HFCS is Killing Americans

So what’s the deal with high fructose corn syrup.  It must be safe since the FDA has approved its use in so many of America’s processed food items.  Just look at almost any food item found with a label and you will see high fructose corn syrup listed as one of the first 3 ingredients. 

The corn industry has even tried to convince us that, in moderation, HFCS is perfectly fine.  The fact that most American meals are composed of pre-packaged, processed foods, I doubt moderation is being practiced. 

High Fructose Corn Syrup transforms you into an eating machine.  Once consumed, it sets into motion a chemical cascade that begins with spiked insulin and ends with feel-good molecules known as “endorphins”.  This leaves you feeling intoxicated by artificial feel-good endorphins.  Your brain is unable to sense overeating and demands more.  All the excess calories are then stored as fat.  This has been a huge factor in the rise of obesity, Type II Diabetes and heart disease in our nation.

Now, after reading this article, I learned that in a recent study, mercury was found in high fructose corn syrup. 

“Mercury is toxic in all its forms. Given how much high-fructose corn syrup is consumed by children, it could be a significant additional source of mercury never before considered. We are calling for immediate changes by industry and the [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] to help stop this avoidable mercury contamination of the food supply,” the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy’s Dr. David Wallinga, a co-author of both studies, said in a prepared statement.

This is just one more reason we should avoid anything processed or manmade in our diets.  By eating whole, unprocessed, organic foods, we are reducing the risk of disease and obesity in ourselves and our families. 

A Fit Superbowl Sunday Menu

Superbowl Sunday is almost upon us.  With the Superbowl comes lots of bad snacking, but I’m going to help you overcome the temptation this year by giving you some great, healthy alternatives to serve at your party.  Or if you’re attending someone elses party, you can bring your own healthy foods with you.

I always recommend Allrecipes.com to my clients for finding great recipes to break up the monotony in their diets.  So that’s where I headed to compile my Superbowl Sunday menu plan. Read more

Cold Medicine

Everyone in my family is fighting off a nasty cold. I imagine we caught it at church last week. It’s hit everyone except Dad. I think he’s hoping he catches it so he can play hooky for a few days.

We rarely get sick in our house since we changed our eating habits three years ago. I even had to look up our favorite chicken soup recipe that everyone likes when they’re sick. I hadn’t made it in a very, long time.

This is our version of cold medicine. I try not to give my family any over the counter medications unless it is really necessary. With the newest recall on Dimetapp and other phenylephrine products, I’m thankful I don’t. Sometimes we tend to overmedicate our bodies instead of letting it heal itself. Every sniffle and cough does not need to be medicated. If the cough is so bad that it is keeping my kids up all night I will use a cough syrup.

I also like to use Vicks Vapor rub on their chests to help clear up some congestion. I use extra pillows and prop them up so they have better drainage while they sleep. It helps my little ones sleep better.

So, I thought I would share my chicken soup recipe. It’s nothing magical, but it is the ultimate comfort food when you’re sick.

Chicken Soup - Cold Medicine

1 whole chicken
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup whole, baby carrots
1 whole onion, chopped into quarters
1 celery stock, chopped

Place all in a crockpot and let it cook overnight on low.

Next morning, remove chicken and let it cool. Shred the chicken and set aside half of it for another meal.

Strain the chicken stock, discarding all the remaining veggies and place strained stock into a large pot. Add veggies of your choice and the shredded chicken I like to add:
whole baby carrots
red potatoes
snow peas
shredded cabbage
broccoli
cauliflower
spinach (added right before serving)
cilantro
garlic
Italian seasoning
salt and pepper

Bring up a boil, then bring down to a simmer and cook until the veggies are tender. I always add the quick cooking veggies after the potatoes and carrots are tender so they do not get overcooked. 

There was an actual study done on chicken soup as a remedy for colds. They concluded that chicken soup has anti-inflammatory benefits.

Grandma always knows best.

Win the Battle Against Fat Cells

As a fitness expert, you know I’ll never promise you a pill is going to be the answer to that “jiggle in your wiggle.” If you want six pack abs you’re going to have to work for them.

BUT…

There is some very promising research out there in regards to a dietary supplement you’ve probably been hearing a lot about.

Yes, I’m talking about Essential Fatty Acids. You probably have heard them called something like Fish Oil pills.

How’s this for good news?!

*University of Georgia researchers have found something pretty amazing about Essential Fatty Acid supplements containing DHA. Get this: The actually help STOP the conversion of pre-fat cells into fat cells by causing them to die out before they can mature.

Once a pre-fat cell becomes a fat cell, well, there’s no turning back. You’ve got that fat cell for life. Imagine, actually decreasing the accumulation of fat by taking an Essential Fatty Acid supplement containing DHA!

Now let me do my best infomercial voice for you…

But wait, there’s more!

Seriously, that’s not the only benefit of Essential Fatty Acid supplements containing DHA.

According to studies** done at the University of South Australia people that combined exercise with Essential Fatty Acid supplements containing DHA saw greater fat loss than the test group that only exercised and did not take the supplement.

How can you not be excited by these research studies??

Now, personally, I don’t like Fish Oil pills because they cause you to burp like crazy. If you’ve ever taken them you know exactly what I mean. And they aren’t always the highest quality.

I prefer EFA Icon from Prograde Nutrition because they use Krill Oil. It’s been found to be a superior source of Essential Fatty Acids containing DHA. Plus, with EFA Icon there are NO fish burps. And I haven’t even mentioned all the amazing health benefits from this dietary supplement.

If you’re looking to accelerate your fat loss results than I really recommend you go with Prograde Nutrition’s EFA Icon. You can get it here: http:/inspirationfitness.getprograde.com/icon

Remember, EFA Icon is NOT a miracle solution. You will need sound nutrition and exercise. BUT the research is there. It’s definitely a supplement with powerful fat loss properties. http:/inspirationfitness.getprograde.com/icon

* Journal of Nutrition, Vol. 136:2965-2969** American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 85:1267-1274

Peanut Recall

Latest news available on the peanut recall.  Read it here:  Read more

Excuses Kill Dreams

Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. day everyone.  My husband is off today so we are enjoying a half day of school.  My oldest attended her school co-op and my 6th grader is only working on a science project today.  We are almost halfway through our school year already and I don’t even know where it went.  Seems like each day passes faster and faster. Read more

Ultimate Women’s Expo

I just finished two seminars on the Ultimate Women’s Expo where I covered the Truth About Fitness and Diets Make You fat.  The theme of the expo is New Year/New You.  I think fitness and dieting fit in there pretty well.

It was awesome to be invited onto the show.  They have plenty more shows coming up that will encourage and uplift you. 

I don’t know how  many women were actually on the radio show, but it sure felt good to speak the true, hard facts about fat loss without all the fluff that is so common in the media today.

If you still think you can lose body fat by vacuuming and parking further away from the doors of the supermarket, you definitely need to listen to this call.  If you missed the live taping, you can purchase a ticket to the expo and get the recordings, as well as, all the free gifts I am giving away. 

If you were on the show, please give me your feedback, questions or comments regarding the seminars.  I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Ultimate Women’s Expo

I just finished two seminars on the Ultimate Women’s Expo where I covered the Truth About Fitness and Diets Make You fat.  The theme of the expo is New Year/New You.  I think fitness and dieting fit in there pretty well.

It was awesome to be invited onto the show.  They have plenty more shows coming up that will encourage and uplift you. 

I don’t know how  many women were actually on the radio show, but it sure felt good to speak the true, hard facts about fat loss without all the fluff that is so common in the media today.

If you still think you can lose body fat by vacuuming and parking further away from the doors of the supermarket, you definitely need to listen to this call.  If you missed the live taping, you can purchase a ticket to the expo and get the recordings, as well as, all the free gifts I am giving away. 

If you were on the show, please give me your feedback, questions or comments regarding the seminars.  I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Belly Blasting Breakfast

If you want to burn the fat off your belly you need to burn THIS into your brain first.

Eat breakfast.

Look, you can make fat loss as difficult as you like. You can make it out to be super complicated if you so choose.

But one of the easiest things you can do to start melting the fat off your frame is to start eating a breakfast that boosts your metabolism and sets the tone for fat loss all day long.

Now, there’s a very good chance you’re shaking your head in agreement with me, but saying something like, “That’s great. I know that. But what the heck do I eat?”

Glad you asked

Here are three simple fat fighting breakfasts from Registered Dietitian Jayson Hunter:

1- Cottage cheese mixed with real fruit

2- Hard boiled egg and yogurt mixed with real fruit

3- 2 pieces of fruit and a scrambled egg wrap

Seriously, would that be so hard? Don’t you think you can manage that in the morning?

Well, if you can’t Jayson, who is the Head of R & D at Prograde Nutrition, has another suggestion. You can use a nutritious meal replacement shake like Prograde Lean.

I’ve checked it out and it really has a delicious chocolate flavor. In fact, I know Prograde spent 6 months developing Prograde Lean just to get the taste right.

Ok, so there are 4 options for a Belly Fat Blasting Breakfast. Enjoy!

PS - Prograde Nutrition is currently having a BIG 10.9% off everything January Celebration Sale to celebrate the New Year and the fact they are now shipping to the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.

Yes, that’s 10.9 as in January of 2009

-Again, you receive 10.9% off all Prograde products.

- It will run from Thursday, January 8th until Thursday, January 15th at 11:59pm EST.

- Yes, that 10.9% off will be applicable to SmartShip orders. But it only applies to that first purchase. Not ongoing.

- The coupon code you enter at checkout is:

012009

- The website is http://inspirationfitness.getprograde.com/lean  If you want to check out Prograde Lean right away go here: http://inspirationfitness.getprograde.com/lean

Quick Fix or Long Haul

It’s that time of year when the scam artists are aplenty and people spend crazy amounts of money on “magic pills”, ab machines and fitness contraptions.  America’s quest to lose weight fast has only caused an increase in obesity, yo-yo dieting, damaged metabolisms and empty wallets.

America is obsessed with quick fixes.  If it doesn’t happen immediately, I don’t want it.  Give me the big, red easy button.

Well, the truth is fatloss is tough work. 

You’re gonna have to sweat. 

You’re gonna have to breathe heavy. 

You’re gonna get a little sore. 

You’re gonna have to do it for longer than 30 days.

But if you choose the long haul…

You’ll look and feel amazing.

You’ll burn your fat jeans.

You’ll walk up the stairs without huffing and puffing.

You’ll never sit on the sidelines again. 

I am gearing up to record my first ever seminar on the “Truth about Fitness” and “Diets Make You Fat” this Friday with Cindy Rushton of the Ultimate Women’s Expo.  I’m excited to be a part of this amazing ministry.  Whether you homeschool your kids or not, you will be encouraged, uplifted and educated through this wonderful expo.  The theme is “New Year, New You.” 

If you want to finally learn the truth about what works and what doesn’t for permanent weight loss, then you want to be sure and listen to my two seminars.  Check out the Ultimate Women’s Expo for more info.

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