I am so happy with my progress. Since i'm taking it slow and easy (means i still eat candies and stuff), losing 5 kg in a month is a huge deal for me...

Well, that's all for now. Update you guys later...

What we can do is ask you why it is
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Have you ever read a book or an
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Have you ever read a recipe? Yes.

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Now I've always been an overeater.  It's only by the grace of God and a shitload of exercise that I've managed to stay reasonably fit.  The amounts of food on my plate have been known to raise a few eyebrows.   On my first date with Hubby, we dined at the Russian Tea Room where I picked my way gracefully through a platter heaped with vegetarian delights.  As I recall, I was rather nervous and ate sparingly.  His memory is distinctly different.  "I never saw a woman eat so much," he said.  "I was afraid to get between you and the fork."

"What do you mean?"  I was aghast.  Did I really let my inner lumberjack out that night?   He shot me a look and I knew I was busted.  "You practically licked the plate clean, Freaky Z!"

I was crushed.  Even on a good day, the appetite was bad.  So imagine how this sudden departure of my compulsion must feel..... It's as if I've lost a limb, but a vestigial one, one that I was fond of, but that never quite functioned properly.

Well my job interview went well. My eating didn't. I ate a sandwich in the morning and then induced a carb fest from then on. I swear that carbs are addictive. OR I blow out on them when I give myself permission. But either way this is another confirmation to myself that I should just leave them alone. I don't remember exactly what I ate but it was lots. I then went out that night and got a little drunk, well a lot drunk. So yesterday I didn't eat anything. Argghhh. Anyway back on track and I think I am just going to avoid carbs all together from now on. The good news though is I did lose weight regardless of my indulgence.

For pull ups, I did 8 of each, using a piano bench to get up and then lowering myself as slowly as possible. One day I hope to do them unassisted (sigh).

Yesterday I did great with my calories. Today is my husband's birthday and we're going to dinner. It will be a struggle to behave, but I'm stating right here that I will do well. If I have dessert, I will split it with someone. Luckily, I'll be in charge of our 1 year old, so I'll probably be too busy to eat.

I'm looking forward to Kenpo tomorrow. In all the rounds of P90X I've done, I've never done it (I always subbed Turbo Jam or Running). We'll see how it goes.

And... still planning on not taking a rest day and starting week 2 Monday. We'll see how I feel. I'm only doing that because I am sure there will be an scheduled rest day sometime this week, because that's how my life goes.

Thanks for the support, P90X buddies!

The upside, though, is that I have managed to lose 8 pounds in that week and a half. Eight pounds that stay gone even when I eat and drink enough. Yay! Unfortunately, before I lost that eight pounds, I gained back 5 in the job-hunting crisis, so it only gives me a net loss of three.

It's that time of year when we crave and need soups & stocks not only for warmth but for their healing powers. Sally Fallon goes into great depths on the healing powers of bone broth in her book Nourishing Tradtions. You can read more about it here.

Here are a few additional herbs that will enhance the powers of your soups & stocks to bring health and healing. Throw in a root or some leaves and reap the healing benefits. Of course there are many more that you may choose from, but these are a few of my favorites that I keep handy in the kitchen.

Astragalus root
Astragalus is a root that helps to strengthen protective defenses, nourishes the spleen, and tonifies the blood and lungs. It's an immune system enhancer, and it also strengthens the adrenal cortex.

Nettle

Stinging Nettle: (Urtica dioica) builds energy and strengthens the adrenals, makes bones flexible, gives you healthy hair, and beautiful skin. 1 Cup of Nettle Infusion=500 mg Calcium, generous amounts of bone-building magnesium, potassium, silicon, boron and zinc. Excellent source of Vit A, D, E and K. And is a good source of B Vitamins.(1)

Thyme

Thyme (Thymus vulgaris), a very common culinary herb also has medicinal properties qualifying it as a wonderful cough remedy. Thymol, thyme's volatile oil with antiseptic, antibiotic, and expectorant properties, is used in commercial cough syrups.(2)

Basil

Basil has potent oils that have proven to have antioxidant powers. Hence anti-aging, anti-cancer, anti-viral, and anti-microbial properties.(3)

Cayenne ( This is the only pepper used in our house for cooking, black pepper is hard on the stomach)

The potent, hot fruit of cayenne has been used as medicine for centuries.

In addition, it has been used for the following problems:

• Gastrointestinal tract: including stomachaches, cramping pains, and gas.
• Diseases of the circulatory system: It is still traditionally used in herbal medicine as a circulatory tonic.
• Rheumatic and arthritic pains: Rubbed on the skin it causes a counterirritant effect. A counterirritant is something which causes irritation to the area to which it is applied. This makes it distract the nerves from the original irritation (such as joint pain in the case of arthritis).
• Sore throat: If gargled with water it can work as an effective treatment for sore throats.
• Styptic: Application of cayenne powder has traditionally been considered to have a powerful coagulating ability.
• Thermogenic: Cayenne pepper is used both internally and externally in colder climates to protect against frostbite, it may be used in a crushed or powdered form in socks or taken internally in a tea to increase body temperature and circulation to the extremities. (4)

Chives

Chives are also rich in vitamins A and C, and contain trace amounts of sulfur and iron. (5)

Garlic

Who can say enough about Garlic!

Garlic has been used as both food and medicine in many cultures for thousands of years, dating at least as far back as the time that the Egyptian pyramids were built. Garlic is claimed to help prevent heart disease including atherosclerosis, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and cancer.

• Tea may be used as an enema. Chinese and German herbologists recommend parsley tea to help control high blood pressure, and the Cherokees used it as a tonic to strengthen the bladder. It is also often used as an emmenagogue.^{[citation needed]}
• Parsley also appears to increase diuresis by inhibiting the Na+/K+-ATPase pump in the kidney, thereby enhancing sodium and water excretion while increasing potassium reabsorption.^[3] It is also valued as an aquaretic.
• When crushed and rubbed on the skin, parsley can reduce itching in mosquito bites.^{[citation needed]}
• When chewed, parsley can freshen bad breath.(8)

Purslane

Purslane contains more Omega-3 fatty acids (alpha-linolenic acid in particular^[4]) than any other leafy vegetable plant. Simopoulos states that Purslane has .01 mg/g of EPA. This is an extraordinary amount of EPA for land based vegetable sources. EPA is an Omega-3 fatty acid normally found mostly in fish and some algae. ^[5] It also contains vitamins (mainly vitamin A, vitamin C, and some vitamin B and carotenoids), as well as dietary minerals, such as magnesium, calcium, potassium and iron. Also present are two types of betalain alkaloid pigments, the reddish betacyanins (visible in the coloration of the stems) and the yellow betaxanthins (noticeable in the flowers and in the slight yellowish cast of the leaves). Both of these pigment types are potent antioxidants and have been found to have antimutagenic properties in laboratory studies.^[6]

100 grams of fresh purslane leaves (about 1 cup) contain 300 to 400 mg of alpha-linolenic acid. One cup of cooked leaves contains 90 mg of calcium, 561 mg of potassium, and more than 2,000 IUs of vitamin A.(9)

Rosemary

Rosemary is extremely high in iron, calcium, and Vitamin B6.(10)

Sage

The Latin name for sage, salvia, means “to heal". Although the effectiveness of Common Sage is open to debate, it has been recommended at one time or another for virtually every ailment. Modern evidence supports its effects as an anhidrotic, antibiotic, antifungal, astringent, antispasmodic, estrogenic, hypoglycemic, and tonic. In a double blind, randomized and placebo-controlled trial, sage was found to be effective in the management of mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease.

Internally for indigestion, gas, liver complaints, excessive lactation, excessive perspiration, excessive salivation, anxiety, depression, female sterility, menopausal problems.(11)

Tumeric

One of my all time favorites!!!

In Ayurvedic medicine, turmeric is thought to have many medicinal properties and many in India use it as a readily available antiseptic for cuts, burns and bruises. Practitioners of Ayurvedic medicine say it has fluoride which is thought to be essential for teeth. It is also used as an antibacterial agent.

It is taken in some Asian countries as a dietary supplement, which allegedly helps with stomach problems and other ailments. It is popular as a tea in Okinawa, Japan. It is currently being investigated for possible benefits in Alzheimer's disease, cancer and liver disorders.

It is only in recent years that Western scientists have increasingly recognised the medicinal properties of turmeric. According to a 2005 article in the Wall Street Journal titled, "Common Indian Spice Stirs Hope," research activity into curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, is exploding. Two hundred and fifty-six curcumin papers were published in the past year according to a search of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Supplement sales have increased 35% from 2004, and the U.S. National Institutes of Health has four clinical trials underway to study curcumin treatment for pancreatic cancer, multiple myeloma, Alzheimer's, and colorectal cancer.

A 2004 UCLA-Veterans Affairs study involving genetically altered mice suggests that curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, might inhibit the accumulation of destructive beta amyloids in the brains of Alzheimer's disease patients and also break up existing plaques. "Curcumin has been used for thousands of years as a safe anti-inflammatory in a variety of ailments as part of Indian traditional medicine," Gregory Cole, Professor of medicine and neurology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA said.

Another 2004 study conducted at Yale University involved oral administration of curcumin to mice homozygous for the most common allele implicated in cystic fibrosis. Treatment with curcumin restored physiologically-relevant levels of protein function.

Anti-tumoral effects against melanoma cells have been demonstrated.

A recent study involving mice has shown that turmeric slows the spread of breast cancer into lungs and other body parts. Turmeric also enhances the effect of taxol in reducing metastasis of breast cancer.

Curcumin is thought to be a powerful antinociceptive (pain-relieving) agent. In the November 2006 issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism, a study was published that showed the effectiveness of turmeric in the reduction of joint inflammation, and recommended clinical trials as a possible treatment for the alleviation of arthritis symptoms. It is thought to work as a natural inhibitor of the cox-2 enzyme, and has been shown effective in animal models for neuropathic pain secondary to diabetes, among others.

Presenting their findings at the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting in San Francisco in June 2008, researchers discovered that turmeric-treated mice were less susceptible to developing type 2 diabetes, based on their blood glucose levels, and glucose and insulin tolerance tests. They also discovered that turmeric-fed obese mice showed significantly reduced inflammation in fat tissue and liver compared to controls. They speculate that curcumin in the turmeric lessens insulin resistance and prevents type 2 diabetes in these mouse models by dampening the inflammatory response provoked by obesity.(12)

(1) Source: Susun S Weed

(2) Source:Henrietta's Herbal Page

(3-12) Source: Wikipedia

Since I've lost my weight I've never felt better. I can keep up with my 3 year old daughter and my 5 year old son. I have also noticed an increase in self confidence which has lead to two small promotions in my job as a regional account rep for a local tax firm here in Austin Texas. Life is good once again, I feel years younger and this is my story to inspire other women to lose unwanted weight the safe and healthy was just like me : )

Sincerely,

- Sarah Johnson

Dr. Gerald Friedman of The Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York and co-investigator Greg Biancone conducted a multi-center analysis to determine if a multi-strain probiotic was effective in reducing the frequency of diarrhea in 84 IBS patients (IBS-D). In this small study, a multi-strain probiotic administered daily for 28 days normalized bowel habits in IBS patients compared to those who received the placebo. The average number of daily diarrheal episodes in the probiotic group significantly decreased from day 1 to day 28 compared to slight decreases in the placebo group during the same period.

In a placebo-controlled, double-blinded, cross-over study conducted at seven pediatric GI centers in the United States, Italy, and India, Dr. Stefano Guandalini of the University of Chicago and his research team randomly assigned 59 pediatric IBS patients to receive either a probiotic agent or a placebo for six weeks. At the end of six weeks, patients switched to the other arm of the study and underwent six more weeks of treatment. Patients filled out a questionnaire to assess their symptoms and overall quality of life before and after treatment. Researchers found the probiotic agent was safe and significantly more effective than the placebo in alleviating IBS-related symptoms (abdominal pain/discomfort, bloating, stool dysfunction) in children and teenagers.

Both of these studies demonstrate the dramatic effectiveness of probiotics in addressing what is usually a long-term, chronic problem of the digestive tract created as a consequence of antibiotic use. Antibiotics destroy the normal populations of bacteria and yeast, and allow for other micro-organisms to grow unchecked within the digestive tract and throughout the body.

Probiotics are dietary supplements composed of beneficial strains of bacterial and yeast cultures that promote health in the body. The use of probiotics by themselves will create temporary changes. Long-term reversal of IBS and many other conditions originating in the digestive tract can be accomplished through whole body detoxification, restoring the normal healthy ratios of beneficial bacteria and yeast, and eliminating systemic candida fungal infections that arise from antibiotic use. For more information on restoring health, go to www.mccombsplan.com.

So what should you gain from this relatively un-enlightening study? Your doctor was probably right. You should lose weight, stop smoking and exercise more. That's not easy so you must work with your doctor to devise a plan that meets your needs without being onerous. You may never get to your ideal body weight. But losing a few pounds may make you feel better, sleep better, and look better. Also, your mother was probably right. Eat your vegetables. A healthy diet makes a healthy weight easier.

It's your health. Take care of it.

The rate at which a large number of people are getting overweight is rising very steeply. This rise in weight at such levels is not only occurring in adults, but it is also what the children is going through as well. Read more...

125ml Ben & Jerry's New York Super Fudge Chunk (315 calories), three times per day

1/2 cup lentils or chick peas, or other high protein, high fibre legumes, 1-2 times per day

assorted fruit and vegetable as desired

1 tsp Metamucil powder in water (once per day)

1 x 500 mg calcium + Vitamin D pill (once per day)

1 x multivitamin pill, with iron, Vitamin B, and other goodies (once per day)

The only thing you would need to cook is the legumes, but if you soak them overnight and then boil them up, they should cook pretty quickly and you can cook them in bulk. And lentils can cook in 20 minutes.

This is also an excellent program to lose or maintain weight, since it can be tailored to fit your calorie needs.

Now all I need is a celebrity to endorse the program and I can film my infomercial. I have the script written already.

To join this soon-to-be celebrity endorsed diet program, please send $29.95 US to PHC Presents.

.

A monthly fee of $59.95 US will give you access to:

• email support

• daily menu plans

• daily pre-recorded celebrity encouragement to help you meet your weight loss and maintenance goals.

In addition, the first 500 applicants will receive an oversized grey plastic alarm clock with built-in calculator.

Act now!

Recently, in California, the Governator passed a state law, the first of its kind in the nation, that says chain restaurants have to display calorie counts with each menu item.  It covers more than 17,000 restaurants in California. 

State Sen. Alex Padilla proposed the legislation.  He said, "All Californians will soon be empowered with reliable, accessible nutrition information . . . that will help them make more informed, healthier choices."  Gov. Arnold signed the bill at a Sacramento-area Chili's Bar and Grill. 

The new law applies to restaurants with 20 or more locations in California. Beginning July 1, 2009, they will be required to provide brochures containing nutritional information including number of calories and grams of saturated fat.  Starting Jan. 1, 2011, all menus and menu boards above front counters will have to include the number of calories for each item.

This sort of legislation recently passed in NYC as well.  These laws get a big "Fantasy Healthball High Five" from Jeff and me.  We hope they sweep the nation and make things a little easier for you too.  For those about to eat [healthy], we salute you.  -- Jim Ballard

But the truth is, I think it's kind of fucking up my life. I've become much more sedentary... television has taken the place of, well, pretty much anything after work. It keeps me up later, which makes me not as clear-headed the next day (not that I stay up super late, but if I stay up until 11 and wake up at 6, that's only 7 hours of sleep, which is not enough for me). And it doesn't truly give anything back to me... there's no relationship advantage, I don't learn anything, it's not even truly relaxing... It's just a time burn since I have zeroh moneh to go out and do other stuff besides sitting at home, actively not spending money. And don't even get me started on the issue of my weight... I think for every hour I sit in front of the TV, I gain and/or maintain a quarter of a pound of weight. A pound saved is a pound earned.

But what's to be done?

Well, for starters, I have to get out and walk Diva. She is doing a great job of keeping me moving.

The second groundbreaking discovery about fat loss is that interval training is
superior to slow, steady cardio for fat loss and post-exercise calorie burning. So it is more
effective and more efficient to use short high-intensity interval training workouts than to
use slow, boring, long cardio sessions.

So What Does Work for Fast & Efficient Fat Loss?
To lose fat, you have to do what the average person won’t do.
You have to choose the right total body exercises, exercise at the right intensity, and
perform shorter bouts of metabolism-boosting interval training to get results. And if you
do this, you’ll not only reach your goals faster, but you’ll cut down on your workout
time.

You need fast weight loss tips if you have a special event coming up where you want to look lean and sexy. Fortunately, there are a lot of safe and effective ways to lose weight quickly, and burn off your belly fat.

Starting with nutrition tips, which are the most important part of a weight loss program, you'll find that you can lose 3, 5, or even 7 pounds in one week if you make big nutrition changes. First and foremost, you must eliminate all sugar from your diet. By getting rid of sodas and juices - and even sugar-laden Starbucks coffee - you can cut out 500-1000 calories per day from your diet. This alone would cause a 1-2 pound weight loss in a week, but you also will decrease your insulin level. Insulin is a fat storage hormone. The closer you get your insulin to normal levels - through diet and exercise - the better you will be able to burn fat. Just this one dietary change could cause 5 pounds of fat loss in one week.

Another easy way to increase your weight loss is to eat 5-6 small meals per day, rather than 3 large meals. At the very least, have 3 slightly-smaller-than-normal meals, and add two small snacks in-between meals. Focus on controlling portion size and avoiding excessive hunger. This will prevent you from binge eating.

Interval training is another way to cut your workout time while still getting weight loss. In normal cardio, you just go at a steady state for a long period of time. It's boring and doesn't work so great. The results are not worth the time you put into it. On the other hand, interval training asks you to work hard for a minute and then rest for 1-2 minutes. Do that 6 times and you are done the interval workout. That's it. Twenty minutes compared to 45 minutes or more for a boring cardio workout. Blah! I know which one I would choose.

Just to explain that again, in an interval training workout you go harder than normal cardio for a set period of time and then you go at a very easy pace and you alternate that back and forth. Most Turbulence Training interval programs last 15 to 20 minutes with a warm up and cool down. You do those 3 times per week after your 15 minutes of resistance training and that's it.

Stay active on your off days and this will help you lose weight. So that's the best way to do fast fat loss workouts.

 Adding Interval Training to your weight training workouts will push you to that fat loss goal you are striving for. Fast and Efficient get the job done in less time and enjoy that new body.

It's there for the taking. So how bad do you want it?

Jag 252   The Interval Training Page

I used to weigh 132lbs. I wasn’t “supermodel skinny,” but I was pretty slim. After my first son was born, I gained about 10 lbs. After my third kid was born, I gained a total of 31lbs.

I weighed 163lbs and felt uncomfortable in my own body. So I decided to start dieting. I tried all the “brand-name” diets like Atkins, South Beach, cabbage (my least favorite), soup, lemon juice. You name it, I tried it. But none produced real results that lasted. So I gave up.

I stopped going out with friends. I felt ugly. I started eating more and more because I just didn’t care. I was in a downward spiral. At my heaviest, I weighed 187lbs. Then I saw something on Oprah that changed my life.

Yep, that was me at my heaviest and right before my life changed when I started using Acai Berry Power 500 and Total Cleanse.

When I had my idea to combine these two methods, I needed to find a way to test it without spending lots of money. I searched for a few days and found some great free trials of products to test.

The two products I found, and still use, are Acai Berry Power 500 and Total Cleanse.

Here’s how I combine them so effectively:

Step 1:

Acai Berry Power 500 is the first and most important part of my routine. If you’ve been watching TV lately you know that CNN and Oprah have covered the health benefits of Acai pretty frequently.

Acai Berry Power 500 and Total Cleanse helps me:

• Regulate my metabolism
• Suppress my hunger during the day
• Boost my energy so I could focus on my kids, job, husband, and just more “me” time.
• Lose several pounds from my body by replacing coffee and soda (and keep my teeth whiter :) )

I got a free 30-day trial of Acai Berry Power 500 and I simply love the fact that I can take the Acai and go on with my day with no worries.

Step 2:

Total Cleanse is the second important step in my routine. While Acai Berry Power 500 gives me energy and helps suppress my hunger, Total Cleanse:

• removes the harmful toxins in my body
• removes walls of aged sludge in my colon
• helped me lose several inches off my waist that exercise couldn’t
• helped reduce my blood pressure and cholesterol levels

I got a free bottle of Total Cleanse and I take 1 pill in the morning and 1 in the evening when I take my Acai. They are the perfect weight-loss combination, helping me shed flab and cleanse my system of harmful waste build up. (That’s why I call it the “dynamic duo.”)