Beauty

[dex]

I like to eat chia seeds as they give energy and fill me up....love hemp seeds too.My friends DH gets really upset with her about the hemp seeds ...thinks she will become addicted.

[aprilskies]

Yup, my diet has changed to some degree to more fall/wintery foods. Not totally but it is getting there. Starting to think about soups and such. I havent made one yet but it is on my to do. I am doing a sugar challenge with a few friends and I cant believe how hard it really is. I almost caved a few times. Well, I guess I am not surprised since I love my sweets. But it has been an interesting experiment even just realizing how much I want something sweet in general. I have a few more days to go but I am going to try and carry that forward. I am not going to eliminate sugar but want to get to the point where I am more mindful of how much I am consuming. But mostly, I needed to prove to myself that I can actually do it. The best part of this was the fact that I am now watching how much I am eating in general and I can already feel the difference in my body. I also added some exercise to my routine as well.

[CherryHugs]

Eating clean is simply the practice of avoiding processed and refined foods and basing your diet on whole foods. But there’s much more to this plan. You can structure your diet to get proper nutrition, help manage diseases, avoid developing diseases in the first place, lose weight, remove toxins, and just feel better.

<h2>The Basic Principles of Eating Clean</h2>

Eating clean involves not only choosing the right foods to eat but also avoiding all of the junk foods and processed foods that are so readily available. The keys to good health and proper nutrition are in the following principles:

• Eat whole foods: Whole foods are foods that haven’t been tampered with, in the lab or the manufacturing plant. The foods you eat on this plan are straight from the farm: whole fruits and vegetables, whole grains, grass-fed and free-range meats, low fat dairy products, unsalted nuts, and seeds.

• Avoid processed foods: Processed foods are any food that has a label. A label means that more than one ingredient was used to make that food. You don’t have to eliminate all processed foods (like whole grain pasta or natural cheeses), but if you can’t pronounce an ingredient on a label, don’t put that food in your shopping basket.

• Eliminate refined sugar. Refined sugar provides nothing but calories. Other sweeteners can be used, but with all the good foods you add to your diet, refined sugar really has very little place in the eating clean plan.

• Eat five or six small meals a day. By eating smaller meals throughout the day you can help rev up your metabolism and reduce the chance that you’ll eat some Funyuns rather than that whole grain cracker with nut butter and strawberries. You never get so hungry on this plan that you’ll feel deprived or feel the need to cheat.

• Cook your own meals. Instead of buying meals in a box, cook meals from scratch. That’s not as hard as it sounds! Clean, whole foods need little preparation beyond chopping and sautéing to make satisfying, delicious meals your family will love.

• Combine protein with carbs. When you do snack or eat a meal, make sure that meal is balanced. For the most satisfaction from your diet, and so you’ll be less tempted to eat junk food, combine protein with carbs or carbs and fat. This simple act will fuel your body and quash hunger pangs.

<h2>How Whole Foods and Eating Clean Help You Stay Healthy</h2>

What you eat really does have an effect on how you feel. Eating whole foods and avoiding junk food — a clean eating lifestyle — can keep you healthy or help you regain your health if you haven't been well. Follow these precepts and you will have a better chance at living an active life:

• It’s easier to maintain a healthy weight, which reduces the risk of several diseases.

• Eating a good variety of foods ensures you get adequate amounts of most essential nutrients.

• Relying on whole foods is the best way to get a good combination of micronutrients.

• Whole foods keep you satisfied longer so you’re less tempted by junk foods.

• Foods high in micronutrients can help reduce cholesterol levels and regulate blood sugar.

• There are some nutrients we haven’t yet identified that are present in whole foods but not in supplements.

• Whole foods help keep your digestive system regular.

• Eating a healthy diet makes you stronger so you can stay more active.

• Avoiding artificial ingredients keeps your cells strong so your body systems work efficiently.

• If you feel good, you’re more likely to take care of yourself in other ways.

<h2>Spicing Up Your Meals When Eating Clean</h2>

Healthy food has an undeserved reputation for being boring or bland. Whole, fresh foods are actually delicious on their own, with no added seasoning. Unfortunately, many of us have been jaded by too much sodium, sugar, and additives in our food. But there are healthy ways to add flavor to clean foods. Here are some herbs and spices you can use in your daily cooking:

• Basil: This bright-green delicate leaf contains flavonoids that act as powerful antioxidants. It’s also high in vitamins A and K and has a good amount of potassium and manganese. You can grow basil plants on a sunny windowsill throughout the year or grow it in your garden and preserve it by freezing or drying it. Use peppery and minty basil in tomato sauces, salad dressings, pesto, sandwich spreads, soups, and chicken, beef, pork, and fish dishes.

• Marjoram: This fragrant herb contains many phytochemicals — including terpenes, which are anti-inflammatory — lutein, and beta carotene. Plus, it has lots of vitamin C and vitamin D. Marjoram is delicious in any dish made using beef and is perfect with vegetables like tomatoes, peas, carrots, and spinach. Together with bay leaf, parsley, thyme, and tarragon, it makes a bouquet garni to use in stews and soups.

• Mint: Mothers used to offer mint to kids for upset stomachs because it soothes an irritated GI tract. But did you know it may be a weapon against cancer, too? It contains a phytochemical called perillyl alcohol, which can stop the formation of some cancer cells. Mint is a good source of beta carotene, folate, and riboflavin. Use it in teas, in desserts, as part of a fruit salad or lettuce salad, or as a garnish for puddings.

• Oregano: Used in Italian dishes, this strong herb is a potent antioxidant with the phytochemicals lutein and beta carotene. It’s a good source of iron, fiber, calcium, vitamin C, vitamin A, and omega-3 fatty acids. Who knew that spaghetti sauce could be so good for you? Add spicy and pepper oregano to salad dressings, soups, sauces, gravies, meat dishes, and pork recipes.

• Parsley: Do you ever wonder what’s happened to all the parsley garnish that has been left on plates in restaurants over the years? If only people knew then how healthy it really is! This mild and leafy herb is an excellent source of vitamin C, iron, calcium, and potassium. Plus, it’s packed with flavonoids, which are strong antioxidants, and folate, which can help reduce the risk of heart disease. Use it in everything from salads as a leafy green to rice pilafs, grilled fish, and sauces and gravies.

• Rosemary: Rosemary contains terpenes, which slow down free radical development and stop inflammation. Terpenes may also block some estrogens, which cause breast cancer. Use this pungent and piney herb in soups, stews, meat, and chicken dishes. Chop some fresh rosemary to roast a chicken, cook with lamb or beef, or mix with olive oil for a dip for warm whole-wheat bread.

• Sage: Sage contains the flavonoid phytochemicals apigenin and luteolin and some phenolic acids that act as anti-inflammatory agents and antioxidants. Perhaps sage’s most impressive effect may be against Alzheimer’s disease by inhibiting the increase in AChE inhibitors. Its dusky, earthy aroma and flavor are delicious in classic turkey stuffing (as well as the turkey itself), spaghetti sauces, soups and stews, and frittatas and omelets.

• Tarragon: This herb tastes like licorice with a slightly sweet flavor and is delicious with chicken or fish. It’s a great source of phytosterols and can reduce the stickiness of platelets in your blood. Tarragon is rich in beta carotene and potassium, too. Use it as a salad green or as part of a salad dressing or mix it with Greek yogurt to use as an appetizer dip.

• Thyme: This herb is a good source of vitamin K, manganese, and the monoterpene thymol, which has antibacterial properties and may help protect against tumor development. It’s fresh, slightly minty, and lemony tasting, making it a great addition to everything from egg dishes to pear desserts to recipes featuring chicken and fish.

• Cinnamon: The aroma of cinnamon is one of the most enticing in cooking; just the smell can help improve brain function! It can also reduce blood sugar levels, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and overall cholesterol levels. Cinnamaldehyde, an organic compound in cinnamon (go figure!), prevents clumping of blood platelets, and other compounds in this spice are anti-inflammatory. Add cinnamon to coffee and tea, use it in desserts and curries, and sprinkle some on oatmeal for a great breakfast.

• Cloves: These flower buds are a great source of manganese and omega-3 fatty acids. They contain eugenol, which helps reduce toxicity from pollutants and prevent joint inflammation, and the flavonoids kaempferol and rhamnetin, which act as antioxidants. Cloves are a great addition to hot tea and coffee as well as many dessert recipes, including fruit compote and apple desserts.

• Cumin: This spice is rich in antioxidants, which may help reduce the risk of cancer. It also has iron and manganese, which help keep your immune system strong and healthy. Add cumin to Middle Eastern recipes, rice pilafs, stir-fried vegetables, and Tex-Mex dishes.

• Nutmeg: Nutmeg is rich in calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, and vitamins A and C. It can help reduce blood pressure, acts as an antioxidant, and has antifungal properties. The lacy covering on nutmeg is used to make mace. Keep a whole nutmeg in a tiny jar along with a mini rasp to grate it fresh into dishes with spinach, add it to hot tea, use it in curry powder, and add it to rice pudding and other desserts.

• Turmeric: This spice is one of the healthiest foods on the planet. Curcumin, a phytochemical in turmeric, can stop cancer cells from reproducing and spreading, slow Alzheimer’s disease progression, and help control weight. In fact, researchers are currently studying curcumin as a cancer fighter, painkiller, and antiseptic. Turmeric gives foods a pretty yellow color and is an inexpensive substitute for saffron. Use it in Indian foods, egg salads, sauces, tea, and fish and chicken recipes.

[CherryHugs]

<h1>11 Things a Sugar Detox Can Do for You</h1>

By Dan DeFigio from Beating Sugar Addiction For Dummies

Sugar, in excessive amounts, is one of the most harmful substances you can eat. When you look at a piece of candy, a soda, or a bag of pastries, you may not think of the word toxin, but refined sugars (along with other artificial sweeteners) place a huge physiological stress on your body’s systems.

High blood sugar levels cause damage to blood vessels and organs, and high insulin levels promote fat storage. Sugar makes your immune system less effective and creates a strong inflammatory response throughout the body. Getting off sugar can end all that!

<h2>Aiding weight loss</h2>

When you stop feeding yourself empty sugar calories, and when your insulin levels aren’t elevated from eating too many carbohydrates, you begin to lose weight. More specifically (and more importantly), you begin to lose body fat.

<h2>Achieving better blood sugar and insulin control</h2>

Excessive sugar or other carbohydrates elevates blood sugar levels and triggers an overproduction of insulin. Chronically high insulin levels lead to obesity and diabetes. Detoxing from sugar stops the insulin roller coaster and helps level out your blood sugar levels, which is critical to avoiding (or reversing) diabetes.

<h2>Experiencing increased energy</h2>

When your blood sugar levels are stable, you don’t experience the post-insulin sugar crashes that cause fatigue and brain fog. Less sugar in your diet helps keep your energy high, especially if you get some consistent exercise.

In addition to smoothing out your blood sugar levels, detoxing from sugar helps coax your thyroid and adrenal glands back to their normal function, so you’ll no longer suffer from the overwhelming fatigue that afflicts so many sugar addicts.

<h2>Getting more nutrients</h2>

Sugar, along with many other sweeteners like high-fructose corn syrup, contains zero nutrients, only calories. When you eat sugar, you consume calories without nutrition, and this leads to weight gain, malnutrition (even if you’re too fat), and cravings.

When you start replacing empty sugar calories with higher-quality carbohydrates like vegetables and fruits, you dramatically increase the amount of essential vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients in your diet. Your body requires these vital nutrients to stay vibrant and to prevent all manner of diseases and illnesses. Better nutrition leads to a healthier body and fewer sugar cravings, too!

<h2>Improving immunity</h2>

Dumping a large amount of sugar into your stomach lowers your immune system’s effectiveness by about 30 percent for several hours. Consistent sugar consumption keeps your immune system permanently depressed. A sugar detox allows your immune system to leap back to full function.

Another important component of the immune system is the intestinal flora. The good bacteria in your gut stimulate the production of immune cells and play a major role in metabolizing dietary carcinogens. A high-sugar diet kills off the intestinal flora, compromising your immune system and allowing foreign pathogens (like yeast) to flourish.

Detoxing from sugar and using a quality probiotic supplement restores the intestinal flora to a healthy state.

<h2>Reducing inflammation and lowering your risk of disease</h2>

The inflammatory response is a necessary part of your physiology. Your body uses controlled inflammation to heal wounds, fight infections, and rebuild muscles. But too much inflammation can lead to premature aging and major problems like atherosclerosis, eczema, arthritis, yeast infections, chronic pain, autoimmune disorders, Alzheimer’s disease, and cancer.

Sugar is an inflammatory food, so if you eat sugar frequently you’re placing your body in a continuously inflamed state. If you don’t yet suffer from inflammation problems, getting off sugar now can help prevent the onset of some terrible diseases in the future.

If you’re currently battling one or more inflammatory conditions, detoxing from sugar will lower the inflammation in your body and help end the discomfort of irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease, fibromyalgia, arthritis, and other conditions caused by chronic inflammation.

<h2>Having less gas</h2>

Sugar creates an acidic environment that kills the beneficial bacteria in the gut. Your body’s good bacteria are important for digestion, immune system function, and serotonin production.

Eating too much sugar alters the intestinal flora, and the sugar ferments in the intestines, leading to bloating and gas. Cutting back on your sugar intake reduces gas and diminishes that uncomfortable, bloated feeling.

<h2>Battling fewer cravings</h2>

Consistent sugar overdose wreaks havoc on your brain chemistry. If you’re a sugar addict, the more sugar you eat, the more you want. Breaking the craving cycle is a big step in changing your eating habits for the better.

As you start to wean yourself off sugar (or if you quit it cold turkey), you’ll find that within a very short period, you no longer desire the sweet stuff. And if you do have some, you’ll find that the sickly sweet goodies you used to dream about don’t even taste good anymore.

<h2>Enjoying better skin</h2>

The inflammation from a high-sugar diet makes your skin prone to unsightly pimples, eczema, and other breakouts. Sugar also damages collagen, causing your skin to become stiffer and less elastic. The more sugar you eat, the more tissue damage you cause and the more wrinkles you get. Staying away from sugar is one of the best things you can do for your skin.

<h2>Sharpening mental clarity</h2>

In addition to physically damaging your brain, a sugar binge can cause a host of brain performance problems. Sugar addicts commonly suffer from a sugar “hangover,” with symptoms like brain fog, fatigue, headaches, or emotional swings.

Detoxing from sugar stops the sugar highs and crashes, keeping your energy more stable and your brain more functional throughout the day. You’ll sleep better too!

<h2>Feeling personal empowerment</h2>

One of the most powerful and life-changing rewards of beating sugar addiction (or any addiction) is the thrill of empowering yourself and running your life proactively, so that you’re in charge of your own behavior. To make a blanket generalization, addicts tend to use external substances to supply them with the brain chemistry they desire.

When you detox from whatever substance you’ve been using as a substitute for a healthy emotional state — in this case, sugar — you’ll live a happier and more peaceful life, and your body will thank you for healing it after sugar’s harmful onslaughts.

[just bee]

Great information, CherryHugs. I'll start to put something in the cart, then I'll remember to look at the ingredients. Is it really necessary to put high fructose corn syrup in everything we eat? It's infuriating to see it in most yogurts. Or whatever it is they sell and call "yogurt."

[aprilskies]

My no sugar for a week went well. I almost caved a few times but managed to avoid it. I have to say though, that really took willpower. It is amazing to see how sugar is in everything. I knew that before but never really paid attention, however, now going forward I will be more mindful. Am I giving up sugar, nah, I wont even fool myself, but I will be paying attention to how much I am consuming and consuming mindlessly.

I was mindful of salt before, but now, will be mindful of both salt and sugar. I figure if I can eat healthy 80% of the time, the other 20% I can play a little.

[just bee]

On 11/18/2014 aprilskies said:My no sugar for a week went well. I almost caved a few times but managed to avoid it. I have to say though, that really took willpower. It is amazing to see how sugar is in everything. I knew that before but never really paid attention, however, now going forward I will be more mindful. Am I giving up sugar, nah, I wont even fool myself, but I will be paying attention to how much I am consuming and consuming mindlessly.

I was mindful of salt before, but now, will be mindful of both salt and sugar. I figure if I can eat healthy 80% of the time, the other 20% I can play a little.

That sounds like a good plan! I've never supported deprivation.

[aprilskies]

On 11/18/2014 just bee said:

On 11/18/2014 aprilskies said:My no sugar for a week went well. I almost caved a few times but managed to avoid it. I have to say though, that really took willpower. It is amazing to see how sugar is in everything. I knew that before but never really paid attention, however, now going forward I will be more mindful. Am I giving up sugar, nah, I wont even fool myself, but I will be paying attention to how much I am consuming and consuming mindlessly.

I was mindful of salt before, but now, will be mindful of both salt and sugar. I figure if I can eat healthy 80% of the time, the other 20% I can play a little.

That sounds like a good plan! I've never supported deprivation.

Yes, I agree. I don't believe in deprivation, there is no need for it in my book. Why deny something you enjoy. If I achieve a balance, I will be happy.

[just bee]

On 11/19/2014 aprilskies said:

On 11/18/2014 just bee said:

On 11/18/2014 aprilskies said:My no sugar for a week went well. I almost caved a few times but managed to avoid it. I have to say though, that really took willpower. It is amazing to see how sugar is in everything. I knew that before but never really paid attention, however, now going forward I will be more mindful. Am I giving up sugar, nah, I wont even fool myself, but I will be paying attention to how much I am consuming and consuming mindlessly.

I was mindful of salt before, but now, will be mindful of both salt and sugar. I figure if I can eat healthy 80% of the time, the other 20% I can play a little.

That sounds like a good plan! I've never supported deprivation.

Yes, I agree. I don't believe in deprivation, there is no need for it in my book. Why deny something you enjoy. If I achieve a balance, I will be happy.

When I feel myself craving something salty, I reach for...

Shells and all.

[aprilskies]

I love pumpkin seeds. Although, I like cracking the shells. It gives me something to do when I am watching tv. That gave me a flashback tho, I remember eating the shells and all when I was a kid. Aaaaah, the good times.

I cant seem to get enough of grapes lately. They have been tasting so good. I am happy about that because for awhile, I refused to buy them. They just werent tasty.

I bought a bag of apples and havent tasted them yet, so I am keeping my fingers crossed they are good. Fruit is so iffy but I have been having a little luck lately.