How to Decide What's "Healthy" to Eat These Days

It drives me crazy trying to shift through all of the articles that are published day after day on what is and isn't healthy to eat. One day eggs are good for you, the next they aren't. Eat bacon! Don't eat bacon. Animal proteins cause cancer; Animal proteins are the best way to get protein. Yikes! It changes all of the time making it difficult to know what foods to keep in your diet and stay healthy.

I want to start by saying that I'm not a Doctor or a certified Nutritionist. However, I have helped many people find their path to a healthier life. I consider myself a researchist -- is that a thing? Ha. I spend hours and hours a week reading articles and trying to find both side of every story. I also want to say that I don't believe there is a "one size fits all" eating plan. It is more common than ever for people to have diabetes, a thyroid condition, autoimmune diseases, depression, IBS and more. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated that, "As of 2012, about half of adults - 117 million people - have one ore more chronic health conditions. One of four adults has two or more chronic conditions." Scary, right? I have Epilepsy so I fall into those numbers. If you are one of these people you most-likely take medication for your condition. I don't want to, but it is needed right now to control my seizures. Depending on the medication you take, it can cause deficencies in your diet. Your medication can also cause other side effects that you have to take into consideration. So the first step is to do research about your condition, your medication(s) and what that means. If you are one of the lucky ones that doesn't take any medication at all, yay! Clean slate. Deciding on beneficial foods should be easier!

My approach is that of moderation. I live pretty much by the 80/20 rule of eating healthy and giving myself treats. Yes, that number jumps up to 30% sometimes around the holidays, but I also know how to dial back to 90/10 if needed. Why 80/20? Because diets don't work longterm -- period. If you can naturally eat healthy 100% of the time and enjoy it, great! But I love dark chocolate and my Mom's homemade pies at the holidays -- a piece of cake on birthdays, a cheesy shrimp enchilada on the weekend, and I don't want to have to feel guilty about it. Guess what? I don't! (Sometimes I do pay for it later when I have a stomach ache!) I eat pretty much everything except for red meat. If you love red meat, I'm not saying you shouldn't have it from time to time. If you just like it, you may find that you can do without. I haven't found anything that red meat has to offer nutritionally that I can't get otherwise. I haven't had red meat for over 20 years. I thought about cutting meat out all together for awhile. In fact, I started eating a lot of that soy-meat in my 20s and 30s thinking I was making a healthier choice. Ha -- again fed by what I read was healthy at the time. I also ate everything low-fat because that was another thing we were all told was healthy. What I didn't realize was that eating "healthy" is really trying to stay as whole food and clean as possible. No matter what you read, eggs are good, eggs are bad -- you always have to look at the source of your food (and the source of what you have read -- there are always two sides). I started eating organic cage-free eggs because while you will read about cholesterol being a problem with eggs, I don't think one a day or less is what's going to kill me. If I ate a dozen conventional eggs from hens fed GMO corn and soy, maybe I would have a problem. If I already had high cholesterol or heart disease, I might have a problem. Otherwise, all of the positive outweighs the bad. Eggs contain essential vitamins and minerals our bodies need. This is just one example.

We have all read about the gluten craze. If you have Celiacs disease, having any gluten at all can be extremely harmful to the lining of your small intestines, causing all sorts of problems. There are also people who are gluten-intolerant and gluten-sensitive. If you don't have any of these issues, there is no reason to completely avoid gluten. In fact, there are foods that contain gluten that are quite healthy for you! I have often thought it would be great if you could get a food allergy blood test covered by your primary doctor. This test would give you a heads up as to what foods you should really stay away from! For now, the test(s) are very expensive. I am saving up. :) If you don't have the money for these expensive tests, you can always try an elimination diet to figure out what you may have a sensitivity to. Along with gluten (wheat), dairy, soy, eggs, fish and nuts are the most common allergens in adults.

Speaking of tests, another great simple blood test to get taken (again, not covered by insurance) is a nutritional deficiency test. I have gotten this test at a place called AnyLabTestNow -- it is the MicroNutrient Lab test from Spectracell. You don't need a doctor slip to get this test. However, you may be able to get a slight discount if you go through a nutritionist. I wish I would have done this test before I started Isagenix. Oh well. My test results were great. Funny enough, I wasn't deficient in anything my doctors thought I would be (just something to note). I was borderline on Selenium. The answer? Take 2 brazil nuts a day. Seriously.

There is no clear answer for how we should eat because everyone needs something a little different (depending on a person's natural deficiencies, medication use, genetic predisposition, allergies, etc.). But food alone will never be enough due to the depletion of vitamins and minerals in our soil. Do your research, everything in moderation, eat whole foods, eat clean and get a little help from a company you trust like Isagenix. I feel that the IsaLean shakes have filled in all of my gaps successfully -- along with a few supplements that I know I need for me (IsaOmega, Ageless Actives).

Good luck with your healthy journey!

Hope for Baggy, Saggy Skin After Weight Loss

By Kjersti Cote (updated with current products)

A big concern or worry for many who need to lose a tremendous amount of weight is the excess unwanted skin that may hang around once at the goal weight.

We have great news!  Many, many individuals have released 50, 75, 100, 150, and 200, even 300 lbs. with no baggy skin!!! So what helps skin tighten and shrink?

For starters, the IsaLean Shakes!! 

The amino acids in our shake supports elastin and collagen production within our skin! The longer you’re on the shakes, the more tight and glowing your skin is. 

Ageless Essentials with Product B!

Loads of antioxidants that help combat free radical damage to the skin. You have IsaOmega’s that help with skin pliability and moisture. C-Lyte and Ageless Actives, again for antioxidant protection.  Then there’s Product B, the ultimate in youthful aging with telomere support!  The longer the telomeres, the younger you are!

It provides rebuilding material that rests on the top of the skin. As your skin needs specific nutrients, it will take it from the Rejuvity Essential Youth Serum.

IsaDermix Hand and Body Cream! 

Moisturizing the skin keeps it more resilient and healthy and slows down cellular aging. This stuff is amazing too as the before and after’s with just the cream is fabulous. Avoid toxic skin care products!

As we age, our skin thins making environmental pollutants and chemicals more penetrable to our skin, damaging deeper layers within the skin.  So make sure you shower often and use toxic free skin care like Rejuvity.

Avoid too much sun! Too much sun actually slows collagen production in the skin! Best sun protection ever…Isa Sunguard

As you lose weight and the skin is constantly regenerating, it’s important to remove dead skin sloughing from the surface! Rejuvity Bamboo Exfoliating Polish

Good pure water, avoiding diuretic drinks such as black tea, coffee and soda. If you’re not hydrated properly, wrinkles set in permanently.

Make sure you’re eating regularly, not skipping meals to try to lose faster. Nourishment is needed for every single cell.

Lastly, keep in mind that genetics play a role in this. Nutrition can do its thing but if your genetic say no thanks, then that’s the way God made us. There are many wonderful non-invasive procedures that help with tightening the skin, men and women alike. These are typically put into action after being at your ideal weight for a time.

Cleanse 3

So I just finished my 3rd Isagenix 9-day cleanse. That would be 3 cleanses over 7 months. In between I have had one IsaLean shake every day. The last two months I have added IsaPro to my shakes for more protein. I would say I don't look any better than I did after my second cleanse but I am maintaining my weight loss which is great. I haven't been diligent about working out either. I have had family in town twice since January which means lots of food out and homemade goodies. My stomach became super bloated from the food out, even when I made healthy choices. After my cleanse I am back to normal and feeling great. Now it's time to get back into the groove and tone up in time for Summer!

Why I love my Isagenix shake

10 Reasons I love my Isagenix shake:

1. Easy to make and consume early in the morning or after a workout.
2. Doesn't contain any artificial anything -- artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners or preservatives
3. No GMOs -- all organic. Yes!
4. High protein, 24 grams - 36 grams (IsaLean vs IsLean Pro)
5. Whey protein is "undenatured" and from pasture fed cows living off fertile earth in New Zealand
6. Low glycemic
7. Added enzymes that break down carbohydrates, proteins and fats to maximize the absorption of key nutrients. 
8. Helps burn fat and support lean muscle
9. Increased energy and recovery
10. Tastes great! (I can't say that for all protein drinks!)

I am one of those people that isn't super hungry first thing in the morning. I like my coffee and I would usually force myself to eat something quick like a Nutrigrain bar. I never really thought about the fact that I needed protein in the morning to get me started. In fact, I really needed a meal! At 120 calories and 2 grams of protein, my Nutrigrain bar wasn't cutting it. Not to mention that it contains some crummy ingredients I don't need: SOYBEAN AND/OR CANOLA OIL, SOLUBLE CORN FIBER, SUGAR, DEXTROSE, FRUCTOSE, ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, INVERT SUGAR, CORN SYRUP, SUGAR, MODIFIED CORN STARCH, SODIUM ALGINATE, CARAMEL COLOR, RED 40. (while corn and soy isn't harmful, I doubt these are non-GMO.)

So then I start having the Isagenix IsaLean shake in the morning instead. It's a shake, so it is fast and you can bring it on the go and it is easy to drink even when I'm not that hungry. So instead of getting only 2 grams of protein, I was getting 24 grams of protein! I felt a difference right away in how much energy I had. But it gets better. The whey protein that Isagenix uses is undenatured. Most whey that you find is denatured (proteins are altered through chemical or physical means so that some of its original properties are lost or diminished). Most companies use salts, enzymes, acids or heat to separate out the curds from the whey. These four processes absolutely change whey. Isagenix uses micro-filtration. This process is incredibly expensive but protects the whey in its natural state and keeps it undenatured.  The whey concentrate is then air dried in a huge spray-drying drum, using no heat and then it’s carefully sealed in crates. Along with being undenatured, Isagenix whey comes from New Zealand, free-range cows that are exclusively grass fed (free from herbicides, pesticides etc.), milked and rested according to season and free of hormones, antibiotics and steroids. The whey protein concentrate in the shakes is about 90% utilized, 10% waste. So if you consume a shake that yields 36 grams of protein (IsaLean Pro), after you eat and digest it, you’re utilizing about 33 grams of it. Pretty awesome! Other foods just can't compare. Chicken breast yields 30 grams of protein. Once cooked, eaten and digested however, the body can only utilize about 13 grams of it, the rest is waste.  Same thing with beef and fish -- around 40% utilized. Eggs are a bit higher. Not that you shouldn't eat these foods but you can see how powerful these shakes really are!

Not only that, but it is a meal replacement. It has the calorie intake I need to keep me satisfied at breakfast. And all of that sugar, artificial flavor etc. listed above in my normal Nutrigrain bar? Not in the shake. In fact, the shake is low glycemic and uses stevia leaf extract as a sweetener. There are also 70 plus minerals and trace minerals in the shakes! More vitamins than I usually have by dinner!

And I didn't think about the importance of a shake when working out! The one- to two-hour period right after a workout is prime time for muscle anabolism. It’s this time when you need protein most. The body is craving nutrients for muscle recovery and protein is highest on the list, especially if the protein is high in BCAAs (Branched-Chained Amino Acids). Whey protein is rich in all the BCAAs- leucine, isoleucine, valine. Research studies show that extra fast-absorbing whey protein after workouts boosts muscle growth in active adults and athletes. And I have SEEN my muscle mass increase! 

My latest formula? I love the chocolate IsaLean Shake. But since I have been working out more, I decided to add the IsaPro powder to my shake. When I have 1 1/2 scoops of the IsaLean shake and one of the IsaPro Vanilla I end up with 36 grams of protein! I also like to add a TBSP of PB2 (powdered peanut butter). You can also just have the IsaLean Pro shakes which will be the 36 grams of protein. Either way works!

So even if you aren't into cleansing, you need your protein, vitamins and minerals. Start your day with an Isagenix shake, you will be glad you did! Buy here now! http://cemclean.isagenix.com

Why I decided to cleanse

I never thought about cleansing before. In fact, I thought people that cleansed were extreme. I didn't think I need to go to such lengths for my health. I figured my body knows how to cleanse naturally. Isn't that what our kidneys and liver are meant to do? So when I learned that Isagenix had a cleansing system, I wasn't initially excited.

But I do like to research and started to look into cleansing -- especially Isagenix cleansing.

Natural cleansing processes that our body does are enzymatic processes. These processes are dependent upon daily intake of minerals and trace minerals and amino acids. If you are deficient with any minerals, trace minerals and amino acids, your enzymatic processes slow or stop working properly altogether. We know that mineral deficiency is at an all time high due to depletion of soil quality. Most traditional diets are missing many of these key nutrients to support our natural cleansing process. Add to it the fact that we live in a polluted world that our bodies weren't created to live in.

We live in a toxic world -- there is no question. Not only with the foods we eat, but the air we breath, even clothing and furniture is toxic! An umbilical cord blood study revealed 287 different chemicals and environmental toxins and toxicants. "Of the 287 chemicals we detected in umbilical cord blood, we know that 180 cause cancer in humans or animals, 217 are toxic to the brain and nervous system, and 208 cause birth defects or abnormal development in animal tests." It gets you thinking, if an unborn baby, that hasn't even taken its first breath, is exposed to toxicity within the womb, then what have we been exposed to in our lifetime thus far?

So really Isagenix doesn't detox your body, it simply gives your body the nutrients it needs to support the cleansing process -- helping rid our bodies of toxins that can lead to all sorts of aliments.

I started to realize that everyone needs to cleanse! I need to cleanse! I am probably pretty toxic. I need help cleansing. And the Cleanse for Life juice you use on your deep cleanse days is full with amazing nutrition! Following deep cleanse days the Isagenix shakes continue to flood your body with nutrition. The next thing you know, you have more energy and feel stronger. And this was true for me.

Everyone is different. Some people are more toxic than others and need to cleanse more often. I have decided to cleanse every 3 months with Isagenix shakes and supplements and healthy diet in between. So far it seems to be working! But I do love that it's not a one fits all system, which really makes this so great. My parents, who are in their 70s, do the Isagenix cleanse! And just like myself, they have been glad they did!

New Found Go-to foods

I wanted to create a list of foods that were never on my radar before I started to get serious about my health. While I always thought I ate pretty healthy I never really put much thought into my choices other than thinking they should be "low fat". We now know that that while low fat options are still good, non-fat foods should be avoided since they often contain chemicals. And if you eat the right fats, fats aren't that bad at all! In fact, your body needs fats. I swear, I am living proof! I am leaner even though my "healthy" fat intake as gone up.

New Found Go-to Foods etc.:
-- "Organic" chicken
-- Coconut oil
-- "Organic" eggs
-- Almond Flour
-- Coconut Flour
-- Stevia
-- Sprouted grain breads, muffins & tortillas
-- Sea salt
-- Quinoa/ Quinoa pasta
-- Brown rice pasta
-- Brown rice crackers
-- Kale
-- "raw" almonds
-- Honey
-- Flax seeds
-- Chia seeds
-- 85% dark chocolate
-- Non-GMO foods

Old Favorites and still great staples to have in your diet:
-- Avocado, guacamole
-- Hummus
-- Sweet potatoes
-- Lentils/beans
-- Fish

What have I given up?
-- Artificial sweeteners
-- Fruit juice (unless I make it in my juicer)
-- Soda & diet soda
-- White Flour
-- White rice
-- White pasta
-- White bread
-- Processed soy products
-- Instant, packaged foods

Have cut down on:
-- Sugar (including brown sugar, powdered and confectioner's)
-- Deep-fried foods
-- Potato chips
-- Soy proteins

It is a process to change the foods you are used to. Some foods are easier to eliminate than others. Even  if you switch out your foods slowly, you are heading in the right direction!

Grain-Free Banana Bread

Just because I am on my way to living healthier, doesn't mean my sweet tooth has disappeared. Isagenix has helped me curb my sugar cravings to some degree. In fact, many of the goodies I want aren't super sweet. But I never want to feel deprived. So eating banana bread, cookies and other sweets that are grain-free and packed with protein, healthy fats and much more, make me feel pretty great!

I found this one on Primally Inspired's website. I basically followed the instructions but added a few things. :)

Ingredients:

4 very ripe bananas, mashed

1/3 cup coconut oil, melted

4 free-range eggs

1 ½ tsp vanilla

1 ½ tsp cinnamon

½ cup organic coconut flour

1 heaping tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

1/3 cup dark chocolate chips

1/3 cup chopped pecans

1/3 cup shredded coconut

1 tbsp flax seeds

(1/3 cup of maple syrup if you don't have ripe bananas)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix all wet ingredients in a medium bowl and then combine the dry ingredients. Pour into a lightly greased (use coconut oil or butter for greasing) bread pan and bake for about 40-45 minutes or until center is set and top is golden.