Tips and Products for Healthy and Sustainable Weight Loss

I get lots of emails on how to lose weight!   So below is a sample of different tips as well as specific products that I love to recommend for long lasting weight loss.   This is not a crash and burn diet approach, but rather a healthy as well as sustainable way to lose weight for good!!   Remember only you can make the choice to lose weight and it takes determination and the will to do it!   Hope you enjoy…

First of all, just know that it is always extremely difficult to lose the stubborn last couple of pounds.    The results usually come  faster (at least in the beginning)  for someone who needs to lose a substaintial amount  of weight, such as 50 pounds.   Why?   Any slight healthy  lifestyle change can make a  huge difference compared to someone trying to lose 5 pounds.    For example,  even if they just change one of two things they can lose weight FAST (i.e. cutting out coke, and say chips could make a huge difference).
The key to weight loss for anyone is to remember that every single body is different, and you have to figure out what your weaknesses are, what you can handle, what you can maintain for life and to not beat yourself up.   Determination, positivity and sticking with something  are key.

When people come into Alive Health Centre, Morning Sun or Supplements Plus for weight loss, it is never a simple answer.   I always ask people the following things:

1. Write down your typical day(keep a journal).   For example, what you eat for  breakfast, lunch and dinner.   Write down your current activity level.

2. What are your favourite foods, or type of foods?   What are your weaknesses? Foods that you know are not the best for you but you just can’t help it.   For some people it is sweets ALL the way, others it is carbohydrates (bread lovers).   Usually for North Americans, it is consuming too many empty calories like a can of coke or a 1000 calorie fast food meal too often.  

3.  From your journal entries, you can kind of narrow down what supplements would be best for you.   People that crave sweets, or an excess in carbs may need something to balance their blood sugar like cinamin extract, or PGX for example.

Below are my favourite products that greatly help with weight loss and healthy living in general:

1. A cleanse.   Brand: Renew Life First Cleanse 15 days.   If you think your digestion sucks a cleanse may be in order.   Poor  digestion includes: gas, bloating, and you need to have at least one good bowel movement every day!   It’s even recommended that you have two a day!   The average person only goes  every couple of days in North America, this is crazy!   We have a lot of cranky people in this world because they are not eliminating regularily and their body is becoming more and more toxic.   Your regularity/digestion is related to maintaining a healthy weight and the First Cleanse will get the ball rolling.   In addition to the cleanse Renew Life’s Probiotics and Digestive Enzymes are extremely recommended and beneficial to a healthy gut.   The cleanse is good for your: liver, kidneys, lungs, lypmphatic system, colon, small intestine, large intestine, cardiovascular system and blood.

2. Protein  Shakes!!! This is my favourite thing to recommend to you! A good quality protein shake fills you with nutrients, good calories, and it is something easy and tastey!    Make a shake  most mornings and if you are hungry in the afternoon, have one at work.   Protein holds you, it protects your lean muscle mass, lean muscle burns existing fat, muscle is your furnace!   Put berries in it; believe it or not they are typically lower in the  glycemic index therefore not making your blood sugar spike.   Also they are the richest in Anti-oxidants.   You can experiment and put so many different things in your protein shakes like coconut milk, almond milk, regular milk, walnuts, etc!   There are sooo many recipes you can find.   Also, get a blender!! A good one.   They can be quite pricey but its worth it!   Protein Brands: Renew Life Fit Smart, PVL Iso Gold, Progressive Harmony Protein, one of the most complete and healthy is… Vega Whole Meal Replacement by Sequel Naturals!!!! Amazingly healthy!   SOOO complete.   If you do try it get Vanilla Chai Flavour, mix with Almond milk unsweetened, banana, flax oil, walnuts, some yogurt if you want it thick.   Oh very important, 1 gram of protein, per 1 pound of body weight each day.   When you buy your protein powder you are looking for Whey Isolate (usually for weight loss).   It is the purest form of protein protecting lean muscle mass.   Great for women, losing weight, and for elderly! Whey concentrate is typically more for body builders or people who use up tones of calories and need the energy for sport.   Whey Concentrate is roughly about  1000 calories per serving whereas Whey Isolate is about 100 to 150 calories per serving depending on the brand.  

3. GREEN TEA! You know this one already, but this will stimulate your metabolism safely and it provides you with antioxidants.  

4.    Always remember that while supplements help, its not really supplements that are going to be the make it or break it, it is consistancy in your “diet for life” and your activity level.   Find an activity that you like.   Or if it is variety you like then go for it.   For me I like to use my recumbant bike at home for convenience.   I love prenatal yoga right now, and before I used to love playing badminton, but I can’t run around at the moment due to the pregnancy.   I also love swimming, but everyone is different.   It really doesn’t matter what you do, but you have to have the desire to go do it so that  you will go consistantly!   One of my relatives needs to pay for something because  they hate wasting money.   Once they pay they are  commited.    
5.   Up your intake of fibre!!!  FIBRE, FIBRE, FIBRE!!!   35 grams per day! You hear it a lot, but you need to eat lots of veges.   Learn how you like  them.   Use coconut oil to cook.   Its opposite of what you may think, but cocanut oil is  soooo good for your heart, your skin and your hair.   It is safe to cook with, so high heat is great!!  Also, you can steam your  veges too!   Brocoli,  Chinese veges, watercress, and also make soups for dinner with lots of veges.    Just boil water,  put a healthy noodle in there, add an  egg till it is a  honey consistancy, put a chicken thigh in there for flavour and then you can put your veges in there at the last so they are not over cooked.   Red peppers are delicious in there.    All you need is a little salt and pepper.   Note: stay away from processed packaged foods and sauces.  

6. Eat 4 to 5 times a day of healthy calories, nutritous calories.   Smaller but more frequent meals is key.   If you do these things you will feel fantastic!

7. Health wise, get Greens in your diet, by Genuine Health, and take fish oil every day.   You will look younger for longer.   Its really great for your skin, inflammation, joints, colon health and your hair.   Also, if you can get a multi in you every day that would be fantastic!! Platinum liquid softgels are the BEST!  

WEBSITES TO CHECK OUT:

• Genuine Health’s Bone Builder is a great way to get your greens and your CALCIUM!! http://www.genuinehealth.com/by-name/greens-bone-builder.html
• Sequel Natural Vega Meal Replacement Recipes to make it taste good: http://myvega.com/products/whole-food-health-optimizer/recipes  and the link for the actual product: http://myvega.com/sites/myvega.com/files/shared/New_Vega_-_Serving__Tear-pad_-_NB.pdf

As always, thank you for reading!   There should be something in there for everyone.    It is  up to us to look after ourselves.   Take care and put your health first by maintaining a balance!! And if you have any more questions we would be happy to help you at a location near you: Alive Health Centre, Morning Sun and Supplements Plus.   The main products to start with are: Cleanse, Protein powder, Multi Vitamin, Fish Oil, Probiotics/Enzymes, green tea.  

Also we do mail orders, if there are some products you are interested and there is not a location near you, call toll free: 1 866 499 9546.

Take care and see you soon!