FertilehealthyAiming for success, not perfection…

Philip McCluskey used to weigh 400 pounds.  Then he changed the way he thought about and responded to food and lost 200 pounds and changed his life.  He’s been at his body’s perfect weight for more than a year now and I find his story very inspiring.

We have so many expectations when it comes to food, but I really like what Philip has to say on the subject:

One of the most common comments I hear this time of year is:

Don’t you miss warm foods in the winter?
I need hot soup to keep me warm.
I could never be raw in the winter.

Umm…. since when has food had so many responsibilities?

We want food to comfort us when we are depressed.
We want food to be our friend when we are alone.
We want food to cheer us up when we are sad.
We want food to entertain us when we are bored.
We want food to party with us when we are happy.
We want food to warm us up when we are cold.

It’s all a lie!

Food only has one responsibility, to nourish and heal us.
That’s it…. anything else is a bonus.

Yes… you can make it pleasing to the eye.
Yes… you can make it tasty for your palette.
Yes… you can put your love into creating it.

That’s all real, and all good.
Just don’t get it twisted.

If you are replacing dealing with an emotion, with food… you are doing yourself a disservice.

Lets take responsibility and own what is really ours.

Let us be free to experience the emotion, let it flow and let it go, and be the overcomers that we were all born to be!

Wise words indeed!

Years ago a lollipop-skinny friend of mine tried to interest me in a cellulite-cream she was selling.  I burst out laughing!  I was morbidly obese and cellulite was the least of my problems…  But for her it was a huge, unsightly nightmare.

We are forever bombarded by paparazzi images of stick-thin celebs with lumpy “orange peel” on their legs. The medical profession generally dismisses the notion that cellulite is anything other than normal fat, but these women exercise religiously and have very little fat on their bodies.

There is a direct relationship between cellulite formation and body toxicity.  Cellulite-prone women are found to have the following in common:

- incomplete removal of wastes from the colon, i.e. digestive problems like constipation, etc.

- poor lymphatic drainage, which means that wastes which lie in the spaces between the cells are not effectively eliminated.

- poor circulation.

- contraceptive hormones and hormone therapy.

The correct approach to dealing with cellulite would therefore have to involve removing the toxins, healing the underlying conditions that contribute to its formation and preventing recurrence.  You can buy all the amazing creams and preparations on the market, but if your body’s ecosystem is not clean, you’re not going to beat cellulite (although you will be a lot poorer).

The first and most important aspect is diet.  Making raw fruit and vegetables the basis of your diet (at least 75%) will not only help sort out any digestive problems over time, but will provide the necessary bio-flavenoids to strengthen the capillaries, which in turn will stimulate lymphatic flow, thereby more effectively removing toxins from the body.  Eating high raw also provides plenty of pure water to the body.  This is exactly what the rich and famous are fed at those posh “rejuvenation” spas and they emerge looking younger, firmer and healthier.

Of course, it’s no use eating 75-80% high raw, and 20-25% junk.  It is also important to remove the following from the diet:  heated fats (use only cold-pressed and don’t heat it), caffeine, alcohol, food additives, artificial sweeteners, HFCS, sugar and dairy (if you insist on dairy it should be raw and organic).  If you’re sensitive to gluten, it should be excluded too.  These are poisons and cause far more problems that just cellulite in the body.

The second step is exercise.  Any exercise is better than no exercise, but some are far more beneficial when dealing with cellulite.  Dancing, walking and lunging are good, while running seems to aggravate the condition in some women.  Swimming and water aerobics are very helpful, since the massaging action of the water helps stimulate the lymphatic system.  But the best exercise for getting rid of cellulite is rebounding. (I’m still too heavy for a rebounder, but one day I’ll get one!)

Regular body brushing is another effective weapon in the fight against cellulite.  It stimulates blood circulation in the trouble spots and helps to give the skin a smoother appearance.  The mistake a lot of women make is that they only brush the affected area, instead of the whole body.  In order to remove the toxins you have to start at the extremities and move towards the heart.  Read more about body-brushing here.  Follow up with contrast showers (hot→cold→hot→cold) – it feels amazing!

Body massage is also beneficial and helps stimulate not only blood flow but also lymphatic flow.  If you have the resources, a Swedish body massage or a lymphatic drainage are best.  Otherwise, just rope in your significant other or do it yourself, using firm but gentle pressure.

While exercise, brushing and massage are helpful, they will not make much difference if you do not address your diet.  I know that for most people eating this way is a radical shift, but the health benefits are so astounding that people who have made the changes never look back.  I particularly like Kristen Suzanne’s story, told without any sensationalism or wild claims.

As for me, when I’m eating high raw my cellulite (which sits on top of the other fat on my thighs) diminishes.  Last year during my 80-day Juice Feast I was amazed at the speed at which it “dissolved”.  When I slip and eat badly for a while, it comes back (along with acne, rashes, PMS, etc.)  It’s as simple as that.

Disclaimer: This is not me!

I’ve written about fats before (and here), but let me recap the most salient points:

- Our bodies can’t function without dietary fat.  In fact, you can’t lose weight without dietary fat, since all systems in the body, including the hormonal system – which controls weight, fluid-balance and metabolism – need fat in order to work properly.

-  We must make sure to consume Omega 6 (found in fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds) and Omega 3 (flax and hemp seeds and oils, leafy green vegetables and oily fish) fatty acids on a regular basis.

-  Processing fats with heat and chemicals denatures them and renders them dangerous to our health.  You can buy the best quality oil, but if you heat it, you are changing the molecular structure and creating a very dangerous and harmful product.  Roasting nuts has the same effect.

-  Most of the fats used in processed foods are highly processed themselves – another reason why whole foods are healthier.

My way of dealing with these facts had been to avoid cooking with oil or fat as far as I could.  That meant frying in stock or water and dry-roasting and then adding the olive oil afterward to coat, if needed.  I make my own salad dressings using cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil.  We buy only raw nuts and seeds.

But this past year I’ve been researching coconut oil and it has made my life a lot easier.  Coconut oil is solid at room temperature, so it can be heated to higher temperatures than other fats before it gets damaged.

Since it is primarily a saturated fat, coconut oil was discredited along with all other saturated fats a few decades ago.  But it’s making a wonderful comeback because research has shown that it does not cause the same health problems as animal fats.  In fact, coconut oil is very good for our health and I myself am very pleased with the results so far.

The first thing we need to understand is that coconut oil is predominantly made up of medium-chain fatty acids and some short-chain fatty acids.  Short-chain fatty acids have 2 to 6 carbon atoms, medium-chain fatty acids 8 to 12, while long chain-fatty acids have more than 14.  The length of the carbon chain is a key factor in the way dietary fat is digested and metabolized and how it affects the body.

The vast majority of fats in our diet are composed of long-chain fatty acids.  When we eat these fats they are broken down into individual fatty acids and converted into lipo-proteins, which are then sent into the bloodstream and deposited into our fat cells.  Medium-chain fatty acids are digested and utilized differently.  They are not converted into lipo-proteins and do not circulate in the bloodstream.  Instead they are sent directly to the liver where, like carbohydrates, they are converted into energy.  (Unlike carbohydrates, they do not affect blood sugar.)  Long-chain fatty acids contain 9 calories per gram, while coconut oil contains 6.8 calories per gram.  Furthermore, medium-chain fatty acids stimulates the thyroid, thereby raising the metabolism.  This means that coconut oil, being a medium-chain fatty acid helps control weight gain and fat deposition, as has been demonstrated in numerous human and animal studies.

Most of the criticism aimed at coconut oil in the past was based on the fact that it is a saturated fat and therefore implicated in raising cholesterol levels and promoting heart disease.  Research has shown, however, that because of the way it is metabolized, it has a neutral effect on cholesterol.  Similarly, it does not contribute to platelet adhesiveness (blood stickiness) associated with heart disease since it does not circulate in the bloodstream.  In fact, it may indirectly help prevent heart disease, since it is a powerful anti-viral and anti-microbial agent and research is showing more and more that chronic inflammation and low-grade infection may be instrumental in the formation of arterial plaque.

Coconut oil helps kill viruses that cause mononucleosis, influenza, hepatitis C, measles, herpes, AIDS and bacteria that causes pneumonia, ear and throat infections, dental cavities, food poisoning, UTI, meningitis and gonorhea.  It has been shown to be effective against yeast and fungal infections like candida, ringworm, athlete’s foot and diaper rash.  It is also used to help expel or kill tapeworms, giardia and other parasites.

Coconut oil aids in the absorption of nutrients and therefore greatly benefits people suffering from diabetes, obesity, gallbladder disease, pancreatitis, Crohn’s disease and some forms of cancer.   Premature and sick babies, whose digestive organs are underdeveloped are able to absorb medium-chain fatty acids with ease.  In fact, breast milk contains significant amounts of MCFA, predominantly in the same form as coconut oil – lauric acid.

I don’t only consume coconut oil, I also use it on my skin as a moisturizer.  It is absolutely amazing.  I clean my face using the Oil Cleansing Method and then rub coconut oil into it.  Until a year ago I had an oily skin.  Not anymore!   The anti-microbial and anti-fungal properties of coconut oil are also especially helpful for the skin.  I haven’t tried using it as a hair-treatment yet, but I hear it’s amazing!

Interestingly enough for me, I have not had a gallbladder attack since I started using coconut oil regularly, and I used to get them increasingly often last year.  Apparently it helps the body deal better with other fats too.  Furthermore, I only had one cold all year and no flu.  Craig has been just as blessed.

I have converted all my recipes to coconut oil* and even use it to grease oven-dishes and pans.  And although you can cook and bake with coconut oil, it should never be heated to its smoking point.

As with all other oils, quality is very important.  Your coconut oil should be made from fresh coconuts (not “copra”, as some cheaper oils are), there should be no heat processing or refining, no chemicals added, no bleaching, no deodorization and no hydrogenation.  Even here in South Africa good quality organics brands are readily available in pharmacies and health food stores.

I love coconut oil!  I even add it to pre-workout smoothies for an energy boost (a trick I learned from Brendan Brazier, professional triathlete and author of Thrive).

How about you?  Do you use coconut oil?

*  I have also substituted all dairy milk and cream in recipes for coconut milk and cream and it works perfectly.  I’ve even succeeded in making sour cream from coconut cream by adding lemon juice and paprika.

Resources:

The Coconut Oil Miracle – Bruce Fife

Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill – Udo Erasmus

Dr. Mercola

This has become one of our favorite dishes. It’s quick and easy to make, especially now that I finally have a food processor to take care of all the slicing and dicing.

Vegetable Paprikash

• 2 cups thinly sliced cabbage
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 cup zucchini, sliced
• 1 cup carrots, sliced
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 ½ cups sliced mushrooms
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil
• 3 Tbsp flour
• 3 Tbsp paprika
• 1 cup vegetable stock
• 1 cup sour cream
• salt and pepper to taste

Sauté vegetables in oil in large skillet until tender, about 5-8 minutes. Stir in the flour and paprika; cook for 2 minutes, stirring. Stir in stock and heat to boiling; boil, stirring, until sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Stir in sour cream; season to taste.  Serve over ribbon noodles or in a wrap or pita.

The Rolling Stones were right when they sang:  “I can’t get no satisfaction“.

For years I ate and ate, looking for the satisfaction that rich fatty foods and sweet treats promised.  But these foods never really delivered on the promise or the advertising.  Was I eating too fast?  I think so, but I also know that the food was empty of the nutrition my body so badly needed.

Empty promises.  Empty food.

But we grow up in a culture of greed, always wanting more.  So I ate more, hoping to feel satisfied.  It never happened.

People who diet by reducing their food intake often say that they feel a sense of loss and deprivation.  They think that they’re missing the food, when I believe they are in fact missing the promise of satisfaction, to which we’ve all become addicted.

I’ve never quite looked at it this way until I realized something recently.

For the first time in my life I am satisfied.

I am not yearning for anything.  My body is getting everything it needs in abundance.  My diet is free of the things that harm and interfere with my body’s processes and rich in the things that enable it to work cleanly and efficiently.  I have no cravings, because I’m getting everything I need.  I have no need for stimulants and artificial flavors because I have more energy than ever in my life and I can appreciate the subtle, delicious flavors of fresh, natural, whole foods.

It’s taken a while to reach this point and I don’t make a religion of it, but man, I feel good!

Light and free…