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The holidays are over. Yes it has been great fun, the friends, the parties, the food and wine. I love it all!
But now you may be feeling a little out of balance!
During the holidays many of us eat and drink some foods which may not be the best thing for us, but you know what, it's OK, you had some fun, and now it's time to let it go. If you are holding any judgment against yourself now is the time to step into a place of forgiveness and compassion.
In today's newsletter I explain how eating sugary foods affects your health and how it's directly related to fat burning. Read on to get some simple steps you can take right now to get your blood sugar and your whole body back into balance. Before I get to that...
Being a happy, radiant woman doesn't mean you are always on course but rather you know how to get back on course.
you
get exactly what you need to recover your balance.
The definition of recovery is to bring back to a normal state, which for our body is health and vitality. Restoring
balance is not just about your body but your mind and spirit too!
Blood sugar is key.
In this cleanse we eat foods that remove toxins and at the same time balance blood sugar.
This 5 day cleanse is an opportunity to lose the weight you may have gained over the last month, boost your energy, balance your moods and recover from the holidays.
Your health is directly connected to your adrenal glands. In this
cleanse you will learn how blood sugar affects your adrenal glands and how to support them not just for 5 days but for the rest of the year. .
Food is only part of the process of creating health and balance. If you want to create lasting changes in your health, connecting to your own inner guidance, feeling yourself, feeling inside your body is a key piece. In this week of cleansing you will open the door to yourself.
January is the perfect time to give your body a week of loving care. You can start your new year off on a positive note by slowing down for five days, and focusing in on your core health - then move from there into your new year with some baseline success already in place.
Starting out the year lighter, leaner and more energized will set the tone for the year ahead.
Click here to sign up now.
Blood Sugar and Fat Burning
Many people believe burning fat and having a lean healthy body is about eating less food, less calories. The truth is you can eat plenty of food as long as you are
eating
the right kinds of food.
You don't have to be deprived to have the trim physique you desire. Let me explain.
I
nsulin is a fat storing and fat blocking hormone.
- One of the key factors is blood sugar. When you eat high glycemic foods like pasta, bread, sugary drinks or any carbohydrate rich meal, it sends your blood sugar soaring. Your body releases the hormone insulin into your system to clean up the sugar, get it out of the blood stream and into the muscles and liver as a source of energy. If your muscles don't need the sugar, insulin takes that sugar into the fat cells. This is why insulin is also known as the "fat-storing hormone".
- To make matters worse, once insulin is flowing through the bloodstream, it effectively locks the doors to using the fat in the fat cells. Insulin blocks access to your body's fat reserves. You won't start burning fat for energy until your insulin levels come back down. As long as you have sugar available for your cells to use they are not going to break down the fat for energy. Why burn fat when all that sugar is available? The more you continue to eat a high-carb diet, the less your insulin levels go down, the less fat you burn and the more fat you store.
This is only one half of the story. Insulin has a sister hormone and its name is glucagon. It's the other half of your fat-burning biochemistry. Both hormones, insulin and glucagon are produced in the pancreas. They are like two ends of a see saw, when one goes up the other goes down; insulin stores fat, glucagon burns fat.
It is the interplay between these two important hormones and how they are affected by the foods you eat that will help you lose that extra fat, especially around your belly.
Glucagon is a fat burning and fat unlocking hormone.
When blood sugar is low and you need more energy (but food isn't available), glucagon is secreted. Its purpose is the exact opposite of insulin's. Glucagon goes into the cells to release stored fat. It raises your blood sugar by converting glycerol in your fat cells into glucose for fuel.
Summing it up...
Insulin promotes fat storage and keeps you from burning fat by blocking access to your fat reserves. Glucagon tells the body to break down body fat and burn it for energy.
- Fat burning and weight loss won't take place unless the fat-burning switch glucagon is turned on.
- If you want your body to be a good fat burner it is necessary for you to keep your insulin and blood sugar levels inbalance. The fat burning switch is in the "off" position when your insulin levels are high. Your body will always burn sugar before it burns fat. The more carbohydrates you eat the higher your blood sugar and insulin levels will be.
What is even worse, if you are used to burning sugar as your primary source of fuel, as soon as the insulin gets the glucose out of your blood stream you will start craving sugar or carbs. You may even feel fatigued and get cranky. It is a cycle that is hard to break until you train your body to burn fat to use as a source of fuel.
Balanced blood sugar is key for maintaining good health and becoming a good fat burner. What can you do?
4 Steps to Balance Your Blood Sugar and Become
A Good Fat Burner
Step # 1 - Eat Mostly Low Glycemic Carbs
Carbohydrates, even healthy ones, spike your blood sugar.
Your carbohydrates should come primarily from:
- Vegetables, lots and lots of green vegetables and some starchy vegetables
- Low glycemic fruits like berries, apples and pears
- Seed grains which are low glycemic; quinoa, millet, buckwheat, amaranth
Step # 2 - Eat Plenty of Healthy Fats
Good fats actually turn on glucagon and will reprogram your genes to burn fat.
These are the high quality fat sources you should choose from and include at every meal and snack:
- coconut oil
- extra virgin olive oil
- flax, chia or hemp seeds
- grass fed organic butter
- nuts and seeds
- avocados
- ghee
Step # 3 - Eat Protein at Each Meal
Protein directly stimulates the production of glucagon and sends the signal to your body that it is safe to shed excess fat.
Here are the high quality protein sources to
choose from and include at every meal and snack:
- Wild seafood (sardines, wild salmon, etc)
- Pastured poultry
- Pastured eggs
- Hemp or rice or non-denatured grassfed whey protein
- Grass-fed beef and lamb
- Tempeh (only fermented soy products)
- Beans
- Nuts, seeds, flax and chia
Step # 4
Be Gentle and Kind to Yourself
If you over indulged a bit, enjoy what you enjoyed and don't beat yourself up.
Relax, have a sense of humor about it and begin again.
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A wise person once said,
"If you don't take care of your body...where else are you going to live?"
The rest of your life is a long and interesting journey, so enjoy it with the health, energy and vitality you deserve! You can do this.
You will feel leaner, lighter and more energized in just 5 days.
Grab a friend and
sign up
for this fun, delicious cleanse. We can do it together.
Love and Hugs,
Ingrid
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