When it comes right down to it, food fits into just two categories.

1)      Foods that build you up, and

2)      Foods that tear you down

In my book, FibroWHYalgia, I define these categories as Red Light and Green Light foods. They’re labeled by function. Green Light foods move through the body as designed by nature. They move efficiently and effortlessly. Red Light foods get confused. They don’t follow a map or design. They sometimes move sluggishly through the maze of other Red Light foods. They sometimes don’t move at all. Who wants that?

Green Light foods build you up and Red Light foods tear you down.

Now on to a few definitions. Green Light foods are whole, natural, nutrient-rich, often fiber-dense, and healthy. Pretty simple, eh? Red Light foods are processed, packaged, and serve little to no nutritional purpose. They’re not-so-simple.

Here’s the gist:

Green Light Foods:

Veggies

Proteins (either plant-based or animal-based)

Fats (include super healthy fats/oils such as avocado, olive, coconut, flax, sesame, walnut, grapeseed, etc.)

Nuts/Seeds

Fruits – especially berries (enjoy in limited quantities if yeast/candida/leaky gut/allergies or intolerances/immune system dysfunction is an issue for you)

Red Light Foods:

Sugars and foods that turn into sugar (processed dairy*, bread, cereals, most grains, crackers, chips, pasta, bakery items, snack foods, etc.)

Artificial sweeteners (can’t stress this one enough!)

Fake fats (trans fats as well as unhealthy, highly processed oils such as shortening, cooking sprays, vegetable oils, canola oil, etc.)

Sodas (neither sugar-filled nor sugar-free sodas are healthy)

Sweetened sports drinks and “vitamin/nutrient” waters

Energy drinks

Smoothies and blended drinks made with added sugars/syrups/dyes/chemicals

Power bars, snack bars, and food bars with added preservatives/dyes/chemicals

Foods containing MSG

Canned foods with added preservatives/dyes/chemicals

Frozen foods with added preservatives/dyes/chemicals

Bagged and packaged foods with added preservatives/dyes/chemicals

*You may feel that dairy belongs in the Green Light category, and there are a few dairy products that do. However, for the vast majority, typical grocery store dairy products are highly processed (read: pasteurized with added undesirable hormones and antibiotics, etc.).

To build up health, read food labels and comfort yourself with abundant varieties of foods from the Green Light list! Did you notice that most Green Light foods have no labels at all? Of course, we’re all going to sample foods from the Red Light food list once in a while. Just keep in mind that it’s not what we do once in a while that’s harmful — it’s what we do each and every single day. Build the majority of your meals from the Green Light food list and you’re well on your way to a healthy and renewed body.

Getting back to the bottom line — when it comes to foods that comfort, would you rather build yourself up or tear yourself down?

Tell me about your redefined comfort foods!

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What is it about your fitness or exercise routine that keeps you going? When it comes right down to it, we each meet a fork in the road every day. Do we put on the walking shoes or not? Do we head to the gym or not? Do we hop on the elliptical, rebounder, or use the fitness equipment we already own, or stay on the couch?

To explore what it is that keeps us moving forward, we’ll take a look at proven motivational methods. Here’s a quick list of sure-fire motivational tools to get you going — and more importantly – keep you going!

1)      Setting Goals – this is the single most important activity you can make toward accomplishing anything. Being CLEAR about what you want assures success. Do you know what you want? Figure it out and plan to get there. Spell out your goals in detail. Go ahead and write them in pencil – strong goals are ever-changing and always flexible! And, don’t forget these TWO key elements. Be sure to sign your goals – yes, you are accountable. And, be sure to date your goals – remember this famous Napoleon Hill quote:

A goal without a deadline is just a dream….

2)      Track and Reward Your Progress – do you know how far you’ve come? Are you providing yourself with enough challenge? Is there any pattern to your success? These are important questions that can be answered by writing down your activities. Whether you use a tracking guide, a notebook, a simple calendar or just a to-do list, writing down your activities – each and every day – can be a powerful tool to help you stay on track! And, what do you do with this information? Reward yourself! Be sure to reward yourself for a job well done. (Please remember — rewards do not include spending sprees or foods!) Track your progress and reward yourself for each and every milestone reached.

3)      EFT/Imagery/Affirmations/Encouragements/Sounds: Fitness activities may be about rebuilding your physical body, but don’t forget that your body is motivated into action by your thoughts. Practices such as EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique or MTT, Meridian Tapping Technique), Imagery, and Affirmations/Encouragements can be particularly helpful to keep you in a positive, motivated frame of mind. And be sure to also find a favorite sound track for your workouts – soothing music or heart-pumping beats. Whatever works for you!

4)      Stay Hydrated – be sure to drink enough water to keep you feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. Dehydration can lead to poor digestion, poor sleep, and even negative mood and thoughts. Drink water to provide your body with what it needs to run properly. Of course, good nutrition is vital, too, but that’s a post for another day.

Make drinking water a daily habit. So, how much? While this will vary based on the intensity of your activity levels, you can estimate that a reasonable goal would be to drink about half of your weight converted to ounces. Here’s what I mean. If you weigh 150 pounds, convert that to ounces (150 ounces) and divide by two. You would therefore strive to drink about 75 ounces per day.

5)      Buddy Up – while we do make promises to ourselves, it’s a fact that we’re far more likely to live up to the promises we make to others. Find an accountability partner! Grab a friend, neighbor, acquaintance, or pup. Make the commitment to meet on a regular basis and try a variety of activities. Challenge yourself. Challenge each other. Support each other with encouragements, new ideas, and most of all, your time.

BONUS TIP!  You might not recognize this as a prime motivator, but the actual act of exercise itself is motivating! The energy and mood lifting experience you receive from exercise alone propels you forward and keeps you going. Exercise can provide the exact stress-relieving experience you’re looking for. Here’s another tip — the vast majority of us don’t always feel like exercising – but we do it anyway. Building a pattern of “not feeling like it, but doing it” creates a foundation for tapping into your own personal strength and fortitude. Recognize the “I did it!” feeling when you complete a workout. Recognize the increased energy levels and improved mood. Acknowledge the fact that you’ve made working out a priority in your day and enjoy your success!

Keep in mind that this post isn’t just about developing a formal fitness routine. Moving in fun ways like dancing, gardening, and playing are included in the idea of “fitness.” So, what motivates you to get off the couch and move your body? What keeps you moving forward? Let me know your favorite fitness motivators!

P.S. Looking to transform your health goals? Participate in this FREE Transformational Truths TelExperience and discover the transformation that awaits for you!

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In either case, what’s important is that we get Plugged In. Do we have enough energy? Are we fueled with the proper fuel? Are we running at peak efficiency?

While this would be the perfect intro for another post on nutrition, we’re going to instead look at something “higher” up. We’re going to look at the ultimate Source of our energy.

When I was a kid, my cousin received a Hot Wheels electric race car track for Christmas. Being in a household with sisters (and one older brother who was WAY too cool for toys), I was enamored with that toy meant only for boys. I was fixated on the fine skill of making the cars go fast, yet stay on the track.

There was this funny groove (a slot) in the track and the cars had this thingy (Mattel might have had a more technical term for this) that fit into the groove making the electrical connection. If the car went too fast, it lifted off the track thereby losing the electrical connection.

Do we sometimes in life, go too fast or get off track? If so, what happens when we’re no longer Plugged In?

Getting Plugged In is a key factor in getting and staying healthy. A positive mental focus (one benefit of being Plugged In), is a predictor of success. Plugging In can mean a wide variety of things. While our personal spirituality practices may differ, we can each get Plugged In in a wide variety of ways. We may engage in:

– Prayer – Bible Study/Devotionals

– Meditation

– Journaling

– Walks on the Beach

– Connecting with Nature (shoes off, please!)

– Healing Activities such as – Yoga, Tai Chi, Qigong

– Creating a Focus on Gratitude

– Practicing Self-Less Service

Getting Plugged In may mean different things to different people, but the results are the same. Getting Plugged In means getting into alignment. It helps us to stay on track.

If you happen to feel off-center or off track, take a look at your Plugged In practices. Have they taken a backseat to your busy lifestyle? Do you need to re-prioritize?

If so, get Plugged In and get going! What are your favorite Plugged In practices? Tell me about them!

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———————-

HOW TO OVERCOME DEPRESSION, ANXIETY AND FEAR

When you experience a life-altering event it’s easy to believe you will never again feel happiness, freedom, love or joy. In fact, the sadness, grief and confusion that life’s challenges bring can make the whole world seem dangerous and everyone in it a source of threat, disappointment and hurt.

There’s no doubt about it: The challenging events in your life test who you are and force you to choose how you respond. If you’re looking for inspiration and proof that you can beat depression, anxiety and fear then Michele Rosenthal is an author you need to meet. Her memoir about trauma, survival, resilience and redemption will show you the beauty of the human spirit and inspire you to tap into your own healing potential.

BEFORE THE WORLD INTRUDED: Conquering the Past and Creating the Future,  A Memoir, is one woman’s quest to triumph over trauma — and the very unexpected way she did it. At the age of thirteen Michele Rosenthal survived such a rare, life-threatening illness none of her doctors had actually seen a case. Out of the hospital and making a full recovery, she believed if she only looked toward the future she could escape the trauma in her past. Twenty-five years later, however, the young girl had become a woman imprisoned by memories, fear and posttraumatic stress disorder.

In a bid to reclaim her life and heal her soul Michele boldly left the world she knew in search of a self she could barely imagine. From New York City to South Florida she traveled on an odyssey that took her from the depths of despair to the heights of joy, from her kitchen floor to the dance floor, from a child frozen in helplessness to a woman who is powerful, courageous and free. In her transformation lie the seeds for anyone who wants to conquer the past and create the future. This transcendent book shows what can happen when you discover who you are and then choose who you most deeply want to be.

Advance praise for the book has been spectacular:

“Whenever I feel sad that I’ve finished a book, I know I’ve been transformed by its pages. Michele’s story is incredibly moving, and beautifully written. I’m a lover of words and her prose is rich, descriptive and fluid off the tongue.”

~Deborah Serani, PsyD, Author of Living with Depression: Why Biology and Biography Matter on the Path To Hope and Healing

Michele is a courageous heroine, but she’s also very accessible. She explores the darkest days of her life with a brave, open heart, tirelessly learning painful lessons, which she shares with an engaging vulnerability. When she finally dances into a life free of trauma, we dance alongside Michele happily. I loved her generosity and humanity in this important, beautiful book.

~ Priscilla Warner, author, Learning to Breathe – My Yearlong Quest to Bring Calm to My Life

“Before the World Intruded is a transporting story of trauma and recovery.  An addictively readable memoir that carries the reader along —from [the story of] a child’s exposure to a life-threatening illness, through years of post-traumatic stress,  to a grown-up woman’s euphoric recovery.   By the end of the book you will be crying and laughing at once, and applauding Michele Rosenthal for her courage.”

~Jessica Stern, Expert on trauma and terror, Author of Denial: A Memoir of Terror and Terror in the Name of God.

“The twenty-six year journey beautifully described in Before the World Intruded shows how deeply rooted trauma can become. Much can be learned by reading this book.  Most importantly, Michele Rosenthal had the courage to seek an escape from the inescapable—and that is a choice that anyone afflicted with traumatic memories must make every day.”

~ Ron Ruden, MD, PhD, author, When the Past Is Always Present: Emotional Traumatization, Causes, and Cures

When asked why she wrote the book, Michele explains,

“The funny thing is, I didn’t set out to write this book. When I first began writing I was only trying to heal myself by being able to tell myself the story of what happened to me.  Once I wrote out my trauma, however, it seemed only natural to chronicle my struggle to overcome it. By the time I reached the final part of the book, ‘Healing’, I had taken control of the project. I began to feel there was a purpose to telling my story. By then, I had met survivors of different  traumas struggling with exactly the same issues I was. Through my connections and conversations with them  I came to understand that we don’t heal in isolation, we heal in community. While we are individual in our traumas, we are incredibly universal in our post-trauma experience. There is enormous value in sharing our stories so that we all learn from each other to hope, believe and work toward lives free from the effects of the past.”

To learn more about the book and get your own copy (plus almost $2,000 of free trauma support gifts), visit HERE between NOW and May 2^nd.

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I’m fortunate enough to have a guest post tomorrow from a favorite guest blogger and I’m respecting her wishes to have it post on a specific date. So rather than jump the gun and post her information early, my regular Tuesday blog will – with this rare exception — show up on Wednesday. (Wednesday is the new Tuesday, right?)

In the meantime, I look forward to sharing this BIG news tomorrow and remember to … stay tuned!

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Today’s post could just as well have been entitled, The Five Fixes for Chronic Illness, but it would’ve lacked a certain ring. The vibrancy of health has a ring all its own, don’t you agree? Aren’t you looking for that zinging ringing feeling of health and happiness? Then this post is for you!

For the chronically ill, we share the same boat, but are confronted with a plethora of paddles. Various conditions fit this category – fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, arthritis, migraines, lupus, multiple sclerosis, cancer, diabetes, obesity, asthma, allergies, various mood/anxiety disorders, heart disease, oral diseases, hypertension, kidney/liver disease, IBS, colitis, Crohn’s disease, Celiac’s disease, Alzheimer’s, etc. Now that you know we’re in this vessel together, are you ready to jump ship? Let me throw you a life preserver!

While we may have a wide variety of conditions and symptoms, the root causes of chronic conditions funnel to some very specific sources. It still takes tinkering on your part to determine which of these require more of a focus, but there are aspects of EACH that must be addressed in order to see yourself move forward and toward your life of improved health and happiness.

The first three on this list are documented in my book, FibroWHYalgia. In it, I detail the concept of what I call, The Restoration Trio: Nutrition, Fitness (movement), & Emotional Wellness (stress-relief). These three healing tools ALL work together to repair cracks in our health foundations. They are all necessary and vital to rebuilding the health you desire. The order in which they’re implemented is not as important as the fact that they’re ALL implemented.

As promised, here’s your life preserver. Here are the Five Fixes for Fibromyalgia – and Chronic Illness!

1)    Nutrition: This broad category deals with fueling our bodies at the cellular level. What nutrients are we lacking from our foods? For starters, are you  getting enough folate, phytonutrients, vitamins, protein, and fiber? What about water? That’s a vital nutrient, too! When the body is fed – regularly, mind you – with foods that build up rather than tear down, the sky is the limit for the improvements you can experience. Improved IBS symptoms, healthier skin, clearer thinking, increased energy, elevated mood, relieved joint pain, reduced overall inflammation, and many other benefits can be yours for taking a few trips to the produce section of your local store. Be sure to include healthy sources of proteins, carbohydrates from veggies, and healthy fats (avocado oil, coconut oil, olive oil, sesame oil, etc.). There’s so much more to explore and you may want to visit this post entitled: Upgrade Your Food’s Super Powers!

2)    Fitness (movement):  While this is a no-brainer, it’s still a category that needs emphasis. We absolutely must move our bodies in some way every single day. Move within your own fitness level. Develop your own routine of activities that suit your needs. Try walking, rebounding, tai chi, yoga, etc. Create your own program of fitness programs that motivate and excite you. If you haven’t found them yet — that doesn’t mean they don’t exist. I promise you – when you find a routine that works for you, you’ll be pleased with the results. Besides the obvious weight loss or weight management benefits and creating fit and toned muscles, you can also experience better/deeper sleep, improved mood and anxiety relief, stress relief, regulated blood sugar and heart rate, improved digestion, increased energy, and a wealth of other benefits. Exercise/fitness is also one of the best detoxes out there. So … get movin’ and get healing!

3)    Emotional Wellness (stress relief): How we think relates directly to how we feel. I can’t stress that enough. Recognizing how we think – what negative self-talk twirls around in our brains – is a big part of the healing process. Learning to replace negative thoughts with ones that are more realistic and productive goes a long way toward kicking your healing into high gear. Stress-relieving activities such as prayer, meditation, journaling, imagery, deep breathing, humor, massage, affirmations/encouragements, exercise, living nutrition, etc. can each give you a boost in the right direction. Addressing our negative thoughts and emotions can be one of the most powerful healing steps we take. Don’t put this one off – begin today with whatever practice(s) interest you!

4)    Remove/Replace: The best case scenario here is to avoid exposing your body to toxins. But, for most of us, the damage has been done with various past experiences. That’s why we may need to address toxin exposure issues and deal with the repercussions. Toxins can come from a wide variety of sources including, pharmaceuticals (both prescribed and over the counter), vaccinations, dental amalgams, pesticides, herbicides, chemicals in health & beauty products, laundry detergents, scented products, etc. On the flip side, as toxins are removed, it’s also a good idea to deal with depleted nutrients in the body. Those suffering from chronic conditions often need supplementation at a therapeutic level. Seek the advice of a naturopath or holistic nutritionist to see if you need an extra nutrient boost. The most common supplements to look into would be probiotics, digestive enzymes, omega-3 supplements, vitamins C, D3, and sometimes the B’s. It’s also common to be critically deficient in iodine, so be sure to ask a trusted source.

5)    Vitamins P and K: Remind yourself – often! — that it took a long time for chronic illness to arrive and show up in you. It took time to develop. It also takes time to get a handle on it and see it retreat. I guarantee you, however, there’s no time like the present to get started and there’s no time better spent than on improving our health. Apply a little Vitamin Patience and Kindness. So, above all, be patient with your progress. Be patient with yourself. And, be sure at all times, to be kind. Read more about Vitamin K (Kindness) HERE:

Do you feel ready to take action? Got questions? Tell me about your experience!

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If you’re anything like me – and I know you are – you overhear (OK, eavesdrop in on) other people’s conversations in restaurants. It seems that I can’t go ten minutes without hearing declarations of someone’s personal eating style. These are typical statements I hear –

“I’m a vegetarian – I’ve been one forever! I haven’t had a beef burger since January.”

“I’m a vegan – I just found a totally vegan rice krispie treat recipe … you want it?”

“I’m 100% raw! I only eat raw foods and would never touch anything cooked. I’ve got some great chocolate date honey brownies in my purse. Can you believe they’re raw? I have ‘em for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!”

“I’m into macrobiotics – my local store doesn’t carry much that I can eat, so I just buy the same three things over and over. I don’t mind the monotony. I’m getting used to it.”

“I’m gluten free, dairy free, sugar free, processed foods free, grain free, chemical free, animal products free, and I track each item I eat for it’s individual energy footprint. I’m wondering if my diet has any relationship to my patience as a DMV employee?”

To hear them tell it, you’d think that most people have a handle on the “what they should eat” question. If we only heard the conversations about diets, we’d think that everyone must be in great shape since they “know” how to eat. But, look around. What we see is disturbing evidence to the contrary. As a human population, we’re more out of shape, more un-cared for, and more confused than ever!

So, what’s the deal?

It’s like this. The world of eating is like a big pendulum. We swing too far to the “junk food” side of things. We eat only processed foods, fast foods, quick-to-prepare frozen meal foods … then we get unhealthy, probably fat, and definitely sick!

To avoid our current maladies, we swing the pendulum far to the other direction. We become vegetarians (for example). We stay away from animal products and things that make us sick. But, as we do more research, listen to friends, and read magazines, we find ways to make the vegetarian lifestyle more like what we’re used to – fast and familiar. Bean and cheese burritos are vegetarian, right? Bingo! The pendulum begins to swing back toward the place it started from.

Have you ever heard of junk food vegetarians? Well, they exist … as do junk food vegans, and junk food raw food enthusiasts, etc. You can avoid animal products, food made from bees, cooked foods, foods that don’t fit into the macrobiotic or ayurvedic food charts, but when it’s all said and done, that’s not what’s important.

Here’s the take home point:

It’s not about what you don’t eat – it’s about what you DO eat.

What’s on your plate every meal? What do you eat most often? Are you enjoying a treat now and then or do you have them every day (which, by definition, is no longer a treat)? Welcome to where the rubber meets the road. This is where to begin the journey of breaking through the confusion about what to eat.

For starters, you need to know what foods work best for you. Check out your Nutritional I.D. HERE for FREE. You can look at this resource to find out exactly what foods are best for you – and then take it from there.

Got questions? Let me know!

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The theme of Change continues and if there’s ever a season for change, it’s Spring! I mention Spring in my April newsletter, so if you’re not signed up to receive this once a month info-packed missive, be sure to do so now. Sign up here. I’ll be sure to get the newsletter out to you as soon as possible. (Hint — don’t miss out on the special freebie offered in this issue — it’s only available for a short time!)

When it comes to change, do you go for the quickie or one that’s long and drawn out? How did you handle this question as a kid? Did you rip off the Band-aid lickety-split or slowly filet it back, pulling off one arm hair at a time?

That says a lot about you right there. We learn behaviors early on that are intended to protect us for the rest of our lives. We learn how to act slowly (with extreme caution and planning) and how to act decisively (with confidence and finality).

As adults, the trouble is in knowing which action is called for.

One clue to this mystery is taking a look at the end result. In the instance of the Band-aid, experience tells you that the boo boo will be OK once the Band-aid is removed. That experience would give you the incentive to rip it off quickly.

Think about the changes you’re facing right now. Do you know the end result? Most of us don’t. So, here’s my point. We don’t know what’s necessarily in store, but we do know what we want to have happen. So why not focus on that?

That’s the whole deal — FOCUS.

Here’s my formula:

FOCUS  

+ DESIRED END RESULT

= SWIFT AND DECISIVE ACTION

Take a look at your desired outcome (job change, weight change, behavior change, etc.) and imagine, pray, and/or meditate on what needs to happen to make that change. Focus on the details of how that change happens. Make lists, journal, create schedules – whatever you need to do.

Focus on yourself completing a big project and getting a raise or promotion. Focus on buying healthier foods, making tasty and nutrition meals, and achieving your weight management goals. Focus on being more patient with others, on mending strained relationships, on being more patient and kind to yourself. Focus on your inner thoughts and notice their negative or positive nature. YOU get to choose what to think!

If you’d like to learn more about how change can help you to heal,  check out my book, FibroWHYalgia. In it, I chronicle my own changes as I learned about the causes of chronic illness (fibromyalgia, arthritis, diabetes, lupus, etc.). I detail how I eventually made change happen. And the result? I now live a nearly pain-free life and consider fibromyalgia to be a blessing rather than a burden.

So, in a nutshell, focus on the positive change you want to see and watch the positive results follow.

Tell me what you think! What”s your focus this week? You CAN make positive changes happen!

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Several times this month, I’ve blogged about change. It seems a theme for many. Change is in the air. First, I wrote about the Seeds of Change, and then a post on 100 Ways to Benefit from Change (with an amazing bonus offer, which expires on Saturday, March 31^st! Don’t miss out!).

I’ve done lots of research on the subject of change since my business deals with encouraging and guiding others toward healthier lifestyle choices. Everything I suggest and model is about change of some sort.

Over time, I’ve learned that it’s not the change itself that’s so intimidating to most people, it’s the thought and worries over what that change might mean. We place fears, anxieties, and concerns about the change, while we contemplate it – long before we ever take action. It’s that transitional phase that gets us into trouble. Our anxieties are often magnified or even untrue. We imagine horrors that never happen. We create scenarios of doom that never arrive.

The bottom line is, are things working well for you RIGHT NOW? Is everything just as you want it? Can you answer yes to most or all of the following questions?

–Do the foods you eat fuel you with the nutrition you need?

–Do you know what your nutritional deficiencies are?

–Do you wake each day feeling well-rested and ready to tackle the day?

–Do the foods you eat, most often, satisfy you leaving no desire to give in to cravings or binges?

–Have you, most often, been able to sustain a healthy weight for your body type?

–Do you feel energized and full of enthusiasm?

–Are you, most of the time, able to think clearly and feel your emotions?

–Do you feel able to handle your stress levels?

–Are you free from chronic illnesses such as fibromyalgia, arthritis, diabetes, depression, chronic fatigue, lupus, Crohn’s disease, IBS, obesity, etc.?

–Are you happy with your level of fitness activities?

–Would you say that your body is fit, lean, and flexible?

Some of us have trouble with the “running to” or “running from” scenario. We’re either running from poor health and the symptoms that go along with that, or we’re running to a healthier lifestyle for a variety of reasons. Either way, it’s time to take action – the bottom line is change.

Something’s gotta give – something’s gotta CHANGE!

Want to learn more about the reasons for our unhealthy food choices? What’s in the unhealthy foods we eat that causes us to eat more and more of it? What we can do about it?

Please – don’t delay – watch this FREE world wide premier of the movie, Hungry for Change. It’s only available online for a few more days, five to be exact. I can’t emphasize the importance of this film enough. Don’t miss out! Watch Hungry for Change right now!

If you want to check out the Food Matters Recipe book and all it has to offer – check that out HERE.

Are you Hungry for Change? What needs to change in your life? In what areas would you like a little help? Let me know!

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Revving an engine is really just for show.

In a lot of ways, our meals can be just for show, too. A show off meal might be one that sounds good to you, might even taste good to you, but in the end it leaves you feeling fatigued and empty. There you are with a licked-cleaned plate, chin on the limit line — not making any forward motion.

Do you know that many people – every day – do the worst thing possible for their metabolism by eating a show off breakfast? Breakfasts filled with empty nutrient carbs (the simple carb type that converts easily into sugar) are like fumes for your engine. All fumes  – no fuel.

Carbs, of course, aren’t all bad. Veggies are carbs and you can’t beat ‘em for vital nutrients and fiber. But when most people list for me what they had for breakfast, they’re not listing vegetables. Here’s what I hear most often:

Cereal

Toast

Crackers

Granola bars

Bagels

Pastries

*Fruits or even worse, fruit juice

**Yogurt, milk, or smoothies made up of mostly processed dairy

In my workshops, I provide a list of foods that convert readily into sugar. Here’s a hint – all of the above-mentioned items are on it! If you’re looking to these as a quick sugar fix, that’s one thing, but a sustaining meal to give you energy for the day? No way!

 These foods will leave you lacking each and every time you consume them as the majority of your meal.

Remember the Wendy’s commercial from the 80s – Where’s the Beef? When others tell me what they eat for breakfast, I’m most often left thinking –

 Where’s the Protein?

Proteins provide the body with sustaining, low glycemic nutrients geared to keep you feeling fueled and filled. And, protein does more than just make you feel full and satisfied.

~Do you want to reduce your sugar cravings?

Make sure each meal/snack contains adequate amounts of protein.

~Do you want to feel a steady energy level from meal to meal?

Make sure each meal/snack contains adequate amounts of protein.

~Do you want to avoid the crash and burn feeling after empty-nutrient snacks?

Make sure each meal/snack contains adequate amounts of protein.

~Do you want to lose weight or maintain your weight loss goals?

Make sure each meal/snack contains adequate amounts of protein.

You should have the picture by now. Each meal should contain adequate amounts of protein AND fiber-rich carbs (from veggies!) AND healthy fats.  So … where do you find good sources of proteins?

Animal proteins are usually the first answer to that question as they contain the most bang for your buck – so to speak. If you do consume animal proteins (no judgments allowed!) look for organic, hormone and antibiotic free, grass-fed, free range products. Animal proteins containing omega 3’s are especially good such as freshwater salmon, tuna, sardines, or mackerel, etc.

Plants, nuts, and seeds can also provide you with good sources of proteins. Look for beans (lentils, black, kidney, lima, etc.) peas, tofu, quinoa, nuts (almonds, cashews, etc.), seeds (flax, sunflower, etc.), spinach, and brown rice to name a few. For plant-based protein mixes in your local health food store, look for pea, hemp, or rice.

(*Fruits can contain too much sugar for many of us dealing with fibromyalgia, autoimmune conditions and/or compromised digestive systems. Berries would be a better choice. Look for future posts on this subject and/or check out the Phase 1 diet recommended on www.KnowtheCause.com. **Yes, dairy does have some protein, but when combined with added sugar and the innate dairy sugar, the negative health compromises outweigh the minor benefits of the small amounts of protein.)

Because we’re each different, our protein needs vary dramatically. Some need very little, others need a greater portion of their meals to contain proteins. Have you checked out your own personal Nutritional ID lately? If not, do so HERE!

Want to stay in the race? When you rev up your engine, don’t be a show off! Make sure you’ve got the adequate amount of protein for your particular metabolism. When it comes to your nutrition, get a jumpstart on the limit line and go for the finish line!

Tell me what works for you!

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