Weight Loss Tips...#4

Reduce Stress!!!!!!!!!

Okay, I feel ridiculous for even mentioning reducing stress because I know that stress basically goes hand in hand with breathing. Trust me, I understand that your immediate reaction is, "I would love to reduce my stress. So are you going to go to work for me, pay my bills, spend hours pulling gum from my daughter's hair, make my grown husband's doctor's appointments and shave my legs for me?" Seriously people, I get it. I am not advocating you join a yoga class and attempt to fit another hour long "to do" into your schedule, but there are some no brainer stress reducing activities that I think you could fit into the busiest of schedules.

• GO OUTSIDE!!!!!!! Breathe some fresh air. It doesn't take long. Just stop typing, folding laundry, texting, whatever and walk outside and just take a few deep breaths. Then go back and finish whatever it was that you left. You will find that you may have a better attitude and clearer head and may even be able to perform your task better.


• Do something for you. This is big people...especially for you moms out there. I don't care what it is, running, scrapbooking, fishing, hiking, napping, reading, facebook, anything. Just make it a priority to fit it in during your week. And if possible get away from everyone else when doing your special activity. This is for you and you only. It is okay to not share sometimes.

• Eat chocolate. That's right. I am now officially everyone's favorite person. But it is proven that DARK chocolate stimulates endorphins which gives pleasure feelings, contains serotonin that works as an antidepressant, and even lowers blood pressure and LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol). Don't go crazy with the chocolate though. Limit yourself to one or two squares a day.

• Take something. There are so many options for natural and safe stress lowering supplements. L-theanine, GABA, Kava Kava, SAMe, B-Complex are all just some examples. It is also important to note that stress reduces a body's immune function and a multivitamin would be useful to counteract the depletion.

Weight Loss Tips...#3

#3 Cleanse Your Colon



We have all heard horror stories about crazy cleanses or detoxes that resulted in small alien forms being expelled from the body or the rigorous fasting juice diet that you have to do while detoxing and this scares people away from ever even trying. And those stories are probably true, at least some of them but here's the deal...not all cleanses are that extreme especially those focused toward weight loss. If you want to do a parasite or metal detox then yes, you may see some more extreme results but those just are not necessary for a good internal cleansing.



Cleanses do not have to be scary. In fact, there are many out there that are super simple. But I know you have some questions so I'll try to cover them. The answers are...

• No, you will not be in the bathroom all day long. In fact, you will most likely only add one or two more bathroom breaks to your daily routine.


• No, you will not have sudden urges to go to the bathroom and you should not fear any seriously embarrassing accidents.


• No, you do not have to change your diet. It would increase the effects of the cleanse if you tried to eliminate refined foods, sugars, most carbs, and other junk but not a necessity. It would also be more beneficial if you supplemented with fiber and a flax or borage oil while doing a cleanse...but again, you don't HAVE to.


• Yes, you will feel pretty yucky around day three. But don't stop...this is a good thing. It means all those toxins are pulled out and are swimming around ready to be expelled. You shouldn't feel so bad that you wouldn't be able to go on with your regular activities, just kind of poopie. Haha.


• Yes, you have options. There are two brands of cleanses that I do regularly. The first one is by Body Dynamics. I like it because it can be bought in 3 day supplies so that customers can try it out before jumping in feet first. I also love that it is made to be customized. By that I mean that each individual decides for him or herself their body's need. You start with one a day and after three days you increase your dose. You continue increasing every three days until you have loose stool. Then you know that was too many and you stick to the last dosage amount. You also get to decide how long you want the cleanse to last and can even stick with it (at a small dose) to keep you regular for as long as you need. I also really like Renew Life's cl easing line. This company makes it sooooo easy. There are many to choose from depending on the need and there is one specific for weight loss. The entire cleanse comes in a nicely packaged box. You get a morning formula and evening formula, take for the required amount of time and you are done. Very simple. And Renew Life doesn't use any psyllium which can sometimes cause stomach cramping. YAY!

Weight Loss Tips...#2

2.) Eat More Fiber



Fiber is really a very cool thing when it comes to losing weight. It works in several ways. It makes you feel fuller quicker. So if you are eating slowly enough and listening to your body you will take in less calories. It also attaches itself to calories and flushes them out of you. COOL! And it helps you go to the bathroom. I know, not a pretty topic but less face it, it is pretty darn important. The less "regular" you are in the bathroom area, the more plaque you will build up in your intestines and the more bloated and sluggish you will feel.


But it always goes back to the time issue. We are so used to running through the drive-thrus or heating up a frozen meal that we forget about the importance of actually knowing what is in our food, including how much fiber is in it. So make it simple by adding fiber to your lifestyle a little bit at a time.

• Sprinkle flax meal into EVERYTHING! Add it to your hamburger patties, oatmeal, cold cereal, yogurt, taco meat, brownies, muffins, cookies, smoothies, pasta. Heck, sprinkle some in your Taco Bell burrito.
• Taste the rainbow. I don't mean Skittles. Eat colorful foods. Just 1 cup of raspberries or black berries has 8 grams of fiber. Throw some raw carrots, broccoli or apple slices into a baggie to take to work to munch on when the 3 o'clock snack cravings take over.
• BEANS BEANS THEY ARE MAGICAL FRUIT. Just 1 cup of cooked chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, is 12 grams of fiber. Throw chickpeas into your salad. Mash beans with roasted garlic to make a dip and eat with Triscuits (not the reduced fat Triscuits because they replace the fat with lots of sodium.) Black beans contain more antioxidants and provide lots of folate which reduces the risk of heart attack. Beans are high in protein and iron, inexpensive, yummy, and very versatile.
• Eat the healthy cereal such as Kashi GOLEAN or All-Bran. Add nuts and strawberries. If you still can't get it down add half a cup of your favorite unhealthy cereal to make it more enjoyable.
• Take a fiber supplement such as Renew Life's Fiber Smart or Lewis Labs Fabulous Fiber. But drink lots and lots of water!