Do You Want Health and Vitality?

Nutrition Makes Healthy Bodies!
Nutrition Makes Healthy Bodies!

Many of my clients typically come to me once they or a family member face a major health crisis.   It frustrates me because most of these issues could be prevented. I do not want to see that happen to you, so, let’s not wait for the health problem let’s get in front of them so we don’t need to face them later.

You have probable heard these keys to health a hundred times before but they are always worth repeating, particularly starting the New Year.

As we go through life, hopefully we hit a point at which we say, “I want better health! Most of the time it hits us hard when we have family and friends that we see fighting health issues like cancer, diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Being a witness to this hopefully becomes our wake up call or rallying point. This is the first step in their new journey. It starts with a thought and then action. However, many people think it but don’t follow through. I have tried many times to understand why they won’t follow through and can only come to one conclusion. They love the food and unhealthy lifestyle more they fear disease and illness. I have had clients with stints from blockages; insulin dependent diabetes and high blood pressure say they would rather take their medication and keep living their lifestyle.  At this point we go our separate ways and I am always left confused and saddened.

After several years of counseling people about health and nutrition I remain as confused as ever by the human psyche! I just can’t fathom why someone doesn’t want better health.

If you will follow a few of these health building principles you can prevent many health issues. The more you can incorporate the better. It doesn’t guarantee a perfectly healthy life but is does mean you greatly reduce your risk of future disease and illness and a quicker recovery if you do face illness.

Don’ts and Limits

  • Avoid refined and processed foods as much as possible. They may contain preservatives, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, antibiotics, hormones and food colorings all of which are anti-nourishing.
  • Avoid all commercially raised red meat, poultry and fish.
  • Limit the intake of red meats and pork.
  • Avoid all artificial sweeteners. They cause a disruption in our neurotransmitters and nervous system and can cause major health issues.
  • Avoid all dairy from cows. It’s highly inflammatory and associated with many adverse health conditions.
  • Avoid any trans fats (hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils), they cause heart disease and cancers
  • Avoid vegetable oils other than olive oil and coconut oil for cooking (others are inflammatory).
  • Avoid sugary drinks and foods that turn to blood sugar quickly. Sugar is high inflammatory and cause hormonal imbalances and lowers our immune system. Flour based foods turn to blood sugar quickly.
  • Limit grains to no more than four servings per day. They cause cravings when eaten to often. The best grains are oats, quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat and wild rice.
  • Avoid gluten as much as possible. Glutens are very inflammatory.
  • Stop the sedentary lifestyle, move more.

Do’s

  • Eat fresh organic produce often. This includes mushrooms!Veggies in a blender
  • Try to eat every color of the plant world everyday; red, yellow, orange, blue, purple, green, and white (they are healing foods)
  • Reduce simple sugar intake this includes limiting high sugar fruit intake to limit fructose intake. The best fruits are berries, green apples, peaches, pears, plums and bananas that have green tips and are bright yellow.
  • Eat more omega 3 foods (chia seeds, flax seeds, walnuts, salmon, herring, sardines)
  • Make nuts and seeds a part of your daily diet. They are highly nutritious and heart protective. Eat walnuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds, hemp seeds, sesame seeds etc…
  • Make beans and lentils a part of your regular diet. They are a great source of protein, complex carbohydrates, fiber and many nutrients.
  • Use spices often. They are some of the most powerful and healing foods we can eat. Some of the best are raw cocoa, cinnamon, nutmeg, mustard seeds, clove, ginger, garlic, oregano, thyme, cayenne, cardamom, basil, sage, coriander, cumin, turmeric, curcumin and black pepper.
  • Drink green tea’s (give Matcha tea a try) and hot chocolate made with raw cocoa. They are very rich in powerful antioxidants and nutrients.
  • If eating meats and fish make sure they are free range, organic and the fish are wild caught.
  • Drink at least 80 ounces of pure water every day. Drink even more if you sweat a lot.
  • Get adequate sunshine.
  • Get a good nights sleep!
  • De-Stress, stress is a silent killer. Try yoga, exercise, massage, positive affirmations, water aerobics, positive thinking and a healthy diet to help manage stress.
  • Exercise at least 5 days a week. Exercise doesn’t have to be hard, just consistent. Our body needs exercise to be healthy. It boost our immune system, removes toxins, helps balance hormones, improves our insulin response, helps regulate weight, gives us energy, improves mental focus, improves our balance and makes our heart and vascular system healthier.
  • Make it a point to do a random act of kindness for someone. It will greatly enrich your life.

Summary

If you avoid foods man has altered and stick to foods, as they exist in nature you can’t help but be healthier! Additionally, sunshine, sleep, water, exercise, stress management and a positive attitude can work wonders for your health. I also recommend making Vive!™ part of your daily dietary routine.. Vive!™  will nourish your body from head to toe providing optimal nutrition for optimal health.

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.

Frustrated With Weight Loss?

Wally's Before and After Profile Pic
What Healthy Living Did for Me!

Let’s face the truth! Most people make losing weight much too complicated. It doesn’t need to be. Listed below are the pitfalls most people make when trying to lose weight.

Doing anything temporally will give you temporary results! You have to get this, a diet is temporary.

  • Change your diet gradually– Many people jump right in and and totally change their diet to the extreme. They go from the typical American diet rich in processed foods to a very restrictive diet. Any time you make sudden change in your diet and lifestyle you highly increase your risk of failure. Make the change slowly. Instead of taking foods away try adding healthy foods to your diet. You will begin to crowd out the harmful foods with healthy foods. Replacing breakfast with a nutritious balanced meal replacement drink like Vive is a great way to begin the change.
  • Stop Stressing about life and losing the weight.  Because we make it so complicated we get overly stressed. If you have stress from work or home you need to manage it or remove the source. Stress will make it almost impossible to lose much weight. In addition stress kills!
  • Eat enough calories– Many people begin by drastically cutting food intake thus calories too much. If you go below 1200 calories for more than a couple of days your body senses a famine has arrived and it lowers your metabolic rate to conserve energy. You can even gain weight if you cut calories to much. If you stay in a severe calorie reduction under (800 calories or less, like anorexia) you body shifts to the catabolic effect of starvation and your body will begin to consume muscle and organs for its nutrition needs.
  • Do Not Skip Meals! You need to eat at least 5 times per day. It keeps blood sugar balanced and energy available. It also keeps the metabolism boosted. A healthy meal replacement shake is an option and can serve your body well. I recommend Vive, it was created for weight loss and energy and is packed with an abundance of nutrition!
  • Drink plenty of water– Many will not drink enough water. It takes water to release and burn fat for energy. Water is so important for your health!
  • Exercise– If you are obese you can lose weight for a short time by just cutting calories, however that will eventually slow and then stop. You must move more. Exercise does many wonderful things for our body. One benefit is that it speeds up our metabolic rate causing us to burn more calories through out the day! Just walking is a great exercise. Increase your speed and time as your fitness and health improves. Before beginning any exercise program please consult with your doctor for their approval. Walk twice per day to speed up the weight loss!
  • Stop weighing everyday! You weight can change up or down five or more pounds in any given day. You will set your self up for disappointment by weighing all of the. Weigh your self every two weeks. Do it first thing in the morning immediately after waking up and after your first urination.
  • Stop beating your self up! No body is perfect. Treats are allowed, even unscheduled ones. The next time you eat make a healthy choice. Bashing your self, will make you eat more.
  • DO NOT DIET!  It is our mindset to use the word diet and when we do we automatically set up in our mind that we will change our diet and lifestyle for a period of time and then come back home to that awesome food that got us fat to begin with. Plus because you have starved your body (both calories and nutrients) before, your body senses this and begins to subconsciously increase your desire for fatty and sugary foods. Sure you lose 30 pounds and then you gain 50 back. Dieting will only make you fatter one diet at a time! Think lifestyle change!
  • Nutrition Nutrition Nutrition!!!!  When you body is getting loads of nutrients it begins to clean and detox getting rid of toxic materials you have stored for years. Your body does not like to let go of fat unless it can detox adequately. Your body stores toxins in your fat. Depleted nutrient stores in your body get filled up and topped off. Then the bodies systems begin to come back into harmony with one another. Blood sugar begins to balance,cravings begin to disappear, energy improves, thinking improves, your hair and skin begins to glow. Your body starts regenerating itself to a new healthy one.

The bottom line is that weight loss and health do not come from a “diet” they comes from living a healthy lifestyle. That’s it. Adopt a healthy way of living and watch your body change!

Healthy Wishes.

Wally Bishop C.N.C.

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.

Lose the Weight Forever, New Years Resolution!

new years resolutionsIt’s that time of year again. Time for all of us to make New Years Resolutions. Almost everyone has some form of health improvement on the list. Losing weight tops the list because almost 70% of Americans are overweight. Next might be adopting a healthy lifestyle so you can lose weight, keep it off and improve your health. One result I can promise you is; If you are not motivated enough and serious enough about your goal the chances of achieving it are slim.

It’s seems around the beginning of March something happens. The wellness warrior becomes the wellness whiner.  I notice that the gym has fewer people, my classes get thinner and clients and friends begin to avoid me because they don’t want me to know they are off of the new plan.  I am glad they feel a sense of accountability to someone.

This year make part of your New Years Resolution “ I am sticking to the goals I have set”.  Really, doesn’t this make sense? Why put all of this effort into your goals for two or three months and then give up.

I am going to tell you how to keep your weight loss goal going forever. I want you to have what I have. I want you to lose all the extra weight you have gained and keep it off forever.

Most goals are never reached because the goal is not important enough, the goal is unrealistic and there was not enough planning.

1)  Set your date to begin your change. Get rid of bad foods in your house. Buy healthy foods for meals and snacks.

2)  Tell your friends and family what you are doing. This sets up a level of accountability for you. Ask your friends to urge you or even join you in this new lifestyle.

3)  Be realistic about your diet and weight loss goals. Set goals for weight loss in 10 pound increments. The first goals is 10 pounds, the second is 10 pounds. Do you get it? This makes the goal very achievable and builds confidence.

4)  You must understand your energy requirements. If you eat to many calories or under consume your calories you will not lose weight.  Try to eat 500 to 1000 calories less than you actually need. However never eat less than 1200 calories per day. You can use our daily calorie calculator to help you understand how many calories a day you need to eat.

5)  Understand that to lose weight you must exercise.  If you have not exercised in a long time start slowly and consult with your doctor. If you can only walk for 10 minutes, then walk for 10 minutes and work your way up to at least 1 hour.  You can even break up the walking and exercising into 20 or 30-minute sections and do them multiple times per day. This actually keeps your metabolism burning fat at a higher rate for more hours in the day.  This translates to faster weight loss.

6)  Never deprive yourself of any food. If you must have that brownie eat just 1 and be happy. The next time you eat, it should be healthy. If you eat healthy 80% of the time it will allow you to indulge or splurge 20% of the time. This will keep you happy and help you lose weight by not bingeing.

7)  Never beat yourself up for having an unscheduled indulgence. Look at it as a treat because you have done so well. The next time you eat make healthy choices.

8)  Eat a lot of plant foods like vegetables, fruits, beans and nuts and seeds. Most are very low in calories and very high in nutrient content. They also have a lot of fiber, which is satiating and filling. However limit your fruits to 2 servings per day. They have a lot of sugar in the form of fructose that can interfere with your weight loss.

9)  Limit your grains to whole grains and then even limit those to no more than 4 servings per day. Grains cause cravings and can raise blood sugar levels.

Make sure you drink plenty of water. Water is necessary to breakdown fat and create cellular energy. The general rule is to consume ½ your weight in fluid ounces of water per day.  If you weight 150 pounds you would need 75 ounces of fluid per day. If you exercise, are ill or sweat a lot you may need more fluid.

There are two items I use everyday that make this easy for me. First is a product called Vive (rhymes with liv) it is a whole food drink mix that I use twice per day. It is the best tasting shake mix out there and is highly nutritious. The next is my NutriBullet blender. It is engineered to make the nutrients easier to absorb from the blended foods. It makes great smoothies when using the Vive shake mix.

I want you to have great success and I do not want weight loss to not be on next years list unless you’re continuing on the journey. So, please start planning, get excited about the new body you are going to have, the new health you are going to enjoy, the new clothes you get to buy!

It’s simple; plan, execute, do it, lose it, and keep it off by continuing to live a lifestyle of wellness and healthy.

Healthy Wishes for a new year!

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.

Intermittent Fasting, What Is It and Are There Benefits?

Results of a LeanGains protocol Intermittent Fasting Practitioner.

Have you heard of Intermittent Fasting?

Well, Intermittent Fasting (IF) is becoming increasingly popular.  It is a method for loosing fat and building muscle. Most people practicing IF are really into fitness and a very lean look, however you can also use If to accelerate fat loss and start faster muscle growth for the average person.

I see IF mentioned often in other health blogs.  Popular health professionals like Dr. Mercola are praising the practice for its health benefits. People have been fasting for religious and medical reasons and for natural health benefits. It is not my goal to give you a dissertation on everything about IF, there are plenty of sources providing that info. I want to bring it to your attention, give you the expert sources and give you enough information to see if it something that you feel may help you.

I do not think IF is for everyone. If you are obese I do not recommend starting with IF. I recommend a different protocol until you have learned how to eat a healthy diet, manage calories and are able to exercise self-control, then it might be for you. There are medical conditions in which care must be given to food and nutrient intake. If you have existing health issues, consult with your Doctor to make sure it is OK for your health to practice IF .

There are several different versions of IF. IF is going without food for an extended period beyond the normal time between meals. IF does not include going without water or electrolytes. Water and electrolytes are very important to stay properly hydrated. IF is typically abstaining from food for 12 to 36 hours.  Optimally, the fast is 16 hours. It just depends on the program you decide to use and the health gains you are looking for.

One practitioners description that I think is very easy to understand

“Remember the goal with IF is not about eating nothing (or as people would say “starving yourself” ) to lose weight. It is about just taking a short break in eating to elicit natural hormonal and evolutionary genetic responses at the cellular level for better health (and weight loss does happen in the process). You will still eat that day and you are not doing this every day.”

Potential Benefits of IF

  • Weight loss
  • Accelerated fat loss
  • Muscle growth
  • HGH stimulation
  • Reduced cravings and hunger
  • Improved hormonal balance
  • Improved blood sugar balance
  • Improved cholesterol balance
  • Increased energy
  • Reduced inflammation
  • Reduced free radical damage (oxidation damage)
  • Reduction in risk of inflammatory and age related disease and illness.

Calorie Restriction vs IF

Studies with animals have shown that calories restriction of 25% or more can extend life by a decade or more. However there are negative side effects that can come from this much of a restriction everyday.  Calories contain nutrients which are important for health.  Consistent calorie restriction can result in muscle loss, fatigue, poor mental focus, hormone imbalances and lots of hunger.

IF is not about calories restriction as much as it is about the avoidance of food intake over longer periods of a 24 hour cycle. Eat in an 8 hour window and fast for 16 hours. The IF periods cause the body to make metabolic changes that bring positive benefits.

Nutrition

Nutrition intake is very important for any dietary routine. With IF it is even more important for positive results. You should really limit the intake of empty calories during the practice of IF. Empty calories mean the food is calorie rich but offers very little nutritional value. All refined and processed foods are considered empty calorie foods. Your diet should consist of vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, beans and limited whole grains. For meat eaters you should have lean free range meats such as turkey breast and chicken breast and wild caught fish.

Exercise

Exercise is very important for weight loss, fat loss and overall health. You can exercise during IF. In fact the leading experts have specific exercise protocols for maximizing the benefits of IF.

Expert Resources

There are several experts on the subject with supporting websites and even books.  So if you decide to give IF a try there is a lot of support available from many sources.

The best resources for IF

LeanGains– Martin Berkhan it seems is the developer of IF. Many people have used his system and tweaked it to make their own system.

Brad Pilon – author of Eat Stop Eat

Andy Morgan

The IF Life

In Summary

IF can benefit anyone from a fitness freak that is into body building or a mom just wanting to get her bathing suit body back. It takes discipline, but not as much as you think. Once you do it for a few days the body adjust and IF naturally helps control hunger. My experience with IF although short has been positive. I feel energetic, lighter and muscle is building quicker.

Happy Health Wishes

Wally Bishop C.N.C.

WebND

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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.