Saturday, January 30, 2010

Breakfast - on the Liver Cleanse Diet

I promised to talk more about foods on this restricted diet - so here goes.

How I start my day on this liver cleanse diet :
First - at least 8 ounces of filtered water (sometimes with a squeeze of lemon)
I follow that with 4 ounces of Body Balance that I sip slowly giving my body time to absorb the nutrients. I love this stuff!

Then I make a fruit & fiber shake out of a small pear or green apple, some berries and a scoop of flax with water. Again, I drink this slowly allowing the drink to sit in my mouth for a min before swallowing to help with digestion.

Next it's time for some exercise while the fruit has time to do it's thing. This is usually yoga, some weights and something energetic like karate kicks, jumping or running. When the weather warms up I'll be walking outside.

Then, depending on my schedule, I either cook up some veggies & eggs or some oats & millet.

Egg & Veggie skillet:
Saute sliced vegetables in a little olive oil (any combination you like - at least a cup)
When they are almost done, crack an egg in the center and cover the pan. This will poach the egg - takes just a couple of minutes.
Season with Bragg's Liquid Aminos and a good spicy salsa or hot sauce which helps your body digest the egg.
Enjoy with your favorite green tea.

Oats & Millet: 
I start with a warm skillet and lightly toast a handful of organic rolled oats. Then I add about a 1/4 cup of millet that has been precooked the day before. ( I keep some in the fridge as I use it a lot)
Add about a 1/2 cup of water, stir and simmer a few minutes.
Serve with cinnamon and some almond or rice milk.  Yum!

So you see, this way of eating doesn't have to deprive you of very satisfying meals. I'd love to hear any recipes you come up with.

Be well ~
Mary

millionsmore@gmail.com, http://www.nomorepills.us, http://www.LifeForceRewards.com,

Friday, January 29, 2010

When the health news isn't great

It's been an interesting week. I'm afraid I'm not too good about regular doctor visits and discovered that the last time I had my cholesterol checked was 2002. So I bit the bullet and went for the blood test.
Not great news. Turns out my family history of high blood pressure and high cholesterol is catching up with me.

Now I eat pretty healthy - lots of veggies, organic when possible, little red meat, plenty of whole grains and, of course, great whole-food nutritional supplements. But I needed something more. My doctor agreed that my numbers were not high enough to warrant meds - good thing because I would not take them even if they were. (see the article on the dangers of statin drugs)

I knew that there had to be a better way. So I made an appointment with Dr. Katy Wallace at Human Nature for a blood and urine analysis and consultation. The price was reasonable and the consultation was extensive.
Dr. Wallace informed me that cholesterol and blood pressure problems are usually the result of a congested liver. The liver is responsible for controlling cholesterol production. Clean up the liver and good results should follow.

So I embarked on a 6 week 'Liver Cleanse' diet that sounded pretty restrictive.
No Sugar
No Gluten
No Dairy
No Alcohol
Food combining rules: No protein mixed with grains. Fruit eaten alone at least 1/2 hour before a meal.

Hmmm....  Well my favorite snack was always good, crunchy whole grain crackers and cheese.  No more of that. No more glass of wine while I fix dinner. No more of the 7 grain bread that I love for toast and sandwiches. Even have to skip the organic yogurt I have eaten for years.

But guess what - - - - - I hardly miss any of that. I've actually enjoyed coming up with creative ways to use vegetables and the allowed grains. Meals are quite tasty and snacks aren't bad either.

Here's what I do eat:
Lots of veggies - all colors - raw, steamed, stir-fried, sauteed, roasted, in soups, blended....
Whole grains including - brown rice, millet, quinoa, wild rice, oats, buckwheat
Fish and Poultry - stir-fried, baked, sauteed, roasted, grilled, in soups, ...
Almonds and raw seeds - with any above or as a snack

I've learned how to make my own almond milk (yum) which is great on the cooked grains I have for breakfast.

I'll outline a typical day in another post, but I do want to share my favorite new recipe. The whole family loves it. So simple too!

Kale Chips:
Wash, dry and chop kale into bite-sized pieces.
Spread out on an oiled cookie sheet, spay with olive or canola oil and dust with sea salt
Bake in a 300 degree oven until crisp. Watch toward the end so they don't brown. Taste after 15 min to see if they are done enough for you.

I think you could also use mustard greens if you like the bite, or any curly leafed green. These really go fast at our house. Try them and let me know what you think.

As always ~ Be well ~
Mary
millionsmore@gmail.com, http://www.NoMorePills.us, http://www.marycrawford.firstclassteam.com/blog

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Especially for Women

The following is an excerpt from a letter I received that I think you'll find beneficial.  Please share it with all of your women friends.
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About 5 years ago, Dr. Anthony Zava spoke in Glendale about hormones.  He is a research scientist who has studied breast cancer tissue for some 30 years, something like 25,000 samples of breast cancer tissue under the microscope.  He wrote a book with Dr. John Lee titled, What your doctor may not tell you about breast cancer.  His presentation was fascinating, explaining in great detail with graphs and charts how the hormones affect the body, how they interact with each other, and the great difference between natural hormone compounds and chemical drugs that mimmic hormones, but are actually harmful, you know, like premarin and provera, etc. 

I will never forget a few things he said, the most amazing being that natural progesterone, if supplemented for women at the approximate age of 37, and balanced with estrogen, would all but wipe out breast cancer.  Progesterone stops the cells from dividing, while estrogen increases cell division.  He also said that women should get a hormone panel as early as possible, long before menopause, or perimenopause, so they have a history of what hormone levels they naturally produce when their hormones are still at their peak.  He said that starting at about the age of 37 women begin to slowly produce less progesterone, causing a hormone imbalance, which is the cause of breast cancer. 

He spoke about the different types of breast cancer, and said that the breast cancers that are the killers, do not show up on mammograms early enough.  They are so rapidly growing that a difference of 2 to 3 weeks can make a difference whether they are detected or not.  After this lengthy technical presentation he gave all participants an opportunity to ask him questions.  He answered each question from the audience in depth, spending at least 5 to 15 minutes on each one.  This question and answer went on for hours.  Women asked about cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, figromyalgia, chronic fatigue, arthritis, urinary tract infections, and to each he gave an informative explanation, and he insisted that women need to continue to supplement with natural hormones for the rest of their life. 

The following evening he spoke to doctors and medical personnel.  I did not attend that session.  He did add that he has never found breast cancer in any woman who was supplementing with natural progesterone at the time they got breast cancer, although in a few samples he detected some progestrone, and upon inquiry, found they had been taking natural progesterone at some time before the cancer had developed.

He emphasized over and over that women must supplement with the natural hormones as they begin to stop producing them, for the rest of their lives, or they will be susceptible to heart disease, cancer, oesteoporosis, etc.

He emphasized taking the hormones transdermally, although there are some benefits I have recently heard by taking them sublingual.  Dr. Zava runs a lab out on the west coast, called ZRT Laboratory.  I have submitted saliva samples to them, through my doctor's office.  Dr. Patricia Dolhun, Madison Medical, is the top notch gynecologist in our Milwaukee area on hormones.  She has two offices, one in Mequon and one downtown.  She has prescribed the bioidentical, natural hormones for me and others.  Women's Pharmacy in Madison and Medi RX in Glendale and Cedarburg are the two compounding pharmacists in our area. 
Chris S. 
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There are many sources of natural progesterone cream. In Madison, you can consult with the pharmacist at Community Pharmacy downtown or make an appointment with your doctor to get a saliva test for hormone levels.
Be well.

MarysLifeForce@aol.com, http://www.NoMorePills.us, http://marycrawford.firstclassteam.com

Monday, January 4, 2010

Sugar Shock

If you are trying to lose weight, should you opt for the cheeseburger with the works or the low-fat yogurt parfait with fresh fruit and granola.

According to tons of research and Jorge Cruise's latest book, "Belly Fat Cure", go for the cheeseburger!

Surprised? Well here's how it works -  sugar causes your body to produce more insulin which then makes your body hold on to belly fat. When you limit the sugar, you body burns the fat instead of storing it. At least I think that's how it works. : )

So what's the solution? According to Jorge again - limit your sugar intake to 15 grams a day. Think 5 grams per meal or one bigger sweet item.

How does that translate into real food? One teaspoon of sugar = 4.2 grams. Here are some examples of common foods, sauces, drinks and snacks:

1 cup of cantaloupe cubes = 13 g
1 orange = 23 g
1 banana = 17 g

SoBe Green Tea: 16 ounces = 50 grams sugar
Arizona Iced Tea: 16 ounces = 48 grams sugar
Glaceau Vitamin Water: 20 ounce bottle = 32 grams sugar

Yoplait Original 99% fat free, Lemon Burst: 6 ounces = 31 grams sugar
Jimmy Dean Breakfast Entrees, Sausage & Cheese Croissant with diced apples and hash browns: 1 entrée = 21 grams sugar
Weight Watchers Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Cups (and other flavors): 1 small cup = 22 grams
Hunt’s Snack Pack Pudding, Chocolate Mud Pie: 1 snack pack = 20 grams sugar
Kellogg’s Smart Start Strong Heart, Toasted Oat: 1 1/4 cup = 17 grams sugar

Sauces:
Newman’s Own Tomato & Basil: 1/2 cup = 12 grams sugar
Prego Fresh Mushroom Italian Sauce: 1/2 cup = 11 grams sugar
Sweet Baby Ray’s Honey Barbecue Sauce: 2 tablespoons = 15 grams sugar
Bull’s Eye Brown Sugar & Hickory: 2 tablespoons = 14 grams sugar
KC Masterpiece: 2 tablespoons = 12-13 grams sugar

Snacks:
Yogurt Covered Raisins = 40g Serving
Fruit Roll-Ups 1 piece = 14g
Power Bar, Chocolate Peanut Butter 1 bar = 65g
Caramel Rice Cakes 1 cake = 13g

The bottom line is that you will lose belly fat quicker by avoiding sugar than by avoiding fat or calories.
Whoohoo! Go ahead and add some sweet butter to those roasted veggies we talked about last week.
Whole milk lattes and yoghurt are fine and may fill you up more so you won't crave the sweet treats.
To learn more go to Jorge's web site and check out his book.

Remember to feed yourself healthy with natural, whole-food nutrition of Body Balance, OsteoOmegaCare, AminoCharge and TruGreens. These super-foods will help you fight the cravings that make you sneak sugar.

If you need extra support, you can reach me at maryslifeforce@aol.com.

Have a wonderful, healthy and fit new year.
Mary