In my house there’s a phrase I hear quite often…

“Oh, my back hurts!”

Why?

Because my dear old husband, Stewart, suffers from back pain… just like more than half of all U.S. adults

Yes, we can lay some blame on college football and a desk job that keeps him seated for more than 8 hours a day. But there are a lot of factors that make the situation worse and, luckily, a lot of things that can be done to make the situation better.

One thing Stewart always does say is when he’s eating really well and staying away from “junky” foods his back feels much, much better. (What do you mean? Isabel’s husband doesn’t eat perfectly all the time?) Nope, definitely not (sorry sweetie, I just ratted you out).

Some people would say this may be because the more weight you’re carrying around on your body, the more strain you are putting on your back. Yes, this is true, but my husband is not overweight, so there must be something else to this.

The reason? (more…)

If you’re anything like me (and thousands of other people), your whole life comes to a screeching halt at the mere mention of a chocolate cake, key lime pie or a chocolate chip cookie.

Yes, I love me a delicious dessert every now and again, but I know that in order to maintain my 30 pound weight loss and continue to enjoy life in a healthy body, it’s just not something I can do on a regular basis. (Bummer!)

So I’ve come up with a few strategies that help me curb my nasty sweet tooth when it rears its ugly head…baked apples with cinnamon in the oven, herbal tea sweetened with stevia, or fruit salad with a little raw honey drizzled on top.

But sometimes these just don’t cut it for some people. They’re looking for a yummy piece of cake or cookie or brownie. Is there any way to have that and still keep it healthy?

I decided to do a little research and figure out some good ways to bake and create some healthy and delicious desserts without all of the usual sugar and flour that goes into making most of them.

I was so excited to share these recipes with you today that I haven’t gotten the chance to try them out myself yet (but now you know what I will be doing this weekend).

Give some of these a try and then be sure to email me so we can compare notes. I’m also going to ask my husband to give me his honest opinion on them (Poor guy, he will be sampling desserts all weekend, don’t you feel bad for him?)

DSP Brownies

Chocolate Cookies

Strawberry Shortcake

Please remember that even though these desserts are far better than most store bought or bakery treats, they should still be eaten in moderation. One piece or treat 1-2 times per week is enough to satisfy anybody’s sweet craving and will not deter you from continuing to achieve your weight loss and health goals.

Ok, now I’m off to bake. Happy baking and have a great weekend!

In health and happiness,

Isabel De Los Rios
www.TheDietSolutionProgram.com

  

Your Multi-Vitamin – to take or not to take…that is the question.

I really don’t believe that there is any way any chemist or company could possibly take all of the benefits out of whole fruits and vegetables and wrap them all up in a tiny capsule (I don’t care how many A’s you got in chemistry). Not to mention the fact that our bodies were really designed to absorb vitamins and minerals from food itself, not from some man-made product.

But…here is the problem with my point of view. Not everyone is a veggie and fruit lover like myself. Let’s take my husband for example. He absolutely hates vegetables. I mean he practically goes running in the opposite direction at the site of something green (unless its romaine lettuce which he claims is just a good medium to eat my homemade salad dressing…ok, I’ll take that as a compliment.)

In a case like this, I have to surrender my views and accept that the only way someone who does not get in the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables in one day is to take a high quality multi-vitamin each and every day. Otherwise, they may run the risk of being highly deficient in many vitamins, minerals and nutrients that are essential for a healthy body (as well as feeling good each day.)

Now the key word here is “high quality”.

I see way too many people picking up their supplements at the local grocery store or pharmacy and thinking they are doing something healthy for themselves. Well, I’m not here to bash any name brands specifically, but many of these “big name” products are really just made from cheap ingredients and even contain artificial fillers and preservatives that can be doing your body more harm than good.

Why would they do that?

It’s a lot easier to sell your products at a cheap price if you don’t spend the money on the good stuff, right? Again, I’m not into bashing anybody, but many times you really do get what you pay for.

With that being said, I also am not suggesting you spend thousands on your multi (I know I sure can’t). But what I am saying is that the “cheapy” supermarket brands are really not the way to go and we should all be purchasing our multis (and all of our supplements for that matter) from a reputable company.

That takes me to my next point. Many of these products are made by big companies where their employees and even chemists are not as “on top of” the quality of their products as much as they should be. In some cases, these companies do not just specialize in supplements but they make everything from toothpaste to hair gel. I don’t know about you but I want to buy my supplements from a company that focuses only on nutrition supplements. I’d rather not risk that chance of there being hair gel in my multi (ok, maybe that wouldn’t happen…or could it?)

The next question is…Is it better to take your multi in a capsule, powder or liquid form for optimum absorption?

Some might say that taking it in the form of a liquid would result in the vitamins and minerals being more quickly absorbed into the blood stream. Others would argue that nutrients can remain more stable in a pill or powder form. There is some truth to both of these but I have found the differences to be negligible and the quality of the ingredients to be much more important that the form it comes in. Even if your liquid multi was going to be better absorbed, if the ingredients used were not the best of the best, than what are you really absorbing anyway? Possibly not something good.

When looking for a high quality multi-vitamin, here are a few points I want you to consider: (more…)

  

You know if I had a nickel for every time somebody asked me “Isabel, what supplements should I be taking?”, I swear, I’d be rich (and lying on the beach in Bermuda right now…or the Bahamas…I’m not picky.)

People are so confused and, sometimes, a bit too hung up on the supplement thing. Many times they are missing the big picture.

There’s really no sense in overloading your body with a bunch of pills if you are not following the essential principles of healthy living. You would be better off focusing your efforts on getting your eating plan and your exercise regimen under control before worrying about which supplements do what or which ones may give you a “quick fix” to anything…comprende?

Now with that being said, I do agree that there are some supplements that we can be taking that do add great benefit to any meal plan (and some even help burn fat..good news right?)

That’s why I’ve decided to dedicate the next several newsletters to answering your most pressing questions about a handful of the most popular supplements out there (some good, some bad).

Most of you already know that I am a big fan and a big proponent of taking a fish oil supplement each and every day. The benefits of a high quality fish oil are endless (as I’ve written about in the FATS chapter of your Diet Solution Manual) and really should be a part of anyone’s nutrition plan…women, men, children…everyone.

I also think we can all benefit greatly from ingesting enough antioxidants each day. And if you are not getting them from food, you’ll need to supplement for those as well. Just in case you missed it, I explain the benefits and power of antioxidants in great detail here: Are These Really Magic Foods

Prograde is where I buy all of my own supplements and where I send my readers and clients. They are a company you can trust and really provide one of the best fish oil and antioxidant products available.

To read about their high quality fish oil supplement, you can go to this page: http://fishoilforyou.getprograde.com/icon

To read about their great antioxidant supplement, you can go to this page:
http://fishoilforyou.getprograde.com/longevity

Stay tuned…more supplement facts to come.

In health and happiness,

Isabel De Los Rios
www.TheDietSolutionProgram.com

  

There’s a topic that many people don’t talk about. It’s not something you discuss at the water cooler and definitely not a conversation you bring up at parties.

What am I talking about?

The “Poop” conversation…(Oh goodness. Is Isabel really going to talk about Poop?)

Yes I am, so brace yourselves. Because there are an incredible amount of people walking around constipated and uncomfortable and many don’t know what to do about it.

What constitutes constipation? Well, you are constipated if you have 1 or less bowel movements each day (Uh Oh, did I just describe you?)

Why does this happen?

For several reasons…

It may be that you have just transitioned your eating from one that was NOT “oh so healthy” to your new healthy nutrition plan. Because you are probably, now, feeding your body more fruits, vegetables and natural foods that contain more healthy fiber, your body is trying to get used to it and adjust.

This may not be the only reason you may be experiencing constipation. One of the most common reasons people have a hard time with “number 2″ is that they are dehydrated. If your colon is not absorbing enough water, it will not be able to push the bad stuff out.

You know what happens to this bad stuff? It stays inside you, making you extremely uncomfortable, fatigued, and worst of all…prevents you from losing weight!

Yes, if you have a toxic build up inside your colon, it makes it extremely difficult for your body to absorb nutrients and burn bad fat off your body.

Now those are just 2 of the many reasons you may be experiencing constipation…there are many more. The more important question is how do you tackle this uncomfortable problem?

I am not going to recommend some laxative or even some natural herbal formula. Many of these supplements can be extremely harmful and send you sprinting to the bathroom. Not to mention make it quite difficult to leave the house (imagine drinking way too much prune juice.)

Here are some easy and natural ways you can combat the old Pooping problem: (more…)