Detox Drink for Cleansing and Weightloss

cucumber-lemon-mint-water-2

Cucumber helps the body flush out toxins because it contains the organic compound citrulline, which is an amino acid that has been shown to help the liver and kidneys filter and get rid of ammonia. Ammonia comes in external forms, but is also a by-product of the proteins our bodies are burning up constantly for energy, and it’s quite damaging to our cells. Water is just plain good for us, but it’s thought that it helps flush nasty toxins and waste through our system, giving organs like the liver and kidney an easier time doing their job. Lemon or lime juice helps stimulate and regulate the digestive track (which is why it’s so helpful with constipation, heartburn and gas), stimulates bile production, and thins out bile, which allows it to flow more freely. Bile is produced by the liver and ends up in the small intestine to break down lipids (fats) that we’ve consumed.   Mint leaves are a nice refreshing flavor to add to your drink. On top of that, it can help you digest more effectively, improving the flow of bile from the liver, to the gallbladder, to the small intestine, where it breaks down dietary fats. Mint…

Read More

Balancing Bateria for Fatloss

About 3 years ago after going to see a kinesiologist practitioner, I was told I had a leaky gut. I knew I had problems close to what the average person would call IBS but I just didn’t know the extend of what was going on. Basically, no matter how well I was eating, my gut was no allowing it to be absorped properly. Later I found out this was very similiar to what happens when I eat gluten. It was at this point I started to look for different ways to look after my gut! The best way to ensure you are digesting the healthy food you are putting in- which also means that you are more efficiently dealing with waste and remove the ‘congestion in the digestion’ this not only helps with fatloss but just overall health and wellbein,- you can try these things: 1. Probiotics: I take a fos a dophillus capsule everyday- you can get one from your local health shop By way of the National Institutes of Health: “Probiotics are live microorganisms that are similar to beneficial microorganisms found in the human gut. They are also called ‘friendly bacteria’ or ‘good bacteria. The idea is that…

Read More

Greek Style Stuffed Peppers

Peppers Burn off fat… Both hot and sweet peppers may enhance weight-loss efforts, it is true. Research has shown that capsaicin—the substance that gives hot red peppers (or chilies) their kick, and boosts our metabolism—keeps immature fat cells from developing into full-fledged ones. And a study presented in April found that a compound in some sweet peppers (called CH-19 Sweet), which resembles capsaicin, provides similar positive metabolic effects—minus the burning mouth and lips. So let’s get pepper making with this Greek Style Stuffed peppers! Makes: 4 servings Active Time: 40 minutes Total Time: 40 minutes Ingredients 4 yellow, orange and/or red bell peppers 1/2 cup whole-wheat orzo or you could use risotto rice for Gluten Free option 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 6 ounces baby spinach, coarsely chopped 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, or 1 teaspoon dried 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese, divided 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, (not oil-packed), chopped 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar, or red-wine vinegar 1/4 teaspoon salt Preparation 1. Halve peppers lengthwise through the stems, leaving the stems attached. Remove the seeds and white membrane. Place the peppers cut-side down in a large microwave-safe dish. Add 1/2 inch…

Read More

Avoid the Christmas belly bulge

It is the time of year when all you want to do is eat and hibernate. Add to that stress eating from all the preparations and extended family times and it seems impossible to avoid over doing it! But you can avoid the Christmas Belly Bulge by just adding a few more healthy choices throughout the Christmas season to lessen the quantity of over indulgences and also increase the quality of what you are eating to simply balance everything out. Follow these four simple tips for you and your family:   Save Have a Party Plan Is it essential to be proactive this time of year to ensure you balance out the fun with still looking after yourself and what you consume!  You don't want to undo all the good work you have done to date and honestly, you can easily put on up to 7lbs in a week of overeating and drinking. That said, you can enjoy Christmas parties with a few easy preplanned strategies. Firstly, decide which ones you are going to- pick and choose and don't day Yes to everything.  A few parties are OK but if you decide that you are just going to take the...
Read More

Mariana loses 5lbs and gets bikini ready for her beach holiday

dont-ask-me-why-m-i-vegetarian

“I am a young mum, lost a good bit of weight with breast feeding but I just wanted to get my ‘before baby’ body back. I know I didn’t have that much to lose but losing it was hard so I had to make a commitment to myself and set a goal – a beach holiday- which means the bikini. This made all the difference. I lost 5lbs in 2 weeks and maintained my weight easily on holiday and when I got back by replacing one meal a day with the shake. And I had more energy and great skin and always felt good. Mummy Shape School really worked for me as it was simple, easy to follow and got me the results I wanted fast.” – Marianna, 22, lost 5lbs in 2 weeks.

Read More

Foil Wrapped Baked Salmon

Salmon is a great high-protein, low-calorie meal option. Pair with green beans and broccoli for a well-balenced meal. Yield: Serves 4 Ingredients 4 salmon fillets 1 onion, sliced $ 1/4 cup butter, diced 1 lemon, thinly sliced 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed Preparation Place each fillet on a piece of aluminum foil that has been sprayed with non-stick vegetable spray or a sprinkle of olive oil. Top fillets evenly with onion slices, diced butter, lemon slices and brown sugar. Fold over aluminum foil tightly to make packets; make several holes in top of packets with a fork to allow steam to escape. Arrange packets on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. Enjoyed this recipe, why not tell us how you cooked it and how it went down with the family on our Facebook page, share it below.

Read More

6 Steps to Vegetarian-ize a Main Dish Recipe

thai squash and pineapple curry
To help you on your plant based journey, I've put together some simple steps so that you can easily turn a traditional main meal into a delicious vegetarian dish. And if you haven't already you need to check out my post on Transitioning to a Plant Based Lifestyle: Why, How and What to Eat You don’t have to use all the steps, just whatever works for you to help you achieve the goal of a wonderful tasting vegetarian main dish recipe.   1. Substitute the meat portion of the dish with tofu, egg, mushrooms, lentils or goats cheese. Adding an egg to a sandwich in lieu of meat or scrambled egg to fried rice are great non-meat substitutions. Adding mushrooms to pasta to replace meat or substituting lentils in mincemeat dishes like lasagne or shepherd's pie. 2. Replace chicken stock with vegetable stock. Often a recipe is so close to being vegetarian already, that all you’ll need to do modify the stock choice. 3. Increase the vegetables to account for the meat you’ve removed. Add extra vegetables or legumes that are already in the recipe, or new vegetables that correspond to the recipe’s flavour. For example, kidney beans, courgettes and...
Read More

What’s so good about a vegetarian diet?

Vegetarians rock!

I am so glad you asked! Of course I am a great advocate of this choice of lifestyle but I do have the information to back that up. Here are six good reasons for chossing a vegetarian diet: Vegetarian cuisine is naturally low in saturated fats, and foods of plant origin contain little or no cholesterol. Plant foods are also much higher in fiber than animal foods. Many plant foods contain significant amounts of vital B-vitamins, and folic acid: and fruits and vegetables are powerful sources of phytochemicals – nutrients that help every organ of the body work better. Vegetarians tend to eat fewer calories, since grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables, volume-for-volume, tend to be lower in calories than meat and poultry. Studies have shown that as long as their diet is balanced and nutritious, the people who consume fewer total daily calories live longer and healthier lives. Veggie lovers believe that foods from plant sources, which are lower on the food chain, are safer than animal foods, since pollutants tend to concentrate in fatty tissues. While raw fruits and vegetables can carry harmful bacteria and pesticide residues just like meat, you can remove many of these pollutants by washing…

Read More

5 Steps for raising a little vegetarian

little vegetarian

Josh who is now 6 has been a vegetarian all of his life. He is now becoming more aware and exposed to other options at school and at friend’s house which I do not limit him from experiencing but in our house, we are meat free. Here are my 5 steps for raising a little vegetarian: 1. Educate yourself There are a lot of myths about being a vegetarian and how healthy it is as a lifestyle. Educate yourself on the important information in terms of protein, calcium and micro nutrients. Start here with the 12 Frequently asked questions about being a vegetarian. 2. Get recipe ideas There are sooooo many recipe books out there with vegetarian ideas for kids. When I first became pregnant, I went out and bought 3 or 4 which was enough for me to put together the 10-14 dishes we eat on a regular basis. My favourite is Great Healthy Food for Vegetarian Kids by Nicola Graimes. It really is just about finding 10 key meals that you prepare and rotating them. There are also just so many online recipe sources that really you could get lost in. The point here to find ones you…

Read More

What athletes say about Juice Plus+

female-athletes

Most people know and understand the many health benefits of leading an active lifestyle that includes regular exercise. Exercise can benefit anywhere from increased lean muscle mass to improved bone density to better flexibility and better aerobic and anaerobic capacity. What most don’t know is that there is one significant detrimental effect of exercise… Exercise induced oxidative stress. Exercise induced oxidative stress increases as exercise becomes more rigorous. Oxidative stress can significantly impact body repair and recovery post-exercise and as a result, hinder optimum performance. However, individuals can markedly reduce their oxidative stress and the impact it has on the body through proper nutrition. With proper nutrition, individuals can ensure the maximum health benefits from their exercise regime. Watch below about what a world class athlete has to say about the importance of eating more fruits and vegetables and the role that Juice Plus+ can play in improving one’s health and well being. Juice Plus+’s ability to reduce exercise oxidative stress is proven and published in sports and nutrition journals. Proper nutrition can enhance your physical performance and ensure you are getting the maximum health benefits from your physical activity. Here’s what a world-class athlete has to say about Juice…

Read More