The Energy Queen

NUTRITION - Do You Eat to Live or Live to Eat

Do you eat to satisfy our hunger, frustration, anger?  Do you eat out of boredom, isolation, for pleasure or for nutrition to help your body to function properly.  Do you eat so that you have energy, focus, clear thinking, ability to run, walk, jump, play, work, and move about?

The real answer in my opinion is most people do all of the above.  However, you should be eating to help your body function at its peak performance.  You need to get the proper amount of vitamins, minerals, salts, and other chemicals that keep you in top physical shape. 

One way to help you to reach our peak health is to eat live foods.  These foods for the most part are raw, not processed, heated or cooked.  A few food items may be heated slightly but below a temperature that has been determined as cooking somewhere around 120 degrees.  There are many food items to choose from such as : wild greens, salad greens, nuts, fruits, numerous seasonings, vegetables, roots, fish and sea grasses. I tried something called Nori and it actually tasted good; it was not fishy or salty tasting. 

Try some new foods attend a raw food pot luck, check out a raw food cookbook, go to a raw food restaurant, take a raw food cooking class. 

The more you eat to live instead of living to eat, the better your health and well being will be in balance and your body, heart and mind will be much calmer and you will have a lot more energy to help you get through the daily struggles and stresses you face each day.

FOOD - MACRONUTRIENTS ARE NOT YOUR FRIEND

How do you feel when you wake up in the morning?  Do you wake up and jump out of bed with a zest of energy, fully awake, with a clear mind?  Or do you tumble over and over trying to fight your way up each morning hitting that snooze alarm...five more minutes. 

The first thing you need to ask yourself if you do not have energy in the morning with a zest to start your day is what did I put in my mouth the day and evening before?  If you ate heavy protein, meat, dairy, sugar, carbs and fats and ate late in the day you put a big stopper in your body that stops your body to rest, cleanse, heal, protect, relax and be strong.

The first thing you need to do is reduce your dependence on sugars, fats and salt.  This is not to say you should never have any of these substances every again but rethink the types of fats, salts, sugars you do put into your body.  There are natural sugars, fats, and salt that your body craves and actually uses to repair, strengthen and rebuild your mind, body, hair, skin, bones, blood and lymph.

A good place to start is with raw food.  In the morning try a superfood green drink, for lunch enjoy a fresh salad and for dinner have zucinni spaghetti or vegetable burrito. There are so many recipes and easy to make food items available and some are just three or four steps from beginning to the dinner plate.  There are snacks, entrees, deserts, drinks, and crackers. 

Try an experiment journal your food for a week one week eat your normal diet and journal what you ate, the amount and how you felt before, during and after your meal.  Then the next week eat mostly raw, whole, fresh foods, nuts, fruits, vegetables, and grains and write down the same as above.  If you don't feel any difference, you may need to detox.  It is not recommended that you go from the SAD diet to totally raw as your body will detox and you will feel very sick.  Oh yes don't forget to drink good, clean water. 

Macronutrients are such foods as meat, protein, sugars and starches.  They are very hard for your body to digest so in essence your body is constantly trying to digest your meals and before it can get done with one you are putting another meal or snack into your body and it just never gets to rest and you get sick, tired and a whole host of symptoms no one can tell you why.

Eat smaller amounts of food each day and use your body efficiently and it will give you more energy than you will know what to do with is.

FOOD - WHAT YOU DONT KNOW CAN BE KILLING YOU

Processed foods, canned foods, cooked foods along with tainted meats, sprayed crops, poor sanitation  and more of these types of conditions can be doing are bodies a lot of harm.  I have been researching lately and found that the less we eat, the more clean our foods, the more natural and the closer to home the better.  Yes there are a lot of people to feed in the world but get big business, government and the greed out of our food supply.  It is not bad enough that we are so busy, stressed, pushed to the limit each day to just provide for ourselves and our families could we not get a little help from food manufacturers, the government and our local communities to make sure we have good, whole, fresh, natural, safe foods to eat...obviously not.  We need to take control of our lives and do all we can to protect ourselves so that we can have a good quality of life when we get older and now in the present time.  Disease means (dis ease) our body is not comfortable with what it is being forced to deal with and it can only do so much to fight out all the pollutants, chemicals and stress we send its way each day.  Our bodies are marvelous machines but machines can only work as good as the maintenance we give them.  We take better care of our cars then we do of our bodies.

So start taking even small baby steps to helping your body and your loved ones to eat more vegetables, fruits and whole, sprouted grains and nuts.  There are a number of recipes that I have come across that actually look very appealing and I can't wait to try some of them.  We do not need to consume huge chunks of meat, gallons of dairy, hunks of fish to have nutrition.  If you desire to eat meat, consume dairy and eat seafood then go ahead of enjoy but make sure you check in with yourself and see how you are feeling and if you are not feeling your best maybe cut down the amount of heavy, laden foods and see if you feel different.  Everyone needs to find out for themselves what is right for them but processed foods with sugar, salt, fats and preservatives are not assimilated well in our bodes and they show up in many different forms as rashes, asthma, allergies, pains, inflammations, headaches and stomach ailments.  So if you want to have a better quality of life, keep a food journal and experiment with some foods which are in season like winter squash in the fall and blueberries in the summer and see if eating foods in season help you feel better.  Food is a pleasure for all of us to enjoy just don't let it be your ticket to ill health.

Food - Yes You Can Eat Chocolate Everyday In Fact You Should

Chocolate -

There are so many of us that LOVE chocolate and other that only crave it at certain times of stress, frustration, hunger or boredom.  The good NEWS is that eating the correct type of chocolate is actually something you should include in your diet each day. 

Raw Cocao -

Eating raw cocao is a very beneficial to aid in helping you lose weight, lower blood pressure, help with decreasing inflammation, is an antioxidant, helps lower diabetes, helps elevate your mood, gives you energy and it tastes good. Raw Cocao is all natural, and easily absorbed into your bloodstream.  I think it is a pretty good deal that you can eat chocolate and it helps you be healthier. 

The chocolate you buy in the store has added sugar, milk and heated and has chemicals added; this is not the type of chocolate you should eat.  Just having a small amount of raw cocao powder everyday is very beneficial it can be added to your favorite beverages, sprinkled on your oatmeal and make a delicious breakfast, snack or lunch drink.

When I am on the run or at work I found a dark chocolate product that is not very expensive and is available in nuggets, bars, cookies, bars, and drinks.  The product is very good tasting and you get your daily supply of fruits and vegetables in just three little squares.

There is a lot of research on chocolate out there you can go to:

http://mydrchocolate.soundconcepts.com/goodbad.htmo

and check out the article for yourself.

Also make sure what kind of dark chocolate you are eating.  Some chocolate has added oils, colorings, and cheap imitation as cocoa butter and chocolate is very expensive.  Be an informed consumer.

Eat your chocolate each day and have a healthier day. Make sure your dark chocolate has a good amount of flavonoids in your chocolate the flavonoids is what is helping your body to be healthier.  The flavonoids should be 600 - 900 count.

I just found out that eating dark chocolate is actually also good for your teeth. 

It is also can help with psoriasis.

Good dark chocolate -

• Has not been alkalized

• Has been dried and cool-pressed rather than roasted

• Contains cocoa butter instead of milk fats or hydrogenated oils

• Has 70 percent raw pure cocoa

• Contains natural sugars and is low glycemic

Eat your way to health with dark chocolate everyday. 

To get information on a good dark chocolate product that I utilize, email me with your name, phone # and email address and I will get the information out to you.

knhoagland@comcast.net

Stress - Job Burnout Are You One Of Its Victims?

Are you one of the few people who love their job and can't wait to get to their office or place of business?  You have either resigned yourself there is nothing you can do about your job or you really love what you do.

However, for the majority of us we absolutely dread going to work, and we only show up each day because we need to eat and have a place to live. This is how I had felt for quite a few years.

The real picture or truth that was placed in front of me one day changed how I looked at my job.  The answer I stumbled upon was it was not the job, boss, co-workers, the drive, the pay none of it...it was all me..it was how I perceived my job, my boss, co-workers and surroundings.  When I was shown this simple truth, my whole outlook changed.  I may not still like my job or whatever but it is my decision to make that choice, and I chose to have less stress by not taking things personally and to do the best I could each day fulfilled that I had done a good days work for the pay I agreed upon.

If you really desire to reduce stress/burnout there are small, easy baby steps you can take. 

One is find a supportive health coach to hold your hand and work with you on this goal. 

Stress is necessary when you need to flee but not from the home to the office and back. Research ways that work for you by trying to incorporate some meditation into your daily routine 10 - 15 minutes a day can help you be focused and centered and more in control of your day, getting better supplementation, getting more rest each night, make sure you have down time for you, do something that excites you such as a hobby or hiking, canoeing, a day at the beach.

Our body and mind are very resilent but we still can become ill or get diseases from too much stress and job burnout is a real stressor indeed.  Disease - means not at ease.

So do yourself a big favor and look out for your health and the fact you recognize you have an issue with job burnout/stress is your first step on your road to health.

YOUR MOST BURNING QUESTION RELATED TO WEIGHT LOSS OR STRESS

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Food - Yes You Can Eat Chocolate Everyday In Fact You Should

For most of our lives now we have been told to limit our intake of sugar, sweets, carbohydrates, fruity drinks, sodas, candies, pastries, ice cream and so on.  We hear so much about how sugar is bad for our health and diabetes is taking over the world.  There is some truth in this statement but not all of it is fact.  Yes Americans eat a lot of sugary, sugar laden snacks that is a fact but on the other hand food manufacturers make sure they put some sort of sugar into almost every food item them produce - how many food items can you name that do not have some type of sugar in the product list.  Carrots contain sugar, corn, grains, peas, fruit juice and so forth.  Whenever you see something with a tose or crose it is a sugar substance. Some packages contain 8 - 10 sugar substances. It is important for us to read the labels and know what is a sugar and what is not.

There are also good sugars xylitol, cane juice, honey, and agave are all good sugars.

However, manufacturers are all about the bottom line and they process and bleach and destroy any nutrients in our foods and sugar that by the time we ingest the food item, our body does not know what to do with it.  Yes sugar makes it taste good but at what cost.  The manufacturers make money on us, and we pay the price in poor health.  There is some good news, however, due to demand manufacturers are now coming forward and producing products with xylitol, honey, agave, and cane juice that are healthy and easily absorbed by our bodies.  We now have healthier choices for ourselves and our families.

There is also more good news regarding a good chocolate out there that we need to eat.  It is a healthy chocolate.  You should eat or drink it every day.  This chocolate has antioxidant properties that are good for your body.  It is a dark chocolate which also contains acai berries which are also very high in antioxidants.  This chocolate does not contain any bad sugars and it takes great.

If you would like to know more about this wonderful food which is good for you, go to www.mydoctorchocolate.com and see for yourself.  I know you will be as amazed as I was.

If you have any chocolate related questions, please email me at: knhoagland@comcast.net.

It is important to eat a healthy diet rich in whole foods and raw whenever possible. 

To your good health

Weight Control - Cravings: The Food We Put in Our Mouth When We Are Not Hungry

If you are like a good number of us out there you unconsciously or consciously put food in your mouth when you are NOT hungry. You reach for that cookie, candy bar, pint of favorite ice cream when you are stressed, sad, angry, upset, disappointed, worried, and bored.  How many times can you count that you look down at a bag of chips, box of cookies, quart of ice cream and it is Empty yes Empty...all gone.  You look around and say I didn't eat all that someone else must of had some and there is no one around but you.  It was the mindless putting your hand in the bag or container while watching tv, a movie or just lost in thought.  You feel you deserve to have that cookie, chip, chocolate candy or ice cream.  Oh yes lets not forget the snack cakes, donuts, bagels, nachos and even the occasional bag of carrots and ranch dressing for our more in control days. You worked hard today and the boss yelled at you, the bank messed up your account again and they are not working with you, you broke up with your boyfriend/girlfriend, you didn't get the raise, promotion, traffic was bad, you gained a pound today, you lost two pounds today, there is nothing to do and nowhere to go.  You always have a reason why you must reward yourself but are you really?

Why do we keep allowing ourselves to give into these Cravings?  The answer is ?  Well there are a lot of answers to this question.  You don't know, you don't feel you can control the urges, you don't think you do it that often, why try when you will only fail and on and on.

I am speaking from experience as soon as I come home from work I find myself with my hand on the cupboard door looking inside the cupboard to see what will magically jump out of the cupboard and make everything alright.  But alas there is no magic wand or geni to save the day.  I continue to look for that perfect pacifier will it be chocolate today, crackers, chips, or all three?  The answer is a new approach.

I need to try something different like start taking walks, riding my bike, listening to music, sitting in the backyard and listening to the birds, writing an article, meditating or really eat something if I am truly hungry and make it be part of my evening meal.

I am not sure why we need "comfort foods" I feel that it is the one thing we have control over we choose to eat the food, and we believe we will feel better because we were in control in an out of control world. 

I have been working on just taking a few pieces and putting the rest away; some days that works and other days I find myself going back again and again to have just a few more.  I feel that is when I am truly hungry, and I need to find something that has good protein, vitamins and minerals.

Sitting in front of the tv or watching a movie are the worst times to give into to cravings. Most of the time you are concentrating on the tv or movie that you don't even know you are eating anything.  Also you should not eat your dinner in front of the tv. If you practice mindful eating and chew each bite several times and focus on the texture and flavor of the food you are chewing you will actually eat less and enjoy your food more.

If you cannot reduce or control your cravings, maybe you should try to not have the tempting items in your home.  Decide which item you really want to indulge in and make it a special treat where you get only that item or a smaller portion and reward yourself instead of punishing yourself craving something you only feel bad about eating after you are done.  You will be able to control your weight more also.

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Weight Loss - Food, Food why is it so hard to know what, where and when to eat?

Do you often wonder if there is an easy way to know what you should eat to be healthier and feel better, when you should eat, how much you should eat and where you should eat?

There are no rules set in stone but I hope you get some ideas that will help to begin to shine some light on the massive amount of information on how to eat healthier.

There are so many variations to how we prepare and/or purchase our food such as: fresh, frozen, steamed, baked, broiled, grilled, poached, fried, and raw.

There are also as many foods such as numerous types of meats, vegetables, grains, dairy, fruits, nuts, oils and fats.

So you can probably think about some of your more favorite foods like steak, potatoes, tomatoes, watermelon, and ice cream.

However, we also need to think about where do we place our values the most is it on the taste of the food? the texture of  the food? the quality of the food? or the type of foods that we put in our mouth for life and longevity?

We need to sit down and take out a piece of paper and list all our favorite foods and foods we don't like so much take a look at the list and circle all the foods that are good for your body and health.  If you are not sure, you can research articles about different healthy foods and no so healthy items on the internet, at the library or a local bookstore.

Also when we eat is very important it has been studied that we should not eat after the sun goes down and not eat again until noon the next day as this gives our liver a chance to rest and repair itself.  Did you know that our liver performs over 600 functions a day?  The way we take care of our body and what we put in it is a very vital factor to health and longevity. 

Where we eat can be just as important as what we eat we should not eat in front of the tv, while talking on the phone, driving, sitting in front of the computer or while laying in bed.  Standing and moving about when eating is preferred. When you sit, lay or are distracted by other stimuli you do not digest your foods properly and stomach problems, digestion problems and lack of nutrient absorption can result.

The amount of food can also be important.  You should only eat until you feel satisfied.  You can check and see in ten minutes or so and if you start to feel hunger pangs have a little more until you are satisified again.  You should not eat so much that your stomach feels overly full.

Some people like to eat three times a day, some people prefer to eat every 2 - 3 hours eating smaller meals throughout the day.  I prefer the every 2 - 3 hour method myself.

I have green drinks, protein bars, fruit, vegetables, whole grain crackers, a little cheese now and again, nuts, seeds, some protein of varying kinds such as chicken or turkey; but for the most part fruits and vegetables are what I focus on during the day.  In the evening I enjoy a salad, soup, assorted steamed vegetables and some protein. Did you know that vegetables contain a huge amount of fiber and you can do very well without having meat all the time.  Fresh salads of vegetables or fruit is very refreshing in the hot summer months and fresh soups made with vegetables in a blender can be very delicious on a cold winter's night. You an also bake or steam squash, sweet potatoes and yams; these vegetables are very filling foods. 

I have even started incorporating cocoa powder into my diet and it is absolutely delicious and very healthy for you.  I am not talking about sugary chocolate I am talking about raw cocoa powder.  This is considered a food with a lot of nutrients and it is also good tasting.   You can make drinks with almond milk, cashew milk, rice milk, soy milk and even dairy milk if you so are inclined.  You can also add so many different items to have a different taste each day.  You can add fruit, flavorings, spices, extracts, yogurt the sky is the limit.

Eating does not have to be a huge chore whether purchasing your food or preparing them.  You just need to take a little time to map out some food choices and plan ahead every so slightly. 

Yes eating can be healthy, fun and even easy. 

So talk a walk through your local supermarket and check out some of the isles on the outer exterior of the store stay away from the middle of the store.  However, do check out the spices, extracts, seasonings and oils.  You may just see something that catches your eye and you can have fun and experiment with a new ingredient, texture or flavor.