Weight Loss Guru

What's your favourite fruit?

I have a few and it seems to change throughout the year. At the moment I am really into pears. Did you know that this fruit inspired the Renaissance painters as they loved drawing still-life portraits of this fruit... I wonder if they liked eating them as well.

The Romans loved this fruit and would often carry them on their marches as they kept their freshness and taste so well.

So what's in a pear?

Well underneath its tender, nutritious skin, the pear is rich in vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and fibre. They are low in calories and taste really sweet.

One medium-sized pear meets more than a tenth of one's daily vitamin C needs. Vitamin C promotes health in the body and help fight free radical damage.

The flesh of this fruit contains virtually no sodium or saturated fat and is really rich in potassium.

Pears are also a great source of roughage as they are high in fibre, which, in turn, helps to keep our bowel movement smooth and regular.

Many great desserts include pears because they taste delicious when baked, roasted or fried.

So go on have a great pear today and let us know what you think of this great fruit!

If you pick up a magazine or newspaper; there's always a new idea on how to be healthy, a fad diet or celebrity endorsed fitness regime that claims to make you healthy and improve your life.

But the real truth is, experts consistently agree, that one of the simplest ways to maintain your health and improve the quality of your life is to eat a healthy balanced diet and have an active healthy lifestyle. We've been told this all our lives, from our parents, to medical science - as the old saying goes "an apple a day keeps the doctor at bay".

We've all heard countless times that were meant to have 5 portions of fruits or vegetables a day - at least (doctors are now saying we actually need more like 7 portions). It's not just a 'nice thing to do' - it's actually essential for maintaining a healthy body and mind.

If you're not having enough fruit and vegetables in your diet, you can feel tired, have difficulty concentrating, find it difficult to fight off coughs and cold and it can even make it harder to lose weight. And fruit and vegetables are even essential to your daily beauty regime - making your skin, hair and nails look good from the inside out.

But the reality is on a day-to-day basis; with our busy lives it can be incredibly difficult to achieve this daily requirement. And even if you are stocking up, because of the way we farm and transport our fruit and vegetables you can't always guarantee their quality and the amount of nutrients they contain.

And the irony is that because our lives are so busy, our bodies need an even more nutritionally rich and balanced diet. Some of you may have health kicks and stock up at your supermarket on fruits and veg, only to throw them away the next week when you haven't had time or the energy to eat or prepare them.

With this in mind we've been looking for easy ways to improve your health and get the nutrients you need and I think we've found it... with Juice Plus+®

Juice Plus+® is the next best thing to fruits and vegetables. It's a whole food-based nutritional support made using the highest quality, fruits, vegetables and other naturally sourced ingredients available. The fruits and vegetables are simply chilled, cleaned and washed, then juiced. The chilled juices are dried using specialised drying processes, which preserve phytonutrients and put in easy to take capsules.

Simply, these little capsules give you all the goodness from 7 fruits and 10 vegetables and grains.

Juice Plus+® Fruit Blend contains the essence of seven fruits including Apples, Oranges, Cranberries, Peaches, Pineapples, Papayas, Plums, dates and Juice Plus+® Vegetable Blend contains the essence of ten nutrient-dense vegetables and grains: carrots, parsley, beets, kale, broccoli, cabbage, spinach, tomatoes, and the fibre from rice and oats.

Can you imagine how difficult it would be to eat all of those fruits and vegetables everyday? Juice Plus+® offers you an all round solution, that's simple, effective and easy to take over time. It's even suitable for vegetarians, vegans and children.

To find out more or if you're interested please go to
http://www.juiceplus.co.uk/
and you can order online by clicking on the store

If you're also interested in weight-loss have a look at their product Juice Plus+ Complete® is a fortified protein rich high fibre drink containing 23 vitamins and minerals. Unlike protein based products it's free from artificial sweeteners, colours or flavours, doesn't include preservatives and is suitable for vegans. Mixed with water, juice or any type of milk it makes a healthy 'on the go' breakfast, pre-exercise energy drink and post-workout recovery drink.

Check out http://www.juiceplus.co.uk/ for more information

Enjoy, and stay healthy,
Pete :)

When I was at school, our biology teacher told us a story of what happens when you put a frog in boiling water. I have no idea why he did, but it’s interesting from a behavioural perspective. In the same way as if you or I were put in a bath of boiling water, the frog will jump straight out. He will then be petrified of going anywhere near the water because he knows how hot and uncomfortable it is, which is understandable. So how do you get a frog to stay in boiling water, assuming you have a good reason for doing that? Well, you put the frog in water of a comfortable temperature and then gradually heat up the water: the frog gets used to the rise in temperature so stays there even when the water is at boiling point. Unfortunately the frog is unlikely to be able to survive and will die but doesn’t jump out because he doesn’t realise how much danger he’s in because he’s got so used to it.

With the hundreds of people with whom I’ve worked, I see a similar pattern in how people look after their health: people collect unhealthy habits, none of which seem that bad in isolation but over time they add up to be really painful. Just as the frog doesn’t realise how the temperature of the water is getting dangerous, many people don’t realise how their gradual decline in health is dangerous. For example, someone may start by putting on a bit of weight; then their excess weight makes it harder for them to breathe; this is followed by high blood pressure; and they then end up with Type 2 diabetes. At each stage, it’s ‘one more thing to cope with’, ‘a bit of bad news’, or, simply, ‘bad luck’: but, rather like heating up the water one degree at a time, this person eventually finds themselves in boiling water but doesn’t realise how serious it is. If they had suddenly gone from fine to poor health overnight, they would have noticed the significant change in how they felt: but because their health problems have been gradually building up, they don’t realise how far removed they are from perfect health. The good news, however, is that, even when you’re sitting in boiling water, many health problems can be reversed simply by changing your behaviour

I do come across some strange things in my life - one of them was the other day when I walked past a sandwich shop only to see these packages of food. It kind of takes synthetic, processed foods to another level!

I am sure the real sandwiches in this shop were great but it got me thinking that so many people don’t realise that if they eat lots of packaged and processed foods that they’re probably not getting the necessary nutrients to be healthy.

You may have heard that apparently there are about as many obese people in the world as there are those who are starving. The difference between these groups is that one is overeating and one is under-eating: the similarity is that both are malnourished. Whilst those of us in the developed world have more than enough to eat, the food we’re eating is less nutritious than it used to be. In addition, we lead more stressful lives than we used to and our bodies need vitamins and minerals to help us recover from stress: so we are suffering both from how we live and what we eat, or rather what we don’t eat. Every process that takes place in our body (such as digestion, fat burning, thinking, breathing, walking and talking) requires vitamins and minerals. If we fill up on junk foods, processed foods, sugary foods, deep fried foods and takeaways all we deplete our body’s stores of nutrients. If we don’t replenish our stores, over time, we suffer from poor immunity and, ultimately, ill health; we’ll find it harder to concentrate and process information; we’ll have less energy; and we’ll find it more difficult to metabolise food and burn fat. The good news is that we can reverse this process. When we eat fresh, natural foods, we top up our stock of vitamins and minerals.

Let’s imagine for a minute or two that it’s mid-afternoon and you are hungry. You fancy a snack and you have two choices: an apple and a chocolate bar. What does each option give you? The apple will give you a steady release of energy; vitamin C, which is good for your skin, bones, blood and building immunity; potassium, which helps to regulate your water balance, blood pressure and your heartbeat; and fibre, which keeps your digestive system healthy and helps reduce the risk of colon cancer. The chocolate bar, on the other hand, will give you a sugar hit, which will cause your energy levels to crash; saturated fat, which increases your risk of heart disease – and nothing of any value. When you look at foods like this, don’t you think there’s little competition between them?

Food manufacturers refine foods to make them last longer and so they’re more profitable; but you deserve better than that. No matter what you might think about your body or how long you’ve been abusing it with poor quality food, your body deserves to have fresh, nutritious, natural food.

I visited my local health-food store recently and spotted this! Nice, a complete antidote to today's rising food costs - but: tough decision - what to choose..? My first thought was that this was the left-overs after a long line of free-food-foragers had taken their fill from the basket... But, if so, who leaves just one stick of rhubarb or one tomato?... and why is it all arranged so oddly...? It was just so surreal that i had to share it with you.

Can you guess what I took and why?... and what would you take and why? Answers on the back of a postcard please :)

In my last post, I was discussing the stuff we are made of and how important it is to eat food that helps our minds and bodies work to their optimum.

I know that, for so many people, this is easier said than done because as the pressures of modern day living increase, we can be left feeling squeezed from all directions. Many people respond to these pressures by reaching for food as a means of changing how they feel and a way of gaining an energy high. In a working environment, this may often be sugar or caffeine-laden, which can set in place an energy roller-coaster of highs and dips. If we use the motor car analogy, it is easy to ‘fill up’, but that doesn’t mean that we are nourishing ourselves. In essence, we are storing problems for later life.

Just because these products generate instantaneous energy and people use them, doesn’t mean they’re good for you. Relying on sugar doesn’t move you in the direction of generating energy from within. Sugar takes your power away by making you believe that you can’t do it alone. Before our minds became tainted with ideas of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ foods, we were able to tell what our body needed. I want to share with you a technique that will help you to regain this ability. Like any exercise, this needs to be practised until you naturally make healthy food choices based on your body's needs.

Think Before You Eat

First of all, think of a possible portion of food. Imagine smelling that food, tasting it, feeling it in your mouth and then imagine swallowing it.

• How would this food make you feel half an hour after you’ve eaten it and then an hour afterwards?
• What do you imagine this food looks like inside your body?
• Does it give you energy or take energy away?
• Do you feel tired or bloated?

If you think this is a food choice that your body needs and you think it will give you energy, put the item on to a mental list. However, if you don’t think this food will see you happily through the next few hours, then discard it.

Repeat the process with two or three other portions of food, or until you find something that feels right for you right now.

People who have used this technique over a period of time have found that they have rediscovered a better relationship with food and make better food choices.

You might also want to check out the 'Think Before You Eat' video resource from my weight-loss-program here at YouTube
See you again soon. Pete :)
 

Did you know that each one of us is made up of roughly:

63% water
22% protein
13% fat, and
2% minerals and vitamins

And, did you realise that every single molecule in our body comes from the food we eat and the water we drink. So eating the highest quality food in the right quantities helps us achieve our greatest potential for health and vitality.

Yet among the big news stories of the new millennium was this: the number of starving people in the world is now roughly equal to the number of clinically obese people. But the irony is that many people in the developed world are actually eating less than they used to, so what’s going on?

I have seen, over the last twenty years or so, that the quality of food we’re eating has got worse and there is now more focus on highly processed foods. The people I see in my one-to-one clinics and in workshops and seminars seem to be more stressed and very inactive. It appears that we are more obsessed with how we look rather than what we eat.

The sum total of this behavior is that we are gradually eating ourselves to death and, believe it or not, many people who are overweight are actually suffering from the same condition as people who are starving. Yes, MALNUTRITION, The reason being that the processed packaged food is often so heavily refined that it’s lacking in the vitamins and minerals we need for our bodies to work well.

Just as the quality and type of fuel used in your car influences both the performance and longevity of the engine, so the quality and type of food you eat influences the health, performance and longevity of your body.

If your diet contains lots of packaged and processed foods then chances are you are missing out on vital nutrients - so it’s time to cleanse your body. Every  single process that takes place in your body - including digestion, fat burning, thinking, breathing, walking and talking - requires vitamins and minerals.

When you eat fresh, natural foods, your stock of vitamins and minerals gets topped up: quite simply, when you eat well, your body works well.

As we lose touch with real ‘live’ food, it becomes harder to form the association with the vitamins and minerals in food and the realisation that we are alive because of them. Our body requires them to survive, so if we keep eating food that is lacking in them, our body’s stocks of these nutrients become depleted so we will start to malfunction and it will become increasingly harder to concentrate and process information. The  body will have less energy and it will find it more difficult to metabolise food and burn fat. That’s why junk foods are often called ‘anti-nutrients.’ They literally attack your stores of nutrients and damage your health.

So commit to giving your body what it needs, including good food and plenty of activity, and I will help you along the way, giving you encouragement, support and guidance.

Until next time

Here's some truely amazing feedback from Diane Stephenson - what a success story! Thanks Diane for sending this through and becoming an instant inspiration!...

P.S. Sorry i haven't been around much this mad month of May - so busy...
More blogging in June i promise!! :)

Hi there to you all,

There seems to be lots of people out there at the moment that are feeling under the weather so I want to suggest something to get you fighting fit as soon as possible; Chicken Soup.

I love chicken soup and it's one of the first things I ever remember eating, especially if I wasn't feel well. I love it especially when it's home made or even better made by my mum. It's nutritious, easy to make and delicious.

My mum used to go on about the healing powers of chicken soup and often referred to it as Jewish penicillin. But is it really an effective cure for the common cold?

Dr Stephen Rennard, a specialist in pulmonary medicine, put his wife's grandmother's recipe to the test. He concluded that chicken soup inhibits inflammation of the cells in the nasal passage, reducing the symptoms of a cold. Chicken soup also contains an amino acid that is similar to a drug used to treat some respiratory infections. Other doctors say that most soups promotes mucus secretions that "soothe sore throats and coughs, and trap bacteria".

What seems probable, however, is that while chicken soup doesn't cure a cold, it may alleviate some of the annoying symptoms that accompany a bug. At worst, the soup provides a hot, comforting meal and rehydration. So slurp up when you're feeling a little under the weather or you want a good comforting meal :)

So, I asked my mum to share with all of you, her very own recipe for chicken soup. Take it away mummy...

My Mum's Chicken Soup

Ingredients

• Chicken: You can use a fat boiling chicken or packets of chicken wings or drumsticks and/or a whole roasting chicken.
• 2 large onions, quartered, with the skins left on (helps to colour the soup)
• 2 carrots in chunks
• 1 leek, sliced
• Celery stalks & leaves cut in large slices
• Parsley
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt and pepper

• Turnips and/or parsnips
• Sliced fresh ginger
• Some strands of saffron (again helps to colour the soup)
• A very small piece of shin of beef (ask your butcher) - this seems to give a "kick" to the final product
  

I do vary the recipe according to what I have in the house at the time and how I feel when I'm buying the ingredients.  In this way, it never tastes the same - they say variety is the spice of life and I enjoy tasting the different ways that the soup turns out !

Put the chicken (and beef if used) in a large pot and add water to cover plus a bit more.  Bring to the boil and remove any scum.  Then add the vegetables and seasoning.  Simmer, covered, on a very low heat for 2 1/2 hours, adding water if necessary.

If you are using a whole chicken, lift it out after about an hour, remove the meat so as not to overcook it and keep it moistened with a little soup for a second course.  Return the carcass and bones to the pot and continue cooking for another hour or so.  If you are using a boiling chicken, it needs at least two hours' cooking.

Strain the soup.  If you want to remove the fat floating on the top, you can mop it up with kitchen paper or make the soup a day ahead and keep it covered in the fridge, then skim off the congealed fat with a spoon.  Serve very hot, sprinkled if you like, with a little finely chopped parsley.

And if you really want excitement - try these:

Matzo Balls

• 2 eggs separated
• 75g. (3 oz.) medium matzo meal (most supermarkets stock this)
• Salt
  

Beat the egg whites stiff.  Fold in the lightly beaten yolks, then the matzo meal and salt, and continue to mix gently until amalgamated.  Chill, covered for 30 minutes.  Then roll into 2 cm (3/4 inch) balls and drop into plenty of boiling, salted water.  Simmer for about 20 minutes.  You will see them swell and rise to the top of the pan.  Just before serving, heat them up, then lift them out and drop them into the boiling soup.  If you try to cook the matzo balls in the soup rather than the water, they will soak up the soup and you will end up with far less soup than you had before !

Or you could buy a packet of Matzo Ball mix from a delicatessen or kosher grocer - then all you have to do is follow the instructions on the packet.

ENJOY!

THE AVERAGE BRIT SPENDS 5 ½ MONTHS IN THEIR LIFETIME WORRYING ABOUT THEIR SNACKING HABITS!

I was recently asked to be a spokesman for The Fair Trade Nut Company. They wanted me to comment on their research that reveals Britain is a nation of ‘underground snackers'. The research shows that the average Brit spends an astonishing five and a half months in their lifetime worrying about these ‘indulgences’.

Snacking has become a well-hidden secret for the nation with nearly one in two (49%) of respondents admitting that they consciously choose to eat between meals when no one else is around. More than a quarter (27%) go a step further to conceal their covert snacking by hiding wrappers from loved ones.

It seems as a nation we have cause to worry; over two thirds of UK adults admit to regularly helping themselves to crisps, biscuits and chocolate between meals. The majority (84%) snack once or twice a day but a very peckish 12% snack three or more times a day.

Despite all the worrying and secrecy, snacking makes just a quarter of people happy, 32% said their between meal treats made them feel instantly guilty, a further 23% said it made them feel naughty.

It appears that the healthy eating messages we all see and read every day haven’t had the required effect. They have sent the average snacker underground, sneakily eating when no one is around with some even stashing their wrappers out of sight, rather than encouraging us towards healthier eating habits. The underground snackers make it even worse for themselves by worrying themselves silly about their diet. The truth is; there is nothing wrong with having a couple of snacks a day. But, if people want to lose weight and eat healthier then more of these snacks need to be a healthy protein-based snack like nuts, seeds, or fresh/dried fruit. By replacing your un-healthy snacks you’re giving your body an excellent nutritious boost between meals, which keeps you alert and energized, rather than the super-high followed by an energy-slump that you get from eating snacks that are loaded with calories, are often processed (packed full of nasties), and will spike your blood sugar levels.

The research highlighted that the main trigger to snacking is not hunger but boredom – nationally 51% of respondents claimed they reach for a quick bite when tedium gets the better of them.

It’s important to eat when you are hungry and not go for long periods without eating foods, as this causes our blood sugar levels to drop and our bodies then desire instant energy. These quick energy foods including; fizzy drinks, cakes, chocolates and crisps are so readily available and just too easy-to-grab in times of need. I suggest that you carry with you, or have to hand, snacks that will keep you satisfied and give you good energy and nutrients when you need them. I keep a mixture of nuts, seeds, and dried fruit in a little plastic container in my car and in my bag, and I always make sure I keep it topped up.

Remember to only eat small amounts of nuts at one time as they tend be high in fat. Also it’s best to go for the unsalted and un-roasted variety.

What's in your snack stash? Or do you admit to being an unhealthy 'underground snacker'?
And what about in the US? - Surely you're a bit more chilled-out about this sort of thing? Or not?