More on the Twinkie "Diet"

Have you heard the recent hype about the "Twinkie Diet"? If not I will sum it up for you. A professor at Kansas State University recently ate nothing but Twinkie's for 10 weeks to prove that losing weight isn't about nutrition, its strictly about calorie counting.

While this "diet" worked for this particular individual over the 10 week trial, I must address the obvious. Clearly as a health professional, I believe that nutritional content trumps caloric intake. Calories are a very important part of maintaining a lifestyle, but the nutrition that your body receives from the foods you eat is the most important. Let me tell you why.

Processed food that contains trans fat and sugar causes cellular inflammation. Dr. Barry Sears, a well-respected medical doctor and author of the Zone Diet boldly claims that much of the current thinking about good nutrition -- a diet high in carbohydrates, low in protein, and fats -- is "dead wrong."

An anti-inflammatory whole food diet is about balancing your hormones within a specific range to control hunger. It balances three macronutrients – protein, carbohydrates and fat at every meal and snack. Receiving these macronutrients from whole, unprocessed food is essential. Whole foods provide vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients whose synergistic effects provides the cellular nutrition your body needs to have energy, heal and repair, maintain optimal weight and feel satisfied.

Processed foods raise silent inflammation in your body which has been linked by researchers and scientists to be an underlying cause of chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, chronic pain, new millennium diseases, and increased weight gain. Processed (man-made) foods contain a combination of trans fats, sugar, and chemicals (toxins) that alter satiety centers in the brain altering hormones that tell you "I'm full" and telling your body to use fat as energy.

Have you tried dieting and exercising and still struggle with weight loss? New research is shedding light on the old weight loss strategy of calories in versus calories out. It's not working any more. What you eat matters...

So how do you get started?

Start by eating smaller, more frequent meals that consist of whole food sources of protein, carbs, and fats. For example, my breakfast took me 5 minutes to make and consisted of Protein (3 free range eggs) fried in Fat (1 tsp coconut oil), and Carbs (steel cut oats with blueberries).

Fitness North

I am so EXCITED!! I am traveling to beautiful Tofte, MN today to speak at Fitness North.

It isn't a workout. It isn't a diet. Because a healthy tomorrow begins with the choices you make today,it's life.

"At Fitness North, our new live-in weight loss and fitness program, we believe that sustainable weight loss and a healthy lifestyle require more than small shifts in eating and exercise. It takes commitment and courage. A willingness to change habits and break free from worn out beliefs. A desire to learn new ways of approaching exercise and nutrition. An awareness that transforming your body and mind begins with the commitment to transform your life...starting today."

This is literally a dream come true for me. I have been watching the Biggest Loser since it started and have looked at Jillian and Bill as a source of inspiration for educating the masses on healthy living. I am so grateful for this opportunity!!

Want to learn more? http://www.fitnessnorth.net/

Egg and Spinach Quiche

INGREDIENTS
2 ezekiel tortillas
3 cups plain kefir
1 tbsp fresh basil (chopped)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup shredded fresh spinach
4 free range eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 tsp salt
A few grinds of black pepper
1/3 cup of parmesan cheese
1/4 cup of ground or diced grass-fed beef or free-range chicken, finely chopped

PREPARATION
1. Preheat the oven to 400° F.

2. Warm the basil and kefir in a small saucepan over low heat for about 10 minutes and set aside.

3. Heat the oil gently in a medium skillet.

4. Add in the spinach and cook until it until it just begins to stick to the pan, and then turn off the heat.

5. Whisk together the warmed kefir, eggs, salt, pepper and cheese.

6. Add all these to the spinach, stirring gently so that everything is thoroughly combined.

7. Sprinkle the meat onto ezekiel tortillas placed in a pie pan and cover with the whisked mixture.

8. Bake on the bottom rack for 15 minutes.

9. Transfer the dish to the middle rack of your oven, turn down the heat and bake for another 30 minutes at 350°F (or until it feels firm on top).

Sweet Potato Casserole

Sweet Potato Casserole

INGREDIENTS
4 pounds (5 large potatoes) sweet potatoes, peeled and cut crosswise into 3/4-inch thick slices
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
4 tablespoons raw butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

PREPARATION
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Arrange half the potato slices in 13-inch by 9-inch ceramic or glass baking dish. Sprinkle with, half the salt, and all the pepper. Dot with half the butter.

2. Arrange remaining potatoes in baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining salt, and dot with remaining butter.

3. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove foil; sprinkle with walnuts and bake, uncovered, 30 to 40 minutes longer until potatoes are tender, basting with syrup in baking dish 3 times during cooking. Serves 8

The Building Blocks of Wellness

Is the reason you haven’t committed to losing weight because you are confused about where to start?

I recently decided to take a trip to the local drug store and put myself in the consumer’s shoes. No wonder people are confused. You can buy everything from a 5 hour energy to a celebrity endorsed cleanse that promises quick weight loss, increased energy and 6 pack abs. Of course read the fine print and you will find *results not typical.

People come to me daily saying, I’ve tried everything. I’ve tried dieting, cutting calories, exercising, diet pills, 30-day shakes and bars. I lost weight and now I’ve gained it all back. Quick weight loss leads to long-term frustration.

I will always promote weight loss under the umbrella of wellness. The foundation of healthy weight loss is controlling inflammation and hormones. The building blocks are getting rid of cellular congestion (toxins), providing cellular nutrition (diet and supplementation), stimulating lymphatic drainage and building lean muscle (fitness), healthy emotional programming (positive thinking). Fortunately, when these building blocks are IMPLEMENTED and become of part of your lifestyle, you will be amazed at how quickly you can lose weight…..and how permanent the results are.

Every journey begins with the first step.

Yours in health and happiness,

Dr. DelRae

Detox Questions Answered!

From John Andrew:

"Does everyone have to detox? Or is it just for people with health issues?"

John:

It is my belief that whether you have symptoms or not, it is important to decrease your exposure to carcinogens and toxins. The President's Cancer Panel Annual Report states backs up this belief. They state "The Panel was particularly concerned to find that the true burden of environmentally induced cancer has been grossly underestimated. With nearly 80,000 chemicals on the market in the United States, many of which are used by millions of Americans in their daily lives and are un- or understudied and largely unregulated, exposure to potential environmental carcinogens is widespread."

Weight Loss & Toxicity Seminar's

Do you have questions about weight loss and toxicity?

Take advantage of two seminars next week!

Call now to register

Tues Oct 26

6:30

Maple Grove

Trillium Chiropractic

13563 Grove Drive

763-420-2226

Wed Oct 27

6:30

Burnsville

FinishLine Chiropractic

13955 W Preserve Blvd

952-746-4162

Whats your story??

If you were like me a few years ago, you are struggling to lose weight. Are you tired of fad diets, weight loss pills, and advice from personal trainers, nutritionists, and doctors telling you to eat less and exercise more?

I recently looked through a photo album and was literally shocked. I found a few pictures that looked nothing like me. I was about twenty pounds heavier and remember how sick I was. Have you ever wanted to throw away you "before" pictures? After seeing my before pictures, I had a new found appreciation for my journey over the last four years. I can look someone in the eye and tell them "I know what it feels like to be where you are, and I know what it takes to achieve permanent weight loss success."

Don't be ashamed of where you've come from. It is part of your story.

Had I never struggled with weight loss, I wouldn't know how to overcome the underlying problems that were preventing me from losing weight. Toxicity was the reason I couldn't lose weight. The detoxification system that I used is the reason I have more energy, decreased body fat, and a passion for nutrition and fitness. Results are what matter.

Check back Monday for a before/after picture!!!!

Detox Results

I hope you all read my story last week on why I was unable to lose weight. Here is a before and after picture!

The before picture is from 2006....

The after picture is from 2010!!!!!

Turkey Burgers

Are you bored with your traditional dinners? Did you know turkey burgers can be full of flavor and an excellent source of protein?

Here is one of my most favorite recipes!! ENJOY!

Turkey Burger

BURGER:

3/4 pound organic turkey ground (breast and thigh meat)

1 1/2 teaspoon coconut oil

1 1/2 teaspoon minced red onion

1 tablespoon ground flax seed

1 tablespoon fresh flat leafed parsley, minced

2 large egg whites

FIXINGS:

4 sprouted whole grain buns

8 large romaine or red lettuce leaves

2 ripe tomatoes cut into 1/4 inch thick slices

1/2 medium red onion cut into 1/8 inch slices

1/2 medium avocado sliced into wedges

Organic salsa or ketchup

Dijon mustard

Directions:

To make the burgers in a bowl using your hands or a large spoon mix together the turkey, oil, onions, flax seed, parsley, egg whites and pepper. Gently form the mixture into four patties—don’t pack the meat tightly. Transfer to a tray. Cover and refrigerate until ready to grill.

Grill burgers at medium high heat for five minutes on one side, turn and grill for eight to ten minutes longer or until the burgers are cooked through. The juices should run clear and a meat thermometer should read 130 degrees. Serves four.

Start with Breakfast

Losing weight is a result of making different, small decisions every day. If you are looking for overnight weight loss success, there are pills and miracle juice fasts out there that will get you INCREDIBLE results. Unfortunately, I can guarantee you are going to gain the weight back, and possibly more because your metabolism is now in the toilet. Let us start by changing what you eat for breakfast!

CONVENIENCE is key. Rarely are we willing to cook a five-star breakfast, which is why pop tarts, cereal, and toast win the battle most of the time. Eating refined carbohydrates in the morning creates a quick spike in blood glucose. The pancreas then secretes insulin to lower blood sugar. Leftover insulin causes the body to store fat and makes you hungry soon afterward. This leads to low levels of energy, focus and attention.

A well-balanced anti-inflammatory diet will leave you energized, focused, happy, and decrease your risk of chronic disease.

Stick to a 40, 30, 30 meal plan where 40% of caloric intake comes from low glycemic carbohydrates, 30% from complete protein, and 30% from good fats.

A typical breakfast at my house includes:

• Free range eggs fried in coconut oil
• Avocados
• Steel cut oats or organic oatmeal
• Peanut butter or almond butter
• Egg bakes
• Omelets
• Ezekial toast with butter
• Breakfast Burritos
• Berry Protein Smoothies

Portion size is key. Learn what macronutrients are in you food. Most of the recipes I have will have the breakdown already done for you!

Toxicity

What are you passionate about? What gets you excited?

On Saturday night, Dr. Sanja Gupta had a special on CNN called Toxic Childhood. The fact that one of the most respected medical doctors in the world spoke about a subject that affected me so personally (see previous blog for My Story) was incredible.

When was the last time you had that feeling in your gut and you knew with ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY what you are meant to do. My passion is speaking and educating. It is empowering people with information that has been hidden for so long. It is telling people who have lost hope that they can get better.

Chemical toxicity has been a missing puzzle piece in 21^st century medicine. There is no denying this is a serious issue. New millennium diseases like add, adhd, autism, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, allergies, autoimmune diseases and chronic diseases like heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes are rampant in our country. More technology, testing, hospitals, doctors, nurses, and medication are not solving the underlying issues of poor nutrition, lack of exercise, and chemical toxicity.

This month, I am going to be focusing on the topic of TOXICTY and how it affects weight loss and increases your risk of cancer and other diseases. Most information will be taken from Reducing Environmental Cancer Risk, an annual report presented by the President’s Cancer Panel.

Super Foods: Protein

Lets focus on protein this week. You need to eat your body weight in grams per day. Protein keeps you full longer, and helps you snack less. The more protein in your diet the less you will crave sugar.

Eat LOCAL FRESH FOOD whenever possible. Shop at Farmer’s Markets and utilize local farms for fresh eggs, meat, and produce.

OPTIMAL PROTEIN CHOICES:

• Organic Free-Range Eggs

• Organic/Hormone-Free Chicken and Poultry

• Organic Grass-fed Beef (http://www.andersonfarm.us/)

• Grass-fed deli meat, hot dogs, bacon (http://www.andersonfarm.us/)

• Buffalo (www.buffalogal.com)

• Lamb

• Cold Water Fish (salmon, halibut, cod, mackerel, tuna - choose wild ocean fish over farm raised fish)

• Whey protein

◦ Whey Cool (www.designsforhealth.com)

◦ Gold Standard Natural Whey

◦ Peanut butter (Trader Joe’s crunchy)

◦ Almond butter (Trader Joe’s crunchy)

◦ Organic cottage cheese (Organic Valley)

My Personal Story

I was a long distance runner in high school and in college, so at 5'4" it was easy for me to maintain 110 lbs. I competed at a national level in cross country in college. I started chiropractic school when my daughter, McKenna was 3 months old and after about a year started experiencing symptoms I had never had before. I was getting frequent migraines, was constantly tired, and started to gain weight for no reason. Nothing had changed. I was still exercising the same amount and eating healthy. I gained about 20 lbs in a couple of months and constantly felt tired and foggy. My migraines kept getting worse and nothing was helping. I saw chiropractors, mds, naturopaths, acupuncturists... you name it, I tried it. Then, I met an amazing chiropractor who specialized in neurotoxicity at a seminar. He told me I needed to be checked for heavy metals and bio toxins. I had no idea what he was talking about, but would have tried anything at that point. He explained that neurotoxina like heavy metals and bio toxins affect fat burning hormones like Leptin and increase inflammation in the body. Leptin is a hormone that tells your body to burn fat for energy and also tells you how full you are. If Leptin is off because of chronic exposure to toxins, weight loss resistance is the result. AKA: You don't lose weight even when dieting and exercising.

The question I had was, how come no one knows about this? I had every test done under the sun, hormone tests, thyroid tests, blood work and nothing came back. No one had any answers for me! He explained that conventional testing is missing the boat on toxic exposure because they aren't testing the right hormones and aren't looking at chronic exposure to metals. Finally, some attention has been paid to toxicity issues, as Dr. Sonjay Gupta, MD on CNN did a special report called Toxic America in June exposing the much-anticipated possible link between toxins and our health.

I was tested and found my Leptin levels were off, along with an increase body burden of heavy metals and biotoxins (which are live toxins from mold). My daughter and I were living in black mold in my apartment in school and didn't even know it. She was developing stomach pains and allergies as well as food sensitivities.

Shortly after starting the detox program, the weight came off. I had more energy, more clarity and focus, and felt like myself again. I ate a diet that is specifically designed to change Leptin so I no longer crave sugar or feel like I'm starving! My secret is I started training less, NOT MORE. I do eccentric resistance training 2x a week and high intensity cardio 3-4x a week. My body fat has changed drastically, which is the true measurement we want to pay attention to.

I want to inspire others to feel good, have a positive body image, and role model a healthy lifestyle for their children.

My energy comes from having a purpose. Every morning I get up excited to share what I've learned with as many people as possible. I have a vision board and goals that I look at daily. I also remind myself to be thankful. Muhammad Ali said, "Don't count the days, make the days count." I ask myself at the end of the day, what did I contribute today? How did I make a positive impact on someone's life today? Was I my best in every situation? We all have a story..... what's great is that we can choose today to make our life what we've always imagined.

Body Fat Analysis - Event

I am so excited for this weekend! I am going to be doing FREE body fat analysis and mini massages at Rosedale Mall on Friday and Saturday. I can't wait for the opportunity to talk to people about how one of the most important ways to guage their progress is body fat. A lot of people get frustrated with weight loss when they don't see the scale change. Or, they will lose 5 pounds in the first week and then gain it all back. Body weight can easily fluctuate with water loss, so I use different tools for measuring true fat loss.

One method of tracking changes in body composition is to measure circumferences of arms, waist, thighs, etc. The method is simple and fast and a great way to track progress. How your clothes fit is usually a better indicator of fat loss than what the scale says.

Body Mass Index has been used as a rough estimate of body fat composition, however BMI doesn’t actually distinguish between fat and muscle mass. All it does is relate weight and height and higher numbers are bad (very low numbers are also bad). So, for athletic individuals, BMI is typically useless.

Waist to Hip Ratio is a way to measure body fat distribution as it relates to our health.

• Subcutaneous fat: This is the fat that you can see and most are worried about when they want to ‘lose fat’. It’s found under the skin (’sub’ = under; ‘cutaneous’ = skin) and comprises something like 40-60% of the total fat on your body.
• Visceral fat: This fat is found internally, surrounding the organs and such.
• Carrying excessive amounts of visceral fat tends to correlate with various health risks including insulin resistance and Syndrome X (metabolic syndrome). Carrying large amounts of visceral fat tends to be related to various health problems. In contrast, having a lot of subcutaneous fat doesn’t carry nearly the same risk.

Body fat analysis is the most important tool to measure true fat loss. A person's body fat percentage is the total weight of the person's fat divided by the person's weight and consists of essential body fat and storage body fat. I use a tool that accurately measures body fat. To get your free screening and talk to me about your weight loss frustrations, stop by the Rosedale Mall today, Friday July 23rd from 12-9pm by the Macaroni Grille entrance or tomorrow, Saturday July 24th from 11am-9pm by Hot Mama and Lucy's Athletic Wear!

Sugar Free Flax Muffins!!!

2 1/4 cup ground oats

3/4 cup ground flax

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp sea salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup shredded carrots

2 apples (cut in small chunks)

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk

2 eggs (beaten)

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 cup raw honey

mix dry ingredients

mix liquid ingredients

stir until moistened, don't over mix... Bake at 350 for 15 min in muffin tin!