“7 Things You Can Do Today to Get Back on Track With Your Diet”

by Frederic Patenaude

I have a confession to make. I’m not perfect. Sometimes, I fall off the wagon with my diet and fitness activities.

Sometimes I eat more fat than I would like too. Sometimes I eat foods that don’t make me feel great. Sometimes I end up being sedentary for a little while.

Let’s face it. It’s rare that you’ll find someone who will commit 100% to something and never look back or have a breakdown. But your ability to succeed will be measured by your determination and focus, as well as your ability to learn from your “mistakes”.

So here are 7 things you can do *today* to get back on track with your diet.

1- Don’t Be Hard on Yourself

We’re really fast at acknowledging our shortcomings, but much less at acknowledging our successes. It’s very easy to beat yourself up when you fall off the wagon and never take time to celebrate all the successes you’ve had so far.

So don’t be hard on yourself and just look at what you’ve accomplished, no matter how small it may look! Compared to where a lot of people are at right now, you’ve already come a long way.

2- Reset Your System and Fast

In my book “The Raw Secrets”, I talked about the value of occasionally fasting 24 to 36 hours, or even 2-3 days (longer fasts should be supervised).

This is especially useful to get back on track with your diet. Fasting just 24 to 36 hours will literally “reset” your system and make it much easier to start eating right again.

Don’t get me wrong. I don’t suggest doing the harmful pattern of binging now and fasting later. I’m just saying that a short fast might be just what you need to give your body a chance to get back to a state of balance.

You can refer to my book “The Raw Secrets” for more information. If you’re unsure about doing a short fast or your health does not permit it, then simply having a couple days of mono-fruit meals (only eating one type of fruit per meal), will give you great results.

3- List Your Benefits

When you have the time, take a moment to list all of the reasons *why* you are committed to a healthy lifestyle. Why do it at all?

Unless you know the *why*, you won’t know the *how*. Any small difficulty will throw you off balance.

So your homework assignment is to list at least 25 benefits or reasons for eating well (however you define it at this point) and exercising. Then put this list in a place where you can see it!

4- Recommit

Commitment is very important. It just means that you’re willing to do whatever it takes to get to where you want to go.

After you’ve listed your benefits, take a moment to commit to your success. All it takes is *share* your list with someone else, someone who can support you (ideally, your “success buddy”!) and tell them you commit to achieving those results.

5- Give Yourself a Goal

In addition to writing your list of benefits, give yourself one to three short-term goals that you believe you can accomplish within the next 6 to 12 months.

Maybe it is to *release* a certain amount of weight. Maybe it is to lower your body fat level down to a certain percentage. Or maybe it is to succeed doing so many push-ups in a row.

Set a few realistic goals that are also a little challenging, and keep your mind focused on them.

6- Be Prepared for the Next Breakdown

No matter how well you do in life, there *will* be another breakdown. I’m not saying that you’ll necessarily fall off the wagon. Maybe it will just be a period of doubt and fear. Or you’ll find yourself in a situation where you’re not sure how to maintain your diet.

Prepare for success and envision different things that could potentially be challenging. What would you do in those moments? Take a moment to think about that and discuss it with your coach or someone who supports you.

7- Get Coaching and Support

Even the best athletes in the world have their own coaches. How do you think that you will make it without one?

A good coach will not only push you to get beyond where you want to go, but will also support you in the process and celebrate your successes with you.

Without coaching and support, it will be much more difficult to make your list of benefits come true.

If you can afford it, having a personal health coach will make a tremendous difference for you.

So, now that you’re armed with these 7 tips I have revealed in this article, start using them, and if possible, have a coach help you in the process.

Once you start applying them, you will understand why they make all the difference!

 “Frederic Patenaude, is the author of the best-selling e-book “The Raw Secrets”. He is currently giving away free access to his private library of over 100 exclusive articles along with a subscription to his newsletter Pure Health & Nutrition. Visit http://www.fredericpatenaude.com w

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=474927765852635&set=a.441864839158928.107349.439862479359164&type=1&theater

By Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S.
Associate Editor

Mindfulness has a way of sounding complicated. It’s anything but.

“Mindfulness is paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally,” according to Marsha Lucas, Ph.D, psychologist and author of Rewire Your Brain for Love.

There are many simple ways you can be more mindful. Here are seven tips to incorporate into your daily life.

1. Practice mindfulness during routine activities. Try bringing awareness to the daily activities you usually do on autopilot, said Ed Halliwell, mindfulness teacher and co-author of the book The Mindful Manifesto.

For instance, pay more attention as you’re brushing your teeth, taking a shower, eating breakfast or walking to work, he said. Zero in on the sight, sound, smell, taste and feel of these activities. “You might find the routine activity is more interesting than you thought,” he said.

2. Practice right when you wake up. According to Lucas, “Mindfulness practice first thing in the morning helps set the ‘tone’ of your nervous system for the rest of the day, increasing the likelihood of other mindful moments.” If you find yourself dozing off, as Lucas does, just practice after having your coffee or tea. But “…don’t read the paper, turn on the TV, check your phone or email, etc. until after you’ve had your ‘sit,’” she said.

3. Let your mind wander. “Your mind and brain are natural wanderers – much like a crawling toddler or a puppy, Lucas said. And that’s a good thing. Having a “busy brain,” Lucas said, is actually an asset. “The beneficial brain changes seen in the neuroscience research on mindfulness are thought to be promoted in large part by the act of noticing that your mind has wandered, and then non-judgmentally – lovingly [and] gently— bringing it back,” she said.

4. Keep it short. Our brains respond better to bursts of mindfulness, Lucas said. So being mindful several times a day is more helpful than a lengthy session or even a weekend retreat. While 20 minutes seems to be the gold standard, starting at a few minutes a day is OK, too.

For instance, you can tune into your body, such as focusing “on how your shoes feel on your feet in that moment, or giving attention to how your jaw is doing [such as, is it] tight, loose or hanging open at the audacity of the person in front of you in the coffee line?” Lucas said.

5. Practice mindfulness while you wait. In our fast-paced lives, waiting is a big source of frustration – whether you’re waiting in line or stuck in traffic. But while it might seem like a nuisance, waiting is actually an opportunity for mindfulness, Halliwell said. When you’re waiting, he suggested bringing your attention to your breath. Focus on “the flow of the breath in and out of your body, from moment to moment and allow everything else to just be, even if what’s there is impatience or irritation.”

6. Pick a prompt to remind you to be mindful. Choose a cue that you encounter on a regular basis to shift your brain into mindful mode, Lucas said. For instance, you might pick a certain doorway or mirror or use drinking coffee or tea as a reminder, she said.

7. Learn to meditate. “The best way to cultivate mindfulness in everyday life is to formally train in meditation,” Halliwell said. He compared practicing mindfulness to learning a new language. “You can’t just decide to be fluent in Spanish – unless you already are – you have to learn the language first,” he said. “Practicing meditation is how to learn the language of mindfulness.” Meditation helps us tap into mindfulness with little effort, he said. He suggested finding a local teacher or trying out CDs.

Mindfulness isn’t a luxury, Lucas said, “it’s a practice that trains your brain to be more efficient and better integrated, with less distractibility and improved focus. It minimizes stress and even helps you become your best self.”

Lucas cited Richard Davidson’s research at the Laboratory for Affective Neuroscience at the University of Wisconsin, which shows that all of us have an emotional “set point.” “Some of us have more of a tendency toward withdrawal, avoidance, negative thinking and other depressive symptoms, [whereas] others have a greater tendency toward positive moods [such as, being] curious, tending to approach new things and positive thinking,” she said. Davidson has found that through mindfulness, we may be able to train our brains and shift our set points.

“Mindfulness practice now has an abundance of neuroscience research to support that it helps our brains be more integrated, so your everyday activities, thoughts, attitudes [and] perceptions…are more balanced [or] well-rounded,” Lucas said.

Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S. is an Associate Editor at Psych Central and blogs regularly about eating and self-image issues on her own blog,

Weightless

http://www.caring.com/articles/more-clues-thick-or-blue-fingertips

7 Things Your Hands Say About Your Health

Raw 7-Layer Dip
On youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnFSTb4xPlo

Layer in this order from the bottom up:

shredded romaine lettuce
walnut taco meat
yellow chedda cheeze
diced red green and yellow bell
guacomole or sliced avocado
salsa or cashew sour cream
tomatoes, onions,olives, or cilantro

Cucumbers, celery, raw chips or crackers, RAWRiTOS for dipping

7 Tips To Prevent And Treat Migraines
via Guide to Herbal Remedies by Carla Fiscina on 3/6/11

http://guide2herbalremedies.com/7-tips-prevent-treat-migraines/

7 Ways To Use Juicer Pulp
via Re-Nest by Cambria Bold on 2/23/11

http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/green-ideas/7-ways-to-use-juicer-pulp-131801

The 7 Steps to Health & Happiness

Eat Your VeggiesYou want to change, you want to be healthier and happier, but homeostasis is holding you back. (Homeostasis is the body’s tendency to continue whatever it’s doing right now.)
Normally this is a survival mechanism, but it’s also the reason we have addiction challenges and the reason it takes work to generate a new habit pattern.Over the course of the next few days we’re going to look at how you can create and manage your own wellness program.

While our primary emphasis in this newsletter is transitioning into a Raw Living Foods lifestyle, this advice can be applied to anything that you want to change in your life.

Step 1 – Getting Started
The rest of the story: http://bit.ly/7ZHM25

or

http://rawlife.org/wigmore/step-1-of-your-7-steps-to-health-happiness.htm

Jim

After listening and reading and hearing tons from raw-foodists about what works and what doesn’t, I’ve compiled a list of the 7 most successful tips raw-foodists have given me over the years:

The Successful Raw-Foodist:

1) Eats Plenty of Everything

The raw foodist -eats plenty of fruits, tons more than you ever thought! Plenty of vegetables, loads of greens! They eat as much avocadoes, nuts and seeds as you like, but do it consciously, waiting to see if that’s all they need.

2) Eats food the way it came from the earth.

Unprocessed, organic, as much as possible, and the freshest possible.

3) Adds things to their diet – add more fruits, add more sprouts, etc….

Instead of feeling like their depriving themselves, successful raw-foodists add in to their diet. Instead of telling themselves they can’t have a food, they choose foods that will make them feel good, adding a new smoothie, or a new seed, or a new sprout, or a new vegetable dish or nut milk to their diets.

4) Eats bigger portions of fruits and vegetables.

Then you’ll be less hungry for other foods. Fruits and vegetables contain the carbohydrates that seem to be the key to what you’re missing when you’re thinking about eating something less healthy than raw. It appears to be true that when you want something else, eat majorly of fruit, and you’ll feel satisfied, balanced, and happy!

You don’t have to give up other foods completely. Just eat a larger volume of fruit and vegetables. Then your stomach will have less room for everything else.

If you find yourself hungry after meals, note that fruits have more calories than vegetables. And sweet fruits like bananas and raisins have more calories than low-sugar fruits — like grapefruits, oranges, and strawberries. So a smoothie will fill you up more than a plate of vegetable sticks.

5.) Combine dense foods with high water content foods.

Hummus, baba ghanoush, cheese, and nut butters are dense foods. When you eat them with bread, bagels, chips, or crackers, it’s hard on your digestive system. After all, these carbs are dense, dry, and refined. (And those made with white flour are nutritionally void.)

By contrast, fresh fruits and vegetables are high in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and water content.

So whenever you eat dips like raw hummus, seed/nut creams or seed/nutcheese, eat them with sliced vegetables, instead of bread, bagels, chips, or crackers.

Mineral-rich vegetables like celery and cucumbers are alkaline and high in water content. That makes the combination easier to digest.

Cashew Cream cheese tastes great smeared on celery sticks. Celery sticks smeared with almond butter and agave nectar is delicious!

Likewise, cheese and nut butter can be eaten with acidic fruits like oranges or apples.

This habit has a double benefit: it helps you get more greens in your diet. And while the dense foods I described are fattening, they have fewer calories per spoonful than oil, and infinitely more vitamins, minerals and fiber.

6) Buy raw not heated.

When you buy honey, almonds, sunflower seeds, tahini, or almond butter, and you can afford to buy the raw variety (vs. roasted), do it. Nuts and seeds, in particular, can’t be germinated if they’ve been roasted.

“Germinating” is the process of turning nuts and seeds from dormant proteins into living baby plants. That multiplies their protein content and makes them more digestible. You’ll learn all about it in the lesson called, “How to Skyrocket the Nutrition in Nuts, Seeds, Grains, and Beans”.

You may not be planning to germinate your nuts and seeds. (And if you’re buying nut butter, you’re definitely not!) But even so, once nuts or seeds are heated, their potential to “give birth” has been destroyed. So has some of their nutritional value.

7.) Often takes a supplement like MSM, blue-green algae, bee pollen, etc… to enhance their energy.

Raw Berry Banana Kombucha Frostie-: http://youtu.be/BMG4VqFh9Ps

on youtube-t: http://youtu.be/BMG4VqFh9Ps

Strawberry Oat Bars -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Xyz9lcXRE0&list=UUuqdm31GUiVWTLXjvr1TFuQ&index=1&feature=plcp

Cranberry Coleslaw with Creamy Cashew Dressing: http://youtu.be/veQliFYtxi8

Lavender Lemon Tea Cookies

Detox Green ginger smoothie – : http://youtu.be/WWvJ7wJtbag

Detox salad – http://youtu.be/0WOS-fcfsWc

Garden Herb Roll-ups/Wraps-

On youtube-http://youtu.be/V4i-Q5xfFAo
Pistachio Honey Bites

Pistachio Refrigerator Cookies – http://youtu.be/lcIN7Ferxgk

Puttanesca – http://youtu.be/63QDnmW-O0Y

Coco-Mint Truffles -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imoRvT-jsMA

How to Open a Young Thai Coconut-
-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4IXPUzqwuA

Energy Bars – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5xczvTQdJQ

Sun Cheese Sticks – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMGT_zqmcH0

Tortilla Soup – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlTAtllyYTY

Chocolate Mug Cake – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vsMAYiI4qk

Cherry Brownie Hearts-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCODg0Ll5qQ

Cherry Pie -On youtube -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FswCFqrfnog

rawvioli-On youtube-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ob57lEP4QOo

Raw Taco Seasoning-

Raw Sweet n’ Sour Sauce

Raw Pho-

Raw Sugar Cookies

and Rawtitos

English Toffee-

Egg Nog-

German Chocolate Cake
on youtube -www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoeBqIUjhUw

Frosting/Filling-

Sloppy Joes
on youtube -http://youtu.be/ZLxEUSjOBh8

Chocolate Orange Cheesecake on youtube -

Chocolate Walnut Pie

Strawberry Shortcake

Raw Pumpkin Pie
on youtube-http://youtu.be/DeEW7sW3G-I

Raw Sweet Potato Casserole
on youtube-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clNOZfXSVnY

Raw Chocolate/Carob Covered Raisins
on youtube-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ammqxmKMs9c

7-Layer Dip – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnFSTb4xPlo

Mushroom Soup/Gravy -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmpjUDrXb20

Caramel apple bites – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTSnvDPBS1g

Raw Egg Salad-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewdgWtgY57Y

Vegetable Soup
on youtube -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnTplrr-w7E

Breakfast Wraps

Hazelnut Fudge-

Pinenut Pepper Poppers-

Lemon Sheet Cookies

Doughnut Holes -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uQE0Oyo3BYPinenut Pepper Poppers

Raw Fig Newtons-

Raw Ginger Snaps -

Raw Sprouted “Unfried Rice

Sprouted wild rice pudding

Snowballs

Butterfinger Bites

Chocolate/Carob Chia Pudding

Ranch Dressing

Perfect Walnut Pesto

Marinated Mushrooms

STUFFED ZUCCHINI BOATS

Pecan Sandies-

Popsicles

how to open a coconut-

banana pudding

Cinnamon Rolls

Peppermint, Chocolate Mint Patties

Key lime pie-

sun/moon tea

Here’s the artichoke dip.

Cucumber Dip

Here are the almond cookies!

Yam Fries on youtube

Lemonade-

Chocolate Vanilla Mousse-

Onion Rings-

chocolate chip bars (raw o’henry bars)

Vanilla Fudge – Covered Cherries – White Chocolate
on youtube -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oA3aX3CFhJg

Pad Thai with Teriyaki Sauce

Chiles Rellenos

Mole Sauce-

Raw Pancakes and Huckleberry Syrup-

Eggplant Parmezano on youtube-

Raw Pita Chips

Blushing Mary Mix

Vege Kabobs and Barbecue Sauce

Lemon Pudding!

Peach cobbler-

Nacho Cheesy Sauce -

Stuffed Peppers with Mock Refried Beans and Nacho Cheesy Sauce

coffee cake-

apple butter-

Ice-cream-

BBQ Chips-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUna3o-9tbk

Sour lemon candy tarts/bars

meatless meatballs and marinara-

fruit roll-ups/leathers

brownies-

raw almond crackers on youtube:

Cheesy Chipotle Dip/Spread – On youtube:

Walnut Chili Spread – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcsBTxv7llE

Apple Pie – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcjDdPTAJX8

Vege Tacos – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSf8JyPek2Y

Essene Rye Bread – on youtube -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAKdwJd3X8s

Guacamole – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=io7MmdQAYoU

Salsa-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JskkuNdAcWk

Chocolate/Carob Almond Smoothie – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0n0vVpBiio

Peppermint Truffles – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0SUpP_F9nw

Granola – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aT0pkpLrc6Q

Raw Food Meals – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sA7j2P19Yh8

Vege Burgers – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDAUff7Avcs

Sweet Sprouted Seeds-
To see this recipe, go to:

Chia Crisps/Crackers-

Using the spiral slicer to make raw zucchini pasta with pine nut alfredo sauce

Fermented Barley Juice Recipes-

Chocolate nut butter cups and strawberries:

To see how to make raw peanut sauce, go to:

How to use the dehydrator:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6pcS5c808o

To see how raw cheesecake is made, go to:

To see how to make Raw Instant Cacao powder, hot chocolate, go to:

Dishwashing liquid on youtube, go to:

Thousand Island Dressing -
To see this recipe on youtube, go to:

Green soup/gazpacho at youtube-

Pieter, the wheatgrass man makes Essene/Wheatgrass/Living Bread
on youtube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5w51A1fL4s

Pieter, the Wheatgrass Man Opens a South American Coconut and hands one to Angela Stokes Monarch

Dorothy interviews Maria as she makes her raw chocolate at Matt and Angela Stokes

tai chi for enlightenment in Vilcabamba, Ecuador

Tcandies, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2v_Ch3ZEY4
Raw Chocolate Covered Dried Apricots and Raw Mounds Bars:

cranapple juice made on video, go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7NMcPowviw

Raw Rhubarb Smoothie, go to-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9dq77uPucs

Kevin shows his raised garden beds, part 2, go to:

How to Make Your Own Lip Balm from Dorothy at taichibozeman.com/rawfoodblog and Mapuana:
To see this recipe, go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2eaEQxTfuY

To See Sprouted Quinoa Salad (Tabouli)

DIY Dish Soap

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=

Raw Ketchup:

To see D make this raw mustard go to:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9EZxHh87bo

eyeglass cleaner-

Mung Bean Recipes – Salad and Party Mix -

kale chips:

falafels,:

mock tuna:

raw vege kraut

RAW Kombucha, go to

Kevin shows part one of how to make your own raised garden beds in Bozeman, Montana

To see Kevin change our aquasana filter on youtube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYxodb_isW

Midnight Truffles

cleaning spray at-

scones:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=841oqrhaHIY

squaghetti with garlic sauce, and squaghetti with marinara sauce:

Valentine Pear:

raw food snacks at:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJCMQ8IG2oA

sprout buckwheat and make buckwheat crunchies, go to:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyOkTR0Ftls

cherry green smoothie, go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAYo-1Qx24s

raw grapefruit green juice

white chocolate, and a tai chi/chi kung exercise for the kidneys, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pX-DsU_SjIw

raw asparagus with raw hollandaise sauce:

raw carob/coconut fudge :

brazil nut nog:

how to juice wheatgrass, make banana ice cream and cashew nut butter:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZsEfbWwvYc

tahini sauce: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omi2tukpL5A

leek/pea soup, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3Rtxu1Rhyk

raw vegan sushi rolls, see:

mayonnaise:

banana split: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBrqN5dxs4U

pine nut yogurt-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFOqLHaISHo”>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFOqLHaISHo

Yang Style Short form : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldUr-IPHl38

To see Dorothy make rejuvelac, go to :http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=al1hDSAv6cQ
To see Dorothy teach how to grow wheatgrass, go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmdQVeSZy9Y

To see Dorothy make Chia Jam, and give a Tai Chi exercise on letting go of mourning, go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wvxutez4Ka4

almond milk-

how to grow alfalfa and clover sprouts: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JCpJV78-OY

raw chocolate goji bark :