Goin' Nuts for Protein Bars!

Today I thought I would share an awesome protein bar recipe. I reviewed a couple of other recipes and came up with this very nutty version, infused with almonds, which are a great source of magnesium. Magnesium is essential for proper calcium absorption and is deficient in most American diets.

I hope to have a photograph to add soon, but at the moment our desktop PC has caught a viral infection and is scheduled for a doctor appointment soon. If only we could pour AB Anti-oxidant and Immunity Booster into our hard drives to help give the anti-virus software a boost in protection against computer cancers! (LOL)

The bars below are perfect as snacks for the entire family. They contain no white sugars or carbs, and are digested much more slowly by your inner workings - which is a very good thing.  As a mom, it gives me peace of mind to know exactly what is in my kid's granola bars. The bars contain both fiber and protein, and are therefore quite satisfying. If you find you have a crazy night of meetings, sports and are a family on the go - make up these bars, wrap them individually and store in the refrigerator. Grab several on the way out to basketball practice, a board meeting, or what have you - to get you through the evening.

Although I personally try to avoid snacking mid-day (I try to avoid sending out insulin, which stores fat - this happens every time you eat) - if you find you are having a snack craving, these protein bars are a much healthier alternative than something else that might be tempting you.  No baking is involved - they whip up quite quickly! I found my oat products in the bulk food section at Copp's, or Willy Street - many grocery stores  now offer bulk food options. It is a great source for nuts (look for unsalted, raw is best), and organic grains.

Vanilla Nutrageous Bars by Rita Shimniok
In a microwave safe dish combine:
2 c. organic almond butter
1 3/4 cup agave nectar or honey (start with 1 1/4 c. and add if needed to pull dry ingredients together)
1 T freshly squeezed orange juice (optional)

Mix following dry ingredients in large bowl:
3 cups organic rolled outs
1 cup steel cut oats
3 scoops Arbonne Fit Vanilla Protein Powder
1 scoop Arbonne Daily Fiber Booster
1 T (heaping is good!) good quality cinnamon
1/2-1 cup finely chopped nuts (I used approx. 1/2 cup each cashews and pecans)
3/4 c. sliced almonds, set aside

In microwave safe dish measure out almond butter and liquid sweetener - warm for about a minute on 3/4 power to create a more liquid consistency. Stir in orange juice if desired. Pour into bowl of dry ingredients using sturdy wooden spoon to stir and blend until well mixed. Set mixture into a stoneware pan or glass dish, and use spoon to flatten out in pan. Pat sliced almonds on-the-go snack or meal.

To your health!
Rita S.

Additional Resources To Come

HAPPY FRIDAY ALL! First, I want to be sure that you are invited to several opportunities taking place over the next few days. Tomorrow, Saturday at 2 pm - I will be teaching a class on cancer prevention, based on studies and information from several pioneering doctors in the field of alternative medicine. I do not claim to be an expert, but I have been studying this topic in a desire to avoid going down the cancer road myself, and I sincerely wish to share the information with all my friends so that you can make decisions for your life, not based on ignorance, but on knowledge. Knowledge is power, and knowledge can prevent AND heal. Contact me if you would like to attend the event in Cross Plains, or we can communicate by other means if you are long distance. Because I believe so strongly in taking charge of your own health - I will meet with anyone at their convenience if you cannot attend.
Weight loss and overall well being - important steps of preventing cancer for certain. On Monday and Tuesday evenings I will be giving two classes in my home to discuss nutrition and wellness for the new year. It is amazing how great I feel with changes I have made in my life these past 6 months, and I would love to see everyone greet each morning feeling absolutely refreshed and great! Again, contact me for more.
Some changes to this blog...you may notice I have added more resources. A few more links under Cancer Hopes - to help those of you already on this journey in finding information, resources that can help you BEAT cancer. Never give up. Think outside the box of conventional medicine. From the stories I have read - cancer is never a death sentence if you take charge of your own health. Your doctor needs to be ON your team and support you, no matter which form of treatment or combination thereof you decide upon. Before jumping on the chemo bandwagon - take the time for a test that can tell which chemo treatment drug is going to give you the most positive response. Most conventional doctors are not even aware that chemosensitivity testing is available.
Book recommendations - you can see I added a list to my sidebar. I have read many, but not all. Part of the list are books recommended as further reading in resource listings found in the back of the books I read. At least if I include them on my own blog - it gives me a reference for when I am looking to read my next book.
Recipes - be patient with this one. My plan is to include links to healthful recipes for those who wish to join me on a weight-loss journey. I have started a search for recipes that are also considered "clean food" or contain ingredients/foods approved in the 28 Day Jumpstart program. I hope to have links live by mid-February at latest. My hopes is to form a small community that encourages one another as we pursue our 2011 journey to a fit and more healthful new yeaer!

To your health,
Rita S.

Essentials for Your Health

Lots of excitement today....AB released their new Daily Essentials line - and I am excited to report that the cost of taking your daily vitamins and supplements has come down, as well as the number of supplements per day per pack to only 5. Even a non-pill swallower like me can handle that!
The new cost for the 30 day supply of multi-vitamins is $99 - which means that new preferred clients who spend $150 retail ($120 actual cost) can get the Essentials multi vitamin packs for absolutely free as their "welcome to Arbonne" freebie!!  I am positive people will see a huge difference in their well being if they take their supplements every day for 30 days, what a great way to try them out!
I know of people who take 66 supplements a day, and spend several $100s a month. I cannot imagine taking that many pills. In fact, last night as I was taking my "Get Well Soon" supplements to ward of the evils of a very sick boss coming into work yesterday, I had a gag reflex I haven't had in a long time. No doubt I have inherited by mother's anti pill reflex. She will be glad to learn that a 3 oz. liquid formula of an immune booster has been formulated - packed with superfruit and such. For anyone going into the hospital for surgery, especially elderly, I can think of no better gift to help them ward off the many bacteria and viruses one can succumb to during a hospital stay, than the gift of the immune booster supplement, which should be taken weeks before a hospital stay. I remember my mother's last two surgeries resulted in months of stomach illness afterwards, including the retro-virus, which took a lot out of her.
Another new product is a supplement for women in the stage of menopause. I will be interested to learn what sets it apart from PhytoProlief, and if the two products are synergestic. I checked out the ingredients of the new calcium supplment and right away and noted that those who formulated the supplement were right on top of things, per the doctor's newsletters I have been reading. Best part...one doesn't have to swallow 12 tablets a day as recommended on the bottle of the SP calcium brand I have.
In a perfect world no one one would need to take supplements. We would gather all we need from our gardens and fields, hunt, pick, etc. But the truth of the matter is, our food supply is not any where near the quality it was during biblical times. Big business has messed with the quality, additives harm our bodies and make us crave more junk food, and our food supply can even make us very ill. In many respects we have not "come a long way", but indeed have regressed due to our desire for speed, convenience and money.
The more I read the more I realize that standardized supplements are a must if we want to do all we can to avoid becoming another statistic of big industry and big pharma.  Here is a bit of vitamin trivia for you today...
Chocolate cravings are indicative of magnesium deficiency. Our body cannot absorub calcium without magnesium.
Restless leg syndrome is typically a sign of deficiences in vitamins B and G, the latter of which is another form of vitamin B, also known as riboflavin.

I thought the last bit of trivia was interesting as a friend from work was telling me his wife suffers from it and has to go to bed very early everynight as she cannot sit down, and doesn't want to continuously stand.
To your health!
Rita S.

28 Day Jumpstart - Overview Notes

The other day I listened to Ti Caudron's audio overview of the 28 day jumpstart program, and wrote down some key points I thought rather interesting. if you are interested in cambiati, which translates to lifestyle change, you may wish to listen to the overview yourself. Like reading the bible, people are at different places in their journey, whether spiritual or healthful living, so I may not have a note on something that could be key for your own situation. Make sense?
I will simply list my notes in bulleted fashion and not fill in with my thoughts and extraneous words, which may be too much to digest right now. I am always open to discussing these things in person. I find it all quite fascinating and am excited to talk about it.
Overview points:

1. Eat clean food - what would be hunted and gathered. (This is based on the work o Dr. Loren Cordain, who wrote The Paleolithic Diet. For those with autoimmune system disorders, such as MS, IBS- symptoms subside during the program as it brings the body back into complete hormonal balance.)
2. Many people consume food and beverages that trigger reactions in the body. Pull these foods out to start with a clean slate. You can then add things back in, one at a time, being aware of how you feel.
3. No calorie counting - the goal is to ensure we consume total optimal nutrition.
4. Mindset is key - simple to overcome poor eating habits if you understand the whys. You need to commit to your own body as you would commit to your child when you tell them you will pick them up after school
5. Move toward optimal body composition.
6. Your gut is part of the nervous system. If it is inflamed, and you remove foods that cause the inflammation, you reduce inflammation in your brain as well.
7. Detox and cleanse. Unplug from habits that don't serve us - not bringing in foods that clog our pipes and take in very nourishing foods. Liver is a garbage disposal of the body - it processes excess hormones, vitamins, eliminates toxins, etc.
8. Toxins are stored in fat - boy's way of protecting organs from toxins. People following the program decrease fat mass - the fat cells are excreted and releases toxins.
9. 20% of what you do gives you 80% of the results. If you think you're doing well find little things that bring you down.
10. It takes 21 days to form a  new habit - it takes that long to break the brain from routine.
11. For some people, eliminating foods your body is allergic to may cause withdrawal symptoms such as headaches - the body will seize the opportunity to detoxify itself and you will feel better in a few days.
12. Exercise for 12 minutes a day - positive effect on the body and encouraged - find something that makes you feel good, not worn out.

I said I wasn't going to elaborate and make this a long thread, but I want to add to #4.  When I read Dr. Lee's book on breast cancer and really began to understand how food is processed in my body - it was that information which made me determine to cambiati, aka develop a lifestyle change.
The 28 day program is not for life, but through it we will feel better than we maybe have in years. It is highly unlikely you will digress afterwards, to all of your old eating habits. Once you experience feeling good, why would you want to return to a life of fatigue, pain and whatever other symptoms you may currently experience. You purchase clean foods yourself - we could have a shopping party! "Easy buttons" are available for those who need the convenience.
It will be a bit yet before I am ready to commit to the Jumpstart program. Let me know if you are interested. I am thinking that locally, we could form a support group.

To your health!
Rita S.

Debunking a few diet myths

I once heard you should learn something new everyday. I am certain that keeping one's mind active is key for long term mind health - or at least I hope it is! (LOL) I love researching and learning, no matter what my current passion. Anytime I embark on something new I tend to throw myself into it, fully.
I am very interested in the Cambiati Wellness 28 Day Jumpstart to healthy living program. On their web site I found a video clip, which debunks a few diet myths. I actually learned some VERY important things from this news interview clip with nutritionist Ti Caudron, who is also the cheif  inspiration officer of Cambiati Wellness and took some notes to share with you.
Myth – if you burn more calories than what you eat you will lose weight. That only works for a few people some of the time.
Truth - Muscle builds metabolism and metabolism is what helps you lose weight. When you partake in cardio exercise, you are using muscle as energy, and burning muscle mass. In other words, you are burning your fat burning machinery, aka: burn off your muscle and you burn off your metabolic booster. Ti suggests shorter, intense workouts mixed with resistance exercise.
Myth – A number of small meals each day (every 2-3 hrs) with healthy snacks is the best way to lose weight. (If memory serves correctly Dr. Oz just said something to this effect recently.)
Truth – Per Caudron, everytime you eat a hormone called insulin is released in your body. Insulin helps your body which helps cells use what you eat to create energy, but insulin also stores fat. So if you eat frequently throughout the day, even if it is a healthy green apple or a few almonds, your body is storing fat. The more small meals you eat, the more fat poured into fat stores. Instead, eat a complete and satisfying hormonally balanced meal every 4-6 hours to remain full and satisfied until your next meal. Always stop eating 3 hours before going to bed so your insulin can go down and you can burn more fat while you're sleeping.

Even though I did well with my own healthstyle change – this is where I err’d at the end of 2010. We received a delicious case of fruit from the HS band program – and I was taking an orange or grapefruit with me to work each day to eat between 2-3 p.m. Not that I was hungry, but I felt I was eating something healthy that would make me not eat much for dinner in a couple hours. Having learned how insulin works, I will now starting have a fruit directly after having my salad for lunch, sort of like dessert. This way my body is sending out the insulin “soldiers to collect fat” only once instead of twice. Again, adults eating in between meals releases fat.

If you work out within an hour of waking up, drink some water which will wake your body up. You have glycogen (energy stored in your legs) to get you going, and then your body will pull into your fat stores for fuel during the workout. If you eat something BEFORE going to the gym, again, you are just calling on your body to produce insulin, and in essence store fat.
You can find Ti's list of dieting myths and debunkingness :-) here at this link.

Speaking of insulin, when I typed insulin into the search engine of the Virginia Hopkins web-site Dr. Lee has an article on the newest disease of the millennium – Metabolic Syndrome.
An excerpt from the article reads: “Excess glucose (from sugar and carbohydrates) in the bloodstream, raises insulin levels which increases androgen (male hormone) levels in women. In plain English this means that if you eat excess sugar and carbs you’ll make excess male hormones. This was underscored in a Johns Hopkins study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology in September 2004 which showed that women with metabolic syndrome have high androgen levels.” The article is quite interesting. Click on the link and chew on that.

If you have been reading my blog you already know how much I have praised green tea for all its benefits. In this same article I found a list of additional reasons to LOVE green tea- or learn to love it. Put a couple drops of agave nectar in your cup if you need to sweeten it. I find the AB Detox tea to be sweeter then most. In Lee's article, at the bottom, I learned yet something else new - I had no idea green tea can reverse cavities. I am liking that, especially since I question the safety of the flouridated mouth rinses. The credit for list below goes entirely to Lee from the Virginia Hopkins Healthwatch site.
One more thing, KNOW WHAT YOU EAT. Eating food that has hormones (chicken, beef) can make you gain weight. The hormones are GROWTH hormones – to lose weight you need to know your food source and quality. Of course I emailed the company, Fosters, that makes the chicken breast strips I use in my salads. It states hormone free, but I need to also clarify that it is MSG free before I recommend it to my clients, or continue eating it myself (since MSG not only kills brain cells, causes Alzheimers, etc. – but also makes people gain weight). I will keep you posted on their response.

Another day, learned something new - I hope you did too.
To your health!
Rita

JOURNEY TO 50 LBS LESS OF ME - Part 3

As I type the continuation of my weight loss journey - my husband has just removed chocolate chip/macadamia nut cookies from the oven. Uggghhh!! I will not resist - it has been a busy day and I haven't eaten much.

Today it's time for some new pictures. I guess these photos are my AFTER for now, but by my birthday at the end of March they better become my befores! My goal is to lose another 27 lbs. by then - and THEN I will celebrate and shop for clothes!!

On November 8 I weighed in on the usual scale at  216 lbs. (down 30 lbs. from my last visit to the in-laws scale).  As a refresher from my previous post, a photo of myself from July is underneath.

Throughout the holidays I was determined to behave, despite holiday treats in abundance. A friend brought home baked goods, and could not completely refrain, enjoying chocolate covered peanut clusters and ate one sugar cookie. Mostly my portions were small at dinners and I stuck with my morning shake and salad for lunch. While celebrating with my husbands family on the eve of Dec. 24 th I weighed in – 208 lbs. I had lost another eight, which surprised me some.

Through all of this I figured my mother-in-law's scale must have something wrong with it. Or maybe I had some horrific disease to explain such a weight loss, without exercise, I might add. I pondered this one afternoon and decided that since I had made a healthstyle change, and was being intentional, that I wasn't dying of anything.

On Dec. 28 I had my first physical in three years. I confirmed the balance beam scale I had been using was indeed working, as I weighed 206 lbs. at the clincic. I was thrilled to have lost two more even with holiday meals!

My doctor was thrilled with my weight loss. She said for a woman my age to lose the amount I had, I may as well double it for the health benefits I will gain. In 2010 I dropped two clothing sizes. My doctor had always told me not to watch the scale, but the clothes. In 2011 my goal is to lose 30-40 more. Time to add in exercise!!

I weighed in this morning, after brunch with the in-laws, I might add, and am currently 202 lbs. Let it be known that the next time I hop on that scale, I will be 199 or less. I may have to go wild with an extra sprinkle of Feta cheese on my salad. But for now, I AM going to have just ONE of those cookies, fresh from the oven, while they are still warm. Then...onto the exercise mat to work it off!

JOURNEY TO 50 LBS LESS OF ME - Part 2

Fast forward...Easter 2010. We don't have a scale in our home, so when we visit my in-laws I invariably hop on my mother-in-laws balance beam type scale. I weighed in, before dinner, of course.
I was appalled ...the large weight was already on 200, and the small weight was moved further and further until the beam centered. Totally disgusted with myself weighing in at 264 lbs.! I realized how close I was to 275, and that soon I would be a hundred pounds heavier than my husband if I did not stop the total disregard for my body. The thought of being a 300 lb. person was sobering.
I felt I hid it very well. Maybe I carried a lot of water weight - I had no idea I had gained that much. I had not weighed myself since the previous holiday. I had had to increase my pant size since having my newer 8 hours at a desk job, and put that off as long as possible.
Still, just a little commitment.
I committed to having a donut at max, once per week. Latte - Fridays only. I decided to eat more fresh produce. Consume smaller portions. Although I always have a large water bottle, I needed to make sure that I emptied my 32 oz. bottle at least once a day. I found large tubs of organic baby spinach at Costco and would split the tub with a friend, since my family are not huge fans of salads/greens.
Procrastination ensued.

Yes, little changes made. Slight deprivations. But that's alright, I told myself, "no sense in getting serious until after summer vacation in July." At left is a vacation photo of me with my Titanic ticket while at the COSI in Columbus, Ohio.
In 2010 two friends were diagnosed with cancer and it seemed I was getting at least one prayer request a month to pray for another newly diagnosed. Cancer was ticking me off. I wanted to take the tidbit I had been given about xenoestrogens and investigate further. I wanted to find out how hormone balance had a part in all of this, not just with cancer, but with depression, fibromyalgia, PMS, and a whole slew of things that can make life not so pleasant. I spent the summer reading much. A book was recommended to me...Dr. John Lee's book, "What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Pre-Menopause". I began to see how the world in which we currently live affects our health. The choices we make, whether it is cosmetics or skincare with harmful ingredients, to fumes, chemicals - the xenoestrogens that make our body estrogen dominant, a precursor for cancer.
Things were mentioned in this book that steered me into another of Lee's books, "What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Breast Cancer". I read this book while on our summer vacation road trip. I'll be frank, this book scared the he-- out of me. I do not want cancer. Period. Not that I am afraid of dying, indeed I look forward to that glorious day and being reunited with loved ones. But I have seen what cancer can do to the body. I lost one of my dearest friends to prostrate cancer, and I wanted to learn more about bio-identical hormones and how progesterone could be a life saver. I learned much about the importance of hormone balance for a healthy body. However, I may have learned more about nutrition - and how food is processed within us. The nutrition chapter explained so vividly, but in a manner I could understand, told how cells feed on what we take into our bodies whether it be through food, skin lotions, the air we breathe. Health is a balancing act - and it is up to us to be proactive for our own bodies sake.
The book explained what happens to cells when we eat table sugar, and how white flour products are recognized by the body as an equivalent to table sugar. It explained how messages are sent to the DNA and how cells react to what they receive. Guess what feeds cancer cells (which we all have in our bodies?) - SUGAR! All it really takes is the wrong chemical or diet to wake up those cells, among other wake up calls such as radiation, HRT, drugs, etc. Not only that, but fat cells are the "closets" for cancer, and it was clear the  more fat I had the greater the risk... I needed to shed "cancer storage units".
Greater commitment.
I saw evil in the white buns that accompany fast food restaurant sandwiches. It was easy to avoid the local frozen custard joint. I began to look at food with new knowledge. With my new found knowledge, I could envision how eating a certain type of food would send negative and potentially dangerous messages to my cells. I envisioned my inner workings communicating when tempted by frozen custard... visioning is a powerful tool in any weight loss journey.
I began to envision myself getting back into a favorite red dress of pre-childbirth years. Okay, I don't have that dress any longer, but I looked darn good in it. I could buy a new red dress someday if I chose. CJ Banks is one of my favorite clothing stores - quality clothes for larger women, awesome sales. I had journeyed into the sister store one day, Christopher and Banks, next door, and found non-plus size tops I would love to wear...and vowed I would be shopping in that store within a year.
Getting more serious. Time for research.
I knew I could not lose weight through sheer will power and meal changes. Mornings were hectic - I had no time to scramble eggs, cook bacon (not really that bad for you), and eat sprouted toast. What the heck is sprouted toast anyhow?! I needed convenience, but not cold cereal and not a cinnamon roll from the Kwik Trip.
Protein shakes. What is truth? Research. Just because my new business offered protein shakes did not mean I would just consume without looking into it. I heard too many negatives about soy based, as well as whey. I understood the proteins used in the AB shake mix are rice protein, cranberry and pea protein...but what else is in there and is it good for me?
I had subscribed to newsletters by neurologists, nutritionists...I devoured information (but it didn't make me more skinny). (LOL) I read about supplements and ingredients that are beneficial, and began comparing the AB ingredient list, and decided the scientists and nutritionists behind the formulation really knew what they were doing. I was skeptical of the word fructose in the ingredient list, even though natural - articles warned protein shakes are often packed with fructose to make them taste good. I e-mailed the company, and found out fructose quantity was equivalent to the juice from one green apple. I questioned the ingredient "soy lecithin" (oh no, not soy!) and learned it is NOT a soy protein. Soy lecithin, it turns out, is a binder and emulsifier. Lecithin is great for the brain, and is a supplement many people find useful for balance. Satisfied, I ordered the AB Go Easy! Protein Shake powder in vanilla and fiber booster, along with the colon cleanse supplement. Choosing the vanilla powder formula, I knew it would be easy to add fruit and other foods to help change up the flavor so I would not get bored.

It was August. Commitment time. In hindsight, as I type this, I regret not having an updated start weight and before photo picture taken. If you ensure on a weight loss journey - take a BEFORE picture. You don't have to show it to anyone, but you will regret it later on when you are successful. I looked back through every single photo folder from 2010. I enjoy photography - so there are lots of pictures! Any photo with me in it has me strategically positioned behind something. A full length photo of my person could not be found - I have been very careful to avoid being in a photo these past few years. A friend found a picture of me on their pontoon boat from August, at left.
In summary, my morning breakfast was an AB protein shake, usually blended with blueberries, 3 strawberries, and pro biotic plain organic yogurt as suggested by Dr. John Lee in one of his books. With the fiber powder added my breakfast shake is so filling that I often had to remind myself to eat in the afternoon. Lunch is a spinach salad with chicken breast strips, and my own balsamic/EVOO dressing - of which the recipe is found in my archives. Snacks include some nuts (not peanuts, unsalted - I love almonds), and apple or citrus. Did I swear off all sweets and chocolate? No. If I was really good for an entire week I would reward myself on Friday with a bit of dark chocolate, or maybe a bakery with my Friday morning mocha latte. Deprivation can make one resent a diet, in my opinion. However, I hesitate to use the word diet, because in reality I made lifestyle changes... perhaps "healthstyle" is a better word. Breakfast, the most important meal of the day was  always healthy and took about 2 min total to make and take, with the aid of a Ninja blender I bought after researching and reading reviews.
Dinner is whatever my husband made, and although he tries to be mindful of my new food choices, time, food on hand and children come into play. If pasta (wheat only) was made I would eat a small portion, which was not difficult as I would often eat my lunch salad at 1:30 or 2 p.m. Regarding lunch, my salads were generous. I now easily consumed a 1 lb. tub (454 grams) of fresh spinach a week - basically 1/5 lb. of spinach in each salad.
In September I had a meeting in my in-laws town and stopped by to use their scale. On September 15 I weighed in at 246 lbs.  I was thrilled. I don't know my exact weight when I became serious in August, but I do know that I had transposed two numbers from my April weigh in and was down 18 lbs.
The clothes had become more and more loose. Having to move the weight on the balance beam further and further left was a great thrill! I was empowered and more determined than ever to continue, perhaps even become a little more strict and not succumb to my family's desire for Sunday morning donuts after worship. My vision was beginning to become a reality.
Next installment...current photos!