Post Thanksgiving "Clean Up"

I hope all of you in the U.S. had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. Now that the day is over, we slide right into the Christmas holiday full force. How will you handle this next month?

You are going to be stressed, busy and if you're not sleeping, the carb monster will rear its ugly head and take total control of you.

The average person has the ability to gain a solid 10lbs. between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Wouldn't it feel great to be a loser during this next month? Hey, being a loser in this sense of the word is a great thing!

Now is the time to make some choices for your post Thanksgiving "clean up". You can finish your left overs this weekend and plan to start fresh on your healthy eating plan first thing on Monday. This is going to require some planning and diligence on your part. Pull from the very core for strength and resolve. If you've just begun your healthy diet plan, this will be especially difficult for you.

If you're an experienced champ, you have probably already jumped right back into action with breakfast today. Congratulations!

It's a good feeling to be in the "hop back on with the very next meal" club. You are setting yourself up for lifetime success!

If you've got leftovers, here is some advice for you. Take note of how you feel at this very moment. Are you feeling lean and energized or do you feel tired and bloated? If it is the latter, let this be your very first sign that a carb heavy meal is not the optimal choice for day to day eating. If you're new to this site or any plan, you've experienced that elation of the dehydrating effect of carbohydrate restriction. After that large carb heavy meal, it takes you back to those old days of carelessly stuffing ourselves with highly insulinogenic disease causing foods. As Jeff Foxworthy might say "Here's your sign". Your sign is the bloat and lethargy and not only is it a sign, but a valuable lesson in foods that heal and foods that kill. I'm sure that's a book but haven't the author's name at the tip of my tongue.

If the left overs are abundant, you might freeze them for other family members who are not following the same plan. Donate them to a neighbor who might not have enjoyed the pleasure of Thanksgiving dinner, let the family eat them up while you get back on your plan taking advantage of focusing on yourself for a few days. (This is the time to treat yourself to a nice filet or your favorite food that others don't particularly care for)

If there is a small amount left that you find yourself returning to the refrigerator for time and again, just throw it out. I say this of course with great compassion for those who might be suffering monetarily.

L-Glutamine, an amino acid can work wonders if you're experiencing cravings. 1000-1500 mg. 3x a day can keep the craving monster at bay. If you're really suffering, open a capsule under the tongue for and in about 3 minutes, your craving will disappear.

Get that turkey carcass into a pot and get your soup going! Remember, there is a fabulous bone broth recipe on the website for you to refer to. Grab your celery, onions and carrots as well as your favorite spices and start simmering!

You can jump right back on plan with the very next meal and my goal is to help you achieve that sometimes difficult task.

Never in history have we had access to such an abundance of food as we do today. I'm not even sure there's a pause between Halloween and Christmas and the junk food diving we do is perfectly acceptable.

We act like hummingbirds in need of that constant draw of sugar water to maintain our energy levels from an over stressed, under nourished world we live in today. Don't be that carbohydrate dependent person because it only guarantees "dis-ease".

No matter your "clean up" choice, don't allow it to manifest through the Christmas Holiday or you begin again in 2012 with that same old resolution we've all faced year after year and a mountain of guilt that can be paralyzing and self destructive.

The perfect diet to gain control of those cravings would be the Restricted Phase I plan.

Appetite Out of Control? Phenylalanine May Be the Answer!

If you're really serious about taking charge of your appetite and are tired of battling your cravings and added pounds, here's a safe way to manage your eating habits and finally get your weight under control!

Phenylalanine is an essential amino acid that acts as an appetite suppressant by administrating the release of an intestinal hormone—cholecystokinin—which signals the brain to feel satiated after eating.
Here's how appetite control works: cholecystokinin (CCK) is released as food enters the stomach. It tells the digestion to slow down and then gives the message to the brain that you are 'full' . . . so your appetite naturally decreases. This takes time—usually around 20 minutes.

Phenylalanine is found in a variety of foods, including almonds, avocados, bananas, brown rice, cheese, corn, eggs, fish, lima beans, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and soy products. Problem is, you'd have to eat lots of extra calories in order to get an efficacious amount and at that, not all of those food choices are healthy or a part of the Free Healthy Diet Plan. That's why phenylalanine is sold as a convenient nutritional supplement.

If you take 500 mg. of phenylalanine 30 minutes to one hour before eating a meal, you'll notice that you'll feel full faster—so you don't fill up on extra calories that you don't need! And not only that, you'll stay full longer so you don't get that late afternoon or after-dinner snack attack. Before you know it, those extra pounds you've been carrying around will start to melt away—safely and effortlessly.

L-Phenylalanine's ability to suppress appetite by stimulating the production of the appetite-suppressing hormone, cholecystokinin, was proven in a laboratory study with rhesus monkeys. In the first test, the monkeys were given cholecystokinin intravenously after having been deprived of food overnight. Sure enough, the monkey's appetites were suppressed. In the second test, the monkeys again weren't allowed to eat anything during the night previous to testing. Even though they were hungry, after they were given phenylalanine, the monkeys' appetite was suppressed. The test indicates that phenylalanine helps release cholecystokinin, the hormone that suppresses appetite.

According to Priscilla Slagle, M.D., author of The Way Up From Down, "Diet changes and natural supplements can alter your brain chemistry so that you can think and perceive positively."

Phenylalanine, along with two other amino acids, tyrosine and methionine, helps the body produce adrenaline. It is also a precursor for other proteins and enzymes, including norepinephrine, epinephrine, and dopamine. It is available in three different forms: L, D, and DL. The L form is the most common and is the type which is incorporated into your body's proteins. The D form acts as a painkiller, and the DL is a combination of the two.  I often recommend the D form for those who have had a surgery and find it difficult to discontinue their pain killer prescriptions such as oxycodone and hydrocodone (vicodin). 

1. D-Phenylalanine—one of the three forms of phenylalanine—increases endorphins, your natural pain relievers, thus aiding in pain relief and mood elevation. It has been found to be safer than and as effective as commonly prescribed and/or over-the-counter drugs. It can help alleviate stubborn pain as well as depression, offering hope to individuals who had formerly been despondent about chronic situations.
2. L-Phenylalanine converts to phenylethylamine, an amphetamine-like stimulatory compound and also converts to norepinephrine and dopamine (via tyrosine) which are mood elevating, motivating, stress protective body chemicals.
3. DL-Phenylalanine (DLPA) is a combination of L-phenylalanine and D-phenylalanine.  DLPA has also been found to be beneficial in combating depression, elevating mood, producing a feeling of satiety, and boosting the body's natural pain-killing response.

So, if you want to control your appetite, lose weight painlessly, and maintain a good mood, try phenylalanine!
Once you have made up your mind to lose weight, you should make that commitment and go into it with a positive attitude. Think like a winner, and envision yourself the way you want to look and feel. Don't get discouraged if you slip now and then, and eat something you know you shouldn't have. We're all human. If you eat something you know isn't on your plan, don't guilty. Get right back on with the very next meal.  It's not what you do occasionally that counts, it's what you do consistently on a daily basis and most importantly, how you recover.

Caution: Phenylalanine should not be taken by pregnant women, or those who suffer from high blood pressure, phenylketonuria, melanoma or anxiety attacks. It should not be used if taking MAO inhibitor drugs, commonly prescribed for depression.

Politics on the lunch tray?

The link below is an example of politics once again dictating our health.  I’m proud to live in a country where I can make my own decisions about my belief system, my health and so many other lifestyle decisions.  Though it’s becoming a narrow margin between freedom of choice of food and supplements and some of the proposed “laws” such as S.510 and Codex where potential food devitalization and vitamin supplementation become the sole responsibility of government regulation and big pharma.  It could be likely that at some point I might only be able to purchase a bleached, irradiated steak and request a prescription of Vitamin C from my physician.

Yes, I’m frustrated.  I’m frustrated that our food supply is dictated by dollars.  I’m frustrated that while our First Lady is working hard on a campaign to bring awareness to our obesity epidemic, another is in one breath talking about her own states obesity issues and in another, knocking the other because of political party lines. 

At what point does Sarah Palin think that bringing sugar cookies to children is called freedom of choice?  Why is Sarah Palin now saying that Mrs. Obama is on an “anti-obesity kick” or that the First Lady’s message is a lack of trust of parents feeding of their children?  What message is this sending the children?  It’s only bringing out anger and blame.   Our obesity epidemic transcends party lines.  It is a national health crisis and one that is bankrupting this Country.   

Shame on you Sarah Palin.  While your children are consuming Caribou, Wild Caught Salmon and other fresh foods, the majority of our children are consuming foods that contain no vitamin content what so ever.  Inner city children who only have access to convenience markets, families living off of $300 per month for groceries and now, obvious vitamin deficiencies such as rickets are once again seen in American children.   

Instead of cookies, maybe you can bring school children some high quality protein and the lesson of a healthy lifestyle which begins with what you eat, as you obviously live yourself based on your lean physique.   

Our children should not be used as pawns for political gain nor should they be exploited to garner massive profits for the corporations supplying food to our school cafeterias and vending machines.  

There was once a day when our school children respected our Administration and the President of the United States and the First Lady no matter their political party.  

A campaign such as the Let's Move would have been welcomed into schools and homes.  Sadly, it is now dictated by party belief. 

Don't get me wrong.  I'm not stating we should never question authority but a campaign as positive as this, should be recognized and promoted by all parties because it is in the best interest of our future leaders.

http://www.healthhabits.ca/2010/11/25/sarah-palin-plays-politics-health-americas-children/