Intermittent Fasting

Photo courtesy of Brad Johnson, "Balanced Living"

I believe the secret to my success with losing weight and keeping it off in spite of imperfect eating is intermittent fasting.  Does the word fasting stress you out?  It has always had that affect on me, until now.

Consider when you're sleeping, your body is fasting, right?  Well, in the morning, I continue my fasting and feed my body with "Bulletproof" coffee.  Did you see my second post "Butter In My Coffee"?  Every morning Brad and I have a cup (sometimes two) of bulletproof coffee.  We are satiated and don't feel the need to eat food for quite awhile.

This is from Dave Asprey's Bulletproof Executive Blog:

The healthy fats from grass-fed butter and MCT oil give you a stable current of energy that sustains you through the day. The ultra low toxin Upgraded Coffee Beans optimize brain function and fat loss with high octane caffeine. The MCT oil also serves to increase ketone production and boosts your metabolic rate by up to 12%.  This drink is so filling, we’ve had clients who drank one cup of Bulletproof Coffee in the morning and didn’t feel like eating until mid afternoon. Adding extra MCT oil will promote ketogenesis (the formation of ketones) and provide more of a mental kick.  For optimal results, you should be following the green side of Bulletproof Diet in conjunction with this protocol. Bulletproof Fasting will not save you from the effects of Poptarts and fried Oreos.

I'm not trying to sell you on Upgraded Coffee Beans.  Feel free to exchange them for the high-quality beans of your choice.  You can check out Dave's site for more scientific info and his recommendation for how you should do the intermittent fast.

I listen to my body.  When it says, "I'm hungry", I have something to eat.  If I'm doing really well, I'll have some protein, veggies, and more healthy fat (always trying to stay on the green side of the bulletproof diet).  This will usually tide me over until dinner.  No more snacking - my body doesn't need it.  I eat when I'm hungry and stop when I'm full. 

Just trying to get the hang of balanced living.

Listen To Your Body

How often do we indulge in delicious food and don't give it a second thought until later when our belly's hurt or we have a headache or we're bloated?  For years we live like this.  Our bodies are trying to tell us something but we're not listening.

Mostly we don’t know how poorly we feel until we feel better.  In fact, most of us think fatigue, digestive problems, aches and pains, allergies, headaches, and more are just annoying symptoms.  - Advanced BioCell 

In reality, they are the clues our bodies give us to let us know something we're eating is harmful.  It is important for you to take note of why your body is responding with these signals and what it is trying to tell you. 

Brad's body has been trying to tell him something isn't quite working right inside.  He has been puffy and his belly is distended.  He's got another symptom, too, that keeps him close to a bathroom on some days.  Lately, he's been looking like he hasn't lost almost 30 lbs.

Your body is your greatest source of information. In a time where there is so much technology, we can easily turn to the internet to attempt to diagnose our symptoms; however, often times it simply means listening to your body and trusting yourself to know what you feel.  - Lynn Keating LAc, Port Washington Patch, Feeling off balance? What is your body telling you? July 17, 2012

Brad is thinking he shouldn't be eating either dairy, eggs, or chocolate. He has been trying to stay away from these three things for a few weeks, but they are so tempting to him.  Today he is on day 3 or 4 of not eating these things.  This morning, when he woke up his belly was not distended.  That's a good sign.  He's going to give it a few more days of fasting these foods and then one at a time reintroduce them to his system, paying close attention to what his body tells him.

Are you listening to your body?

Bacon Cheeseburger Salad

I was trying to think of something healthy I could eat at a baby shower I threw for my friend, Mandie.  This recipe is totally made up and turned out to be a huge hit.

I used a mixture of iceburg and spring mix lettuces.  Use whatever organic lettuce you like on your cheeseburger.

Brown 1-lb grass fed, ground beef.  Drain and let cool.  

Cook one package of high quality bacon.  I used Applegate Farms Sunday Bacon.  Let cool.  

Grate about 1/2-lb grass fed cheese.  I used Trader Joe's New Zealand Grass Fed Sharp Cheddar.

After the meats have cooled, combine all ingredients together and add a couple handfuls of organic cherry tomatoes, cut in half.

The dressing is mayo (learn how to make your own here), apple cider vinegar, olive oil, dijon mustard, and sea salt.

Mix all ingredients together and top with more cheese!

Since I served this at a baby shower, the kids couldn't give it a rating but all my friends loved it!

Enjoy!

Shepherd's Pie

We love Shepherd's Pie.  Just a few little tweaks and we can still enjoy this family favorite.

 

The bottom is organic, grass-fed ground beef and veggies du jour.

Cook the ground beef until there is no more pink then saute the veggies with the cooked ground beef.

Transfer beef and veggies to a baking dish.  To the skillet, and the yummy bits from the beef, add raw cream, oregano, and thyme.  Thicken the sauce with a little almond flour and add sea salt to taste. 

 Combine the beef mixture and the sauce and top with mashed cauliflower.  Add 3-4 teaspoons of grass-fed butter (we use Kerrygold) on top and bake at 350º for about 20 minutes until heated through and top is golden.

Kid rating: 2 thumbs up!

Enjoy!

Happy 4th of July

Make good choices but don't stress about it.  Then  get back on track tomorrow.

Have fun enjoying the day with your family and friends!

Supplements

...because we don't eat perfectly - a glass of wine and not making perfect choices at a graduation party or birthday...

Supplements do just that - they supplement what is lacking in your diet.  For the past few months Brad and I have been trying to be more aware of the micronutrients we put into our bodies and the micronutrient depleters we are trying to reduce.

Ideally, we're making better decisions along the way in order to get the right nutrition.  We take supplements to fill the gap and fill up that extra space that we need to become micronutrient sufficient so we can prevent disease. 

This is what I'm taking which isn't necessarily what you should be taking.  You should consult your doctor to see where you are deficient and which supplements will support you for better health.

Left to Right:

ALCAR - Acetyl L-Carnitine - helps convert fat into energy.

Vitamin D-3, 2000 iu (my doctor says that women over 40 are usually deficient in Vitamin D) - helps maintain strong bones & supports dental health. Vitamin D is normally obtained from the diet or produced by the skin from the ultraviolet energy of the sun. As more people avoid sun exposure, Vitamin D supplementation becomes even more necessary to ensure that your body receives an adequate supply.

L-Glutamine - I've always struggled with digestive issues and IBS.  L-Glutamine aide in overall gut health.  It has been suggested that during stressful times your body doesn't produce enough glutamine, making it an essential amino acid, under certain circumstances.

Natural Calm -  is a natural stress relief.  It restores a healthy magnesium level and balances your calcium intake. 

B Complex, B12, B6, & Folic Acid - supports your nervous system health and energy metabolism. 

Alpha Lipoic Acid - supports all parts of the nerve cell and protects it by preventing free radical damage which is thought to contribute to aging and chronic illness.