As many diets as I have been on and failed, I find the eating plan for Maximized Living to be quite livable. It requires paying more attention to the foods that go into your body without the worry and hassle of exactmeasurements, calorie or fat counting, or point systems. Just eat wholesome, nutritional food and nutrients will make you satisfied, not calories.
My wife and I love chocolate. Commercially prepared chocolate has lots and lots of sugar in it, whether is is cane sugar, high fructose corn syrup, honey, ...what have you. But chocolate itself does not contain sugar. We found a little recipe (which I don't even refer to now that I have gotten the hang of it) in which you take four squares of unsweetened dark chocolate (like Bakers™ Chocolate) and you melt it with a tablespoon of organic butter (not margarine, it isn't good for you). Then, sweeten it to taste with Stevia™ or Truvia™ sweetener). Stir and pour it over some raw, unroasted nuts (I prefer walnuts, while others prefer almonds) that are on a sheet of waxed paper. Refrigerate and enjoy in about an hour. Usually the chocolate bark lasts us about a week.
Just remember: the better the input, the better the output!
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Sugar
Sugar.
It permeates our entire society. Sugar abuse contributes to the high blood pressure and diabetes problems that have elevated to epidemic proportions in the Unites States. Sugar is "innocently" in so many of the foods that are part of the American diet, including pizza, hamburgers (yes, in hamburgers), sodas, shakes......it seems to be everywhere. You have to know what is going into your body: read labels, check out websites, be vigilant!
Not only is it the sugars, but things like high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, sucrose, and the like and in foods that quickly convert to sugar. When food enters our blood stream and cannot be used immediately, it is stored as fat and taxes our system.
One of the things that was most difficult on beginning the Maximized Living programs is that my doctor suggested that we start for three weeks being free of sugar. Easier said than done. We, as Americans, are addicted to sugar. I used to think that sugar was fat-free (it is) and would innocently have a handful of gummibears believing that it was okay because it had zero fat.
For the past 13 days, there has been no sugar, refined or processed grains, grain-fed meat, processed foods, or eating out for meals. It has been tough, but there hasn't been the lows that would occur four hours or so after a meal (with Diet Coke to drink). It was hard to stay awake and focused while working at the computer.
No more!
I have more energy and my body is beginning to adapt (not fully yet, but more on that later). I suggest that for your life and for those that you love that you begin to be wise and healthier in your food selection. It truly is about what you put in that you can get out!
Have a great day!
It permeates our entire society. Sugar abuse contributes to the high blood pressure and diabetes problems that have elevated to epidemic proportions in the Unites States. Sugar is "innocently" in so many of the foods that are part of the American diet, including pizza, hamburgers (yes, in hamburgers), sodas, shakes......it seems to be everywhere. You have to know what is going into your body: read labels, check out websites, be vigilant!
Not only is it the sugars, but things like high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, sucrose, and the like and in foods that quickly convert to sugar. When food enters our blood stream and cannot be used immediately, it is stored as fat and taxes our system.
One of the things that was most difficult on beginning the Maximized Living programs is that my doctor suggested that we start for three weeks being free of sugar. Easier said than done. We, as Americans, are addicted to sugar. I used to think that sugar was fat-free (it is) and would innocently have a handful of gummibears believing that it was okay because it had zero fat.
For the past 13 days, there has been no sugar, refined or processed grains, grain-fed meat, processed foods, or eating out for meals. It has been tough, but there hasn't been the lows that would occur four hours or so after a meal (with Diet Coke to drink). It was hard to stay awake and focused while working at the computer.
No more!
I have more energy and my body is beginning to adapt (not fully yet, but more on that later). I suggest that for your life and for those that you love that you begin to be wise and healthier in your food selection. It truly is about what you put in that you can get out!
Have a great day!
Sunday, January 23, 2011
The Beginning
It all started innocently enough, my beautiful wife started seeing a chiropractor back in November. She brought home a book and tried her hand at a few of the recipes. There was a bread/cracker that she had made, but it was largely unimpressive. Before she went to her annual sales meeting in January, she left a flyer about losing weight on the kitchen table. Let's bring this out right now, she is closer to her ideal weight than I. In fact, at this point of my life, I can be clinically diagnosed as morbidly obese.
A few things prompted me to go (she was out of town and I was on my own for a few days): 1) my father had an observation stay at the hospital that he volunteers at. It was for low blood pressure and shortness of breath 2) since a car wreck broke both of my legs and left me unable to walk for a year, my weight has increased by 5-10 pounds a year.
The wreck was back in 1994 (you do the math). And I was not happy with myself.
I read the book and have now been on a sugar-fee plan of eating for a week (OK, a week on Monday). Now, this is no ordinary sugar-fee plan. One would be surprised at what foods have sugar in them as an ingredient. I am eliminating all processed foods, sugars, and hormones as I can. This means not eating meats unless they are organic, range-free(chicken), grass fed (beef) and it has been a good experience.
I don't feel lethargic after being at work for five hours (used to happen every day) because my body is not going through the highs and lows associated with eating sugar that is in so many foods (go ahead, read a label of what you are eating).
There is so much to say, but I will spread this out for a post every few days or so.
A few things prompted me to go (she was out of town and I was on my own for a few days): 1) my father had an observation stay at the hospital that he volunteers at. It was for low blood pressure and shortness of breath 2) since a car wreck broke both of my legs and left me unable to walk for a year, my weight has increased by 5-10 pounds a year.
The wreck was back in 1994 (you do the math). And I was not happy with myself.
I read the book and have now been on a sugar-fee plan of eating for a week (OK, a week on Monday). Now, this is no ordinary sugar-fee plan. One would be surprised at what foods have sugar in them as an ingredient. I am eliminating all processed foods, sugars, and hormones as I can. This means not eating meats unless they are organic, range-free(chicken), grass fed (beef) and it has been a good experience.
I don't feel lethargic after being at work for five hours (used to happen every day) because my body is not going through the highs and lows associated with eating sugar that is in so many foods (go ahead, read a label of what you are eating).
There is so much to say, but I will spread this out for a post every few days or so.
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