BTB Post Cleanse

Information on how to reintroduce foods back into your diet after your cleanse phase is posted under "Post Cleanse" under "Back to Balance Cleanse." Let me know if you anyone tries BTB out!! I'd love to hear feedback!! Again, you can always email me at maybrown04@yahoo.com

Have a great weekend!!!

BTB Meal Plans

You can now find 5 meal plans with accompanying grocery list and recipes for the BTB Cleanse in the right hand column under "Back to Balance Cleanse."

The meal plans are just suggestions on how to utilize the approved foods list. As long as you stick with the list and the meal pattern (found in the overview), you will be successful!!!

Note: There has been some issues with the links. They are now in google-doc format, and not very easy to read. If you would like me to send you the PDF formats, let me know, and I will email them to you!! Email me at maybrown04@yahoo.com

BTB Approved Foods List

The Approved Foods List can be found in the right hand column under "Back to Balance Cleanse." There is a strategic reason for each option and specification. Let's go through the groups!

     *Note: hyperlinked words will lead you to more detailed information on that topic.

Fruit: Duh. However, you will notice that pre-packaged (canned or otherwise) fruits are not approved. These preservative measures (in general) increase the amount of added sugar in your options and decrease the nutritional value.

Vegetables: There is a little more flexibility with vegetables because the overall calories involved are not near that of fruits. There are 3 starchy vegetables (potatoes, peas, and corn). However, potatoes are the only ones that are excluded due to their higher calorie content. Attempt to get as many vegetables into your day as you can! Low calorie and high nutrient content!!

Grains: The grains approved are so for their high fiber, vitamin and mineral content - also, as whole grains, they all have a certain level of protein content. For example, wheat germ is a good source of B vitamins, iron, and folic acid had has 3g of protein in 2 tbs.

Beans, Poultry, and Nuts: The approved foods list does not include meat or seafood. This decreases saturated fat, additive, and overall calorie intake. Beans are great sources of fiber and protein. Eggs are also a great source of protein and a large amount of vitamins and minerals (especially in the yolk). Due to the cholesterol content, it's important to only eat one egg yolk every other day. There is no restriction on egg whites.

Dairy and Lactose Free Products: Lactose free products would be substitutions for those who are lactose intolerant. (Certain yogurts are appropriate still, and ask your doctor about taking a lactase enzyme before consuming dairy products). Dairy provides an important amount of protein, and again, many essential vitamins and minerals. Fat-free milk and 1% cottage cheese are approved due to their lower fat and overall lower calorie content. Greek yogurt has a much higher protein content than other options, so its more bang for your buck!

Flavorings: The approved flavorings are crucial for the enjoyment of your foods! Also, they are all natural, sodium free, and calorie free (excluding lemon juice). There are many health benefits related to cayenne pepper, cinnamon, and vinegar.

Supplements: When eating a low-fat diet, you miss out on heart healthy Omega 3, 6, and 9s. For this reason, it is encouraged to take a fish oil supplement.

Meal plans, accompanying recipes, and a grocery list for you will be posted later this week!!!

Back to Balance Cleanse

So, what sets this cleanse apart? The Back to Balance Cleanse is simple, flexible, realistic, and healthy. The recipes and meal plans are merely suggestions. Staying within the approved foods list, you can create your own recipes and meal plans!!

Increased flexibility is provided when it comes to picking brands of the items on the approved foods list. If you are working with a budget, it is easy to buy generic and skip a couple of the higher priced items. (For example: walnuts are usually more expensive than almonds or pecans.)

If you would like to further regulate pesticide and hormone additives in your foods, you can purchase organic produce and dairy.  The Back to Balance Cleanse is a paint by numbers eating pattern that you can paint yourself!! Regardless, if you follow the approved foods list and stick to the meal pattern, filling in your day with plenty of vegetables, you will reap the benefits!!

You will find an overview of the cleanse including the meal pattern and cleanse goals in the right column under "Back to Balance Cleanse." Throughout the week I will be posting the approved foods list, grocery list, suggested meal plans and accompanying recipes. Lastly, I will post how the Back to Balance Cleanse is easy to transition into a sustainable, healthy, ongoing eating pattern.

The suggested length of the cleanse is 5-14 days, at which point is is suggested to increase the protein and unsaturated fat sources in your diet. This, again, will be discussed in the post-cleanse post!

Why Cleanse?

We have all heard the word "cleanse," but what does it mean? When Beyonce stated that her weight loss for Dreamgirls was attributed to the "Master Cleanse," what was she referring to?
By definition, to "cleanse" is to make something thoroughly clean, or to rid of something unpleasant or unwanted. So, really a cleanse's first order of business is not weight loss, but the cleaning of the body. But what is making your body "dirty?"
The unnatural food additives in processed foods are really the primary focus of a cleanse...to cleanse the body of unnatural, unwanted toxins. So far, the Master Cleanse has been getting most of the buzz. This involves a strict intake of lemon juice, maple syrup, Cayenne pepper and pure water. AKA, general starvation. I don't really need to go into detail on how I feel about this. I'm sure most of you can guess that I'm rolling my eyes right about now.
The major dangers involved with starvation cleanses include...

1. Lack of energy
2. Rapid fluid loss
3. Electrolyte imbalance
4. Nutrient deficiency
5. Muscle breakdown
6. Metabolism damage

So, how can you achieve a cleansing of your body without harming your health?

Answer: The Back to Balance Cleanse

Less of a cleanse, and more of a natural way of eating, the Back to Balance Cleanse is designed to healthily and naturally get your body back in balance. Using an approved foods list and easy to follow meal plans and recipes, this cleanse has several goals.

1. Restricted calories, while providing needed macronutrients in healthy proportions

2. Average daily intake meets recommended daily allowances (RDA's) for all essential nutrients

3. Decreased artificial additive intake

4. High fiber intake (approx. 30g/day)

5. Low sodium intake

6. Increased hydration

The overall outcome is, of course, decreased toxins in the body. This can lead to increased energy and weight loss, improving your overall health.

Throughout the week I will be posting the needed materials for you to try out the BTB Cleanse including the approved foods list, grocery list, meal plans, and recipes. I will be posting information about the different aspects of the cleanse and it's flexibility. Most importantly, I will be discussing how to turn the cleanse into an everyday, healthy eating pattern!

Happy Cleanse Week...get excited!!!

Dating is making me fat.

Would you like to go to dinner? The movies? Dinner and a movie? Drinks? Drinks and a movie? Dinner and drinks?

How am I supposed to trick a man into marrying me if I'm super fat from dating him?! No, I don't want to go have 500 calories a pop margaritas. No, I don't want to go to the movies and sit on my ass. No, I don't want to check out the new Italian place down the street from your house (nice ploy, though - walking distance...I see what you're trying to do here.) 

Why can't people go on dates that don't involve food, alcohol, or watching movies...only to ignore each other completely? (Side note: I have been told that I'm a "loud talker" in the movies which apparently is the opposite of attractive, and I like to put my feet up on my date's knees which is apparently "inappropriate." Guess I'm the worst movie date...ever.

Anywho - on your next date, try to do something that is more active! That way you can burn calories instead of collecting them. (No one wants to neck with a gassy, bloated date - trust me)

Here are some fun, active date ideas!!!

- go bike riding. Try a tandem, or find somewhere to rent
- find somewhere cool to hike (no need to be outdoorsy, try somewhere local)
- Frisbee golf
- fishing
- rent a canoe

- go to an amusement park
- go to the zoo
- try out a waterpark
- go on a walk in an interesting area of town
- try sledding
- wash your cars together (wet t-shirt contest?)
- head to the a local library...super hilarious if you get the giggles
- play a round of golf (I would never do this - but maybe putt-putt)
- take a board game to a park (my favorites: UNO, Guess Who, and Sequence)
- check out a museum
- paintball
- have a "Coupon Date." Check out the paper or a Groupon ad to see if there is something fun to do

Now you can be healthy and date! A win win - especially when you get around to 2nd base!

Happy Friday!

My favorite summer fruit: WATERMELON

It's expensive to buy pre-cut fruit, but buying a whole watermelon can be intimidating!! (If you dont' know what to do with it.)

I hadn't cut one up myself until THIS summer! Terrible, I know. Regardless, I now know how to do it and I buy a 1/2 watermelon probably every other week! It is so delicious - juicy and sweet - it makes a great snack anytime of the day!

With 50 calories in a cup and boat loads of vitamin C, this is a very healthy choice if you are needing something sweet. Also, filled with lycopene (like tomatoes), eating watermelon is good for you skin - which is especially important during the summer months!

Here's how you do it. (You'll need a rather large knife)

1. Cut the watermelon in half (if you buy a whole watermelon)

2. Cut the melon into fourths.

3. Using your knife, cut somewhat of a grid into the melon.

4. Now, use your knife to cut in between the rind and the inner pink portion. Doesn't have to be perfect, just keep cutting.

5. You will end up with a scooped out rind.

7. I just store the melon chunks in Tupperware in the fridge. It will stay good for a looooonnnnggg time!!

Cleanup is easy - you'll get watermelon juice on your counter, but it wipes right off!! Enjoy!!

Chia Seeds for Weight Loss?

There's buzz out there about chia seeds being the next big weight loss ticket. Well, they're not going to increase your metabolism, or go walking a few miles a day for you, but they are chalked full of great nutrients (much like flax or sesame seeds).

I called Whole Foods (someone answered immediately and also new the answer to my product questions without hesitation - I was very impressed, Cindy:), and they carry the seed.

So, how good are they? The main bonus pieces are their unsaturated fats (full of Omega 3's), fiber, and protein content! They also contain essential minerals phosphorus, manganese, calcium, and potassium.

So, how do you use them?
- Raw on salads
- In puddings or warm cereals
- In recipes (baked good like cookies, cakes, breads, and biscuits)
- In juice (common in Mexico - they put the seeds in juice and they take on a gelatin texture - they call it chia fresca!!)

They will come in a bag similar to this...

But, just ask someone at customer service if you have trouble finding them!!!

Happy Superfooding!!

You want me to put yogurt where?!!

Listen up, ladies. I'm about to save you some $$!! (Gentleman, I would suggest skipping today - check back in tomorrow:)

Yogurt is one of the best things you can ingest...it's natural probiotics can create a natural defense mechanism for your body. Yogurt contains acidophilus, a group of probiotics. Probiotics are live microorganisms that benefit the host - in this case, they help with a healthy digestive system and to control vaginal yeast.

There are several ways you can use yogurt to help decrease, or control, yeast...you know where.

1. Eat it! By eating yogurt, you improve the yeast/bacterial balance in your colon, which improves your digestive function. This may improve your overall health enough to cause your vaginal yeast to calm down.



2. Apply directly to your undercarriage:) Oh, yeah - straight up the ole' who-haa!! Just dip an applicator free tampon in unsweetened yogurt and up you go!

3. Make yogurt inserts. Use the fingers of a sterile glove to freeze yogurt with a little water, then use like a tampon. This can be a bit messy, so you may want to use a sanitary pad for a few hours. Bonus: The cool sensation will be relieving as well.

Yogurt may be the safest treatment for mild yeast infections. Because yogurt is not an antifungal treatment, the risk of your yeast population mutating and becoming drug resistant is eliminated. Just make sure that the label says "contains probiotics" or "contains live cultures."

Note: If you are lactose-intolerant, you may be able to tolerate yogurt, but if not, try an acidophilus capsule (sold at the natural food stores) instead – make sure to check the label!

Be sure to check with your physician before trying any new remedy for yeast infections - they might advise you to just eat the yogurt, before getting hippie with it. It is also crucial to check with your physician if your infection doesn’t go away quickly!!

Happy Yogurting!!!

Did the brown or white egg come first?

Well, I'm not an evolution expert, but probably around the same time. Brown eggs and white eggs just come from 2 different types of hens. You don't have to believe me, the color of the egg actually correlates with the color of a hen's earlobe. Yes, chickens have earlobes! The ones with white earlobes lay white eggs and the ones with red earlobes lay brown eggs.

Considering they contain the same amount of egg white and have approximately identical nutrients, why would you pay more for the brown eggs? So your re-fridge can look green-friendly when strangers look in there?

Who knows. White eggs are more popular because hens that lay white eggs require less feed, which makes them more practical as egg producers.

Decide for yourself, but I'm going to save a couple bucks and stick with white eggs...and go buy myself something pretty with my egg savings!

- Thank you, Elizabeth, for today's topic!

Ballpark Risks Ticket Sales

To tribute America's 235th birthday this year, we went to watch a Louisville Bats baseball game. Baseball: America's favorite pastime:)

Guess what else is America's favorite...nasty-ass food. Never mind the beer and soda and pizza and ice cream and loaded nachos and giant pretzels. They've hit a new level all together. Before we even walked through the gate to the...field? arena? park? stadium? Ugh, sports...before we walked in to the sports facility, there it was...

Placed on top of a semi-truck, the biggest smoker I've ever seen. And what were they cooking up? You guessed it! BACON WRAPPED CHICKEN WINGS!! Oh, and get this, they were giving out that artery clogging goodness FO-FREE! (click for a good throw-back video)

Here's the truck...

Here's the bacon wrapped chicken wing

Here's my brother and I checking it out. Disclaimer: I only put my mouth near that thing for the picture (that's what she said); however, Mark ate 2 and then texted my brother-in-law to make sure he grabbed a few before he came into the game.

I hope they know that if all of their paying customers die of complications from fatassness, their ticket sales aren't exactly going to sky rocket.

My professional opinion: Save your calories for the beer:) Go Bats!!



HALT that binge

I did not make this up - I read about it in an article written by a woman who admittedly was a member of Overeaters Anonymous, but has now lost 144 lbs and counting!!

There are many reasons someone would go on a binge...a binge being the compulsive intake of an excessive amount of food in one sitting. Many times they can be linked directly to emotion, making the HALT method very effective:)

The HALT method reminds you to ask yourself if you are hungry, angry, lonely, or tired before reaching for food as a comforting tool. These four emotions are strong binge triggers. Stepping back and looking at the core reason behind the food you are about to consume is important. This is similar to what I would tell a parent that has a child that is constantly stating he or she is hungry. - Have them do something else (play outside, read a book, play a game, drink some water). Then if they are still hungry, let them have a healthy snack. - This eliminates a child going to food when they are tired, angry, lonely....or bored!!

"Once you know why you want to eat and what the root cause is, do something about it or decide to not. Make it your choice, your decision; put things in your hands again. You are now in control." - Beth D.

Puppy cake for Bannon!!

It was my bubby's 1st birthday yesterday, so, of course, I had to make him his very own birthday cake!! Here's what I put in it...

Puppy Cake

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup canola oil
1 jar baby food, beef and veggies
4 eggs
2 strips beef jerky, diced
I preheated the oven to 325 degrees. Greased and floured an 8x8x8 inch pan. Creamed the butter until smooth. Added oil, baby food, and eggs. Mixed until smooth.

I put the dry ingredients into the beef mixture until the batter was smooth. Then I put the diced beef jerky in. I poured the batter into the pan and baked for 1 hour.

The icing is plain yogurt, but I did decorated it with actual icing (which I scraped off before giving it to Bannon).
What he didn't eat, I put back in the fridge.

He loved it!! I fed him a few bites by hand and then just put his piece right on the floor. He kept licking the tile even after it was gone. I was so excited!! I also gave him this new toy that is shaped like a cheese burger...it was so cute watching him run around the back yard with the burger in his mouth:)

Basically, he's the cutest. He's getting to be such a big boy!!

Bannon and me:)