dieting??

Dr. Ian’s Tips for PHASE I: DETOX
1. Try frozen seedless grapes. Put the grapes in the freezer, then grab them as you like. They’re delicious and low in calories!
2. Never eat within an hour and a half of going to bed and try going for a 20 or 25-minute walk after dinner or participate in some other form of physical activity.
3. Eat food high in fiber. Studies show fiber helps to make you full longer, delays hunger pangs, reduces cholesterol levels, reduces constipation, reduces the risk of heart disease, and potentially helps prevent some intestinal cancers.
4. Try to get your workout done early in the morning. It’s a great start to the day
5. You don’t need a gym membership to make this program work. Try going up and down a flight of stairs of at least 10 steps. Aim for 10 trips within 30 minutes.
6. Workout with your heart rate in the fat burning zone: 50-70% of maximum heart rate.

Calculate Heart Rate: Subtract your age from 220 to find your maximum heart rate. Then multiply that number by .50. This will give you the minimum heart rate you should maintain while performing your physical activity. Then take your maximum heart rate and multiply it by .70. This is the upper range for maximal fat burning.

EXAMPLE:
(40 year old person) 220 – 40 = 180 (Maximum heart rate)
180 x .5 = 90 (Lower limit of minimal fat-burning range)
180 x .70 = 126 (Upper limit maximal fat-burning range)
Range during exercise for maximal fat-burning: 90 – 126 beats per minute
NOTE: Those who are better conditioned should work out within the range of 60 – 75% of maximum heart rate.


Dr. Ian’s Tips for PHASE II: FOUNDATION
1. Don’t eat the same fish or meat twice in the same day.
2. Try to separate the meats by at least a meal.
3. Try to leave some of the food on your plate when you get up from the table.
4. Try to do some physical activity after eating dinner (a least 20 minutes.)
5. Only snack on fruits and vegetables after eating dinner.
6. Remember portion size: less is more!

Alissa Cohen is one of the world’s leading authorities on raw foods and healthy living. Her devoted following includes thousands of people throughout the world who have maintained successful weight losses, healed themselves of a myriad of diseases, and swear by her simple and fun approach to fantastic health. Cohen is also a Certified Fitness Trainer, Nutritional Consultant and Mind-Body Therapist. At 40 years old, Cohen has the looks and energy of a 20 year old. She has been eating and teaching raw foods since 1986.
Cohen gained an international reputation for her book, Living on Live Food, covering every aspect of a living foods lifestyle. Cohen’s deep knowledge and enthusiasm for food as a life-promoting experience has attracted major media. Cohen also advocates the benefits of raw foods through speaking engagements and her multimedia website, www.alissacohen.com, which displays before and after photos of clients who have lost weight and kept it off through Cohen’s raw foods based program.
www.alissacohen.com
www.rawfoodtalk.com

How To Eat Raw?
In the past, I’ve responded to these questions by simply saying, “eat more fruits and vegetables and stop eating cooked food.” Well, that wasn’t enough. People wanted more explicit instructions. For a long time, I hesitated. You see the beauty of eating raw and living food is that it doesn’t require a road map. People who regularly eat this way know intuitively what works for them. There’s nothing to measure, no calories to count, nothing like any “traditional” diet you may have tried. However, I’ve discovered that most people really need some clearly expressed directions to get started. And I definitely want you to get started!
It is about changing your life in a direction you may never have thought possible. You’re going to discover how to lose weight, heal your body and achieve optimal health.
Eat More!The biggest mistake people make when they first go raw is, they don’t eat enough! Eat when you’re hungry and give your body time to adjust to this less-filling food. Eventually you will require progressively less raw and living food, because your body will be getting all the nutrients it needs from a smaller volume of food.
Where To Get Raw Food?
The best places to shop are health food stores, farmer’s markets and co-ops. If there’s a large health food store in your area – one that carries a large variety of fresh produce, nuts, seeds and whole grains, it’s probably easier for you to shop there and get just about everything you need in one spot.
Here are some delicious recipes to get you started!

MOCK SALMON PATE
2 cups raw walnuts
2 stalks celery
1 large red bell pepper
1 large scallion
½ - 1 teaspoon sea salt
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.

Serving suggestions: This can be served on a plate as is, over, salad rolled up in a green leaf, or spread on raw crackers.

TOMATO, MUSHROOM, AND BASIL SALAD
4 Roma tomatoes
5 – 6 large button mushrooms
¾ cup olive oil
½ cup basil, minced
2 large cloves garlic, minced
¼ teaspoons sea salt

Slice mushrooms and tomatoes. Put into a bowl. Place basil, garlic, olive oil and sea salt in a small bowl and mix until well blended. Pour dressing over mushrooms and tomatoes. Let them marinate for at least 15 minutes.

MORNING SMOOTHIE
2 oranges
1 banana
½ cups berries (mixed or one single kind)
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
*NOTE: If you want a frozen smoothie, use frozen banana or berries.

PINA COLADA SMOOTHIE
6 ounces orange juice
1 cup pineapple
1/2 cup fresh coconut milk
In a blender, blend until smooth.


Jillian’s Advice for Eating Out
Many people have trouble keeping to a healthy, nutritious diet when they go to a restaurant. Don't give in — eating out is no excuse to fall off the wagon! The key to success is implementing a few new habits in order to avoid temptation and self-sabotage in any situation, for instance…
• Educate Yourself.
Don't be afraid to ask your server lots of questions about the restaurant's food so that you can make healthy choices. Ask what's used in the preparation, how large the portion is, what comes on the side — these are all things you want to know, now that you are eating right.

• Make Substitutions.
I'm always ordering chicken fajitas, but instead of the Mexican rice and refried beans, I ask for a salad on the side. Ask for grilled vegetables instead of a baked potato or French fries, sliced tomatoes instead of hash browns. You get the idea — this stuff will take a little extra thought at first, but in no time it will become second nature.

• Don’t Be Afraid to Modify.
If you have scoured the menu and there are no healthy options, you can usually create your own by requesting a few modifications to the preparation of your food. Ask if you can have your fish grilled instead of breaded; ask if you can have Dijon mustard sauce on the chicken instead of cream sauce; request salad dressing on the side; have your omelet made with egg whites if possible; ask for the chef to use just a small amount of olive oil.


Techniques you can use to keep your portions under control:
• If you're at home, use smaller plates. This creates the illusion of eating a bigger serving.
• If you're at a restaurant and you know the portions are going to be huge, ask the server to put half your meal in a doggie bag before it even hits the table. This saves you money as well as unnecessary calorie overload.
• Share an entrée with your dining partner.
• Make a new rule for yourself: Always leave something on your plate. This reminds you that you are in control of the food, not the other way around. A little bit of empowerment can go a long way!

Advice on Stretching
There's a lot of confusion about when and how to stretch. Stretching is key AFTER workouts – you shouldn't stretch before working out. Instead, you should warm up with cardio for 5 to 10 minutes, train, and then stretch. Stretching before workouts has been shown to decrease the intensity of your muscle contractions, which can actually impede your progress in the gym. I find stretching after a workout is most effective because it releases the tension in the muscles from the workout. It also improves circulation and promotes healing and optimal recovery from your workout.
Here's a list of the dos and don’ts for stretching those muscles:
Stretching Do's
• Do stay hydrated. Drink plenty of fluids before you exercise, as this will allow your muscles to perform at their best and will increase the benefits of stretching.
• Do remember to breathe. While stretching, remember to breathe slowly and evenly. This facilitates oxygen delivery to your muscles.
• Do stretch evenly. Hold each stretch for at least 30 seconds. Be sure to stretch all your muscle groups — if you stretch the front of the thighs (quadriceps), make sure you stretch the back of the thighs (hamstrings.) Also, stretch your whole body, not just your legs — stretch your arms, back, neck, stomach, chest, etc.
• Do maintain good posture. Make sure your back is straight while stretching, or you risk injuring your back muscles.
Stretching Don'ts• Don't bounce! Use slow, even movements when stretching. Bouncing places too much stress on your muscles and joints and doesn't help you stretch better.
• Don't overstretch. Be patient, and never force your body to go where it doesn't want to. You will begin to see results if you keep at it.
• Don't overextend your joints. Hyperextending (bending joints farther than they were meant to go) can cause injury and doesn't help you in any way.
• Finally — if it hurts, DON'T DO IT. Always listen to your body. If you're stretching correctly, you should feel tension on the muscles, and possibly some slight discomfort. If you have any sharp or serious pain during a stretch or exercise, STOP, because you may do harm to your body. Remember, pain is your body's way of telling you that something isn't right. If you do have an injury, ask your doctor about exercise and stretching and follow his or her advice.

Retrain Your Brain Your attitude is just as important as diet and exercise when it comes to getting fit and losing weight. Changing your attitude means changing your "self-talk" or internal monologue. Self-talk is the chattering conversation you have with yourself all day long, whether you are aware of it or not. It's the voice in your head that says, "I'm too fat" or "I'm not good enough!" I don't need to go on, do I? You know what I'm talking about — these are the kind of thoughts that hold us back!
Guess what? This is the kind of useless negativity that's keeping you from being the best that you can be. If you want to shape up and lose weight, then it's time to turn that negativity around once and for all. You need to retrain yourself to think positively!
Imagine what would happen if you changed the dialogue so that it sounded more like this: "I can lose weight and be healthy, exercise to the best of my ability, and get stronger and better at it every time I do it." Your self-talk can mean the difference between happiness and despair, and success and failure. If you start making your self-talk more positive and affirming — and less defeatist and self-depreciating — your whole life will change for the better.