Diet Plan, Set Up for Failure

I recently came across a post that a very famous celebrity had listed on her FB wall and a friend of mine "liked" it. I took a look at this celebrity's Diet Plan and was very disturbed. (I won't mention the name out of respect, even though I can't stand the celebrity family and their sense on entitlement.)

I thought o myself: "This girl has access to personal chefs and great foods and personal trainers, donuts gotta be good."

I was wrong! I couldn't believe what I was seeing! How could someone with that much cash and be that famous eat that kind of crap and call herself healthy and fit? I call "fake" on that load of crappy foods and her description of healthy weight loss and body. No "diet" that allows you to eat cookies every day is healthy!

I pray that some how and some day she will discover the right way to eat and be healthy and that she gets better. I can't fault her completely, because I'll give her the benefit of the doubt. Maybe, perhaps maybe, she, and her trainers, and chefs, and family, honestly don't know about optimal nutrition.

Weight Loss vs Getting Healthy

I don't talk to everybody I come across that complains about their weight, and there is a good reason too. The general public today is so focused on their weight and yet we keep getting bigger and wider every year.

Why?

Because we LOVE diet fads. I've heard almost everybody say that they hate diets, but they go on them anyway because they don't want the weight. What's happening then? If all these diets say they work, why are we as a community getting fatter?

It's because diets have failure built into them. "But I was successful in my diet! I lost 15 pounds when I was on it! Even though I gained it all back and then some around Christmas time."

My reply: it's because you went "ON" a diet. A diet isn't something you go on and off of. A diet is your day to day eating for month after month, year after year. Not a short term fad, like the mustache obsession or the next hottest boy band among kids and adolescents.

Here's how a diet works: you go on it, eat a certain amount, a certain type of food, exercise, lose weight, fight cravings, maybe cheat, reach goal, then go off they diet, and return to eating they way you did before the diet... And then gain it all back and then some, leaving you five steps back from the two steps you took on the diet.

Now I understand that there are some people who went in diets, were successful, and changed their ways of daily, monthly, an yearly eating to a healthy one and are happy. However, that is not the general public.

Juice Fasting is NOT a diet fad. It's a revolutionizing way to get healthy, restart your systems, stifle cravings, improve your moods, give you energy, cure your ailments, AND then lose weight.

The thing is that Juice Fasting is setting your body up for success on a wholesome diet that gives your body optimum nutrition. Your body will rid itself if excess body fat as it heals itself and then slow down to almost stop when it reaches the balance it requires to function. Of course your weight will fluctuate from season to season because it us natural, but you won't lose because your starving yourself.

So all in all, the reason I don't talk to everyone about Juice Fasting, is because most people are looking for the next diet fad that will allow them to eat whatever they want and then, unfortunately, gain the weight back.

How do I know if some one is serious? They say they want to: "get healthy" or "lose weight and get healthy" or "go off my meds" or "I wish I had more energy" or, my favorite, "Wow you look great! What are you doing?"

Caloric Overload

I went into my local smoothie place to purchase a yummy orange, carrot, banana, and wheatgrass juice. Next door is a sandwich shop franchise that I will not name out of respect for the restaurant. My mother and brother had gone in there for their lunch and some ice cream. As I entered, sipping happily in my juice, I asked my mother what she was eating.

She told me, "A roast beef and avocado sandwich with the works."
"Mmm! Yummy!" I replied. And then she told me that she didn't order what she wanted because of how high the calories for the 6" sandwich would have been.
"How much was it?" I asked, sitting down next to her.
"900 calories," she took another bite.
"What?!" I swallowed hard.
"Yeah. I'm glad that they put the calories next to the sandwiches bow so I am more conscience of making better choices."

I looked over her at the menu above the line of people ordering sandwiches. 700 calories for a 6" meatball sub, 1010 for a 9". 800 calories for a hot pastrami sandwich, 1100 for a 9". 600 for a 6" turkey club, and 970 for a 9".

The list went one and on and this is just the sandwich! That doesn't include drink (100-300 calories) and chips (200-400 calories per bag)!!

I was shocked, SHOCKED! At the high calories count involved for one meal! My stomach churned as I realized that I used to partake in this amount of calorie overload. I remember being in high school, not being very active because I hated to sweat; and chilling with friends and my fiance's friends at each others houses, and stuffing our faces in between video games and movie rounds! No wonder I got to where I was! No wonder why my fiancé lost so much weight before, during, and after bootcamp for the Marines! We didn't see it on us, and I doubt the people standing in that line did either.

I write this to warn you! It's okay to eat that way once in a blue moon. What does that mean? Once or twice monthly. Yes, MONTHLY! Sharpen your culinary skills at home, and cook your own meals where you know what you're eating, and how many calories, fats, sugars, and sodium your consuming.

And that is why I created this blog. That us why u joined Thrive. And that is why I Juice Fast.

Eve's Gift/Curse

Ladies, you know exactly what I'm talking about and it's both good and bad.

The thing I'm coming to realize is that it is not so easy to have our little "gift" during a Juice Fast, but it is completely doable. So I wanted to write a post just for us gals during that time of the month where we feel bloated, emotional, crampy, have head aches, break out in acne, and crave more chocolate than a candy factory can supply!

Juice the following for how your feeling or what ever your issue is:

Complexion: for a fresh face you can feel and see.
-Cucumber
-Grapefruit (this one is okay to just eat)
-Apples
-Ginger

Bloating and Cramps: for when the roaring monster inside you will not allow you to put on your jeans.
-Cucumber
-Watermelon (eat this too!)
-Zucchini
-Red Grapes
-Cantalope
-Celery
-Tomatoes
-Bananas (I like to make my juice and then blend a banana in.)

Emotional: I love/hate you!
-Bananas
-Oranges
-Pineapple
-Carrots
-Spinach
-Watermelon
-Apples

Headaches: for when all you want to do is put the covers over your head.
-Ginger
-Spinach
-Cucumber
-Apples
-Carrots
-Blackberries
-Celery


Cravings: before you devour the nearest chocolate mousse cake.
-Apples
-Bananas
-Kale
-Turnips
-Celery
-Green Bell Pepper
-Tomatoes
-Pineapple
-Grapes
-Lemon

Any combination of these fruits and veggies have great physical, mental, and emotional benefits that we women desperately need during that week. I recommend juicing most to all of those listed above! I do, and you can ask my fiancé, sometimes he has to ask if I'm "on it," cause he can't even tell! :)

Before You Decide on Happy Pills...

Juice!
Yes, Juice!
Try a ten day Juice Fast before deciding on asking your doctor for anti-depressants. (Note! Do not go cold turkey off your anti-depressants before consulting with a doctor!)

Juice Fasting is better than all the happy pills put together in a delicious and nutritious food drink! Yes, it is FOOD! Why juice? Why not eat more fruits and veggies? Look at the picture and see just how much fruits and veggies you would have to eat to get all the nutrients of a tall glass of juice! I don't know about you, but I'm not one for eating all that and I also am not keen on the bitter flavors of some leafy veggies. :P

Also, the liquid form of those fruits and veggies gets into your system faster and your body does less focusing in digesting and more focusing on doing other important jobs, like making you NATURALLY happy!

I have been juicing for over a month, on and off juice fasts and the effects of the juice is miraculous! Before I was always tired, seemed like I was walking in a daze most of the time, depressed that I couldn't talk to my fiancé whenever I wanted (who is deployed in Okinawa, Japan for the Marine Corps) and missing him dearly, and most of all, I was in bad attitudes. I would snap at everyone and it almost seemed like I was bullying my little brother! I kept seeing him as the little annoying brother and never wanted to really listen to what he was saying half the time.

Then the juice changed me completely. I am more positive, more energetic, I think and see more clearly, I am always happy and very thankful when I do talk to my fiancé and say positive things to him all the time to ease his mind off his work, and I'm much more patient, kind, and understanding to people around me and my little brother. We even jump on the trampoline together and play silly games! And I've come to discover so much more about my brother and his interests, his habits, and his inspirations.

So to sum this all up, even though work stress may be killing you, or perhaps stress at home with finances, or even if it's just stress in general about the world around you, you gotta try two things.

1.) Make a list, split it in two, on one side write down the problems you can control on one side, and what your can't control in the other. take some time to do this right and when your ready, tear off the can't control side and toss it, burn it, bury it, what ever you like and don't stress about those things again. Your "can control" list is now a to do list that you can gradually check off. ;)

2.) Juice. Even if you supplement 2-4 meals a day (based on eating every 2-3 hours) you will feel the Juice revolutionize your body and you'll feel incredible!

Best of luck and don't forget to smile!
"You are one smile away from improving your mood." - Andy Andrews.

- Chef Marie CM

Restart...

Most people will lie and tell people that they never gave up even when they did. People will also start over half way through what they started. But no one that I've seen it met yet will admit that they did their best and caved at their goals or will they don't take the responsibility that they didn't achieve their goals.

I'm gonna be real with you and tell you that I made it 20 days into my 60 days and fell into temptation. Why would I tell you this? Didn't I fail? Didn't I quit? Didn't I fall short?

My answer to you is "NO!" I made it 10 days longer than my last Juice Fast and acquired beautiful skin, lost 18 pounds of excess body fat, and great amounts of energy!

A gentleman in L.A. Who attended the international event for my business invited my mom and I to share a dinner table with him when the restaurant was packed. I learned a lot from him but I took away something very special from him. He told me: "always remember this, no matter what people tell you or what people do to you, remember, 'to thine self be true.'"

So, I believe in being genuine with people and with myself, and by doing so, I give you this post about my restart on juice fasting for 60 days and how I went head to head with myself.

I first looked at myself in the mirror, told myself that I did a fabulous job and that I was proud of myself. Then I smiled wider and said: how bout we kick it up another notch? Let's do it and let's do it hard!

So I want to tell you that if you only get to 7/10 days of a juice fast, good for you for achieving that much! You proved to yourself that you can do it and when you're ready, do it again for the extra three days. You can do it, I believe in you, and if you ever need an accountability partner, contact me!

Tips for success:
1. Tell everyone what you're doing and the positive or negative responses are all good. Both build your confidence that you can do it!

2. Tell yourself every morning, in the mirror, that you fully accept who you are and love yourself unconditionally. (it sounds a little silly, but it works!)

3. Pump positive health driven music, videos, movies, or audio into your body every day. (I watch Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead at the beginning of each week and listen to motivating speeches from my other business.)

4. Keep yourself busy. Avoid sitting on the couch at all costs, even when you're tired. (unless it's bed time) you'll avoid the urge to snack when your bored. Get up and walk to listen to music, spend time outside, read, or meditate, or call a friend or family member, or my favorite, spend some time playing with the pets (hamster to dog) and they'll be happy too!

5. Don't beat yourself up and don't surround yourself with people who are eating the foods you want. If you aren't strong mentally to handle it, don't tempt yourself.

You can be successful and love your new life and body!

-Chef Marie CM

Working Out Tips

So I've lost 15 pounds on this Juice fast. There would have been more, but like I said in the previous video, I was under a lot of stress. So what better to relieve stress than a work out? I found this picture and realized that it was a really goo diagram for "Jiggle Prevention!" (Hahaha)

60 Day Juicing Fast

Are you Crazy?!
I couldn't be without real food!
I need to be chewing something!
I have to eat!
That sounds unhealthy!

Those are the top five things I hear every time I go shopping and buy only fruits and veggies, or lose pounds and people ask me what I'm doing, or family ask me what's new. My favorite is the last. Think about it. Juicing fruits and veggies and peole who are eating highly processed foods and high sugary drinks are telling ME that I'M eating unhealthy? To be brutally honest, by saying those things up there, you sound like an addict. Do you really have so much lack of self control that you couldn't do it even for a week?

Sounds silly doesn't it? However I can't blame them entirely. The food that is available in stores these days has literally brainwashed us into thinking that it's good for us.I recently came across a "wellness depot" by a company that I will not name here out of respect. They offered a free 16 oz smoothie, 16 oz. Tea, and an Aloe Vera shot with a wellness profile. Out of curiosity, I joined my mom as she went to receive her free trial drinks. When I was sked for which flavor smoothie I wanted I asked to see the nutritional information. The girl blinked at me in surprise and then went to retrieve the label for both the smoothie and tea. When I was handed the containers the first thing I asked was: "Why is the tea coming as a powder and just not leaves?" She had no real answer for me. as I looked through the Nutritional information I read a key ingredient that showed up on both: Fructose Syrup and Flavoring. I knew exactly what that was, but I asked her what it was and she said it was fruit flavors and sugar derived from fruits. I smiled and shook my head. "Actually, it's one of the 50 names for High Fructose Corn Syrup." Again, blank stare.

Then she asked if i still wanted any, and I politely declined and told my mom that I would go get real Juice from the whole food and organic store instead. The girl asked me what I was doing and I told her a 60 Day Juice Fast. When she asked what it was I told her. I also told her all the benefits of a Juice Fast. She then replied: "That seems very hard and unhealthy." I just smiled back at her and said: "At least I'm not taking in High Fructose Corn Syrup in any of my meals for 60 days, so I'm finding it quite easy to do." After that I left, because I really didn't want to stir up trouble. I'm glad my mom enjoyed her tea and smoothie for the both of us.

Flash forward a week and I lost 10 pounds from my juice fast and was working out one morning at my gym. I go to Curves because I have Scoliosis and the workouts are low impact on my back. So during the circut, someone asked me how I was doing with Culinary and with my weight loss. they know me a the Pastry Chef Instructor, even though I was so much more than that. (I find it funny that they know me as the Sweets Chef in a gym!) I told her my pounds lost and told her about the Juice Fast. Another lady joined in and told us that her son's ex girlfriend had done a cleanse that was prescribed to her doctor. (This was NOT a juice cleanse! Again, I'm not naming the cleanse out of respect) This girl would mix this powdered drink every day for every meal for a period of time and she lost a ton of weight! In addition to her thyroid and gallbladder and another organ I can't remember. I was shocked! How can a doctor prescribe something like that and still have her on it when she lost the first organ?! Her doctor told her that she needed to lose a little more and her boyfriend at the time replied: From what organ this time?

I posted that story because I want people to realize that a Doctor is studied and trained in medicine and not always nutrition. A Nutritionist is specifically trained and studies in the health and wellness of people through micro-nutrients, macro-nutrients, vitamins and minerals. Please ,PLEASE be careful on what your doctor says and what nutritionists say. The doctors doesn't have much training on nutrition and the nutritionist doesn't have much training on medicine. Make sure that you contact your doctor about the side effects from your pills that you may or may not have by changing your eating habits. At the same, time, you may be safe. I did have a doctor tell me that he didn't think anybody should do any sort of cleanse. That told me that he didn't know what I was talking about.

Chef Marie CM

Fake Foods... They're Everywhere!!

The movies I listed in my previous posts are a must see, but here are few of the Fake foods I have discovered and have completely cut out of my daily diet.

NOTE: When I say "Diet" I don't mean being on a diet or starving myself. I mean the foods I eat everyday that are good for me! :)

What is a "Fake Food?"
Anything that is processed, prepackaged, flash frozen, contains high fructose corn syrup, contains sucrolose, contains "flavor enhancers", contains the really bad dyes, anything deep fried, and definitely anything non-organic. That doesn't mean that all Organic foods are good for you. All it means is that the ingredients are organic, but it may contain high levels of sugar.

My list of Fake Foods:
-Top Ramen and other non organic and whole grain Pasta
-Canned Soups
-Boxed, Bagged, or Frozen Macaroni and Cheese
-Oreos and other like Cookies and sweets
-Candy Bars and most Protein Bars
-ALL soda and most Juices and Protein Shakes and sugary milks
-Dressings and other Sauces
-Instant Oatmeal
-Protein Powder that contains Sucaralose or other artificial sweeteners
-Artificial Sweeteners
-Chips and Crackers that aren't whole grain and organic
-Nasty Spreads like Nutella and Skippy Peanut Butter
-Pizza and Burgers and Pasta dishes that aren't Organic and whole grain
-Creamers, Jamba Juice, Starbucks, and other Drive Throughs
-Ice Cream and Frozen Yogurt
-Bacon, Chicken Strips, and other bad Meats
-Butter and Canola Oil and MSG

You might be asking yourself: "My gosh! There's nothing left to eat! This is too much, too hard, and too ridiculous!"

But is it really? All of those foods have little to no nutritional value and you want to feed your body something it cannot use and stores?

That list doesn't mean that I will never eat those things again, but it does mean is that I don't eat them on a regular or weekly and sometimes monthly basis. Try not eating a hamburger for a month; cut fast food from your diet for a month, and replace those meals with good wholesome foods and see how much better you feel.

And there is something to eat: Veggies! Fruits! Water! Whole Grain, low sugar Breads and Grains! Lentils and Beans! Eggs! Tea! Organic Milk/ Unsweetened Almond Milk/Unsweetened Soy Milk! Coconut Oil! Cocoa Nibs! Water! Raw Evolution Protein Bars! Home made Protein Shakes, Smoothies, Coffee, and Juice! And more Water!

When you begin to explore the world of whole foods and Organic foods, you will start to not only see the world in a new light, but feel better about your body, and reach fulfillment by being healthy! Throw in some good excersize and you're all set! ^_^

Best of Luck and if there are any questions, tips, or further advice, comment!

Happy and Healthy Eating!

--Chef Marie CM

Creating a Healthy Kitchen

Part two of my juicing and whole food advice and tips!

Moat refrigerators in America look like this:

Overly STUFFED with sugary, high sodium, and prepackaged foods from the store that promise you nutrition.

I have news for you, most of the foods in this refrigerator are not good for you to consume. I would rather make a trip to my local supermarket and pick up a few apples than eat something from this fridge.

What I see is food that is packaged, bagged, and frozen, raw and cooked and ready to eat foods all touching each other spreading pathogens, a lack of the color green, a lot of creams and sauces and dressings that are packed with sugar , carbs, and bad fats, and lastly FAKE food that has no nutritional value to them.

What do you see? Your favorite food? When was the last time you looked at every label that you're putting into your basket when you go shopping?

Your refrigerator should look like this:

TOP SHELF: Organic Milk or Organic Unsweetened Almond Milk or Organic Unsweetened Soy Milk, Cottage Cheese, Unsweetened Greek Yogurt, smaller fruits such as Berries and Lemons and Limes, Organic Cheeses, and Bottled Juices or Chia drinks or Non Bottled Water and Iced Tea.

SECOND SHELF: Organic Eggs, Freshly made Hummus, Fruits and Veggies that are easily bruised such as Spinach, Romaine, Bananas, etc. and freshly made lunches for the kids or yourself for work.

THIRD SHELF or DRAWERS: Fruits and Veggies that are round and loose like Apples,

Oranges, Avocados, Tomatoes Etc...

BOTTOM SHELF or DRAWERS: Your USDA Organic Meats

FREEZER: Ice, USDA Organic Meats that are portioned for meals, freshly made whole grain, organic dough that is portioned as well for future meals, and more ICE.

NEVER waste your money on frozen fruits and veggies! The Ice crystals that form from the produce's water tears up the structure of the fruit or veggie and when it is cooked, the liquid takes all of the nutrients with it, into the water or pan, and down the drain or evaporated.

All of your fruits and veggies should be prepped the day you purchase them to expand shelf life, avoid contamination from the fridge, avoid the combining of flavors (You don't want a tomato tasting like an orange!) and to keep them clean!

You're gonna want to invest in some good plastic containers or freezer bags that you can reuse over and over.

When you go shopping, go to produce LAST, the shorter the amount of time the produce is exposed to warm air, the less chance it has to pick up pathogens.  They should also be the very first thing you put away and portion out. As for Meats, they should never touch your produce! If you want, bring a reusable bag to place your produce in after you picked up your meat.

Rinse your sink with soap (not cleaners) and warm water. Fill up your sink with cold water and ice (it should be really, really cold!) and lay down towels all over your counters. On one side of the sink, place your fruits and veggies. Starting with the leafy greens first, separate out the leaves from the heart (unless its like cabbage or artichoke, and you want it served whole),  with a soft brush dedicated only to the produce, lightly rinse and scrub your Celery, Romaine, Kale, Collards beets or any thing that has a strong stalk. Then put it into the cold water (one veggie at a time) to quickly chill it but not freeze it. Then lay the veggie spread out on the towels. Gently pat dry and store them in a bag or container with a paper towel or light weight towel to capture and other moisture. Do this for all of your produce and if your ice water starts to look brown or green or has little specks floating int it, change it and rinse your sink.

Next, portion out your meat. Meat servings shouldn't be any larger than the palm of your hand for each meal. Try to avoid freezing the meat as well due to the same rule of thumb with the produce. However the effect the ice has on veggies is much more severe than meats. Store them properly and sealed tight in plastic, not foil.

Plate A

Now every time you open your fridge, you are compelled to grab something good for you, because you have no other choice! You're plates should look less like Plate A and more like Plate B. If there isn't color on your plate, don't eat it.

Plate B

 

One last tip, really pay attention to what you are purchasing and cut back on those boxed, bagged, and prepackaged foods. Don't just look at the calories and carbs, but the ingredients listed below the Facts chart. If there are ingredients you don't know or can't pronounce or the list is so long, it's best you don't buy it. It's better to take two trips weekly, than have a bunch of preserved foods that poison your body.

Happy Eating!

-Chef Marie CM

Juicing

Hello!

I was recently invited to a dear friend's house to watch a movie called "Hungry For Change." This movie impacted me in more ways than one and has jump-started my road to weight loss.

Other movies I have seen that are similar to this movie are: "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead" and "Food Inc." and "Food Matters."

If you have time to relax from your day, you have time to watch these. I have found that the movies are on Netflix right now and "Hungry For Change" is available on DVD, http://www.hungryforchange.tv/

I want to get straight to the point and start out with a little education on juicing...

Juice fasting is similar to water fasting, a form of fasting used for a number of reasons. However, rather than only ingesting water for a number of days, juice is used to provide a micro nutrients that aids the body during a cleanse and promotes an easier means for the body to detoxify.

Remember, juicing is a fantastic way of getting a wide assortment of micro nutrients.  So, try to maximize the impact of your juice by keeping the pesticides out of your juice and better yet, out of your body.

The following are articles about organic foods, how to juice fast, and information you may need to know about juicing. Each of those links are wonderful reads and are very inspiring.

 

http://www.howtofast.net/juice-fasting.html 

http://www.doctoryourself.com/juicefast.html 

http://dralex.hubpages.com/hub/Juice-Fasting-Diets-The-Master-Cleanse 

http://altmedicine.about.com/od/detoxcleansing/a/BreakingFast.html

The next thing I want to touch on is incorporating whole foods and organic produce into you diet and how it won't hurt your pocket book like you may think.

The usual mentality today is that Organic foods are too expensive, but has anyone asked why?

The term “organic” refers to the way agricultural products are grown and processed. Specific requirements must be met and maintained in order for products to be labeled as "organic".

Organic crops must be grown in safe soil, have no modifications and must remain separate from conventional products. Farmers are not allowed to use synthetic pesticides, bio-engineered genes (GMOs), petroleum-based fertilizers and sewage sludge-based fertilizers

Organic farming refers to the agricultural production systems that are used to produce food and fiber. Organic farmers don’t use synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. Instead, they rely on biological diversity in the field to naturally reduce habitat for pest organisms. Organic farmers also purposefully maintain and replenish the fertility of the soil. All kinds of agricultural products are produced organically, including produce, grains, meat, dairy, eggs, fibers such as cotton, flowers, and processed food products. Washing and cooking will NOT kill these pesticides, germs, or pathogens.

Organic food is more labor intensive since the farmers do not use pesticides, chemical fertilizers or drugs. Organic certification and maintaining this status is expensive. Organic feed for animals can cost twice as much. Organic farms tend to be smaller than conventional farms, which means fixed costs and overhead must be distributed across smaller produce volumes. Most organic farms are too small to receive government subsidies.

So how do we change our ways and purchase organics within our budget? Simple! Buy more produce and less boxed, canned, or bagged items. No one has said that you HAVE to buy those things only false promises of nutrition and health benefits.

But that's not all! I would advise not to purchase things at the high end stores as often as possible if you are on a tight budget. Go to your Farmer's Market, grow your own, join a Food Co-Op, or take a trip with some families to a local farm!

Start with this, and come back for more posts!

-Chef Marie CM.

A Few Tips....

Happy Tuesday!

I have been thinking about this post for awhile and I am finally posting it!
I wanted to leave a few Healthy tips that have helped me lose weight, get me into shape, and have had other fabulous results.

The First is juicing.
I have lost so much weight, cleared up my skin, reset my metabolism, immune system, cleansed my colon and kidneys, recharged my energy, and best of all, feel good in my own skin!
The powers of juicing is indescribable and unmatched by any other power drink or diet drink out there!
I Will be posting about my experience in Juicing very shortly.

The Second is Ingredients Speaking for themselves.
I cannot stress this enough: Over seasoning, over salting, and over sweetening food is not only unhealthy, but can cause plenty harm to your body!
Too much salt has many health problems and it dulls the taste buds from knowing what the food truly tastes like.

Too much seasoning can cause bitter tastes and make food overly too rich, which gives you that "I ate too much" feeling."
Over sweetening is a topic in itself! Sugar is BAD for your body. Now I'm talking about white sugar, cane sugar, corn syrup, brown sugar, etc... Even too much sugary fruits is going to cause problems. Here's the problem with sugar... it spikes your glycerin levels which holds onto fats, the sugars, and carbs, and turns them into body fat. It causes your body to slow down on burning the calories as well and as fast as it could and that's the LAST thing you want.
There will be more information on Sugar shortly.

The Third is exercise.
I know it's been over talked, over produced, and always in your face.
Every where you look there is some poster or sign or commercial telling you how the next best thing will help you lose weight and look like the photo-shoppped and polished up models.
News flash: Those girls and guys have personal trainers, have probably had some sort of enhancing surgery, and are on very strict diets that aren't healthy for them.
The bottom line: Those people are skinny, not healthy. They are thin, not fit.
Strive to be fit and healthy. What does that mean? It means a lot of things!
More info shortly on this as well!

I wanted to post this little preview before I posted the BIG posts because I want to make sure I craft each post right and leave plenty of links for you to read, educate, and motivate.

Stay tuned!

-Chef Marie CM

Healthy & Simple Broccoli Soup (****)

This recipe was given to a chef on Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares (UK) as a way to show him that you can make delicious food just by relying on the ingredient's natural flavors and enhance them with a little salt.

I put Ramsay's Broccoli Soup to the challenge...

Ingredients:
- 2 Cups of Fresh Broccoli
-4-6 Cups of Water
-Salt and Pepper (to taste)

Directions:
1. Bring water to a boil.
2. Cut Broccoli into even sized chunks; stalks too.
3. Blanch the Broccoli until they are just passed al dente.
4. Strain Broccoli (keep water!)
5. Puree Broccoli in a food processor or blender.
6. With blender or food processor on low, gradually add the broccoli water back into the broccoli until reached a desired constancy.
7. Season to taste and serve.

Yield: 4-5 one cup servings

Calories: 30
Carbs: 4g
Fats: 0g
Sugars: 1g
Sodium: 500mg
*approximate amounts

Verdict: Delicious! Ramsay was right! Allowing the true flavors of the Broccoli to make the soup instead of relying on creams, cheeses, and other vegetables is so much better! The taste and smooth texture of it made me wonder if I accidentally did put cream in! (and I made it!) I give it a 4/5 star rating on flavor and a 5/5 on simplicity and calories!

Variations:
Add 1t. of garlic and use garlic salt to taste.

Enjoy!

Chef Marie CM

Welcome!

What's up with that old saying: "Never trust a skinny chef?"

I mean I have respect for Chef Gusteau and everything, but c'mon! Not everybody wants to sacrifice flavor for calories!

This group is for Chefs, at home cooks, or anyone who wants to learn some healthy ways of cooking.

Full of recipes, images, and even videos posted by me, Chef Marie CM, or by others!

70% of abs are created in the kitchen and 30% is polished off in the gym. So let's raise our spoons and forks and set down our scales and eat our way fit and healthy!

Bot Appetit!

Chef Marie CM