Tips to Skip the Bulge this Holiday Season!

A 3 Day Reset mid-week reverses holiday backslides: Make Monday to Wednesday Reset Days! 

Monday - Wednesday:

• Drink Green Juice each day
• Skip alcohol these days
• Commit to a salad each day
• Commit to 2-3 servings of veggies with each meal + your optimal protein source
• Skip the processed foods
   
• Our TLC Fall Cleanse is your weekly Reset Partner. Past clients, buy a 7 day cleanse and split it up into two 3-day segments!
  
  Purchase online here before December 17th with promo code GOBBLEUP to receive free shipping! 

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Thursday through Sunday Festivities:

• Eat ahead of time - Like going to the grocery store and never shopping hungry, going to a party starving is a recipe for extra poundage and feeling sluggish.
• Did you eat a healthy protein option pre-party? One of the biggest cravings busters is ensuring healthy protein to help balance blood sugar.
• Keep water in hand. Dehydration = hunger. Sipping on water is also a distraction for other nibbles and excess alcohol.

Gift the Gift that Keeps on Giving!

Give the gift that keeps on giving with life-changing results!

Higher Energy, Weight Loss / Maintenance, Better Sleep, Digestion and Allergies = A Priceless Return on Investment

A healthier friend or loved one makes a happier you :)


Give gift certificates good towards part or all of our programs including our upcoming Community Group Cleanse on January 26th!  Available in $50, $100, $200 increments

SWAP! Steph's Rocking Beans

"I've been living off this recipe!

Combine:

• 1/2 yellow onion - browned
• 1 jalapeño
• Handful of chopped cilantro
• 1/2 chopped red pepper
• 1 can diced organic tomatoes
• 1 can organic, low sodium, black beans *
• 1 can organic, low sodium, pinto beans
• 1 can organic, low sodium, drained kidney beans

I put the top on and bring to quick boil, then slow simmer.

Enjoy with a full avocado.

It's super cheap and one batch gives me 5 lunches!" - Love, Steph: past LoveLife client

Thanks Steph!

*LLM Note: This recipe is excellent for those of you testing nightshades. Experiencing digestive discomfort? Opt for 1/2 cup each of dried, soaked beans in place of the canned version.

Skin by Ann Webb - a top fave!

I first met Ann Webb 8 years ago when I was helping open a wellness center in Austin called Plum Blossom. The concept that what we put on our body was as important as what we put *in* our body was a new one at the time, with Ann at the helm of what many now take for granted. 

Ann is a bright light with even brighter skin, a testament to her life work and passion. Skin by Ann Webb is one of Whole Foods top selling skin care lines for good reason. Ingredients are all natural, cutting edge and both effective and affordable. 

Her cleansers are some of my favorites and I personally use her delicious smelling Peppermint Milk Cleanser in the winter and migrate to the Spearmint Tea Cleanser for a more sudsing cleanser in the sweltering summer months. 

Ann's philosophy for affordable skin care also extends to her facials. Her AW Customized Facial for new clients is $65 and will leave you with the signature Ann Web glow!

Love the Wines That'll Love You Back! + a Challenge for YOU!

On my introductory calls in which I explain the method of LoveLife, I inevitably receive a sheepish question that sounds something like this: “Ummm, I’m kind of embarrassed to ask you this, but uhhh, how long do I have to go without wine during the program?”

Sound familiar?

As a former San Franciscan who practically lived in the wine country in her early 20s, looked at attending enology school to become a winemaker and who moved to Austin with a cherished 150-bottle collection of hand-picked faves, I get it!

However, upon discovering that wine was my nemesis – sleepless nights, brain fog, lower energy and skin issues – I slowly phased it out of my life throughout my 20s and 30s, until finally, rarely dipping a toe back in the bottle only to recall why I chose to nix it.

Many of our clients are surprised to discover that wine makes them feel less than stellar, while others can enjoy a glass or two and feel fine. While ignorance might be bliss - insomnia, stomach issues, low energy and allergies - siphon it away.

But what if wine’s bite softened or even disappeared?

I’ve discovered some less reactive wines and am excited to share these with you in time for the holiday cheer.

I would also like to request your assistance in a fun experiment. Help us find wines that are less reactive and taste delicious!!

How? Drink up Buttercups! And follow these steps:

1. Read this article to learn what to look for in a non-reactive wine.
2. Choose wines accordingly
3. Drink up and listen to your body’s responses
4. Report back here on our Facebook.
5. The winners of this challenge will be further vetted out for reactivity and will make it into our top wine recommendations. We will share these recommendations early next year.

But first, read on to learn why wines can rattle our cages so and what types of wines you want to choose instead.

There’s a lot more to wine’s cherished complexities than most of us realize: fire retardants and cleaning chemicals used in the oak that ages many wines; pesticides and nasty chemicals sprayed to protect the grapes (which by the way are not washed when crushed and ultimately bottled); chemical additives used to finish wines; high levels of sulfites which are added to 98% of wine (separate issue from the naturally occurring sulfites produced by the fermentation process).

Our subtle notes can waft as many as 80 chemicals per bottle along with molds, tannins, sugars and sulfites, creating an elixir of reactivity and unknown long-term consequences.
With so many facets how can we identify our personal culprits and how to therefore suss out our best wine match? While it is difficult to know for sure, one of the best starting places is with sulfites.

Ask wine sommeliers, aficionados or servers about sulfites and you might receive a snub of the nose and a “Sulfites are in all wines” response.

True. Sulfites are naturally occurring in wines due to the fermentation process.

However, 98% of wines also add an additional cocktail of sulfite chemicals, often in high concentrations.

Why does this matter?

Sulfites are more reactive than commonly realized. A classic textbook sulfite allergy includes breathing difficulties and headaches. This type of reaction in rare instances can be very serious triggering an anaphylactic response due to an allergy. This is why the USDA requires labeling of all foods containing added sulfites. These types of reactions however are rare.

Much more common are the little known Sulfite Intolerances. Like other food intolerances, these have yet to gain mainstream awareness and so any snooty sulfite snubbers are simply blissfully unaware.

But in our programs, the symptoms elicited by sulfites which many of our clients experience, both to those contained in wine and those in dried fruits and other high sulfite foods, are undeniable.

Some of these symptoms we commonly witness during the testing phase of our programs include: sleep issues, increased stress and anxiety, digestive issues, allergies, weight gain and lower energy levels.

So why use Sulfites at all?

Sulfites are added to wines as a preserving agent and with this preservation they enhance the wines flavors while also retaining these flavors, even in the face of unwanted invaders such as molds or shipping and storage in higher heats. It takes both great skill and artistry to create a wine that can age and retain its complexities in the absence of additives. In addition it takes more solid control of transportation, harvesting and aging conditions, which are harder to control.

There is a wide variance in the amounts of sulfites each vintner adds. Mass market wines blast their wines with sulfites and heavier chemicals in order to ensure the wine tastes the same year to year rather than embracing vintage variations. Many finer wines fluctuate with the natural harvest year to year and are more of an art form. These wines sometimes use less sulfites but these assumptions do not always hold true. False assumptions can wreak havoc if you’re sensitive.

The most reliable standard is through the USDA. According to the USDA, a wine must contain less than one part per million (ppm) to carry a “no sulfites” label. Wines containing fewer than 10 ppm may be labeled “contains only naturally occurring sulfites or no sulfites added”. Additionally these wines may instead choose to make no mention of sulfites at all on their bottles. Wines with more than 10 ppm must be marked “contains sulfites”.

However, there is a lot of wiggle room between 10 ppm and the max allowed standard, which is 350 ppm for conventional wines!

So what to do? Should you avoid all wines with any mention of sulfites?

Choosing a mix of organic and lower sulfite or sulfite-free labels is going to be your best bet.

Think that organic wines automatically equates to vinegar? Think again. Thankfully, a decade young movement into organic, biodynamic and sulfite free options has matured and is coming into it’s own.

Any wine that is certified organic wine must have fewer than 10 ppm naturally occurring sulfites in addition to containing only natural pesticides. Wines carrying "made with organic grapes" on the label must contain less than 100 ppm of combined natural and added sulfites.

Over the holiday season, we challenge you to test some organic wines and report back with your findings.

• Which were your favorites?
• What did you love about them?
• Which turned your nose?

To get you in the spirit, one of the most celebrated Organic Vintners that carries the toughest labels is: Frey Organic. With a slightly peppery and fruit forward finish, my favorite of the sulfite free wines so far has been their Syrah.

Here is your Sulfite Cheat Sheet for your experiment.

How to Choose Sulfite Free Labels:
·      No Detectable Sulfites: less than 1 ppm
·      Certified Organic: less than 10 ppm sulfites
·      No Added Sulfites: less than 10 ppm
·      Made with Organically grown grapes: 100 ppm or less
·      Contains Sulfites: May contain up to 350ppm Sulfites

We will also be experimenting and reporting back early next year.

Happy vino experimenting!

Crispy, Delicious Fish, and Compliant too!

Testing fish for the first time after your Cleanse? Break out your hemp seeds, your pumpkin and even your chia to get a compliant fish dish on the table in no time. Most breaded fish recipes call for eggs, flour and bread or cracker crumbs. By using the seed trio, you'll amp up the protein per serving, avoid ingredients you may not have integrated yet and still achieve a crispy, nicely textured fish dish.

INGREDIENTS: 

• Filet of fish (your choice. Trout, salmon, halibut, cod all work well here) 
• 1/4-1/2 c. pumpkin seeds
• 1 tsp seasonal blend from kit
• Himalayan salt and black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons of chia seeds
• 1/3 c. water
• 1/4 c. hemp seeds

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Over low heat, lightly toast the pumpkin seeds until you start to hear them pop, they'll have turned a nice, golden brown. Allow seeds to cool and transfer to a cutting board. Roughly chop the seeds. If you are making more than one filet, you can opt for a blender or food processor here although we like the resulting texture achieved with just a knife. 

Mix pumpkin seeds, seasoning and if using, salt and pepper.

In a second small bowl combine the chia seeds and water. Set aside until the chia has gelled (these will take the place of your eggs). 

Finally, in a third bowl, place your hemp seeds (these will take the place of the flour in most breaded fish recipes.) 

So now you have three bowls of seeds: pumpkin, chia and hemp. 

First, start by dipping the fish into the chia and spreading the mixture evenly over the filet. Second, place the filet into the hemp seeds, pressing the seeds into the fish on both sides. Thirdly, dip the fish into the pumpkin seed spice mixture and again, press the seeds into a thick coating around the fish.

Place the filet on a well oiled baking sheet and bake for 15-30 minutes dependent on the thickness of the fish. 

Organic Sunbutter

What’s a favorite sandwich spread that’s creamy and pairs with Jelly? Peanut Butter? We’ve got something even better in store for you.

Organic Sunbutter! Our clients have road tested it and given it a major thumbs up. It’s deliciously reminiscent of your favorite treat growing up, but free of the allergenic and moldy effects of peanuts. Slather it on a banana. Dip your celery stalks in it. Coat one of your favorite seed cracker treats. 

In Austin? Find it at People's RX South Location in the LoveLife Method section along with a selection of compliant snacks.

Kathy says goodbye to hot flashes and nearly 30 pounds, too!

KATHY KERR

Executive, Book and football lover

Kathy's Food Bloom:

• Weight Lost: 29 pounds
• Blood Pressure reduced
• Sleep Quality: "2" to "7.5"
• Wake throughout night: 20x per night to 2x per night
• Hot Flashes: 10x per night to start, now entirely eradicated
• Overall Energy: "5" to "8"
• Cravings: "8" to "0"
• Stress: "10" to "2"
• Back Pain: "8" to "2"
• Arthritis Pain: “8” to “2”

New Favorite Foods: Blueberries, spinach, kale, quinoa with avocado

Happy Foods: Green Juices help with weight loss and reducing back pain

Food Bloom Saboteurs:  

• Nuts, Gluten, Soy increase hot flashes, decrease energy, cause sleep disruptions and headaches

From Kathy:
"I started this program as a diet - needing to lose a significant amount of weight. Instead I have discovered a way of life. I no longer crave unhealthy foods and when I am traveling I find I can't wait to get home and cook up a big batch of healthy vegetables. It is possible to travel every week and remain true to the principals of the program - yes it takes extra planning and packing, it takes commitment to finding restaurants that will honor your preferences, but it is doable! I travel almost every week all around North America and have discovered enough restaurants that will work with me. If I can't find one, I rely on the avocado, pumpkin seeds and Lydia's cereal that I take from home to get me through. The LoveLife Method"

- Kathy Kerr

*Update March 6th, 2013:
 "I also wanted to tell you two great things about my health - I took myself off cholesterol meds last fall and was just retested and have no need to go back on meds!  Secondly my cardiologist told me that I have successfully reversed the thickening of my heart wall that was there when he first started treating me 5 years ago. He said the combination of the eating, exercise and controlling my blood pressure has made me younger :) Thanks again for helping to change my life - I am slowly getting my husband on board too. I am in town this week so we are doing a veggie reset week together!" -  Kathy