October 9th, 2011
It is time for another 5 Things I love video from Carol. Carol takes time to find the perfect special treats that will help you during your lifetime phase to enjoy new healthy foods and products. Visit the video page for other 5 Things I love videos and other tips from Carol to help you achieve success. In this video Carol’s 5 items are Jicama, Pretzels, Crackers, Farrow, and Pasta all for lifetime phase of the hcg diet protocol.
September 23rd, 2011
Question of the week- What are the best choices for protein? How can I tell if I am not getting enough?
This weeks vlog discusses the importance of protein and what sources are the best choices for your overall health. It’s key to have adequate protein intake. Signs and symptoms of too little protein are:
Lack of energy, no desire to do things
General weakness and lethargy
Fainting – weak feeling especially during or after a work out.
Headache
Thinning or brittle hair, hair loss
Edema – A collection of fluid under the skin, which most commonly affects the legs, feet, and ankles, but can occur anywhere on the body.
Weight issues
Ridges or deep lines in finger and toe nails
Skin becomes very light, burns easily in the sun
Reduced pigmentation in the hair on scalp and body
Skin rashes, dryness, flakiness
Muscle soreness and weakness, cramps
Slowness in healing wounds, cuts, scrapes, and bruises
Bedsores and other skin ulcers
Difficulty sleeping
Nausea and stomach pain
Crankiness, moodiness
Severe depression
Anxiety
Suggestions for non meat sources of protein:
Legumes and beans
Soy, mycoprotein and tofu products
Nuts and seeds
Sprouted seeds
Whole grains
Algae and seaweed
Most plant foods contain protein
Protein foods also help to slow down the absorption of glucose into the bloodstream which reduces hunger by reducing insulin levels and making it easier for the body to burn fat. Carol discusses the tier list of how to get your protein starting with veggies, Greek Yogurt, animal sources and then protein drinks. While all vegetables do contain enough protein to register. Vegetable protein is considered to be incomplete, which means if you eat a diet based in vegetables you are probably not getting all of the essential amino acids your body needs to function. You can get your protein amounts for vegetable and animal sources: CLICK HERE.
If a food supplies a sufficient amount of the nine essential amino acids, it is called a complete protein. Virtually all proteins from animal foods are complete. Foods that lack or are short on one or more of the essential amino acids such as some fruits, grains, and vegetables are incomplete proteins. Such plant-derived foods can nonetheless be excellent sources of protein if eaten in combination with animal proteins. We want you to have balance in your meals for your overall health.
Beans provide nearly as much protein as meat, and are much lower in fat and calories. One cup of cooked beans contains 12 to 25 grams of protein. Once you are p3 stabilized, try adding 1/2 cup of black beans to your diet daily.
Greek Yogurt is one of our favorite dairy sources packing 20g of protein in the Fage 2% Read more about Greek Yogurt. CLICK HERE
Watch Carol’s VLOG, we want you to see there are many protein sources and to not always think about meat when getting in your protein. Animal sources are important, but so are vegetables, beans and dairy. Keep your menu interesting adding a nice variety to your plate.
August 30th, 2011
This week Carol discusses replacing your protein with protein shakes. One disadvantage is besides those mentioned in the VLOG is the shakes digest much faster than normal animal protein and does not sustain you as long as eating a regular p2 meal. Use with caution as a meal replacement. I did have someone pass out who was not a meat eater and was not eating meat on protocol and subbing protein drinks only. We are more in favor of having it in addition to versus replacing our normal protein portions. Sticking to protocol is best and save those yummy shakes for phase 3.
From Pounds and Inches “Every item in the list is gone over carefully, continually stressing the point that no variations other than those listed may be introduced. All things not listed are forbidden, and the patient is assured that nothing permissible has been left out. The 100 grams of meat must he scrupulously weighed raw after all visible fat has been removed to do this accurately the patient must have a letter-scale, as kitchen scales are not sufficiently accurate and the butcher should certainly not be relied upon. Those not uncommon patients who feel that even so little food is too much for them, can omit anything they wish.”
July 22nd, 2011
Most nutritionists agree that breakfast is important. In a 2005 study, women who didn’t eat breakfast took in an average 100 calories per day which equals out to about 10 pounds per year. They also had a 10% increase in insulin, 9% increase in cholesterol and 17% increase in LDL (bad Cholesterol).
Although cold cereal is not one of my regular breakfast foods, I do recognize sometimes we just need to eat it due to convenience or just because kids love it! I buy cereal, but mostly I find myself serving it to my grandkids or cooking/baking with it. Cereal is also very handy to have when traveling. It makes for a nice crunchy snack and fun to throw on a boring salad.
I personally think we should “think outside the cereal box” to find a breakfast of champions. There are so many healthy choices for this very important meal of the day! If time is an issue, here is a recipe I make the night before and then it’s ready in the morning. http://miracleskinnydrops.com/2011/05/overnight-apple-cinnamon-oats/
If you really want boxed cereal, here is a list of “Carol Approved” cereals. Be careful and always check ingredient lists. For example, Kashi is on my list of recommended cereals, however, only the 7 Grain Puffed Rice. All other Kashi cereals have some type of sweetener or oil in them, so I don’t recommend any others.
Post Shredded Wheat
Uncle Sam
Kashi 7 Grain Puffed Rice
Nature’s O’s
Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Grain Cereals
These have the best ingredient listing and they taste good. I was concerned they would taste like cardboard, but I quickly found out they didn’t! I occasionally add fresh organic berries on mine, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, etc., and I also sprinkle on extra milled flaxseed to up the nutty flavors.
I am appalled at myself for giving my sweet babies Cheerios or Kix when they were so little. Kix should not be “mother approved”! If only I had knows about the evils of sugar and had the knowledge to find a better cereal choice. About 5 years ago, when I put on extra weight, I decided I needed to make more healthy choices. So, for months I ate Raisin Bran every morning for breakfast. I also followed with what I thought was a healthy diet throughout the day. I just couldn’t figure out why the weight kept creeping on me. Only later did I realize that the very food I thought was healthy and would help me loose weight, did just the opposite.
Even though the package states it is nutritious, most of the boxes of cereal you find on the shelf are processed to some extent, and contain sugars or unhealthy oils. When we eat cereal (or other packaged foods for that matter) our bodies are not able to absorb the nutrients because of the preservatives. Additives impede digestion, therefore, the nutrients will not be fully extracted from the food and cannot be absorbed and utilized by our body. When we put something foreign in our body it does not know what to do with it, so it is not absorbed or utilized and it is sent to the liver where it just sits. Adding toxins to our liver will make us gain weight and feel sluggish, along with many other “side effects”.
How can our bodies absorb the vitamins and minerals that a box of cereal claims it has with all that junk in it? Refined sugar, rancid oils, artificial flavors, artificial colors, etc cause havoc in our bodies. These additives obstruct the performance of a vitamin or a mineral in our bodies so we need to avoid them as much as possible.
A few recipes where I use cereal:
Chicken & Broccoli Casserole
1 (10 oz) pkg. frozen cut broccoli cooked according to directions on package.
1 large egg
1 c. safflower mayonnaise
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
1/2 c. Greek yogurt
1 c. grated cheddar cheese
1/2 – 3/4 c. crushed Uncle Sam cereal
2-3 Tbsp. melted butter
2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
Place cooked broccoli in 9 x 13 pan. In large bowl, beat egg and then add mayonnaise, onion, mushrooms, yogurt chicken and cheese. Mix well and add to broccoli. Melt butter and add cereal crumbs and then sprinkle on top. Bake at 350º for 30 minutes.
I sometimes crush Uncle Sam cereal and mix with melted butter for this recipe.
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July 18th, 2011
Question of the Week- What is the Health Benefit of Omega-3s-Flaxseed? FAT IS A HEALTHY CHOICE!! Good fat that is! Fat is so essential for our bodies to function properly. It insulates our organs and helps rebuild membranes and the trillions of cells in our body. Our bodies need saturated fats in order to properly [...]
July 8th, 2011
Question of the Week? What kind of Seeds and Nuts for Phase 3? This weeks VLOG Carol addresses all the benefits of adding nuts and seeds to your daily diet. When and how much is the key to getting optimal results without effecting the scale. Both seeds and nuts are rich in nutrients [...]
