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The BIG secret to getting fit

Sure, you do your best to eat healthy and live a fit and active lifestyle, but you’re still not satisfied with your body. Day after day of eating salads and hitting the gym and your body isn’t changing.

It’s frustrating.

And yet there are people, whom you know personally, with phenomenal bodies and very little body fat. What are they doing differently than you? You work out and eat healthy too! Why doesn’t your body look like theirs?

What’s the big secret that they know about losing fat, getting lean, and looking amazing?

The answer is as simple as it is difficult: Avoid Sugar.

While you do your best to eat healthy, do you know how much sugar you are actually consuming everyday? The answer will surprise you.

The average American consumes over 80 grams of sugar everyday, an amount that’s easily three times more than is safe and healthful. How much sugar do you eat? Write down the sugar count on everything you eat for the next few days and then find your average sugar gram intake. Now work on slashing this number.

Part of the problem is that food items are often sneaky about how much sugar is really hiding within. Deceiving messages on the packaging imply that the contents are beneficial, causing us to ignore the high sugar content. In the end whatever supposed benefits being advertised are overshadowed by the negative effect of the sugar.

What’s the big deal about taking in a lot of sugar? Well, you won’t achieve a lean body while consuming a lot of sugar. So if you choose to indulge in sugar then forget about strutting your stuff on the beach this year.

Aesthetics aside, a high sugar intake is detrimental to your health as it causes your cells and organs to become acidic and a breeding ground for disease.

Going back to that guy or gal that you know who is perpetually lean…you can bet that their diet is extremely low in sugar. A low sugar diet is the key to keeping lean and it’s not had by simply avoiding the high sugar items, like candy and cake, it’s had by avoiding items with even low amounts of added sugars.

Take the next week to cut out all added sugars from your diet. Check in with your weight and your energy levels at the end of seven days and note any difference. You’ll be pleasantly surprised how quickly you’ll see results in both your weight and energy levels by making this simple, conscious move to avoid sugar.

Diet is only half of the equation when it comes to having a sexy, fit body. Exercise is the other half of the coin, and that’s where I come in.

Call or email me today to get started on an exercise program that’s designed to transform your body once and for all!

We love smashing stereotypes, especially those that are harmful and keep people from enjoying themselves as much as possible.

Like all the countless myths about why you shouldn’t exercise, especially if you’re over a certain age.

So, we’ve been delighted to see an 81-year-old German grandmother become an international sensation with her exercise enthusiasm.

Erika Rischko calls herself a “fitness junkie,” but she only got started in her 50s, after her kids grew up and left the house. Now, she’s been featured on the USA TV show “Good Morning America” and is racking up thousands of followers and millions of “likes” on TikTok, a new social media platform that definitely skews a lot younger. She’s also big on Instagram.

She started working out because she was lonely as an empty nester. She didn’t even start like it much for a few years, but she kept at it. Now she’s hooked, working out twice a day sometimes and always looking to try something new.

But even Erika stresses that you don’t have to go to her extremes.

“There is no need to,” she says. “And start slowly. Just eat healthily, but do not chastise yourself. Find a sports activity that you enjoy because if you do not enjoy it you will not last," she told GMA. "And if you are not as disciplined as I am, find a workout partner as it is not that easy to cancel on somebody."

Good advice, Erika!

Get Rid of Your Cough with TCM

Different Coughs Need Different Formulas

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) approaches the treatment of coughs differently than Western medicine. In Western medicine, a doctor will usually try to determine if a cough has “settled” in the lungs or not and then prescribes medication based on this diagnosis. You yourself have probably been to the doctor’s office with a stubborn cough and been told to breathe deeply while the doctor listens to your lungs through his or her stethoscope. Compare this to the approach taken by TCM. A TCM practitioner has been trained to identify many types of coughs. He or she may try to determine if your cough is due to “heat.” If so, this cough predictably produces sticky phlegm that is difficult to clear. A typical TCM treatment would be to treat this cough with cooling, moistening herbs, and acupuncture points that clear heat from the lungs. Now, let’s say you have a cough due to catching a cold (as so often happens here in North America in the winter months). What would a TCM practitioner prescribe in this situation? It’s likely that your cough would be diagnosed as the kind that’s accompanied by chills and lots of mucus. You would, therefore, be treated with warming, drying herbs along with the application of moxibustion. Let’s look at this process of identifying individual coughs and matching them to a specific treatment in a little more depth.

Qing Qi Hua Tan Wan for a Hot Phlegm Cough

When you have a hot cough, phlegm can become thick and sticky due to heat and accumulate where it shouldn’t. This is the sort of cough that has a loud, sharp, barking sound. It can be difficult to clear the phlegm in your lungs and throat. The color of phlegm is usually dark, sometimes changing from yellow to brown to dark green. TCM opts for treating this type of cough with aggression, as the mucus trapped in your lungs has become infected. Any infected mucus that lies around for too long is going to attract more harmful bacteria. Herbs that can moisten the lungs will be given to help rid the lungs of this bacteria-causing mucus. One formula for the treatment of this type of cough is Qing Qi Hua Tan Wan. Along with this formula, pay attention to the foods that you eat. Try to avoid eating cold foods, dairy, and cookies and other deserts with lots of refined sugar. All of these foods create extra mucus.

Er Chen Tang for a Cold Phlegm Cough

For a cold cough where you have persistent bouts of coughing and lots of clear or white phlegm, try this formula: Er Chen Tang. This herbal formula can help clear mucus that settles in the nose and lungs after a night’s sleep. With this type of cold, you’ll likely have one or more of the following symptoms that accompany your cough: tightness in the chest, nausea, loss of appetite,tiredness, and an overall feeling of “heaviness.” Er Chen Tang is used to clear your lungs and strengthen your digestive system. This is because, in TCM, too much mucus production is related to an imbalance in spleen qi. As for diet, try taking lots of hot foods in the form of soups (preferably with low sodium and lots of vegetables) and teas—particularly ginger tea. Remember to keep warm with socks and slippers, sweaters, and extra blankets at night.

Treat a Dry Cough with Sang Xing Tang

Sometimes, dry air or allergies can trigger a lingering dry cough. When this happens, lack of moisture in the air can make the back of your throat tickle, cause your lips and mouth to dry out, and cause headaches. This type of cough often plagues those who live in climates where the temperature dips below freezing in the winter. Long months spent indoors with heating systems combined with being outside in the cold, dry air can create an environment where humidity is completely lacking. In TCM, a dry cough is treated by adding moisture to the lungs. For the best diet, opt for lots of liquids and foods that are high in moisture. Once the cough is gone, it could be beneficial to supplement with American ginseng for two weeks to strengthen both the yin and qi of the lungs. This should help prevent any further attacks of coughing.

All-Purpose Cough Formula: Citrus Grandis Tomentosa

If you find it difficult to locate the herbs mentioned above, here’s one that may be a little easier to find: Citrus grandis tomentosa. This is a common Chinese medicine that is often used in the treatment of coughs. Researchers have been able to determine that Citrus grandis contains a special flavonoid called “melitidin.” Melitidin was found, in an animal trial, to reduce coughing symptoms. Incidentally, this herbal formula may also be of benefit when it comes to losing a little weight. When rats were fed a high-fat diet, circulatory levels of a substance called “GLP-1” were significantly decreased. GLP-1 helps decrease food intake by increasing feelings of satiety in the brain. In comparison, rats that were fed the high-fat diet along with a Citrus grandis extract showed increased levels of GLP-1. Citrus grandis also improved cholesterol and glucose levels in the obese rats.

Most Coughs Shouldn’t Last Longer Than a Week

If you have taken a TCM formula to treat your cold and have committed yourself to getting rest and eating the proper diet, you should start to feel better within a week. Without a healthy diet and lots of rest, your immune system can remain compromised despite taking TCM formulas that would normally be effective. However, in some cases, coughs can be stubborn despite following all of the protocols for TCM treatment. When this happens, don’t despair. Acupuncture could benefit a stubborn cough. In TCM, an acupuncture needle placed on the conception vessel meridian (located above the sternum) is thought to assist in calming a cough and helping make breathing easier.

Protein-Style Texas Sheet Cake

Here’s THE CAKE to make when you are bringing dessert to a picnic or potluck! It tastes so close to a traditional cake that the nutrition will blow your mind. Most notably, there is zero sugar in this delicious, sweet cake! There’s also 4 grams of fiber, 6 grams of protein and zero gluten. Enjoy!

Courtesy of RealHealthyRecipes.com

What you need
Servings: 35

1 cup oat flour
3 scoops Chocolate Whey Protein
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon sea salt
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
¼ cup Plain Greek Yogurt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 (9oz) bag Lily’s stevia-sweetened chocolate chip
¾ cup coconut oil
¾ cup water
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ cup Butter or coconut oil

For the Icing

½ cup Butter or coconut oil
½ cup almond milk
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon honey
2 cups Swerve Confectioners Style
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup Raw Pecans, chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and position the oven rack to the middle position. Grease an 18x13-inch rimmed baking sheet. In a mixing bowl combine the oat flour, protein powder, baking soda and salt. In another mixing bowl combine the eggs, yolks, yogurt and vanilla and mix until smooth.

2. In a small pot melt the chocolate chips, coconut oil, water, cocoa powder and butter over low heat. Mix the melted chocolate mixture into the flour mixture until fully combined. Mix the egg-yogurt mixture into the batter until fully combined. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes.

3. For the Icing: While the cake bakes, melt the butter, almond milk, cocoa powder and honey over low heat. Mix until smooth. Off heat, mix in the confectioner's Swerve and vanilla extract until smooth. Spread warm icing evenly over the hot cake and sprinkle with the chopped pecans. Let the cake cool completely on a wire rack for about an hour, then move into the fridge to chill for an hour, until the icing is set. Cut into 35 squares, serve and enjoy!

Nutrition
One serving equals: 165 calories, 13g fat, 16g carbohydrate, 4g fiber, 0g sugar and 6g protein.