Thursday, January 10, 2013

Carrie Hits Her Happy



CARRIE GRIFFITHS
Account Manager, Running, Yoga, Baking, Traveling and Family Gal

Carrie's Food Bloom:
  • Waking Energy: "2" to "9"
  • 2-5PM Energy: "5" to "2"
  • Overall Energy: "5" to "8"
  • Abdominal Discomfort: "8" to "0-1"
  • Mental Clarity: "5" to "8"
  • Night Congestion: "8.5" to "0"
  • Sneezing: "4" to "0"
New Favorite Foods: TLC Green Juice, Hemp Milk, Superfood, Coconut oil and Sunbutter

Happy Foods:“Even the littlest bit of protein will brighten my mood. If I feel energy and mood declining, I just eat a handful of nuts or have a Superfood shake and I'm back to good!”

Food Bloom Saboteurs:  

  • Citrus: Causes digestive issues and makes my face puffy
  • Cashews: Create digestive issues
  • Dairy: Increases hunger and causes water retention/weight gain
  • Nightshades: Disrupt sleep

From Carrie:

"I was completely amazed at how much the food I consumed had everything to do with the way I feel. The first week of detox was difficult, however, necessary to get to the amazing place I got to. By day 10 I was feeling unbelievable - my energy was a 10 from waking to 8-9pm at night. I slept like a rock every night and would wake up energized and optimistic about the day. My mental clarity and ability to focus were sharper than I could have ever imagined, day after day I was 'on', this was absolutely priceless. Another amazing 'win' was that I'm allergic to my cats, who spend their days lazily on our bed. So every night when I'd get into bed, I would start sneezing, get very congested and my eyes would itch. By about day 7 I had NO allergies in my bedroom at night. I honestly didn't believe it and thought it was just a fluke. However, when those allergies STILL haven't been back, nearly 3 months later - there is no other answer, but food!

I have been through other cleanses and food based diets over the years, however, none with coaching. Having my coach, Erin was the essential to my success. Erin was incredibly patient, and kind and knowledgeable. There were several instances where she picked up on food intolerances that I would have completely overlooked. Plus, knowing she would be watching what I ate all day made me honest and accountable. I really looked forward to her notes each day.

I know a couple of others who've been through The Love Cleanse whose experiences were completely different than mine - they had great experiences as well, just completely different. I would absolutely recommend The Love Cleanse for anyone who wants to know how they can feel and be the best they can be! It's a true investment in your self.”

Carrie 

4 For Soup


Cold winter months demand warm bowls of soup and they can be especially comforting while we're cleansing. We kept this recipe super simple so it can be made quickly. Just kicking off your Love Cleanse? Wash and prep some veggies at the beginning of the week and use the peels, tops, ends with some high quality water to make your own veggie stock. Soak some beans overnight, cook, drain and store in the refrigerator. You'll have everything you need to create a comforting cup on the fly! 

INGREDIENTS
  • 2 cups of Roasted or Steamed Veggie of Choice (a few of our favorites include broccoli, parsnips, butternut squash, and asparagus)
  • 2 cups of homemade Veggie Broth*
  • 1 cup of cooked white beans, soaked overnight
  • 1 TB of our Nightshade Free Curry Blend (included in your TLC Kit)
INSTRUCTIONS
Combine beans, veggies and curry in blender (reserving a handful of the veggies for finishing garnish and texture). Pulse several times. Add 1 cup of broth and blend until creamy, adding more until desired consistency is reached. Add reserved veggies. The NSF Curry is really what makes this soup sing so don't hold back! 


Making your own vegetable broth while cleansing is important as most brands on the market contain nightshades in the form of tomatoes. If you're a home juicer, homemade broth is also a great way to use up the juice pulp. Simply strain through a fine mesh sleeve before cooking. 

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Rock Off Your Weight Loss Socks. For good.

Does watching the scale creep up get you down? We know this scenario well and we've put together some of our biggest insights when it comes to Why the Bulge Won’t Budge.

1. Eating Intolerant Foods, Even in Small Quantities. We’ve seen even a spritz of lemon pack on 2 pounds overnight. Ditto with a dash of soy, a morsel of gluten or a single splash of milk in your morning tea. Intolerant foods are one of *the* most important missing links in losing weight. Discovering this information for ourselves can be tricky. Elimination diets have been around for decades and are notoriously difficult to follow. But our system, unlike any other (insert self-promoting horn toot here), has many facets working in tandem to make identifying this information lightning years ahead of traditional methods.

2. Not Getting Enough Sleep and Living With High Levels of Stress
We’ve all heard it before, stress doesn’t do a body good. But did you know that cortisol, the “stress hormone” can pack on pounds? Elevated levels of cortisol can make it impossible to shed unwanted weight. While sleeping, our body’s cortisol levels are lowered while other balancing hormones flood our system, reducing inflammation from the inside out. Inflammatory, intolerant foods are often at the root of sleep problems. Many of our clients are surprised to find that trace amounts of a common everyday food, was creating insomnia. Whether through balancing foods, lifestyle practices or better sleep hygiene - getting more rest bolsters your weight loss results.


3. Not Balancing Carbs and Proteins, for You
.
Are you eating animal proteins but wondering if you should be veggie? Or conversely, are you a vegetarian and can’t get the scale to budge? Each of our protein requirements are profoundly different. Some thrive with animal proteins. But which ones? How much? What times of day? Chicken is one of the highest sources of inflammation. (See above on inflammatory foods stopping weight loss in it’s tracks). Others of us, fare better as vegetarians. But identifying the optimal vegetable protein sources is key. Carbohydrates are also uniquely personal and essential in losing and maintaining weight loss. What types of carbs work best for you? How much? What times of day? Your body has all of these answers within it if you lay the groundwork to hear it’s responses.

4. Not Identifying Craving Triggers and Learning How to Keep Them Balanced Overcoming cravings demands willpower. But calling on willpower alone, over long periods of time leads to deprivation, failure and frustration. You want to use your cravings as a tool to identify *what* is causing cravings so you can learn how to balance them rather than becoming a slave to them.

Common causes of cravings?

  • Eating outside of your unique Carb-to-Protein Balance
  • Wrong foods at the wrong times of day
  • Inflammatory foods that trigger massive cravings
  • Processed foods and sugars

5. Failing to Nourish Your Body on a Cellular Level
When our body isn’t receiving the foods it truly desires, weight loss stalls. Eating a variety of alkalizing vegetables, whole grains, unprocessed organic animal proteins is optimal for providing the balance our bodies desire. And a food group all to it’s own - Green Juice - is another key element in providing cellfood.


Vitamins For Your Visage




As you may have notice, we're a little obsessed with the organic skincare line, Body Deli. And our latest craze is their Liquid Vitamin Hydra-Mist. Carry the mini version in your purse to see serious results including collagen stimulation synthesis with  maximum hydration and skin firmness. 

Infuse your skin with wrinkle reducing peptides, super hydrating antioxidant micro-clustered water, ultra potent Rovisome Vitamin C and enzyme rejuvenator Sea Kelp Bioforment.

Available in Austin at Aloe Skin + Body or online at thebodydeli.com.