BITS-O-WISDOM: "The best way to lose weight is to close your mouth -- something very difficult for a politician. Or watch your food -- just watch it, don’t eat it." -- Edward Koch, former mayor of New York City

Active is Fun! Rafting on the Deschutes River

Here is my story of how I almost was squashed by a rodeo rider while on a rafting trip

Here's a peek or see this larger version of me in action!

What's that got to do with bucking broncos? Enter the Wasco County Fair 2004. We went with friends and sat in the "cheap seats" which are the uncovered bleachers. Out comes a rider, on the biggest, baddest, meanest bucking bronco you've ever seen. That horse came charging right toward us.

Now, most sane people would expect the horse would notice the upcoming barrier (the fence) and veer off, but no, this horse had one goal in mind; to get rid of that rider, and he ran as hard and fast as he could straight into that fence launching that rider like a rocket shot out of a torpedo.

Luckily the rider had the presence of mind to grab the thick wires that lined the fence, and holding those managed to keep from being propelled directly into the seated crowd. Instead he was able to gently slam his body at about 30 miles an hour into the walkway, but there happened to be a gentleman in a wheelchair seated directly in his path.

The wheelchair's occupant effectively broke the bronco rider's fall. He ended up falling backwards from the impact, and dirt showered those of us in the crowd. When we opened our eyes we were quite alarmed to see the up strewn legs of the occupant of the wheelchair, but the rider, righted the chair, and made sure the occupant was not needing medical assistance before he left. All-in-all one heck of a day at the rodeo. You could probably go to a hundred rodeos and never see a horse run straight into the fence at full speed.

Vegetarian Bodybuilder - New Forum

New forum for The Vegetarian Bodybuilder. It's a place to discuss a wide range of issues including diet, nutrition, exercise, supplementation, etc. as it pertains to the vegetarian regime.

Please check out the new forum.

Stop Snack Attacks in Their Tracks with EFT

Does Food Talk Make You Hungry?

Do my comments about the high calories, fats and carbs in certain foods tend to make you hungry for them? That happens to me to. Ever wonder why? I think it's because the idea, "I shouldn't eat that," starts up the "scarcity" or "denial" thoughts. There is nothing like telling yourself something you shouldn't do to just about guarantee you will. You can disrupt those thoughts with EFT. Nothing else works as easily to stop the progression from the idea to first bite, quite as easily as EFT.

How to Stop a Snack Attack in Mid-Bite: Full Article

What is the Best Diet?

When asked what should I eat to lose some weight, I usually ask, "What do you like to eat?" It doesn't do any good to hand you a printed sheet of foods to eat, if you either don't like those foods, or you think of it as a temporary plan. This is precisely the method employed by the majority of weight.loss centers. They give you a list of what you can and cannot eat, and then they schedule you for regular weigh-ins so they can chastise you for gaining or not losing, and give you a nice pat on the back when you do lose. Most people quickly learn to skip a few meals the day before their weigh-in so they'll weigh loss on those days. Is that helpful in the long run? Not to me.

You tell me, "I have to lose 10 pounds before next Thursday," so you want a quick pounds off plan, and then yes, you can wear your party dress, but at what cost? All the yo-yo dieting causes your metabolism to slow down further until you may eventually reach the point where it's as if you do nothing but gain. There is only one way to stop this cycle and that is to stop using fad style plans and get started on devising a plan that will work for you for the long-term.

My recommendation is to start with quality nutrition, but that's not easy to do. For one thing, many say they cannot cook or do not have time to eat at home more often, so what can you do? Try Goji Berry Juice, two ounces in the morning and two again before bed gives your body the nutrients it needs so that the sugar cravings for instance begin to disappear.

If you drink the juice after dinner, you'll find the desire for a sweet also diminishes. Think of Goji Juice as dessert, at least a few nights a week and save a food dessert for one special night. Little differences add up to big pounds lost.

Sometimes adding something, rather than taking away can make the difference. If you aren't getting quality nutrition, then your body is crying out for more, regardless of how much you are eating, which explains the never ending hunger pangs. Add Goji Juice, twice a day, and see what happens.

Fall - Best Time of Year for Getting Weight Loss in Gear

I always look forward to the fall. I see it as the entire next nine months of possibility for me to make big changes in my health, while basically hidden from view of my critics and naysayers. During the summer if you are making an effort to eat better you're constantly confronted with invitations to picnics and barbecues, or offers of cold drinks, and sugary treats, so if you say, "No, thanks, I'm trying to ..." they'll cut you off in mid-sentence, "What? Are you kidding me? Come on, live a little. Just a bite won't hurt." You can almost hear the evil laughter. You're also constantly asked why you're not wearing shorts (if you don't wear them) or why you're not swimming (you don't even own a bathing suit).

During the fall though you can comfortably wear what you want, without the constant questioning that goes on in summer, and meanwhile, you are slowly morphing yourself into the new you you'll unveil next summer. Between now and Halloween is the longest stretch in our calendar with no holidays, no reasons not to stay in gear. Sure, they've already brought out the Halloween candy but isn't it getting to be like a year-long holiday in the stores anyway?

Next month I'll write suggestions for dealing with the aisles of candy and bags you buy ostensibly to give out on Halloween (you do give them out, right?), but for now, this month, let's get out our pencils and paper and jot down some notes for how to make a change this year.

Start Now to Get in Shape by Next Summer!

No matter what your long-term goal may be, let's start at the same place. It's healthiest to lose slowly, so plan on one to two pounds per week per month for the first month. I know, that sounds awful if you have a lot to lose, but don't despair because if you have more than 50 pounds to lose, then you most likely will lose far more than the one or two pounds a week, and meanwhile, you'll still be reaching your goal. Then when you hit a week or two where the pounds don't seem to change, you'll be less likely to experience discouragement simply because you're already far ahead of your goal. It's win-win.

You've likely heard about how you need to eat 3500 calories less to lose one pound or you have to burn a certain number of calories in exercise to accomplish the same thing and it all sounds so hopeless. Who has time for all that exercise and who can keep track of the calories? Let's do something different. Start by looking at what you're eating now and then find a way to make one or two small changes.

Small Changes Equal Big Results

For instance, if you eat at Taco Bell three nights a week, cut that back to two. For the other night, make simple homemade casadias by taking a tortilla, putting slices of cheese on half, pouring on salsa, folding it over and microwaving for 50 to 60 seconds. Done. I'd expect if you eat Taco Bell you aren't going to complain about the carbs in the tortilla. Not the same? That's the point. The idea is you must change your regular habits to make way for some healthier choices - you can still eat out, and have your favorites, just not quite as often.

If you think you are giving something up, well you are. You're giving up ill health and high doctor's bills. You're giving up being heavier than you want. You're giving up the aches and pains that go along with carrying too much weight on your frame. This is how most people who maintain their weight live. Ask someone who doesn't seem to struggle with their weight how they do it, and they'll say, "I don't know. I just eat what I want." But if you spent time with them you'd find they probably don't have fast food very often, if at all. They may drink lattes but they probably order them "skinny" (with low fat or non-fat milk), and they don't add syrups or whipped cream. It's the little things.

If lattes ARE your thing, how often do you have them and are they full of fat and calories or just coffee and foam? Cut back one or two of those lattes a week, or have one plain latte instead of one heavy on the fat and sugar variety, and you'll save about $7 per week ($364 per year), plus you'll lose a few pounds. Don't believe me? Try it.

Just for Fun

This looks fun. A way to see how you'd look in different hairstyles.
Change My Image

Food Trivia

Americans consume 10 billion donuts annually. (Probably more now, thank you Krispy Kreme).

Health, Fitness & Wellness Websites:

+++ -------------- Ending Emotional Eating -------------------- +++

If you've taken seminars, read books, bought gadgets, and tried
everything to lose the weight, but you still can't make it work,
the answer may lie in discovering and resolving the negative
emotional issues that may have kept you stuck.

If now is the right time for you to end your obstacles to way8t
loss success, then private sessions or the 8-Week online Ending
Emotional Eating Workshop may be your answer. Get started today.

http://onemorebite-weightloss.com/weightloss-class.html More Info
http://onemorebite-weightloss.com/register.html To Register

+++ ----------------------------------------------------------- +++

What's New in Food News: Goji Juice

Juice, juice, juice. I have talked about juice and how it's better to eat the whole fruit if possible. Now I've been introduced to an amazing berry which carries more nutrients than any other fruit or plant based food on our planet (as yet discovered). It's called the Goji berry, and you'll be hearing much more about it in the years to come. The Goji grows in the Himalayas and other regions where they have eaten it for many years.

Many years ago I was associated with a company that brought in a concentrated source of pollen (not bee pollen) which had in.credible health benefits. I was excited enough about it that I wanted to go to work for the company and moved to Ohio to do so.

Unfortunately within a few weeks of my move, the company was taken over by corporate raiders (popular in early 1980) and all the executives suddenly lost their jobs. Not wanting to work with anyone but those people, that dream simply died. Ever since then, I've looked for another company with that same integrity to bring another break-through product to the US, and my long search is finally over.

The company is called Freelife. Primarily I'm excited about the Goji berries and what this could mean for our ability to get quality nutrition. If you live in my area (Portland, Oregon - Vancouver, Washington) I am going to be offering free seminars to introduce Goji juice and how to use it for weight loss.

It's well known that when you feed yourself better, you feel better, and you start to desire healthier foods. Your body starts to want to get up and move. You just start living better. Here is a simple way to get those concentrated nutrients

Carb Counters: Beware Labels

Did you know if there is less than 1 gram of carbohydrate per serving that labels are allowed to list it as zero? That means, if there were .9 grams of carb per serving, and you're eating six servings (not an unlikely scenario given the ridiculous amount in a "suggested serving"), then you are actually eating 5.4 carbs, while you thought you were getting zero! See why it's so difficult to know what you're really getting when you eat pre-made packaged foods?

Really Stupid Diet Products

ThinSexy.com - Okay, here we go again with the "spa wrap" method of weight.loss. Take off inches. Yeah, okay. First, they show you a bunch of skinny models, who never had any size to lose to begin with, and they are all exclaiming how they lost big inches in an hour! Wowser. What do you suppose happen when they have a glass of water! Zoom, right back comes the "weight," because all you'll lose besides your money is water. It just doesn't get any dumber than this.

Food & Recipe Sites

Just Tomatoes is really more than tomatoes. Dried berries, fruits, vegetables. They say, "We don't fool with Mother Nature. Absolutely nothing added. All we do is take the water out, leaving intense flavors!" I have been purchasing their dried raspberries for quite some time. I love raspberries, and you can't easily freeze them, so when I discovered the Just Tomatoes brand of dried raspberries I was overjoyed. I sprinkle a bunch on my cereal in the morning. You can use the dried berries, fruits and vegetables in all kinds of recipes. They're also wonderful if you are into hiking or camping. Check the store listings for stores near you or order directly.

The Scoop on Homemade Ice Cream

Recipes: How to Make Nut Milks and Nut Butters

If you own a food processor or blender, you can grind your own peanuts (or other nuts) for nut butters. Simply add the nuts and grind to a fine powder, then for a nut milk, add water, until it reaches the consistency you want. You may strain the nut milk a few times (through cheese cloth or other fine mesh) to get out the bits of nut skin. For butters, use peanut oil (or other mild tasting oil) along with the nuts until it forms a solid mass in the consistency you prefer. If you want, add in pieces of nuts for a "chunky" style.

Basic Recipe Nut Butter:
1 Cup roasted peanuts (or any other nut you prefer)
1 - 1-1/2 teaspoons peanut oil
smidgen of salt (only if you absolutely insist)

Blend ingredients together in blender, or if using a food processor, first process the nuts to a fine powder, then add liquid. Paste will form a solid mass. Continue blending, adding more liquid if you desire a creamier consistency. For "chunky" style, add in some
chopped nuts after blending.

Basic Recipe Nut Milk:
1 Cup roasted nuts
2 Cups water
Blend as directed above, then strain if necessary to remove any bits of nut or nut skins.

There really is no need to salt or add sugars. Plain nut butter is an excellent way to add quality protein. If you think it "tastes funny" that's because you are used to the high sugared variety. You may not like it as much at first, but you'll develop a taste for it, so just keep at it. That is how we change our acquired tastes from the store bought foods to homemade and cleaner foods.

A stalk of celery, with peanut butter smeared inside is my husband's favorite snack.

Tips for Wheat Free Baking

If you are learning to bake using gluten free flours, try Bobs Red Mill GF (gluten free) bread flour. In recipes, use buttermilk for the liquid and double the soda and baking powder, and you'll still see a good result.

Why I Pick on Carl's Jr's

Do Calories count? You tell me: A new offering from Carl's Jr. called the Low Carb Breakfast Bowl weighs in at a hefty 900 calories. That's mostly due to the two separate egg/cheese/bacon breakfasts contained in one bowl. The first part of the bowl holds two eggs, a sausage patty, and cheese, but then they add a "loaded omelet" with more sausage, ham, bacon and cheddar cheese. Then, as if that's not good enough they top this monstrosity off with more cheese and bacon. Totaling 33 grams of saturated fat (more than a day's worth), and 2,050 mg of sodium (nearly a day's worth), this is no dieters dream.

How to Improve the Low Carb Breakfast at Carl's Jr?

Use one whole egg and two extra whites, lessen the saturated fat by reducing cheese by half, skip either bacon or the sausage (who needs both?). A few changes and you'll shave hundreds of calories off that breakfast bowl. Nobody needs over 1000 calories at breakfast, and if they add a latte at Starbucks, or anything else that day, they're well on their way to over fueling for the day.

Be aware of what you're eating is all I ask. You don't have to count anything to be more aware. Frankly, there are no low calorie choices in fast food restaurants unless you start asking for alterations such as no dressing, leave off this, skip that. If you're going custom, just make it at home and it'll be far less money and far better for you in the long run.

Did this all this talk about food sometimes make you hungry? Go back to the top of the newsletter and read how to use EFT to stop that pattern in its tracks!

Yours in good eating,
Kathryn Martyn, M.NLP