20 Tips to Live By

This is taken from the Eat Fat Lose Fat blog.

1. Eat real, whole food, as provided by nature. Eliminate “edible food-like substances”. check
2. Aim for 10 servings of fruits and vegetables per day, mostly vegetables. Choose a rainbow of colors. check
3. Eat something raw with every meal. Raw foods are living foods, supplying enzymes for better digestion. Salads are an easy way to accomplish this. sometimes
4. Buy and eat organic whenever possible. check
5. The less sugar and refined carbohydrates you consume, the healthier you will be. (See my Resources for healthy sweeteners). sometimes
6. Use only dairy products that do not contain rBST or rBGH (bovine growth hormones). check Organic [raw] dairy products are best.
7. Eat grass fed, pastured meat. Minimize the consumption of feedlot, grain-fed animals. check
8. Buy free-range, organic poultry and eggs. check
9. Avoid anything containing hydrogenated, or partially hydrogenated fats and oils, as they are the source of trans fats. Trans fats have no place in a healthy diet! check
10. Make olive oil [or coconut] your primary oil. Extra virgin [cold pressed] is the best choice. Other healthy fat sources include avocados, fresh nuts, and coconuts [and fats from pastured animals: lard and tallow for frying]. check
11. Avoid foods and beverages containing artificial sweeteners, especially aspartame. Stevia and xylitol are good alternatives. check
12. Avoid high-fructose corn syrup, as HFCS contributes to weight gain and fatty liver disease. It’s NOT the same as sugar! check
13. Avoid foods containing MSG, which is a neurotoxin. check
14. Become an avid label reader, and buy foods that do not contain artificial or chemical preservatives, colors, flavors, sweeteners or other unpronounceable ingredients. check
15. Drink approximately half your body weight in ounces of pure, clean water that does not contain chlorine or fluoride. mostly
16. Eat a cultured or fermented food every day, as they contain beneficial bacteria (probiotics), necessary for a healthy digestive system. Some examples include yogurt, kefir, refrigerated sauerkraut (not canned), refrigerated pickles (unpasteurized), miso, aged cheese, and kombucha, to name a few. no
17. Eat slowly and intentionally. Listen to your body’s signals that tell you when you are full. No awards for “clean plate club” eating. getting there
18. Recognize your biochemical individuality. The right ratio of protein, fat and carbohydrates for you may be different for someone else. check
19. Make sure that the carbohydrates you eat are as unrefined and unprocessed as possible, to avoid unhealthy blood sugar spikes. check
20. Always remember that YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT! Make healthy choices for a healthy body. check

So I'm getting there... YAY!

Well, I did it...

Well, I did it! I finished GFree Diet by Elisabeth Hasselbeck. It was a good book. I loved the first half. It was full of information about gluten and celiac Disease. I believe much (if not all) of what was written is useful and true.

Hasselbeck did her homework and knows her stuff. She also had doctor co-write with her. I loved that it was an easy read. I think that for people just diagnosed with celiac it's a great first step. The second half of the book was still ok, but only ok. I think what it did a great job of is giving resources. There are a lot of restaurants, foods, websites, beauty products, etc. that are gluten free and friendly. This is huge for someone who has to do a complete 180 in their lifestyle.

What I don't think Hasselbeck did well was throw a bunch of gluten free products at people, almost like product placement. What I think would serve people better would be telling people how to go gluten free by eating things that are naturally gluten free. I'm quite thankful for all the great gluten free products out there because sometimes it is nice, even necessary, to have those products but let's not forget to eat whole foods, just the way God intended!

I’m now onto Eat Fat Lose Fat by Dr. Mary Enig and Sally Fallon. So far so good... and boy does this book make sense!

Well, I did it! I joined a weight loss class. I have mentioned Nutritional Weight and Wellness before which is the company I'm going to for the class. It is basically teaching us about the Weight and Wellness way (like all weight loss places do -- teach their way of doing it) along with a class so I can get accountability. I love it! My teacher Oralee is the greatest!!!

Being a Nutritional Weight and Wellness groupie that I am, I didn’t learn a lot the first night but I’m excited to see what else they have to say as we go along. I go Thursday nights so I’ll post more after the second class. One step in the right direction is that I’m doing the homework. I normally don’t do the homework, because I’m a pill and I just don’t do it. But I have looked forward to doing the work this week. YAY! I love those small successes! However, this success isn’t only a weight loss success it’s a personal success. :)