Countless Americans are living with a mid-section they are unhappy with. Purchasing bulky shirts and avoiding the mirror has become a normal way of life. Most have been living with belly bulge for so long that they think there is nothing they can do about it. This is frustrating and can get in the way of wearing some fun clothes! Our wardrobe and self image should not have to suffer.

Here’s what we can do about this.

The American diet is full of inflammatory foods that are causing this condition. The biggest culprits of inflammation in the body that impede weight loss and create belly bloat are gluten, corn, dairy & soy.

Eggs can also be an inflammatory food and cause this mid-section frustration. One way to determine if eggs are causing inflammation in your body is to remove them food from your diet for a period of time. Then reintroduce eggs and watch how your body reacts.

If the bloat is diminished when eggs are removed and then returns when you reintroduce them, this is a food for you to avoid.

After a detox period, a big percentage of the population will find that their system can tolerate eggs on an every other day basis.

Determining the foods that cause inflammation and in turn cause belly fat and belly bloat can be the key to a wardrobe without restrictions and a self image that soars.

To learn more about reducing inflammation in your body, increasing your metabolism and getting rid of that mid-section that makes you avoid mirrors check out: Five Weeks to Fit Here.

This program will guide you to an anti-inflammatory diet that increases energy, increased weight loss and reduces belly bloat.

As always….Live Healthy and Live Happy,

Mary

Are you confused about what to eat to lose weight?

Or are you just looking for a new healthy eating philosophy to keep you on track?

Read on. Here you will find an interesting new philosophy on how to eat to lose weight!

This is working for me and many others that I have coached. Here’s how it goes. Ditch the current philosophy of grazing throughout the day. Return to the old school philosophy of three square meals. The only thing we need to adjust is the definition of a square meal.

The three meals that mom recommended are the way to go, but to eat to lose weight build those meals as follows:

• Include lean proteins
• Add non starchy vegetables (greens are great) and/or low to med glycemic fruits
• Mix in high fiber carbs
• Finish the meal preparation with healthy fats

MAKE YOUR MEALS HEARTY AND HEALTHY. This replaces the current philosophy of light low fat meals. These meals may contain a few more calories than you are used to, but the healthy calories actually aide weight loss. Because you are not grazing you are not consuming extra calories between meals. So, dont be afraid of a higher calorie count per meal. Meals for woman should contain 400 to 600 calories and men 600 to 800 calories.

Fiber slows emptying of the stomach, reduces the hunger hormone ghrelin and keeps insulin in check. Consume 25 to 35 grams daily. Choose fiber rich foods like berries, lentil, avocado, flax seeds, brown rice and quinoa.

The healthy fats reduce inflammation in the body which in turn increases metabolism. Some of my favorite healthy fats include olive oil, extra virgin olive oil, avocado and flax. Use these daily.

Try this out. Eat to lose weight by consuming only three meals daily.Make the old school philosophies your new school philosophies.

Let me know what you think about this new philosophy of eating. Leave a Reply below.

To learn more about the eat to lose weight philosophy, check out my 5Wks2Fit Here.

Eat to Lose Weight. Eat to Lose Weight. Eat to Lose Weight.

What Vegetables to Avoid

March 5, 2013

Vegetables are victorious and should be added to your diet regularly.
Remember our goal is eight to ten vegetable servings daily.

Many of you have been reaching this goal regularly. Fantastic! With planning and dedication you have gotten the job done.

Yeah!

Today we are going to clean up our diet just a bit more. Vegetables to be avoided is today’s topic.

High glycemic value and pesticide reduction is the focus.

Below you will find the list of high glycemic vegetables to avoid and the tricks for avoiding unwanted pesticides.

On a side note:
WELCOME to all new subscribers. Many came on board last week. If you are a newbie, take a look at the previous Victorious Vegetable articles here.

Now let’s rock on with What Vegetables to Avoid.

Avoid Vegetables with a High Glycemic Value

Due to their high glycemic value keep consumption of the following to a minimum:

1. White Potatoes   2. Carrots   and   3. Peas

Pesticide Protection – Reduce Pesticide Exposure

Pesticides are toxins. Exposure to these toxins causes damage to the nervous system, endocrine system and may cause cancer. Purchase certified organic whenever possible. As you begin to eat organic, pesticide levels in body tissue will drop. EWG.org has compiled a list of the Dirty Dozen Plus and the Clean 15. The Dirty Dozen are the twelve plus fruits and vegetables that contain the highest levels pesticides. The recommendation is to purchase these only when organic. The Clean 15 is a list of the top 15 fruit and vegetables that contain the lowest level of pesticides. These are acceptable when not organic.

Clean 15

1.  Onion  2.  Sweet Corn  3.  Pineapples  4.  Avocado  5.  Cabbage  6.  Sweet peas  7.  Asparagus  8.  Mangoes  9.  Eggplant  10.  Kiwi  11.  Cantaloupe  12.  Sweet Potato  13.  Grapefruit  14.  Watermelon  15.  Mushrooms

Dirty Dozen Plus

1.  Apples  2.  Celery  3.  Sweet bell peppers  4.  Peaches  5.  Strawberries  6.  Nectarines  7.  Grapes  8.  Spinach  9.  Lettuce  10.  Cucumbers  11.  Blueberries  12.  Potatoes  13.  Greenbeans  14.  Kale/Greens

Be sure to keep consumption of vegetables with a high glycemic value to a minimum and control your pesticide consumption.Within these guidelines, I strongly encourage you to consume eight to ten serving of vegetables daily. This healthy habit promotes weight loss, weight control and a healthy body.

Rock on. Eat Healthy.

Mary

The Best Vegetables

February 21, 2013

What vegetables are the best vegetables to consume?

As we discussed in Victorious Vegetables I and Victorious Vegetables II (click to read), vegetables are a key component of optimal living, health and weight loss.

Today I am sharing a list of the best vegetables.
These vegetables pack the healthiest punch.

Vegetables are low in calories and contain vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber.

The antioxidants in vegetables help protect the human body from disease and cancers by boosting immunity. The soluble as well as insoluble fiber contained in vegetables helps maintain bowel health, lowers cholesterol and helps control blood sugar levels.

Here is a list of the five best vegetables. Add these to your menu plan daily.
Remember the goal is eight to ten servings of vegetables daily.

1. Cruciferous Vegetables. These are filled with anti-aging, cancer fighting, immune boosting phytonutrients, plus vitamins C and K, potassium, calcium, iron and folic acid. Try these best vegetables raw, lightly steamed or stir-fried.

• Broccoli,
• Cauliflower,
• Brussels sprouts,
• Green and red cabbage.

2. Dark Leafy Greens. These are high in iron, potassium, calcium, magnesium, carotenoids and B, C, E and K. These best vegetables are great lightly steamed or used in healthy soups, chilies, casseroles and stir-fries or eaten raw in salads and on sandwiches.

• Kale,
• Spinach,
• Swiss chard,
• Collard greens,
• The herb parsley,
• Red and green lettuce,
• Mustard and turnip greens.

3. Tomatoes. These are very high in lycopene carotenoids and vitamin C. Tomatoes are good on sandwiches, as raw snacks and in salads, soups and pasta sauce.

4. Asparagus. Asparagus is a great source of potassium, fiber, vitamins A, C, K and B complex – especially B6 and folic acid. At just four calories a stalk, lightly steamed asparagus helps reduce weight, inflammation and depression.

5. Sweet Potatoes and Yams. These best vegetables are rich in carotenoids, vitamins A, B6, C, potassium, iron and fiber.  These are delicious when baked and eaten plain (without butter) or used in soups, casseroles or stir-fries.

There you have it. The Best Vegetables list.
Create optimal living by choosing vegetables from this list daily.

Please let us know in the comment section below,
what vegetables from the Best Vegetables list are your favorites.
Share a Best Vegetables recipe in the comment section below.

Live Healthy, Live Happy!

Mary

Stay tuned for Victorious Vegetables IV – What Vegetables to Avoid

The Best Vegetables – The Best Vegetables – The Best Vegetables – The Best Vegetables

Victorious Vegetables III – The Best Vegetables

February 20, 2013

Today we are going to make it happen.

We are going to up the ante in regards to our vegetable consumption.

In Victorious Vegetables we discussed the importance of consuming eight to ten vegetables servings daily. Today let’s explore how we can accomplish this goal.

Are you with me on this?
(Let me know in the comment section below if you are in.)

Some of you just need a little inspiration to get on this task. I can tell you for sure, climbing on board the eight to ten vegetable serving bandwagon will increase your health, wellness and assist in weight loss. I cant think of anything else that provides more benefits.

Are you in?  Be sure to let me know in the comment section below.

For some, consuming eight to ten servings of vegetables daily may seem like a daunting task. If this applies to you be patient; I am confident you can master this feat. Explore your options. Determine where and when within your daily meal plan the opportunity lies for more vegetables.

Write a mock daily meal plan. Then be diligent. Stick to it and before long you will routinely consume an increased number of vegetables.

Shift your meal planning focus to vegetables. Start with a vegetable or vegetable combo then add a side of lean protein, gluten-free grains and some healthy oil. Also allow breakfast to become a time to consume vegetables.

The best ways to up your vegetable ante:

1.  Vegetables added to a typical breakfast. A good example of this is fresh guacamole on eggs or salsa on eggs. Or try what I had this morning, two servings of greens with two chopped hard boiled eggs topped with salsa. Two to three servings of vegetables logged before 8 a.m.

2. Lunch for breakfast. Don’t be afraid to have lunch for breakfast. Try lean beef strips on a two serving bed of greens with some chopped vegetables and a side of fruit. Drizzle a little virgin olive oil on the greens and voila – a beautifully healthy breakfast.

3.  Salad for lunch. Make a big dark leafy green salad with varied chopped vegetables a daily ritual. Use baby kale, spinach and dark lettuces regularly. Be sure to add lean proteins, whole gluten-free grains and healthy oil too.

4.  Make vegetables your go-to snack. Lightly steamed asparagus, green beans and/or celery are fabuloso choices.

5.  Green drinks. Try kale, spinach, apple, water and some flax seeds in the blender. Be creative with this try carrots, lemons and cucumbers too. Add these daily or every other day.

6.  Vegetables for dinner – always. Make vegetables at dinner a staple. Add two to four servings of your favorite vegetables to your dinner plate regularly.

Shift your meal planning focus and add more vegetables. It will decrease your weight and increase your health.

Please let me know in the comment section how many vegetable servings you are consuming currently or how you plan on increasing the number of serving you consume daily.

Live Healthy, Live Happy!

Mary Roy

Stay tuned for Victorious Vegetables III – Choosing the Best Vegetables

February 19, 2013

Whether weight loss, increase vitality or mental clarity is your goal, one key solution remains the same.

Our body runs on fuel. The higher grade of fuel that it is fed equates to a healthier leaner ride.

Removing lower grade fuel and replacing it with fuel that packs a healthy punch will make you stronger, leaner and healthier; not to mention that your energy and vitality will increase.

When I began in the fitness industry over 25 years ago (what?), my pursuit was optimal living. I wanted to live a life marked with vitality and good health. To this day, my goal remains the same.

One of the most important daily rituals that we can perform to create optimal living i.e. longevity, vitality and weight control, is to increase the number of servings of vegetables that we consume.

My recommendation is eight to ten servings daily. Use this increased number of vegetable servings to keep you satiated throughout the day and to decrease servings of lower grade fuel.

Working with hundreds of clients through the years, I know that for many consuming vegetables can be daunting. And as a culture our vegetable consumption is a bit lacking.

This can be remedied with a new outlook on vegetables.

This three-part blog series on Victorious Vegetables is designed to guide you to a diet that consists of an increased number of vegetables.

Begin today by counting the number of vegetable servings you consume, cruise through the produce section at your local market, pick up some fun new vegetables and stay tuned for tomorrow’s post entitled Victorious Vegetables II. Here you will find helpful hints on how to add eight to ten servings of vegetables to your daily diet.

As always, we would love to hear what you have to say. Head over to the blog and let us know how you add vegetables to your day. Click on the previous link and scroll to the bottom of the post to the comments section.

Have a great day and be sure to eat clean.

Live Healthy, Live Happy!

Mary

My recent article Real Sugar Facts for EVERYONE made many of us realize that we are consuming too much sugar. Read it now if you have not already.

In our fast paced, packaged foods society, we must be food savvy in order to make choices that keep us off the unhealthy sweet filled roller coaster ride. We must pay attention to sugar and artificial sweeteners to create good health and our best life experience.

And for me, creating our best life experience, is what it is all about.

In Real Sugar Facts for EVERYONE we explore the importance of bringing our sugar intake down low. Now, lets explore artificial sweeteners. Should we substitute artificial sweeteners for sugar?

Before I go further, I want to encourage you to weigh in on this subject. Let me know your thoughts on sugar and artificial sweeteners. Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.

Because artificial sweeteners lead to weight gain, disrupt digestion and can interfere with a good night’s sleep. It is important to get them out of your diet or keep them to a minimum.

A calorie is not just a calorie as we once thought. Or in some artificial sweeteners cases, a non-calorie is not just a non-calorie. Let’s explore:

• Artificial sweeteners disrupt healthy gut flora which allows bad bacteria to take over. Increased bad bacteria leads to digestive problems and to weight gain.

• These sweeteners also may cause a condition called calorie disregulation. When this happens, your body loses the ability to correlate the number of calories with the sweetness of food. Your body loses its sense of how many calories it is consuming and you end up ingesting more calories than you would have otherwise.

• Some studies even suggest that artificial sweeteners may raise insulin levels.

• These sweeteners also cause neuroexcitatory effects which manifest as difficulty sleeping and anxiety.

As you can see, these little to no calorie items can cause weight gain and ill effects on the body.

If you can’t stay away from artificial sweeteners use Stevia, Truvia and/or Xylitol. Look for pure 100% extract without added maltodextrin. But, please use these sparingly.

Artificial sweeteners are widely used in processed foods, including baked goods, soft drinks, powdered drink mixes, candy, puddings, canned foods, jams and jellies, dairy products, and scores of other foods and beverages. So, as always, be sure to read your labels.

Here is a list of what to look for:

sorbitol, mannitol, glycerol, acesulfame potassium (k), aspartame, cyclamate, isomalt, saccharin, sucralose, alitame, thaumatin, neohesperidine dihydrochalcone, aspartame-acesulfame salt, maltitol, lactitol, xylitol, erythritol.

Make an effort to enjoy the natural sweetness of fruits and vegetables.
Minimize your sugar and artificial sweetener consumption.
Accomplish this with a shift in perspective and mind set.
Realizing the health benefits of minimizing sugar and artificial sweeteners will increase your success.

We would LOVE to hear from you. Please leave a comment and let us know how you `got the sugar/artificial sugar out’ or how you plan to. Love to hear what you have to say.

Good luck on your healthy living journey.

Live Healthy, Live Happy,

Mary

Many Americans are on a sugar roller coaster ride that promotes belly fat, adds unwanted pounds and creates illness.

The interesting part is that it is not only the person with the sweet tooth that is consuming too much sugar.

We should all heed this warning because sugar is hiding out in a variety of foods that are commonly consumed by everyone. This is putting us all at risk. Many foods not considered to be sweet contain high levels of sugar. Look for the list below.

Why is Sugar so Bad   Real Sugar Facts

This high sugar consumption creates insulin resistance making it virtually impossible to lose weight.

High sugar consumption over time leads to increased production of insulin. These high levels create resistance at the cellular level. The body’s response to insulin is then decreased.
Insulin moves sugar out of the blood to cells to be used as energy. Insulin resistance impedes this action. The sugar remains in the blood stream to be stored as fat (usually belly fat).

Sugar is also an inflammatory food which creates poor digestion and leads to chronic illness.

Consuming too much sugar impedes weight loss and leads to many health issues.

Where the Sugar is Hiding   Real Sugar Facts

The typical American diet is full of sugar. The obvious culprits are juice, soft drinks, that good ol’ morning muffin and our break of dawn joe. Packaged and processed foods also contain high amounts of added sugar that many of us overlook. Beware particularly aware of packaged health foods. Dont take the manufacturer’s packaging jargon for truth. Be proactive. Read all labels. Just because an item is in the health food section does not mean it is not `packing a sugar punch’ that we should avoid. Take special care to always read labels. The biggest sugar culprits are: dressings, sauces, bars, yogurts, crackers, and cereals.

How Much is Too Much   Real Sugar Facts

Woman should consume no more than 30g or 6t of added sugar daily. Men should consume no more than 45g or 9t daily. This includes all added table sugar, honey, agave, etc and any sugar added to processed and packaged food.

Finding Sugar in Packaged Foods   Real Sugar Facts

It is important to read all food labels and limit the number of processed foods that we are consuming. Sugar can be found in packaged foods under these names:

barley malt, beet sugar, blackstrap molasses, brown sugar, cane sugar, cane juice cystals, caramel, carob syrup, castor sugar, corn sweeteners, corn syrup confectioners sugars, date sugar, demerara sugar, dextrin, dextrose, diastatic malt, diatase, D-mannose, evaporated cane juice, fuctose, fruit juice concentrate galactose, glucose, high-furctose corn syrup, honey, lactose, malt syrup, maltodextrin, maltose, maple syrup, molasses, raw sugar, rice syrup, sucrose, syrup and treacle.

What about Fruit   Real Sugar Facts

Although the sugar found in fruit is naturally occurring and need not be part of your 6t or 9t count, for weight loss, limit fruit consumption to 1 – 2 servings daily. Choose fruit with a low to med glycemic index.

The amount of sugar many Americans are consuming is  just not healthy. Let’s all try to limit our consumption by reading labels and reducing our added sugar. Try keeping the sweet stuff to a minimum and let’s heed these Real Sugar Facts by retraining our brains to enjoy fruits and natural sweetness.

This will increase our weight loss, reduce belly fat and ward off many chronic illnesses.

Live Healthy, Live Happy.

Stay Tuned for:
Real Sugar Facts   Are Artificial Sweeteners Okay?

Visit our Services Page to see how we can help you.

Anti-inflammatory foods should be added to our diet regularly to combat inflammation.

What is inflammation and why do we need to combat it?

Minimizing the amount of inflammation in the body aides in enhancing weight loss, reducing belly bloat and it also helps to increase energy.

This inflammation in the body also creates many adverse health conditions. The more commonly known conditions resulting from an overactive immune response and too much inflammation are allergies, rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune disease and asthma.

Many are not as aware that hidden inflammation run amok is also at the root of all chronic illness. Conditions like heart disease, obesity, diabetes, dementia, depression and cancer are all part of the list.

The main causes of this inflammation are poor diet, hidden allergens from food, toxins such as mercury or pesticides, mold, lack of exercise and stress.

A meal plan that limits inflammatory foods and incorporates anti-inflammatory foods can help to reduce inflammation which will increase weight loss and ward off illness.

Some of my favorite anti-inflammatory foods are listed below.

1. Flax Seeds – these little gems are high in omega 3s fatty acids, fiber and phytochemicals called lignans. Freshly ground in your morning smoothy or green drink make a very nutritious start.

2. Atlantic Salmon – wild caught is the way to go. Bake extra in the beginning of the week and add to your midday salad throughout the week.

3.  Extra Virgin Olive Oil – add this daily to your vegetables. Dont worry about the calories. Remember a calorie is not just a calorie anymore. Eat EVO at room temperature. Dont cook with it. The heat spoils the oil and it becomes an inflammatory food.

4. The Best Green Anti-Inflammatory foods – parsley, kale, spinach and collard greens. Make salads out of these health enhancing favorites daily. Pre-washed baby kale and other greens make it easy to put together a simple healthy lunch.

5. Best Spices: Ginger, Turmeric, Onion Powder, Curry and Fresh Garlic – get rid of packaged and processed foods. Create your own fresh meals using these anti-inflammatory foods.

Add these anti-inflammatory foods regularly to ward of illness and to keep your weight under control.

To learn more about the benefits of anti-inflammatory foods, how to incorporate the right foods into your diet and get rid of the wrong foods check out Five Weeks to Fit now.

Click here to learn more now – Five Weeks to Fit

Anti-Inflammatory Foods – Anti-Inflammatory Foods – Anti-Inflammatory Foods

Inflammatory Foods Cause Belly Fat

Foods that cause inflammation in the body are making us fat.

Inflammation causes belly fat, belly bloat and contributes to the mid afternoon slump that makes us wonder if we slept the night before.

In the past we thought a calorie was a calorie. But not anymore.

The typical American diet is full of these inflammatory foods. You may be surprised that I am not talking about the typical American junk food diet, I am actually referring to the typical American healthy meal plan. Quite a number of inflammatory foods make the list. 

The diet industry has been recommending a number of these foods for years. But the fact is, they are making us fat. Here’s another surprise, Greek yogurt is on the list.

Three of the most common inflammatory foods in the healthy American diet are: whole grain bread, Greek yogurt and peanut butter. If you want to decrease your belly fat, these foods have got to go.

Peanut butter is one of the inflammatory foods that should be eaten next to never, Greek yogurt may be okay in moderation (every other day) and a substitute for whole grain bread (and any bread) should be used 95% of the time. Try almond butter (in small amounts) in place of peanut butter with apple slices and coconut kefir yogurt is an incredibly healthy choice over Greek yogurt.

Inflammatory foods are making us fat. Identify what inflammatory foods you are eating and pull them from your diet. The odds are high that you will  increase your energy, lose belly fat and have an easier time maintaining your new weight.

To learn more about weight loss and inflammatory foods enroll in Five Weeks to Fit. Learn how to eliminate the foods that are making us fat and lose the weight you want to lose.

Click here to learn more: Five Weeks to Fit

Stay tuned for:  The Healthiest Alternatives to Inflammatory Foods