Fried Rice “Noodles”

TESTIMONY OF THE DAY

If you need a little encouragement to start the year off right, please read this testimony from a client who travels about 3 weeks out of the month, has a wife and a toddler, and still finds time to prepare meals. He lost 35.5 pounds in 45 days just by changing a few things.

“Maria,

Many of those that have posted have struck a chord with my situation before starting with you.  The “dark” side of my story was intentionally left out because I’m not at my goal yet.  For now, I just keep myself focused on results and not how or why–especially since it’s difficult to exist in the “what if I didn’t have a friend that helped me?”

It is humbling to see how much trust you place in your clients and how much hope and faith they have in you!  There were some posters that touched on similar concerns to mine, so I wanted to clarify in the hope that others may see how working with you can simplify, not complicate; can be cheap, not expensive.

1.  I did NOT cook for most of my progression.  I suck at cooking.  I had to ask my wife how to hard boil eggs.  Seriously.   So MY weight loss was not dependent on baking or cooking skills.  Your recipes impacted my enjoyment and spare time, but my weight loss was not dependent on a magic recipe.  And I built up to them.  With that said, I can see how some people would see an immediate benefit from substituting your healthified stuff.  But for someone that is on the road, eats out or just can’t cook–don’t worry.  Maria’s plan works incredibly well in that reality that so many of us live in.

2.  When my son and I cook, it’s often easy stuff like fried eggs or my new hard-boiled egg recipe (egg + boiling water).  I thought I’d be late to work, but it literally takes 15 minutes to start to finish.  Okay, sometimes longer if we decide to sing.  My waffle maker was $50.  Made that back in one skipped trip to Sunday buffet.  Your pancakes are like $2.50 and were breakfast for 3 days.

3.  My progress and your plan for me was 100% INDEPENDENT of the source of food.  Eggs were eggs.  The chicken was chicken.  I did NOT need to find cage-free, organic DHA ratio eggs from Chickens that did yoga every morning.

4.  I took the past 1.5 to 2 months to learn WHILE doing.  You have now recommended 4-5 books that I read while exercising.  And YouTubes and postings.  But if I waited to learn, I’d still be where I was.  Maybe even more depressed.  I imagine a lot of people are like how I am in many many ways but chose not to be with this.  I would read to find fault or problems.  To blame an industry or food.  I came to realize that even if all of that is true, so what?  It’s not about them, it’s about me.

5.  I did not try to change anyone but me.  We had meals where son, wife, and I all ate different things.  So what?  Is that ideal–no.  But who cares?  You know what–son started asking for what “papa” was eating.  Salsa (Pace) over ketchup.  Then mustard over salsa.  Then eggs over toast.  Now mustard on eggs.   And mustard on waffles.  Eventually, that’s where the baking and recipes helped…and that was key for me.

6.  Your plan SAVED me money.  I saved on snack foods not because I chose to not eat them–but because I did not need to snack.  I have an $8 bag of almonds in my pantry that I bought 2 months ago–and am only now down to the bottom.  I used to spend $15/day on snacks throughout the day.

7.  It was far easier for me to use your system of the basic meals first, then build.  I didn’t focus on what I couldn’t eat–just on what I could.  I built a meal only from known things–especially helpful when on the road.  “When in doubt, leave it out.”  I was stunned that I would get full and satisfied throughout the day so I didn’t even feel like I missed anything.

8.  Here’s a true story–I started to pass on airline meals.  I’ve had two flight attendants tell me “Good for you” in a very sincere way.  One explained how she fasts while flying.  This WILL happen to anyone that does your plan–you will find camaraderie in the oddest places.

9.  I have an ego and associated my willingness to try any local food with business success and whatever.  That was totally in my head.  There are just as many, if not more, people that I work with that have endeared themselves to me because I opted to jog along the oceanside rather than eat a local potato.

10.  Mentally, it was important for me to paint a picture quickly.  After a couple of days of seeing the mental shift and energy level, I tried consciously to act as though I was already there.  What you helped me focus on was things like sleep, stress, and reading.  I was, therefore, making decisions from a positive place and not out of the victim, sufferer, tired/cranky, etc..

Anyway, Maria thanks for all your help and I’m looking forward to my own home stretch to my goal.  Looking forward to trying even more of the recipes with my son who’s already asking me for your chocolate donuts!  ‘Papa, Nutritious AND Delicious!’   He’s one smart low-carb cookie!”

Click HERE to start your journey to a keto-adapted diet!

 

THYROID FACTS

We all would like to blame the thyroid when it comes to weight gain. The thyroid isn’t just responsible for weight gain or loss, it also contributes to how well we sleep, it produces stomach acid, can cause high cholesterol, and helps with the absorption of nutrients. Studies show that the thyroid isn’t going to make us gain 100 pounds, it really is only responsible for 5-12 pounds of weight gain if it is malfunctioning. Instead of focusing just on weight, there are some serious issues that can happen because of a thyroid issue.

There are a few main causes of thyroid issues:

1. It could be an iodine deficiency. This is a simple thing to fix. Get iodine tested if TSH is over 3.

2. Excess Bromide, (I suggest a blood test for this!). Excess bromides are endocrine disrupters which can be found in:

a. Strawberries due to the massive amounts in the pesticides sprayed on them
b. Citrus drinks like Mountain Dew, Fresca, Gatorade,
c. Medications: inhalers, nasal spray, as well as others
d. Bread (it is a dough conditioner)
e. Plastics
f. Others include: hot tubs, fire retardants and swimming pool cleaners

3. An autoimmune disorder, such as Hashimoto’s (under-active thyroid) or Graves (overactive thyroid): Thyroid nodules (cancerous or not) are often precursors to autoimmune thyroid disorders. I would request thyroid antibodies run (TPO and thyroglobulin if you have hypothyroid symptoms) (TPO, thyroglobulin, and TSI if hyperthyroid symptoms). This often happens after giving birth. During pregnancy, the immune system starts to change and circulate to protect the fetus. Once the fetus is born, the mother develops antibodies against her thyroid. In this case, adding 200mcg selenium while pregnant is not only very safe for the mother and fetus, it also lowers the autoimmune response after giving birth.

It is extremely important to know what is causing the thyroid issue before you begin any medication prescribed by your doctor. If it is an autoimmune disorder, then you would like to work with a person like myself who knows how to treat autoimmune disorders. If you decide to just jump into medication, then start to eat correctly to control the autoimmune response, you most likely will be taking too high of a dose. Once you address and eliminate what is causing the autoimmune response, we can most likely lower the dose.

If you take too much thyroid hormone and your TSH falls below 1.5 this can cause bone loss and other issues. Inflammation is the main cause of bone loss. This is why you need to address WHY first.

Another question I get is what is the best medication to take. Well, that really depends. If TSH is high, but t4 is normal the prescription medications called Synthroid or Levothyroxine are just going to give you more t4 which will help a little because there is more to give but not solve the problem. The problem is converting t4 to t3. This conversion doesn’t happen in the thyroid, it happens in the gut and the liver. Levothyroxine and Synthroid won’t help much. Armor would be better because it has t4 and t3.

But if it is low t4, some people do better on synthetic medicine (Synthroid and Levothyroxine) because of the fillers in natural medication (Armor). A few years ago everyone became upset because armor “changed their formula” but they didn’t change the amount of t3 or t4. They change their binding agents and just by doing that, many people reacted terribly. Some of these binders are cornstarch and gluten! No wonder! Those are common food allergens that can cause autoimmune responses.

In the case of a thyroidectomy, it is like removing gum from the bottom of your shoe. There is still some thyroid present. The thyroid is in a venerable area. In the case of Hashimoto’s (cancerous or non-cancerous nodules), there will still be antibody production against that small amount. You need to address the foods causing autoimmune responses.

Now, what is really interesting, is that there is a common misconception in the paleo world that increasing carbs is required for thyroid conditions or conversion of T4 to T3. I have had many many clients with a T3 conversion issue heal with proper supplementation (such as selenium, kelp, and other nutrients their thyroid is screaming for) heal in a matter of months.

What is also interesting is that the thyroid produces stomach acid. If you are deficient in hydrochloric acid you can’t absorb the nutrients for bone health and thyroid function. A helpful supplement would be HCL with pepsin 500-700mg caps before meals.

In cases where you have the autoimmune disorder, Hashimoto’s or Graves, it is important to optimize glutathione status (click HERE to find), I suggest to optimize your vitamin D level, add in low-dose naltrexone (LDN) to help immune status. LDN works by blocking opioid receptors so the pituitary will somewhat normalize and the immune system functions better.

Also, adding in selenium which essential for the conversion of T4 to T3, which is the active form of thyroid hormone. You can eat 2 to 3 Brazil nuts a day or to ensure the proper amount, I recommend you can take a supplement: Click HERE to find.

Zinc also is responsible for converting T4 to the activated T3. I suggest 30-50mg zinc at breakfast (but note that as you increase zinc, it can cause nausea… slowly increase this). Click HERE to find.

GLA is an activated fatty acid that supports thyroid health. I prefer women to take 1,300mg of Evening Primrose Oil three times a day to help with hormone balance. Click HERE to find.

I also would seriously consider investing in a Reverse Osmosis water filter to get rid of all chlorine and fluoride in the water you drink. Click HERE to find.

If you or someone you know could use more help with their thyroid, Click here to get started on your journey to health!

 Miracle Noodles are a super tasty way to cut the carbs!

 

3 cups daikon (into noodle shapes) OR Miracle Noodles
1 cup pork, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp stevia glycerite
2 TBS minced garlic
1 tsp chili powder
1 egg
2 TBS wheat-free tamari (soy) sauce (or coconut aminos)
2 TBS oyster sauce
1 TBS fish sauce (optional)
Celtic sea salt and pepper to taste
1 cup Bean sprouts (if desired)

Peel and cut daikon with the veggie cutter (click HERE to find it on Amazon) or by hand to resemble noodles. In a wok heat a little coconut oil. Add pork, stir fry until golden brown. Add garlic, chili, for 3-5 minutes. Then add stevia. Slowly add the egg, and scramble until the egg is fried. Add tamari sauce to keep stirring for 3 minutes or until fragrant. Stir the Daikon “noodles” and the rest of the ingredients. Stir until all “noodles” are coated by the sauce. If desired, add bean sprout, mix well, and enjoy!

NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per cup)
Traditional Rice Noodles = 192 calories, 43.8 carbs, 1.2g fiber
“Healthified” Daikon Noodles = 30 calories, 2 carbs, 1 fiber