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JustLoseItwithBerta
Volume 1
Issue 19
05-13-2010
Dear ,
Hello
everyone, and welcome back. The last 4 weeks have come and gone pretty
quickly. I just finished up my first tele-class, and it was a huge success!!
Thanks to everyone who participated. I have had wonderful feedback so far, and
many of you are already on your way to losing your first ten pounds! I would
love it if you would post a note on my Facebook page and share your initial
success stories with all of my readers. Having completed my first tele-class,
my thoughts turn toward planning the next one. Many of you expressed
disappointment that you were unable to join the class; therefore, I would like
to remedy the situation by developing a format that will allow greater
participation. In addition, I would like to ask you to help me determine which
specific issues I should address next. This link, Design Your Own Class Reader Survey is a brief questionnaire I have created to ask you for the feedback I need. I hope you will take the few moments to complete it, and as my thank you, I will offer you a discount off my next class! This
past week has been a mixed bag. There have been wonderful weight loss
successes, with many of you seeing numbers on the scale that you have not seen
in decades. Others, however are struggling to keep off the few pounds they lost
initially. I wrote the blog this week
with the latter group in mind, but it's ultimately for all of us. It's a hard look at the way we think, and it
might frighten you, but it could also bring you to a greater level of
awareness. I hope to inspire you by
affirming that there is, indeed, much in this world that can throw you off the
path, but you must believe that you can overcome those obstacles by going within
and drawing on the strength you know resides there. The fearless, beautiful
woman who can do and conquer all has been hiding, and it's time for her to show
up for you! I know I'm ready for a
change! If you would like to hear what I have to say about the things life
throws our way, please click on www.justloseit.com/blog.
Tea Time with Berta: 
Shake your Booty!
I have only briefly spoken about exercise in previous
e-zines, and there is a reason for that. When someone begins a weight loss
program, their initial zeal frequently leads them to burn out very quickly. Also, most overweight people do not derive
great joy from exercise of any sort. As
I have stated in earlier e-zines, it is very possible to lose weight without
exercising at all, but once you get in the groove of eating a certain way, you
might try exercising. It will definitely enhance your weight loss. The problem-really the excuse-that I hear the
most often is, "I just don't have the time;" or " I'm too intimidated to go to
the gym;" or "The gym is too expensive;" or "I hate lifting weights;" or "I'm
embarrassed to go looking like this." Well, I thought that I would give you some of my favorite solutions for
this. Number one, if you are going to
take the time to exercise and you only have a half an hour or so to do it,
please make sure that you do cardio first. You want to start burning calories and fat, and the fastest way to do
that is to sweat! And for you walkers, walking is great! Really! It's great for
your heart and your mind and your health, but if you don't break a sweat, then
it's not doing the job. Please don't
stop though, just step it up a bit or add one of these next easy and fun
activities to your daily routine. Cardio Baby!!
My favorite, fun, inexpensive and private way to get the
sweat flowing is jumping rope. That's right, just like when you were young. My
suggestion is to go out and buy yourself a really good jump rope and get
started. It will bring back memories of
when you were young and carefree, doing the double dutch. I was great at it,
and the other day thought that I would revisit the jump rope. Wow, what a great
workout, and, to be honest, five minutes is a long time jumping rope! So, why don't you give it a try, and slowly
work your way up to 20 minutes? The beautiful
thing about it is that you don't have to go anywhere to do it, and a really
good rope is inexpensive. You can get an amazing workout in about 15 to 20
minutes. When I was young I did it just
for fun, and it's going to be my personal challenge to make it fun once again.
Might I next suggest the Hula Hoop? Yep, girls, let's get those hips
working. Once again, it's easy,
inexpensive, and fun. You can do it in
your living room and you don't have to get changed or put on any special
footwear! So, buy yourself a nice neon
pink hoop and get your hula on! You'll
have fun, and I guarantee that in no time at all you will be working up a
sweat!
The great thing about both of these is that your kids of all
ages will be jumping and hula hooping, right along with you! So no more excuses
girls and boys. These are fun and groovy ways to shake your booty and break a
sweat!
Did you know...
that the more protein in our diets, the more calcium we
lose, no matter how much calcium we take in? It is a fact that diets higher in protein, especially animal protein,
lead to a decrease in bone density and produce the increasingly problematic
issue of osteoporosis. This, by the way,
is not my opinion: it is a scientifically researched fact. If you are concerned about losing bone density,
then you must understand that you do not need to increase the amount of calcium you consume, but you absolutely must
decrease the amount of protein that
you take in each day.
The National Dairy Council has led us to believe drinking
more milk and eating more dairy products can prevent osteoporosis. However, the National Dairy Council did the
only research that "proved" there was any validity to their self-serving
claims. I discussed the dairy issue in an earlier ezine, but it's such an
important subject that I thought I would touch upon it again because many
studies have shown that the greater your protein consumption, the more severe
your osteoporosis. World health statistics show that osteoporosis is most
common in countries where dairy products (the cure, right?) are most commonly
consumed: the United States, Finland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
Researchers studied African Bantu women who consumed only
350 mg of calcium per day. Each of the women gave birth to an average of nine
children, and breastfed each child for two years. Studies showed that these
women had no calcium deficiencies. They seldom broke a bone, and all had
strong, healthy teeth. How is that
possible with a daily intake of only 350 mg of calcium when the National Dairy
Council recommends that Americans get 1200 mg? The answer is simple: the African diet is low in protein; therefore,
calcium is not seeped from their bones by the foods that nourish their
bodies. In contrast, the typical
American derives 20% of her calories from protein. This creates a negative
mineral balance, not only of calcium, but also of magnesium, zinc, and iron.
In another study, researchers determined that native Eskimo
women consumed the highest amount of protein in the world. Their diet of fish,
walrus, and whale provided them with 250 to 400 grams per day. Eskimo women
also consumed more dietary calcium than anyone in the world, taking in more
than 2,000 mg daily from fish bones. This study provides further evidence that excessive dietary protein
causes osteoporosis because, unfortunately, Eskimo women have the highest rates of
osteoporosis in the world. Study after
study reveals the same truth: the dairy industry is wrong.
As I stated in an earlier ezine, if drinking milk and taking
in more calcium were the answer to stronger bones, then we would not know
anyone with osteoporosis. Why is this debilitating disease an epidemic in this
country? Simple. It's another area where
we have fallen prey to the propaganda put out by the industry whose bottom line
depends on our ignorance.
My favorite things to eat!
Creamy Cannellini
Bean-Amaranth Soup with Basil
This
is a wonderful blend of some of my favorites. Amaranth is an old Aztec grain. Like Quinoa, it is rich in nutrients and
high in proteins. A little crunchier
than Quinoa, it is so flavorful! If you
cannot locate amaranth, you can substitute quinoa in its stead, but most
grocery chains carry it.
What you will need:
2
large leeks, white parts only, sliced
2
tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
3
cloves garlic, minced
˝
cup amaranth or quinoa
2 cups (low sodium, Trader Joe's) vegetable
stock
1
bay leaf
1
cup tomato puree
1
15-ounce can cannellini beans or white beans, drained, divided
˝
cup chopped fresh basil
2 tbsp. chopped fresh oregano
1 tsp. sea salt (if needed)
Freshly
cracked black pepper
What to do:
Cut
the ends from the leeks and slice them in half vertically, then rinse
thoroughly to remove all grit. Slice the
leeks and sauté in the olive oil over medium heat in a 2-quart saucepan. When the leeks are golden and soft, add the
garlic and sauté for one minute longer.
Add
the amaranth, stock, bay leaf, and tomato puree, and bring to a boil. Reduce
the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 30 minutes.
In
a food processor, puree half of the beans until smooth. When the amaranth mixture is done, remove the
bay leaf, and then carefully pour the mixture into the processor and
puree. Cover the top of the feed tube
with a folded towel as you process, to keep hot liquid contained. Pour the puree back into the saucepan.
Stir
the remaining beans and chopped herbs into the hot soup and warm gently on the
stove for 5 minutes or so. Add water or
stock to desired consistency. Season with the salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.
Recipe
from The New Whole Grains Cookbook by
Robin Asbell
Bon Appetite!
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