In this blog, I will be talking about Detoxification, which I think is a powerful tool in alternative medicine. As the name suggests, detoxification is a process of cleansing or we can say taking the toxins out of our bodies. Now, why in the world we need to detoxify? The answer is very simple. We live in a cesspool of toxins. The air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, even the clothes we wear all give toxins to our body. Now you might be thinking how can clothes be toxic!!! It is the result of this toxic build up in our bodies that we encounter so many degenerative and debilitating diseases like cancers, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s.
Detoxification can be controversial as there is no right way to do it. It can be done through eating raw foods, or infrared saunas, lymphatic massage, colonic therapy. Infrared saunas are a great option, and can significantly expedite the detoxification process. It heats your tissues several inches deep, which can enhance your natural metabolic processes. It also enhances circulation and helps oxygenate your tissues.
However, if you are detoxifying through food, care should be taken that you eat some good quality protein as liver is the main organ for detoxifying and for the liver to work properly, it needs to have proteins. Now, good quality protein means it should not have any artificial colors, flavors, any artificial ingredient. Many of the protein powders available in health food stores have ingredients that should be ingested. So Better watch out and always read the Ingredient Listing before buying. Also, try to buy organic foods as much as possible as you don’t want to put in more toxins by buying conventional foods. Green veggies is a must to take every day while detoxifying. Try getting some green food powder. Again, read the ingredient listing before buying. Make some smoothies with protein powder and green food powder and ENJOY!!!! Integrating food with sauna detox is also a very good idea.
No matter how you detoxify, but one thing to keep in mind is that you should detoxify as the toxic load present in today’s world is way too much for our bodies to handle. The Weston A. Price diet recommendations — which were written in 1920 and still, like all truths, hold true today — includes these timeless guidelines:
• Eat foods that are natural, unprocessed, and organic (and contain no sugar except for the occasional bit of honey or maple syrup).
• Eat foods that grow in your native environment. In other words, eat locally grown, seasonal foods.
• Eat unpasteurized dairy products (such as raw milk) and fermented foods.
• Eat at least one-third of your food raw.
• Make sure you eat enough healthy fats, including those from animal sources like omega-3 fat, and reduce your intake of omega-6 from vegetable oils.

Please remember that you should avoid starting any detox regimen when you are sick.
You need to establish a healthy lifestyle and dietary habits FIRST, so you have a reserve that your body can draw on to allow your liver to do its job properly.
If you fail to do this you can easily overwhelm your liver’s ability to process the toxic substances that are being eliminated and you will become very sick, wishing you had never done the detox in the first place. I have seen this happen many times, so please use caution and evaluate your current state of health before embarking on any kind of detoxification program.

The cholesterol lowering drugs are taken by ten million Americans at present most of it are “Statins”. Now the recommendation of the conventional practitioners is that more and more people should be consuming these drugs. Despite the fact that around 900 studies have revealed how bad statins are for our health, the experts keep on prescribing them to innocent people. In my previous blogs, I have talked about how important cholesterol is to our health and the various myths about it. However, in this blog, I want to take a stand against the usage of statins, one of the overly prescribed drugs by the conventional doctors.

There are various reasons which state why statins are bad for us. First and foremost, prolonged use of statins lead to Muscle weakness and soreness, polyneuropathy (nerve damage in the hand and feet), rhabdomyolysis (a serious muscle tissue degeneration condition). Besides this Anemia, Acidosis, Sexual dysfunction, Immune depression, Pancreas dysfunctions are a few to name. Muscle problems are one of the well known side effects of the statins but cognitive impairment and memory loss are also widely reported.

Let’s now understand how statins work in our body. They work by inhibiting a cholesterol forming enzyme in our liver. Around 75% of the body’s total cholesterol is formed in our liver. When you take statins they block HMG-CoA reductase enzyme which is responsible for the formation of cholesterol in the liver. Simple!!!!!

Around 99 out of 100 people should not be prescribed this drug. The only subgroup that might benefit from these drugs are the ones with genetic defect called familial hypercholesterolemia as this makes them resistant to traditional measures of normalizing cholesterol. Most important thing to understand here is that cholesterol is not the cause of heart disease. Our body needs cholesterol for the production of cell membranes, hormones, Vitamin D and bile acids. It is also important to our neurological functions. However, having too little cholesterol increases your risk of cancer, memory loss, Parkinson’s disease, hormonal disbalance, depression and violent behavior.

Statins deplete your body with CoQ10, which can have devastating results. Remember, the muscle weakness and soreness mentioned earlier is because of the depletion of this vital coenzyme. As a result, the patients who are taking statin drugs should also take a supplement of CoQ10. It also acts as a free radical scavenger and neutralizes free radicals. However, if you decide to take CoQ10, you can also take its reduced version which is Ubiquinol as it is better absorbed in the body.

Now let’s discuss some ways to lower cholesterol naturally without taking the Statin Drugs. The first and foremost thing is that 75% of the cholesterol is produced by your liver which in turn depends upon your Insulin levels. Hence, optimization of your insulin levels will automatically optimize your cholesterol levels. Thus, it seems that controlling your cholesterol levels is directly in proportion to controlling the diet and lifestyle habits. Mentioned below are few recommendations to change your dietary habits:
• Get an appropriate amount of exercise. To me Burstacizing is the best one. But if you are doing any other kind of exercise, it is good enough to give you results.
• Start your meal planning with eliminating grains and sugars from your diet.
• It is very important to eat a good portion of your food raw so that you get all the enzymes for the proper digestion of food.
• Get plenty of animal based Omega 3’s.
• Avoid excess smoking and alcohol consumption.

Unlike Statins, which lower your cholesterol at the expense of your health, these natural ways and holistic lifestyle improves the overall quality of your life. You can also read the article in the following link to have an in depth knowledge.

www.anh-usa.org/statin-drugs-open-us-up-to-foodborne-illnesses/”>

First of all let’s understand what is Calorie? Well, calorie is a measurement of energy that is released from the food and which is available through cellular respiration. Carbohydrates, proteins, fats, fiber, polyphenols and organic acids all release energy during respiration – this is often called as food energy. Fats and ethanol have the greatest amount of food energy per mass, 9 and 7 kcal/gram respectively. Carbohydrates and proteins release 4 kcal/ gram. Fiber which is not easily digested contributes to less energy. Now the problem with this approach is that calories are the measurement of quantity not the quality of food. There is a big difference between 1000 calories coming from doughnuts and the same amount coming from green veggies.

During my grocery shopping one day, a woman standing in front of me was trying to make a decision between a Diet Coke and a regular coke. She immediately flipped the can for “Nutrition Facts” and saw the Diet Coke has less calories than the regular coke and went on to buy it. However, to me, both of Cokes are the same, devoid of any nutritional value and if at all I am buying it, I will go for regular coke. This way at least I will reduce my exposure to Neurotoxins like saccharin and aspartame. Well, I don’t want to get started on this topic of sweeteners and their hazards to our health, as it is a vast topic and would not be a good idea to discuss it here.

Now, getting back to the calorie content, if you are looking to lose weight, don’t just cut calories. Try to change your lifestyle and dietary habits. Start with making one change at one time, baby steps that what we say. If you try to change your habits all at once, there are fair chances that you might revert back to your old habits very soon. Remember, all the man made and synthetic foods have calories on them but the natural foods do not. If you go in a store you will see calories printed on a box of doughnut but not on a bunch of apples. Try to think wisely and make better and healthy choices.

The most important thing in nutrition is to understand the quality of the foods rather than quantity. And quality equates to how a food is raised or produced. There is a big difference in nutrient density in organic, sustainably raised foods and the conventional foods. Counting calories does not distinguish between animals raised on their natural diets and those raised on soy and corn. When the cows are fed their natural foods which are Grass, the quality of the milk is way too superior than the milk that we get from cows which are fed corn and soy. Animals raised on their natural diets have higher amounts of omega 3’s, vitamin A, B vitamins and vitamin D. Similarly, the produce that is grown on a nutrient rich soil is more nutritious than the food that is grown on nutrient deficient soil with the use of pesticides and herbicides.

The key to good health is not the quantity but the quality of the foods we eat. To me food is really the essence of nutrition. The remedy lies not in calorie reporting and tracking but keeping ourselves off of all kind of processed foods and getting back to our kitchens, embracing it and cooking the food our grandparents used to do it. When it comes to food there is no such thing as convenience, rather start from the scratch with locally grown, fresh ingredients. It is a commitment of good health that we owe to our families and kids.

We all are aware of the word Diabetes. What exactly is diabetes? Is it really the problem of pancreas where it stops secreting Insulin or is it something else? Well, in some cases like in Type I diabetes, the pancreas actually stops secreting insulin and for the patient there is no way out except for taking insulin for the rest of their lives. But what is the real problem with Type II diabetes? What happanes to pancreas? Where does all the Insulin go from the pancreas? Well, too many queries and just one answer. The answer is Insulin Resistance.

The way our body works when we eat food is very unique. Depending upon the quality of the food we eat, insulin is secreted from the pancreas. Now if you are eating meals high in simple sugars, insulin shoots up like anything in the blood. However, if you are eating a balanced meal with good quality carbohydrates, proteins and healthy fats, our insulin level doesn’t shoot up that quickly. Now, whichever way the insulin shoots up in your blood, it has only one function and that is to push sugar into the cells. Most of us are aware of this function of insulin.

Now what happens when you go on eating uncontrollably and do not pay atatention to the quality of the food you are eating. Your insulin level rises, pushes the glucose into the cells, insulin levels go down you start feeling hungry again and you eat again. The same cycle repeats again and again for a period of 10-12 years and a stage comes when there is a lot of insulin in your blood but at the same time there is lot of sugar in your blood stream. This happens as a result of your cells becoming resistant to insulin. When this happens, regardless of how much insulin is present in your blood, sugar level is still too high. This is when Diabetes kicks in. This stage is also called as Insulin Resistance which is one of the major factor causing Type II Diabetes.

The conventional doctors put you on medicaion  which further decreses the sensitivity of your cells toward insulin and when diabetes is going way too beyond the power of medication, they put you on Insulin injections which further deteriorates your condition internally.

However, holistically diabetes can be controlled in six simple steps mentioned below:

1. Exercise regularly:  Exercise is an absolute essential factor in combating diabetes as it naturally increases the sensitivity of your cells toward insulin. It is one of the most powerful tool to do so.
2. Eat less grains:  Lower the intake of grains in your diet. If you are taking simple grains like white rice or pasta replace them with brown rice. Also decrease the consumption of grains like wheat, spelt, kamut. Introduce grains like Quinoa Amaranth and Buckwheat.
3. Eat more proteins and healthy fats:  Try to incorporate more and more proteins in your diet as they do not shoot up your insulin level. Then eat healthy fats and if you have been reading my blogs you must be knowing what healthy fats are by now.
4. Optimize your Vitamin D levels: This is something very interesting and studies have found that people with optimum levels of vitamin D have fewer chances of having diabetes than people with lower levels of Vitamin D. Simple and most natural way to get Vitamin D is to expose your body to sun for 30 -40 min.
5. Increase probiotics in your gut:  Probiotics are the healthy microflora in your small intestines. 70% of your imune system resides in your gut and it all depends on the gut microflora. If your immune system is strong you are in a better position to fight any kind of inflammation, infection or disease.
6. Fructose:  Last but not the least, one of the most important factor in the prevention of diabets is high fuctose intake. I cannot stress the importance of reading labels. There can be hidden sugars everywhere starting from your breakfast cereal to your already cooked dinner and processed foods. On the Ingredient Listing if it says, High Fructose Corn Syrup, maltose, dextrose, matodextrin, avoid it. Good rule of thumb is to avoid all the pocessed foods as they are very high in HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP.

Diabetes is one of the growing epidemics these days. Measure your waist line and if it is 40 inches or more for men and 35 inches or more for women, you are at an increased risk for the full blown disease in future. Next time, while having an ice cream cone or a burger or pizza, remember your insulin is shooting up and is creating havoc inside your body.

For more information on what other foods to eat, visit the following link:

http://www.dlife.com/diabetes/information/slide_show_pdf_files/anti-inflammatory_foods.pdf

In my last post, I discussed about just how important cholesterol is for our bodies. Just for a brief review it is an integral part of our cell membranes, helps in the synthesis of Vitamin D, some steroid hormones as estrogen, progesterone and cortisol. It is an antioxidant, helps is the synthesis of bile acids.  These are just a few to name. Well, in this post let’s try to reveal few truths about the cholesterol numbers in your blood work.

In the conventional medicine one of the most effective ways to measure cholesterol is through blood. According to doctors if your total cholesterol is above 240mg/dl you are under high risk of cardiovascular disease. Other factors that make up your total cholesterol count are:

• HDL Count:  This is the kind of lipoprotein that brings back cholesterol from your arteries to the liver. Hence, prevents from forming plaque.
• LDL Count: This kind of lipoprotein  takes the cholesterol from the liver to the various organs and according to conventional medicine it’s circulation in the blood vessels is one of the most contributing factors to increase your risk of heart disease.

Also making up your total cholesterol count are:

• Triglycerides: The fatty acids circulate in your blood vessels as a result of eating more sugars, grains, being physically inactive and also because of excessive smoking and drinking alcohol
• Lipoprotein (a): Lp(a) is a substance that is made up of LDL and a protein called apoprotein a. Elevated Lp(a) levels are a very strong marker for increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, yet very few physicians check for Lp(a) levels.

However, just by looking at your total cholesterol levels you cannot make out your chances of cardiovascular diseases as it is not a clear indicator of that. According to American Heart Association cholesterol levels below 200mg/dl of blood is recommended and anything above 300mg/dl is considered to be at high risk. However, a number of naturopaths do not take into account the total cholesterol levels while treating a patient for Hypercholesterolemia. The various biomarkers that they use are different from the conventional ones and even you can do it at home to calculate your chances of cardiovascular disease. Those tests are following:

• HDL/Cholesterol ratio: Divide your HDL by your total cholesterol and find the percentage. This should ideally be above 24.
• Triglyceride/HDL ratio: Divide your triglyceride count by your HDL count and this number should be below 2.

Keep in mind these are just numbers to give you an idea of what’s going on with your cardiovascular system. There are a lot of other contributing factors than just these numbers. In fact, it was only after the word got out that cholesterol is not a good indicator of cardiovascular diseases that the LDL and HDL were discovered. They give you a closer idea but they still do not give you the clear picture of what’s going on with your heart.

Now in case if you have Hyperchoesterolemia, the treatment under conventional medicine is to give you the drugs called as Statin Drugs. How do these drugs work in your body?

Well, they work by lowering an enzyme in your liver which is required to manufacture cholesterol. The other thing that these statin drugs do is they lower a natural antioxidant found in your body called Coenzyme Q10. This CoQ10 is also responsible for your muscle health. Because this CoQ10 is a natural antioxidant in our body, its depletion results in muscle fatigue, muscle weakness and soreness. Statin drugs have also been linked to:

• Dizziness
• Cognitive impairment
• A potential risk of cancer
• Depression
• Liver problems
• Decreased function of the immune system

With these many side effects if you or any of your loved ones is taking statin drugs, please try to take them off these drugs, try to bring their cholesterol to normal levels by natural means as discussed in my previous post. And if you do not believe what is written here, please suggest a supplement of CoQ10 to negate the side effects of these nasty pills. For your reference, please read a special report by Dr. Mercola

Cholesterol Special Report

What is cholesterol? Why it is being blamed for each and every case of heart disease? Cholesterol is the one that is responsible for demonizing the whole set of foods like eggs and saturated fats. Is it true if cholesterol is that bad a guy and is so harmful for our bodies? Have you ever wondered why the statistics show an increase in cardiovascular diseases even after so much restriction on the consumption of saturated fats and foods rich in cholesterol?

The whole theory of cholesterol being the villain or the bad guy is wrong. In fact, cholesterol is an integral part of each and every cell on Earth. There is no life without cholesterol as it is used in the formation of cell membranes. This automatically tells us the significance of cholesterol in our lives and very well relates to the fact that it is not evil but a friend. No wonder why lowering cholesterol too much increases one’s risk of dying. Cholesterol is also a precursor to various steroid hormones like the estrogen, progesterone, cortisone and other host of vital hormones. Cholesterol is also one of the components of mother’s milk. It is used in the synthesis of Vitamin D. It is a natural Antioxidant found in our body. Bottom line : Cholesterol is not a bad guy. It is our friend not a foe.

Why then cholesterol is given a bad reputation if at all it is this important to our lives? To answer this query we first need to understand what is cholesterol and why does it increase in our body? First of all cholesterol is a soft, waxy substance found in our bloodstream and synthesized in our liver. Cholesterol is fat soluble which makes it difficult to travel in watery bloodstream. Hence, it gets attached to the proteins called Lipoproteins. These lipoproteins vary in density and sizes and accordingly are categorized as LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein), HDL (High Density Lipoprotein) and VLDL (Very Low Density Lipoprotein). LDL is the kind of lipoproteins that carry cholesterol from the liver to the various organs and HDL is the one that carries cholesterol from the blood to the liver. LDL and HDL are hence just proteins and are not the type of cholesterol as misunderstood by many. Cholesterol is just one substance. LDL, because it carries cholesterol away from the liver, hence according to conventional medicine it’s tendency to get stuck in the blood vessels is more. Therefore, this LDL is given a bad reputation. HDL on the other hand brings cholesterol back to the liver hence, its tendency to get stuck and form plaque is much less than LDL. This gives us a clear picture of LDL and HDL and their functionality in our body.

But now what are the various reasons for cholesterol to rise in our blood vessels? If cholesterol is that important why it’s rise in our body plays a havoc on our cardiovascular system? Well, we need to see what are the underlying causes for increase in cholesterol in our body. The first and foremost cause is INFLAMMATION. Remember, cholesterol is also an Antioxidant. So, wherever there is inflammation in our body, there is damage and wherever there is damage there is cholesterol To heal the damaged tissue and to repair it, new cells need to be formed and for the formation of each and every cell cholesterol is needed. This is the reason why after a surgery be it a complex one or as simple a dental procedure, our LDL levels increase because the LDL has to carry cholesterol to the damaged tissues so that new cells be formed.

Now a million dollar question arises why on Earth there is inflammation in our bodies. We look good from outside but from inside are we that inflamed and if Yes, why is that?
Well, the answer to this is quite simple. Yes, we all have inflammation inside and the foremost reason to it is SUGAR. The amount of processed foods, rancid fats and sugary treats have increased dramatically since the past few years and so have increased the number of people dying from cardiovascular diseases. Because of the consumption of large quantities of sugars on a daily basis our blood vessels get damaged and hence, inflamed. To repair these damaged vessels, our body increases the LDL levels so that more and more cholesterol can be taken to the damaged blood vessels. New blood cells are formed continuously and the scar that is left is known as a Plaque.

Remember, how does our body react if there is a simple cut on our finger. The blood vessels around that area constricts to prevent excess flow of blood, the blood becomes thick to form a clot and our immune system comes into play and sends immune cells as neutrophils and macrophages to the exposed parts to prevent it’s invasion from various bacteria and viruses. In the same way, when our blood vessels get inflamed our body shows the similar reactions. This is one reason why so many people have to take medication as blood thinners. But are they really effective and in the same way are the blood cholesterol lowering medications or the statin drugs really doing their job well? Is there something that the conventional doctors are hiding? Well all this and much more in my next upcoming post..

For now, please get to the root cause of elevated cholesterol levels which I have already mentioned. Here are few ways you can bring your elevated cholesterol levels down naturally:
• Try to read labels and find out if any packaged food contains hidden sugars.
• Go for Whole Foods diet. Also eat a good portion of your meals raw.
• Try to include Omega-3 fatty acids in your diet on a daily basis. Best are the ones from fish. If you are a strict vegetarian a handful of nuts and seeds would do the trick.
• Avoid smoking and drinking excessive alcohol.
• Address to your physical, emotional and mental stress. Try some kind of meditation or yoga to relieve stress.
• Exercise regularly. Burstacizing or Peak 4 exercises are a good way to boost the growth hormones in your body.

For a vast majority of people, simple dietary and lifestyle changes can bring back their elevated cholesterol levels back to normal. After all it’s your health. It is in your hands to take control and shape it into something great.

With much of the hype about Omega 3’s, it is very important for all of us to know the real benefits of Omega 3’s and also the right kind of Omega 3’s that is actually absorbed by our bodies. Omega 3’s are called Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’s). They are called so because they are not synthesized by our bodies and we have to get them from external sources. Hence, essential. There are many types of Omega3’s like DHA (Docosa hexenoic Acid), EPA (Eicosapentenoic Acid). These are the two animal based omega 3’s and found in cold water fish like salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines and tuna. The plant based sources are ALA (Alpha-linoleic Acid) which is found in flax seeds, chia and hemp seeds and some nuts as almonds, walnuts, macadamia nuts etc,.

Now what is the difference between animal based and plant based omega 3’s? Which kind is more beneficial for human body? The answer to these queries is the animal based omega 3’s. There is a specific reason to it. Our brain is made up of 60% of fat and all of it is DHA and EPA. This is the form of Omega 3’s which is most readily absorbed by our brain cells. As brain is the most powerful tool in our body controlling all the other parts, improving brain functionality increases the overall optimum health. However, when you consume plant based Omega 3, first it has to be converted to DHA and EPA. This conversion requires a series of co-factors, minerals and enzymes and if one of these is missing, the conversion of ALA to DHA doesn’t occur. Researchers have found that only one tenth of ALA is converted to DHA and EPA. This is the main reason to consume Omega 3’s in the animal based form mainly fish oil or cod liver oil.

Salmon Confirmed As A Top Choice For Omega-3s

Now the question arises how much of these Essential Fatty Acids should be consumed on a daily basis. Well if you are a strict vegetarian and cannot consume animal based form, then a handful of nuts and seeds would do the trick on a daily basis. However, people who can consume fish oil should take one teaspoon of fish oil for every 50lbs of body weight. If you are taking Cod liver oil, please make sure that cod liver oil is rich in Vitamin A and D as well. I would suggest to take cod liver oil in winters and fish oil in summers to avoid over toxicity of Vitamin A and D. Please make sure to consume fish oil supplements with meals as omega 3’s metabolize easily and get better absorbed in the body with meals.

Many giant size companies recognize the significance of omega3’s and are now fortifying food products with these Essential Fatty Acids. But before buying any processed food fortified with omega 3’s please check what kind of omega 3 is present in it. If it is plant based or animal based. Also be aware that the amount of omega 3’s that the food companies claim to provide in one serving is usually not true. Say for example, the label of Silk Soymilk Plus Omega 3 DHA claims to provide 400 mg of Omega 3s in each serving. However, one serving has just 32 mg. of Omega 3’s in Silk Soymilk.

It is important to be mindful about what kind of Omega 3’s are beneficial to your body. With these tips try to include the right kind of omega 3’s in your diet.

Soft drink market size in the year 2000 in India was around 6480 million bottles. The market witnessed 5-6% growth in the early 90’s. Presently, the growth rate in India is 22% as compared to the previous year. Similarly, in the US soda consumption has increased remarkably. Since, 1978 it has tripled for boys and doubled for girls. With the increase in the consumption of soft drinks increase has been witnessed in obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, metabolic resistance and other degenerative diseases. By and large the well-educated class is now very much aware of the repercussions of consuming soda drinks. But what is in these drinks that makes them unfit for the body. Following are the ingredients of the soda drinks and their ill effects that they cast on our bodies:

• High fructose corn syrup: Now used in preference to sugar as it a cheaper form. HFCS is associated with poor development of collagen in growing animals. The toxicity load on liver increases as it is responsible for metabolizing all fructose. Animals on high fructose diet develop liver problems similar to those of alcoholics.
• Aspartame: Used in “Diet” sodas. This chemical is a potent neurotoxin which disrupts the chemical balance in our brains.
• Caffeine: This ingredient stimulates the adrenal glands without providing any nourishment. In large amounts, caffeine can lead to adrenal exhaustion especially in children.
• Phosphoric acid: Added to give soft drinks “bite”. Phosphoric acid is associated with calcium depletion. People who are regular soda drinkers are at high risk of osteoporosis.
• Citric acid: Often contains traces of MSG (Monosodium Glutamate), a neurotoxin.
• Water: Most companies do not use treated water for making the soda drinks. Hence, it water might contain fluoride and some other contaminants.

Instead, of soda, it is much healthier to consume herbal teas, green tea, nutritional soups, broths and lacto fermented beverages and water to supply our daily fluid needs. These fluids support, not inhibit digestion.

1. Eat according to your Nutritional type which I have already discussed in the previous blog.

2. Do not skip breakfast Eat. People who skip breakfast tend to gain weight instead of losing. The reason being after we get up in the morning, our metabolic rate is slow and if do not eat anything, MR goes at the same rate. First thing in the morning you should try to do is boost your metabolism. Instead of caffeinated tea, drink Green Tea or Lemon juice in warm water.

3. Eat every 4-6 hours. Do not go without eating for more than 6 hours as after this, the body goes in a state of stress and releases stress hormones like cortisol which are fat storing hormones and do not allow the body to release fat, no matter what you do.

4. Exercise regularly. 15-20 minutes of exercise a day, 3-4 times a week would do the trick. What happens when you do the exercise is, it builds the muscle mass and burns fat. Secondly, exercise enhances the production of Glutathione, an antioxidant in the body which doesn’t let toxins accumulate in the body.

5. Control your portion sizes. DO NOT OVEREAT. When you do overeating, the body’s energy is shifted towards the digestive system which leaves you feeling lethargic. Remember, how sleepy you feel after eating a heavy meal or after a restaurant buffet.

6. Cut down on fruits as they are high in Fructose sugar. Go for veggies especially the Green veggies as Spinach, Broccoli, Cabbage, Kale, Brussels Sprouts, Asparagus, Celery etc. Do not eat or drink anything with HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP (HFCS). HFCS is 3 times higher in sugar than the normal sugar. Avoid Sodas or any beverage with HFCS. Start reading Ingredient Listing at the back of the package.

7. Cut down on Gluten products. Anything made with wheat, rye, oats, barley should be avoided as people might be sensitive or allergic to it and might not know. Instead go for Brown rice, Buckwheat, Amaranth, Quinoa. These are ancient grains on which our ancestors fed themselves hundreds of years ago.

8. Try to eat like cave man. Avoid processed foods as much as possible which include: pizzas, burgers, bread, donuts, bagels, muffins, cakes etc. For snacking go for some gluten free crackers, carrots with almond butter, smoothie made with almond milk, some herbal teas.

9. Drink lots of water. I do not believe in 6-8 glasses of water a day. Again, there is No One Size Fits All rule. Divide your body weight in half and drink that many ounces of water in a day. For ex: if a person weighs 150lbs, he should drink 75 ounces of water in a day. Try sipping water throughout the day. Body cannot handle more than 8 ounces of water at one time. Extra water ingested is flushed out immediately.

10. Last but not the least; get rid of the toxins in your body. Toxins thrive in fat cells. People who are trying to lose weight and are not able to do so might be highly intoxicated. Until and unless these toxins come out of your fat cells, you won’t be able to lose weight. Try out with Detoxification and the Purification kits available.

How do you lose weight? Is it by cutting back your calorie content or is it something else. Let me ask this: What is Calorie?  A calorie is a measure of energy expenditure, or you can say it is an energy value of food.  It is also referred to as the heat produced by the food. Do you think Calorie is the only culprit in weight gain or weight loss? Do you think the secret of weight loss is: the amount of calorie consumed should be less than the amount of calorie expenditure? If that’s so then why isn’t every other person not in his/her ideal body weight. Everybody can make this equation possible. This is because each and every person has different needs at the biochemical level and at the metabolic level. Some people tend to burn fat fast than others and hence, they are at a different metabolic level than people who tend to burn fat slowly. Similarly, all the individuals are designed differently at the cellular level. Some of us have cells which are genetically designed to have more protein. These people no matter how much red meat they eat, they do not gain weight. Hence, they are called “Protein Types”.  Whereas, there are others whose cells are designed to have carbohydrates. They are the people no matter how much they eat starchy potatoes or rice or any other food stuff full of carbs, do not gain weight.  These type of people are called “Carbohydrate Types”. The third types are the “Mixed Types”. They are referred to as the garbage disposals because they can eat anything and no matter what they eat they do not gain weight as long as they are eating healthy. Hence, weight loss is not a “One Size Fits All” approach. It all depends on the Nutritional Type or the Metabolic Profile of the person. Below is the questionnaire for determining your Metabolic Profile. Fill it in and calculate your score, determine your Metabolic Profile and start eating the way your cells are genetically meant to.

Metabolic Profiling Questionnaire

Metabolic Profiling Determination Rules