6 SPICES THAT CAN HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT

NUTRIENTS YOU CAN FIND IN BUTTER

LOWER YOUR CHOLESTEROL - HERE ARE SOME NATURAL WAYS

LOWER YOUR CHOLESTEROL - HERE ARE SOME NATURAL WAYS

Here are a few ways to implement into your diet and lifestyle that will help you to lower your cholesterol naturally.  You can implement these into your diet and also change your lifestyle which could reduce the need for you to take prescriptive medication unless your cholesterol is dangerously high then you will need to take prescriptive drugs. Please always check with your doctor first.

Increase your activity - Go for a walk, any type of exercise that you love to do, try to walk for at least 30 minutes every day, especially if you work behind a desk all day.  You will feel great just by getting out into nature for 30 minutes and break up your day.  

Eat more fibre - Eat natural fibre sources and you’ll do wonders for your cholesterol.

Eat more fruits - fruit is also high in fibre and loaded with antioxidants to help keep your body free of oxidative stress.

Eat less trans fats found in shop bought pastries or biscuits but eat more good fats like coconut oil and butter.

Watch your salt intake -  Eat less processed food which has added salt.  Cook your own meals and add sea salt rather than table salt which is better and contains natural minerals.

Eat more vegetables - vegetables are great for overall health and especially for good cholesterol levels. They are also full of phytonutrients, vitamins and minerals.

Eat more fish - this will ensure you get your omega 3's which is essential in the diet and good for heart health.  You can also eat flax seeds which is a good alternative for omega 3, if you do not eat fish.

Eat nuts - they can also be great for cholesterol and contain healthy fats, nuts like, almonds, walnuts, pecans and cashews.

Cut back on the alcohol - try to cut back and limit drinking alcohol to one or two drinks per day which would be beneficial.

These are just a few ways that you can try and make changes to your diet and lifestyle that will be benefical for your cholesterol levels.  If it all seems a bit much, start of by choosing a few things to change and work on for now.  Making changes to your diet and lifestyle can be challenging so take it slow and go at your own pace.

PUMPKIN - NOT JUST FOR HALLOWEEN!!

PUMPKIN - NOT JUST FOR HALLOWEEN!!

PUMPKINS - It will be Halloween soon and we will all be getting our pumpkins ready for trick or treat. When you are scooping out the flesh of your pumpkin you can cook this and eat as a nutritious vegetable for your dinner (I like to roast mine with some spices) or you can use it to bake with. Pumpkin is an antioxidant called beta carotene and our body converts it to Vitamin A. Pumpkin is also good to reduce inflammation especially if you have arthritis. It has potassium which our body needs for nerves, muscles and heart function and also vitamin C and fibre. 

Here is a recipe for pumpkin muffins which is gluten free and very nutritious and tastes good too!

180g blanched almond flour (or use 65g coconut flour)
¼ tsp Celtic sea salt
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground ginger
2 tbsp Butter or Coconut Oil
1 tbsp honey
3 large eggs
115g fresh pumpkin (chop up the pumpkin and roast until soft then mash up or blend until smooth)

In a mixing bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Mix butter, honey, eggs and pumpkin until smooth. Stir wet ingredients into dry. Grease or place paper liners in muffin tins. Spoon batter into the pan.

Bake at 170 for 30-40 minutes. Cool and top with cream cheese frosting!

FROSTING:
4 oz cream cheese or coconut cream
2 tbsp unsweetened almond milk
3 tbsp honey

Mix together and place a dollop on top of muffins.

WHAT EXACTLY IS KETOSIS AND IS THIS TYPE OF DIET FOR YOU?

What exactly is Ketosis and would this type of diet be the right one for you? 

A lot of people are confused by the term "Ketosis" and feel that it is not normal. Ketosis is what happens when your body burns fat and not sugar for energy as a result of following a Ketosis diet or because you have insufficient levels of glucose available for energy at the time.  If ketones are not used they are excreted through the liver and the urine.  Please do not confuse this type of diet with the condition called Ketoacidosis. Ketoacidosis is a dangerous condition that you can have when being diagnosed with Type I diabetes because insulin is not available to get into the cells of the body.  Ketoacidosis produces ketones far above the normal levels of metabolic ketosis.

When your body burns fat for energy it is not using glucose.  To encourage the production of ketones you must have a low amount of insulin in your blood for this to work.  People on this type of diet are consuming low amounts of carbohydrates, moderate protein and high fats. They usually keep their carbohydrates to around 20g per day (but this all depends on your body's BMR and BMI). The protein is also kept to a minimum because you can produce insulin from protein. 

You would need to consume no fruit but you could consume small amounts of fruit low in sugar like berries.  Also no starches so potatoes, bread, rice etc and no desserts or chocolate, anything with sugar.  You also need to avoid grains and gluten and wheat.  You can eat foods high in fat such as butter, coconut milk, coconut oil just to name a few.  If you need to use sweeteners then the best type would be a Swerve sweetener.

When our body breaks down fat for energy, some of it is converted straightaway to ATP and ketones are also produced. The ketones are energy molecules in the blood. Our brain uses fat for fuel and actually prefers fat to glucose. When you have large amounts of ketones in your blood this means you are keto adapted. When you are in ketosis you will have more energy which lasts longer than if you burned sugar for energy.  You can store ketones in your body for future use just like you can store glucose for future use.  When you burn fat for fuel this causes less oxidative damage to your cells so your cells can produce much more energy than it can from glucose.  

So who could benefit from this type of diet?  People who cannot tolerate a lot of sugar such as diabetics and for people who are struggling to lose weight or have lost weight and are struggling with losing some extra pounds, this diet can give you mental clarity, reverse resistance of leptin and insulin and starve cancer cells. This type of diet can also help with joint pain, epilepsy, Parkinsons and Alzheimers.  It can be very effective in reversing many types of health problems. 

Here is an example of what you could eat for breakfast following a keto adapted diet - 

Heat up some coconut oil, crack in 2 to 3 eggs and break up the yolks.  When cooked enough, flip the eggs over to cook on the other side.  Serve with some grated cheese and some whipped up heavy cream or sour cream.

THIS IS SOOOOOOOO AWESOME!

Hey Everyone - this one is for the ladies!


Omg this is really exciting and important to us ladies.  Creating more "me" time and helping us along our weight loss journey to feeling good!

I found this online and totally thought of you! It's a free 5-day online event all about REVIVING what it means to be a woman... 

It's called the Red Tent Revival and it's happening this month. 

It looks like SOO much fun. Check it out here:

https://no122.infusionsoft.com/go/rtr2014all/andreajane576

It's hosted by Kristin Sweeting Morelli who's really well known for breaking down barriers and empowering women... and for years, she's been working on bringing to life an epic, totally unique, online experience, available women around the world!

The Red Tent Revival is a reflection of a journey to pleasure that has completely changed her life. And she's bringing together some of the world's top experts in the areas of sex, orgasm, relationships, health, hormones, so many juicy topics!

Oh, and there'll be dancing too! Woo hoo!

Anyway, I wanted to share this with you because I'm definitely going to be there!!

See you there.

Andrea Howard

THE BENEFITS OF GRAPES

THE BENEFITS OF GRAPES

I just love grapes, they are one of my favorite fruits to eat as a snack or added to muesli for breakfast.  There are different types of grape but I love the dark ones.  Which one is your favorite?

Grapes have been classed as a low glycemic index (GI) food, with GI values ranging between 43-53.  With a low GI value, grapes are not necessarily the same as having blood sugar benefits. In the case of grapes, recent studies have shown that the low GI value is also a good indicator of this fruit's blood sugar benefits. Better blood sugar balance, better insulin regulation, and increased insulin sensitivity have now been connected with intake of grape juices, grape extracts, and individual phytonutrients found in grapes.

Several of the grape phytonutrients are now believed to play a role in longevity. At the top of the list in this area of research is resveratrol (a stilbene phytonutrient most present in grape skins, but also in grape seeds and grape flesh).

The health benefits of grapes include their ability to treat constipation, indigestion, fatigue, kidney disorders, macular degeneration and the prevention of cataracts. Grapes are one of the most popular and delicious fruits, are rich sources of vitamins A, C, B6 and folate in addition to essential minerals like potassium, calcium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium and selenium.

Grapes contain flavonoids that are very powerful antioxidants, which can reduce the damage caused by free radicals and slow down aging.  Grapes have a high nutrient content and play an important role in ensuring a healthy and active life.

Antibacterial activity:

Red grapes have strong antibacterial and antiviral properties that can protect you from infections. They display strong antiviral properties against the polio virus and the herpes simplex virus. Studies have also shown that grape juice can tackle bacterial infections in the gut and other systems.

Blood cholesterol:

Grapes contain a compound called pterostilbene, which has the capacity to lower a person’s cholesterol levels. Pterostilbene is closely related to resveratrol, the beneficial antioxidant and coloring flavonoid that is also found in grapes, and early research has shown that it has anti-cancer qualities as well as having a great impact on cholesterol levels.  It is also thought to have preventative powers over cognitive decline. The saponins present in the skin of grapes can also prevent the absorption of cholesterol by binding with it.

Immune System:

Grapes are packed with flavonoids, minerals and vitamins.  The high levels of Vitamin C, K, and A in grapes gives you a healthy boost to many of your organ systems, particularly your immune system, which means less chance of coming down with common colds, as well as serious health issues.



Cancer prevention properties:

Grapes have been found to have strong anti-cancer properties due to the anti-inflammatory effect of resveratrol. It is particularly effective in reducing the chances of colorectal cancer and breast cancer. The anthocyanins and pro-anthocyanidins in grapes have properties of an anti-proliferate and can inhibit the growth of cancer causing agents. Grape juice not only prevents the risk of cancer but also suppresses the growth and propagation of cancer cells. The pigments contained in grapes enhance the overall immunity of the body to a wide range of diseases.

Bone Health: 

Grapes are a wonderful source of micro-nutrients like copper, iron, and manganese, which are all important in the formation and strength of the bones. Adding grapes into your diet on a regular basis can prevent the onset of age-related conditions like osteoporosis. Manganese is an extremely important element in the body, which aids in everything from protein metabolism, collagen formation, and nervous system functioning.