PALEO GUIDE

NEW YEAR 2-7 DAY DETOX

The start of the year is, of course, the perfect time to do a clean up. It may be that your eating over the festive period was so off-beam that you need a few days to ease back into healthy eating, or it may be that you are ready for something a little more radical. I am personally going to do this because I am moving across country. As hard as I will try to eat clean (avoid junk), it will be very challenging on the road. As soon as I arrive in my new state I will start  my detox to flush out all the garbage. In the past I have noticed a detox is great for killing your cravings for all the sugary and salty demons! WOO-HOO !!

Here follows some info about how to do a 2 day or a 5-7 day detox. Choose what feels right and then give it your all. Ready?

The best 2 day detox is to follow the classic “eat as many fresh fruits and vegetables as possible” routine, but we must also take care that these are organic. Pesticides are hardly non-toxic! So we want the food to be clean, whole and untainted – also “live” (raw) foods as these still have the enzymes, oxygen, naturally distilled water and precious health-promoting plant hormones (that help us feel happier) as part of them.

As two days is really no time at all, it’s best to just go for it and give it 100%, so set two days aside where you don’t have to be out and about socialising, where there is no pressure to eat “normally” and when you can easily prepare your own foods.

Even though this will be largely fruits and vegetables, that doesn’t mean it has to be boring – far from it! And you’ll be glowing afterwards.

----------------Here’s your plan:--------------------

Drinks – ideally the only drinks you should be consuming throughout your detox are pure water, caffeine-free herbal teas, freshly made fruit and vegetable juices and freshly made smoothies. 

Aim to drink a gallon a day!

Day 1

Morning: As much fresh fruit as you desire – any sort – and/or a smoothie (eat always according to your appetite).

Mid-morning snack: A different type of fruit – as much as you desire – eat until satiated.

Lunch: A large salad made using any or all of the following ingredients:

Lettuce (any kind or mixed), watercress, grated carrot, grated raw beetroot, fresh corn shaved off the cob, chopped tomatoes, chopped red bell pepper, any sprouted beans or seeds (such as alfalfa, sprouted sunflower seeds, sprouted broccoli, sprouted mung beans, etc.). Make your dressing by blending half a large avocado with the juice from 2 oranges and blend. Add water to reach your desired consistency if it’s too thick and creamy for you. Then pour over your salad, toss, throw in the remaining half an avocado if you wish, and enjoy! (Tip: Make sure this salad is big enough so that you are not starving 30 minutes later. Make more than you think you’ll want and you can dip into it up to an hour before dinner).

Dinner: Fresh juice made from 3 large carrots, 2 apples, small piece of ginger (optional), small piece of lemon, 3 oranges.

A large fruit salad made with as many fruits as you desire (banana is good for filling you up!) served in a large bowl. Make a sauce by blending a handful of raw macadamia nuts with the juice of half an orange (or a whole one depending on juiciness), 2-4 large Medjool dates (or 4-8 smaller soaked ones) plus and optional small piece of vanilla bean and pour on top.

Day 2

Repeat as for day one, but feel free to eat the salad meal in the evening and add in some slightly heavier raw foods – like some raw unsalted nuts and seeds, some olives and/or some more avocado.

As long as you are eating enough, enjoy every mouthful (i.e. don’t use ingredients you don’t like, swap them for something else of the same food group that you do like), and take care with your drinks then you should feel noticeably lighter and happier when you wake up on day 3, at which point you can either go back to normal or try something slightly longer…

Day 3

As per days one and two, ideally you want at least one juice and one smoothie in there (a green smoothie is the healthiest one of all), one main meal salad and one large helping of fresh fruit. Avoid eating fruit AFTER meals as this will cause gas and bloating in most people due to fermentation. So keep your fruit meals or drinks separate, or at least before a main meal.

Add in steamed veggies today to your main meal if you desire, but remember, they need to be organic!

Days 4-7

As per day three, but you can add in one or two other cooked items to your main meal salad which can be any of these:

Cooked potatoes swirled in olive oil, garlic, lemon juice and fresh basil

Cooked beans or pulses

Cooked veggies

Wholegrain rice

Any organic rice or rice crackers

Non-wheat breads

Oatcakes

At the end of this week you should feel very different, and probably a lot happier - as well as having lost a few pounds if you need to.

This can give you a feel for what is possible for you when you choose to not only lighten your toxic load food-wise, but also start to let go of stored toxins, which may have been lurking there in your cells and tissues for weeks or months! 

IMPORTANT-

On any detox you will completely cut out all nicotine, alcohol and caffeine. Doing this may lead to withdrawal symptoms, but these withdrawal symptoms should not be confused as side effects of the detox. You are, actually, detoxing from the harmful substance to which you are addicted and that is a good thing.

While generally, you should feel good during a healthy detox and you should end up feeling healthier than when you started, there are some cases where a person may not feel too great throughout the detox. These situations can come up for anyone when the toxic load is releasing quicker than your body’s elimination system can keep up.   Which brings us to an important subject, it’s very important that your bowels are moving regularly during any detox diet, and that means at the very least once per day, preferably two or three times.

Another important component to any detox plan is rest.  Your body is doing extra work during the cleanse so it is important to help out by resting and conserving your energy for detoxifying.

As you can see, choosing a healthy detox diet is a matter of being smart. You do not want to deprive your body during the process, so choose a detox diet that includes good food choices that give you the nutrients that you need, and ensure that it is for a reasonable period of time. In the end, you should have no problem finding a healthy detox diet if you follow these guidelines.

Of course before embarking on any kind of detox or diet change you should consult with your personal health care provider.

Keep me posted on how this works for you! If you have any questions or need help I am here to help! Good LUCK!!!! YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!!

© 2012 Karen Knowler WOULD YOU LIKE TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR ON YOUR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Karen Knowler, The Raw Food Coach publishes "Successfully Raw" - a free weekly eZine for raw food lovers everywhere. If you're ready to look good, feel great and create a raw life you love get your FREE tips, tools and recipes now at www.TheRawFoodCoach.com. http://www.raw-foods-diet-center.com/healthy-detox-diet.html

Handy Portion Control

Eating the right portion sizes pays off, say Pennsylvania State University scientists, who found out how easily big servings lead to a calories overload. 

On 2 consecutive days in each of 3 weeks, 32 subjects chose as many food portions as they wanted. But the serving portion sizes changed: Regular size portions during week one became 50% larger the second week and doubled during week three. 

Compared with the first week, total daily calories jumped by 335 calories per day for women and 504 calories for men during the second week, and by an astonishing 530 calories for women and 812 calories for men in the last week. 

To make controlling portion sizes super easy, print out this guide and carry it with you until you've committed it to memory.  

http://www.prevention.com/weight-loss/weight-loss-tips/your-guide-calories-and-portion-sizes

Nuts :)

http://motivationintohabit.tumblr.com/

Portion Control Tools

http://www.amazon.com/Ozeri-ZK011-Precision-Stainless-Steel-Oversized/dp/B002UG4UM6

Portion control is key for healthy eating and weight loss. One of the best ways to cut calories is to first know the amount of calories in your food choices so you can adjust your intake. Though many foods come in single serving sized packaging, grains, fresh produce and snack foods are bought in larger quantities. Partner a kitchen scale with online calorie counting, such as CalorieKing.com, to learn how many calories are in a weighted serving size (look at the nutrition label of your packaged foods for the weight of a single serving) of your daily foods. This is tedious initially, but you'll quickly be able to eyeball many foods to know if your portions are super-sized. Bonus: Weighing your ingredients before cooking or baking gives you the ability to know the calories per serving of your favorite recipes. Our favorite kitchen scale is the Ozeri Precision Pro Stainless Steel Digital Scale ($25), which features a flat base that can hold up to 11 pounds, measuring in grams, ounces, pounds or kilograms. This handy gadget also has a tare button to calculate net weight if your ingredients are in a cup, bowl or plate.http://chefmom.sheknows.com/articles/951219/5-kitchen-tools-that-cut-down-on-calories

Meal Measure helps you manage your weight, one portion at a time. It is easy to use and measures your food right on your plate. meal Measure fits most dinner plates. The cavities of the Meal Measure are labeled vegetable or fruit, startch, and protein. Each Meal measure cavity is one cup at the top with a one-half cup line inside. The protein portion is equal to the size of a deck of cards. Meal Measure follows the USDA My Pyramid serving sizes and is top-rack dishwasher safe.

http://www.amazon.com/Portion-Control-Measure-Manage-Weight/dp/B0029N8D14/ref=pd_sbs_hpc_6

-Easy to use

-measure your food right on your plate

-Fits most dinner plates

-Stop overeating

-Top-rack dishwasher safe

- $9.50 SUPER CHEAP!!

Fitsugar.com

I know what you're thinking — these Baby Cubes (set of 10 for $7) are meant for storing homemade baby food. But because they're one-ounce containers, they're perfect for storing small portions of dry snacks like nuts, seeds, or dried fruit. They're lightweight and BPA-free, and the lids are attached so you don't have to worry about losing them. Stash a cube in your desk drawer, purse, or gym bag.
http://www.amazon.com/Baby-Cubes-Food-Storage-Containers/dp/B001B5DTO2/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1337785850&sr=1-1

http://www.portionware.net/shop.html

 Portionware includes 5 plastic bowls and lids. The sizes are 1/2 cup, 3/4 cup, 1 cup, 1-1/2 cup and 2 cups. Each bowl has a fill line. Lightweight, durable and portable, portionware is great to take anywhere $29.99

WHAT & WHY You Should Be Eating Before Working Out

The Importance of Eating Before Your Workout
Whether you eat or don't eat before exercise, research shows the body burns the same amount of fat. However, you can actually cause muscle loss if you regularly work out on an empty stomach. Here's why: When you're hungry, your body goes into survival mode and draws protein from muscle instead of from your kidneys and liver, where the body normally looks for protein. When this happens, you lose muscle mass, which can ultimately slow your metabolism and make it harder for you to lose weight. Plus, if you exercise on an empty stomach, you're not giving yourself the fuel you need to power through an intense training session.

Running or cycling
Eat a bowl of All-Bran cereal with skim milk, peaches and apples, and drink a glass of apple juice. Scientists at Loughborough University in England found that runners who ate this low-glycaemic (slow-burning) meal three hours before they ran were able to run eight minutes longer than after eating a meal rich in simple carbohydrates, which digest quickly for fast energy. Limiting simple carbs prior to exercise prompts the body to burn fat as fuel, sparing muscle glycogen (the primary source of energy for muscles). “It also provides a steady release of energy, so you don’t crash before your workout ends,” says Antonio.

Weightlifting
Drink a fruit smoothie with whey protein, a rich source of amino acids. A study at the University of Texas Medical Branch found that lifters who drank shakes with carbs and amino acids 30 minutes before exercising synthesised more protein than lifters who drank the same shakes afterwards. In short, “they gained more muscle in less time,” says Stout. Their shakes contained 35g of carbs and six grams of amino acids. To duplicate it, blend one scoop of whey protein (available at any nutrition store) with one teaspoon of flaxseed oil (a rich source of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds), half a cup of fat-free yoghurt and one cup of apple juice.

http://www.mh.co.za/nutrition/healthy-eating-tips/energy-food



Here are some of my favorite meals and snacks to keep me energized during my workout without weighing me down  

• Brown rice (½ cup) with black beans (½ cup)
• Small sweet potato with steamed or lightly salted broccoli in olive oil (1 cup)
• Banana with almond butter (2 Tbsp)
• Multi-grain crackers (10) with hummus (3 Tbsp)
• Oatmeal (½ cup) with berries (1 cup), sweetened with stevia or agave
• Apple and walnuts (¼ cup)

http://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/diet-tips/best-foods-eat-and-after-your-workout

Coffee is NOT Breakfast

Everyone says that breakfast is the most important meal of the day but no one truly understands why. Think about the word to begin with: you are breaking your fast after your sleep. Sleeping induces the metabolism to slow down in order to save energy and utilize the foods that are left in the digestive system to be saved. Everyone is supposed to eat with in a half hour of waking up. If you imagine the metabolism as a roaring fire, it begins in the morning as smoldering embers. When you leave the embers smoldering they will eventual go out, if there is too much piled on it at once it will eventually go out. It is necessary to start light and then continuously feed the fire to make it strong and burn anything and everything you put on it. A vital part of this fuel for the fire is water.

Some people say they normally don’t eat with in an hour or even two hours after they wake up and if they do eat the first answer automatically is “Well I have 2 cups of coffee.”
First off coffee is not eating and is not a substitute for water. Water is vital to every life function we have, water makes 55-75% of our total body weight and a little over 90% of our blood’s plasma fluid.

Coffee has caffeine in it (and yes even decaffeinated coffee has some levels of caffeine) which is a diuretic blocking specific hormones that help the kidneys hold fluids causing you to urinate more, in other words dehydrating you. As little as a 10% reduction in water can make you sick and only 20% of water reduction could lead to death. So when the kidneys don’t have enough water the liver then needs to work to help the kidneys perform their job meaning the liver is only doing half of it’s job. A function of the liver is to remove fats from the blood stream to be exerted, when the kidneys lose water the liver stops doing this efficiently and moves the fats(glucose) to storage. In other words not drinking enough water could make you fatter.

Now caffeine isn’t all bad, it has benefits such as it increases alertness, decreases reaction time and does have a fat burning capabilities but that is only if you are consuming more water then the caffeine is inhibiting your body to eliminate.

Everyone should consume AT LEAST 60-80 ounces of water a day; those who live active lifestyles should drink more. Imagine your blood as a highway made of red blood cells and white blood cells moving along a road made of plasma. The blood’s plasma is made of as said before mostly water, when there is a decrease in water in the body the blood becomes thicker and nutrients can not be moved around to specific parts where they are needed. When the highway of our blood becomes too crowded there becomes an over abundance of glucose in the blood stream which when reaches the liver gets turned into fat for storage. Now drinking more water and allowing more room on the highway aids the body in the proper distribution of glucose for energy. So when it comes down to it drinking water is the best diet pill you could take and not drinking water could lead you to gain weight. So when you wake up in the morning and reach for that first cup of coffee think about the reaction you are causing in your system. Poor yourself two large cups of water first and a piece of fruit before you begin to guzzle down your morning-joe, you may not only find that your caffeine crash later in the day is severely reduced but that your body will also thank you for it in the long run.

by:Ben Metli is associated with http://issa.com and has 2 certifications with http://scenichealth.com.  Thank you Ben for sharing.

Write To Lose

Keeping a food journal can help you lose more weight, according to a new study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics [ABCNews].

In a study of 123 women, researchers found that those who completed food journals lost nearly six pounds more than those who didn’t track what they ate. What’s more, the researchers also found that women who skipped meals lost eight pounds less, while women who ate lunch out at least once a week lost five pounds less.

To start your own food journal, grab a notebook and record what you’re eating and drinking throughout the day, how hungry or thirsty you feel, and where you’re eating your meals. Over time, you’ll be able to notice patterns (portion control, etc.), and you can use this to make healthy changes.

http://www.coreperformance.com/daily/mindset/simple-change-keep-a-food-journal-to-lose-weight.html

GROCERY SHOPPING

TIPS FOR GROCERY SHOPPING:
Do not go hungry! Eat beforehand!
Do not go grocery shopping if you are sad or depressed.
If you’re on a budget, stick to the minimum requirements and look for coupons and deals at local stores.
Just because something is labeled “low-fat” “a good source of…” or “healthy” DOES NOT mean it is healthy!
OTHER CRUCIAL TIPS:
Get rid of the junk food! 
The following foods should not be eaten, except for a once-a-week cheat meal: soda, diet soda, fruit juice, sports drinks, cookies, chips, crackers, candy, ice cream, pudding, jell-o, flavored yogurt, deli meats, processed meats, white breads and pastas, sugary cereals, packaged processed crap, granola bars. They are all full of sugar and processed, chemical crap! Sugar spikes insulin and promotes fat storage. The OPPOSITE of what you want!
With that said, your once a week cheat meal should be a REASONABLE portion of WHATEVER you want. But like I said, keep it reasonable! Also, try to make it on a day where you are very active if possible.
NO ALCOHOL. It shuts down your metabolism, promotes fat storage and breaks down muscle tissue (beautiful right?) If you can’t go a few weeks without a drink, there are bigger issues to solve than weight!

GROCERY LIST (asterisks denote my highly recommended foods):

Protein Options (pick at least 3):

Protein powder (Vegan options available)*** - THIS IS A MUST-HAVE (www.bodybuilding.com has great deals) I recommend whey* for post-workout and casein for night-time.
Eggs*
Boneless/skinless chicken breast*
Lean ground turkey
Canned Tuna (in water)* (they come in packets as well, good for on-the-go)
Tilapia*
Wild Salmon*
Tofu (Vegan friendly)
Plain Nonfat Cottage Cheese
Plain Nonfat Greek Yogurt
Nonfat cheese sticks (for the girls who need quick, on-the-go snacks)

Fibrous Veggie Options (pick at least 3):Spinach*
Broccoli*
Asparagus*
Kale*
Bell Peppers
Mushrooms
Cauliflower
Brussel Sprouts
Green beans
Artichoke
Zucchini
Cucumber

Complex/Starchy Carb Options (pick at least 1):Old-fashioned Oatmeal (Gluten-free options available)
Low-carb/Low-sugar cereal (Fiber One) (Gluten-free options available)
Quinoa (Gluten-free options available)
Sweet potato
Yam
Whole Wheat Bread (Gluten-free options available)
Brown Rice

Healthy Fat Options (pick at least 2):Natural peanut butter or almond butter (only ingredient should read peanuts or almonds, there should be oil on top, low/no sodium).
Olive oil
Safflower oil
Almonds
Walnuts
Pistachios
Avocado
Flaxseed oil

FruitSmall apples
Small pears
Blueberries
Raspberries
Strawberries
Lemons (for water & fish)

BeveragesWater* - MUST HAVE (obviously)
Unsweetened Almond Milk (can be flavored, I like vanilla)*
Mio flavor bottles (sweet and zero cal, you can add to water)
Green tea bags*
Coffee*

CondimentsBalsamic Vinegar
Salsa
Chili powder
Mrs Dash
Mustard
Cinnamon
Unsweetened Baking Cocoa
Stevia, Splenda or other zero cal sweetener
Sugar-free Maple Syrup
Pam Non-stick cooking spray*

VitaminsFish Oil*
Multi-vitamin*

http://muffintop-less.tumblr.com/MTLCGROCERIES

Negative Calorie Foods

How do you eat more while losing more weight at the same time? One of the best answers is to eat "negative-calorie" foods, meaning that these foods actually take more energy to digest than they deliver to your body. While these foods may be an important source of phytonutrients, they are not sources of fat-packing calories.

List of Negative Calorie Food: Veggies

Asparagus, Bean sprouts, Beets, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Chicory/Radicchio, Cucumbers, Endives, Green beans, Jicama, Kale, Leeks, Lettuce, Radishes, Spinach, Squash, Tomatoes, Turnips, Zucchini.

List of Negative Calorie Food: Fruits

 Apples, Blueberries, Cantaloupe,Cranberries, Grapefruits, Honeydew, Lemons/Limes, Mangoes, Oranges, Papaya, Peaches, Pineapple, Raspberries, Strawberries, Tangerines, Watermelon

List of Negative Calorie Food: Herbs & Spices

Anise, Cayenne, Chili peppers, Cinnamon, Cloves, Coriander/Cilantro, Cumin, Dill, Fennel seeds, Flaxseed, Garden cress, Garlic, Ginger, Parsley, Onion, Mustard seeds, Watercress.

LEARN MORE  @: http://www.naturalnews.com/030912_negative-calorie_foods_burn_fat.html#ixzz1aNgE3HPx

Portion Control Tips

POTION SIZE ESTIMATES-

Here's a fast and simple way to know if you're really eating a single portion.

Carbohydrates

• What it is: As the body's main fuel source, carbohydrates help build energy for the brain and muscles. Carbohydrates include whole grain breads, pastas, brown rice, couscous, quinoa and potatoes.
• Portion Size:  A fistful is equal to one serving of carbs (this will increase if you’re training intensely).

Protein

• What it is: Protein helps build muscle and maintain the immune system. Protein sources include fish, chicken, turkey and beef.
• Portion Size:  A palm full is an appropriate portion (this may slightly change with activity level—Goal: 0.8 - 1 gram per pound of body weight per day)

Fat

• What it is: Healthy fats repair cells, help transport and absorb fat-soluble vitamins (A,D,E, and K), and help regulate blood sugar. Healthy fats include olive oil, avocado and nuts.
• Portion Size: Add in small amounts at each meal and snack (examples: 8 almonds, 1 teaspoon of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of peanut butter, 1/4 avocado are all equal to a single serving

Healthiest Beers

• Select 55 – 55 calories
• MGD 64 – 64 calories
• Michelob Ultra Amber – 95 calories
• Miller Lite – 96 calories
• Yuengling Light – 90 calories
• Heineken Light – 99 calories
• Budweiser Select – 99 calories
• Corona Light – 99 calories
• Coors Light – 102 calories
• Bud Light – 110 calories
• Sam Adam's Light – 119 calories

"The American Heart Association released a report in February showing that alcohol can help lower bad cholesterol and raise good cholesterol when consumed in moderation—one drink a day for women and two for men, according to the Center for Disease Control. Beer, in particular, has been shown to lower the risk of kidney stones in men, plus it's packed withantioxidants and fiber. On the other hand, drinking too much too often canimpair sleep, decrease reaction time, and lead to dehydration and weight gain. The key is to find a balance."- Amanda Carlson Phillips 


This information was obtained from WWW.COREPERFORMANCE.COM! An amazing resource for all things fitness!