Slim, Strong & Sexy Blueprint Program

The Slim, Strong & Sexy Forever Blueprint

The world’s most clear path, science-based weight loss program ever developed

Just 9 Steps to Lose 20 lbs in 12 weeks without starving, or giving up your favorite foods or wine, so you can live a more

Joyous, fulfilling, empowered life in your new

Slim, Strong & Sexy Body Forever.

Yes! I want the Slim, Strong & Sexy Forever Blueprint

BOOK A FREE 30 MIN CALL to get started or find out more

Real People. Real Stories

‘I tried Keto, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, HCG Diet – you name it. I tried it. Here’s what actually worked!’

‘Losing Weight Over 60 IS possible! Although it can feel impossible to lose those stubborn pounds, this amazing plan is proving we can all reach our ideal weight no matter how old we are.’

Are you tired of starving yourself to get slim, stressed thinking you should workout when you have little time, feeling anxious and depressed trying to figure this out ALL on your own?

That was me!

I went from a Starving Skinny Fat in my 30’s to Slim, Strong & Feeling Sexy in my 50’s!

I didn’t want you to struggle as I did for all those years…..

So I decided to share this with you…

I created a clear 9-step path to help you reach your Ideal Weight that’s

100% science-backed and 20 yrs experience
Free of all fake news, false claims, fads, and gimmicks
Honest, ethical, high integrity, and never misleading
Completely sustainable
So much more than the one-size-fits-all advice you’ve heard 100s of times before
Most importantly, packed full of actually what works to get results… in the fastest and most sustainable NO BS way possible.

Before I tell you exactly what’s in the program, let’s get clear on if this is right for you…

This Program is NOT for you if…

You have a mental illness
You have active Cancer
You’re looking to go back to a junk food diet after the 12 weeks are up
You only focus on the weight on the scale and not the 9 steps to get you there

This Program IS for you if…

You eating well and exercising but still wondering why you just can’t lose weight…
You feel like you’re doing everything right, but the scale won’t budge…
You’ve hit a weight loss plateau and can’t figure out how to lose those last twenty pounds…
You have pre-existing health conditions that you need a qualified Nutritionist to help with
You like the human touch, instead of all that frustrating tech and apps
You want to get healthy to lose the weight

Then this is the program for you!

The Slim, Strong & Sexy Forever Blueprint is the MOST clearest path to optimize your body composition.

It’s not just a diet. It’s not just an exercise program.

It is a complete 9 step plan covering the most important steps you need to take in the right order you need to take them.

This is what it truly takes to bust through plateaus and experience the joy in effortless and forever fat loss.

Whether this is your 1st or 10th attempt at losing weight.

Whether you’re overworked and stressed or retired and free as a bird.

If you’re over 40, overweight and embarrassed about how you look, or you just want to get a few pounds leaner.

This is especially powerful and game-changing if you are Pre-menopausal or Menopausal (the BEST TIME of your life is waiting for you)

The Slim, Strong & Sexy Forever Blueprint will teach you how to work with your body and heal the temple that IS your body – at an intra-cellular level – so you can permanently lose fat while keeping more muscle.

And IN JUST 12 WEEKS, you’ll do this safely and without any negative side effects or any crazy restrictions, you can’t stick with.

Let me help you let go of your old ways of doing things and give you a NEW, clear plan – that’s based on 20 years of experience, blending ancestral wisdom with cutting-edge science – that will get you the body you’ve been dreaming of…

For those that like working on Mind-Body-Spirit. This is especially for you.

It’s a whole-body systematic approach.

One that gets you healthy first to lose weight and feel great.

All step by step. One week at a time.

What People Say About The Slim, Strong & Sexy Forever Blueprint

I HAVE GONE DOWN TWO SIZES!!!

I have gone down two sizes and feel better than I have in years, I turn 50 in two weeks and had the paradigm, like so many people, that as I got older, losing weight was impossible. That’s just not true. When I discovered the metabolic imbalances I had and worked on correcting them, the cravings left….if I can do it, anyone can.

Diane N.

I FINALLY HAVE MORE CONFIDENCE

“I’ve been working with a coach [Michale Hartte] and her program for 7-weeks now, and in addition to my clothes feeling looser, I have the confidence and knowing that this program will be the one that works over the long-haul. It just feels different, like it gets to the root of the matter. Already, I have more energy and easier digestion.

Amazingly, I’m not fearing the holiday food fests that are upon us for the next two months. I really feel more in control and like [that] I have lots of support to stay on track.”

Tanja K.

INCREDIBLE ENERGY AND WEIGHT LOSS

…… the self assessment test in the workbook created by an awesome nutritionist [Michale Hartte] takes you through questions to assess if you have any of 6 potential metabolic imbalances.

My thyroid was off which was not diagnosed by any physician because my blood tests always came back normal. But this nutritionists’ [Michale Hartte] awareness of how low body temperature affects the thyroid and hence every other part of the body, she recommended a simple solution and I have now increased my body temperature by over 2 points and now have the energy to do things I couldn’t do only months ago. ….To my amazement, I released 2 inches on my waist, 2 inches on my hips and 1 inch each on my thighs. I was shocked!”

These results are the power of this Program.

Teresa W.

Just 9 Steps will get you there. And I am with you every step of the way

Get a jump start to 2021 with Your Best Body and Confidence to Live Your Best Life!

Slim down – Get strong – Look and feel Sexy

Only 10 Women excepted

Email askmichale@gmail.com to apply.

Learn about real health and expand your knowledge to what is possible with a simple 9-week formula.

Learn it! Live it! Love it!

Yes! I want the Slim, Strong & Sexy Forever Blueprint

BOOK A FREE 30 MIN CALL to get started or find out more

Top 3 Reasons Why You’re Not Getting Results With Your ‘Healthy’ Diet

by hartteuser Leave a Comment

Thousands of people are getting results on a higher fat, low carb, moderate protein style diet. They’re dropping excess weight, thinking better, and having new found energy. But what about those of you who are NOT getting results?

You’re following a ‘healthy diet’, full of colorful vegetables, lots of good fats and enough protein to meet your needs. You’ve stopped eating sugar and processed packaged foods (or kept these at an absolute minimum) and even started to exercise more.

But you’re STILL struggling! Feeling like it’s not made much of a difference! The scale hasn’t budged and you’re still tired!

Take Kelly for example:

Kelly was already following a healthy, whole foods diet, however, she still wasn’t reaching her personal health goals.

After diving in deeper, I found a few missing pieces that turned this all around for her.

In just 10 days, she was finally able to get fast results.

It was like the light switch turned on, her body responded and she got what she wanted from her new health regime.

All that work was finally paying off!

You’ll learn about these in just a few short minutes.

Are you someone still struggling with your diet? Have you been on a higher fat diet (think Paleo, Keto, FODMAPS, or GAPS) and STILL NOT getting results?

Top 3 Reasons Why You’re Not Getting Results On A ‘Healthy Diet’

1. You are not taking enough of a ‘break’ from eating.

I call this FEED WELL, FAST WELL. Magic happens when you don’t eat! Not eating, allows your body to stop digesting and start doing these two things:

The first is – burn your stored body fat as fuel! YES, BINGO! You burn fat! This is game changing for those looking to attain a better body composition. Body fat is really just food energy stored away for later use. When you don’t eat, your body grabs from it’s body fat stores and uses it for energy.

Not only that, you’ve effectively lowered your inflammation – the key driver to all chronic disease.

In time, your body simply becomes more metabolically efficient and you feel this as more energy , better mood, and ready for a more productive day.

The second is – recycle old warn out proteins for new healthier ones! Commonly referred to as autophagy, this is when your body has a chance to get rid of old worn out cells and make healthier, more robust ones. Think of this process as building Lego. Using old non functional shaped pieces from other Lego sets to build a brand new functional design.

Your body is much the same. Breaking down old worn out, crappy proteins into it’s components , amino acids and then using them to rebuild newer, more functional proteins.

Getting into a better body shape can be as easy as taking breaks from eating! For my clients, I recommend a daily practice of fasting 14 hours from dinner to breakfast. (for those that have heard of the term, intermittent fasting, this is the same thing). And it’s easy. Many clients report back, that by just having 1 litre of water first thing in the morning alongside their organic coffee or green tea, all before their first meal of the day, they start seeing their body change to a leaner, healthier, fitter person.

If you take anything from this article – I highly suggest you hydrate first thing in the morning, remain in a fasted state, and eat your first meal ONLY when truly hungry. This for most people is 12 to 14, even 16 hours! And – it’s a good thing.

Will you break down precious muscle tissue while engaging in overnight intermittent fasts?

The muscle you’ve been working so hard to build from the days in the gym?

For this answer – we check in with the experts.

Dr Jason Fung, one of the leading experts in the field of fasting shares with us that the body is not that stupid! If that were the case, we would not have survived as a race.

So, according to Dr Fung and many others in the field of fasting – the answer is NO

What the body does instead is gobble up useless proteins for energy or reconstruct into more useful ones. For anyone looking to learn more about Fasting, I highly recommend Dr Fung’s book, The Complete Guide to Fasting, Heal Your Body Through Intermittent, Alternate-Day, and Extended Fasting. It’s an easy, fast read and can answer many of your questions on this subject. I know it did for me.

What is you can’t go 14 hours without eating?

All is not lost. If you cannot go 14 hours without eating (dinner to breakfast), this can be a tell-tale sign WHY you still are not getting results from your healthy diet.

Simple solutions to get better at Fasting:

Go about it at an incremental pace. Start with just 12 hours, then, after your body adjusts, extend it to finally reach the 14-hour mark.
Dive deeper and get some blood work done. Test these important markers; Fasting Insulin, Glucose Fasting, and Hemoglobin A1C.
Dive even deeper and get more advanced testing. This includes the addition of HOMA IR (marker for insulin resistance and subsequent risk of diabetes, heart disease, weight gain, and even early stages of Alzheimer’s), Adiponectin (marker for inflammation and subsequent risk of weight gain, heart disease, and diabetes), Leptin (marker for hunger/satiety signals and your risk of over or under eating). High levels of Leptin can indicate Leptin Resistance – a root cause of being overweight.

2. You haven’t addressed problems that were there before you started your ‘healthy diet’ – Paleo, Keto or otherwise.

A higher fat, lower carb, moderate style diet is great to balance blood sugar, clear out toxins, train the body to use fat as fuel (instead of sugar), and increase nutrient status. However, some people need more than just a healthy diet to get their health to where they want it.

Common missing pieces to dropping weight, getting more energy, and even fixing existing health problems include:

Energy Deficit – There is simply not enough energy to fuel the body. Proper energy delivery includes the collective efforts of the mitochondria, thyroid, adrenals, liver, gut, heart and lungs.

Together, these are responsible for producing the energy molecule ATP. The energy currency of your body.

To help you understand energy mechanics, I like the analogy of a car. This I learned after reading Dr. Sarah Myhill’s book, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Myalgic Encephalitis, It’s mitochondria, not hypochondria.

Engine – mitochondria.
Accelerator pedal – thyroid.
Gearbox – adrenals.
Filters – liver.
Fuel – gut (and diet).
Fuel and oxygen delivery – heart.
Oxygen – lungs.

If anyone of these organs, glands, or systems are not working well, you won’t be either.

Symptoms that arise from energy deficit – Mild to Severe

Mild Symptoms

Hard to get up in the morning, sleep in on weekends.
Use caffeine and sugary carbs to get energy.
Look forward to sleep and rest time.
Stop enjoying yourself.
Lose usual stamina.
Lose muscle strength.
Become moody, irritable, and anxious – having fun means expending energy.
Feel mildly stressed – the symptoms of stress arises when the brain knows it does not have the energy to deal with physical, emotional, and mental demands.
Joint and muscle stiffness – more than usual. For tissues to slide over each other with minimal friction requires them to be at the right temperature. This requires proper energy – poor energy usually equates to low temperature.

Severe Symptoms

Quick to fatigue during exercise.
Pain due to excessive lactic acid build-up.
Slow recovery from exercise and delayed fatigue. Exercise just wipes you out!
Foggy brain. The brain is very demanding of energy.
Dizzy spells.
Very low mood and depression.
The feeling of doom and severe stress.
Intolerance to both cold and heat.
Variable blurred vision. The muscles of the eye are very energy-dependent.
Noise intolerance.
Shortness of breath.
Susceptible to infection. Always ‘coming down with something’.
Loss of libido.

Simple solutions to get to the root cause of your health problem.

Test Don’t Guess. See a qualified health professional to run these basic tests. In fact, I recommend everyone to run a basic run of tests that include the following: See my Blood Tests – Recommended.
Get Advanced Testing. Get a bigger picture of your health with more thorough testing. I personally have found the Micronutrient Test and Cardio Metabolic and Pre Diabetes Test invaluable in my private practice. Here’s why. Spectracell labs Micronutrient test is a comprehensive analysis of 31 vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fatty acids, antioxidants, and metabolites. Knowing your levels can better detect underlying organ, glandular, or whole body systems weaknesses.

Overwhelming evidence reveals that micronutrient deficiencies are associated with poor energy delivery status and inflammation (key drivers to all health conditions)

Blood doesn’t lie. Testing blood is like looking under the hood. You don’t really know until you take a closer look.

DID YOU KNOW…….

Carnitine is needed to burn fat. If you don’t have enough carnitine, you can’t efficiently burn fat! On a KETO DIET and still not dropping weight? This may be why. Carnitine is involved in the metabolism of ketones for energy. Carnitine effectively targets visceral adipose tissue (belly fat). Carnitine also improves muscle recovery. A deficiency also can accompany muscle weakness and early fatigue. More specifically supplementation can improve blood parameters such as myoglobin, creatine kinase and malondialdehyde

My levels of creatine kinase were OFF THE CHARTS! (reference ranges are <175)

My level was 1037!

Clinically, creatine kinase is assayed in blood tests as a marker of damage of CK-rich tissue such as in myocardial infarction (heart attack), rhabdomyolysis (severe muscle breakdown), muscular dystrophy, autoimmune myositides, and acute kidney injury.^[4]

This was before I had my micronutrient test and found it to be borderline deficient in carnitine.

After supplementing with carnitine, my creatine kinase lowered to 318.

See the connection? My body needed more carnitine then it was getting from my diet.

Knowing that consistent exercise increases creatine kinase (as this enzyme stays in the blood for up to a week), I am a lot more comfortable with this level than the last. Still a little bit to go, however, I am on the right track.

This is all because I did my blood work.

Magnesium is needed to feel calm and happy. If you don’t have intracellular magnesium, your body can’t do 320 functions. Magnesium is a cofactor for the neurotransmitters that control emotion, hyperactivity, and attention. Are you someone who tends to ‘overreact’? Magnesium deficiency can induce anxiety and emotional hyper-reactivity. It also has well-documented evidence that it can lift depression. Magnesium plays a key role in daily energy and sleep quality. Also for proper vitamin D assimilation strong bones, and healthy metabolism (losing weight).
Zinc is needed for proper digestion. Not enough zinc and you can’t activate almost 200 enzymes that play a role in proper digestion (got constipation, diarrhea, gas, bloating, cramps)? Zinc is also needed for better mood (with its involvement with increasing melatonin, serotonin, and dopamine), healthy metabolism (by improving insulin sensitivity and converting T4 to T3), and proper immune system (by regulating immune cell signal transduction specifically T cell), In fact when you see low zinc and low manganese it raises a red flag to do further testing for Lyme’s disease.
Choline is needed for proper gallbladder function (bile). Eating a higher fat diet, gaining weight and feeling nauseous? Do you have belly fat? Have you been told you have Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease? You may be deficient in choline. In fact, according to Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD, CNS and author of Radical Metabolism (a book I am currently reading), up to 90% or women over the age of 40 are choline-deficient. Choline is a very important nutrient and first discovered in bile. The choline in bile helps with the break down of fats. What we want is healthy, free flowing bile. Not toxic bile that is thick and sticky. When your bile is sick – you get sick – it’s that simple. Choline is so important, it helps control the deposition of fats in your organs – especially the liver! And we all know the importance of a good liver. Liver and your gall bladder together make up your hepatic system. The primary system that keeps you clean and lean through proper detoxification.

As you can see, testing for micronutrients that may not be present in enough quantities can be game changing – even life-giving to individuals.

Being low in specific nutrients may be why you are not getting results from your healthy diet.

You never truly know unless you test!

The tests I’ve done on myself also showed one of the markers – Lipoprotein (a) or Lp(a) as its commonly known, is an extremely atherogenic lipoprotein that is strongly linked to blood clots. My score was sky high! This puts me at a high risk for heart disease.

Interestingly enough Lp(a) is largely determined by my genes and not from diet and lifestyle. Both my grandparents died of heart attacks in their early 50s.

I turn 51 years of age this week and after receiving my blood test reports, I have started on Linus Pauling’s Protocol (vitamin C, lysine, and proline).

3. It’s not always about what you put in, it’s also about what comes out. Time to talk – Poo and Pee. Yup. Something we all need to take a look at to properly gauge how your healthy diet is working for you.

A well put together diet is one of the cornerstones to being fit n healthy. Noticed I said Fit AND Healthy. Not JUST Fit or not JUST Healthy. Both can be done, however, in order to achieve this, we need to be cognoscente of our ability to remove toxins.

A sudden spike on the bathroom scale or a lowered level of exercise performance may have less to do with what goes into your body than what is coming out of it (or in this case, what isn’t).

Healthy consistent bowel movements (at least one, ideally two per day) and regular trips to the toilet (many doing #1 – aka peeing), and supporting this beautiful symphony of healthy food and water in with the removal of acid waste – out. This is where a properly done detox regime can help.

Ahhh, my specialty! I just needed to add a plugin for that. For help with detox, please contact me at contact Michale. Let’s get the party started! In a good way, so to speak.

Getting back to the topic at hand…..poo and pee.

If toxic waste remains in the body too long, proteins putrefy (producing toxic ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, and other toxins). Carbohydrates ferment (producing ethyl alcohol, methane gas, or excess lactic acid) and fats turn rancid (creating highly toxic molecules that destroy your own production of vitamins and nutrients).

Basically you end up feeling congested (mucus is a liver issue) with body pain (acid toxins are a kidney issue). Yuck!

Have you ever know someone who eats, drinks, smokes and is still relatively healthy? While others who make better choices with their diet and lifestyle develop illness?

It doesn’t make sense, does it?

It got to do with their own toxic threshold. The greater the toxins coming in and less coming out – the greater the chance of illness (aka Yuck).

Here is a quick test to check for your Toxic Load. adp_detox_questionnaire_v2

Want more information on how to detox your way to health, click here on my last article

Boost energy, banish cravings, balance hormones with DETOX

So……..lets go full circle and get back to Kelly.

What did I do to help Kelly get fast results in just 10 days.

She was already eating a healthy whole foods diet, exercising regularly, drinking enough water and sleeping well. All good check marks to an overall healthy diet and lifestyle plan.

However, here’s the missing pieces that helped move the dial to the physic she was after and whole body health.

What I recommended was a 14 hr fast (for fat burning and cellular clean up), increased her protein a little (to build muscle), adjusted her carbohydrate choices (to assist in fat burning by balancing insulin levels), and used my UNDAS for detoxing her liver, kidney and gut (fat burning organs).

According to Kelly, it was easy to follow and she finally got the health results she was after.

I truly hope you may have new found hope and a better direction with your own health strategy. I know I have and many of my personal clients.

Are you interested in taking your health to the next level?

Not getting results and want to get Leaner. Stronger. Fitter?

I offer Personalized Nutritional Plans and the Spectracell Micronutrient, Cardiometabolic and Pre Diabetes, and Hormone tests.

Contact Me – Get One On One Help – Personalized Nutritional Consulting

SAMPLE MICRONUTRIENT TEST

SAMPLE CARDIOMETABOLIC AND PRE DIABETES TEST

Nutrient Correlation – Deficiencies Linked to Weight

Also, Please share this with someone you love who is struggling with their health.

It can make the world of difference!

6 Major Players To Balancing Hormones And Getting Lean

by hartteuser Leave a Comment

This is the final one of a series of posts on Balancing Hormones and Getting Lean.

At the end of the series, you will be given the practical steps that encompass all 6 major players to balancing hormones and getting lean.

In my last article, The #1 Secret To Balancing Hormones And Getting Lean I shared with you how getting lean requires good hormonal balance.

Gone are the endless days of the eat less and exercise more strategy. While eating less and exercising more does have its place in fat loss, it’s designed to be a tool to incorporate into your long-term health and wellness strategy.

So, to get lean in a healthy way, there are 6 major areas to balance and make that goal happen – I’ve already outlined the first of the 6 in this post.

The other 5 are: A Hormone Balancing Diet; Safe and Easy Detox; Restorative Sleep; Stress Management; and Proper Exercise/Movement.

Without going into great depth of all 5 of these areas, instead, I would like to focus in on the diet, detox, and sleep, and leave stress and exercise for another blog post.

I will wrap this post up in a nice Xmas bow and end with an easy to follow Fit ‘n Healthy Daily Routine that covers all these 6 Major Players to Balancing Hormones and Getting Lean.

11 Hormones Responsible For Getting Lean And Building Sexy Muscle

There are 11 hormones responsible for getting lean and building muscle.

These Hormones are:

1. Insulin – The Fat Storer

2. Glucagon – The Fat Burner

3. Ghrelin – The Hunger Hormone

4, Leptin – The Fuel Gauge

5. Thyroid Hormone – The Metabolic Manager

6. Cortisol – The Stress Hormone

7. Adiponectin – The Satiety Hormone

8. Human Growth Hormone (HGH) – The Fountain of Youth

9. Estrogen – The Feminizer

10. Progesterone – The Partner of Estrogen

11. Testosterone – The Body Sculptor

Therefore, creating a Diet and Lifestyle Plan that balances these 11 hormones would be a good, sound strategy to getting and staying Fit ‘n Healthy.

Let’s start with Diet.

Hormone Balancing Diet

Out of all the 11 hormones listed above, balancing Insulin and Glucagon will give you the fastest results and simplest solution to getting lean and building sexy muscle – long term.

A good start to balancing Insulin and Glucagon is consuming a diet rich in high-quality protein and omega 3 fats while swapping highly processed, high glycemic carbohydrates with high fibrous, low glycemic ones.

For more details on this way of eating, check out my Slim, Strong, and Sexy Diet Plan.

Are You 15 + Pounds Overweight?

If you are struggling with 15 + pounds to lose, you will most likely need to start by balancing Leptin and Ghrelin. Take the Leptin Resistance Quiz and fix it here.

One other consideration, when it comes to a Hormone Balancing Diet, is eating just enough. This means NOT overeating. Overeating is another way insulin rises independently of a carefully balanced diet.

A good trick to help you NOT overeat is to ensure you’re well hydrated. Sometimes, you may feel hungry when in fact, you’re actually thirsty. This is why I recommend my clients to start their day with 1 litre of filtered water and drink the rest of your required water intake between meals and not to close to bedtime.

A good rule of thumb is 1 litre of water for every 50 lbs of body weight.

Safe And Easy Detox

Toxicity is of much greater concern now than ever before. We are exposed to many new and stronger chemicals, many of which we place on our skin and consume in our foods every day.

And with new threats, like genetically modified foods and an excessive amount of EMF exposure, we need to be even more diligent to clean ourselves out.

For these reasons, getting lean, feeling strong and reaching peak performance needs to include a solid, safe and easy detox.

Simply put, excess toxins cause havoc on your hormones. Your liver, kidney, lung, and to some extent, your gut are the organs that play the biggest part in getting you lean.

These are your primary organs that keep your insides, clean. If any one or more of these ‘organs of elimination’ are sluggish, then your ability to burn fat is diminished as well.

‘When you get cleaner, your body will get leaner’

This is a direct quote from fitness and nutritional expert Shawn Stevenson of The Model Health Show.

“One of the ways excess toxicity leads to weight gain is through inflammation. Just think of how Estrogen Dominance plays a role in being overweight? In fact, some recent research points to the inability of our bodies to burn fat as fuel even when on a Ketogenic Diet.”

Mike Mutzel, fitness and nutrition expert and author of The Belly Fat Effect, does a great job explaining how important going on a good detox is essential before going on a fat burning diet.

He sums it up by saying, “constipation is common with ketosis and can kick you out of ketosis. Constipation can also cause the recirculation of nasty chemicals, negatively impacting your liver. Do a detox before going on a ketogenic style diet. Clean house.”

I fully agree. Another factor to consider when your body starts to burn body fat is that toxins are being released into your bloodstream. Your liver, kidneys and gut go to work trying to get these out. If anyone of these ‘fat burning’ organs are sluggish, then you feel crappy!

Doing a safe and easy detox alongside a solid weight loss plan is essential.

Are your ‘fat burning’ organs clean enough?

Go here and find out:

adp_detox_questionnaire_v2

digestion_aire

kidney_health_aire_aadp

liver_gall_blad_aire

Detox is actually quite simple.

First and foremost, start by eliminating as many Sources of Toxicity as you can. This is exactly how I begin the detox process with all my clients – by handing them my Sources of Toxicity Checklist with Simple Solutions on How to Eliminate Them.

To assist your kidneys, start your day with 1 litre of filtered water with added freshly squeezed lemon juice and a pinch of unrefined salt.

Do this BEFORE or along with your morning organic coffee or organic green tea. Always drink your water away from meals. Drink nettle tea during the day also to help with kidney function.

Additionally, to support the gut with having 1-3 good sized bowel movements per day, incorporate non-starchy, fibrous carbs (just think of above ground vegetables like kale, radishes, peppers (all colors), broccoli, and celery). Remember to save your starchy carbs for your evening meal (think of below the ground veggies or properly prepared grains, beans or legumes). Drink peppermint tea!

Enjoying little-fermented foods prior to your evening meal will also aid in proper bowel movements along with about 300 mg of magnesium. I like magnesium glycinate.

For your liver, eat Liver Friendly Foods like broccoli, broccoli sprouts, artichokes, beets, onions, garlic, and incorporate lemons and limes into your meals. Drink dandelion tea.

Practice deep breathing to support lung function. I recommend performing 5 deep belly breaths in the AM and again in the PM, being careful to keep the shoulders down and breath from your belly.

To take it a step further, go on a safe and easy detox. The one that I perform regularly and get great results is using a method called Biotherapeutic Drainage.

Restorative Sleep

Burn fat, get smart, and heal your body while you sleep! This is by far the ‘lazy persons way’ to cut fat, build lean muscle tissue and set up the stage for peak performance!

You heard right! A solid nights sleep is a great way to burn fat!

Did you know sleep is the only time your brain detoxifies? This is also the time you repair and regenerate from the day’s activities?

Just think about those days when you’ve had the best sleep – you feel pretty remarkable don’t you?

I always liken a good nights sleep to going the spa. That’s exactly how I feel when I’ve had the best sleep ever.

It’s one of the secrets to fat loss, and much has to do with keeping Leptin and Grehlin in balance, along with Insulin and Adiponectin, with a subsequent increase in Human Growth Hormone and Testosterone.

Having a good night’s sleep is essential in getting these hormones in balance.

What A Normal Sleep Cycle Looks Like

Starting at about 6 am, you get a surge of Cortisol. This wakes up your brain and body. Soon after (within 2 hours), Ghrelin rises signalling you to eat along with Vasoactive Intestinal Polypeptide (VIP) signalling you to ‘poop’.

At around 9 am or 10 am your sex hormones rise (which is a good time to enjoy sex). This can help reset your circadian rhythms if you are having troubles sleeping at night.

Sometime around sunset, your hormone Leptin gets released from your fat stores. If your circadian rhythm is in sync and leptin is able to do its job properly, leptin can actually shift your body into burning fat, suppress your appetite and control any late night food cravings. This continues until bedtime along with another hormone, adiponectin.

Snacking after dinner and before bedtime stops leptin and adiponectin from doing its job. This leads to a complete halt to the magic of burning fat while you sleep.

Assuming you haven’t been dosing yourself with artificial light (computers, tv, cell phones), melatonin gets released at 10 pm. At around midnight, melatonin peaks allowing leptin to enter into the hypothalamus. This is super important from a fat burning perspective because if this all happens, thyroid gets the signal to be upregulated.

Next, your mitochondria begin to produce heat (as your core temperature drops). A proper sleep cycle allows your mitochondria to burn fat for heat while you sleep.

Do you see how obesity can be linked to chronic lack of sleep?

Another great advantage of melatonin peaking at midnight is the surge in prolactin. This is an incredibly important hormone as it promotes the release of Human Growth Hormone (HGH).

According to NIH research cited in the book, Lights Out, 6 hours of prolactin production in the dark is the minimum necessary to maintain immune function like T-cell and beneficial killer-cell production.

But you can’t get 6 hours of prolactin secretion on 6 hours of sleep a night; it takes at least 3.5 hours of melatonin secretion before your body even makes prolactin. That’s 9.5 hours of needed sleep IN THE WINTER MONTHS (7 hours in the summer), every night, for proper immune function.

The connection is clear. Scale back on too much gym time and unnecessary calorie counting. There is a MUCH easier way to slim down and get Fit ‘n Healthy – enjoy a restful nights sleep!

Simple Solutions For A Restful Sleep

10 hours before bed – no more caffeine
3 hours before bed – no more food
2 hours before bed – no more work
1 hour before bed – no more screen time (TV, computers, phones)

Well, I hope you’ve enjoyed these tips on 3 of the 6 Major Players to Balancing Hormones and Getting Lean. I promise to get the other 3 out to you sometime soon.

As an XMAS GIFT TO YOU, I want to leave you with my easy to follow Fit ‘n Healthy Daily Routine that covers all these 6 Major Players to Balancing Hormones and Getting Lean.

FIT ‘N HEALTHY DAILY ROUTINE

GET FIT ‘N HEALTHY WITH THESE 4 STEPS:

STEP: 1 MORNING ROUTINE

Drink 1 litre towards your required amount of filtered water. Drink the rest between meals and not too close to bedtime. BENEFITS: Aids in detox. Rehydrates for easy fat loss. Recharges energy. Your required amount of water for the day is ___ litres of filtered water per day. Always away from meals.

Get outside within 30 minutes of waking for 2-5 minutes and let the natural sunlight enter your eyes. Look about 15 degrees away from the sun. If the sun is not up yet, then look in that direction. This sets the stage for proper Circadian rhythm (best sleep, best digestion, best mood).

STEP 2: DIET

Make sure your breakfast has ______g total protein and 1-2 tbsps of extra fat (ideally from coconut oil, grass-fed butter or fat from your pasture-raised meat) with some non-starchy fibrous carbohydrates. See ‘The Fit n Healthy Diet – Create your healthy meals in 4 simple steps’ handout for sources. Use as your new template to make your meals. Breakfast ideas include: Eggs and bacon or leftover meat from last night’s dinner, plus a cup of lightly cooked green leafy veggies with or without extra above ground, colorful veggies OR a smoothie: Grass-fed Protein Powder (to yield 25 grams) plus 1/2 cup of coconut milk or coconut kefir, plus 1-2 cups of dark leafy greens, plus a handful of seasonal berries, plus 1 tbsp of sprouted seeds. Blend. You know you’ve eaten enough when you can wait for 4-5 hours before lunchtime. If you can’t, you need to eat more fat. CHEW YOUR SMOOTHIE OR FOOD VERY WELL!

LIMIT CARBS TO ______ GRAMS FOR THE DAY IF YOU ARE OVERWEIGHT BY MORE THAN 15 LBS. IF YOU ARE ACTIVE, YOU CAN UP YOUR CARBS BUT KEEP BETWEEN 100-150 GRAMS. WHEN YOU ARE AT A NORMAL WEIGHT, BEST TO KEEP CARBS AROUND 100-150 GRAMS DEPENDING ON YOUR ACTIVITY LEVEL AND AGE.
ACTIVITY LEVEL AND CARBS: CYCLE YOUR CARBS DEPENDING ON ACTIVITY LEVEL (EM-EM PLUS EL-EL)

EM = Exercise More

EM = Eat More

EL = Exercise Less

EL = Eat Less

For those weight training: CONSUME 0.7 GRAMS OF PROTEIN PER POUND OF BODY WEIGHT (in divided doses). This will keep you in a healthy ‘nitrogen’ balance for optimal regeneration and repair. ONLY for those who perform some type of ‘strength training’ exercise for 20 minutes 2-3 times a week.

For example, if your ideal weight is 160 lbs, you would consume 110 grams of protein in a day. A good example would be 55 grams of protein at breakfast, 35 grams of protein at lunch, and 20 grams of protein at dinner.

Your daily protein requirements are _____ g per day.

Breakfast: __________ grams

Lunch: __________ grams

Dinner: __________ grams

For those NOT weight training: CONSUME 0.55 GRAMS OF PROTEIN PER POUND OF BODY WEIGHT (in divided doses). This will keep you in a healthy ‘nitrogen’ balance for optimal regeneration and repair. Once you begin strength training (only when you are leptin sensitive), then you can up your protein to 0.7 grams per pound of body weight.

Using the same example: if your ideal weight is 160 lbs, you would consume 88 grams of protein in a day. A good example would be 45 grams of protein at breakfast, 25 grams of protein at lunch, and 20 grams of protein at dinner.

Your daily protein requirements are _____ g per day.

Breakfast: __________ grams

Lunch: __________ grams

Dinner: __________ grams

EAT THE MOST FOOD IN THE MORNING WITH DECREASING AMOUNTS AS THE DAY GOES ON.
SAVE YOUR ‘STARCHY’ CARBOHYDRATES FOR YOUR DINNER MEAL. Starchy carbohydrates can help ensure a better, quality sleep (which is why we save them for the evening meal). See The Fit ‘n Healthy Plan, STEP 2: Choose your carbohydrates. Always with your protein and fat.

CONSUME 1-2 TBSP OF ADDED FATS TO EACH OF YOUR 3 MEALS OF THE DAY. Add coconut oil to your morning organic coffee or tea, or eat 1 tbsp of it. Your best fats are coconut oil, MCT oil, pastured butter, heavy cream, red palm oil, ghee. Avocado and olives are good too. Limit nuts and seeds (exception: use when on a hormone balancing protocol)

EAT PREBIOTIC, PROBIOTIC, AND FOODS RICH IN POLYPHENOLS. Part of becoming leptin sensitive is healing the gut. Prebiotic, probiotic, and foods rich in polyphenols nourish your gut. This, in turn, lowers inflammation and fixes leptin signalling. See The Fit ‘n Healthy Plan, STEP 4: Choose your extras.

EAT 3 MEALS A DAY INITIALLY, BUT AS YOUR HUNGER AND CRAVINGS FADE, YOU CAN ADAPT TO EATING 2 TIMES A DAY, IF YOU LIKE.

STOP EATING 4-5 HOURS BEFORE BEDTIME IF YOU ARE 15 LBS PLUS OVERWEIGHT. OTHERWISE, STOP 3 HOURS BEFORE BEDTIME.

SNACKING IS NOT RECOMMENDED. This completely stresses the liver’s metabolism. Your liver needs to relearn how to use gluconeogenesis when you are asleep and awake. Snacking destroys the timing and circadian clocks that work in unison with leptin.

STEP 3: LIFESTYLE

GET OUTSIDE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN. Spending time outside (sunglass free) keeps your Circadian Rhythm in check. This helps with the entire hormonal cascade and leptin to work properly. Getting outside and in nature is an excellent way to balance stress. Strive for 20 minutes in the morning and 20-30 minutes in the afternoon. Ideally, go for an easy walk after dinner. This helps with good digestion, fat loss and best sleep.
MOVE. Move as much as you can during the day. Try not to sit for more than 2 hours. READ YOUR BODY. Rest when you need. Move when you can. If you have an office job, invest in a standing desk.
WITHIN 1 HOUR OF SUNSET, MAKE YOUR SURROUNDINGS AS DARK AS POSSIBLE. See ‘Tips for Optimal Sleep’ handout.
ELIMINATE AS MANY SOURCES OF TOXICITY AS YOU CAN. See ‘Sources of Toxicity Checklist with Simple Solutions’ handout. An over toxic body is a body that is in constant inflammation. Inflammation is what drives excess body fat. You must do everything you can to reduce inflammation. Not only do we need to eat ‘clean’, we need to live ‘clean’.
LEARN TO MANAGE STRESS. A lifestyle with too many demands, time pressures, without enough ‘down time’ and rest, put our hormones out of balance, no matter what diet or movement plan we are following. Best stress management techniques are; meditation, yoga, walking in nature, having a bath, listening to great music and laughing out loud!
START A JOURNAL. Begin by writing down what you are grateful for and why you want to be Fit ‘n Healthy. Making change can be difficult. TRY THIS: OPAR – VISION (what is your vision); O – OBSTACLES (what are your obstacles), P – PLAN (what is your plan to overcome the obstacles), A – ACTION (take action), R – REFLECTION (look back at the result and tweak if needed).
‘LOVE HOW FIT ‘N HEALTHY FEELS’ – take this mantra and remember it to stay on track.

STEP 4: DETOX PLUS SUPPLEMENTS

Struggling to get Fit ‘n Healthy? I would love to create a Personalized Nutritional Plan for you. Get one on one help!

Whether it’s to drop some extra weight, balance your hormones, build some sexy muscle or even just do a whole body tune-up!

Simply GO HERE to learn more and get started NOW.

What’s it going to cost you if you don’t take action now?

The #1 Secret To Balancing Hormones And Getting Lean

by hartteuser Leave a Comment

The 1st Key To Getting Lean: Balancing Hormones and making darn sure you eat enough!

This article is about balancing hormones. In my last post, How do some people eat more and stay lean? I shared with you what I did to try to lose weight and how the result of my efforts turned my body into a devastating, SKINNY FAT.

Essentially, I became, a smaller fat person. Not what I was after.

I explained how the old model of Eating Less and Exercising More (EL/EM) to get lean, essentially kept me FIT but NOT Healthy.

I certainly LOOKED lean but accomplished this through starvation, deprivation, and just plain misery.

It wasn’t until I adopted the Eat More to Get Lean (and stay there) Strategy that I recovered my own health and life back.

I now attribute my newfound Fit ‘n Healthy Body to Balancing Hormones.

When your hormones are balanced, your body knows exactly what to do WITH your food. Your hormones simply direct your body what to do WITH the food once you’ve eaten it.

Understanding and optimizing your hormones may seem like an overwhelming task, however, you may be surprised at how simple it really is. No magic pill. No weird foods. And for most of us, no expensive tests either.

Just setting up a good, solid diet and lifestyle routine that you enjoy and can stick to!

Getting back to the basics and checking in with my own body, is what I did to reverse my hormonal imbalance.

Literally, a few times throughout the day, I would take a few moments to do a quick internal ‘whole body scan’, starting with the time I woke up.

I know it doesn’t sound sexy, but once you create the habit of ‘checking in’, you get to know what’s working and maybe what’s not working. Having these insights can help navigate your day ahead.

That;s working WITH your body and not against it by going on some crazy new restrictive diet and exhausting exercise routine.

So, before I get into the real, practical steps, I’d like to share the #1 Secret to Balancing Hormones and Getting Lean – Your mindset.

The 2nd Key To Getting Lean: Start with a Fit ‘n Healthy Mindset

This is where it all begins. If you approach your goal of getting lean with the right mindset, your daily healthy habits will easily follow – this is 2nd key to getting lean.

The endocrine (hormonal) system and the interplay with your brain are completely connected.

Where your mind goes, your body follows.

I learned this KEY secret to balancing hormones and getting lean when I wrote a book with Bob Proctor.

The book was called, The Science of Perfect Weight. A new way of thinking, eating and living to achieve your perfect weight. One statement that really stood out for me was,

“You are what you think about, most of the time.”

High Stress = High Cortisol = Fat Storage

For example. We are all familiar with the stress hormone cortisol. If we live in fear, our cortisol levels rise, and if this goes on for too long, it leads directly to belly fat, among other harmful things.

This is how you can become a Skinny Fat independent of what you eat and how you exercise. Simply living in fear can put belly fat on. Plus this is not a way to live either!

The Law of Physics states that ‘Energy cannot be created nor destroyed. It can only be transformed from one form to another’. The transformation of ourselves, as a human being is one of the most profound things in existence.

Whether it’s transforming your body to get lean, your mind to find purpose, or your relationships to get a connection, it’s a phenomenal process.

But it can come with a dramatic struggle too.

Good news, it doesn’t have to. There are certain steps that you can start taking RIGHT NOW to transform your body and life – working with your body to get lean, healthy and happy.

The Law of Vibration and Attraction states that “When you hold the image of what you want on the screen of your mind, you are vibrating in harmony with every particle of energy that is necessary for the manifestation of your image on the physical plane. By holding that image, the people, things, conditions, and circumstances you require are moving toward you, and you toward them”

See it. Believe it. And be it now!

5 Steps To Creating a Fit ‘n Healthy Mindset And Getting Lean

Step 1: Find Your WHY

Take some time to dig deep and discover your WHY.

What is YOUR reason for getting lean? Is it to be a great role model for your children? Be more attractive to your mate? Feel good in your sexy, slimming jeans or just simply look and feel good naked?

Or maybe it’s because you know how darn good it feels to live the Fit ‘n Healthy lifestyle!

Whatever your reason. THIS IS YOUR DRIVING FORCE! Write it down. THIS is what’s going to keep you on track!

I HIGHLY recommend starting a Journal. There’s something about writing it down that makes it real and seemingly important to you. You can speak your why to yourself or others. Saying your WHY out loud activates the limbic system of your brain that’s been shown to motivate and live in-congruent with your commitment

When I was diagnosed with Osteoporosis and Amenorrhea (a loss of menstrual cycle), my WHY to getting healthy was what would happen if I kept doing what I was doing?

What was going to break down next if I didn’t take action to self-correct it?

Finding your WHY is what you’re going to go to when faced with OBSTACLES that take you away from your goal of getting lean… remember that!

Step 2: Get Clear

Clarity accounts for probably 80% of success and happiness. Lack of clarity is likely more responsible for frustration and failure than any other single factor. Step 2 works in conjunction with Step 1: Find you WHY

Your success in getting lean and life, in general, is directly linked to how clear you are about what you really, really want.

The more you See it Believe it and Be That Person Now, the faster it will come. Simple, Easy, and Quickly.

Unfortunately, sometimes ‘being that person now’ brings up self sabotaging self talk and takes us off track. How can you have the life you want if you don’t truly believer you deserve it? Without doing an overhaul of how you actually look at yourself (self esteem) and reprogram your mindset, you are likely to self sabotage yourself every step of the way.

This is when we want to ‘reinvent’ ourselves to who we really want to be. YOU have the power to do that!

Ask yourself this: I’m the type of person that……..(and fill in the blank).

I good example of this strategy is saying or writing down, ‘I’m the type of person that exercises every day’. ‘I’m the type of person that stops what I am doing to say ‘Hi’ to my spouse when he enters the room’., ‘I’m the type of person that ensures my children have healthy meals’. That sort of thing.

This is something I learned from Tom Bilyeu. Co-founder of the billion-dollar brand Quest Nutrition, and superhero in the world of mindset, motivation, and impact. He helps people take charge of their self perception to get the life they really want.

So, my suggestion is to start by being clear on what you want and who you are.

What type of person are you (who you want to be)? Start your list and Be THAT person now. Then watch the magic that happens next…….

Step 3: Find a Role Model

Once you tap into your WHY and get clear on what you want and who you want to be, it’s time to find a role model.

Who is doing what you want to do? How are they doing it? This is, at least in my mind, the shortcut to getting what you want. Whether it be your version of Fit ‘n Healthy, the best Parent, or whatever.

Find someone, or a few, that are already doing this successfully and follow them. This could be me, or someone else. I suggest simply finding them, earn from them.

It takes longer to ‘reinvent the wheel’ than to find someone who’s done it already and just tweak to your lifestyle. Finding a mentor or teacher also helps keep you motivated to stay on track.

I have a number of role models. One is my Auntie Diana. She is grounded, authentic, and tells it just like it is.

I have others also. Some as the Mother I strive to be. Some as the humble, knowledgeable teacher that I wish to be now in all areas of health (Mindset/Connection, Diet, Detox, Sleep, Stress, Digestion, Movement/Exercise, Sunshine).

Step 4: Know That There Will Be Obstacles

Changing old habits will bring up obstacles.

Know that You will move you past your comfort zone. Embrace the struggle. View the struggle as necessary, important and an integral part of your journey so that you can feel the power to overcome it.

What you do some of the time is what you do all the time.

Be reverent to the challenge. Always keep your eye on what you want and NOT on what you don’t want. When the ‘don’t want’ creeps up, just see it and find a solution for it.

This is where setting up an environment for success comes in, with your role model along with a person, set of friends, or people all on the same page. This type of support plus your WHY, and being clear with who you are (best version), will get you through the inevitable obstacles.

Step 5: Take Action And Create A Routine

Taking action means every day, taking steps towards your main goal.

For balancing hormones, there are 6 major areas to make that goal happen – I’ve already outlined the #1 Secret to Balancing Hormones and Getting Lean.

The other 5 are a Hormone Balancing Diet, Safe and Easy Detox, Restorative Sleep, Stress Management, and Proper Exercise/Movement.

Stay tuned for more on those.

At the end of this series of blog posts to Balancing Hormones and Get Lean, you will have a routine in place to make Fit ‘n Healthy Simple!

Are you struggling to get Fit ‘n Healthy?

I would love to create a Personalized Nutritional Plan for you. Get one on one help.

Whether it’s to burn fat, build lean muscle, or even just do a whole body tune-up!

Simply GO HERE NOW to learn more and get started.

What’s it going to cost you if you don’t take action now?

I would appreciate your comments on this blog post.

Please share this with at least 2 people you love and who need this

Remember. BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO BECOME.

SEE IT. BE IT. BECOME IT NOW!

Thank you.

With Love and Gratitude,

Michale Hartte

Cost-Effective Time-Saving Tips To Staying Slim For The Summer And Eating Well

by hartteuser Leave a Comment

Having a tough time eating well? Feeling the pounds come back on? For those who answered, ‘YES’, I hear you.

This happens to all of us. We are all BUSY! For most of us, our children are on summer break, you have company over, and you’re trying to carve out time to exercise, eat ‘clean’ or just hit the freakin’ beach!

Pardon my french : )

For all of you who need some help staying on The Plan – read on!

Eating well all starts with planning ahead!

Planning ahead is the single most important factor when it comes to staying slim and staying on your plan. It’s easy to hit the convenience ‘fast food’ joint, or head to the nearby restaurant when everyone is hungry and nothing is ready, but a little planning not only keeps you from gaining unwanted weight, it can save you both time and money!

If you have children you can involve them in the planning process too, which will teach THEM about planning ahead with proper food and water essentials. It will likely get them thinking ahead as well!

Tip #1: Make sure you are well stocked up.

Keep your kitchen well stocked up with items listed on The Plan using your Fit ‘n Healthy Shopping List.

“The benefit to this extra effort is that when you’re done, you can simply ‘grab and go’!”

Remember, to get Slim And Sexy For Summer requires a ‘whole food’ diet consisting mainly of a good amount of healthy fat, moderate ‘high quality’ protein, and lots of ‘non-starchy, fibrous’ vegetables (low on ‘starchy’ ones). Eating this way, at times can be challenging – but be consistent. THIS IS THE KEY TO GETTING AND STAYING SLIM AND SEXY – WITHOUT THE ‘GOING ON AND OFF THE PLAN CRAPPOLA’!

If you are new to eating a ‘whole food’ diet – first of all WELCOME TO THE Fit ‘n Healthy LIFE! What you put on your plate will go a long way to restoring your health (and you’ll look good too).

I suggest you begin by familiarizing yourself with the local farmers’ markets and natural food stores. You can google search them or find them in the yellow pages by searching for ‘Farmers Market’ (then your location) and ‘Natural Health Food Store’.

My advice is to develop relationships with them, find out their deals, ask questions and read labels (it’s okay to ask the farmer the conditions he uses to raise his animals). Remember to only buy from those who raise their animals naturally (pasture raised, organic feed or at least – No GMO in feed). So, for chickens, cows, pigs, etc, we want them outside eating bugs, grass, and organic feed.

SIGN Dont wish for it, work for it

See below for more tips on Cost Effective, Time Saving Tips To Staying Slim For The Summer And Eating Well.

Tip #2: Use a meal planning template each week

Rather than wait until the last minute to make your meals, have a weekly meal template including quick to grab snacks for the road, along with your main protein sources, healthy fats and oils, seasonal veggies and fruits, and planned starchy carbs (grains, potatoes, beans), if using. Note: Starchy carbs are avoided or limited for those on a fat loss program.

For example, each week, for dinner I cook:

Main protein for the week

1 whole chicken
fish or seafood
burgers or flat iron steak
coconut crust pizza (using Mennonite sausage)

Main veggies for the week (seasonal)

all colored peppers
cucumbers
snap peas
garden carrots

Main fruits for the week (seasonal)

blueberries
cherries
apricots
raspberries

Starchy carbs

Basmati rice
new potatoes
Kamut pasta

Tip #3: Stretch the protein

Protein is the most expensive part of the meal. Look for less expensive cuts and stretch them out (use as deli meats, add to stir fries, or enjoy as part of your next day’s breakfast). Using a slow cooker allows you to enjoy the flavor of the tougher cuts and remember to keep the bones for stock!

Tip #4: Buy from your local farmers’ market

Often you will find all sorts of locally grown fresh vegetables and fruits at lower than retail prices. Organic meats and fresh seafood are often sold at lower prices. Fresh organic, free range eggs and locally made dairy products (made using raw, organic milk), may also be available. I buy local, unpasteurized honey and grade B maple syrup there too!

Tip #5: Buy larger amounts at lower prices and freeze

Invest in a separate freezer and fill it with large orders of different cuts of beef, pork, chicken, and seafood, and flats of seasonal fruits.

Vegetables can be blanched and frozen as well (e.g. peppers are at an all time low price when in season).

Items that respond well to freezing are meats, seafood, butter, fruits and berries, most vegetables (blanched first), nuts, seeds and whole grains.

Note: To blanch: simply place your vegetables in a pot of boiling water for 2 – 3 minutes, remove them with a strainer, and then place them into a pot of cool water (you can add ice cubes if you like). Once cool, place the veggies into a freezer bag and they’ll keep for up to two years without freezer burn. They’ll also retain most of
their nutrients!

Always keep your nuts, seeds and whole grains in the freezer for long term storage. Never place these food items in the pantry as the natural oils present will go rancid (and so do you:)

Tip #6: Buy with friends

Ask a few friends to join you in purchasing a large amount of meat, a 25-lb bag of nuts or seeds, or any bulk food.

Look for buying clubs in your area and either join one or start one yourself! Buying clubs allow you to cash in on the savings wholesale pricing offers. Having extra amounts of food in your home also saves you time from frequent grocery trips.

Tip #7: Consider the cost per serving when purchasing meats and seafood

Ideally, an adult serving should cost no more than $3-5. So, if an entire chicken costs $25, it should provide 5 adult servings. I like to buy eggs for this reason and often have them for dinner. A whole carton of organic, free range eggs costs about $6 (only 50 cents per egg).

Remember, it is better for your body to buy a higher quality meat and eat less of it, then to buy a lesser quality meat and eat more of it.

Tip #8: Grow your own vegetables, herbs, and fruits

This is an especially great tip if you have children! Involving children in gardening (from seed to plant) actually increases the variety and amount of fruits and vegetables that the children will eat – without a struggle!

I must say, there is nothing like going out on my deck and snipping off fresh herbs to add to the meal.

If you live in an apartment, use your balcony (if you have one) and plant in decorative pots. Rooftop gardening is also something to consider – when possible.

For more ‘support tools’ to get and stay on the Fit ‘n Healthy Track, check out my book The Fit ‘n Healthy Plan – The Healthy Diet & Lifestyle Plan Made Easy!

Please be sure to share this blog with anyone else you know struggling to get and stay on a ‘real food’ diet. Possibly even go shopping together for more fun!