What do you think when you hear someone say that honey is better than sugar?

Years ago, (more than I care to name) when I heard anyone talk about how much better honey was than sugar, I was immediately turned off.  I thought of honey as a waxy tasting substance that made anything I put it on taste like wax.  I didn’t really care that it was “suppose” to be better for you than sugar.  I was not interested at all in replacing my sugar with honey, no matter how much better it was suppose to be. 

Years later when my husband talked me into trying raw, unfiltered, unheated honey, I was so surprised.  What happened to the waxy unappetizing taste? It did not at all resemble the honey that I remembered.  It actually tasted really good and I wanted more. 

I came to find out that the honey I had been eating in restaurants and from supermarket shelves was processed honey.  I then discovered that this same honey was not so good for you after all.  Most of the vitamins and minerals go away when it is processed and heated.  However, the raw unprocessed honey that actually tastes good is actually good for you!  Wow, how could this be?  I could now replace my processed sugar with something I actually liked and then feel good about it, because it’s actually good for me. 

I decided I had to find out if this was true, so I started looking into and found out the following. Unlike sugar, honey is a unique food, a living, organic.  It is an instant energy building food, an antioxidant containing all the essential minerals necessary for life. It has seven vitamins of the B complex group, amino acids and enzymes. Sounded pretty impressive.

Honey goes into the blood stream in fifteen minutes.  Ordinary sugar, a chemical saccharose, is completely indigestible, absolutely dead and harmful. It takes the human system 2 – 4 hours of hard work to invert and convert saccharose into simpler digestible form of glucosides, and then assimilate, exhausting the human system.

Dr. Paul Carlton wrote in his book “The three killer foods” that sugar is a poison, a 100% chemical, one of the 3 killer foods.  That didn’t sound too good!

On the other side, honey produces more energy than its weight and in doing so it uses part of the accumulated fat and cholesterol. It therefore is excellent in any weight reduction plan. WOW, something that tastes so sweet & so good can be used when trying to lose weight!

In fact, honey contains so many minerals, vitamins, enzymes and inhibine, a newly find antibacterial agent that acts like penicillin, and other antibiotics, killing microbes and germs that it is correctly called a medicine; the elixir of life. It has been used as medicine for millenniums and is still used in prescriptions for cold.

Honey is also a mild laxative which helps digestion. In Dr. Jarvis’ best seller book “Folk Medicine” he recommends honey and apple cider vinegar for health and strength and to be taken many times a day.

REMEMBER THOUGH.  It has to be raw unheated honey.  If it doesn’t say “RAW” on the honey package, then it is processed and the benefits aren’t there. 

The best part of all this is that you can satisfy your sweet tooth, treat you body good, and feel good about it.  I not only use it in my tea, cereal, as a snack, but I use it in cooking as well.

Have you tried raw honey yet?  Let us know and tell us your experience since using it.  I am so happy I have found this awesome food. 

Enjoy

Patricia 

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Do you want to enjoy your holiday meals, but don’t want to gain 5 pounds over the holidays?

If you’re like most people, the answer is yes.

Below are a few tips that will help you enjoy your holiday meals without the guilt.  And more importantly these tips will help you keep that extra 5 pounds off. So before you head to that holiday party, consider the following: 

1.    Drink a glass of purified water one-half hour before you eat and then two glasses of water two and a half hours later.

Why? You will feel full and eat only when food in needed, so the amount of food you eat will decrease drastically.  The type of cravings of food will also change. 

With sufficient water intake, we tend to crave proteins more than carbohydrates. 

2.    If you’re going to cheat, limit the damage by doing it within a one hour time frame.

First, eat a healthy low-carb breakfast and lunch full of healthy proteins, fats, fruits, and vegetables. 

Then, after the body has been deprived of insulin releasing foods high in carbohydrates for two consecutive meals (your healthy breakfast and lunch) the body starts making adjustments.  It releases less insulin because it’s not expecting the next meal to be heavy in carbohydrates.  When that happens, less insulin is released; less fat is stored; and more fat is used up.   

But remember, if you’re going to cheat, make sure you do it within 60 minutes.  When you eat within a one sixty minute time frame, the body can be triggered to produce only so much insulin.  However, if you continue to eat longer, the body will release a second phase of insulin, which will lead to weight gain.

3.    Chew your food 25 – 50 times  

Chewing slowly and thoroughly can help you maintain a healthy weight as you allow your brain to register the amount of food you are consuming.  People who chew more consciously eat less.

The key is to get started right away using these easy to follow tips to help you with your weight management, especially over the holidays.  Remember if you limit the damage over the holidays, it will be much easier for you to reach your ideal weight during the next year.  

I hope these tips help you enjoy the holiday season a little more without the guilt while still making an important step toward your weight loss goals.   

Holiday Weight Management Action Plan…

Before heading to that holiday party, drink plenty of water and eat a healthy low carb breakfast and lunch. And then when you eat your big meal try to finish within one hour including dessert. As mentioned above this will help lesson the impact of the extra carbs. 

Also, try to avoid snacking on unhealthy finger foods before and after the big meal. You would be surprised at the amount of calories you can consume simply by snacking on finger foods before and after your meals. And one more tip, limit the amount of starchy foods, such as potatoes. Starchy foods will do more damage to weight management than turkey or even pumpkin pie.

Use these tips throughout the holidays and you will love yourself for it. Not only will you feel better and have more energy for fun with your family, you won’t have to worry about taking off the 5 extra pounds in the new year!

If you want to accelerate your fat loss and experience the benefits of circuit training and you live in the Canton Michigan area, I encourage you to call me now toll free at (866) 385-9685 to find out how you can get one week free of my boot camp or personal training.

You can also send your questions to questions(at)keys2wholeness.com.

Call Now!

I welcome your comments, suggestions, and questions so go ahead and leave your comments –I’d love to hear from you. Also, if you’d like for me to cover a topic in more detail or cover a topic that I have not talked about yet, just let me know.

It’s important for you to know that this blog was created for you.  The goal is to build a community of people helping people. So if you would like to share your knowledge on a health and fitness related topic, just leave your comments. 

Although the information in this blog will benefit people of all ages, this blog is dedicated to over 40 fitness, so I’d especially love to hear from those who are over 40.

Be Organic God’s Way!

Edwin

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Here’s some jump start tips that will get you started down the right path …

• Listen to your body. It will tell you when you are full. It will take some time to re-train you mind to listen to your body, but when you do you will begin to see the results quickly. In order for this to work, you will need to chew your food thoroughly. Chew each bite 25 – 50 times depending on the type of food, of course.

• Don’t eat all the food on your plate. Get used to the idea that it’s okay to “Not clean your plate.” This will also take some practice.

• When eating out, only eat ½ of your meal and take the rest home.

• Eat 5 – 6 small meals per day

• Don’t skip meals and don’t let yourself get hungry.

• Get at least 7 hours of sleep – it is difficult to lose weight if you don’t.

• Limit caffeine. Try to limit coffee to one cup per day.

• Drink lots of green tea. Using raw honey as a sweetener is best.

• As soon as you get up in the morning try to drink 8 ounces of water.

• Eat one apple a day. Granny Smith is best.

• Eat at least one large green leafy salad per day.

• Drink lots of water throughout the day. At least 64 ounces and more if you can.

• Don’t be afraid of good fat (olive oil, nuts, etc). Fat does not make you gain weight anymore than protein or carbohydrates do. It’s the excess calories that cause weight gain. The simple truth is that if you burn more calories than you take in, you will lose weight. On the other hand, if you take in more than you burn off, you will gain weight. This is simple, but true.

Action step …

I do not advocate calorie counting; however, if you don’t know approximately how many calories you are taking in per day it will be very difficult to know whether or not you are over eating or under eating.

Here’s my recommendation …

Track your daily calories for 2 weeks. For now, don’t modify your normal diet; just eat what you normally eat, so you can get a true reflection of your daily calories. This will give you your starting point.

Now once you know your daily calorie in-take, weigh yourself on a scale that also has a body composition reading which measures your body fat percentage. Then write down your weight and fat percentage. NOTE: weigh yourself at the same time of day each time. That way the measurement will be consistent. Also, weight yourself in the evening on an empty stomach around 5:00 or 6:00 if you can.

The next step is to begin to experiment to determine the calories needed for you to lose weight at a safe speed while preventing lean muscle loss.

Try this …

Decrease your calories by 200 calories per day. That may be just enough for you to begin to lose weight while maintaining your lean muscle.

Now add exercise to the mix and begin to monitor your fat to lean muscle ratio using your body composition scale. Make sure as you lose weight you are not losing lean muscle. If you are still not losing weight, lower your daily calorie count another 200 calories per day.

This method may take some time and a little work, but if you take the time to experiment, you will lose weight without also losing a lot of lean muscle. And the best part is that you should never feel hungry.

I welcome your comments, suggestions, and questions so go ahead and leave your comments –I’d love to hear from you. Also, if you’d like for me to cover a topic in more detail or cover a topic that I have not talked about yet, just let me know.

It’s important for you to know that this blog was created for you. The goal is to build a community of people helping people. So if you would like to share your knowledge on a health and fitness related topic, just leave your comments.

Although the information in this blog will benefit people of all ages, this blog is dedicated to over 40 fitness, so I’d especially love to hear from those who are over 40.

Be Organic God’s Way!

Edwin

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Most of us are trained as children to ignore our body. Let me explain …

As children, many of us were taught to clean our plates before leaving the table. Our parents demanded that we eat everything on our plate regardless of whether or not we were still hunger. You were probably told as a child to clean your plate too – I know I was.  Basically, we were being conditioned to override our God given ability to sense when we are full and need to stop eating. Certainly this is not the only reason why many people are overweight, but it certainly is a factor.

If you think about it, children have it right – they only eat until they are full (the way God intended). Children also recognize when they are hunger and that’s when they go the cabinet or frig and grab a snack. Today the problem is that the cabinets are full of junk food which is making our children overweight and sick.

So remember, if you want to reprogram yourself to stop overeating, you must practice listening to your body.

Action step for Today …

Leave some food on your plate after every meal. It’s okay. And here’s a tip when eating out – only eat half of what’s on your plate and take the rest home or just order one meal and share it with your dinner mate.

Here’s another important tip that I’ve already mentioned in previous posts, but it’s worth mentioning again. Don’t let yourself get hungry. When you are hunger – eat. Just make sure you are eating healthy meals and snacks. Chew your food thoroughly and pay attention to your body – it will tell you when to stop eating. When it does, stop eating. I know this sounds easier than it really is, but with practice you will learn how to do this.

I welcome your comments, suggestions, and questions so go ahead and leave your comments –I’d love to hear from you. Also, if you’d like for me to cover a topic in more detail or cover a topic that I have not talked about yet, just let me know.

It’s importance for you to know that this blog was created for you.  The goal is to build a community of people helping people. So if you would like to share your knowledge on a health and fitness related topic, just leave your comments. 

Be Organic God’s Way!

Edwin

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The next time you sit down to watch your favorite TV show and have the urge to grab a bag of chips, try the following strategy before eating the chips …

Set the bag of chips in front of you. Then before eating the chips, eat a healthy snack first, like an apple with a few almonds.

If you are still hungry after eating the apple and almonds, go ahead and eat the chips, but try to eat less than you normally would. Keep doing this until you find a snack that satisfies your hunger and you no longer need the chips.

I used this strategy when I was breaking my addiction to processed sugar. Try it – it works!

Just remember every time you reach for the apple instead of the chips, you are getting healthier, stronger, and most importantly you are on your way to creating new healthy habits.

I welcome your comments, suggestions, and questions so go ahead and leave your comments –I’d love to hear from you. Also, if you’d like for me to cover a topic in more detail or cover a topic that I have not talked about yet, just let me know.

It’s importance for you to know that this blog was created for you.  The goal is to build a community of people helping people. So if you would like to share your knowledge on a health and fitness related topic, just leave your comments. 

Be Organic God’s Way!

Edwin

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Do you have a tendency to get sick easily? If so, discover how antioxidants may help you.

Antioxidants are found in certain types of food and are extremely beneficial to our health.  Essentially antioxidants are substances which deactivate particles called free radicals.  Free radicals can over time be very harmful to the body and cause damage to cells and DNA.  This can lead to certain diseases such as cancer.  A diet which is rich in antioxidants has been shown to prevent and protect the body from disease.  Therefore getting plenty of antioxidants in our body is very important.

What do Antioxidants do?

Antioxidants act by deactivating, or turning off free radicals.  Free radicals are particles which can be very harmful but unfortunately are not entirely avoidable on their own.  Free particles come from a variety of sources such as air pollutants and cigarette smoke.  Antioxidants work to protect our bodies from these free radicals which can be very damaging.  

Types of Antioxidants

Vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, and selenium are all antioxidants and vital to a healthy diet and body.  These antioxidants are found in many types of vegetables, fruits, and grains, and it is vital that we get the recommend amounts in our diets.  If you aren’t getting the daily recommended amounts you should supplement with a whole food multi-vitamin.  However, never rely on a supplement for all your antioxidant needs, since there is no proper substitute for the real thing.

Foods Containing Antioxidants

Luckily there are many varieties of foods that contain the antioxidants vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, and beta-carotene.  Be sure to vary your food choices to ensure you are getting all the vitamins and minerals that you need:

Vitamin C is primarily found in citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruits.  Other great sources of vitamin C include tomatoes, red peppers, green peppers, yellow peppers, pineapple, and dark green veggies.

Vitamin E is found in many vegetable oils, nuts, brown rice, legumes, whole grains, and dark leafy green vegetables.

Selenium is found in some seafood, Brazil nuts, poultry, dairy, whole grains, onions, garlic, and wheat germ.

Beta-carotene is found in carrots, red and yellow peppers, broccoli, sweet potatoes, mangos, and a variety of other fruits and vegetables.  Please note this is not an exhaustive list of food containing antioxidants.

Action step for Today:

Begin introducing the above list of foods into your diet everyday along with a whole food multi-vitamin. Start today and notice how much better you feel in just a couple of weeks.  

I welcome your comments, suggestions, and questions, so go ahead and leave your comments. I’d love to hear from you. Also, if you’d like for me to cover a topic in more detail or cover a topic that I have not talked about yet, just let me know.

It’s importance for you to know that this blog was created for you.  The goal is to build a community of people helping people. So if you would like to share your knowledge on a health and fitness related topic, just leave your comments. 

Be Organic God’s Way!

Edwin

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Don’t let your body become your enemy. Health is not a chance, it’s a choice.

 (Jentezen Franklin)

When it comes to healthy eating there are many different aspects to consider.  Perhaps the easiest place to start is by understanding what your food is all about. God gave us food for our enjoyment and not to be a slave to it.

Your focus should be on eating a diet that is balanced and nutritious.  A balanced diet means eating a wide variety of foods and eating everything in moderation. 

The Five Food Groups

The five food groups are grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy, and meat.  A balanced diet will contain something from each of these food groups every day.  Some food groups require more servings than other. For instance, you should be eating more vegetables than dairy.  There are also oils and sweets, which don’t necessarily need to be part of your daily meals and should be consumed with discretion. Each recommended daily serving depends on several factors such as age and activity level.  This should be taken into account when determining your personal daily food intake.

It is recommended that to eat a healthy, balanced diet you should have from three to five servings of vegetables a day.  Vegetables are a primary source of vitamins and minerals, and we cannot live without them.  Fresh vegetables are the best choice, but cooked vegetables are also acceptable.  Try to eat a large variety of vegetables each day, including many different colors. Eating organic vegetables is best.

Fruits are also full of vitamins and minerals.  You should have anywhere from two to four servings of fruit a day.  Try to avoid fruit juice as it is high in sugar. You should also try and choose whole fruits as much as possible since they have the added bonus of fiber. And as always, choose organic when possible.

The dairy group includes foods such as yogurt and cheese.  When possible drink raw milk since pasteurized and homogenized milk can cause problems for your body. Dairy is an important provider of calcium and other vitamins.  If you are lactose intolerant or vegan, it is important that you get these vitamins elsewhere.

Although there is controversy about the value of grains, it is generally recommended that you get anywhere from six to eleven servings of grains each day, depending on your age and activity level.  Grains include bread, rice, pasta, and cereal.  Try and choose whole grains and avoid the “white” grains such as white bread and white rice.  You can find almost all grain foods in a whole grain variety, including pasta and bread. Organic is best.

Meat is an important source of protein and many other vitamins and minerals.  Some foods that fall into this category include fish, poultry, beef, eggs, beans, and nuts. You will notice that pork is not on this list. You should avoid pork.  The recommended daily servings are between two and three.  Try to choose leaner meats and natural or organic is best.

Action Steps:

Here’s one simple step you can take immediately to start eating healthier. Eat one large green leafy salad everyday. You can add your favorite raw vegetables and fruit. I really enjoy adding apples slices or strawberries to my salads. And if you want to turn your salad into a hearty meal try the recipe below. Organic ingredients are best.

v Green lettuce (2 cups)

v Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Whole Grain Cereal (1/2 cup)

v Tomatoes slices

v Olive Oil (1 tbsp)

v Apple Cider Vinegar (to taste )

v Sea Salt (to taste)

Enjoy!

I welcome your comments, suggestions, and questions, so go ahead and leave your comments. I’d love to hear from you. Also, if you’d like for me to cover a topic in more detail or cover a topic that I have not talked about yet, just let me know.

It’s importance for you to know that this blog was created for you.  The goal is to build a community of people helping people. So if you would like to share your knowledge on a health and fitness related topic, just leave your comments. 

Be Organic God’s Way!

Edwin

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