Supernatural Botanicals

Jessica Alba’s interview with Lucky magazine this month depicts some major truths that no one is talking about.  Jessica says that she’s on a 1200 calorie a day diet, and says she’s “basically starving”.  And we applaud Jessica for admitting the obvious.  Because you really do feel like you are starving yourself when you drop down to 1200 daily calories or less.  Trying to have a personal trainer or an actress convince us that 1200 calories a day is plentyyyyyyy is simply not true.  Of course,  if you can tolerate it, it will pay off with a lean body like Jessica’s…so there are some benefits.  Here’s what Ms. Alba says about her routine:

On her meal plan to shape up after the baby:

“I have a hard time with portion control, so I have 1,200 calorie meals delivered. But I also work out, so basically I’m starving—it sucks.  I drink a lot of water.”

Working out everyday for even just 45 minutes is good for my mental state. But getting dress and actually doing it is the worst. It’s hard to get motivated.”

What is fiber?  Fiber, found mainly in the outer layers of plants, is an indigestible substance that passes through the body virtually unchanged, without being broken down into nutrients.

Why do we need it?  Fiber is an important of the digestive process from start to finish.  It slows digestion and absorption which keeps blood sugar levels at a more even level.  Fiber makes food more satisfying.  It makes contents of the stomach bulkier so they stay there longer, contributing to a “full” feeling, which in turn can prevent overeating and obesity.

Where is it found?  Only plants produce fiber.  You cannot find it in animal products.  The best food sources of fiber are whole grains breads, cereals, pasta, brown rice, nuts, seeds, legumes, fruits and  vegetables.

A pound of body fat equates to approximately 3500 calories. So if you have a calorie deficit of 500 calories (meaning that you burn 500 calories more than you eat each day) you would lose approximately one pound per week.

The average height and weight of an American woman is a height of 5’3″ and weight of 162 pounds.  Conversely, the average American model is 5’11″ and 117 pounds.

Insider’s secret…Did you know that experts call certain fruits and vegetables the “dirty dozen” because they are higher in pesticide residue than other fruits and vegetables? 

It’s true.  So how do you combat the toxins?  Go organic, that’s one way! 

The following fruits and veggies are considered the “dirty dozen”.  When possible, you should purchase these in the organic section, assuring you are free of toxins and pesticides.  Be sure to clean your produce completely with a fruit/vegetable rinse or with a bit of vinegar heavily diluted in water. 

1. Apples.
2. Bell peppers.
3. Blueberries.
4. Celery.
5. Cherries.
6. Imported grapes.
7. Kale.
8. Nectarines.
9. Peaches.
10. Potatoes.
11. Spinach.
12. Strawberries. 

One of the most important elements  to great body is good nutrition.

Even if your kitchen skills aren’t as advanced as you’d like them to be, you can fake it until you make it.

Soups are simple to make.  If you can cut vegetables into bite-sized pieces, you are half way there.  Really, it’s that simple.

Start with a big pot of low sodium chicken broth.   Next, add lots of veggies, such as chickpeas, corn, tomatoes, zucchini, potatoes, carrots, onions, celery, cauliflower, broccoli, spinach, etc.   Cook in the chicken broth until veggies are fork-tender.  Add lots of freshly ground black pepper and even hot sauce if you like the heat.

Filling up on high volume, low fat foods will help melt away the pounds and make your body lean, strong and healthy.

There’s a reason why most hot wings taste so ridiculously delicious…it’s because they’re fried.  Not to worry, though, there’s a way to do hot wings better. Instead of frying the wings, blast them at 450 degrees on a cookie sheet in the oven.  Use a cookie sheet with edges, as the wings will produce liquid. Line the tray with tin foil first for easy clean up.  Lay the wings in a single layer, then blast them in a 450 degree oven until cooked thoroughly, about 20-25  minutes.  At the very end of cooking time, place them right under the broiler and blast them for an extra minute to get the skin good and crispy. Immediately place them into a bowl and drown them in Red Hot hot sauce.  The regular recipe calls for butter and Red Hot, but you can eliminate more calories by omitting this step.  The hot sauce will still stick to the wings. Go easy on the bleu cheese dressing, but heavy on carrot sticks and celery, and you’ll have a skinnier post-Superbowl victory dance.

Where do you store your peanut butter?  The pantry or the fridge?  If you said the fridge… you’re doing the right thing.  Who knew, right?  Nutritionists recommend storing your peanut butter, along with all opened condiments (except oils) in the fridge as opposed to the pantry.

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A few days ago on Facebook I was voicing on my eagerness to kick my Diet Pepsi habit, so my friends over at Zevia sent me a challenge.  They sent me some of their natural diet sodas.

So change is hard, right?  It’s hard for everyone with everything….especially when it comes to your signature drink.

But the cans looked beautiful and the flavors seemed so good, and we already know I’m two steps shy of being a tree-hugger, so it’s safe to say, I appreciated the “natural” part of the soda.

I first tried Ginger Ale.  One sip and I as a believer.  But I kept drinking more and more to be sure.  Next I tried the Ginger Root Beer, of which tasted absolutely nothing like a “diet” drink…so delicious.  Other flavors were black cherry, orange, cola and orange.  I loved all of them.  They are really light and refreshing, and made with “good for you” ingredients.

You will absolutely love, love,  love these drinks.  It’s such a great break from traditional diet colas.  The flavors really pop in your mouth and there’s lots of variety.  It’s almost like dessert…and who doesn’t love that?  Even Oprah does!

And the great news is that Zevia is going to give away some of their natural diet sodas to you, too!  Simply become a fan of Zevia on their Facebook page.

Then simply leave a comment here on our blog letting us know you became a fan on Facebook.  It’s that simple.  Good luck!

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Did you know that some apples are better for you than others?  The Red Delicious variety gets five stars.  All apples are loaded with vitamin C and other nutrients, but the Red Delicious has the highest level of flavonoids, and as much as five times as many antioxidants. 

Don’t peel the skin.  The beautiful red skin contains the highest concentration of the flavonaoids and antioxidants, so be sure you are eating the peel as well.