Why can we not have mints or sugar free gum?

Gum Chewing and Mints
First of all, part of this program that I think is essential is that it allows us, for a brief period, to concentrate on other things besides our mouth!!! If we do not break the habit of putting things in our mouth every minute of every day, we will never break the obsession and hold it has over us!! So, being a gum chewer for years, and a tic-tac fanatic, this was a switch for me ~ to say the least. What I found, was that when I had bad breath or a bad taste in my mouth, it became a sign that I needed to drink more water to flush toxins. Over time, I found that my need for these oral fixations slowly left me.

Secondly, these products are made from "junk". Plain and simple, we are trying to glean a new "clean" perspective for eating and what we put in our bodies. The chemicalized sugars in these gums and mints are the reason that our brain chemistry is askew in the first place, so why create that situation again??!! If you really need something for "bad breath" and adding extra water isn't helping ~ try sucking on a whole clove. suck on it until the "prickly" edges are soft, and then chew it! it is natural! Also, essential oils are great for this as well. Peppermint essential oil is a great breath freshener.

Thirdly, putting anything in your mouth is an indication to the body that the digestion process is beginning. If our body is constantly in a digesting mode, it takes the focus off of healing, restoring, repairing, eliminating, and regenerating. When are we, as a society, going to let our bodies do the things it was designed for?! Break the habit now, use this time to stop focusing on your mouth and let your body find a new level of normalcy.


P2 Deals of the Week!!

King Soopers
English Cucumbers $1ea
Gala and Jonathan Apples .99 lb

Albertsons
Chicken Breast $1.99 lb
Petite Sirloin Buy one get TWO FREE
93% Ground Beef $2.99 lb
Strawberries 2 for $5
Leaf Lettuce .99 ea

Sunflower
Navel Oranges .99lb
Celery .88 ea
Sweet Onions .88lb
Roma Tomatoes.88 lb
Red Grapefruit 2 for $1
Strawberries 2 for $5
Red and Yellow Onions .99 lb
Lettuce 2 for $3

Diet soda may be making you fat.

Think you're making a healthier choice when you reach for diet soda instead of a sugary soft drink? Think again.

Diet soft drinks may have minimal calories, but they can still have a major impact on your waistline, according to two studies presented at a meeting of the American Diabetes Association in San Diego.

Researchers at the Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio tracked 474 people, all 65 to 74 years old, for nearly a decade, measuring the subjects' height, weight, waist circumference, and diet soft drink intake every 3.6 years. The waists of those who drank diet soft drinks grew 70 percent more than those who avoided the artificially sweetened stuff; people who drank two or more servings a day had waist-circumference increases that were five times larger than non-diet-soda consumers.

The findings are in line with those of a 2005 study, also conducted by researchers at the Texas Health Science Center, in which the chance of becoming overweight or obese increased with every diet soda consumed.

“On average, for each diet soft drink our participants drank per day, they were 65 percent more likely to become overweight during the next seven to eight years, and 41 percent more likely to become obese,” said Sharon Fowler, who was a faculty associate in the division of clinical epidemiology in the Health Science Center’s department of medicine at the time.

But how does something with no calories cause weight gain? Turns out that even if our taste buds can't tell the difference between real and fake sugar, our brains can. Another study, also presented at the American Diabetes Association meeting on Sunday, found that after three months of eating food laced with aspartame (which is also found in many diet soft drinks), mice had higher blood sugar levels than rodents who ate regular food. According to Fowler, who worked on all three studies and is now a researcher at UT Health Science Center at San Diego, the aspartame could trigger the appetite but do nothing to satisfy it. That could interfere with your body's ability to tell when you're full—and could lead you to eat more in general.

It happens in humans, too. A 2008 study found that women who drank water sweetened with sugar and water sweetened with Splenda couldn't taste a difference, but functional MRI scans showed that their brains' reward center responded to real sugar "more completely" than it did to the artificial sweetener.

"Your senses tell you there's something sweet that you're tasting, but your brain tells you, 'actually, it's not as much of a reward as I expected,'" Dr. Martin P. Paulus, a professor of psychiatry at the University of California San Diego and one of the authors of the study, told the Huffington Post. So you chase that no-calorie soda with something more caloric, like a salty snack. The sweet taste could also trigger your body to produce insulin, which blocks your ability to burn fat.

Aside from the health problems that go along with a widening waistline, diet soft drinks have also been linked to an increase in diabetes, heart attack, and stroke. One study of more than 2,500 people found that those "who drank diet soda daily had a 61 percent increased risk of cardiovascular events compared to those who drank no soda, even when accounting for smoking, physical activity, alcohol consumption and calories consumed per day," ABC News reported in February. And a 2008 University of Minnesota study of nearly 10,000 adults ages 45 to 64 found that drinking a single can of diet soda a day led to a 34 percent higher risk of developing metabolic syndrome, a collection of health problems that includes high blood sugar, high cholesterol, and high levels of belly fat.

"Drinking a reasonable amount of diet soda a day, such as a can or two, isn't likely to hurt you," writes Katherine Zeratsky, a nutritionist at the Mayo Clinic. "The artificial sweeteners and other chemicals currently used in diet soda are safe for most people, and there's no credible evidence that these ingredients cause cancer."

"It’s hard to make a blanket statement on whether or not you should drink diet soda," Brierley Wright, M.S., R.D., the nutrition editor for EatingWell Magazine, says. "At the end of the day what I think it comes down to is how are you using diet soda—is it truly a substitute for a higher calorie beverage or is it just an excuse to order the fries with your burger or a cookie for dessert? If it’s the former, go ahead. If it’s the latter, perhaps think twice."

But no matter how the soda is sweetened, it is an empty calorie food, Wright points out. "It delivers no nutritional value whatsoever and so should only be consumed in moderation."

by Lylah M. Alphonse, Senior Editor, Manage Your Life


P2 Deasl of the Week

King Soopers
Romain and Green Lettuce $1 a bunch
Spinach $1 a bunch
Yellow Onions 3lb bag $1.88
Asparagus $2.49 lb
Chicken Breast $1.99 lb
Organic Celery $1.49
Organic Cucumber $1.49


Albertsons
Frozen Tilapia Buy One get Two FREE
Petite Sirloin Buy One get One FREE
Tomatoes on the vine $1.88 ea

Sunflower
Roma Tomatoes .88 lb
Onions .49 lb
Gala Apples .99 lb
Ruby Red Grapefruit 2 for $1
Strawberries 2 for $5
Cluster Tomatoes $1.99 lb
Organic Celery .99 ea
93% Ground Beef 40% off
Ground Chicken Breast 40% off
Chicken Breast $2.99 lb
Chicken Breast

Hunger Pangs don't always mean you are hungry!

What does appetite suppression feel like?

It is a bit different for everyone. For one person, their appetite may be non-existent.
They look at food and feel no cravepulling effect. They can move through each day and be content with the foods on the plan, and sometimes be unable to finish all of the allotted foods.

For another person, their cravings are still very intact, however, they are able to experience the smells and the memory of how food tantalized their taste-buds, yet, continue to resist the temptation to eat the food.

If adequate appetite suppression is present, the participant will resist food - period - end of statement.

If appetite suppression is not present, the individual will cheat.

"My stomach hurts!"

For some, appetite suppression requires a change of mind-set.
Our bodies know from birth how to digest food. It is an innate response to feel hunger and then eat. Feelings of thirst or hunger become present and we feed those feelings.

Here is where things get mixed up: because we eat extreme quantities, too often, our bodies have developed the habit of constant digestion. We have taught our bodies to expect large amounts of food, and to digest large quantities often! Our bodies are great at adapting. Believe me, our bodies would love to have more time to heal, regenerate, eliminate, recover, and rest, but, we just keep shoveling in the food so it has to stay focused on digestion ~ all the time!

When we create a change. However, with this eating plan, our bodies will initially react out of habit. We will experience extreme stomach grumbling, "empty pit" feeling, gnawing aches in our guts, etc. These feelings are not the same as being hungry. These feelings are simply the body responding to habit.

Remember, the HCG is allowing the body to get the calories it needs from our own fuel source. It is not "hungry". The uncomfortable feelings are the body's way of telling us that it is ready to digest ~ we just misinterpret those feelings as "hunger" when really, we are just missing the “experience” of eating. See the difference?!

Once this mind-set has been changed, adaptation into a new way of looking at food will become easy! The realization of how much energy and time has been wasted on feeding a HABITUALLY TRAINED digestion machine, will become clear.

The physiological aspects of cravings:

The body's pH plays a large roll in how quickly we release fat and inflammation.

Our bodies have stored toxins, chemicals, metals, plastics, etc., in our fat because it may not have known how to metabolize or eliminate the toxins safely. Fat cells are a safe place for our body to store toxins. While on this program, we are now asking the body to dump these toxins back into the system, and now, it HAS to deal with them. When this happens, the elements that are pushed back into the system are very acidic.

The body then has to use it's mineral sources to neutralize these acidic elements. When our minerals become depleted, our adrenal glands become stressed. When the adrenal glands get distressed, they make our body crave simple carbohydrates (sugars and starches) in an effort to regain balance. This is a defense mechanism for the body. However, as a result, we feel like we are starving!!!

So, it is important to alkalize our body (green drinks, alkalized water, mineral supplements, etc) so it doesn't have to use it's mineral stores to create balance. If we are already doing our best to introduce alkalizing elements, then our mineral reserves won't get used up and we have a better chance of staying in appetite suppression during this Phase of the diet. The way to support the adrenal glands is to supplement with Trace Minerals and B-Complex vitamins.

A depleted thyroid can play a part in excessive appetite. Some individuals would do well to seek out a natural thyroid supplement. If a participant is currently taking thyroid medication, they should seek the advice of their physician to determine the correct dosage of their medication during this time.

Yeast, can play a role in cravings as well. This program is just like being on a yeast cleanse. We are eliminating sugars and starches, which feed yeast. As the food supply for the yeast begins to dwindle, the cravings for simple sugars and starches can increase for a short period of time. If we can resist the temptation, there will be a yeast kill-off, and the cravings will subside. Adding Acidophilus or Pro-Biotics during this time could prove to be very helpful.

Hydration is one of the most important of all body requirements! Sometimes we interpret the feelings of hunger to mean that our body is in need of food, when really, it is desparately in need of water! Remember to give your body adequate water ~ half of your body weight in ounces. Example: 190 lbs = 95 oz water.

P2 Deals of the week!!

King Soopers
Roma Tomatoes .99 lb
English Cucumbers 4 for $5

Albertsons
Chicken Breast $1.99 lb
Strawberries 2 for $3
Petite Sirloins Buy one get one FREE
Frozen Tilapia $2.99 lb

Sunflower
Hot House Tomatoes .88 lb
Lettuce .88 ea
Sweet Onions .88 lb
Strawberries 2 for $5
Chicken 50% off
Organic Apples $1.88 lb
Onganic Onions .99lb

Habits That Make You Fat

Habits That Make You Fat
Eating "low-fat"

It sounds crazy, but I want you to stop buying foods marketed as low-fat or fat-free. Typically, they save you only a few calories and, in doing so, they replace harmless fats with low-performing carbohydrates that digest quickly—causing a sugar rush and immediately afterward, rebound hunger. Researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham found that meals that limited carbohydrates to 43 percent were more filling and had a milder effect on blood sugar than meals with 55 percent carbohydrates. That means you’ll store less body fat and be less likely to eat more

later.

Eating free restaurant foods
Breadsticks, biscuits, and chips and salsa may be complimentary at some restaurants, but that doesn’t mean you won’t pay for them. Every time you eat one of Olive Garden's free breadsticks or Red Lobster's Cheddar Bay Biscuits, you're adding an additional 150 calories to your meal. Eat three over the course of dinner and that's 450 calories. That's also roughly the number of calories you can expect for every basket of tortilla chips you get at your local Mexican restaurant. What's worse, none of these calories comes paired with any redeeming nutritional value. Consider them junk food on steroids.
Sleeping too little or too much according to Wake Forest researchers, dieters who sleep five hours or less put on 2½ times more belly fat, while those who sleep more than eight hours pack on only slightly less than that. Shoot for an average of six to seven hours of sleep per night—the optimal amount for weight control.

Facing the buffet
Cornell researchers found that when eating at a buffet-style restaurant, obese diners were 15 percent more likely to choose seats with a clear view of the food. Your move: Choose a seat that places your back toward the spread. It will help you avoid fixating on the food. Drinking soda—even diet! The average American guzzles nearly a full gallon of soda every week. Why is that so bad? Because a 2005 study found that drinking one to two sodas per day increases your chances of being overweight or obese by nearly 33 percent. And diet soda is no better. When researchers in San Antonio tracked a group of elderly subjects for nearly a decade, they found that compared to nondrinkers, those who drank two or more diet sodas a day watched their waistlines increase five times faster. The researchers theorize that the artificial sweeteners trigger appetite cues, causing you to unconsciously eat more at subsequent meals.

Putting serving dishes on the table
Resist setting out foods buffet- or family-style, and opt instead to serve them from the kitchen. A study in the journal Obesity found that when food is served from the dinner table, people consume 35 percent more over the course of the meal. When an additional helping requires leaving the table, people hesitate to go back for more.

Watching too much TV
A University of Vermont study found that overweight participants who reduced their TV time by just 50 percent burned an additional 119 calories a day on average. That’s an automatic 12-pound annual loss! Maximize those results by multitasking while you watch—even light household tasks will further bump up your caloric burn. Plus, if your hands are occupied with dishes or laundry, you’ll be less likely to mindlessly snack—the other main occupational hazard associated with tube time.

Eating too late
Your body can burn flab while you sleep, but only if it isn't too busy processing a full stomach. A new study in the journal Obesity looked at the sleeping and eating habits of 52 people over seven days, and it found that those who ate after 8 p.m. took in the most daily calories and had the highest BMIs.

Not drinking enough water
Adequate water intake is essential for all your body’s functions, and the more you drink, the better your chances of staying thin. In one University of Utah study, dieting participants who were instructed to drink two cups of water before each meal lost 30 percent more weight than their thirsty peers. And you can magnify the effect by adding ice. German researchers found that six cups of cold water a day could prompt a metabolic boost that incinerates 50 daily calories. That’s enough to shed five pounds a year!

Eating too quickly
If your body has one major flaw, this is it: It takes 20 minutes for your stomach to tell your brain that it’s had enough. A study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that slow eaters took in 66 fewer calories per meal, but compared to their fast-eating peers, they felt like they had
eaten more. What’s 66 calories, you ask? If you can do that at every meal, you’ll lose more than 20 pounds a year!

Eating when emotional
A study from the University of Alabama found that emotional eaters were 13 times more likely to be overweight or obese. If you feel the urge to eat in response to stress, try chewing a piece of gum, chugging a glass of water, or taking a walk around the block. Create an automatic response that doesn't involve food and you'll prevent yourself from overloading on calories.

Skipping meals
In a 2011 national survey from the Calorie Control Council, 17 percent of Americans admitted to skipping meals to lose weight. The problem is, skipping meals actually increases your odds of obesity. A study from the American journal of Epidemiology found that people who cut out the morning meal were 4.5 times more likely to be obese. Why? Skipping meals slows your metabolism and boosts your hunger. That puts your body in prime fat-storage mode and increases your odds of overeating at the next meal.

P2 Deals of the week

King Soopers
Asparagus $2.99 lb

Albertsons
Chicken Breast $2.49
Petite Sirloin Buy one get one FREE
Tomatoe on the vine 2 for $5

Sunflower
Romas .88 lb
Onions .49 lb
Romaine Lettuce .98 ea
Gala, Gold and Granny Smith Apples $1.88 lb
93% Lean Ground Beef $3.99 lb
Organic Celery .99 ea
Chicken Tenders $2.99 lb

Tips for Healthy grocery shopping...

• If it’s bagged or boxed, don’t buy it. Odds are, if the food comes in a bag or a box, it’s been processed and contains chemicals and preservatives that could add to your body’s toxic load.
• Shop the perimeter of the store. The healthiest foods — fresh produce, meats, and dairy — are often located in the outer aisles, while the interior of the store — or Fake Food Land, as I like to call it — is stocked with the processed foods that will add to both your toxic load and your waist line.
• Check the labels. If it contains something long and unpronounceable, put it down. If you can’t read it and say it, you probably don’t want to eat it. (There are exceptions to this rule, since some healthy ingredients have long unrecognizable names. Use the Ingredients to Avoid list in my Food Reference Guide to help you navigate.)
• Look for clean foods. Organic produce, grass-fed beef and lamb, organic chicken, wild-caught seafood and natural pork all limit your exposure to toxins.
• Avoid refined carbohydrates. White flour, white rice, corn and most sweeteners are Insulin Triggers that can cause your body to store all the calories you eat as fat — and make it hard for you to burn your stored fat as energy. Look for whole grain breads and pastas to help avoid the insulin rush.
• Choose the best beverages. Water is the best and healthiest drink, but decaffeinated teas and Swiss Water decaffeinated coffees are also good choices. Avoid sodas, whether regular or diet — the regular kind are loaded with sugar and trigger an insulin surge, and the diet ones are full of chemicals and toxins you want to avoid.

• If you can’t afford organic, free–range meats, opt for natural poultry, pork, and beef that’s raised without antibiotics or hormones. These are always the better choices, and they will contribute to your daily health and nutritional requirements.

Organic or not???

• If you can’t afford organic produce, try growing a garden in your yard or participating in a community farm where everyone is allowed to grow produce on a small parcel of land approved by the city. Not only will you develop a self–sustaining system for beautiful, inexpensive, flavorful fruits and vegetables, but you’ll reap all the calming, rewarding benefits of gardening. Plus, you’ll see how fun it is to cook seasonally!

• If you can’t afford organic food and are unable to grow your own, it’s crucial to wash all inorganic produce very carefully to minimize the toxins you consume. Soak everything for 20 minutes in water with vinegar and salt or water with fresh lemon juice and salt. You can also purchase a good chemical7ndash;free vegetable wash.

• Some fruits and vegetables are higher in toxins than others. Therefore, if you can’t go organic, try to avoid: grapes*, apples*, lettuce, bell peppers, carrots, nectarines, peaches, strawberries, pears, kale, and celery. On the other hand, produce that is lowest in pesticides includes: broccoli, bananas, avocados, cabbage, watermelon, sweet peas, sweet corn, papayas, mangoes, pineapples, onions, shallots, kiwis, and asparagus.

P2 Deals of the week!!

King Soopers
Organic Yellow Onions .79 lb
Organic Celery $1.49 a bunch
Organic Cucumbers $1.49 lb

Albertsons
Chicken Breast $1.99 lb
Petite Sirloin Steaks Buy one get one FREE
Tomatoes on the Vine 2 for $5

Sunflower
Sweet Onions .98lb
Cabbage 2 for $1
Red and Green Leaf Lettuce 98. ea
Strawberries 2 for $5
Super Select Cucumbers 2 for $1
Chicken Breast $1.99 lb
Tilapia Fillets $4.99 lb
Organic Red and Yellow Onions .99 lb

Safeway
Gala Apples $1.69 lb
Naval Oranges $1.49 lb
Yellow Onions $1.29 lb