I found this article, by “Hungry For Change” most interesting and thought you may find some great tips here!

Plus  10 Simple Tips For Kicking Sugar Cravings

Sugar Is A Drug (and how you can kick the habit!)

It’s been labeled the sweetest poison, toxic, and harmful and recently in ‘Hungry For Change’… a drug. Unfortunately it does seem a little extreme to label a food as a drug but when you look at how sugar (especially the highly refined and processed kinds) are metabolized by your body then you can begin to understand why.

Sugar when taken in excessive amounts can lead to cravings and addictions, quite similar to those with alcohol and tobacco, yet we have no problem labeling them as drugs. As Jason Vale says from the ‘Hungry For Change’ film, “it’s illegal to give a child cigarettes and alcohol, and so it should be, but it’s not illegal to give them white refined sugar or refined fats.”

We’re allowing ourselves and our children to become addicted to this substance causing soaring rates of obesity, one of the leading causes of preventable death. Here are some tips on how you and your children, can kick sugar cravings for good.

10 Simple Tips For Kicking Sugar Cravings
1. Avoid Processed Junk Foods
You know from watching ‘Hungry For Change’ that sugar and processed foods can be as addictive as heroin. Eating sugar artificially stimulates a region of your brain called the nucleus accumbens, to produce dopamine, the pleasure neurotransmitter. Soon dopamine levels drop and we start to feel “flat”…or a bit “down”. We crave this pleasant, feel-good feeling again…so sugar leads to addiction.

2. Boost Your Serotonin
Serotonin, aka “the happiness hormone,” can be raised through a natural low glycemic diet, daily exercise and plenty of deep restful sleep. When you have sufficient serotonin, you are less likely to have cravings for sweets.

3. Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth With All Natural Stevia
The all-natural sweetener, stevia, has zero calories, does not raise blood sugar levels and is 300 times sweeter than sugar. If you have sugar cravings and want to satisfy your sweet tooth safely, stevia is your best bet. Stevia comes in a liquid and powder form from your local health food store.

4. Drink Plenty of Water
You may sometimes think that your body is asking for sugar, when in fact it’s dehydrated and really craving water! Try this simple delicious cravings-buster lemonade: In 8 oz. of water, add the juice of ½ lemon and 5 drops of stevia. You could also try a warm cup of green tea, sweetened with stevia with your meals. This way your sweet taste is satisfied and you won’t want a dessert.

5. Keep Your Blood Sugar Stable
Eat several small, healthy meals throughout your day instead of three large portions to avoid dips in blood sugar. Your evening meal should be one of the preferred gluten-free grain-like seeds (quinoa, millet, buckwheat, amaranth). If you do this, your body will produce more serotonin, you’ll feel happier and you’ll sleep much better at night.

6. Have Plenty of Greens
Loaded with nutrition greens help boost your energy and help reduce cravings for sugar and processed foods.Green juices are an amazing way to add life giving and detoxifying plant chlorophyll to your bloodstream. As Jason Vale says in ‘Hungry For Change’, “juicing is the ultimate fast food, it is a 15 minute nutrient express to health”. Some of my favorite and simple green juice recipes include:

Green Juice Recipe Ideas:

- Celery, lemon and pear (or apple)
- Celery, cucumber, lemon (leave the skin on) and pear (or apple)
- Celery, cucumber, kale, lemon and pear (or apple)
- Celery, cucumber, lemon, parsley and pear (or apple)

I also like to stir whatever green powders I have on hand, try barley grass, wheatgrass, spirulina or chlorella powders.

7. Eat More Sea Vegetables
Loaded with vitamins and minerals, seaweed or sea vegetables make for a a great addition to salads and meals! They are mineral-rich while eating anything with sugar immediately depletes minerals from your body. Sprinkle dulse flakes on your salad or an avocado. Add seaweed to your soups for a rich salty and mineral flavour. mmm…

8. Eat and Drink More Fermented Foods and Drinks
Fermented foods and drinks can be one of the most important ways to reduce or even eliminate cravings for sugar. Try live fermented kefir, sauerkraut, kim-chi, kombucha tea, natural plain yoghurt, coconut kefir or any of your favourite fermented foods. You’ll be amazed at how the sour taste of fermented foods and drinks relieves the desire for sugar and processed foods.

9. Learn Meditation & Stress Reduction Techniques
Meditation can help ward off cravings by helping reduce stress. Stress creates the hormone cortisol, which increases your blood sugar. This is a vicious cycle that damages your adrenals and creates sugar cravings. Try a yoga or meditation class before or after work to calm your body and mind.

10. Try EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique)
If you’re looking to shift the desire for sugar, lose weight, stop a habit of binging or eliminate any addiction, you owe it to yourself to learn about EFT. EFT is an easy tool that anyone can learn in minutes. You simply tap on emotional acupressure points on your body while repeating key statements that help shift your body, mind and habits. This week is the 2012 Tapping World Summit and you can register for free to learn about EFT here www.2012thetappingworldsummit.com (they even have a special event on EFT for food cravings coming up in the next few days)

Sources: www.bodyecology.com/articles… & www.foodmatters.tv/articles…

Virtual Gastric Banding is now widely advertised, accepted and promoted on national television and throughout the media and public demand for this therapy has never been higher.

The Virtual Gastric Band is a remarkable weight loss programme which Sheila Granger, a renowned British Hypnotherapist, pioneered in the UK. As the name suggests, the system utilises the concept of a virtual gastric band combined with clinical hypnotherapy and other proven techniques. It successfully harnesses the power that every individual holds within them to change their lives for the better.

Due to positive media exposure and hospital trials in the UK, many thousands of our clients here in Australia are benefiting from Virtual Gastric Band therapy. I have been lucky enough to train with Sheila and am currently using her programme with great success.

For more information about Sheila Granger, go to www.sheilagranger.com

A NEW YEAR, A NEW YOU!

YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT!

Here are some great weight loss ideas.

I love super foods or power foods, as some people call them, and as I received this article today and enjoyed it I thought you may be interested to read it and find some new tips too!

When they say ‘you are what you eat’, they are actually right.
The food that you eat plays a HUGE part in the way not only your muscles and joints function but also the appearance of your skin and just how you feel in general. Certain foods can help your body metabolise stress, anxiety, sleeping problems and depression.
So to help you feel your best this year we have listed a few POWER alkaline foods to help you feel and look great

Alkaline Foods

There are a wide variety of alkaline food choices that are beneficial to one’s health. Symptoms such as aches and pains may be associated with having a high reading of acid in your blood. Here is a list of some of the alkaline foods that you must eat in order to achieve holistic health and level out the acid levels in your body. Most of the time, fruits and vegetables are a good and rich source of alkaline properties. So, you must include a lot of fruits and vegetables in your diet.

• Lemons – The Master Cleanser – lemons contain a pH level of 9.0 and rich with electrolytes which can give the body added strength and endurance. It is one of the most effective cure or relief to colds, cough and flu.

• Watermelon – watermelon is also alkaline-rich food with the pH level of 9.0. This particularly waterous fruit is effective in fasting and colon cleansing. Watermelon is also rich in lycopene and beta-carotene.

• Agar-agar is an organic gelatin that is derived from seaweeds. It is very rich in fiber as well as in calcium and iron. ( Use very sparingly! It keeps me awake at night).

• Cayenne – these foods contain a pH level of 8.5 and high in enzymes that are essential in the endocrine system. These foods are rich in vitamin A and are perfect anti-bacterial properties.

• Mango, melons, papaya– these foods are vitamin-rich foods that largely help in colon cleansing. The fruits are diuretic, which is quite beneficial in the kidneys.

• Asparagus – this vegetable greatly lowers the acidity in the body. Asparagus also contains asparagines which is an important amino acid in the nervous system.

• Natural fruit juices – fruit juices derived from fresh fruits and vegetables contains natural sugar compounds or fructose that does not form acidic compounds in the body. Fruit juices contain a pH level of 8.5. Fruit juices also contain flavanoids that are beneficial to a person’s health.

• Grapes, pineapple – this food group contains a pH level of 8.5. Grapes are one of the wonder fruits that are rich in anti-oxidants as well as in vitamins A, B and C. Grapes regulate the blood circulation and lower the blood pressure as well as the risks of acquiring cardiovascular disease. Pineapple, on the other hand, is rich in fiber and antioxidants that can help you in trimming fats and contour your shape.

• Apples – “an apple a day, keeps the doctor away.” With the pH level of 8.0, apples can lower the level of acidity in the body. Apples are also rich in enzymes that can keep the body’s hormonal balance.

• Bananas, berries, garlic – this food group contains a pH value of 8.0 and very rich in antioxidants. Garlic and berries can help in regulating the blood pressure.

Eating alkaline-rich foods is beneficial in a person’s health and a slimmer and healthier body is no longer a dream but is attainable by incorporating alkaline-rich foods in your diet.

Best Vegetables to Better and Beautify Your Skin

Try the below veggies to better your skin and get a ton of nutrients that are helpful throughout your body.

*Spinach, broccoli and avocado: These greens provide more nutrients on average than most other foods. Skin helping nutrients include Vitamin E, Vitamin A, and many B vitamins. Vitamin E is a great source of protein and antioxidants essential for skin plumping collagen cells and smooth muscle growth. Essential fats are great for giving the skin that healthy glow

*Carrots: Not only good for the eyes, but the Vitamin A in carrots can help your skin. They also contain a large amount of Vitamin C and fiber. Vitamin A is a very useful ingredient is decreasing the size and secretion of sebaceous glands, making foods like carrots great for those oily or acne prone skins. (from covespa.com.au)

Mind over matter! Tonight there is a great programme on how it works!

Worth watching if you would like to change how you look!