thoughts, images, mental patterns, emotions (these are the conscious and subconscious functions of the mind). I share this because it’s important for us to become aware of how the mind works so we can manage our thoughts and images which will make an impact on our mental patterns (dragon habits) and emotions.

I’ve and many of my clients have had success in managing, changing, and/or seeing dragon habits. Let me give you an example…

In the past, I used to eat without being aware that I chose that food to eat. No kidding! This has been well over 15 years ago, but I remember finding myself we a finished plate that I had just mindlessly eaten — YIKES!

Today, I’m consciously aware of exactly what goes into my mouth and sometimes it’s for my greater vision of this beautiful body and sometimes it’s for the taste and emotional comfort it provides.

Yes, I still eat for emotional comfort and I’m happy that I have the freedom to eat when I want (as long as it doesn’t accept my weight). It’s okay when I know that I’m eating for comfort and take it to the next level to understand WHY I need to soften the pain of something even if it’s boredom!

This is just one of the tools I share in my Seven Dragons book, it’s called, The Why-ing Method.

AWARENESS TOOL:
You simply start with this question, “Why am I eating this comfort food?”
(answer this with an emotion, not because it taste good etc.)
Then, “Why am I feeling (emotion)”?
Then ask – why – to that answer of that question and continue until you receive the TRUTH.

Then lastly, create a new response to that TRUTH. For example, if the TRUTH is “I’m emotionally tired and angry because I can’t find a baby sitter and have decided to stay in and watch T.V. and eat.” The emotion is tired and angry (not hungry). You are eating for these emotional reasons. Find out what you can do when you are angry and/or tired instead of eating.

Here’s a sweet, healthy comfort treat – eat sparingly – it will spike your blood sugar!

* 6 Cups Rolled Oats
* 1 Cup Wheat Germ
* 1 Cup Sliced Raw Almonds
* 1/2 Cup Brown Natural Sugar
* 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
* 1/4 Cup Olive Oil
* 1/2 Cup Honey

Cooking Instructions

Preheat oven to 300°.In a large bowl, stir together the oats, wheat germ, coconut, almonds, brown sugar, and cinnamon. In a small saucepan heat the oil and honey together until it boils. Pour over the dry ingredients and mix well. Toast in oven on a large baking sheet or in a roasting pan, stirring frequently. This takes about 30 minutes. Be sure and stir about every 10 minutes. Cool. Store in a tightly covered container.

Protein, Eggs and Emotions

weight loss eco-nutritionist — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 20:01:10 +0000

The Goal Weight 123
Current Weight: 143.0
Days: 115 on the journey
Today’s Day: 6

Just a quick update — I’ve been 6 days and I’ve gained and lost 1 lb. From the outside this may seem sad, frustrating or annoying at least, but inside myself I feel change. I feel more energy, more health and more grounded.

Which brings me to what I want to share with you today. My blood type is type O- and at the time that the “Eat 4 Your Blood Type” diet came out — I thought it was another “gimmick”. Not for me. I don’t particularly like eat, but know when I don’t have it in my diet I start to get flighty.

How do I add protein? I choose proteins from animals that are free-range and have eaten an all natural diet with antibiotics or growth hormones. I try to eat about 8-10 oz a day. Today, that was manifested in 4 eggs (4 oz) and 4-6 oz of salmon tonight

Well, dieting I try to eat amounts of carbs to protein (always eaten with a little fat to keep my blood sugar regular). Then of course 2-3 fruits and 2-3 vegetables are thrown in.

Today’s plan looked like this…

1 apple for breakfast
1 cup organic coffee

3 eggs sauteed with mushrooms in olive oil

2 plums

4-6 oz of salmon with a sprinkle of Sea Salt and Olive Oil
with a Salad with figs.

Cheers to good health!

Eating Eco-Nutrition, Blood Sugar, and Anti-Inflammation Nutrition

weight loss eco-nutritionist — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 16:53:49 +0000

The Goal Weight 123
Current Weight: 143.6
Days: 117 days left on the journey (we will hope it’s over by then)
Today’s Day: 4

When taking action to release the excess fat from body (and life). I take out the high-glycemic fruits and foods. Blood sugar swings effect my weight loss efforts and my mood and the inflammation I experience in my body.

Here’s my fruit rules.

1. Only eat alone – so you don’t ferment everything else in your stomach.
2. If the amount you’re about to eat is bigger than what will fit in your hand, then reduce the amount.
3. No fruit juice

Here the fruits that I look for… My Official Sunday Farmers Market Fruit List

Apple

Boysenberries

Grapefruit

Applesauce

Cantaloupe

Grapes

Pear (Bosc or Bartlett)

Raspberries

Apricots

Cherries

Kiwi

Peach

Strawberries

Blackberries

Cranberries

Black Mission Figs

Plum

Tangerine

Blueberries

Orange

Pomegranate