CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK

Challenge of the Week: Dare to go Dairy-free this week?

With the countless “Got Milk” ads and commercials, we’ve been bombarded with messages about how dairy is SO good for us- it has protein and is loaded with calcium.

In Reality: Not only do we HARDLY absorb the calcium when we drink milk, but it actually LEECHES calcium from our bones.

Here’s how it works:

Since milk is acidic, our bodies need to neutralize the pH.  The way our bodies do this is by using calcium that is stored in our bodies (mostly in our bones.)  After the calcium is used to neutralize the acidity, we pee it out, leaving us with a NET LOSS of calcium. 

Kind of defeats the purpose, doesn’t it?

You’ll get a MUCH higher absorption of calcium from green leafy vegetables than you ever will from milk.

So drinking milk for the calcium benefits and to reduce your risk for osteoporosis is NOT the best advice…DESPITE what your doctors are probably telling you.  (and absolutely I encourage you to do your own research on this.)

“Consumption of dairy products, particularly at age 20 years, was associated with an increased risk of hip fracture in old age. (“Case-Control Study of Risk Factors for Hip Fractures in the Elderly.”  American Journal of Epidemiology. Vol. 139, No. 5, 1994)

Now you can understand why even though we drink more milk here in the US than any other country, we have one of the highest rates of osteoporosis in the WORLD.

Here are a few other things you probably didn’t know:

• More than 75% of us have some degree of lactose intolerance- meaning our bodies can NOT properly digest the proteins found in cows milk.
• Cow’s milk is NOT for humans…it will take a baby calf from 100 to 800 pounds by the time it’s weaned from it’s mother. That’s a weight increase of 800%!
• Africa and Asia have the lowest consumption rates of dairy and ALSO have the lowest rates of osteoporosis.  
• Most cows that our milk comes from are treated with antibiotics and hormones that gets transferred into the milk that we are drinking.   These hormones will increase your risk for cancer.  (Breast & Prostate) (I’m also convinced that these hormones are one of the reasons that our 12 year-olds are looking more and more like they’re 18.)
• Milk will aggravate symptoms in people with IBS
• Milk causes increased inflammation in the body

So…This Week’s Challenge is to AVOID DRINKING MILK (and other dairy products.)

Here’s what you CAN have…

• Coconut Milk  
• Almond Milk as a substitute.  I use this in my smoothies or protein shakes. You can also make your own almond milk in the blender- it’s SUPER easy.  It’s only 1 part almonds to 3 parts water.  Blend it up in the blender and strain out the pulp!  That’s IT! 

• 2-3 servings (spread out over the week) of Organic Greek Yogurt.  It has beneficial probiotics in there and yogurt is more pH neutral than regular milk.

Think you are up for the Challenge this Week??!  

Take advice from the Anchorman….that Milk is a BAD Choice.  

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK

Challenge if the Week: De-Stress Your Life for the Week….

Many of us are CHRONICALLY STRESSED OUT.  CHRONIC STRESS = FAT STORING MODE 

You could be doing EVERYTHING right with your diet and exercise, but if you are still holding on to a few extra pounds (especially in your belly), then there’s a very good chance it could be because of your stress levels.

We all have a hormone in our body called Cortisol.  Cortisol is our body’s natural “fight-or-flight” hormone and is dubbed our “stress hormone.”

When we’re being attacked by a bear in the woods, Cortisol and Adrenaline (Epinephrine) in our bodies shoot up, allowing us to be able to have clear focus on the situation and giving us the energy to sprint as fast as we can away from the bear.

The main problem is, we are NOT sprinting away from a bear.  We are stressed out at work, sitting in traffic, or dealing with personal situations that are causing us CHRONIC levels of increased cortisol.

Now…..all of that sugar has been released into our bloodstream for sprinting in the woods, except we’re not sprinting anywhere…..so it’s all getting STORED AS BELLY FAT. 

Cortisol also reduces your immune system.

So when you’re chronically exposed to stress, your immune system is chronically compromised.

Chronic Stress is one of the main contributors to weight gain and obesity, getting sick, having less energy, and depression.

The GOOD NEWS is that stress levels CAN BE MANAGED with a little persistence and dedication to the process. 

Here are a few Ways to Decrease Your Stress:

• Exercise (this will DEFINITELY HELP)
• Reduce your Sugar Intake (in fact, try to eliminate all HFCS--high fructose corn syrup)
• Try Meditation or Yoga
• Start taking Omega 3′s (fish oil)
• Disconnect:  Turn OFF your Computer & Cell for at least an hour
• Try to find at LEAST 10-15 min a day of peace and quiet
• Find 10-15 minutes to be outside in the sunshine
• Get a Massage!

So….this week’s Challenge of the Week is to Focus on DE-STRESSING Your Life. 

I challenge you to spend at least 30-60 minutes EVERY day this week, focused on relaxing, resting, and de-stressing.

Sometimes taking time for yourself is the hardest thing to do- but by taking care of yourself, you are able to handle everything and everyone that comes along more easily.   ARE YOU UP FOR THE CHALLENGE!?  

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK

Challenge of the week: Avoid This #1 THING!

It’s time to ——–> Rethink your drink!

Do you REALLY know how much sugar is in the soda and juices that you are drinking? 

It’s CRAZY how many calories you can actually consume in such a short period of time when you have a drink.

Did you know that sugary soft drinks are the #1 source of calories in the average American Diet!?!?

One Soda a day can increase your risk of a heart attack EVEN if you are not gaining weight?

56% of 8-year-olds down soft drinks daily, & 1/3 of teenage boys drink at LEAST 3 cans of soda per day!

Needless to say, soda is one of the leading contributors to the explosion in our rates of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and a whole host of other problems.

So…. if you are a soda drinker, your challenge of the week is NO SODA!!

Not only are there ZERO nutritional benefits in these sugary drinks, but they are absolutely harmful to your health.

Here Are Your Acceptable Alternatives to Soda:

1. Water (flavor with strawberries, cucumber, lemon, lime, etc.  Switch it up to make it fun!)
2. If you need the caffeine buzz (especially because it’s Monday) go with Green Tea (has anti-oxidants) or Un-sweetened Tea.
3. Or…..coffee.  If you HAVE to sweeten it, find some coconut sugar.   It’s got a low glycemic load  (won’t raise your blood sugar too much) and it tastes great.

Are you Up for this challenge this week?  

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK: The NO SUGAR CHALLENGE!

This week, I’m Challenging you to a: “NO ADDED SUGAR WEEK.”

Added sugars (that don’t occur naturally in the foods you are eating) can be detrimental to your health.

Here are just a few of the MANY reasons to cap the sugar intake in your diet….

• Sugar promotes INFLAMMATION in the body (Inflammation is the ROOT of ALL disease in our bodies.)
• Large amounts of added Sugars will SUPPRESS the immune system.  (Imagine how your immune systems suffers if you are eating added and processed sugars at ever meal!)
• Sugars will suppress the release of HGH (Human Growth Hormone) in the body (and since HGH is imperative in anti-aging in our bodies, we want as much of this as our bodies are able to naturally produce.)
• Sugars will raise your insulin levels- which over time can lead to a whole host of diseases.
• Short term, added sugars will have a HUGE effect on your energy levels throughout the day.

By taking this challenge it means that you commit to having no ADDED sugars in ANYTHING you eat this week! 

Here are the Rules:

1.  No Added Sugars of ANY kind: Honey, Molasses, Cane Sugar, Coconut Sugar, Stevia, Agave, Truvia, etc.)

2.  Absolutely nothing in the ingredient label that says HFCS (High-Fructose Corn Syrup).  Try to stay away from all processed foods in general to make it easier on yourself (though that is another challenge for another week!)

3.  Do NOT eat anything that says Sugar-Free.  This will almost 100% of the time have artificial sweeteners in them.  General Rule of Thumb: If you can’t pronounce the ingredient, you probably shouldn’t be eating it!

Naturally occurring sugars in your food are OK (fruits, veggies, etc.) Try to eat your fruits earlier in the day (not past 3-4pm)

This Week’s Challenge may be a LOT harder than it looks….but you’ll be SHOCKED at how amazing you feel at the end of the week.

You’ll probably also notice you are sleeping better, have more energy, and may even have lost 2-3 pounds!  :-)

Are you UP FOR THIS CHALLENGE!??!?  

Here are a few tips for a Successful Week….

1.  Make sure you respond to this email saying that “I Accept this Challenge!”  

2.  Get RID of ALL Distractions or items that will keep you from your goals.  If you have other people in your home living with you, put their sugary foods in a separate cabinet or refrigerator shelf to keep you from temptation. (This step is HUGE!)

3.  Plan Out Your Food for the Week!  Sit down for 15 minutes to plan out what you will be eating for breakfast, lunch, and dinner this week.  Taking the time to do this will tremendously increase your chances for success!

4.  Plan Out Your Reward/Consequences.  If you succeed at this challenge, what will be your reward?  (Please do not make it a Brownie Sundae!)  Something like a massage, manicure, and other non-food related rewards work best.  (You don’t want to start conditioning yourself with food as prizes.)  Also, if you do NOT succeed with the challenge, what is your penalty?  (Example: Offering to do your husband's chores for a week, 150 Burpees, etc.)

Good Luck this week with the Challenge!