Tag: disease

What is More Addictive Than Cocaine and Wrecking America’s Health?

Wallace Bishop I.N.H.C, C.N.C.Leave a comment
The Devil in Your Diet!
The Devil in Your Diet!

It’s addictive, white, accelerates aging, comes from a plant, impairs mental and neurological function, can destroy your brain, heart and organs, creates systemic inflammation, gives some people a buzz and destroys bodies. Am I talking about cocaine or sugar?

SUGAR!

People get addicted to sugar. They love the taste and the quick energy it releases. However they can’t see the pervasive damage being done to their blood vessels, brain, heart and other organs until its almost too late.

The first Guidelines for Nutrition was published in 1977 by the McGovern Report on Nutrition. When the many different food groups found out what the report was recommending (reducing the intake of saturated fats, meats, dairy, sugar and salt, they did what they do best, began lobbying Congress. This created a backlash from food manufacturers and those in Congress representing them.  After the lobbying the only meaningful recommendation was to reduce the intake of fats.  When the final report was released it provided a way for the Sugar Association to sale sugar as a way to replace fat. After all, fat has a lot of flavor. When you remove the fat from foods they become bland and people will not buy them. Replace the fat with sugar! What a great way to sell more sugar to food manufacturers. We went from eating 10 pounds of sugar a year in per person in the early 1900’s to over 150 pounds of sugar a year per person. Along with it came a great decline in our health and the rates of diabetes and obesity are at epidemic rates!

If you will take a look at the Nutrition Facts panel on food labels you will notice all categories on the label have % DV (this stands for percentage of daily value consumed per serving of that nutrition category). You will see it beside Fat, Saturated fat, Cholesterol, Sodium and Carbohydrate, but not sugar. How did they get away with that? MONEY! They actually lobbied Congress to make a recommendation in the report to state that 25% of daily calories should come from sugar. So instead, they didn’t recommend any intake level for sugar. Eat all you want!

The truth is excessive sugar is toxic. Simple sugars and added sugars should not exceed 10% of your daily calorie intake. If you go by the Nutrition Facts Labels guideline for 2,000 calories that means you should not consume more than 50 grams of sugar a day.  One 12 oz. soft drink has 42 grams of sugar. A famous national brand of smoothies has anywhere from 30 to over 100 grams of sugar in their 20 oz. smoothies. You must read the food labels to avoid hidden sugars.

I recommend no one, regardless of calorie intake consume more that 10% of your calories from sugar unless you are an endurance athlete.

The Effect

In 1980 there were no cases of Type II diabetes in children. By 2012 there were over 56,000 cases of childhood Type II Diabetes.

Heart disease, cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes and stroke rates have rocketed up the charts.

We now have infants being born with adult diseases.  A baby’s health is a reflection of what the mom has eaten ( the nutrition or lack there of ) and the toxins she has been exposed to, up to 2 years prior to conception of her child.

This may shock you, but I believe sugar and sugar like foods (processed flour products) are probably the biggest cause of all illness and disease. While table sugar has a glycemic index of 70, white bread has a glycemic index of 95. This means white bread turns to blood sugar even faster than table sugar! I bet you didn’t realize that.

Sugar creates so much stress on the body. It lowers the immune system, wrecks havoc on the hormonal system and creates systemic inflammation across the cardiovascular system. Sugar even turns cholesterol into a bad health issue. Cholesterol is not the demon it is made out to be. Its only when we eat so much sugar that cholesterol is released in larger amounts to patch damaged blood vessels caused from the sugar. We actually need cholesterol. The harm being caused from sugar is wide-spread and long-lasting.

Sugar has made its way into almost every food stuff man is processing and refining. Sugar is added to bacon. luncheon meats, mayonnaise, peanut butter, dried fruit, fruit juices, tomato sauce, spaghetti sauce, prepared foods, cereal, granola, cookies, flavored milk, soft drinks, coffee drinks and hundreds if not thousands of other foods. Milk has about 12 grams or 3 teaspoons of sugar per 8 ounce glass. Yogurt can have much more.

The purpose of the added sugar is to make you eat more of the food it is in. It’s all about money. If you keep buying it, the food manufacturers will keep selling it. Stop buying it and they will begin to make healthier foods.
Your best defense is learning to read food labels and being able to find all the different names of sugar. When reading the food label pay special attention to the serving size and the grams of sugar per serving. Try to limit the amount of sugar you consume to 6 grams or less per serving. Look for foods that have 4 or more grams of fiber per serving. Sugar should never be more than 10% of your daily calories. In a 2,000 calorie diet, that means no more than 50 grams of sugar. An 8 ounce glass of milk has 12 grams of sugar. An 8 ounce glass of orange juice can contain over 30 grams of sugar. A 12 ounce can of Coke has 42 grams of sugar.

Sugars Many Names

When reading the food ingredient list on the food label look out for these names. I would also include agave nectar as a sugar to avoid. It is higher in fructose that HFCS and is a processed sugar.

  1. Agave Nectar ( can be worse that high fructose corn syrup)
  2. Barley malt
  3. Beet sugar
  4. Brown sugar
  5. Buttered syrup
  6. Cane juice crystals
  7. Cane sugar
  8. Caramel
  9. Corn syrup
  10. Corn syrup solids
  11. Confectioner’s sugar
  12. Carob syrup
  13. Castor sugar
  14. Date sugar
  15. Demerara sugar
  16. Dextran
  17. Dextrose
  18. Diastatic malt
  19. Diatase
  20. Ethyl maltol
  21. Fructose
  22. Fruit juice
  23. Fruit juice concentrate
  24. Galactose
  25. Glucose
  26. Glucose solids
  27. Golden sugar
  28. Golden syrup
  29. Grape sugar
  30. High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS)
  31. Honey  (raw honey is best and used in moderation is very healthy)
  32. Icing sugar
  33. Invert sugar
  34. Lactose
  35. Maltodextrin
  36. Maltose
  37. Malt syrup
  38. Maple syrup
  39. Molasses  (molasses is a natural sugar containing many nutrients, use in moderation)
  40. Muscovado sugar
  41. Panocha
  42. Raw sugar
  43. Refiner’s syrup
  44. Rice syrup
  45. Sorbitol
  46. Sorghum syrup
  47. Sucrose
  48. Sugar
  49. Treacle
  50. Turbinado sugar
  51. Yellow sugar

These are the sugars I recommend (in moderation).

  • Raw local honey
  • Molasses
  • Organic evaporated cane juice
  • Stevia

 

Flour Based Products

Whole grain is better than white bread
Whole grain is better than white bread

Refined Flour (ground up grains) turns to blood sugar as rapidly as white table sugar! Most breads, cereals, cookies, crackers and pastries have a high glycemic value. They raise blood sugar rapidly. Not all grain based products have higher glycemic load values. Whole Grains when eaten in their natural form release sugars more slowly.  Steel cut oats have a lower glycemic load value that rolled oats.  Enriched and refined flours have little fiber allowing the starch to turn to blood sugar rapidly. Even whole grain breads can cause a quick release of blood sugar because part of the bodies digestive process has already been performed.  To my knowledge the lowest glycemic bread is Ezekiel Bread.

In summary, to reduce your risk of developing a sugar related disease or adverse health condition avoid or limit simple carbohydrates by eating more vegetables, fruits, beans and whole grains (limit to 2 servings per day if any). Use natural sweeteners, however, learn to enjoy foods that are less sweet. Break that sugar addiction, kick it to the curb and enjoy life.

Try these recipes for bread products using almond flour and coconut flour. They are gluten free and grain free. You might be surprised just how good they are!

http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=1530358   pizza crust

http://paleogrubs.com/pizza-crust-recipes  pizza crust

http://www.elizabethrider.com/almond-flour-bread-gluten-free/   bread

http://www.mynaturalfamily.com/recipes/grain-free/coconut-flour-bread-recipes/  bread

http://wellnessmama.com/2354/coconut-flour-pancakes/  pancakes

http://www.simplefoody.org/almond-coconut-pancakes-grain-free/ pancakes

 

I would highly recommend you read the book Grain Brain by neurologist David Perlmutter, MD, it could be a life changing book. Get away from sugar! It is a slow killer and will rob you of a long quality life.

Healthy Wishes

Wally Bishop C.N.C.

ViveShake.com

The contents of this blog is not and should not be  considered medical advice. This blog is for informational purposes only. Always consult with your doctor before making any dietary or lifestyle changes. Never quit taking prescription medications unless advised to do so by your doctor.

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Is Nutrition Really Important?

Wallace Bishop I.N.H.C, C.N.C.Leave a comment
Nutrition Makes Healthy Bodies!
Nutrition Makes Healthy Bodies!

Hold the cheese! Wait hold the Mac-n-Cheese! Say what?

Our bodies amazingly can live for a long time on little nutrition but over time the nutrient reservoir in our body shrinks if we don’t refill it.  At some point because your cells are not being fed adequate nutrition or because your cells no longer have the nutritional reserves to protect and repair themselves they become sick and then replicate in a sick or diseased state. Eventually the cell can mutate into a cancerous cell. Normally a body with plenty of nutrition will have cells that can repair themselves or they will self-destruct. Additionally, you will have an immune system that is able to recognize the sick or mutated cell and kill it. This is why nutrition and nutrient absorption is so important. Vitamins, minerals, enzymes, essential fatty acids, amino acids and antioxidants are vital for building a healthy body. Every tissue and bone of your body, every chemical that your body makes, every blood cell, every hormone and immune system compounds, EVERYTHING requires a certain amount of nutrients.

Cells don’t live on French fries, cheeseburgers and mac-n-cheese. The body breaks down what we eat, searching for macronutrients and micronutrients.  Macronutrients are carbohydrates, fats and protein.  Micronutrients are vitamins, minerals, enzymes, essential fatty acids, amino acids, antioxidants and other phytonutrients.  Hold up, you just said macronutrients are carbohydrates, fats and protein and  that is exactly what French fries, cheeseburgers and mac-n-cheese provide, right? Well yes, it is in fact very rich in these but has very little of the vitamins, minerals, enzymes, essential fatty acids and antioxidants which are in fact what makes cells function.  Think of carbohydrates, fats and proteins as part fuel and part nutrient delivery system. The job of carbohydrates, fats and proteins is to provide calories for energy and provide vitamins, minerals, enzymes, essential fatty acids, amino acids and antioxidants are vital for building a healthy body that the body needs to operate, build and repair.

The average adult has approximately 100 trillion cells and every cell in your body operates like a miniature city or country. Wow that’s hard to comprehend! Each cell has it’s own waste removal and trash disposal system (lymphatic system) It has it’s own defense system (immune system) with Army’s to destroy invaders and internal threats (cancer cells) and it’s own engineers and maintenance system to rebuild and repair what ever needs it. In addition, it has it’s on monitoring system (endocrine system) to sense when any part of your body has a need and direct the action. It has workers (enzymes) that make every task happen.

Cells make up organs and tissues in our bodies.  And even though they are in a most amazing way self-sufficient they also work in harmony together to make organs, muscles and tissues work. Just imagine making a fist with your hand. All of those muscles in your arm and hand had to operate together and in perfect harmony to make that fist. Additionally, your brain had to send signals through the nervous system to tell every cell exactly what to do. This requires your body to have healthy nerve cells and have the ability to make neurotransmitters (brain chemicals) that make those signals happen.

Your body has power plants in each cell that deliver the needed energy to sustain life and operate it’s own internal systems while fueling the bigger picture of muscles, organs and systems. It takes many vitamins and minerals to make energy possible. It takes the vitamin’s A, C, D, K2 and the minerals magnesium, boron and strontium to make healthy bones. Follow me so far?

Body building, protecting and repairing nutrients come from real foods and the richest foods in nutrients is by far and away plant foods. Processed and refined foods are absent enough nutrition to support and build a healthy body.  In fact processed and refined foods are anti-nutrients. They rob much-needed nutrients from our nutritional reserves. The SAD (standard American diet) is the biggest cause of disease and illness across our planet. Our diet has migrated across the globe and is now inflicting its participants with alarming rates of disease and illness.

It’s never to late to make your body healthier if you are willing to make the change. Many times disease and illness can even be reversed through a highly nutritious diet and being more physically active.

Vive is full of nutrition from plants that build healthy bodies. Vive supports healthy body functions. Making Vive a daily part of your diet can enrich your life by helping you build a healthy body with plenty of energy.

Healthy Wishes

Wally Bishop C.N.C.

Vive Developer

Viveshake.com

The contents of this blog is not and should not be  considered medical advice. This blog is for informational purposes only. Always consult with your doctor before making any dietary or lifestyle changes. Never quit taking prescription medications unless advised to do so by your doctor.

This product has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not used as a cure, treatment or diagnosis for any disease or illness.

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What Are You Doing About Your Health?

Wallace Bishop I.N.H.C, C.N.C.1 Comment
You Are What You Eat!
You Are What You Eat!

Some days I get really frustrated with my work. I am trying so hard to give knowledge away to those that seek it.  They ask, they seek and they complain about their health condition but many, many, many, never put the knowledge to use. If I could just get them to try for 30 days. Isn’t your health worth at least a 30 day investment?

You see, I have been give something very special. I was blessed with another opportunity to get my health back and I took that opportunity and ran (walked actually because I couldn’t run at the time) with it. And I got it back!! I want to give to everyone that wants good health the same opportunity that was given to me. It’s knowledge that will change you from your head to your toes.

If you knew the foods you were eating were eventually going to cause a disease or make you even sicker wouldn’t you want to make a change in your diet? I would hope so, but most people do not believe it when I tell them that their food is poisoning them slowly. We accept disease and illness as a normal part of life when it doesn’t always have to be. Scientific studies tell us the American diet is slowly killing us, it is responsible for most of our disease and illness. Chronic inflammation is a silent killer. It’s happening in your body and you can’t see it or feel it until damage is being done. The healthiest cultures and countries eat very little refined and processed foods.

SAD, the standard American diet and lifestyle leads the way as the primary instigator of chronic inflammation. The consumption of refined sugar, artificial sweeteners, refined and processed foods, trans fats, saturated fats and preservatives create inflammation throughout the body.  This may eventually cause cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes, asthma, allergies, reduced immune system function, high cholesterol, chronic infections, auto immune diseases, heart disease, digestive disorders and other adverse conditions.

http://wallysdailybites.com/2013/04/24/sugar-the-poison-we-cant-resist/

http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/78/3/502S.full

I think there lies part of the problem. If my doctor isn’t warning me to stop eating hormone and pesticide meats coming from GMO fed animals and to eat more vegetables and fruits why should I change. He should know this right? Wrong, most doctors have very little education on nutrition and foods.  It’s not the doctors and nurses, it’s the system. Many caring people work in the medical field.

It’s your responsibility to care of your health. No one, including your doctor can make you healthier. It’s the choices you make!

  • We now have children less than 10 years of age diagnosed with high cholesterol, type II diabetes, hypertension and heart disease.
  • More than 75% of Americans are suffering from preventable illness and disease.
  • Over 65% of America is overweight.
  • America is the fattest and sickest of all industrialized nations. Yet America spends more than twice what other healthier nations spend on health care.
  • The American Diet is the major cause of illness in our country.

Health Organizations such as the CDC, The Center for Science in the Public Interest, National Institutes of Health, World Health Organization, Physicians Council for Responsible Medicine, Institute for Functional Medicine and many others state that nutrition and lifestyle choices account for a large majority of our illness and disease

Your health comes down to what you eat, how much exercise you get, the amount of toxins you are exposed to and your genetics. I will state emphatically that a healthy diet can often mitigate unhealthy genetic tendency’s. What you eat and how much you move have a huge impact on how your body handles toxic exposure and genetics.

Being healthy is really about making healthy choices, that’s it. So what are you doing about your health?

Healthy Wishes

Wally Bishop C.N.C.

WebND

The contents of this blog is not and should not be  considered medical advice. This blog is for informational purposes only. Always consult with your doctor before making any dietary or lifestyle changes. Never quit taking prescription medications unless advised to do so by your doctor.

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Weight Loss, Why Is It So Difficult?

Wallace Bishop I.N.H.C, C.N.C.5 Comments
Lose Weight and Build Health at the Same Time!!

This question has been asked and will continue to be asked for ever, I think.  So, how do we honestly answer such a broad question. Let’s face the facts, not many people lose a significant amount of weight and keep it off.

The weight loss market is a multi-billion dollar industry and although there are many people and companies developing great products and methods that really care about helping us get the weight off and keep it off many more just want your hard-earned money. But, this is a much more complex situation than the products and systems available to us and if we use them or not.

Everyone wants the magic pill or solution so they do not have to change their diet or lifestyle. Sorry, it just isn’t going to happen. Even people who undergo gastric bypass will sometimes gain it back because they have not fixed the problem causing the weight gain.  Change is a result from an action you do. You must make changes.

The Truth

Losing weight is the easy part, yes it is. Your weight is controlled by the number of calories you consume over time. You can lose weight eating cheese burgers as long as you do not over consume calories. However cheese burgers will not be a healthy way to lose weight. If you eat more than you body burns (needs) then the excess calories will turn to fat. However there are many parts of the equation that can throw the wrench in the mix. The realty is much different!

Energy Balance

Most people do not know how many calories their body requires.  There is formula, however, I highly suggest your read my earlier blog about calories and energy balance. Click here.  How can you manage your calories if you do not know how many you need?

Behavior

Here is where part of the complexity comes in, your body’s calorie needs can be very low if you are eating a nutrient poor diet, not moving (exercising) enough, have been yo-yo dieting and have been under consuming calories.  Also, certain medications and illnesses can cause a drop in your metabolism that will make it more difficult to lose weight.  These illness and need for medications are most often caused by poor diet and a lack of exercise and sometimes genetics. However genetics can be overcome most of the time. By having a low-calorie need for your metabolism the foods you eat turn to fat stores when you eat more than you need.

Stress

Stress is a big hormonal disruptor and increases the bodies output of cortisol and ghrelin. These build waist and hip fat and drive your appetite to eat more. You must find ways to lower your stress. Exercise is a great way to reduce stress. Other examples are Ti Chi, Yoga, walking, bicycling and swimming. Get outside and get some fresh air.

Sabotage by Food Manufacturers and regulatory agencies

Hopefully you know that when I say food manufacturing, the FOOD I am discussing is processed or refined. That is what food manufacturing does. You end up with a food like product that may have only a little real food and little if any nutritional and health benefit and foods that may be in their natural form like white rice but has lost most of its nutritional content.  Most food manufacturers are more concerned with profits than your health. It’s obvious, they will use any FDA approved ingredient in the food manufacturing process regardless of what non-biased health experts say about the health impact of the ingredient.  Refined and processed foods are a major cause of illness in our country. Just remember the longer a foods shelf life, the shorter it can make your life.

Sugar

Sugar is the evil food. It is addicting, seductive, taste great and causes complete havoc to your hormonal, neurological and immune systems. If you don’t avoid and limit simple and refined sugar out of your diet it will slowly bring about disease and ultimately death.  Sugar comes in many forms and names, beware the food manufacturers like to hide it.

All of the conditions or situations I just mentioned cause things to happen in your body that make it more difficult to lose weight. They are all stressors on the body creating chronic inflammation which causes hormonal imbalances.   These specific  hormonal imbalances cause cravings, a drop in metabolism and a build up of fat around the middle of our body. This situation becomes a self-perpetuating condition. The fat build up of fat around the midsection disrupts hunger regulation by interfering with three primary hormones that help us regulate the need to eat. These hormones are ghrelin (increases appetite), leptin (signals the brain the body does not need food, its satisfied) and insulin which controls blood sugar levels. To much insulin circulating and your hunger increases.  If you do not burn sugar (glucose) for energy the body has to store it as fat.

If we add these together we get a formula that keeps people from keeping weight off forever.  People do not balance calories, they eat unhealthy foods, the do not manage their stress, they eat way too much sugar, they do not move or exercise enough.

What is the solution?

If you will integrate as many of these keys of health into your life, you will not only lose weight, you will gain in health. And you can keep both forever because this isn’t a diet, it’s a lifestyle.

Of utmost importance is developing a passion for a better and healthier life. The passion will get you through the difficult times.

10 Keys to Wellness

  1. Eat from Mother Nature as often as possible, avoiding refined and processed foods and simple sugars. Your diet should be primarily vegetables then fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds and sprouted grains. Raw vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds are even healthier.  Beans must be cooked.
  2. Reduce and learn to manage stress. Stress is the biggest influence to our health.
  3. Eliminate or limit the intake of animal foods (they are very acidic to the body).
  4. Avoid stimulants such as caffeine as much as possible. They are body stressors.
  5. Avoid or limit your alcohol intake.
  6. Avoid cigarettes and second hand smoke.
  7. Stay hydrated; drink plenty of fresh pure water daily.
  8. Get adequate time outside. Sunshine provides the best source of Vitamin D. Even when under cloud cover the ultraviolet rays penetrate and nourish our bodies. Always remember more is not always better. Just 15 to 20 minutes under the daylight sky 3 times per week will provide a lot of Vitamin D.
  9. Our body requires activity to be healthy. Exercise is vitally important.
  10.  Balance your life with spiritual and societal involvement.

Four Principles of Wellness

  1. 1.     Nutrition is king, king, king! Nutrition is 300 to 400% more important than exercise is to your state of wellness.  You can’t handle stress or get the benefits of exercise without great nutrition.
  2. 2.     Stress is a killer and will undermine all attempts to reach a state of MAXIMUM LIFE.
  3. 3.     Physical activity is critical to reach a place of wellness. You cannot have a MAXIMUM LIFE without exercise in some form.
  4. 4.     Spiritual and social fulfillment is critical for a state of wellness, happiness and having a MAXIMUM LIFE.

Be passionate about your health and do not let anyone undermine your success.

Healthy Wishes

Wally Bishop C.N.C.

WebND

The contents of this blog is not and should not be  considered medical advice. This blog is for informational purposes only. Always consult with your doctor before making any dietary or lifestyle changes. Never quit taking prescription medications unless advised to do so by your doctor.

Want to lose Over 100 Pounds? This is how I lost over 200!

Wallace Bishop I.N.H.C, C.N.C.7 Comments

Jump on the Wellness Train with me!!

I have lost over 200 pounds and have maintained my current weight for the past 10 years. If you need to lose 20 pounds or 200 pounds this formula worked for me and others. Success requires a desire for change, a little planning, preparation and being consistent. Diets do not work. You need to be able to adopt a lifestyle that gives you flexibility and you can be happy with forever.

If you are starting a diet or making changes to your lifestyle, always consult with your doctor before beginning the new routine.

Rules of safe weight loss and weight management.

1.) Never eat less than 1200 calories per day unless you are under the supervision of a qualified health professional.

2.) The minimum goal should be a calorie deficit of 500 calories per day. This should create 1 pound of fat loss per week. Never aim to lose more than 2 pounds per week.

3.) Eat 6 times per day, 3 snacks and 3 meals.

4.) Crowd out the unhealthy foods in your life by eating the healthy nutritious ones first.  If you add 2 servings of fruits and 3 or more servings of veggies to your daily diet routine, you are not going to have room for the unhealthy foods. In addition, it will gradually get rid of your cravings. Do not start out trying to eat like me. Start by adding more vegetables and healthy foods to your daily routine. Eventually the bad foods will disappear if you make the choice to follow this guide.

5.) Know your energy requirements. If you get rid of the majority of processed and refined foods in your diet you do not need to to worry about counting calories. However if you are still consuming processed foods then it is important to not consume more than you burn. This is critical!

6.) Exercise at least 6 days per week.  I highly recommend multiple exercise per day. Example: if your goal is 1 hour daily, you can split the 1 hour into two 30 minute sessions. This will keep you metabolism elevated causing greater fat burn for a longer period in the day. This facilitates faster and greater weight loss. Do different types of exercise: interval, aerobic and strength training. If you are just beginning an exercise program, consult with an exercise professional to insure your safety. Do not think that you can lose weight and then keep it off with out exercising. It will not happen. Plus the whole idea of losing weight is to improve your health.  Exercise partnered  with a nutritious dietary routine builds health

7.) Drink at least 1/2 your weight in ounces of water per day. If you weight 200 lbs, you need at least 100 ounces of water per day. Water is required in the metabolic pathway to burn fat and to create energy.  A 2% drop in body hydration can cause up to a 30% drop in available energy.

8.) Get plenty of rest and relaxation. A lack of sleep and mismanaged stress will stop weight loss and even cause weight gain. Aim for 7 to 8 hours of sound sleep per night. Practice stress reducing methods, get into a great book, get a massage, listen to soft music etc….  Turn your problems over to God.

9.) Make vegetative foods the majority of your food choices. They are low in calories, they alkaline the body, they cleanse the body, they help control blood sugar levels and cholesterol levels and they offer a wide array of nutrients that promote health.

10.) Limit your intake of simple carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates promote cravings by causing blood sugar spikes.  Eat lower glycemic foods. This does not mean you should eat a high protein diet. Select complex carbohydrates. Your brain and central nervous system (CNS) only burn glucose (sugar) for fuel. The average person needs 100 to 125 grams of carbohydrates to fuel the brain and CNS. Sugar, glucose and glycogen (stored glucose) are normally made from dietary carbohydrates. However up to 57% of protein can be converted to blood sugar when needed.

11.) Quit smoking, limit the intake of caffeine and alcohol and watch your salt intake.

12.) Do not weigh yourself more than once every 2 weeks. The best time to weigh is first thing in the morning upon waking and after you go to the bathroom.  Weigh the same time each day.  Your weight is just a by-product of  your particular lifestyle. Change your lifestyle and your weight will change.

13) Never deprive yourself of any food. If you want it, eat it. Just don’t go crazy and eat the whole container of Oreo’s.  When this happens, give your self credit for having the will power to control the amount you ate.  At the next snack or meal time exercise control and make healthy selections.

14.) Keep a food journal.

My Diet Selections

I am a flexitarian. That means I eat a vegetarian diet. However, I occasionally feel a need for animal protein. I typically go 1 to 2 weeks before I have that craving for salmon or chicken.  I do not eat red meat, pork or dairy.  Studies show a primarily vegetarian diet promotes better health by reducing the risk of major diseases and health conditions.

At least 75% of my diet is raw vegetables. Raw vegetables provide a wide array of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, antioxidants and phytonutrients. When vegetables are cooked some of the vitamins are destroyed and all the enzymes are killed. However you do need some cooked vegetables. Leafy green vegetables contain a compound called oxalic acid. Oxalic acid binds with some minerals and interferes with their absorption. Cooking neutralizes most of the oxalic acid allowing more mineral absorption. Carrots provide more bio-available beta carotene when cooked. Tomatoes give more lycopene when cooked. A good ratio is 75% raw and 25% cooked.

If I eat out, I make wise selections and ask for variations on the menu. Most restaurants will be happy to make changes for you. For example; when ordering a salad, ask them to leave off the honey or sugar glazed pecans and dried fruit, save a couple of hundred calories, order the dressing on the side and dip your fork in the dressing before picking up the bite, you will use less dressing this way.

Calories

Understanding your calorie requirements is critical to weight loss and weight management.  Read this blog to better understand your energy budget. As you lose weight you will need to adjust your calorie intake.

Understanding How Much of What to Eat

Vegetables; you can eat these in unlimited amounts, aim for at least 5 servings daily. Eat raw, steamed, grilled, sautéed or broiled. Do not fry

Serving sizes; Cooked vegetables 1/2 cup, Chopped, raw vegetables 1/2 cup, Raw, leafy vegetables 1 cup, Vegetable juice 3/4 cup

Root Vegetables (for potatoes and yams the total should not exceed 2 servings total combined per week)

Fish & Seafood 1 serving 3 times per week.  Prepare by grilling, baking and broiling. Do not fry.

Serving size is 4 ounces

Fruits 3 servings per day and only low sugar fruits (berries, green apples, peaches pears and plums), a serving is 1 medium fruit and ½ cup juice. Dried fruit is coated with sugar so avoid it. Avoid fruit juices, they are also very high in sugar content.

Low Fat Dairy I do not recommend dairy products. If you must have them, goat or sheep is a better choice. I use almond breeze sugar free almond milk and rice cheeses.

Eggs, hen If you have high cholesterol limit to 1 per week otherwise 1 per day is ok. Eggs should be poached, scrambled or boiled, not fried. Select free range, organic eggs.

Beans & Legumes; eat what you want, just do not go over your daily calorie limit

Serving size is 1 cup cooked

Poultry & Lean Meats – limit to 4 ounces per serving, 3 times per week. 4 ounces is about the size of a deck of cards. I do not recommend eating red meats or pork, however, if you do, limit your intake to 1 serving per week.  Prepare by grilling, baking or broiling. Do not fry.

Nuts & Seeds Limit to 1 to 2 ounces per day due to high calorie content. Studies show people who consume 1 oz. of nuts daily lose weight and keep it off. In addition, they may cut their risk of heart disease by up to 45%. Nuts  and nut butters are very healthy for us.

Grains Limit to 2 servings per day. Grains raise blood sugar and insulin levels quickly creating cravings and weight gain. Serving sizes;  I don’t recommend eating bread except only occasionally and the only bread I recommend is Ezekiel Bread. However it does contain gluten.

  • Bread 1 slice
  • Tortilla, roll, or muffin 1
  • Bagel, English muffin or hamburger bun ½
  • Brown rice, pasta, oatmeal, cooked cereal, 1/2 cup
  • Ready-to-eat cereal 1 ounce (flakes or round)
  • Pancake, waffle 1 (4″ diameter)

Grain choices; all of these are gluten free Go grain free if you can!

Salad Dressings

I use olive oil and balsamic vinegar; Good Seasons Balsamic with olive oil or Good Seasons Greek Vinaigrette; Serving Size 2 Tablespoons, serve on side of plate, dip fork into dressing, then into bite of salad.

Butter

I use and recommend Smart Balance Lite Original with Flax. It’s 50 calories per serving, 1.5 grams of saturated fat and zero cholesterol and taste like butter.

Spices & Herbs; herbs are naturally very high in antioxidant power

Dark Chocolate; I eat dark chocolate every day. Only 100% dark raw chocolate is recommended. Limit to 1.5 ounces per day. Dark Chocolate has the highest antioxidant value of any food.

Natural Sweeteners; Serving Size 1 Tablespoon

Use these sparingly if diabetic;

Use as needed

  • Stevia; this is my choice of sweetener. Truvia is the best commercial choice.
  • Monk fruit is another of my favorites. Other
  • Green tea Cold Brew your own for more antioxidant power.

Moderation is the key in your diet. If you want something, eat it but try to limit the amount.  Consistency is the other very important factor.  If you eat healthy 80% of the time, you will give your body  the opportunity to build health.  We are what we eat. Eat junk and have a junk body, eat healthy and have a healthy body!

Healthy Wishes

Wally Bishop C.N.C.

 Vive

The contents of this blog is not and should not be  considered medical advice. This blog is for informational purposes only. Always consult with your doctor before making any dietary or lifestyle changes. Never quit taking prescription medications unless advised to do so by your doctor.

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