Sticking with – Week 2

 

 

This week you will make juicing and exercise to your new habit. Wow, you are doing extremely! Keep up the water and multi V’s and add juicing and exercise to this week’s assignment.

Once a day, either as the mid-morning snack or mid-afternoon snack, incorporate the juice. Best option is a carrot apple juice (2 carrots and 1 apple). Carrot and apple is enjoyable for people who just start out. These fruits and vegetables are sweet and loved by many.

Don’t worry; I’m not going to make you drink a cucumber/celery with herbs, although it would be a refreshing cleanser! For a variety of juice recipes and produce recipes, visit my website at www.monikabaechler.com

Next step is the exercise. You need to get moving! You have to start somewhere. If it’s not too cold, you can get out with the kids and play! Start walking or jogging, it can be anything you’re comfortable with.

 

Just get up and move!

If you aren’t ready to go outside or make an appearance at the gym, exercise at home. Everybody has workout- tapes or DVDs at home. Judging by my own experience, you probably have more than 3-5 DVDs stashed away somewhere.  Dig out those DVDs and exercise at least 3 times a week. This is all you have to do this week.

 

Everybody can do this.

You can do this.

One day – one step at a time.

One Juice at a time.

As your body cleanses, a sense of power and exuberance will come over you. Every morning will feel like a healthier and more energized than the day before.

If you missed week one:

Week One

Until next Monday, Week 3!

Have a fantastic week and keep up the good work

Monika Baechler

Sticking with it in 2011 – Week 1

Introduction:

You will learn how to eliminate:

• sugar, fast food and candy
• breads, pastries, cakes
• TV and PC after 10pm
• eating after 8pm
• your coffee/caffeine habits

And you will also learn, how to add these important habits/supplements to your daily/weekly routine:

• weight training at least once a week
• take multi V’s
• take green food supplement
• take enzyme supplement
• 5 meals minimum (three main meals and two little snacks)
• more water intake
• juicing at least once a day
• incorporate cardio (cardiovascular exercise)

I know how this can seem like a lot to master, but if you take it one week at the time it’s going to be manageable.

The most important thing is not to be overwhelmed by the task at hand. Compare it with a scale – realizing that you have some 40 pounds to lose at once would terrify anybody! Isn’t that true? How many times did you put resolutions off, thinking that the task at hand is simply too overwhelming?

I’m going to break it down in manageable weekly tasks, which makes this plan “procrastination-proof”.

Every week you will learn a new habit and by the time you completed this easy to follow 8-week program, you will have developed healthy, skinny-jeans habits. Or wash board abs if you’re a guy.

Week 1 – Add More Water and Multi Vitamins

This week you will learn to program your system to accept more water and you will start taking multi V’s – Multi Vitamins. How much to drink and when is always the big question. Have a bottle of water at hand at every given time. I have multiple water bottles ready in almost every room in the house. You will find a bottle in the kitchen, one in the bedroom one in the office and for sure, you will find one in my car and bag.

Just after getting out of bed, drink a big glass of water. Room temperature is best. Try it with some fresh lemon juice. The lemon juice starts to alkalize your body and makes your bowels move.

Never drink with your meals because the water will dilute stomach juices and inhibit proper digestion. Enjoy a glass of water 30 minutes before your meal or 30 minutes after your meal. Drinking between meals and snacks is highly encouraged.

Hydrate also at work, leave the bottle as close to you as possible. Leave it by your phone and every time you check your emails or pings, drink some water.

until next week, keep up the great work!

How to Raise a Healthy Child (page 2)

How can I make sure my child drinks enough?

The amount of water we need depends on our body size, physical activity and the weather. Most men and women need about 8-12 cups of water per day. Children need less because they are smaller.

Children’s water requirements vary with age. Recommendations from the US National

Academies Food and Nutrition Board suggest that: (2)

• 1-3 year olds should drink 0.9 liters per day (4 cups)
• 4-8 year olds should drink 1.2 liters per day (5 cups) and
• 9-13 year old girls should drink 1.6 liters per day (6.5 cups), and boys should drink 1.8 liters per day (7.5 cups)
• 14-18 year old girls should drink 1.8 liters per day (7.5 cups), and boys should drink 2.6 liters per day (11 cups)

Water intake should be higher in warm weather or when the child is exercising. A good way to make sure they drink enough is measure out the water they should drink a day and label the water bottles with their names. As soon as they get up in the morning you should offer them water, room temperature with some lemon. Lemon water in the morning stimulates the cleansing process.

How sugar can impair your child’s defenses against infectious disease.

In Dr. Mercola’s article “This Addictive Commonly Used Food Feeds Cancer Cells, Triggers Weight Gain, and Promotes Premature Aging” he says that, in addition to limiting your intake of fructose, you should eliminate all sweetened beverages and fruit juices (including all artificial sweeteners) and drink only pure water. (3)

It’s not that high fructose corn syrup is bad for you, but it’s the huge amounts of HFCS that makes it dangerous and overwhelmingly toxic to our bodies. You can find HFCS in all kinds of products. The worst products are sodas/pops. These days high fructose corn syrup is in bread, candy, crackers, soups and juices.

Nancy Appleton, PhD, author of the book “Lick the Sugar Habit”, contributed an extensive list of the many ways sugar can ruin your health from a vast number of medical journals and other scientific publications. (4)

Just to name a few:

• Sugar can suppress your immune system and impair your defenses against infectious disease (4)
• Sugar can cause a rapid rise of adrenaline, hyperactivity, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and crankiness in children (4)
• Sugar contributes to obesity (4)
• Sugar can damage the pancreas (4)
• Sugar can cause headaches, including migraines (4)

What is the difference between simple sugars and starches?

Carbohydrates are the body’s most important and readily available source of energy. Even though they’ve gotten a bad rap in the 2000s and are often blamed for the obesity epidemic in America, carbs are a necessary and important part of a healthy diet for both kids and adults.

The two major forms of sugar are:

• simple sugars (simple carbohydrates), such as fructose (from fruit), glucose, and lactose (milk sugar), and also found in nutritious whole fruits
• starches (complex carbohydrates), found in foods such as starchy vegetables (potatoes, corn, beets, carrots and peas), grains (brown rice, millet, quinoa), and breads (whole grain bread)

Where do the healthy carbohydrates come from?

You probably ask yourself, how do I know which one is a good carb and which one is bad. It’s really quite simple. All carbohydrate sources coming from a whole food like fruits, vegetables and whole grains are good for you and your children. Bad carbohydrate coming from sugar, white flour and all processed foods are bad for you and should be limited to small treats once in a while. For more on the worst foods possible, check out my video “The Worst Foods Possible”

There is no need for counting carbohydrate or sugars in whole foods. Whole foods are fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, seeds and meats in its whole – meaning unprocessed. If it’s grown like that, it’s a whole food.

How can dairy harm my child?

To quote Prof. Gary Null “In all respiratory conditions, mucous-forming dairy foods, such as milk and cheese, can exacerbate clogging of the lungs and should be avoided,” writes Professor Gary Null in his Complete Encyclopedia of Natural Healing. It’s quite simple really, when more mucus accumulates in the lungs than can be expelled, inflammation results and asthma attack develops. Many children who suffered from asthma have recovered from frequent attacks just by eliminating dairy from their diet.

Dairy is also linked to lowered immunsysteme, which invites more infectious disease, colds and ear infections.

How living food can save your children from disease.

According to “Enzymes: The Fountain of Life”, by D.A. Lopez. They are a measure of our life and immunity. “The immune system depends heavily on enzymes to conduct its protective functions. When enzyme activity stops, life stops and the person or organism dies!” In other words, enzymes are our supply of the vital energy of life. (6)

Many nutritional studies have shown that a regular diet of cooked, microwaved or canned foods causes the development of chronic degenerative diseases and premature aging followed by early death. How is this possible? Cooking food destroys the important plant enzymes.

They are more heat-sensitive than vitamins and are the first to be destroyed during cooking. They are destroyed by being heated above 118 degrees Fahrenheit and are deactivated or destroyed by pasteurizing, canning, and microwaving. (6)

This means that you need to feed your children’s body more raw fruits and vegetables. The easiest way to do this are raw juices and smoothies. Smoothies should be made fresh and not store bought. Fresh smoothies are mode with some kind of raw liquid like fresh raw fruit juice or almond milk, fresh fruit with a handful of spinach, and maybe some raw honey. Start you child’s day with a full glass of vital energy so they can be productive in school. More about enzymes

How can I be a positive role model to my kids?

No matter how old your children are or what their level of fitness is, remember that he or she looks to you for guidance and needs your support and encouragement. Also it’s important to be a great role model, so don’t make negative remarks about your own exercise or weight, and look for chances to be physically active as a family.

It’s also important to teach your child proper eating habits with a whole food diet and home cooked meals without overcrowding the day with treats.

Some fun autumn activities you can try with your own family are:

• hiking
• collect colorful autumn leaves
• walk trough the forest, explore
• visit farms and learn about fall vegetables
• fly a kit
• go to an indoor pool (ask around for a non-chlorinated pool)

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How to Raise a Healthy Child

“The percentage of overweight children in the United States is growing at an alarming rate, with 1 out of 3 kids now considered overweight or obese.”

Are your children hooked on electronics?

Hours and hours of video games, on the phone with friends, on the computer chatting with friends and too much junk food can lead to overweight children and later overweight adults. You already knew this and it’s no wonder with all the “excess” in this world today.

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, the average child is watching about 3 hours of television a day. And the average kid spends 5½ hours on all screen media combined (TV, videos and DVDs, computer time outside of schoolwork, and video games). (1)

The combination of to much excess and not enough of the healthy components can leave your child lethargic, depressed and unhappy. What follows is craving more of the bad stuff like TV, candy, fast food, and more junk.

How can I get my kids to exercise?

Don’t refer to exercise as exercise. Just ask them if they want to go play outside or ride their bike. Children love to play and run. They don’t know that playing tag and soccer is exercise. Well, not consciously anyway.

Adults usually think of exercise as something negative, a chore, something like a never ending treadmill session. For children, exercise is fun. Remember your school recess? Running after others, being chased by your friends, ( hopefully they were playing a game of tag!), skipping rope and so forth. Remember how much fun you had climbing trees and spending hours outside with classmates monkeying around on play structures?

How important is outside play to children?

You as a parent can provide the happy childhood you had to your children, by replacing the negative habits with positive ones.

Let them play almost everyday outside, even if there is a chill in the air or it’s rainy. I understand how that might not seem like fun to you, but hear me out. Children love to play in wet leaves, in puddles and on forest trails. Why not, how much harm can they get into if it’s a little wet outside. Put them in warm clothing, a pair of rain boots and a hat. Fresh air detoxifies the lungs and body and can clear your mind.

Exercise doesn’t only control obesity, exercise helps them:

• develop stronger muscles and bones (1)
• have a leaner body because exercise helps control body fat (1)
• decrease the risk of developing type 2 diabetes dramatically (1)
• possibly lower blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels (1)
• fell positive about themselves (1)
• fit in better with their peers (1)

How to spot dehydration symptoms in my child?

The human body is about 60% water. It is necessary for our health and well-being. Water is part of our cells, blood, digestion, and waste elimination. Water also controls cravings. We can’t live more than a few days without water – water is life.

Too little water can lead to dehydration and the following symptoms:

• Fatigue
• Headache
• Dry mouth
• Dry and itchy eyes
• Muscle weakness
• Dizziness
• Lightheadedness
• Lack of concentration
• Overeating

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What Everybody Ought to Know About Nordic Walking

The History of Nordic Walking

The use of the walking poles is as old as Methuselah.  Why people started to use them is unknown. Was it because as human beings aged they developed rounded shoulders and sunken chest and became afraid of falling over, so needed an extra support when walking?

Fact is, that in prehistoric times, sheppards and pilgrims used one or two sticks to make it easier to walk on uneven surfaces. Unloading the joints and extra stability were some of the early benefits of walking with sticks. On long treks, walks in the mountains or hills, the walking pole found its rightful place in walking.

Another forerunner of Nordic Walking was the use of the poles in the training methods of the cross country skiers in summer time. This application of training is written in literature as ‘pole training’ and has been used since the beginning of the 20th century.  After the fall of the iron curtain in Germany, trainers from the west compared their training methods to those of the Eastern bloc and it revealed that the Eastern bloc trainers had also been using this training method for several years. Their training with poles in summer was important in order not to lose coordination and muscle power of the arms and trunk over the summer.

Nordic Walking is one of the fastest growing recreational fitness sports in the world and has its roots in the early 1930s in Finland as an off season training method of the competitive crosscountry skiers. Development of Nordic Walking in its present form as a recreational physical activity for all started in early 1980 in Finland, and in 1997 the first official Nordic Walker poles were introduced to the public by one of the world’s largest pole manufacturers, Exel plc. The estimated population of Nordic Walkers at the end of the year 2007 was over 7 million.

Nordic Walking for Fitness and Cardio

Nordic Walking is fitness walking with specially designed Nordic Walking poles to engage the upper body during walking. It offers a very efficient, aerobic and easy way to improve your physical condition irrespective of age, sex or physical condition.

Nordic Walking can be up to 46% more efficient than regular walking (Cooper Institute Research 2000) depending on the intensity of the exercise.

The science behind Nordic Walking

There is a lot of scientific evidence about the benefits of Nordic Walking. INWA collects worldwide research concerning Nordic Walking and also consults actively with scientists, institutions and universities about new research projects. If you are interested in Nordic Walking studies or you are planning Nordic Walking related research project, please contact the INWA office.

General benefits of Nordic Walking are:

• Heart rate is higher than in regular walking (at the same speed) and calorie burn is increased
• Energy consumption increases when using poles by an average of approximately 20% compared with ordinary walking
• Reduces muscle tension and pain in the neck and shoulder region
• The mobility of the neck and spine may increase
• The muscles most actively involved are the forearm extensor and flexor muscles the rear part of the shoulder muscles, the large pectoral muscles and the broad back muscles.
• Does not aggravate joint and knee problems; may reduce load on knees
• Can improve cardiorespiratory fitness and improve muscular endurance
• Poles are a safety factor on slippery surfaces
• Is a fun and safe activity

As of 2009,  approximately 8 – 10 Million people do Nordic Walking on a weekly basis.

Ref: International Nordic Walking Federation, Founded in Finland 2000

ANWA, American Nordic Walking Association

Who Else Wants a Fit and Healthy Body?

“You take a small pill, one a day, and all your weight issues are gone. All you have to do is not to forget to take the pill. It’s very easy, just continue to eat what you want and sit around all day and not move your butt. We promise, in 30 days you will have lost 20 lbs or more.”

That sounds like the absolute best thing in the whole world. Healthy and slim by eating what you want and not having to move at all.

Slap…Wake up!

This dream you have set up so nicely in your head is not going to happen – EVER!

• Your body is not made to eat crap and junk.
• It’s not made to do “nothing”!
• Not made to sit in the same spot all day long!

Your body is a very precise engine that needs tuning and fuel and maintenance as well as tender loving care.

• Listen, are you just waiting around until somebody comes up with the newest and latest in weight loss drug?
• Are you waiting for the most technological weight loss machine on the planet?
• A weight loss machine, where you get hooked up and sit on the couch and lose inches?

Don’t wait any longer. There is no magic weight loss pill and for sure no magical machine that is going to help you lose weight without “sweat-equity”! I just saved you hundreds of dollars and years of yo-yo dieting.

Do you want to hear the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?

• In order to lose body fat you have to eat whole foods and exercise!

There it is, this is the real plan to lose weight. I know it’s nothing new but people are always willing to spend hundreds of dollars every month to lose weight fast. Every time a new bottle of magic pill hits the weight loss market people just give up their hard earned money and buy into it. Most of the testimonials are fake or bought from other companies that actually had results with exercise and diet! Don’t be fooled by these people and companies. People who do lose weight do it with nutritional changes and adding exercise to their daily program. Sometimes they do supplement with weight loss aids to keep hunger down and energy up, I get that, but the real outcome is because they added exercise and changed their eating habits.

You don’t need any manufactured products or Over-the-Counter Drugs to lose weight!

Do this:

1. Clean, Healthy, and home cooked whole foods (80% of your success)
2. Exercise three times a week – maximum five times (20% of your success)
3. Socialize with like minded people!
4. cut out people who criticize you for who you are or for who you want to be!

I sure hope, I helped to open your eyes about weight loss pills and diets in general. It took me year and lots of money to finally give up my hope for a magic-pill and to realize that I had to hop onto the nutrition and exercise train.

After years of riding the nutrition – exercise express, I have arrived at pit stop “Health”, and I’m well on my way to destination “Lean and Fit “

Stay Healthy!

Monika Baechler