I have been working in the nutrition field for 20+ years and have grown a lot over the years of continuing my education and working with thousands of clients.  The biggest problem I have encountered that seems to get people in trouble, confused, and unhealthy, is believing in a certain “diet” program and trying to follow it no matter what.

I really dislike the fact that whenever a new book or program comes out and someone has success with it, everyone believes it will do the same for them.  Even when someone feels worse, they continue following it, believing it will work and that they just have to tough it out.  Food is supposed to make you feel good.  If you eat right for you body type, I believe (and this is based on all the years consulting with individual clients) you will lose fat, feel great, and significantly reduce your risk of disease and illness.

How do you know what your body type is? There are metabolic or nutritional typing quizzes that can be very helpful, however the easiest way is to not change anything, and start journaling what you eat and how you feel.  Pay attention to cravings, bloating, acid reflux, constipation, diarrhea, energy levels, fatigue, headaches, weight gain or weight loss; all of these factors need to be recorded.  Doing this for a week will give you a lot of information.  If a client does this for me for 1 week, I will know exactly what body type they have.

I also use blood work to help me figure things out, which is very helpful.  If someone doesn’t have the right blood work, I send them to their doctor with a list of things I want to see. Every individual is different and may require different nutritional advice.  For example, I can’t recommend a vegan or vegetarian diet if someone is pre-diabetic.  For some a raw diet is perfect, however for others it will make them feel lousy.  A higher protein diet for some clients is ideal, while it may make others feel bloated and have low energy.  Some need to eat pretty much grain-free or only certain types of grains.  Others do very well on grains.

I enjoy working with each individual client and helping them figure out what diet or nutrition program is right for them. Helping someone get away from “dieting”, buying every nutrition or diet book on the market, yo-yo-ing in weight, and facing a risk of other illnesses and disease, is my greatest passion.

Supplements are another huge expense for many people, and most don’t know if what they are taking is working or right for them.  They only have the media, magazines and books to help them decide what to buy.  Many products do not absorb well and are causing problems.

I spend a lot of time researching certain products before I recommend anything.  I make sure the products have followed all the regulations and are truly putting in what the label says.  I also research where the company gets their ingredients and how they produce the product.  I have moved towards a lot of liquids and powders since I find tablets have fillers added that aren’t always food.  Capsules are certainly a good option but what my clients like about liquid or powder is the increased ability to digest and absorb, and they don’t have to take as much to get the dose required.

How you take supplements and when you take them is also an important factor. The study that came out awhile ago stating that supplements really didn’t make a difference was flawed.  They did not disclose what product line they used, the form  (tablet, capsule, liquid, or powder) and how the participants took the products.  I agree there are many supplements that don’t make any difference, but if you take what is right for you in the right form, dose and time, many benefits can be achieved.

To get started on your own food journal, click here.  To submit a specific question you may have about nutrition, send an email to asktheexpert@simplyslimliving.com.

All fake oils and fats cannot be recognized by the body and digested as an essential fatty acid.  When vegetable oils (so-called healthy oils) are made stable (or solid) at room temperature, these oils have to be heated and spun to such high temps and at such a speed that the oil is really no longer a food.  In all honesty, it is like eating plastic.

Organic raw butter or ghee (clarified butter) are actually the best butter sources, however do not heat these or you will damage them.  Heating them causes them to become harder for the body to digest and use as fat.  You can heat them just slightly, however if you see the color turn brown the fat is damaged.

The best oils to heat are:

• Olive oil
• Grapeseed oil
• Raw organic coconut oil

Again, you can’t heat these to really high temps for long periods of time or they will break down and become damaged.  It is best to never subject your oil or any fat to high temps, so think about this when you are cooking.  Food does not like high heat, especially fat.

You can bake with olive oil, grapeseed oil, and raw organic coconut oil as well if you want your food to be healthier.  Substituting these oils for butter in recipes is ideal.

Be aware that all other vegetable oils (sunflower, safflower, walnut oil, canola oil, etc.) can be good oils, but they are very unstable and should not be heated.  Even if they simply sit in your cupboard for long periods of time, the oil goes bad.  Unstable oil should always be in a dark bottle and kept in a cool place.

Many people ask whether omega 3 oils (fish oil, flax oil, walnut oil, etc.) are okay for heating.  Some like to pour flax oil on their cooked oatmeal or steamed vegetables.  This is okay since you are not getting the oil hot enough to damage it, but you never want to put these oils in a hot pan.

For getting healthy fat in your diet, raw nuts and seeds are the best for you.  Roasting means heating, so it does damage the fat in nuts.  If you need to soak your nuts for digestive reasons, that is fine.  You can even roast your own raw nuts, but only at 150* F for 10 minutes maximum.  Using olive oil or grapeseed oil with a little sea salt and then baking them for 10 minutes at 150*F can give you the taste of roasted, but without losing the nutritive quality.

Our bodies need fat to assist in normalizing the metabolism of carbohydrates. The key is to choose healthy sources of fat and heat them only minimally.  This way you gain the benefits of healthy, natural fat as an essential part of your diet.

Black, green, white and oolong

Here are a few helpful facts about each type of tea:

• Green Tea may protect against cancer especially stomach or colon.  It also benefits the immune system and has also been known to kill natural killer cells.
• Oolong & Black Tea are known to help decrease blood pressure, decrease cholesterol & protect the heart.  Black tea does go through more processing than green tea though, so you will get increased health benefits from green vs black.
• White Tea is considered to be more beneficial since it comes from baby or young tea leaves.  There isn’t any chlorophyll in white tea, however the polyphenols are known to be greater.

Freshly brewed tea is healthier than tea from a bottle, previously brewed or instant.  High quality loose tea is recommended to gain the most health benefits.  I like organic tea from Teavana, Republic of Tea, & Organic India.  There are many websites and health food stores that sell high quality organic loose tea - these three just happen to be my favorite.

All tea does provide antioxidant benefits, however you do want to pay attention to the processing as more processing decreases the health benefits.  Decreased color or lighter color tea means less processing.

Think about all the advantages of drinking a high quality cup of tea at least twice per day.  It is extremely powerful to be drinking antioxidants that are alive and actively benefitting your body.  I am a tea fanatic because I was raised drinking tea, but also because I understand and appreciate all the ways it can benefit the human body.

MAIN BENEFITS OF TEA

Fights Cancer & Heart Disease
Tea contains antioxidant compounds of polyphenols that help the body fight harmful free radicals. It is believed that harmful free radicals can lead to cancer and heart disease. Tea also contains flavonoids that restricts the build-up of cholesterols and help with blood vessel functionality.

Protects Teeth & Strengthens Bones
Polyphenols found in tea may reduce plaque, which lowers your chance of cavity and gum disease. Tea also contains fluoride that helps protect against tooth decay. Fluoride is extracted from the soil by the tea plant. This identified mineral also strengthens bones and prevents osteoporosis.

Improves Digestion
The polyphenols in tea help with digestion of fatty food by increasing the flow of digestive juices.

Prevents Food Poisoning
The catechins in tea are a powerful sterilizing agent, which kills germs and bacteria. Tea prevents food poisoning by fighting against stomach diseases caused by harmful bacteria.

Makes You Look and Feel Younger
Studies suggested that the high concentration of antioxidants in tea have an anti-aging effect.

Strengthens the Immune System
Vitamin C in green tea helps to treat the flu and the common cold. Moreover, the polyphenols in tea have shown to increase the number of white blood cells in our immune system.

Prevents Dehydration
Tea is a good source of fluid intake that replenishes lost body liquid. Tea is low in calories, and it can be a great thirst quencher.

VITAMINS & MINERALS IN TEA

Vitamin B1 (Thiamin):
Thiamin helps to build energy by converting energy from food. It is also needed for growth and reproduction. Furthermore, it promotes better appetite and digestion.

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin):
Riboflavin is used for maintenance of healthy skin, eyes, and nerves. It also is an essential vitamin for proteins and energy metabolism.

Vitamin B6:
This vitamin helps to release energy from food and enhances the metabolism of proteins. It also helps the red blood cells formation and is an important compound in the regulation of the central nervous system.

Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid):
This vitamin helps to heal wounds and mend fractures. It also fights some common types of virus and bacterial infections.

Vitamin K:
This to helps build bone metabolism and is essential for preventing blood clotting.

Carotene (precursor of vitamin A):
Carotene is converted to vitamin A upon digestion. Vitamin A promotes good eyesight and healthy skin.

Folic Acid:
This acid is essential for the red blood cell formation and gene formation.

Manganese:
It is vital for growth and the body’s development.

Potassium:
It is essential for maintaining normal fluid level and a normal heart rhythm.

Zinc:
Zinc is essential for the development of the reproduction organs and protein synthesis. It also helps in wound healing.

Fluorine:
As you may know, Fluorine protects the teeth and strengthens the bones.

The above does not address all of the wonderful and beneficial herbal teas.  There are so many variations of herbal teas out there now that it is difficult to address each one, however be aware that only green, black, oolong and white teas possess the benefits discussed above.

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Watch this video to learn the warning signs of pre-diabetes and important steps to take, such as:

• Key symptoms to look for
• What causes pre-diabetes and how to lessen your risk
• Vital tips for preventing diabetes
• What bloodwork can show you to help prevent diabetes

Most people are unaware of their breathing habits and practice unhealthy breathing such as holding their breath or breathing high in their chest in a shallow way.  Certain breathing patterns can cause intense stress and anxiety in a person - just because of the way they are breathing.

Most of us were never taught how to breathe.  We tend to breathe from the chest up when it should be the stomach that initiates the breath.  When you are feeling stressed or anxious, if you take time out to do 20-30 deep breaths (from the stomach), you will feel much better.  If you have indigestion or stomach issues, try taking 10 deep belly breaths prior to eating.  It has been proven that oxygen is responsible for healing all by itself.

So you might be asking, how do I learn to breathe? What is the proper way to breathe?  The easiest way to start practicing deep breathing is to lie down, inhale, and feel your stomach moving outwards.  As you exhale, your stomach should move inwards.  You can do this while focusing on specific areas that hurts or needs attention.  Massage therapists often ask their clients to breathe into a tight area as they press down on it. Yoga instructors tell students to breathe into a tight muscle area to relax and loosen the muscles.  Areas of the body always loosen up with breath; this proves that oxygen alone does in fact loosen tight muscles.

If you are stressed, you will likely notice your breathing is shallow.  This is the time when you really need the extra oxygen to help relax your tense muscles & body.  A combination of deep breathing and water can often get rid of a headache, stomach ache, fatigue, anxiety or stress.  I am not talking about severe anxiety here that is a diagnosed medical condition.  I am talking about the anxiety that you feel, for example, when you are overdue on a project or assignment.

Breathing is also a way your body detoxifies…the more toxic substances you inhale, the harder your body has to work to get them out of your system.  If you smoke or inhale too many contaminates from the air, respiration can’t keep up, so some respiratory or lung disease may develop. Under normal conditions, the breath does remove normal contaminates from the body.

Below, I’ve included 3 deep breathing exercises that will help you stay slim, relieve stress and maintain a healthy body.

Square Breathing

1. Inhale for count of 4
2. Hold for count of 4
3. Exhale for count of 4
4. Hold for count of 4

Kung Fu Breath - practice before eating

1. Inhale deeply with face toward ceiling
2. Exhale forcefully through mouth - shouting something

Goddess Breath

1. Stand with feet shoulder-length apart
2. Take deep belly breath, and pull the strength of the ground up with it
3. Feel your oneness with the planet
4. Exhale through mouth.  Let go of excess emotional baggage carried around, and forget it - it’s not important.

Overwhelmed by food labels at the grocery store

Watch the video below to learn:

• Where to look for the healthiest foods
• What to look for on food labels - the good and the bad
• Easy ways to scan labels for vital ingredients
• Why it is vital that you know what’s in your food

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