HEALTHY FOOD AND NUTRITION FOR PERMANENT WEIGHT LOSS, HEALTH AND VITALITY! REACH YOUR IDEAL WEIGHT NOW!

HELPFUL TIPS FOR PERMANENT WEIGHT LOSS & REACHING YOUR IDEAL WEIGHT! (PART 3 OF 4)

My last two Weekly Blog posts emphasized the major health issues resulting from following a poor diet, using food for emotional purposes, and lacking proper physical exercise. Last week, we explored ways in which we can combat obesity and overweight through an intelligent and balanced physical exercise program.. Today, we will take a look at some minor changes we can introduce into our diet and our eating habits in order to move towards a healthier/ 'ideal*' weight and maintain it! (*as defined last week; one that allows your body and mind to function optimally so you may achieve your highest potential in life.)

By following a few simple tips and implementing minor changes in your nutritional intake, you will soon find yourself effortlessly moving toward your natural weight.

1. Don't skip breakfast, or any other meal for that matter. All scientific studies agree on the fact that skipping meals starves your system and lands itself to overeating later in the day, and most particularly at dinner time, which is the time when we should eat the least!  You need brain power and physical strength to function all day long and therefore you should eat a healthy and balanced breakfast and lunch. Skipping meals often sounds like an attractive option because it may help you lose some weight in the short term but it will run havoc in your body in the long run and even have you pack on some extra pounds once you break your diet and return to your regular meals as your body will have switched itself into automatic storage mode.

2. Avoid late eating. End the day with a small and easily digestible meal. Liquid foods (soups, fresh juices), fresh fruits and vegetables are a great option to satisfy your senses while leaving you feeling light and at ease. Ideally, try to eat at least 4 hours before going to bed. Also, If you can try, strive to take your last meal around 6pm. You can always have a light snack after if you need to. Keep in mind that once the sun goes down, we begin a new cycle where nature no longer supports the digestive process through solar energy. That's why it's never a good idea to eat heavy foods at night! One of the most recent findings on weight gain is that late dinning and snacking is responsible for most of it!

3. Eat small(er) meals. Our ancestors had PHYSICAL needs that required them to eat large meals. They worked hard in physically demanding occupations. Eating healthful portions provided them with the necessary energy to complete their tasks and replenish their bodies. Nowadays, most of the jobs we carry out are done sitting at a desk for hours at a time only using our brain power. Our dietary needs are therefore much different. Still, somehow we have failed to adapt to these new circumstances and our food intake has become completely disconnected from our physiological needs. Further, when eating is not completely dictated by social conventions, it is primarily performed for emotional reasons in an effort to try and fill the emptiness we feel inside and to avoid 'feeling' our real emotions rather than to fuel our bodies and brain. 

4. Reduce your food intake slowly. It is completely unrealistic to expect someone who is used to eating large portions of food to stop eating in this manner from one day to the next. The most effective method to switch to smaller meals is to slowly and progressively reduce your food intake. If you cut your food consumption by 5-10% a day, you will begin the process of gradually shrinking down your stomach to its original (healthy) size. This represents taking out about 1 teaspoon of food from each and every meal; which is very easily done. In this manner, you will have reduced your food intake by 35-70% within a week. This case scenario only applies if you are eating large portions. So it you eat in reasonable proportion, don't change anything. If you are unsure about what a large portion might look like, picture the 'normal' size of a stomach (not overstretched by over eating) which should be about the size of your fist. So, next time you prepare a meal, make sure that it can more or less fit in your fist; and if it doesn't, start cutting your food intake as described above until it does. This method works really well and feels very easy on both the body and the mind.

5. Don't eat till you're too full. Whenever possible, try and stop eating right before that last uncomfortable bite! The rule here is simple, 'if you feel uncomfortably full, you've eaten too much!' So, eat slowly and mindfully, enjoying every single bite until you are satisfied and appeased, not saturated. Yogic studies have demonstrated that for optimum functioning and nutrition the stomach should be filled with 1/3 of air, 1/3 of water, and 1/3 of food. Following that principle will keep your digestive system extremely healthy, let you enjoy boundless energy, and delay the aging process significantly.

6. Practice Conscious Eating as an extension of Conscious Living. So, be sure to savor every bite you take when eating. Remember that you are nourishing your body, not your mind. Food should not be used to fill a sense of emptiness we may carry within, or to bury problems and stress factors under 'layers'. Be present in your eating in the same way that you are in your daily life. By doing one thing at a time and making the connection between this presence of spirit in your action and the physical and mental well-being you experience as a result, you will gain a much deeper experience of your own life. 

7. Chew your food really well. Nutrition experts recommend chewing each bite of food up to 50 times (whenever possible) until the food becomes almost liquid and easily washes out of your mouth into your throat. The rationale for this is that using the enzymes present in your saliva optimally helps to break down and pre-digest the  food you eat. This in turn makes it easier for the rest of your digestive system to finish the vital absorption and elimination processes that follow. 

8. Stick to healthy snacks! If you feel the need to eat outside of mealtimes - which may happen from time to time, and will most likely happen when you first start curbing your appetite and reducing your food intake to shrink your stomach back to its normal size, consider eating a few smaller meals throughout the day or adding 1-2 healthy snacks in between meals. Good examples of healthy snacks include fruits such as apples, kiwis, or bananas - which are very filling yet not extremely calorific, vegetables such as raw carrots, broccoli, or celery, etc. If you need something more 'substantial' such as nuts, stick to a handful and favor fresh* nuts such as almonds. (*In order to rehydrate nuts and make them more easily digestible, simply let them sit in pure water for about 8 hours. Then rinse them and store them in a glass container in your fridge. Enjoy the delicious taste of fresh nuts for days without feeling full or packing up some extra pounds!) 

9. Consuming Superfoods such as delicious tasting blue green algae (E3Live) is yet another even healthier option if you get hungry in between meals. Packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, this kind of natural food is regarded as especially beneficial because of its superior nutrient profile and health-protecting qualities. E3Live also boosts your metabolism, removes waste material from your body and helps your body burn calories faster. Because it comes in liquid form, it is easily digested and absorbed by the body, thereby instantly delivering optimum nutrition to your cells. Again, remember that it is your cells you are feeding, not your mind!  

10. Other great choices of natural hunger suppressants in liquid form that are filled with health-giving properties include raw coconut water and green tea. Nothing is more refreshing, boosting and revitalizing in the hot summer months (iced green tea)! They also help with digestion and elimination.

11. Think of air, or more specifically oxygen, as food. Now that we've established that food is not necessarily what we think it to be, we can bridge the gap between what we call eating empty calories and feeding our body at the cellular level through nutritious foods too. Oxygenating your body forms an essential part of nourishment and to keeping healthy and having boundless energy. By practicing specific breathing techniques regularly, or simply applying conscious breathing throughout the day, we are able to bring the maximum amount of oxygen to our cells and optimize the removal of waste materials (such as carbon dioxide) within the body.

12. Eat according to your region, climate and season. After shifting from eating habits that primary revolved around emotional contentment to actual physical nourishment that involve smaller volume and conscious eating, it is a time to bring a new factor into consideration when selecting what items should be included in your diet or not. Nutritional needs vary according to our region, climate and the specific season we are in. In the summer time, you will have noticed that you feel less hungry and that you crave lighter and more 'watery' foods such as fresh fruits and summer veggies that keep you 'cool'. Conversely in the winter, you will find yourself drawn to heavier, heartier, and more filling foods that stick to your bones and provide you with the extra heat, energy and fat your body needs to maintain its normal temperature. Continually eating foods that don't match the needs created by your immediate external environment will bring your body and mind out of balance. For instance, If you live in a tropical climate and eat too many 'fatty' foods, you will soon pack on all the extra fat your body doesn't need and start feeling sluggish. Macrobiotic principles clearly expound on the reasons why it is important to mostly eat food that grows in your region. The outside environment produces what we need naturally and so it is important to eat the food that grows where we live so  that we can remain physically, and thereby also mentally, balanced. That's essentially what plants and foods that grow in nature around us do; they balance the external environment, restoring the balance between the Yin and the Yang in every living thing.

The list of nutritional tips for permanent weight management provided above is to be continued. So, tune in next week  for our weekly "Health & Wellness" blog post covering Part 2/2 of Food/ Lifestyle for Healthy Weight Management. We will provide you with all the necessary information on great foods to incorporate into your diet to balance both body and mind, keep healthy and attain your permanent weight loss objectives or simply achieve your 'ideal' weight. 

For more on how to effect permanent changes in your life or ways to achieve permanent weight loss and gravitate towards your ideal weight, consider our Holistic Cleansing Programs which cater to all dimensions of your being. Visit us at www.thesouthbeachdetox.com and www.letloverule.us.

HELPFUL TIPS FOR PERMANENT WEIGHT LOSS & REACHING YOUR IDEAL WEIGHT

HELPFUL TIPS FOR PERMANENT WEIGHT LOSS & REACHING YOUR IDEAL WEIGHT

With the increase in consumption of processed food and the decrease in physical activity, it is no surprise that 64% of the United States adult population is considered either overweight or obese. Recent medical research has shown that our modern diet and sedentary lifestyle alone are enough to pack on an extra 2 pounds a year, that's 10 pounds per decade, and those statistics don't include the more disastrous consequences of overeating. That said, the solution is in the problem itself - as it always is, and therefore weight issues are not a plight to be endured without fix! In order to revert this unhealthy trend, the first step to take is to change perspective. Rather than look for miracle cures which only treat symptoms, we must investigate root causes and treat the problem at the source, namely here diet and lifestyle. Here are a few tips that cover these two aspects and will help you avoid the painful consequences of yo-yo dieting, achieve permanent weight loss, and more importantly reach and maintain your ideal weight. I have grouped the tips into categories that reflect the various dimensions your weight is attached to, starting with the ones which, contrary to appearances, are key to permanent weight loss. Today, I'll cover the Mental and Spiritual aspects.

MENTAL/ SPIRITUAL

1. Forget all the 'stories' you may have heard about perfect weight and height-to-weight ratio, and embrace the fact that no one person is born like another. Therefore, there is no other Ideal Weight but the weight you attain through a healthy and balanced diet and lifestyle. Understand that bodily changes such as hormonal variations can affect this weight temporarily or permanently as is often the case with women but also men.

2. Having left the misleading land of 'perfect weight' fantasy, embrace the moment and the most useful skill of Acceptance. This doesn't mean that if you are overweight, you should give up on the desire to lose weight but simply that you accept your current condition and understand that you have the power to change your circumstances through personal growth and evolution.

3. Alongside the cultivation of Acceptance, begin to exercise Patience so that you may enjoy the journey you have begun rather than become frustrated and obsessed with getting to the destination.

4. Through the process of Introspection, begin to reflect on the reasons why you may have an 'unhealthy' diet or/ and lifestyle. Meditation and journaling are easy way to shed light on your eating habits and their potential negative consequences on your vitality and health. By applying the concept of presence and bringing full awareness to the process of eating during meals, you can identify your behavior in relation to food and over time you empower yourself to change that.

5. Define clear Objectives relating to your weight and what you are trying to achieve. Rather than focusing on losing weight to comply with societal standards or rigid expectations you may have set for yourself, define objectives of health, vitality, energy that extra pounds may be getting in the way of.

6. Understand that all habits are the direct result of deep conditioning and that these deeply ingrained patterns can only changed through new behaviors. Experimenting with the 'unknown' - no matter how scary that may seem, is the only way to a permanent shift and freedom from the old, rigid routine. By doing so, you'll be building new synapses and firing patterns within your brain and welcome positive changes brought about by mental 'De-conditioning'.

7. Shift your Perspective and Beliefs on food! Think of Food as Nutrition - i.e. enzymes, vitamins and minerals, not emotional filling. This kind of food is what sustains the physical body and lets you enjoy physical health and vitality. Nutrition takes place at the cellular level and brings you to a place of complete physical/ physiological balance. When your body is balanced, so is your mind and you can experience its long-lasting consequences. 

8. Through introspection, you will have identified the dissatisfactions or unfulfilled needs you may be trying to suppress through eating. Use the insight you have gained through meditation, journalling, and other enlightening practices to shift to Healthier and more Effective Activities that will respond to your Real Needs. The easiest way to do this is to ask yourself, 'What do I really need?" So, every time you run to food to fill a need, pause for a second. Acknowledge your Feelings (fear, disappointment, boredom, loneliness, etc.) and ask yourself what you could do -rather than eat, to truly answer to your need!

9. The first few times, this will require a lot of Will Power. Change is inescapable though, so you might as well embrace it with all your might. Be like the fish, flow through the river of life. Be Strong, Focus and Intent on the permanent changes you have defined for yourself through your objectives. It may not happen overnight, but in time it will happen! By the way, yoga is by far the most effective way of growing Will power, but we can talk about that in greater detail another time.

10. Remember that all dimensions of our being are intricately interrelated. Matter begins with vibrations, and thoughts are vibrations! So,Think Positive and Forget Judgments! Be the Change in your life, rather than getting stuck in the role of the helpless victim!

For more on how to effect permanent changes in your life or to achieve permanent weight loss and gravitate towards your ideal weight, consider our Holistic Cleansing Programs which cater to all dimensions of your being. Visit us at www.thesouthbeachdetox.com.

Find out more on the physical dimension of weight loss: Physical Exercise/ Lifestyle for Weight Management in our daily "Health & Wellness" blog posts.

Tips For A Long Healthy Life: '5 Simple Tips for Healthy Eyes'

Tips For A Long Healthy Life: '5 Simple Tips for Healthy Eyes' 

Dr. Weil's Daily Tips, January 22, 2011

Keeping healthy eyes through aging is a luxury we can all afford with a little extra care.  Through a combination of healthful nutrition, protection, exercise and rest, we can all maintain good eyesight or at least prevent further deterioration from occurring.  For more, read below.

The eye is a highly complex and sensitive organ that requires a careful combination of nutrients, protection, exercise and rest for optimal function. In addition to an antioxidant-rich diet and prudent supplementation, consider the following healthy habits to help maintain visual health:

1. Don't smoke, and avoid exposure to secondhand smoke. Smoking can decrease blood supply to the eyes by causing blood vessels to narrow and blood to thicken.

2. Protect the eyes from the elements. Sunlight can damage the cells of the macula, which provides visual acuity. Wear a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses that protect against at least 99 percent of ultraviolet (UV) rays.

3. Use safety eyewear when working around potential hazards to help protect against eye injuries.

4. Stay active. Regular exercise promotes eye health by improving circulation and lowering the risk of diabetes.

5. Keep blood pressure in check. High blood pressure increases the risk of glaucoma. Consider medication if lifestyle changes can't bring pressures into the normal range.

Food & Nutrition: 'Americans Say Their Diet Is Healthy, but Is It?'

Food & Nutrition: 'Americans Say Their Diet Is Healthy, but Is It?'

WebMD Health News

By Denise Mann

Reviewed By Laura J. Martin, MD

January 4, 2011

The belief we may have about being healthy eaters seem to be a rampant misconception amongst Americans as a recent WebMD survey revealed.  For more about the biased perception of eating healthy when many of the food we actually eat are not, read below.  For more on how to achieve a healthy and balanced diet, visit us at www.thesouthbeachdetox.com

Survey Suggests Eating Habits Don’t Match the Belief of Most Americans That Their Diet Is Healthy.

Jan. 4, 2011 -- Close to 90% of Americans say they eat a healthy diet, but their penchant for sugary foods and drinks suggests otherwise.

A new Consumer Reports Health telephone poll of 1,234 adults showed that 52.6% of respondents said their diet was “somewhat healthy,” 31.5% thought their diet was “very” healthy, and 5.6% said they were “extremely” healthy eaters.

But 43% of them said they drank at least one sugary soda or sugar-sweetened coffee or tea drink per day, and around one-quarter

said they limit the amount of sweets and fat they get each day.

'These not-so-healthy eating habits may sabotage their diets and their waistlines', says Nancy Metcalf, the senior program editor for Consumer Reports Health in Yonkers, N.Y.

“Drinking your calories is a really bad idea,” she says.”If you have to drink or eat something sweet, drink a diet soda or eat a piece of fruit,” she says.

The poll also showed that Americans rarely, if ever, count their calories, and just 13% weigh themselves daily. As a result, it’s no surprise that 33% were off when they self-reported that they had a healthy weight when they actually had BMIs in the overweight or obese range, the new poll showed.

There may be a discrepancy between what people think is a healthy diet and what they actually eat, Metcalf says.

Her advice? “Write down everything you eat for a week, and look at it honestly and ask yourself, ‘Is this a healthy diet?’”

Still, Americans did exhibit some healthy eating habits.

Fully 78% said they ate breakfast daily. “Eating breakfast is associated with better weight control because your hunger never gets in front of you,” Metcalf says. Most people choose fruit, fruit juice, or cold cereal for breakfast, the new poll showed. Cheerios was the favorite breakfast cereal.

Most and Least Favorite Vegetables

As far as veggies go, one-third of participants said they eat five or more savings of fruit and vegetables every day. 

The most popular vegetables were:

lettuce or salad greens

tomatoes

carrots

potatoes (not sweet potatoes)

broccoli

corn

peppers

By contrast, the least popular vegetables were:

parsnips

Swiss chard

bok choy

turnips and rutabagas

artichokes

eggplant

okra

SOURCES:

Nancy Metcalf, senior program editor, Consumer Reports Health, Yonkers,NY

Consumer Reports Health diet poll.

The benefits of Fitness & Physical Exercise: 'Fit and Healthy Men: Wellness Tips From the Pros'

The benefits of Fitness & Physical Exercise: 'Fit and Healthy Men: Wellness Tips From the Pros'
WebMD Feature
By Stephanie Watson
Reviewed By Brunilda Nazario, MD
December 17, 2010

The secret to building strong and healthy muscles lies in eating a healthy and balanced diet. While as a vegan, I would not recommend the use of animal protein and would sooner replace it with a healthy vegetarian alternative such as soybeans, beans, almonds and large doses of the 'fountain of youth and strength' E3Live, I support switching to lean protein sources and command the balanced plan NFL athletes follow. I'd most definitely stay away from all protein shakes and powder, simply because the level of concentration is so high that it creates huge residues and waste material that are then stored in unduly places.So if it's high doses of healthy protein you are in need of, be sure to click on the E3link above this article so you may find out more about it.  For more about the NFL diet of choice and its health and fitness benefits, be sure to read the article below.

Eat to Lose Weight and Build Muscle: How the NFL Does It

NFL players work out hard, both on the field and in the gym. But for them, training is only part of the equation. They also need to eat right. "If you're only doing one, you might not get the body you want, and you might increase your risk of injury," says Leslie Bonci, MPH, RD, CSSD, LDN, director of sports nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and team sports dietitian for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
"Diet is very important to me as a player," Cincinnati Bengals safety Chris Crocker wrote in an email. "High protein is my main focus, while incorporating a higher level of carbs the night before the game."
Contrary to popular belief, eating everything in sight isn't a plus in the NFL. Having an unhealthy body weight will only slow you down and make you more sluggish and susceptible to injury, says Barry Rubin, head strength and conditioning coach for the Philadelphia Eagles. "You can't outrun your calories," he says. "If you start doing that, you're going to get hurt. You're going to over-train."
If you want to get in shape like an NFL pro, you need to eat like an NFL pro, and that means getting enough protein and the right balance of nutrients in your diet.

Go Pro…tein
There's a reason pro athletes won't go anywhere without their protein. It's an essential ingredient in every cell of the body, including the muscles.
During a workout, your body goes into a catabolic state, where it's breaking down muscle.
Once you're done lifting, you want to put it back into an anabolic state, where it's building muscle again. "It's so important post-workout to get something in your body to start that anabolic phase," says Rob Livingstone, MS, CSCS, SCCC, a strength and conditioning professional in Norcross, Ga., who has trained many pro athletes.
Bonci says 'the goal with eating protein is to optimize performance and build lean muscle mass. Ideally you want to get in a serving of protein both before and after a workout', she says.
When you eat your protein, don't take it solo. "You've got to have some carbohydrates," Livingstone says. "There's got to be some sugar in that protein to increase the absorption."
Carbs not only help your body grow muscle, but they also provide you with
fuel for your workout.

Lean, Not Bulk
During the season, former Tennessee Titan defensive tackle Torrie Griffin was burning so many calories on the field that he had to down upwards of 8,000 calories daily just to maintain his 290-pound playing weight. "That is, I would say, a standard portion for some of the guys," he says. "I was one of those who had to work to keep the weight on."
Griffin, who is now a certified personal trainer and owner of TTrain Fitness Bootcamp in Atlanta, doesn't recommend the kind of diet he and his teammates ate to stay big. For breakfast, they'd down supersized restaurant portions of waffles, eggs, bacon, grits, and toast. At dinner, they'd pack in two burgers, mac and cheese, and fries. "In general for
the linemen, it was three very large meals," Griffin recalls. "I didn't really think about how much of the bad stuff or fat and calories were in the food when we ate out."
The only guys who need to be as huge as defensive linemen are defensive linemen. If you work a desk job and eat like a lineman, the only thing that's going to grow is your belly. Guys who work out but eat nothing but junk food will gain fat on top of their muscle and bulk up. "When you're talking about lean muscle mass, you've got to have a clean diet ... a balanced diet of protein and carbohydrates [with a] low level of fat, and lots of fruits and vegetables," Livingstone says.
For that, you're better off taking nutrition tips from the NFL players who keep their dietslighter, and cleaner.
Crocker only gets 3,000 to 3,500 calories on days when he trains. "As a free safety it is best for me to be lighter on my feet so I am able to get to the ball and get to the plays a lot quicker." He says he can cover the field faster when he's a pound or two lighter.
If you're working out three days a week, you can eat about 15 calories per pound of body weight, according to Bonci. Men who work out five days a week can up their calorie count to 20 per pound. That doesn't mean everyone gets a free pass to eat more than 3,000 calories a day, though. "The range of calories you require on a daily basis varies greatly, and is dependent upon your weight, your activity level, your age, and your muscle mass,"
Bonci says. "So one size does NOT fit all when it comes to determining your calorie cap!"

Your NFL Plate
For most NFL players, eating is a no-brainer. They've got nutritionists on staff, and during the season they eat three meals a day in the team's cafeteria. If you're not a pro, you need to do the meal planning yourself, but you can incorporate elements from the NFL diet.
There's really no big secret to eating like an NFL pro. It's all about balance.
Your plate should look like this:
One-third lean protein
One-third fruits and vegetables
One-third healthy carbs (whole-grain rice, pasta, or bread)
Crocker starts his day with a breakfast of turkey sausage and egg whites with tomatoes and spinach. Lunch is usually a grilled chicken sandwich with a mixed green salad, or sliced ham on wheat with applesauce. And dinner is lean protein -- chicken, pork, or beef -- with brown rice, steamed green beans, and a mixed green salad. If he's hungry between meals, he snacks on cereal bars or fresh fruit.
The bulk of your nutrition should come from what's on your plate, but if you're not getting enough vitamins and minerals from food alone, it's OK to take a daily supplement, Bonci says. Nutritional supplements can help you make up for what you're missing in your diet, but they shouldn't replace it.
"It's very important that the supplement remain a supplement," Livingstone says. "If supplements start to take over the diet, they're not doing their job." Supplements can't provide the same quality of vitamins and nutrients as whole foods like chicken, fruits, and vegetables.
Also, be wary of the specialized supplements marketed to athletes, because they're not always safe. Some supplements that are used to increase athletic performance have been linked to side effects like high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, dizziness, and nausea.

Living a long and healthy life: "Foods to stay away from to keep strong bones"

Food, Vitamins and Nutrition

Maintaining strong healthy bones does not only depend upon eating healthy foods and exercising regularly, it also entails staying away from foods that deplete your calcium reserves.  Contrary to popular beliefs (a direct result of relentless advertising campaigns and misconceptions), foods which were once thought to keep your bones in great shape into advanced age have been identified as main culprits in calcium depletion, while other foods prevent absorption of new supplies.  For more, read below.

Foods That Calcium Reacts With

Livestrong.com, December 20, 2010

A variety of foods react with calcium and inhibit the absorption of this mineral into the body. Food containing oxalates, which are high in protein, sugar and salt, and drinks such as coffee and soda can react unfavorably with calcium.

Foods Containing Oxalates
Rhubarb, spinach, strawberries, chocolate, wheat bran, nuts, beets and tea have been found to contain the highest percentage of oxalates. While they shouldn't necessarily be avoided because of the other valuable nutrients they provide, anyone suffering from kidney stones should look for alternatives.
High Protein Foods
Excesses of protein, especially those in meat, when digested produce acids that must be neutralized by calcium. According to Paul Pitchford's "Healing With Whole Foods," animal protein contains excess phosphorus and sulphur, which deplete calcium absorption.
Excess Sugar and Salt
Excess sodium in the diet leads to excretion of calcium in the urine. Excess sugar not only inhibits calcium absorption but promotes excess bacteria and candida in the body. Pitchford recommends consuming celery, lettuce and chlorophyll, plants rich in silicon (a natural fiber), to help to diffuse buildup of yeast in the body and encourage calcium absorption. Sugar, already shown to be a major contributor to diabetes, also depletes phosphorus, another mineral important in facilitating the absorption of calcium.
Coffee and Soda
Phosphoric acid, present in coffee and soda, is found to lower bone density and deplete calcium and phosphorus. In a study published October 2006 in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" of over 3,000 men and women, results showed that daily consumption of soft drinks lowered bone density. Phosphoric acid is a food additive commonly used in processed foods and in combination with caffeine, a diuretic, and sugar, weakens the intestines and assimilation of important nutrients such as calcium.

The need to detox: 'You Are What You Eat'

'You Are What You Eat'

Poetic Monthly Magazine Enlightenment Column , Alessandrina Lerner, MBA

Day after day, we keep feeding our body the same unhealthy foods and our mind the same negative thoughts, yet we wonder why we don't feel "so good".  While the relationship between the "foods" we consume ourselves with and the reality we manifest in our lives - including our physical body and state of mind, has been established scientifically, we close our eyes blindly and continue to fill the emptiness with layers of junk that only make us feel worst.  Entangled in idle pursuits that defy all reason and the simple laws of nature themselves, we keep burying our heads in the quicksands of denial a little deeper each day.  As time passes, the self-abuse intensifies, the hurt penetrates into the deepest recesses of our body and subconscious mind, the garbage starts pilling up so high in both body and mind that its poison begins to insidiously seep in and pollute us, and the illusory walls of protection we continue to build grow us weaker and sicker day by day.  Yet it is only when faced by death, or a disease so debilitating that we find ourselves unable to function at all, that we actually decide, "It is time for a change!"  Unfortunately, by then, the body has suffered such trauma and damage that it is often too late to reverse the perversive effects of degenerative disease.

That's why the time for change is always NOW!  Simply because NOW's the only time we have... before the scars get too deep, the harm too extensive, and our time becomes past once and for all!  Anybody who's been exposed to a balanced regimen of healthy food, intelligent physical exercise, and peaceful rest bears witness to the personal transformation they've experienced as a result.  From lethargy, depression, or even sickness, they rose once more from the dead and reclaimed their lives!  Of course, nobody said it would be easy to CHANGE because "bad" habits do have a way of creeping up on us, and before we know it, we've become their permanent slaves!  Well, at least, that's what the mind wants us to think.  See, the "MIND", it lives in a world of illusion, one where it thinks it's in control.  But let's be honest here, who hasn't had a taste of power - however illusory that may also be -  and hasn't grown attached to it!  The mind, you see, doesn't want us to change, it likes the old status quo.  It's actually grown so attached to the "old" that it will find any excuse not to embrace the "new", no matter how good it may be for us!  And so the mind is going to try playing all kinds of tricks on us in order to remain in control, and it's up to us to find NEW ways to trick the OLD mind!  That's where the Ego comes in, "Master" of duplicity we can all fool!  See, the Ego is simple.  All it wants is a little boost, a gentle rub... It doesn't have to be true as long as the illusion feels real.  Sooner or later, in this lifetime or another, the Ego becomes bored with the illusion.  How gratifying can it be to dissipate its energy in hundreds of different directions that lead absolutely nowhere!  And so once you've convinced the Ego you got a better game plan, the Mind's just old game... done, finished, "tamed"!  The Ego by your side as your strongest ally, and the mind seduced by the prospect of illusory control conferred in complete absorption, you are ready to move forward and onto higher grounds.  Now, don't get me wrong, the mind is not "bad" per say; it just wants to feel safe, and if doing the same old thing is what keeps it feeling safe then that's what it'll do.  Still at the end of the day, if it forgets that without a body it won't be safe no more, you're gonna have to step it up before it's too late!   And so to keep the mind from its own self, what do we use?  That's actually pretty simple; an object of awareness is all you need - like the breath for instance, to keep the mind busy and thinking it's in control.  "But why the breath?", you may ask.   Well, as simple as it may seem, there is a direct relationship between the mind and the breath, and so when the breath is balanced - equal and rhythmic - so is the mind.  Without exploring this subject any further - for there is more than enough material on this subject matter to produce a few theses- we can rest in the knowledge that we have found in the breath a powerful tool to control the mind.  With the breath by our side, we can start tackling the body.  Now, the body is very simple.  It complies with the laws of nature without fail.  The body has inner intelligence, and without the mind's smokescreen masking its basic needs, all layers are shed, all obstacles removed, and the body can start running the show, the way it was always designed to! 

Now everybody would agree that we all want to be healthy and happy in life.  After all, we are born to this existence and so we should try and enjoy it fully and purposefully, no?!  However, expecting a return on something we don't invest in seems pretty unreasonable.  We sit for hours in an office, trapped in between 4 walls, a cubicle without a view... to the beautiful scenery of REAL LIFE!  To fill the void, we gulp down foods that fool our taste buds but have no nutritional value.  Then we get home and let some other low vibration drown our self-fed misery!  And everybody knows that misery likes company; and unfortunately, the TV or/and the old bottle are often the easiest and least judgmental companions of all.  With no one to remind us that we are so much more than what we've let ourselves become, we slowly sink into an agreed upon coma without beginning or end...  Every day feels like the last, and we become so dazed and confused that we actually stop feeling.  Everything tastes the same, looks the same, and we keep on running after the next thing that will get our senses upside down for a while before we come down from our fleeting high and sink back deeper below...  

But Truth is a value that never changes, and while we thought we'd discovered some new way of getting to the bottom of truth, of what life is all about, the TRUTH is that there is no big secret awaiting to be discovered, no truth beyond what nobody could fathom.  The One and Only Truth is in the Here and Now, in a presence that leaves no doubt as to the fact that we are ALIVE.  Hippocrates didn’t need to conduct any in-depth scientific study to come to that conclusion and to the fact that this presence is the sum of all its experiences.   Yes, “WE ARE WHAT WE EAT”, i.e. our food, our thoughts, our deeds.  In touch with his inner wisdom, the "Father of Modern Medicine" intuitively knew 2,500 years ago what modern men continue to negate day after day...  What better proof do we need but to realize that degenerative dis-eases and mental illnesses are plaguing our societies like never before?  And how can we not relate this epidemic to the imbalance in our diet and our lives?  If that is not incentive enough for change, then will anything ever be?  I said it before and I'll say it again, "The time is NOW...  to embrace change and start investing in your body and your life.  The time is NOW to listen to the real doctor, your own body, the one which has taken the oath to always keep you in health, strength, and vitality, if only you let it.  Whoever said that "Age" has to be a "fatality", something that you dread and endure?!  You can age gracefully and in a healthy body and mind too.  That is your birthright too!  In the end, It's all up to you and how you choose to live your life...  In the simple words of a wise healer, you can “Let food be your medicine, and medicine be your food."  

For more information on how to get your health and life back, visit www.southbeachyoga.com/detox.html, or download the latest podcast of the Let Love Rule Radio Show (#8) at www.letloverule.us/letloveruleradioshow and find out more about The South Beach Detox®, a revolutionary cleansing program that will bring you back to a state of perfect physical and mental balance and to the roots of healthy eating, enabling you to regain total control over your life!

For more inspirational writings by Alessandrina Lerner, visit www.letloverule.us.

Tips for Detox: What Should You Know About How To Detox Your Body

What You Should Know About How To Detox Your Body

When you embark on any type of new health program or are modifying your old one, it is wise to seek advice.  We are happy that you have found our site in searching online for information that can help you in this endeavor.  We would urge you however to also consult with your health care practitioner before proceeding with your detox.

You'll have to give up this type of diet during your body detoxification. You will be eating more foods that are 'alive' and full of active minerals, vitamins and antioxidants.

Okay, now that you are here, let’s discuss some of the do’s and don’ts about a detox program, how to detox, what to eat, how much fluid to be drinking, supplements, and all the rest.  Some people even wonder whether a detox diet has any validity or not.  Well, if you’re a skeptic, hopefully this site will help clear up some of the myths and misconceptions about what a detox really is.

Tips for Detox: Do Detox Diets Really Work?

Do Detox Diets Really Work?

Have you heard of the Atkins Diet? Or the South Beach Diet?  How about the Zone?  You’ve likely heard of these because they all have sold millions of books and make the authors and their publishers that much in profits as well.  Many people are looking for confirmation as to which diet is easy and effective. Virtually every diet will help you lose some weight.  But they all have a major flaw – the snap back.  Sometimes it’s more severe than others.  With a detox diet, you can almost eliminate this possibility.  You see, a detox diet is more of a way to get rid of a build up of toxins in your body.  Detox diets (they can be varied in style) are especially focused as colon cleansing in nature.  As goes your colon, so goes your body detoxification according to the experts in this area.

Tips for Detox: So, You're Thinking About A Body Detox Are You?

Detox Your Body Without The Yo-Yo Effect

It is a very common phenomenon. You can avoid it by choosing to eat a more vegetable based diet as a routine.

That previously mentioned flaw to diets, the snap-back effect – it’s a common problem for many people not only trying to lose weight but even those learning how to detox.  You’ve probably experienced it yourself if you are looking to lose weight with your detox.  The smart way to detox your body is to go about it like any pursuit that is worthwhile, commit to it.  Some detox diets are only for a brief 2-3 day period.  We’d call this more of a quick fast or fasting cleanse, but you’ll see it as a detox in places too.  Most sources will recommend at least a 10 day time period to plan for your detox program.  This is ample time to allow your body to go through its natural process of elimination, followed by further cleansing and more elimination.  Combined with the suggested fruits, vegetables, supplementation to support your cleanse and adequate hydration and you will be in good shape.  Great shape even, in no time!  As you learn how to detox this way, you’ll be much better about your body’s ability to be more alive, vibrant and full of life.

So, rather than trying to be the hare and finish a brief episode of colon cleansing and then race on to your next diet, give yourself some time to be the turtle and ultimately win for your health.

THE CONTROVERSY AROUND VITAMINS & MINERALS SUPPLEMENTATION

VITAMINS & MINERALS SUPPLEMENTATION

Extra Calcium and Vitamin maybe Harmful says 

New York Times - November 30, 2010

There is no substitute for nature.  This applies to everything, including vitamin and mineral supplementation.  If you want to receive the appropriate level of vitamins and minerals, you need to follow a healthy and varied diet that provides your body with all the natural nutrients and supplements it requires for optimal functioning.  Absorption of synthetic supplements is always less efficient and most likely second-rate when compared to natural absorption received directly through the consumption of vegetables and fruit.  Medical authorities are starting to question supplementation as totally unnecessary and consider it as a potential health risk factor.  For more, read below.

The very high levels of vitamin D that are often recommended by doctors and testing laboratories — and can be achieved only by taking supplements — are unnecessary and could be harmful, an expert committee says. It also concludes that calcium supplements are not needed. The group said most people have adequate amounts of vitamin D in their blood supplied by their diets and natural sources like sunshine, the committee says in a report that is to be released on Tuesday. “For most people, taking extra calcium and vitamin D supplements is not indicated,” said Dr. Clifford J. Rosen, a member of the panel and an osteoporosis expert at the Maine Medical Center Research Institute. Dr. J. Christopher Gallagher, director of the bone metabolism unit at the Creighton University School of Medicine in Omaha, Neb., agreed, adding, “The onus is on the people who propose extra calcium and vitamin D to show it is safe before they push it on people.” Over the past few years, the idea that nearly everyone needs extra calcium and vitamin D — especially vitamin D — has swept the nation. With calcium, adolescent girls may be the only group that is getting too little, the panel found. Older women, on the other hand, may take too much, putting themselves at risk for kidney stones. And there is evidence that excess calcium can increase the risk of heart disease, the group wrote. As for vitamin D, some prominent doctors have said that most people need supplements or they will be at increased risk for a wide variety of illnesses, including heart disease, cancer and autoimmune diseases. And these days more and more people know their vitamin D levels because they are being tested for it as part of routine physical exams. “The number of vitamin D tests has exploded,” said Dennis Black, a reviewer of the report who is a professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of California, San Francisco. At the same time, vitamin D sales have soared, growing faster than those of any supplement, according to The Nutrition Business Journal. Sales rose 82 percent from 2008 to 2009, reaching $430 million. “Everyone was hoping vitamin D would be kind of a panacea,” Dr. Black said. The report, he added, might quell the craze. “I think this will have an impact on a lot of primary care providers,” he said. The 14-member expert committee was convened by the Institute of Medicine, an independent nonprofit scientific body, at the request of the United States and Canadian governments. It was asked to examine the available data — nearly 1,000 publications — to determine how much vitamin D and calcium people were getting, how much was needed for optimal health and how much was too much. The two nutrients work together for bone health. Bone health, though, is only one of the benefits that have been attributed to vitamin D, and there is not enough good evidence to support most other claims, the committee said.

'Fish Oils and Omega-3 fatty acids: A cure for psychotic mental illnesses?'

BBC News - February 17, 2010

The essential fatty acid Omega-3 has tremendous effects on the brain when received in ample quantities, improving brain functioning significantly.  While Omega-3 oils are present in fish, a much healthier alternative - in a time when most fish is contaminated by human pollution and contains poisonous mercury levels - is to turn to organic vegetable sources of Omega-3 such as botanical blue-green algae (which is the source of the Omega-3 for fish) and flax seeds.  For more on the findings related to fish oil, read below. 

The BBC reported that 'taking a daily fish oil capsule can save off mental illness in those at highest risk'.  A three-month course of the supplement appeared to be as effective as drugs, cutting a rate of psychotic illness like

schizophrenia by a quarter. The researchers believe it is the Omega 3 in fish oil already held for promoting healthy hearts that has beneficial effects in the brain. 

THE SOUTH BEACH DETOX: A CURE TO EATING DISORDERS?

THE SOUTH BEACH DETOX AND EATING DISORDERS

“The South Beach Detox”: “A cure for Anorexia?”

PRESS RELEASE - MIAMI YOGA, October 2010

“A South Beach Yoga Studio develops a detox program that could hold the key to cure millions of young sufferers, mostly females, of Anorexia.”

While The South Beach Detox was not originally developed with curing Anorexia in mind, it most definitely has the potential to do so. The South Beach Detox is essentially a cleansing program which main objective is to bring both body and mind to a state of perfect balance, ultimately promoting health, mental stability and vitality.  Through the combination of a flawless nutritional approach, a highly effective yoga sequence, and a supportive awareness meditation program, the recipients of The South Beach Detox experience a powerful personal transformation that melts away all conditioned responses and unhealthy habits embedded in their old personality, leaving space to create the New.

“The synergetic effects of the components of The South Beach Detox literally propel you to the next level of performance on the physical, mental, and spiritual levels!”, says Yoga Master, Fred Busch, creator of The South Beach Detox,  who enthusiastically adds, “It’s not just that you’re feeding your body with the most perfect food on Earth, creating the perfect balance between exercise and rest according to your body’s needs, or that you are aware of the state of perfect bliss you access when you really listen and heed your body’s inner intelligence, it’s that you’re doing it all together!  And, that doing it all together is what transforms you into this powerhouse of endless energy and equanimity.  Anybody who has experienced the magical metamorphosis of The South Detox bears witness that it partakes of the principles of Alchemy!”

Because The South Beach Detox integrates all the elements necessary to “re-create” a person from scratch – i.e. at the cellular level, it is most suited for people suffering from conditions resulting from deeply-rooted complexes and mental impressions that may already have crystallized themselves, not just on the mental but also the physical level of their being, such as in the case of Anorexia. 

Ranked #1 Superfood by renowned health authorities, the E3Live supplements, which form the foundation of The South Beach Detox, represent the highest quality food we can bring to our body.  This, of course, constitutes one of the fundamental benefits of The South Beach Detox when it comes to Anorexia. Because in such extreme cases the body is so severely undernourished, or even often starved, bringing it a perfect food like E3Live immediately restores its vital balance.  Appeased, the body is now able to relax and allow the remainder of the miracle to start unfolding.  The combination of a healthy exercise plan and a perfectly orchestrated “spiritual awakening” program dissolves any trace of resistance, leading to a full surrender where the recipients start to truly respond to their nutritional needs at the cellular level.  Soon, the appetite increases, but because the food intake is intelligent and healthy, the weight gain takes place at a very slow pace, which proves much more manageable psychologically in the case of Anorexia.  Finally, the obsessive preoccupation with body weight, food intake, and excessive exercising disappears and, free of fear, the sufferers of Anorexia are able to start moving towards their natural body weight without a second thought.

Alessandrina Lerner, a recovering Anorexic, who participated in The South Beach Detox and was so enthralled by the results that she is now working with Fred Busch to disseminate the program says, “I struggled with Anorexia for over 20 years, bouncing from Therapists to Recovery Programs, AA Meetings to various Support Groups without success, then I attended the Yoga Teacher’s training with Fred Busch.  Through an intelligent and balanced approach to nutrition, exercise/ rest, and a deep awareness of the processes involved in my unhealthy eating habits, I soon found myself empowered to change all my habits and put an end to the vicious cycle I had fallen victim to.  As I watched in awe the personal transformation occurring within my body and mind, soon emerged the butterfly that had been trapped in its cocoon for so long.  Thanks to The South Beach Detox®, I am finally free of Anorexia, I am moving towards a healthy body weight and I’ve never felt so good inside both my body and my mind.”

How ironic that what could possibly be the cure for Anorexia would be conceived in the heart of South Beach, renowned headquarters for the Modeling industry, a sector long plagued by the disease, and where it may most likely continue to develop if industry standards don’t change. 

Regardless of whether or not it is the miracle cure so many sufferers of Anorexia have been waiting for, it is without a doubt the most wholesome and effective detox program anyone could ever hope for!

For more information on The South Beach Detox (in relation to Anorexia, or not), please contact aleslerner@hotmail.com or fbusch911@gmail.com

“Could The South Beach Detox be Key in Ending the Eating Disorders 

and Unhealthy Eating Habits that Plague the Fashion Industry?” 

PRESS RELEASE - MIAMI YOGA, November 2010

Miami Beach, FL - There is no question that competition in the Modeling Industry is extremely fierce.  The pressure which often ensues from what are, essentially, unrealistic expectations relating to physical appearance and standards of beauty can push models into a daily battle with their body and weight, ultimately leading to unhealthy relationships with food, constant dieting and, in some cases, Anorexia.   Recent headlines have denounced tragic stories of models who lost their battle to Anorexia; prompting designers and fashion industry leaders to rethink acceptable weight standards on the runway.

With the danger of eating disorders in the spotlight, now seems the perfect time to educate and empower aspiring and professional models to form long-lasting healthy relationships with their body and mind.  The South Beach Detox®, a full-fledge cleansing program designed by Yoga Master, Fred Busch, owner of Miami Yogashala, and which aims at restoring balance on the physical, mental, and spiritual levels, could be instrumental in achieving such results.  While The South Beach Detox is a generic program intended for anybody who wishes to attain perfect health, mental equanimity and vitality, it could be key for models seeking to stay runway ready while keeping in perfect balance.  Because The South Beach Detox is highly effective and personal, it can be completed in just 4 days, with total flexibility to fit in a busy schedule.  Simple, non-invasive, and extremely successful in re-establishing healthy eating habits it is particularly well suited for the busy professional working in the fast-paced fashion industry.

“When I first came up with The South Beach Detox concept, I didn’t have any specific target audience in mind.  I still don’t!”, says Fred Busch.  He goes on to explain, “What makes The South Beach Detox so successful and powerful is that it is non-specific.  The primary objective of the program is not to cure a particular ailment but rather to restore balance on all levels of one’s being.  Once that’s been achieved, what room is there for any mental or physical manifestations of any kind?  Dis-ease and illnesses are all rooted in imbalance.  You take out the imbalance, i.e. the root cause of the problem, and the symptoms inevitably disappear!  It’s that simple and clean-cut!  And that’s what makes the program so effective!”

Simple and clean-cut, indeed, yet extremely comprehensive!  Consisting of three key elements, The South Beach Detox® addresses all levels of one’s being.  A highly effective line of nutritional and potent Detox products coupled with healthy food choices caters to the physical aspect, a well established and successful yoga sequence supports the first dimension while also addressing the mental and spiritual elements, and an awareness meditation program specifically tailored to act on all levels, and ultimately break down all emotional attachment to food, reinforces all the benefits gained through The South Beach Detox.  This complete integration, together with one-on-one pre- and pos-detox support provided to clients in an effort to help them implement long-lasting changes in their daily life, is the reason why The South Beach Detox® is so successful in restoring balance and continues to have positive effects well after the four-day program has ended!  That’s what makes The South Beach Detox® so different to any other program; because it truly benefits all dimensions of one’s being and its benefits are there to stay!

For more information on The South Beach Detox®, visit www.miamiyoga.com, or email us @ aleslerner@hotmail.com or fbusch911@gmail.com

Princess Diana struggled with anorexia-bulimia for years.