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Metabolism

  • Zero Belly Smoothies: Raspberry Walnut Cake Smoothie

    In November I want to give you easy, delicious ways to change your diet and make you stick to your plan during the holidays.
    Smoothies pack a lot of nutrition into an easy to consume, portable glass. Freeze your extra bananas and keep frozen berries on hand and these are simple to make when you're tempted to shove pumpkin pie into your mouth for breakfast.
    Raspberries are especially potent because they pack more fiber than almost any other fruit, which keeps you fuller longer. Fiber also helps escort toxins out of your body. Raspberries are full of anti-oxidants, which fight inflammation.
    You can use almond or coconut milk in this recipe, coconut milk helps you burn fat and is easily used by the body for energy. Walnuts are also full of fiber and healthy Omega-3 fats which help you fight obesity. In a pinch, use any nut butter.
    By the way, check out the protein in this bad boy smoothie! Nice for keeping you full!
    If you sometimes feel lazy like me for breakfast, you can put this smoothie (make it thick!) in a bowl and dress it up with chopped fruit or nuts on the top and everyone will think you're magic!
    Blend Together (for one serving)
    1/3 Cup frozen Raspberries
    1/2 Cup frozen Banana
    1 Tbsp Walnuts
    1/2 Cup Unsweetened Almond or Coconut Milk
    Water or Iced tea to Blend
    Stevia drops, as desired
    Grate Dark Chocolate on the top, if desired 
    Approx Nutrition with Almond Milk:
    285 calories per serving
    7 grams of fat
    7 grams of fiber
    26 grams carbs
    12 grams sugar
    30 grams protein
    To Your Health & Happiness
    Jennifer XOXO

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  • Why Toxic Fat Stops You From Losing Body Fat

    You are thinking..hmmm is there any truth to this toxin nonsense? Doctors have told me that my body detoxifies itself just fine.... but new studies are proving that modern chemicals are changing the way our bodies deal with toxins, showing they cause disease and make us gain weight that cannot be shed with diet and exercise alone!
     
    And for those who have been around awhile, its time for me talk hormones again :)
     
    I know this has been a huge issue for me, finding out why traditional diet and exercise weren't working for me took me YEARS of researching, finding medical doctors who were on the fringe and trying to look at things a new way because traditional medicine wasn't providing solutions or answers for those of us who were suffering. Even now, many people are denying the fact that we have a huge problem that can't be fixed with the CALORIES IN- CALORIES OUT model that is failing over 90% of people who are trying so desperately to lose weight and feel better. A 90% failure rate is not a successful solution! And the exercise more- eat less prescription will actually make this problem WORSE!
     
    If you are 30 pounds or more over weight, you have some degree of leptin resistance, this is what Dr. Jack Krause says, a leading researcher in the field of leptin signaling. Read on to find out what this means and I want to point out that leptin itself is a new discovery to us, this is a topic on which new discoveries are being made all the time.
     
    Modern toxins in our food supply cause weight gain, even if you are eating the same amount of calories you did 20 years ago or less, toxins cause havoc in your body now. The average person in the US comes in contact with over 123 toxins daily, and they are more aggressive and pervasive than they used to be! I want to make it clear, there isn't just one way they do damage, there are many!
     
    Synthetic toxins build up in our bodies over time if they are not excreted and are stored in our body fat, they are fat soluble and our bodies create a nice storehouse for them causing cellulite and excess water weight to appear on our bodies. They sap our energy and make us age faster, we feel and look older than we actually are because our bodies are working much harder than they should be. Once we've accumulated fat, fat begins to secrete its own hormones which ensures we stay FAT no matter how much we exercise or under eat.
     
    Because of their love of fat cells and our body storing them there for our protection, toxins attach themselves to the outer cell membrane of our fat cells, which cause them to continually release Leptin. This causes our Leptin levels to be continually elevated, when that happens our Leptin receptors burn out (similar to what happens with insulin and diabetes- and leptin plays a role in that as well). Leptin is the hormone that tells the brain to burn fat for use by our bodies, when the receptors are burnt out, there's no one there to answer the call, we stop burning fat. When you have weight gain that does not respond to dieting and exercise it's due to leptin resistance and toxins most of the time! Of course there are other conditions that can cause this problem also, so it is good to check with your doctor.
     
     
    What can help?
     
    1. Reduce your exposure to toxins immediately, especially in your household and personal products, reduce processed foods and see if you can filter the air in your home with plants or a air filtration machine.
     
    2. Drink teas and water. The polyphenols found in tea (and other plants) support the liver in its detoxification efforts, which is crucial to overall health and energy levels. Especially if you regularly drink alcohol, which can hinder the liver's normal day to day detox activity.
     
    One of the main polyphenols in Tea is the flavonoid EGCG, a potent anti-oxidant, which helps repair done from free radicals that can attack your body during strenuous exercise, digesting foods or other stressful activities. It also contains L-Theanine which helps your body produce a super important detoxification compound called glutathione, which becomes depleted by things like taking pain relievers, drinking alcohol or dealing with toxins.
     
    3. Reduce your non-fibrous carbohydrates to under 50 grams per day, or less if possible, increase your fiber intake by increasing fruits and vegetables. They contain many compounds which will help your body rid itself of toxins as it sheds fat. This is the part that people don't like, you are going to have to give up sugar and starches for awhile, because they are being stored as fat. You know this because you gain weight almost instantly when you eat them.
    Eat adequate protein to help the liver process toxins, make sure you eat the highest quality protein you can afford, Organic meats and wild caught seafood are best.
     
    4. Sweat- do moderate cardio, such as fast walking or sit in a sauna until you are sweating.  Dry brushing and salt baths are also a good way to get toxins out through the skin. Strenuous exercise is best left after your hormonal balance is restored.
    5. Eat probiotic foods and take probiotic supplements, they will help correct the imbalance in your gut flora and assist the body in making the right hormones.
    6. Get out into the sun light everyday, preferably barefoot, connect with nature and relax, your nervous system will benefit.
    Here's to your health & happiness!

    Jennifer XOXO
    PS: Get our 21 day Newport skinny tea on sale for $20 with free shipping today when you join our community! You can do this and I want to help you every step of the way

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  • 3 Keys to Creating Your Dream Body

    Hi
    I'm glad you're here!
    If this headline intrigued you, then I know you're kinda like me, you like to take care of everyone and everything...
    Maybe you call yourself a control freak, or don't even really think about why you do this.
    Here's why putting yourself last has not gotten you the life you want and never will...
    1. Your outer reality is created by your inner reality
    2. Being, not wanting, creates the change you seek
    3. You're using the "I am" statement
    1. Most of us try to create our outer world by doing things, we exercise to lose weight, we try to connect with our friends and family to feel less lonely, we save money to get out of debt. We especially do things for other people to be the catalyst for helping them create a better world.
    We do too many things for our families, our jobs and our homes, we deplete ourselves by giving every last ounce of energy, time and motivation we have in an attempt to create the life we dream of and we end up resenting all of it.
    We give our best attitude, encouragement and years to those who we want to be needed by, we dream of being valued, but this rarely gives us the connection or life we desire. We dream of valuing ourselves.
    I know this is how I have felt many times in the past, I have expected that all that I gave would be given back to me and that I would feel a sense of fulfillment from it- but that never came. I gave up my time to exercise, sleep enough and prepare myself healthy food because I felt that I wasn't as important as having everything I thought was in my dream life. I wanted to make it easier for others, as if I had to overcompensate to ensure they cared about me, and they needed me. That's a big key, ensuring people need you because you've made them dependent on you and all you do for them.
    This is not easy to talk about, I want you to know, that if you are brave enough to look inside yourself, where these secrets are kept, and take them out into the light, it will begin to free you to really start defining the kind of dream life you actually want to wake up and live every day. I know, its very scary, but I have total faith in you, I'm here to tell you that your very existence is enough, you are worthy of being cared for just for being you.
    Our dream lives start on the inside, they start with our thoughts, they start by taking care of ourselves. Our outer reality is created by our beliefs, the thoughts we keep thinking. When our thoughts change, our reality changes accordingly. When we think better, especially about ourselves, our lives get better.
    2. We may have desperately wanted things to change, we may have wanted this change for years, but our thoughts about ourselves have stayed the same. The state of wanting only creates more wanting.... it keeps you trapped in perpetual wanting.
    Wanting/Desiring is only useful to move us into a state of doing, but if we do not believe we are capable or deserving of having the thing we want, we will never actually start doing.
    We must move from wanting to being. When this happens, things actually change. When we move from wanting to get in shape to being a fit person in our minds, we DO things differently. When we move from wanting to lose weight to being slim, we ARE different. The outside reality hasn't yet caught up but its just a matter of time.
    Think about the process you go through when you become hungry, you want something to eat, you feel the discomfort, then you decide to do something about it, you eat and you are full. You move from wanting to being, if you continued to want but didn't decide to act and then actually take the action, you would never actually be any different in terms of your state.
    The key to changing this in your head is to correctly use the term "I am" to your benefit.
    3. The way you use the term "I am" is like your message to the Universe. Be very careful how you describe yourself, especially in your head.
    People love to label others, like "You are lazy".  They say things like this very easily and we believe them most of the time, especially people in authority, such as your parents, boss or spouse.
    First of all, most people have not clearly defined who they are, they just agree with what they have been told their whole lives by teachers, parents, friends, etc. We got labelled SHY, NOT CREATIVE, CHUBBY, ANNOYING or any other word that was said to us... and it stuck.
    We add things like TALL, ATHLETIC, HONEST or FLAKY to our description and we assume that is WHO we are.  Of course, these labels are who we have chosen to be, we are all things at all times, we can become whom ever we want.
    The Universe is listening to you talk about who you are when you say the words "I am." I want you to start saying the words of who you want to be, you are going to have to repeat them often and you are going to have to have some faith.
    Don't keep changing your mind, don't keep doubting who you want to be. Other people are already these things, observe them, read about them, find out information if it helps, but its not necessary. Just reinforce this desire many times a day.
    Make it your password, find places to write it, put it everywhere you can. Move yourself from wanting to be healthy to "I am healthy." Yes, at first, you will have resistance, but it will fade if you continue. If you decide that health is your reality, it must be.
    I hope this has helped you, look for more daily updates designed to help you be healthy, beautiful and fit.
    Jennifer XOXO
    PS I would love to see you take on the October Tea Challenge, starting October 10th! Our Newport Skinny Tea and NST + MBB 21 day are both on sale!

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  • Friday Food Focus Healthy Gut Bacteria

    I knoooowwwww you don't want to think more about food, because OMG there's just too many recipes, diet books and all sorts of other discussions about FOOD! I'm sick of it too. SO, let's talk about health, about feeling GREAT more of the freaking time! Try to focus on eating good food 75% of the time and you will see improvements in this area. It's not about being perfect, its about feeling better.

     

    So, I know you want to keep bloating at bay! I hear about this problem ALOT. Keeping your good gut bacteria happy is one of the best ways to ensure that you have good digestion. Our Mermaid Cove Metabolism Tea is especially good at helping heal guts, get rid of bloating and increasing digestion. A lot of what you think may be excess weight could be bloating and water trapped in your tissues because your body's balance is off.

     

    Steps to get more Good Gut Bacteria

     

    1. Eat a fiber-rich, whole foods diet—it should be rich in beans, nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables—all of which feed good bugs. Coconut Flour is especially fiber rich and can be added to recipes to increase the fiber count, but don't overdo it.  Fermented Foods are also great for gut bacteria.

     

    2. Limit all sugar, processed foods, conventionally raised animal fats —these provide food for unhealthy bugs.

     

    3. Avoid the use of antibiotics, acid blockers, and anti-inflammatories as in pain relievers, they let bad bacteria grow.

     

    4. Take probiotics daily—these healthy, friendly flora can improve your digestive health and reduce inflammation and allergies. Our eat foods that are pre and pro biotic!

     

    5. Stress can damage your intestinal ecosystem, learn coping techniques and actively reduce stress and increase joy.

     

    6. Intense exercise seems to increase gut diversity in a positive manner, but findings are preliminary.

     

    To your health and happiness,

     

    Jennifer

     

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  • Easy Healthy Habit: Morning Sunglight Ritual

    If you're like me then your mornings are pretty freaking busy!!!
    Summer is over and back to school craziness is in full effect.  I've been struggling with getting back into waking up at 6am, because I've always naturally been a night owl. I really have always loved staying up late... but I know its not great for me.
    Sigh.
    Tons of studies have shown that supreme health can't happen if we're staying up really late. We get more disease, more obesity and more depression.
    Boo.
    How do we change this bad habit? How do we get supreme health? I really want to know and I really want to achieve it.
    Dr. Jack Krause, a neuro surgeon who has successfully lost over 100 pounds and completely changed his own health 100%, is passionate about the fact that we MUST get out into the morning light for at least 10 minutes.
    By doing this we can begin to reset our circadian clock, that is intimately tied to the earth, time and the seasons. When this clock isn't functioning right we can experience suboptimal hormone production because are bodies are confused about what time it is, our brain is basically misfiring.
    Artificial light has a different ratio of blue to red light and it drastically affects our whole body in a dramatic fashion. To get away from this artificial effect we need to get outside into the natural light and morning light is especially beneficial because it has the highest amount of red light.
    So its fairly easy to create a nice place to sit outside in the morning and drink your tea or coffee and soak in some rays. In the Winter it gets a bit more challenging, but its VITAL that you get some exposure to Sunlight or a Light box that simulates the Sun, it will revitalize your energy and help your metabolism repair itself.
    The most benefits will come from not wearing sunglasses during the morning Sun exposure and by your eyes absorbing some of the ambient rays. Of course, YOU SHOULD NEVER LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN, this can result in blindness.
    You can also combine this ritual with your exercise habit and go outside to walk and connect with nature, or meditate while the Sun is on your face. Light is absorbed by the skin and creates Vitamin D as well.
    To your health & happiness
    Jennifer
    Newport Skinny Tea

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  • Why You NEED a Gold Star!!

    First of all, congratulations for being here. You rock!
    You are putting yourself first and making sure you are getting what you want,
    that's rare and its awesome!
    Remember less than 2% of people have goals that are written down,
    and they succeed at reaching their goals more than all the rest of the 98% combined!!
    Which are you? Do you have goals for this challenge?
    How will you know if you succeed unless you can measure yourself?
    I want to talk today about the "Clean Plate Club" and how people think about themselves as "good."
    Most likely when you were a little child your parents rewarded you for eating  all your food, you received praise, dessert or just avoided being punished when you at it all!
    You were inducted to the "Clean Plate Club!"
    They actually reinforced an idea in your mind that to please them you had to eat whatever was on your plate.
    But that is not the case any longer!
    Today you get to decide what is good for you!
    That means you don't have to eat everything on your plate, you can save it, you can share it, you can throw it away!
    You get to decide what goes in your body, how much it needs and you can say NO to eating everything!
    One of the best strategies is to begin changing how you see yourself, to redefine what you think of as praise.
    Because we still are conditioned to believe following these old rules is a good thing, our brain still gives us internal praise when we do them!!
    You need to move up the priority of your health and well-being, your weight loss and eating habits. You need to give yourself some rules and some praise when you achieve them!
    It sounds difficult, but it just takes a bit of attention.
    Start with "I drink tea before every meal," and "I eat protein, water, fiber and healthy fat at every meal" and "I eat enough to be satisfied."
    Then praise yourself when you accomplish them, notice when you feel better, you have less bloating, your clothes fit better, or you have more energy. Notice the subtle changes, because that is how these small things become habits, we reinforce them to ourselves.
    You will have to be brave and strong to make changes, if you need to set an alarm on your phone, make a reward chart with old school gold stars or use something you really want to purchase as a goal reaching bribe. Maybe you need to get someone to help you make these changes?
     
    Whatever works for you: DO IT!
    Today is the last day to get our 21 day Newport Skinny Tea on sale and receive a free fruit infusing water bottle with purchase! ($20 Value no code needed!)
    And when you finish the challenge just submit your testimonial with photos to receive our three new fall tea flavors in September! ($75 value!)
    YOU CAN DO THIS!

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