Guest bloggers Lysa and Gina are back to talk about change! You`ve heard them in guest posts: The Greatest Gift: Know Yourself, Love Yourself and Does Weight-Loss Have to Be a Struggle? Check out their next post in their Live Lighter series!

In my coaching over the last 3 years, I’ve been fascinated to observe who makes massive change, who goes half way and who fails to get moving. Is there a theme here that could teach us how to give ourselves the best start and the most glorious finish?

1) What makes for a good start?

Any client who realizes that they truly want to change always makes a great start. It’s not the people whose Doctor has told them they have to change, or pressure from Spouse/Family, or even the fear of a big social event coming up… It’s a feeling deep down inside that ‘I want to do this for me’, that has been a common base for those who make a great start.

2) What makes for a bad start?

Wanting to lose weight for someone else is the worst place to start. Trying to make someone like you, love you, or stay with you will always leave you looking outside for validation… No matter how long you force yourself forward, if it’s all about trying to make someone else accept you or get off your back. Inevitably any energy invested in moving you forward will fizzle out and you’ll feel like stink for a while…

But then you’ll know that now it’s time to forget everyone else and do it for yourself!

3) What keeps you going?

We all have our own reasons for starting to lose weight, and so often people think they need the right motivation to keep going. True Motivation is the key to sustainable results but something even more basic (that is crucial for creating results) which often gets overlooked is: what is your plan for shifting the excess weight?

Everyone decides on how to reduce calories (eat less) or how to use calories (increase activity) or a combination of both but whatever your plan is, are you enjoying it? Is it fun? Does it make you feel alive? Like the days just pass by quickly and whalla! You’re dropping weight.

We accomplish amazing weight-loss results with clients because we know how to build momentum. We know how to tailor an approach so it hits all of your feel good factors, and before long 5-10kg’s has melted away easily and you know you can continue to reach your goal.

4) What halts people from reaching their goal?

a) Wanting to lose weight for someone else
b) Placing high expectations and pressure upon oneself
c) Fear of change
d) Unsustainable weight-loss strategies

5) Who makes massive change?

The people I’ve seen who make massive change have a dawning epiphany that they can no longer tolerate their current level of weight. They acknowledge how much pain their excess weight is creating for them and refuse to accept it any longer.

They associate pain to any habit that would continue to see their weight increase and find joy in habits that support their weight loss. They realize it’s about enjoying the journey and that any method to get to there must be sustainable in order to support them to stay at their goal.

When the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change, you’ll make a shift.

This is what we look for in the people who want to have coaching with us. It’s all about perception and when you’re ready to see that the effort involved in change is less than then everyday pain of excess weight, shifting becomes easy.

About the Author

Lysa and Gina help women break free from dieting and emotional eating. They teach Intuitive Eating and how to get the Weight-Loss Mindset. Visit them at their website, www.lysaandgina.co.nz.

Do you have any experience in successful weight-loss and has Lysa and Gina`s method been a part of it? Let us know in the comments below!

How would you like to enjoy your next pasta dish without having to worry about carbs? Today`s guest blogger, Jennifer Joslin, shares with us a low-carb pasta recipe that will not only keep you feeling full, but provides you with a serving of 12 different vegetables!

What`s my secret to a low-carb pasta meal? I replace traditional wheat pasta with delicious spaghetti squash and mix it with onions, peppers, zucchini and mushrooms, for a healthy, satisfying alternative. The entire dish is topped off with all natural Summit 6 pasta sauce available in 3 different flavours, including classic, spicy and smooth, and mild made specifically for kids.

Whichever flavour you choose, each jar contains 6 different vegetables including tomatoes, carrots, green beans, red cabbage, eggplant and garlic, and is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, fiber and iron.

That`s not all, Summit 6 pasta sauce is made in small batches and is one of the few options available that is low in sodium and fat and cholesterol free.  Try this vegan, gluten-free and low-carb recipe at home!

12 Vegetable Pasta Recipe

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1 medium Spaghetti Squash
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 small green pepper or ½ large pepper , diced
• 1 medium red pepper or ½ large pepper, diced
• 1 zucchini, diced
• 6 oz mushrooms, sliced
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 jar (24 oz) Summit 6 Classic or Spicy Pasta Sauce
• Optional: Add cooked shrimp or Italian sausage
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Spaghetti Squash Preparation

1. Cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the  seeds and fiber from the center and pierce holes throughout the skin of the squash with a fork.
2. Place the two squash halves cut side down in a baking dish with enough water to cover the bottom of the dish.
3. Bake at 350° for about an hour or until the skin gives easily under pressure.
4. Once the squash has cooled for about 10-15 minutes, take a fork and scrape out the flesh little by little. It will separate into spaghetti like strands.

Sauce Preparation

1. Add olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions  and heat for about 3 minutes. Add red and green peppers and cook for another 6 minutes or until vegetables are softened, stirring frequently.
2. Add mushrooms and zucchini and cook another 6 minutes or until desired consistency is achieved.
3. Reduce heat and add 1 jar (24 oz) of Summit 6 Classic or Spicy Pasta Sauce. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Pour over prepared spaghetti squash.

About the Author

Joslin Foods is a licensed food wholesaler in Mattapoisett, MA that produces Summit 6 Pasta Sauce, an all-natural, premium pasta sauce in classic, kids and spicy varieties. The mission is to help people getting more colorful vegetables into their diets, and actually liking it. The journey of Joslin Foods started when founder Jennifer Joslin Cincotta created her original recipe after struggling for years to get her young children to eat healthy foods, realizing that all they wanted was pizza and pasta.

All three varieties feature six different vegetables, each offering specific vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals that keep us healthy and help fight off serious diseases. All the vegetables that go into Summit 6 sauces are chemical-free and locally grown on New England area farms. Each serving is low in sodium and fat, a good source of fiber and iron, cholesterol free and provides 25% of daily vitamins A and C.

Summit 6 Pasta sauces can be purchased at select farmers markets and Whole Foods in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont, and online at FamousFoods.com. For more information please visit www.joslinfoods.com.

 

How do you know where you`re going if you don`t know where you`re starting from? How do you improve if you don`t have a marker to measure your progress? This is the content of today`s guest blog post by cyclist, Krystal Pierce!

Science and technology has long aimed at easing the life of human race, and have devoted themselves to the well-being of humans. Health and life care services have seen tremendous technological advancements over the past two decades. There is no area of health and fitness that has not been worked on by scientists and researchers.

There is a wide range of widgets and appliances available in the market that can be used to keep a track of the nutritional intake, calories burnt, steps taken, laps covered, pulse rate, diabetic level, blood pressure, distance travelled, height traversed, blood analyzers, exercise intensity, workout efficiency, diets taken, hydration level, and you just name them.

Fitness can be monitored and improved with these tools by keeping a check on the data delivered by them. Here we aim to give you a brief look at five gadgets that you can employ in your daily routine, to monitor your fitness level and consequently devise ways of improving it.

A Pedometer is a simple device, compared to the high tech ones available in markets these days. For casual joggers, whose fitness activity is only compromised of a walk around the block, it is a perfect tool. But it is not just limited to the laid-back individuals; it can also be used by marathon runners and other professional sportsmen.

What this device does is to measure the number of steps you have taken and at which speed you have been walking. With this simple reading, you can analyze the pace you have been travelling at, the distance you have travelled and other related parameters.

Heart Rate Monitor is another highly useful tool that can not only improve your health, but also help you to train in a smart way by keeping a check on your workout performance. The device is easy to program and is extremely user-friendly. It is used to measure the pulse rate of a person based on oxygen consumption. It comprises of a chest strap that is used to take these readings and a wrist watch or any other display that can be used to display those readings to the consumer in real time.

Cycle speed monitor is for those out there who love the activity of cycling and want to test out their work activity. They come with a variety of data reading ability and can show you the distance you travelled, your current average and maximum speed, total trip time and current time. This widget is highly useful both for casual use of bicycle and those aiming at workout through bicycle.

Road Runner is an application for your smart phone. It can be used to analyze the complete work day activity log. Whatever you did during the day, and how much you benefited from the activity performed can be scrutinized using a Road Runner. It can inform you about the distance you moved through and calories burned, so that you can keep a check on your overall health parameters.

Calorie Counter is again a smart phone application that assists you in keeping a check on the food you devour and your workout sessions. This is an incredible tool to balance the intake of food and employing the energy thus generated. You can use the information presented by the Calorie Counter to decide on how to eat healthy food that gives you good calorie intake and the smart exercise plan that effectively puts them to use.

We have given you a sneak peak on extremely simple and handy to use tools that you can carry with you on the go. Incorporate them in your daily life and keep a check on your physical fitness and be your own health coach.

About the Author

Krystal Pierce is a cyclist by vocation and devotes all her leisure time to zealous writing. She has a profound fervor for writing, sports and has been using sports apparatus like polar ft7, garmin forerunner 910xt and Bicycle Computers for numerous years.

Do you have a favourite fitness gadget you use on an almost daily basis? Please share it with us in the comments below!

Some people think I’m crazy when I say I LOVE going to the dentist, especially to get my teeth cleaned. I love the feeling after a session with the dental hygienist – smooth teeth and gums that say, “thank you for taking care of me!” Today’s guest blogger, Felicia Baratz, gives us even more reason to look forward to our dentist trips!

There are many connections between oral health and the general health of your body. Several studies specifically focus on the correlation between poor oral health and diseases in seemingly unrelated places. These correlations suggest that keeping your mouth healthy may be essential to your overall vitality.

The links between gum disease and heart problems are widely reported and also widely debated. Endocarditis, an infection of the inner lining of the heart, can be caused by mouth bacteria entering the bloodstream. Both gum disease and gum surgery can open the blood vessels to invasion by this bacteria. If a patient has a compromised immune system or a faulty heart valve, this can lead to serious problems.

Long-term irritation from periodontitis can lead to inflammation of the arteries and other blood vessels. This can eventually cause heart disease, stroke or blockages in the arteries.

The connection between gum disease and cardiovascular problems is among one of the most well-documented. Scientific examination has found that arterial plaque contains some of the same bacteria that cause periodontal disease. Although the way these bacteria cause problems isn’t totally understood, researchers believe that they may secrete toxins or increase inflammation in the blood vessels.

Sometimes, the correlations work in reverse: Tooth and gum problems can be caused by other systemic diseases. Diabetes lowers infection resistance and can lead to bacterial gum infections. Poorly-controlled blood sugar is also associated with tooth loss.

Another condition that can cause tooth loss and jaw problems is osteoporosis. Since teeth and jaws are made of bone, they are at risk of falling to the same destructive processes as the rest of the skeleton.

It goes without saying that people with good oral health enjoy better overall health, at least when it comes to the studied conditions. Decatur, IL dentist Dr. Warren Jesek says that proper oral hygiene can help senior citizens avoid infections that would otherwise lead to tooth loss, bad breath and bone deterioration.

Jesek also says that those with compromised immune systems or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease should have their teeth cleaned more often than normally recommended in order to lessen the chance of infection-related problems.

Many people don’t go to the dentist as often as they should due to financial reasons (some are fearful of the pain). This doesn’t have to be the case. Thanks to the variety of dental insurance plans, it’s possible for most people to find one that is both affordable and comprehensive enough to cover their needs. It is also possible to get individual dental insurance. The days of this coverage only being available through employers are over.

One way to find a good dental insurance plan is to check the site of a major insurer. Insurance companies almost always list their options on their websites and offer ways to get quotes on those that fit your requirements. You can also check their sites to see if your favorite dentist is in the network you’re considering. If it turns out that he or she isn’t on the list, look for a plan that will cover work done by dentists outside the network. Chances are good that you can still gain substantial savings.

About the Author

Felicia Baratz is a writer living in the Indianapolis area. As a writer for doseofmyown.com, she specializes in articles about health and nutrition.

Did you know that there are health implications of poor dental hygiene besides losing your teeth? Do you love, hate or feel neutral for your dentist visits? Tell us about it in the comments below!

Many people think of “tasteless” when they think of healthy food. But if you’ve been around the healthy food block, you’ll know that’s not necessarily true. In these cases, herbs are a chef’s secret! Mark Leather is here today to pass some of these secrets onto us. 

Culinary herbs are used in food to add flavour. When used correctly, herbs can transform an average dish into something special. Whilst it can make food taste great, herbs have been used for centuries for their health benefits. We will go through 5 common herbs, list their known health benefits and popular dishes containing the herb.

Enjoy!

Tarragon

Known as the ‘dragon herb’, Tarragon is native to Eastern Europe, Asia, India, North America & Mexico. Tarragon is commonly used in sauces and Mediterranean dishes including fish, lamb and poultry. It is known to reduce platelet adhesion to the walls of blood vessels, therefore helping to prevent blood clots which may lead to a stroke or heart attack. Tarragon is particularly rich in vitamins and minerals, notably iron which helps transport oxygen to cells in the human body.

Example dish including Terragon:

• Slow poached chicken, sweetcorn, egg, spinach with bacon and peas

Oregano

Botanically known in Greek as the “joy of the mountains”, Oregano can be found growing on the hills in the Mediterranean. Many variations of Oregano have been developed by us over many centuries, varying in taste from spicy to sweet. In reverse to herb trends, Oregano can contain more flavour dried than fresh.

This is an incredibly timely guest post for me: just yesterday I had a huge craving for ice cream! Here’s guest blogger, David Tully, who explains  ancient eastern medicine, Ayurveda, and how understanding our particular digestive constitution can help with our health goals. 

Whenever we have a food craving, we have one of three options to choose from, we can either:

It’s been almost a week since I last posted – the reason: a wicked headache that lasted nine days! Here are a few things I learned from this experience in case it can help you, such as what I did to aggravate it, what I did to finally break free from it and how I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.

Most people suffer from headaches on the odd occasion. I’ve always been prone to them, in fact, about a year and a half after starting this blog, while my headaches decreased dramatically from my lifestyle changes, I began experiencing what I call a “mystery illness.”

When I started Live Lighter, I was on a real health kick. Actually, to be absolutely truthful, I probably went overboard with it. I lived such a clean lifestyle, despite my close social circle living like I used to, that it was almost impossible to keep it up forever – unless I were to make drastic changes with other parts of my life, which I wasn’t ready to do.

Slowly I reintroduced the “damaging” stuff back into my body. As this was happening, not only was work extremely stressful but issues were also quickly developing in my love relationship. Suddenly one night I got a wicked headache. I refused to put painkillers into my body so I suffered through it until I felt nauseous.

Off to the bathroom I went where I vomited several times and had a normal bowel movement. Within 30 minutes to an hour, my headache was gone like it had never happened, though I felt physically drained.

The next time it happened was 6 months later. The job situation had changed and the relationship issues had been addressed. I was laid off and my then common-law husband and I decided to stay together to give it another go.

Over the last few years, this mystery illness became more frequent. At one point, I had it once a month for 3 months! I went to my family doctor who issued a bunch of tests such as an MRI and cat-scan, and everything coming back normal. At the time, I couldn’t afford a Naturopathic doctor and since my family doc didn’t seem concerned, I just let it go to deal with at a later date.

Within the last year, this mystery illness has only shown itself about 3 times. However, this last one was a doozy, with the headache lasting an abnormal 9-days. And I know why, too.

It was an extremely busy week, between extra shifts with my restaurant gig, maintaining Live Lighter as well as my freelance writing clients. I also had a close friend need my support as she was dealing with her brother’s death, a mini-trip to prepare for, income taxes to do, and a few other small but necessary items that popped up that all needed attending to before leaving town for four days.

Because I couldn’t function properly with the headache, I took Advil every day. I also had alcohol, hoping that it would numb the pain a bit. All of this I believe aggravated the mystery illness and prolonged it.

As soon as I had a day off from work, I secluded myself in my apartment, refused to take any painkillers or food and drank only water, tea and juice. I dozed on and off for most of the day and near the end, the old familiar nausea came on. Sure enough, a few bathroom visits proved fruitful, but I still went to bed with the headache.

Thankfully, the next day I awoke without pain! I was stiff, though, and it felt like the headache was waiting to pounce again but as I took it easy that day and ate very light, it stayed away. Whew.

Next time this happens, I’m calling in sick no matter what. I also decided that I couldn’t afford not to book an appointment with a Naturopathic doctor. I will be going to see one this coming Wednesday to finally get to the bottom of this mystery illness once and for all. 

What do YOU do when you have a headache? Have you ever experienced a mystery illness like mine? Please share in the comments below! 

 

We introduced Lysa and Gina, our newest guest bloggers, last week in The Greatest Gift: Know Yourself, Love Yourself! Here they are again with a follow up post about changing your thoughts and beliefs to help you lose weight naturally and permanently!

So many of us feel as though we’ve struggled with our weight. Feeling like it’s a difficult process is one of the most common ideas in our field. Gina and I felt that way for so long, and it wasn’t until we took charge of how we were thinking that we were able to change.

How can you take charge of how you’re thinking about weight-loss?

Write down the top three things that come to your mind when you think of weight-loss:

1)
2)
3)

Now look at these answers. If someone else thought and felt this way about weight-loss, would they be getting any results? What you get is what you expect! So, you may as well expect what you want right?

However we choose to see the situation is exactly how we see it. How we choose to talk about our experience actually defines our experience.

If you have been unconsciously viewing your slimming process as a struggle, realize all the pictures and expressions you use in your mind and speech are making this come true for you. Consider what difference it could make if you used more supportive images and words which would help you feel like a slim, healthy person?

Some suggestions for new thoughts/metaphors around weight-loss include:

• I’m going to allow my excess weight to melt away, as easy as the snow-capped mountains melting in spring.
• Just like when I first learned to drive I concentrate on eating only when I’m hungry and soon it will be habitual and I’ll have slimmed easily in the process.
• With the anticipation of a countdown to an exciting event, each kilo/pound vanishes as quickly as each week. Steadily and surely my day will come.

Go on, do something different. Gina and I always believe that the proof is in the pudding… What if you believed that weight-loss could be easy and focused on that thought everyday really believing it for a month… What could happen for you?

It’s only after our clients learn to change their thinking around weight-loss, continually re-enforce the new belief and act from a knowing that it is true for them (even if they can’t fully comprehend it in the moment) that they see easy results. Is it worth a try for you?

About the Author

Lysa and Gina help women break free from dieting and emotional eating. They teach Intuitive Eating and how to get the Weight-Loss Mindset. Visit them at their website, www.lysaandgina.co.nz.

I really relate to Lysa and Gina’s approach to weight-loss because I used it myself to achieve success! Do you believe that if you believe losing weight is easy, it’ll be easy?

While we’ve blogged about vitamin D before, its importance to our health makes it a topic that deserves continued discussion. Here today to remind us why it’s a good idea to be aware of our vitamin D levels is Shar from the Dahn Yoga team.   

For years vitamin D was simply thought of as a nutrient that helped bones absorb calcium. It was known to be important for young people, whose bodies are still developing, and older women who face a high risk of osteoporosis. However, outside of these groups, it was not considered to be very important.

This all changed in recent years, as numerous studies have connected low levels of the nutrient to everything from heart disease, to diabetes to cancer. Despite these findings, many people still have unacceptably low levels of vitamin D. This could leave many individuals at risk of serious chronic diseases.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has estimated that about one-third of adults have insufficient levels of vitamin D. However, the number could be significantly higher. This estimate is based on current recommendations for vitamin D blood levels. As evidence continues to emerge connecting the nutrient to a wide range of health areas, experts have suggested that people may need to maintain higher levels than previously thought.

However, it may be difficult for people to get the vitamin D their body needs. The Institute of Medicine recommends that the average adult consume 600 international units of vitamin D per day. But there is only a small handful of foods that contain the nutrient. These include fish, mushrooms and fortified foods like milk and some cereals.

Sun exposure is another way individuals can increase their blood levels of vitamin D. While it is called a vitamin, it actually has more in common with hormones and is produced naturally in the skin following exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays.

The sun is actually the main source of vitamin D for most people. However, individuals still typically don’t spend enough time with their skin exposed to ultraviolet rays to maintain adequate levels. Many people are rightly concerned about the dangers of skin cancer and therefore cover up whenever they are outside.

So what can you do to maintain healthier vitamin D levels? The first step is to talk to your doctor about testing. A simple blood test is all that is needed to find out if you have low levels of the nutrient. If this screening reveals that you have sufficient levels, simply continue doing what you are doing.

However, if it shows that you are deficient, it may be time for some lifestyle changes. Taking a nutritional supplement may be the quickest fix to the problem. Exercise may be another good way to maintain higher levels. This is true for several reasons.

First, studies have shown that obese people tend to have less vitamin D in their blood. Other investigations have indicated that physical activity appears to stimulate vitamin D production. Finally, if you choose to exercise outdoors, it will likely enable you to spend more time in the sun.

Given the wide range of health areas affected by vitamin D, you really cannot afford to ignore your levels any longer. Get yourself tested and take steps to get more vitamin D if you are low.

About the Author

Dahn Yoga is one of the largest yoga and tai chi companies in the world with its own unique style and brand of yoga. Dahn Yoga is rooted in the rich history of an ancient Asian mind-body practice, Sun Do, and in the wisdom of the Chun Bu Kyung.

Have you tested your vitamin D levels lately? Do you believe we’re in a vitamin D deficiency epidemic, as popular Natural Health professional Dr. Joseph Mercola claims in his sunlight benefits report (read Screw Apples. Sunlight Works Better for more info).   

Are you looking for an easy, healthy morning routine to start? You’ll find it in this guest post by Ana Brady, plus a few extra tips that will be sure to make you feel good without too much effort or time on your part!

There’s never enough advice on how to lose weight, become fit, eat right and maintain a healthy figure. Though some advice are complicated, require too much work and money, some are quite simple and only require patience. We can “sacrifice” that much, can’t we? Especially knowing what rewards await if we play by the rules.

Here are some very simple tricks that can help you shape your body without feeling that you’re wasting time, money or risking your health with questionable diets.

5 Easy and Healthy Ways to Feel Good

1. Every morning you wake up, go out on the balcony or porch or open your window wide, and stand in fresh air for 30 seconds, inhaling and exhaling deeply. Your lungs and entire body will shout from joy for all that oxygen boost. This activity helps wake up your body, clear your mind and start the day in a relaxed mood. Surely you can spend 30 seconds on that?
2. Take another 10 minutes to do morning exercise. These exercises are not cardio, but slow, pleasant stretching and strengthening exercises that feel really good to your body, especially your spine. Take your time to stretch out your legs, your arms, your back, to elongate your body and strengthen your abdomen and buttocks.
3. Drink at least one glass of room temperature water right after these exercises. It would be good if you got used to drinking two glasses of water, but one will do for starters. Wait half an hour before you eat breakfast.
4. If your job requires that you sit for a long time during the day, take short breaks every hour or so. If you’re embarrassed that your colleagues will laugh at your “program”, you can do it in the bathroom. Make a couple of stretching motions, and then do 20 squats (without the weights, obviously). Do this at least 3-4 times a day.
5. If you don’t have time for sports or an evening recreational activity like walking, dancing, etc., try to spend weekends outside or doing something physically demanding (hiking, swimming, jumping around with your kids, playing…). Use every opportunity you have to move, avoid elevators if you’re climbing up to 5 floors, avoid the car if a store is 20 minutes away (on foot).

None of these things require much work. You don’t have to give up your free time or any other activity you have in your life to do these suggestions. True, they won’t make you thin in a month, but eventually, in time, you’ll notice how your body is changing, toning, how you feel more energized, relaxed and healthier in every way – physical, mental, emotional.

About the Author

Ana Brady writes about nutrition, healthy lifestyles, recreation, family, children, etc. She is a mother of two and she loves inventing games played outside. She works with a small team on a project on beverage labels.

I’m really loving Ana’s tip for getting a deep breath of fresh air after stumbling out of bed. Do you have any tips like these that would be super easy to do without much time or effort – just so we can get started on a healthy routine?