Mint Ice Cream

TESTIMONY OF THE DAY

From a phone client who is a bodybuilder and was stuck at a plateau:

“Good morning!! I have great news!! Even though I am still waiting for the results from my blood work I weighed myself this morning and I lost 3.5 pounds since Wednesday!! I don’t know why I wasn’t losing weight before I haven’t changed anything. I have been feeling great too, I don’t think I’ve had anxiety at all this past week!! Thank you!!” Jessica

If you want to get past your plateau, click HERE to get started!  You deserve it!

MY TESTIMONY

When my dog, Teva, started losing her hair in patches, the first thing my veterinarian asked me was, “What are you feeding her?” Yes! What a good question! But you know what? I have never been asked that question at the doctor. Not once. Not even when I was a teenager suffering from IBS and acid reflux. I was just given a prescription. Nothing frustrates me more than getting a Band-Aid for the symptoms and not addressing the underlying cause of my issues which is why this job is so important to me. I want people to start feeling amazing, eliminate migraines, get off cholesterol-lowering drugs, increase serotonin naturally, balance hormones to alleviate PMS; and do it with food and natural supplements. That is how I become a happy and healthy person I finally became after years of IBS, estrogen dominance, and low moods.

In my “before” photo, I was 15 years old on a camping trip in Colorado. I already lost 12 pounds in this photo due to giardia (a parasite in the water), but you get the idea that at age 15 I was going down the wrong path. I decided enough was enough and I was like everyone and thought I needed a caloric deficit in order to lose weight. So I took up running. My love for movement and exercise did not come easily for me. Sure, I liked to play as a kid, but when it came to phys-ed, let’s just say I wasn’t the first kid picked to be on any team. I still remember when I was in middle school, pacing back and forth in my parents’ yard and contemplating how to get out of the dreaded “mile run” that I had to do in phys-ed the next day. My anxiety about this was getting the best of me. I remember thinking how I could break my leg so I didn’t have to run because if I were just to say that I was sick that day, the teacher would just make me run it the next week. I had to think of something more long term. Not wanting to actually break my leg, how could I fake a broken leg? All of these ridiculous ideas went through my head!

Eventually, I started to like running and I ran at least 11 miles daily and was still 150 pounds (at 5’2). I often ran in the morning and then another run in the afternoon. I also started training for marathons. What gives? I ate Special K with skim milk for breakfast and dinner, dried fruit for lunch and still was too heavy for my frame. Sure, once the weekend hit, I was so hungry, I ate junk. It was impossible to balance my neurotransmitters and control my cravings on a diet like that!

As I learned more about nutrition, neurotransmitters like serotonin, and the ketogenic lifestyle, I started to switch my running to lifting weights and yoga. I do run a bit in the morning, but the neighbors all laugh at me because I am usually looking down at my phone answering emails! It is a relaxing run. 

I’m telling you about my exercise regime because I want you to realize that it is NOT about calories in and calories out. Albert Einstein’s definition of insanity = doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results, yet we all seem to be succumb to this lie. Our bodies are more complex than that. It isn’t a simple answer. Our hormones and mitochondria determine our fat loss and fat gain. I want you to know that you do not have to kill yourself at the gym in order to lose weight. I certainly was sick of running all the time and living off of diet food like fat-free pretzels; which, are higher on the glycemic index than jelly beans!

Anyway, my testimony is to help you feel encouraged and empowered to take control and understand that you deserve this and you do not have to live off of salads or live at the gym. If you are willing to take the time to prepare meals, even if they are slow cooker meals, you CAN do this! You deserve to feel amazing too!

I look forward to seeing all of your “after” photos!” – Maria

CHOCOPERFECTION CHOCOLATE

ChocoPerfection bars use the sweeteners oligofructose, which is derived from ground-up chicory root, and erythritol, which comes from fermented natural foods. These ingredients don’t affect insulin levels (zero on the glycemic index) or have a laxative effect like maltitol. Most “low carb” chocolates use maltitol which does increase blood sugar and often causes intestinal discomfort. So, here’s to chocolate on a “diet!”

 Click HERE to find all “healthified” chocolates. 

I often get questions about the cost of the ingredients I recommend. I calculated the price for my ice cream recipe with all the top-notch ingredients like organic coconut oil and farm-raised free-range eggs. The results:

You can also buy most of the ingredients I use in bulk and store in a chest freezer to lower the cost even more! Eating healthy costs you a lot less in the long run due to medical bills but it can cost less now versus buying pre-packaged at the grocery store!