STEP NINE: SWEETS

Our last step is the sweets! Or sweets, wine, salts, oils, etc. The only time I eat sweets is when I am craving it. I usually have sweets when I'm craving them. I will usually eat dairy-free ice cream (which is AMAZING) something salty, I will eat edamame with sea salt, and sometimes occasionally I will have fries with little to no salt at all. Fries are my down fall, but I am working on pretty much my last addiction I have of food.

So a way to help you curb those cravings if you really are trying to eat better (and don't get me wrong, you may still have the "naughty" stuff, just don't indulge!) we just need to think of ways you can substitute. So like I said before, I love edamame with sea salt. It really helps my "salt" tooth when I am craving it so much! Also, if you are craving salt, your body is telling you that it is lacking nutrients. Sea salt is full of minerals unlike table salt, which are stripped of minerals.

If I get a sugar craving, I usually go for the SO DELICIOUS chocolate ice cream. it is SO good and has a hit of coconut. It is a taste of heaven! :)

Sweet cravings are usually a sign your body is giving off for the lack of energy. If you get the craves for sugar, grab a piece of fruit, veggies or grains! I am still working on getting in a better habit of first grabbing the fruit, but I still need a little work. Day by day.

What I should have started with was water. A lot of the time our body will have different cravings all because it just needs water. If you are waiting for you to get thirsty, that is bad! If you finally start to crave water, it means you are already dehydrated! Our bodies need water in the worst way. It helps our organs running, flushing toxins and helps with headaches. You probably have a headache from not drinking water!
STAY AWAY FROM SUGARED DRINKS!! Even those Vitamin waters, fruit juices and so on! They are not good for you! 

If you are really craving a pop, then just go eat tablespoons of sugar. Oh, that sounds gross, well that's what you are about to drink! Cutting out sugary drinks makes a HUGE difference on your diet. Sure I will eat my dairy-free ice cream, but I would rather eat my calories, carbs and sweets. Not drink them! Even juices that claim they are "organic" or "100% fruit juice" it is crap! They are still pasteurized. When you pasteurize something, it is not only killing the bacteria, but it's also killing all the nutrients. So don't be fulled by drinks. It's safer and better to just eat your calories, carbs and sweets. Don't drink them. It's a trap!

STEP EIGHT: LEAN MEATS

Lean meats I suggests everyone to eat would be chicken, turkey, cattle, sheep, goats, deer, and bison. Chicken and turkey may be eaten weekly (twice a week). Before I go on, I want to clarify that before I became a vegetarian, I followed the Mediterranean Diet and at chicken and/or fish twice a week for one or two meals and might I say, I was pretty dang healthy, going to the gym and lost fifteen pounds from doing it! But that's getting off the subject.

If I were to eat meat again, I would only eat lean turkey more often because it has more protein in it than chicken. I would buy my meat from Whole Foods also because I know the meat is coming from a good place, not giving their animals any injections of hormones or other nonsense. SO weekly, eat chicken, fish or turkey.

The other meats you may take in your own preference. I didn't like beef that much when I used to eat meat. I would eat it less often, but just always remember to portion the meat. It's supposed to garnish the plate and DON'T eat meat with every meal. You WILL tell a huge difference when you cut meat back so much.

Now, just as there are certain sea-foods you should not eat, there are other meats you should not eat. You need to stay away from pig, rabbit, camel, canines, felines, and the list goes on! These animals can not break down toxins in their bodies, so anything that they get in their bodies that are bad, will also be absorbed in your system. I know we don't eat cats, dogs and camel, I am just making a point across. Pork is everywhere though! Don't eat it! Texans like pigs for pets because they kill rattlesnakes. There will be times the pig is going to get bit and all the poison and toxins going in to the pig is just getting absorbed. And another thing, pigs are scavengers! They will eat anything! Whatever the pig eats, you eat! 

You are probably thinking that I am Jewish. Well, I'm not. I am a Christian and I wanted to do some research why God asked us not to eat certain meats. Now that we have the technology that helps us know the nutrients that are in animals, yeah, there is a big reason. He wants us to take care of our bodies as much as we do. If you don't believe in God, then look up the research that has been done that is in these certain meats that are bad for you bod.

Now, I am not a PEETA person, but I do think animals should be treated well before they are slaughtered. They should be well fed and not be given any growth hormones. It's not natural.

A couple of months ago, I got into a conversation with my uncle-in-law about the whole "animal cruelty" subject. He used to work on a farm and told me that the place where the slaughtering would happen, was extremely clean! Anything that touched the ground was thrown away. He also told me about an autistic woman(Temple Grandin) that invented of ways to help the animals be calm before they were slaughtered. There are places out there that treat animals with respect and those that don't at all. If you're like me, I like to know the animals were treated well and happy. I usually just shop at Whole Foods for my (fish) and it helps me.

Tips: Don't buy packaged meat. It can have added preservatives and who knows what else. Always buy fresh. :)

STEP SEVEN: FISH and SEAFOOD

Know, just for a heads up. The only meat that I eat is fish (mostly salmon) and stay away from all other meat.(long story)The knowledge I know of about everything I have posted are from various sites and from Josh Woodcook. Just look him up. I'm too lazy to talk about his vast knowledge of literally everything!
Anyway!

This post is all about fish and seafood. Now, you want to be careful about the seafood you eat. You want to always keep in mind that the best meat from the ocean that is good for you need to have fins and scales. Such as tuna, carp, salmon and herring. I always buy my salmon "fresh caught". I don't want to take the chance to buy farm bread fish in case they have anything out of the ordinary fed to them. You can never be too careful now a days.

There may be a lot of you thinking why I don't have lobster or shrimp or who knows what else up in that list. Well, the reason is because those sea animals are scavengers. That means they will eat ANYTHING, and whatever the animal eats is in it's system and you pretty much take in it's lack of nutrients. To elaborate, scavengers like to eat dead carcases, poop, sewage, etc! So, think twice about what you eat. Fish like salmon and tuna are smart and stay away from contaminated waters. They know it's bad for them! For any of you that like swordfish for an example should stop! Swordfish absorb the bad, dirty water in their bodies and you are getting those toxins as well.

As I have mentioned earlier, I really love and enjoy salmon! And is the best meat you can eat for health! It is loaded with Omega-3 and provide bioactive protein molecules that provide special support for joint cartilage, insulin effectiveness, and control of inflammation in the digestive tract and so much more!

It is so important to know what animals are good for our bodies from the animals that will hurt our bodies. Our bodies will thank us forever if we keep it healthy! Portion size is also important! Any meat that you eat should only GARNISH your plate and not take over the whole thing. Meat should be just about or smaller than your grains servings. I usually eat 3-4 ounces of fish 3-4 times a week. We don't need meat in all of our meals. It is very bad to partake of so much meat. Our bodies have a very hard time digesting it. When you do eat a good, small portion, always CHEW YOUR FOOD FOR 30 SECONDS!! It will help the digestion progress so much better!

STEP FIVE: EGGS and DAIRY (no thanks!)

Our next step is eggs. We all know eggs are an excellent source of protein. But there is a little misunderstanding about how to eat eggs. Are egg yolks bad for you? Not entirely. The yolks are where most of the nutrients are. One egg a day is good for you if you include the yolk. But you would still have to be careful about how much dairy you eat throughout the day. You don't want to raise your cholesterol. I usually have two eggs for breakfast. One egg white and one full egg. For dinner, if I make stir-fried rice and veggies, I will toss in an egg white or two. Egg whites still consist 50% of the protein and has almost no fat. So, as long as you got your full egg, you should be fine to have egg whites during the day.

When I shop for eggs, I always choose Simple Truth brand. The chickens are cage free and are fed a vegetarian diet to keep them healthy and are free of injected hormones. It gives me comfort knowing I'm not getting my eggs from poor hens that have to suffer in most places. Whether you want to believe it or not, there are factories that give their chickens hormones that make them double or sometimes triple the amount of eggs produced. What ever is in the chicken's system, is also going to be in the chicken's meat and eggs. So be careful where you shop.

Healthy chickens given good diet

 The next portion is supposed to be about dairy. But instead, I am going to explain to you why I don't consume dairy in my diet. I find it funny that we humans drink milk from another animal.  Why it's silly to me is because cow's hormones are stronger than human hormones. So really, it's bad for our bodies. It will make our hormones go crazy! Not only that, but there are places that inject cows with growth hormones that strictly only make them produce milk. Like I said about the chickens, whatever is in the animal, will also be absorbed in the meat and produce. So, not only are you getting the cows natural hormones, you are getting the ones that were injected. Diary is also mucous-forming (which can cause sickness) and acid-forming (cause our bodies to overuse its acid-balancing mechanisms). So really, the dairy industries lied saying it helps get calcium in the bones, when really, it doesn't. It's doing the complete opposite. Not only that, when milk is pasteurized, it kills all the nutrients that are provided anyway. So you're not getting anything from drinking milk or eating cheese. Leave the milk to the baby cows. They need it more than we do.

Soy milk has more calcium in it and is a lot better for you. It has less fat, better for your heart, zero cholesterol, and fewer calories. Treat soy milk like you would dairy milk. Drink three cups a day and you're good! You will tell your body is so much better when you switch to a better lifestyle. It will take time for your body to get used to it, but it is worth it!

STEP FOUR: SEASONINGS part 2

The reason I split up seasonings and healthy oils was because in my opinion, we can use seasonings, or herbs, everyday. Herbs add so much flavor and nutrients in our food. So if you ever want to spice things up, experiment with different spices.

 I also wanted to go in depth about herbs. There are SO many different uses for herbs that we can use to heal our bodies, naturally. I am not one to take medicine, such as tylenol, ibuprophen, and so on. I don't understand why they were created in the first place when there are plants that do the exact same thing, minus all the toxins and impurities medicine has. Not only that, why would I take something for a headache when other medicines can cause heart failure, or seizures, stomach pain, fevers, and who knows what else? Herbal supplements are safe and are not addicting.

 So please, if you want a healthier, cleaner body, stop taking the man made medicines and start taking the original medicines. Don't poison your body any more.

STEP FOUR: HEALTHY FATS part 1

To keep our bodies functioning properly, we need to make sure we include healthy fats. When cooking meals, there are a lot of people that use butter and margarine. Well, stop it! When you cook, start using olive oil. There are lots of different oils you can use, but I think olive oil is more convenient. I also use coconut oil to switch it up some days.

Serving size: 3-9 servings everyday

Using oils for cooking helps you get the fat your body needs. It can cut the risk of heart attack and helps prevents heart disease. I have provided a site that gives a list of different oils you could use for cooking.

  http://www.today.com/food/beyond-olive-9-healthy-oils-cooking-dressing-dishes-1C8563746

In my introduction, I had mentioned that the only "diet" that I recommended was the Mediterranean diet. It follows the food pyramid and keeps you on track with staying healthy. 

 http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/mediterranean-diet/CL00011

You do still want to have little servings of it. I usually use it once a day with one meal. Or you can use it as little as you want. Just don't over do it.

STEP THREE: LEGUMES

Our third step on the food pyramid is legumes. Legumes are categorized as beans, lentils or seeds. My favorite legume to eat are soy beans, or edamame. When we consume legumes, we have to be really careful on the portions. Even though they are high in protein and fiber, they are also high in fat and calories.

They are rich in folic acid, calcium, iron, potassium, zinc and contain antioxidants. Legumes are also a complex carbohydrate that provides energy for your body that lasts for hours. 

 

 For portion control on legumes, you only want to have half of a cup three to four servings a week. For most of you vegetarians, you would want to up the amount of servings so you know you are getting your body what it needs.

Now if you need a good snack that you want to keep you pretty full and satisfied, I suggest having edamame. Even if you are craving something salty, you can always cook some up and top a little bit of sea salt on them. They are delicious! I also recommend soy beans for people that need to stay low with their GI. Soy protein helps people that suffer with diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, cholesterol, and more. Now, there are men out there that think soy protein is bad because it has estrogen and for some reason think they will start growing lady parts. Well guess what boys, you're wrong! Soy contains isoflavones that help reduce the risk of breast cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis and guess what else!? Prostate cancer!

STEP TWO: WHOLE GRAINS

Our second step is going to be grains. Whole grains I should add. Whole wheat, brown rice, whole wheat pasta, etc. It is important to have whole grains in your diet, especially for those that need a low GI diet, because it has a safer effect on blood sugar and insulin. It also is high in fiber, provides healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, and so on. Refined grains are highly processed and remove the bran and germ of the grain,  thus, does not provide any nutrients for ones health.

The portions you want daily from whole grains is six ounces. You could also measure half of a cup of each whole grain you have for your meals.

Grains do wonders for your body that helps reduce cholesterol, heart disease, maintain your weight which also means it helps with obesity, and type 2 diabetes. Whole grains helps the bowels function properly that also helps constipation. Whole grains are also packed with vitamins and minerals. B vitamins -thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and folic acid, iron, magnesium and selenium. So with these nutrients, they help the metabolism, help form red blood cells, release energy, carry oxygen to the blood and so much more. Even if you suffer from celiac disease, there are grains that are safe to eat.


Your body needs the nutrients the earth has provided. We just need to learn moderation and figure out what our bodies need. Everyone is different and has different nutrient needs.




For those of you suffering from celiac disease, visit my father-in-law's website to the right (National Allergy and Injury Clinic). He has helped so many patients with the gluten allergy that I know he can help  you. All it takes is a leap of faith.

STEP ONE: VEGETABLES and FRUITS

We are going to start breaking down the Food Pyramid for the next few posts. Following it will help with portion control and getting your body the nutrients it needs.

Our fist step is going to be about vegetable and fruit intake. When working on developing a healthier diet, it is important to have vegetables everyday for every single meal. Five to seven servings a day. Vegetables contain high fiber and a number of nutrients. When preparing a meal, it is nice to add a little color to the plate to get different nutrients different vegetables provide. Also, when eating the vegetables, it is even more important to keep the skins on our veggies and fruits. That is where the majority of the minerals and nutrients come from.

Some of my favorite veggies I eat are spinach, cucumbers, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, sprouts, green bell peppers, and asparagus. Spinach and other dark leafy greens, contains lipoic acid, which helps antioxidants, vitamin A and C, regenerate, protein, calcium, and fiber. Don't over cook spinach, thus killing all the nutrients. Eat it raw, and you have everything you need. Cucumbers are a good source of B vitamins, are 95% water which helps the body hydrate while also eliminating toxins. They also contain vitamin C in the skins, so don't peel it! I can go on with so many more veggies, but you can always do the research. 

On to fruits! You want to make sure not to have a high intake of fruits. They are loaded with sugar. Granted, it is natural sugar, but can still raise blood sugar. You still want fruit everyday, but try to eat them for your snacks when you feel a little hungry. The bright side of eat fruits is that they are low in fat, calories, sodium, high in fiber, and do not have cholesterol. They also include potassium, vitamin C and folic acid.

For those of you that love bananas, try not to eat so much. They are high in sugar. Try to switch with kiwis every now and then. They have just as much potassium but provide less sugar. But if you have to watch your GI, stay AWAY from tropical fruits. They are the highest in sugar levels. Here is a list of the best fruits you want if you need to watch your GI intake. http://www.livestrong.com/article/5375-lowsugar-fruits/

I also wanted to mention that in my opinion, don't buy the fruits that are already cut up and are ready for your purchase. They contain preservatives and I don't think taste that awesome anyway. So always buy fruit fresh!

"YOU'RE ONE WORKOUT AWAY FROM BEING IN A BETTER MOOD"

Before I break down the food pyramid, I want to talk about exercising. It is SO important to keep yourself active! YES! It's hard! You don't want to keep working at it but I promise you, once that work out is done, you will feel so much better! Your body is releasing endorphins that make you feel awesome at the end of each work-out! Just like Elle from Legally Blonde says "Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don't shoot their husbands, they just don't." So, if you don't want to shoot your husband, go for a run, bike ride, walk, frantically clean your house if you have to!  

Endorphins want to make you happy! Go get active!

Exercising is so rewarding in the end! Even if you are just starting, you feel so good through-out the whole day! I usually go on a run in the mornings and I can tell a HUGE difference in my mood when I have been. This last week, I wasn't able to run and I was a beast the whole week! I was always in a bad mood. True, I do have the choice to how I want to act, but it surprised me so much that not running would do that to me. My endorphins were NOT happy! But today, I ran four and a half miles and have been joyous all day!

So keep at it and be active! Your body wants it and will start craving it when you have created the habit for yourself. So remember!...

You're not on a diet, you are working on eating better AND

endorphins are your friends and make you happy! Get active!

:)

Everything you need to know about the right "DIET"

Everyone is always in a constant look to find the right "diet". We've all tried so many different ones and nothing has ever really worked. Or we have found one that worked for a certain amount of time, but in the end, wasn't really worth it. 

What I first want to talk about is the actual word "DIET". I am sure you are going through your head of all the beloved diets we all know and, well, not love. But what the word actually means is what a person usually consumes. So, if you eat cookies, that's part of your diet. Veggies, fruits and that occasional candy bar? It is still apart of your diet.

So from here on out, especially if you want to start eating better and a lot healthier, don't say you're on a "diet". Always remind yourself that you are working on eating better. Some days, you will eat very well, and there are other days that you will want a little sweet or salty treat. Moderation is always okay! But, if you are serious about eating better, you want to give your "treats" a little make-over.

If you really feel like you have to be on a diet to help you gain self control, the ONLY one I recommend is the Mediterranean diet. Why it is the only one I recommend is because IT FOLLOWS THE FOOD PYRAMID! WOO! 

If you have questions about it, you can always search it and give it a try. I have a few things I take out of it, but that is what this blog is for. I am going to go through the pyramid step-by-step and explain what foods are good and bad and how to make alternatives. 

The changes I have made in my life have helped me so much! I am here to help others that are struggling as I have in my past. :)

INTRODUCTION

This blog is for the purpose of helping me keep on track with being healthy and mostly for me to write when I'm bored. But a little about me...

My name is Shelli. I grew up in Utah my whole life, I am number six of seven children in my family (five of us are adopted, including myself) I love being outdoors and being active. I have been married for six months and love my husband more everyday, and LOVE running.  Just recently, I have been better with keeping up with a healthier way of living and write this blog to keep me, and hopefully others, inspired to keep it up! I want to go into nutrition and become a DC (doctor of chiropractic). My father-in-law has been doing is practice for seventeen years and it is amazing that I have seen so many miracles in his office, let alone my own life!
Anyway...

Also (just to clarify a little more about my own diet) I am a pescetarian. What that means is the only meat I eat is fish. And to elaborate more on that, the only fish I eat is salmon. It's the only meat I can eat that doesn't gross me out! Plus, I will get into more detail and depth why it is too. Most pescetarians still allow dairy in their diet. Well, I don't. I choose not to add dairy into my diet because of reasons I will list in later posts.

Well, there is just a bit about myself! Hopefully you will like what I write. Everything will be from my opinions and the research I have done that helped me get to the diet I chose to have.