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The Surprising Truth About Calories & Weight Loss

3/1/2015

Hot on the heels of last week's "shocking" announcement about cholesterol comes another long-overdue gem of health insight - this time from the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

A recent article in the Journal announced that it is possible to get fatter without eating more, and conversely, that it is also possible to lose weight without eating less. (And no, this is not factoring in exercise.)

This flies in the face of approximately 100 years of mainstream advice on obesity and weight gain, which has only considered amount of calories consumed versus calories burned. In truth, like most things about health, the reality is much more complex than that!

In fact, weight gain (and loss) has a lot more to do with the type of calories consumed, and their effect on blood sugar, than you may have guessed. So how does this work? Let me explain....

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It's Official: Government To Declare Cholesterol Okay

2/22/2015

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The timing seems a bit fishy, coming right on the heels of our recent post about eggs.... Is the government reading our blog and stealing my ideas?? LOL! But yes indeed, apparently the U.S. government is revising dietary guidelines to say that eating cholesterol is actually okay, according to last week's article in the Washington Post.

This comes after 40+ years of cholesterol being the beloved villain of the media, doctors, and government warnings, but apparently, according to the co-chair of the task force arranged by the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association in 2013 to look at dietary cholesterol studies, “Looking back at the literature, we just couldn’t see the kind of science that would support dietary restrictions."

Really??

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Is Your Job Killing You?

2/15/2015

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No, I'm not talking about how much you hate your boss, or how much your job stresses you out. I'm also not talking about those who have obviously dangerous jobs and are exposed to large amounts of chemicals during a regular workday. What I'm talking about is something much more insidious, as it is only just beginning to be recognized as dangerous to your health.

I'm talking about sitting at a desk all day.

If you're anything like me, you are in front of a computer for 8+ hours on a regular work day. While a few offices have recently enacted standing or walking desks for their employees, they are by far the minority. And most people, after sitting at a desk all day, then come home and sit in front of the TV for several hours.

You may think the only harm this is doing to you is an aching back and a stiff neck, but researchers are finding this isn't the case. In fact, sitting for long periods of time - as so many of us do in today's modern world - is linked to all kinds of diseases and health problems. There's even a popular new term being used to describe this phenomenon; it's called "sitting disease."

If you're one of those people who has a desk job, you are at high risk for sitting disease. Read on to find out why this is so bad for your health, and what you can do about it....

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Why Eggs Are Better For You Than You Think...

1/25/2015

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A common New Year's Resolution is to eat healthier, but of course this often doesn't last long, as over the years, we seem to have developed a warped sense of what is actually "healthy" when it comes to food, and what we think of as "healthy" often doesn't taste all that great. After all, who wants to eat "low-fat" (i.e. low-flavor) foods all the time? The good news is, truly healthy food tastes awesome! So you can actually eat well, and enjoy your food! But first you have to learn how to tell what healthy food really is - which is one of the reasons I started this blog in the first place.

A great example - and one I will explain in more detail today - is the oft-vilified egg. I have defended eggs on many occasions, but I haven't written about them in a while, and I thought it would be a good topic to revisit, with all the talk of healthy eating going around at the start of the new year.

So just why did eggs get such a bad rap? And what is the real deal with cholesterol? Read on to find out the truth about eggs - and what they actually do for your health....

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A Free Gift for 2015 - Avoid These 5 Detox Scams

1/11/2015

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Many people start off the New Year with resolutions to improve their health. Exercise is a common goal, but so is cleansing/detoxing and losing weight. A healthy, safe detoxification program can be a great way to improve your health this year - but you've got to make sure you're choosing the right one. A lot of the so-called "detox" programs out there are at best ineffective, and at worst, actually harmful to your health.

Many of our readers often ask how to find detoxification programs that are actually safe and healthy, so this week, to kick off 2015 on a healthy foot, we're offering all of our readers and subscribers a FREE e-book on how to avoid these scams, and choose a detox program that is actually safe and works naturally with your body to eliminate toxins and improve your overall health. Read on to find out how you can grab your free copy.

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This New Year, I Resolve To...

1/4/2015

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Well, here we are in January already - the New Year has begun! What are your goals for this year? Do you set New Year's Resolutions, or go by some other formula to set out your annual plan?

Personally, I prefer goals to "resolutions" - perhaps because, as I was reading in an article earlier this week, resolutions usually seem rather vague, which is probably why so many fail to keep them. I find the more specific a goal is, the better chance I have of accomplishing it. So I've been hard at work over the past few weeks, designing plans for my 2015 - and will continue to do so for the next several weeks as I get things in order.

I thought I'd share a few of my goals with you in today's post, as well as some tips for successfully setting (and keeping) your own goals for the year....

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3 Tips for Healthy & Happy Eating This Holiday Season

12/21/2014

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'Tis the season for holiday feasting, and visions of this week's Christmas dinner may be already dancing in your head. Unfortunately, for many people, along with the visions most likely comes the guilt. After all, we all "know" that this is the time of year when it is hardest to stick to our most well-intentioned goals for health and fitness. This time of year is when even hard-core dieters fall off the wagon, and the most passionate fitness enthusiasts find themselves putting on a few pounds. (Consequently, January is the time of year when all of those resolutions are resolutely made all over again - with the determination that, this year, we will actually stick to them.)

After all, between Hanukkah, Christmas, and New Year's Eve - not to mention the recently departed Thanksgiving turkey - this is probably the month when the largest amount of food is consumed per capita. And much of this food is of the richer variety. Cookies, candies, pies, and other sugary treats show up everywhere from holiday parties, to the office cafeteria, to the gifts piled under the tree. Turkey, duck, ham, and other rich meats grace our dining room tables, and side dishes packed with potatoes, yams, pasta, cream, butter, cheese, and other "guilty pleasures" are par for the course. Is it any wonder that we leave the holidays not quite fitting into last year's clothes?

Well, I'm here to tell you to stop feeling guilty! The holidays come around once a year, and it is perfectly fine to enjoy them. There is no need to put a damper on your enjoyment by chastising yourself for what you're eating - especially if you follow these three tips for delicious, healthy eating this holiday season.

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Natural Immune-Boosting Recipe To Avoid Colds & Flu This Season

12/14/2014

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'Tis the season for sniffles and sneezes, but you can fight back by building a super strong immune system that will protect you from nasty colds and flu this winter. As we all know, the best cure is prevention, and your best way to prevent any type of illness is to build a rock-solid immune system that can fight off any germ or virus in record time. This week, we're sharing a healthy recipe chock-full of natural immune boosters, so you can take control of your health this year and stay healthy all year long!

Read on to find out more about these immune-boosting ingredients, and whip up a batch of the special recipe below to keep you healthy throughout the holidays and beyond.

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9 More Common Chemicals & How to Avoid Them

12/7/2014

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Last week we talked about 9 dangerous chemicals that are commonly found in the personal care products you use every day. Use of these chemicals has been linked to cancer, infertility and reproductive issues, obesity, hormone imbalance, endocrine system disruption, autism, ADHD, liver and kidney toxicity, and more; yet many people aren't aware of the harmful effects these ingredients may be having on their health.

If you haven't checked out last week's post, be sure to do so, and make a list of these chemicals so that you can check labels when shopping and avoid them!

This week we're exploring 9 more common chemicals that you should avoid - and how to find safer, healthier alternatives, so that you can buy the gift of good health for yourself and your loved ones this holiday season.

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Are You Wearing These 9 Dangerous Chemicals?

11/30/2014

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While more and more people are eating healthier organic and naturally raised foods, many people don't realize that what you put ON your body has just as much impact on your health as what you put in your body - if not more. In fact, while our digestive systems are able to partly detoxify the things that we ingest, substances that you put on your skin are absorbed almost immediately, and go directly into your bloodstream. On average, when you apply a product to your skin such as a lotion or makeup, 65% of the ingredients are absorbed within 26 seconds.

Did you know that the average woman wears approximately 515 chemicals every day?!? Men aren't exempt either. More and more men are using personal care products such as moisturizers and lotions, not to mention deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, and all the other products that we all use regardless of gender.

Is it any wonder the rates of diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer's, and autism have skyrocketed over the past few decades? Now more than ever, it's essential that we take steps to protect our health and take control of what goes into our bodies! Using all-natural products on our skin is a great start, but they can be somewhat difficult to find. Many products marketed as "natural" or even "organic" still contain harmful chemicals. There are a few companies consistently producing healthy and safe personal care products, and we recommend using these instead of their chemical-filled conventional counterparts. Check out our Products page for some recommendations.

Today, I'm giving you a run-down of just a few of the most common chemicals you will want to avoid. Get familiar with these, make a list and carry it in your purse or wallet, and consult it when shopping. Get used to reading labels, and learn to identify "hidden" chemicals that may be harmful to your health. Here are 9 common ingredients to look out for:

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