Monthly Archives: June 2012

Go from Overweight and Tired to Lean and Feisty

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Reprogram your body to be slim…and your mind to thrive.

We are transitioning from spring into summer. For me, it is still about full life cleansing and renewal. It is about purging toxins, extra weight, and old mindsets that keep me from looking and feeling my best.

We all know that rock-star feeling, the one that makes you feel on top of the world and unstoppable.

I want that for everybody, I want that for YOU!

If you are like most people trying to lose weight, you’ll have tortured your taste buds with at least a few fad diets.

You’ll have sacrificed your body at the altar of an agonizing exercise plan (surely more is better right?).

You might have even popped a few weight loss pills and hoped for miracles.

But did you ever stop to think about what might be keeping you fat, depressed and starving?

For many people the reasons they cannot move from overweight and tired to lean and feisty, are:

  • Chronic dieting: dieting makes you fat because you are triggering a “famine” response from your body. It will hold on to the fat for survival reasons, and stimulate the production of the hormone ghrelin, which makes you overeat.
  • Physical and lifestyle stress: our bodies are designed to handle occasional stressful situations, not chronic stress. If cortisol is released in the body on a regular basis, you gain weight AND retain it. Stress can take many forms, over-exercising is a form of physical stress.
  • Poor nutrition and digestion: when consuming mostly processed and cooked foods, most people put their bodies through a nutritional famine, triggering again a fat storage response from the body, and unstable blood sugars.
  • Toxicity: in an ideal world, our environment would be toxic free. Unfortunately the food that we eat, the water we drink, or the air we breathe is contaminated. Your body cannot eliminate these toxins and will store them into your fat cells.

The good news is that you can easily (and pleasurably!) address most of the above fat and fatigue triggers by doing a short cleanse, incorporating green juices into your life, and bringing your awareness to your limiting beliefs (what you see as possible will determine your success).

We are all meant to be a force of nature, not some watered down version of ourselves. And it can be done in style, with pleasure, and purpose.

In a few short days, you can experience;

  • weight loss
  • increased energy(I seem to be hoping around all day!)
  • mental clarity (no more brain fog)
  • brighter skin and stronger nails
  • improved outlook on life (life just feels good!)
  • an amazing sense of calm
  • no more gas and bloating
  • less body aches and pains
  • you liver gets a much needed break
  • happiness!!!

And for the athletes among you who are gearing up for race season, this is a great tune up for thriving in your upcoming events.

The biggest hurdle for most of us is to make the decision to take action. Action liberates you. Inaction is your worst enemy, and biggest energy vampire.

Ready to make the LEAP? JOOS makes it easy for you!

Decide on a program and commit to take action.

Feed you body well – Live the life you love!

Anne Signature

When Do Calories Matter?

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I deeply respect Dr. Oz, but I was surprised to see on his show a fitness professional discuss passe views how we should avoid eating guacamole and olive oil because they’re high in calories.

Dr. Oz has touted the benefits of both. So, why did he invite this guest who condemns the consumption of them?

My guess is that the fitness professional is a well-known celebrity who just wrote a book.

In some ways, I agree with the professional. If we are still eating a diet high in processed foods, animal protein, refined sugars, dairy and wheat, then calories matter. Notice how I wrote “high in these foods.” I didn’t write to avoid these foods.

If we follow a diet that is 90% whole foods with at least 60% of that as plant rich and then 10% whatever (animal protein, pizza, beer, etc.), then the caloric values in guacamole and olive oil are essentially irrelevant.

Also, if we do not consume these good fats, then we’re going to be left feeling hungry and we all know where that leads: simple carbs, caffeinated beverages, refined sugars, processed foods and all the other foods that we want to avoid because they make us gain weight and unhealthy.

As soon as we clean up our diet, we are able to decide honestly what we truly need to eat to nourish ourselves. For some of us, we may need animal protein. Others may need a higher amount of grains. The only person who can really decide what is best for you is YOU!

How do we clean our diets so that we can make an intelligent decision what’s the right wau to eat? By doing a Reboot Cleanse.

Can a Veggie Protect Us from the Sun’s Radiation?

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One of my cousins, who is way ahead of the times in nutrition, told me she gives her son extra carrots during the summer because carrots help protect us against the damaging effects of radiation from the sun. I did some research on this, and it looks like she’s correct.

Carrots are loaded with beta-carotene, a rich anti-oxidant that is said to ‘mop up’ the free radicals triggered by the sun. Foods that are bright orange or deep green, such as carrots and spinach, are the best sources of beta-carotene. Carrots are also said to reduce risk of heart disease, protect vision, decrease cancer, regulate our blood sugar, and promote colon and lung health.

Juicing carrots removes the indigestible fiber, making the nutrients in it more bio-available. In a raw carrot, you only receive approximately 1% of the available beta carotene, but a glass of carrot juice enables you to absorb almost 100%!

 

Eating the Rainbow in One Bite

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Just imagine if we could switch it around where Americans ate predominately dark leafy greens instead of processed foods and refined sugars. For one, we wouldn’t have a health care epidemic or high obesity rates. We would be healthier and economically stronger as a country.

I find that the more people know about how healthy a food is for them, the more they want to eat it. Hands down, there is nothing more healthy for us than dark leafy greens and, unfortunately, those are the foods that Americans avoid most.

In that vein, I am introducing you to chard, Simply put, chard is a powerhouse food. It is often referred to as Swiss Chard.

Chard, like many fruits and vegetables, is a great sources of phytonutrients, chemicals in plants (apart from vitamins, minerals, and macronutrients) that have beneficial effects on the body, including antioxidants, boosting the immune system, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antibacterial, and cellular repair. Highly colored vegetables and fruits, like chard, tend to be highest in these chemicals, which is why we believe it is essential to add to JOOS.

Chard is also loaded with so many nutrients, including Vitamins K, A, C, B1, B2, B3, B6, folate, iron and sooooo much more.

Should Government Get Involved?

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Mayor Bloomberg did it again. First he implements laws preventing smoking in public areas. Next he places bans on trans fats. What now? He’s moving forward to ban the sale of large-sized sodas and other sugary drinks at restaurants, movie theaters and street carts.

The fact is, for whatever reason, whether it be corporate marketing campaigns, stress, lack of education, people are acting irresponsibly, which is causing health care costs to spin out of control. Employers now pay approximately 34% of a salary towards health care, a rate that is escalating.

Perhaps Mayor Bloomberg’s new legislation is just a Band-Aid on a much larger issue, but at least it’s a small first step and a symbolic move to reign in a tremendous problem that could potentially bankrupt our country.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505263_162-57452189/bloomberg-defends-big-sugary-drinks-ban-plan-again/

Single Most Important Lesson(s) to Live Peaceful Fulfilling Life

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It all just had to go and it was tough.

My shed was filled with bicycles that my children had outgrown years ago. Giving the bicycles away was like giving away a piece of my past that I loved and cherished – and could never reclaim.

After the bikes were gone, though, the clutter was gone and the space was cleaner than it had been since we moved into our home. I felt lighter, too.

Letting go, whether it be of material items or emotional baggage, enables us to clean the slate and start fresh.

Letting go, though, must be accompanied by redemption so that we can move forward, feel more at peace and live more fulfilling lives.

As human beings, we’re meant to make mistakes. We’re also meant to learn from them. That means that once in a while we may tell a white lie or yell at our kids, but that doesn’t mean we’re liars or bad parents. If we keep lying and yelling, though, that’s a major warning sign that we need to get to the root of our unacceptable behavior so that we can redeem ourselves and move forward (i.e., let go).

There are many driving factors that cause us to act inappropriately, including:

1. Poor eating habits. People who consume large amounts of animal meat often have big tempers. People who eat copious amounts of junk food tend to be irritable.

2. An unhealthy relationship.

3. A period of stress from being overwhelmed with life.

4. A major loss (e.g., death, laid off from a job, divorce, etc.).

5. An illness.

Einstein stated “A person starts to live when he can live outside himself.” What are tangible steps that enable us to redeem ourselves, let go and start to live:

1. Meditation
2. Prayer
3. Yoga
4. Cleansing
5. Spending time alone in nature
6. Contributing to society
7. Journal writing

I founded JOOS with two purposes in mind. To show people:

1. How vibrant, balanced and in control they feel when they consume largely an organic plant rich diet; and,
2. How we’re able to regroup and get ourselves back on track through mindful healthy eating habits.

Let it all go by doing a fresh-pressed, organic juice cleanse, which will enable  you to get back on the path to empowered and losing weight.

The JOOS team of certified health coaches/cleanse experts will support you through this week long experience of consuming a plant-rich diet so that you can see how energized, balanced and in-control you feel.

6 Steps to Take You When You’re Low

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At the Joanne Langione Dance Recital this past weekend, at which my 3 daughters performed, mother after mother told me that it was a very difficult week for them. What was in the air? Admittedly, it was an extraordinarily difficult week for me.

Fortunately, there was this little voice inside of me that said, “keep it together because this is going to pass.” I took 6 very important steps to carry me through it:

1. I went with the dark mood instead of fought against it. We often forget that emotions pass. Instead we make them our identity and become that emotion. No matter how painful it got this past week, I sat with it with the confidence that an important lesson would emerge from it. Instead of the painful emotional lasting many days, it only lasted 3, and I emerged learning a profound lesson: that no matter what anyone did to me, I’m still a sweet person who loves my children, friends, family and community dearly. 

2. I armored myself against the binge. As we all know, in our weakened states, we have a tendency to cause destruction to our bodies through smoking, drinking, taking drugs and/or binge eating, to name a few. Since my go to foods are those with a crunch, I made certain my cabinets were full of healthy foods, like Trader Joes Seaweed Snacks, Quinoa and Bean Chips and Falafel Chips, that would satisfy my desire in my weakened emotional state. As a result, I emerged without gaining a pound.

3. I increased my consumption of fresh, organic JOOS to 3 per day. Stress sucks the nutrients right out of us, which leaves us feeling even lower and depleted. I still had to go about my day taking care of my children and running our company, which made consuming the highest quality plant rich nutrients to combats the heightened stress essential for me.

4. I surrounded myself with loving people who supported me through it. I expressed gratitude to them daily.

5. I made certain to exercise daily, even if it was just for 10 minutes. My schedule is so busy with 4 kids and running a business that it can be very difficult to find time to exercise. Often, too, the last thing we want to do when we’re feeling low is exercise, particularly because we’re feeling so depleted. As we know, sitting around makes us feel even worse. Exercise stimulates endorphins and helps our moods.

6. I reread Lovingkindness by Sharon Saltzberg. This book helps put life back into perspective and reminds us that it’s all going to be OK. Other suggestions are books by Pema Chodron, Ram Das, Jack Kornfield, to name a few.

The good news is, the week is done and I’m back on my feet. I didn’t gain a pound, despite the temptation to binge, and I emerged feeling a little more wiser.

Feeling low? It is that much more imperative to consume a diet high in plant rich foods to get yourself back on track!

The Ultimate Satisfyingly Healthy Salad

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You can easily go to a salad bar, pour on the croutons, meats and other toppings, add the ranch or russian salad dressing and end up with a meal of over 1,500 calories.

On the other hand, you can also just add vegetables with no dressing and eat nothing else for lunch and wonder why you’re binge eating by mid-afternoon.

The fact is, all over the world, people eat salads with their meals; yet, we Americans eat salads for our meals. That’s fine if it’s for dinner, but for lunch, when we still need to fuel our bodies for the entire afternoon, evening and night, chances are that we need more than just a salad to fuel us properly.

I qualify by saying that during the spring and warmer weather, eating salad for a meal may be OK, but during the colder months, think twice. Salads are cold food and, in the middle of the winter when we need hot foods, eating a salad may actually be detrimental to our weight and health.

What is the healthiest way to eat a salad?  Load on the vegetables and add a healthy oil based dressing with vinegar, an unprocessed sea salt and perhaps some lemon and other spices.

Adding a bid of good fat, such as in olive oil, satiates you so that you do not have such a compulsion to binge. In addition, there are many health benefits to consuming olive oil and studies are actually finding that it can help you lose weight.

Suggestion: Throw in some sprouts and beans for an even healthier punch.

Add Olive Oil for a Healthy Salad

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Why add a high quality olive oil to your salad salad? Because it helps absorb the nutrients in the vegetables and has many health benefits. There are many studies that show the benefits of olive oil, including that dietary fats are needed for absorption of vitamins and nutrients, lubricates the colon, may help lower your risk of heart disease, normalize blood clotting and benefit insulin levels and blood sugar control, to name a few.

Typically salad dressings are 3 parts oil and 1 part acid (a vinegar). You can cut some of the oil by adding orange juice, lemon and/or lime. I also love to add Dijon vinegar.

Here’s my favorite dressing:
1 cup cold pressed olive oil
1/4 cup high quality balsamic dressing
2 tbsp pine nuts
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp lemon fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp maple syrup
Pinch of Himalayan Pink Crystal Salt
Pinch of black pepper
Pinch of garlic optional

Mix together oil, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup and mustard then add other ingredients. Mix in greens, shallots, chickpeas and tomatoes and whatever other vegetable and/or legume you love.