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So why did something that once worked for us- cutting calories and exercising like crazy- stop working for us now?The better of a dieter you've been, the more that the rebound effect will cause you to gain weight you can't lose no matter what you try!Yesterday we talked about how eating a high carb low fat diet of small meals frequently will drive you towards a prediabetic state. A state where you have high circulating insulin all the time, which means whatever you eat gets stored as fat, dumped into your liver or stays in your blood stream.What makes this even worse is if you have consistently eaten under your normal daily calorie requirements and primarily focused on low fat foods which spike insulin. Add long cardio sessions and your body is in a state of complete panic!Constantly being in caloric deficit and performing long cardio sessions are both incredibly stressful to your body. They both drive cortisol up, which helps you age faster and, you guessed it, store more fat... because your internal system believes famine is coming.... why else would you be running for long periods of time with no food?Your bodies' answer: You are starving to death! Your body is just trying to save you!In a healthy metabolism, these things are not an issue, they become an issue once the metabolism goes out of balance.Yes, eating less and exercising more will work in a perfect metabolism, for a little while. But your metabolism is designed to adjust to the circumstances, so you'll survive no matter what.Dietary fat has received a lot of unwarranted criticism, and there is now evidence that studies regarding what actually makes you store fat were manipulated results at the highest levels. Especially regarding sugar, something our country has had a great interest in producing.Dietary fat spikes insulin the least out of the 3 main macronutrients. Yes, its calorically dense, which is why it tastes so good and is very satisfying. Also, our body needs fat to produce hormones.Eating sugar and fat together does increase glucose storage- yes eating something that's both sugary and full of fat is the worst possible scenario. Because the sugar spikes your insulin and stores a percentage of the higher fat calories as cellular fat.Eating fat with proteins and vegetables however, is a much better option. Especially when fiber is included in this mixture, the release of glucose is slow and stead and very little is stored as fat.However remember, whenever you are using food as fuel that means you are not using your stored body fat as fuel!More on that tomorrow!Step #2- increase your dietary fat to feel more satisfied with proteins and vegetables, which should be the focus of your meals. Reduce simple carbohydrates and processed foods, your goal should be to eliminate processed foods from your diet. -
If you have been dieting and exercising religiously and have had very little results- you are not alone! I will remind you that 98% of diets fail, because usually dieters regain more weight than they ever lost.This is because we've been using the calories in/calories out model... and it is not completely accurate.We've all heard we need to keep our blood sugar stable, therefore 6 small meals a day is ideal... right?Magazines like Shape love this advice, they love making meal plans and advising you to graze your way to a size 4.If you want to feel ravenous, hangry and become a fat storing machine, then yes, its great advice.For a normal person, this information is possibly the worst advice for staying slim, full of energy and burning your own body fat for fuel (AKA losing weight).Keeping blood sugar "stable" means keeping insulin HIGH. Insulin is what helps glucose get into your cells and store it as fat.Of course, this is an incredibly simplified version of what happens, because our hormones are always a symphony, never a one-instrument solo... but in this case we are specifically talking about the action that doctors have know for decades....Insulin makes you gain weight and store it indefinitely. Insulin resistance, which is a complicated mechanism to explain, means you have high levels of insulin circulating all the time because your cells are signaling for more of it.Your cells are unable to receive the glucose due to lifestyle factors such as a chronic low level inflammation, sedentary lifestyle and excess weight from eating too many carbohydrates that have been stored. And the pancrease is unable to constantly produce more insulin, then our blood sugar begins to be chronically high and we develop prediabetes.Insulin production is 1% of what your pancreas actually does. 1%!!! This is why it gets exhausted having to constantly make more insulin. As we look back over our evolution, we just don't have sugar readily available to us, in nature only fruits provided any sugar to us.I'd like to point out these events are not all linear, there isn't just one way that insulin and blood sugar problems arise, there are many and it is complicated. It can even be genetic.One thing we do know, is that people are reversing insulin resistance and chronically high blood glucose through diet alone. Something that doctors said could not be done for decades.When blood glucose falls and insulin is low, that's when our body can begin using its own body fat for energy!(Extra important- if you are on medication you must have medical supervision as you lower your blood sugar through diet!!)If you don't think this information applies to you- I'm going to ask you to rethink that. If you are eating a standard American diet and over 30 or 30 pounds overweight I can assure you that you need to pay attention.Americans get 70% of their sugar through liquid forms!!! Especially young Americans.This is just plain crazy.And artificial sweeteners cause just as many problems, like low level chronic inflammation.Step #1- begin to phase out liquid sugars, stop drinking sweet beverages! All of them!The one exception is stevia, which does not raise blood sugar. Drink tea, coffee and water.More to come on this important topic! -
Some of you received crystals from me, I wanted to help point out what they are useful for. Make sure you cleanse your crystals before you use them and make them your own by setting intentions.Crystals contain crystalline structures, when you connect with their energy they can lend you their properties. You can hold them, or just place them near you, you can even make crystal water or baths. I'll be writing more on this soon, just take great caution to know your crystals are safe to use in water and how to make them properly.The crystals you received are:Sodalite- Helps you balance your energies, calm your life and boost your internal metabolism.Amethyst- Reduces cravings, great for controlling your appetite and helping heal an uncontrolled craving of certain foods.Blue Apatite- Perfect for actually suppressing your appetite and starting out on a weight loss plan.I truly hope these help your journey easier!! I love crystals and have been excited to get to share them with you- Thanks for including me in your transformation! -
We all need fast, refreshing treats, here's two versions of low sugar jello both infused with jasmine tea! Jasmine tea is especially floral and soothing- I love to cook with it.VEGAN:
Gather
2 cups water
3/4 frozen blackberries
1 Tbsp jasmine tea leaves
1/4 cup agave nectar or use liquid stevia to taste
1 pinch sea salt
3 Tbsp agar flakes
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup blackberries, cut in half lengthwaysMake it
Add frozen blackberries, water and tea leaves to a small pan and bring to a simmer. Turn off heat and let steep for 5 minutes. Strain and discard tea and blackberries.Add liquid back to pan, add agave nectar or other sweetener along with sea salt and agar flakes; bring back to a simmer.Cook for five minutes until agar flakes has dissolved. Take off heat and stir in lemon juice.Pour mixture into desired container and garnish with blackberries.Chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes or until firm, serve with homemade sugar free whipped cream.Paleo (Grass Fed Gelatin)
Gather
2 cups water
3/4 cup frozen blackberries
1 Tbsp jasmine tea leaves
1/3 cup agave nectar or liquid stevia to taste
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 pinch sea salt
4 teaspoons grass-fed gelatin powder
1/3 cup cold water
1/3 cup blackberries, cut in half lengthwiseMake It
Add water, frozen blackberries and tea leaves to a small pan and bring to a simmer. Turn off heat and allow mixture to steep for 5 minutes.Strain and discard the tea leaves and blackberries. Return liquid to pan and add lemon juice and sea salt.In separate container dissolve the gelatin powder in cold water, stirring for about 30 seconds or until mixture has thickened. Allow to sit for one minute.Dissolve the hot blackberry mixture into the activated gelatin by stirring for 30 seconds and pour into desired container.Garnish with cut blackberries and chill in refrigerator until firm. Serve with homemade sugar free whipped cream.Interested in getting tea the features Jasmine? Our Unicorn Magic Happiness tea contains delicious jasmine flowers and would be amazing in this recipe! -
YES!
Feet have over 3000 sweat glands, you can open them up and release toxins through the sole of your feet by using hot water and sea salt.Long days of Winter are coming soon, this foot soak is perfect when you get home and just want to lounge on your couch but you still want to do something beneficial for your detoxing. After you will feel revitalized! Drink tea or water to help flush out toxins.Here's how to do it:
Fill a tub with warm water, use any container that allows you to sit in a chair and comfortably place both feet inside, immersed in the water up to at least your ankles will work.Add a few tablespoons of sea salt, Epsom salts or both to the water and mix. Sea salt contains healthy minerals and helps draw toxins away from the skin and its soothing to sore feet and muscles.Epsom salts, also known as magnesium sulfate, are known for easing pain, reducing swelling and promoting relaxation and well being.Add six to ten drops of essential oils and swirl again, here's some suggestions on which oils to use:Eucalyptus: cooling, refreshing, purifying
Lavender: calming, relaxing, healing
Lemon: cooling, refreshing, purifying
Peppermint: cooling, refreshing, energizing
Sweet Orange: Uplifting, purifying, calming
Tea Tree: healing, stimulating, purifying (also great for fungal infections)Soak your feet for 10 minutes or more adding more warm water as needed, end your foot soak with an invigorating peppermint lotion. For an extra level of detox you can put a mud mask on your feet and wash off when its dried. We have a great one here Newport Skinny Tea detox face mask -
Man I've had it with all talk and no action.Even with myself.I'm tired of wishing on stars and dreaming of outcomes that never materialize.What does it take to turn dreams into DONE?What does it take to become the MOST AMAZING version of yourself?Does it take miracles every morning at 5am?Does it take learning to love jogging? (I seriously hope not)Does it mean I have to become an entirely different person?Well.... maybe. And what freaks us out about that so much?It's because we're really attached to OUR story. The story of the person that settles into comfort and never gets up.Its a scary thing, looking deep into your soul and admitting you are settling for exactly what you don't want.Settling for second, third or.... 100th best. Settling instead of really asking, doing or being what you want.Because really asking for what you want and going after it...is terrifying in so many ways.Yes, there may be failure, ridicule and even total abandonment by some.You may have gone through those things before, in fact, if you're breathing, I'm positive you have-- and the last thing you want to do is to feel them again....But is it worse than a life full of boring, uninspired, repetitive chores you just get through... never really having the exhilarating experience you know that you crave?Never feeling happy with yourself, your life or your body?I don't think so.I've been on a mission to discover why this happens to amazing people, like me and like you, I've discovered some amazing things I'm going to share with you pretty soon.Get ready and I mean it!Today is the first Manifest Monday-- and I'm going to give you 50% off any order until 12pm PST with code "Manifest" at check out.Enjoy! AND THANK YOU for reading this!! Please share it with someone you know wants to live more and doesn't know how!Jennifer
