“Getting the right kind of fat in your diet is important. Cheap low grade fats like corn oil, soybean oil and canola oil are not good for us in the long term. Partially hydrogenated fats are the worst, found in cookies and crackers, margarine and butter spreads, these are highly processed and damaged fats. Healthy fats are the natural fats found in avocado, chia seeds and wild caught salmon, high in anti- inflammatory omega 3 fatty acids” – Mike Adams

The downside for consumers is the dangerous trans fats that are formed with hydrogenation. The ingestion of partially hydrogenated vegetable oils and the trans fats that are formed with this process have been linked to increases in cancer, heart disease, and many other chronic degenerative disorders. What is wrong with trans fats? Trans fats, formed during hydrogenation, are actually toxic substances for our cell membranes. When our cells contain an overabundance of trans fats, the cells become leaky and distorted. This can promote vitamin and mineral deficiencies. It is not always easy to make sense of the research on trans fats but here’s the short answer: if you can avoid trans fats, you should.

Have you tried a ‘fat-free’ diet before and it didn’t really work like you expected it to? You thought you were going to shed pounds of fat, when you actually only shed half of that? You ended up getting frustrated and gave up on the diet – wondering why it didn’t work. Truth of the matter is…we all actually need fat in our diet. Fat helps your body absorb nutrients, helps the transmission of information in your nerves, and keeping your cell membranes healthy. Good fats help to lower your total cholesterol. They also help to get rid of the bad cholesterol by raising your good cholesterol. Good fat can also help to cushion and protect the internal organs of your body, while transporting the fat soluble vitamins A, D, K, E throughout your body. Good fats are an essential part of any flat stomach diet as they are a source of energy. The good fat becomes a concentrated source of energy that will help you lose weight. A fun way to get healthy fats is through flavored olive oil.

Implementation: Add healthy fats to your diet by keeping walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts and cashews on hand to snack on. Add avocado to your salads. Supplement your diet with fish oils.

Affirmation: I truly believe that we are here to bless and prosper each other. I reflect

Water is essential to every process in your body, it promotes healthy skin tone and wards off creases and wrinkles. Water is also a great detoxifer of the body, pushing along the toxic harmful substances until they are excreted from the body. With the importance of water we should all be drinking purified water. Our cities add many chemicals to our water supply such as fluoride and chlorine. Chlorine does purify the water in a sense, however it is not good to drink. Would you go drink a glass of chlorine when you are thirsty? Of course not, because it would make you sick. The trace amounts of chorine in our water have compounding effects on our body. This chemical is easily removed with a filter. Fluoride on the other hand is much harder to remove from the water. While a system can be purchased to remove this toxin, another way to leverage your time and money is to petition your city to remove fluoride from the water supply. Now, you may be asking yourself, “I thought fluoride helps prevent cavities?” Coming from the dental field I can attest that this is not true. While brushing fluoride on to the surfaces of your teeth can add protection by filling microscopic tubules, drinking fluoride has no proven benefit in promoting healthy teeth. Sodium fluoride is actually the number one ingredient in rat poisoning. If you look on your tooth paste tube you will see a poison control alert. If you ingest too much of the tooth paste you are actually supposed to seek medical attention immediately. This is something to think about. If you have further questions on this topic I am happy to go more in depth just shoot me an email and I will send you a list of resources so that you can do some research on the topic.

At meals eat slow, this will help you easily identify when you are satisfied at each meal. Typically we eat until we are full however many times this leads to over eating. Eat until you are satisfied. During meal times do not drink until the meal is complete. Our bodies need the enzymes found in the fresh foods we consume to aid in the digestion process. When we drink with meals we wash away these essential enzymes. Processed foods do not contains enzymes like fresh items do. If we are not eating enough fresh items then supplementing enzymes into our diet will boost digestion and aid in the elimination of waste. Often people confuse hunger with dehydration. When our bodies become dehydrated it may seem that we are hungry. We receive hydration through foods and drinks. If you find your self hungry often step back and reflect on how much water you have consumed. Drink a glass of water and if you are still hungry after 20 minutes find something healthy to
snack on.

Action Step:
Everyday you should drink half your body weight in ounces of clean, purified water. If you weight 140 pounds that means you should be drinking 70 ounces of water a day. Figure out your weight, divide it in half and drink up!

Exercise:
The simple action of stretching does wonders for your mental state, keeps you limber and will give your muscles the chance to elongate. Try taking a beginner yoga class or simply do some stretching exercises. After stretching I’m sure you will have boost of energy and are revitalized.

Affirmation:
My life improves each day and is filled with more energy, vitality, and passion. ~Success Consciousness