Shrimp provides nutrients such as vitamin B12, vitamin E, niacin and omega-3 fatty acids. Shrimp is also low in saturated fat making it a great dish to lose weight.

P2 Garlic Shrimp

• 100g shrimp (peeled & deveined)
• 4-6 cloves minced garlic
• 2 Tbs chicken broth or 2 Tbs MCT oil
• Himalayan Pink Salt and pepper, to taste
• Chopped basil

Heat nonstick pan over MED-HI heat. Mix of the broth with pepper, minced garlic, and other spices. Add to pan.
Cook less than a minute. Be sure not to burn the garlic. Add shrimp. Cook 3 minutes. Top with basil and serve.

Grilling instructions:

Preheat the grill to medium.
Grill shrimp for three to five minutes, until pink and curled. Be careful not to overcook. Larger shrimp take longer than smaller ones, of course! While cooking, baste shrimp with mix from above.

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Gazpacho

Phase 3 Cool Soup Recipe

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This weeks VLOG Carol addresses all the benefits of adding nuts and seeds to your daily diet.  When and how much is the key to getting optimal results without effecting the scale.

Both seeds and nuts are rich in nutrients and should be part of our diets. (Not intended for P2) They are very rich in minerals, fiber, and essential vitamins. Both nuts and seeds contain Lecithin, which aids in cleaning the liver (our best detoxing and fat burning organ), and it intervenes with the body’s ability to form fat deposits. They are also very helpful in improving your mood.

Raw almonds have been found to have a significant on lowering cholesterol and heart disease, and fighting many cancers. Almonds contain potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, and vitamin E.

Raw hazelnuts contain vitamin E, B vitamins, magnesium, calcium, iron, and zinc. These vitamins and minerals are in different ratios in the hazelnuts than they are in almonds, but you still get some of the same nutrients. Hazelnuts can also help lower cholesterol levels.

Raw walnuts are a rich source of Omega 3’s and contain uridine. Uridine influences levels of the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine—two important brain chemicals that been known to correct mood disorders such as depression and bipolar disease. I always eat walnuts when I am detoxing. They contain Arginine which is an amino acid that helps detoxify the liver.

Raw macadamia nuts provide a wide range of beneficial compounds. They are a high energy food and contain no cholesterol.  They contain an abundant amount of monounsaturated fats and are low in sodium. Macadamia nuts have been known to raise ketones which helps aid in weight loss.

Click here for more information about consuming raw nuts.

Flax seeds are an excellent source of omega 3’s as well as fiber. You can eat them either whole or ground. The oil within the flax seeds are so tight within the coating that it makes it good for baking as it can withstand higher temperatures. When adding them to recipes, you are adding a lot of nutrition and fiber! Another way is to grind them as the seed coating is so very hard that it will pass right through you without giving you the full healthy benefits they provide. This is recommended especially if you are not baking or cooking with them. Grind them yourself or purchase them ground – Ground Flax Seeds or Flax Seed Meal.

Sesame seeds are not only a great source of fiber, they also are rich in calcium, magnesium, iron, Vitamin B1, and zinc. In addition, seeds carry sesamin and sesamolin which are part of the beneficial fibers called lignans and have been known to reduce cholesterol levels.

Pepitas (Pumpkin Seeds) are rich in zinc which is an important mineral and is said to help prevent cancer. It also helps lower cholesterol and acts as an anti-inflammatory for those who have Arthritis.

We highly recommend seeds as part of our daily diet,  especially when detoxing. They also contain Arginine which is an amino acid that helps detoxify the liver.

Here is my guide for consuming these beneficial foods on a daily basis.

This is MY food guide which I found works for me. I have shared this with many others who also say this is a good guide. But ever body is different so you need to find the amount your body can have. There are days where I have a few more seeds because I’ll add it to my salads, so look at this guide as a general rule when choosing your daily beneficial oils and fats. (Carol)

I usually have 1 serving of seeds and 1 serving of nuts per day. A typical plan for me is 1 Tbsp ground flax seeds, 1 oz of nuts. Get out your handy scale or eyeball about ¼ cup. 20-25 almonds= 1 oz. 12-14 walnuts = 1 oz. I also a little sprinkle sesame seeds on my salads. Then I figure out what else I want to consume and follow my guide. Some days it is ½ of an avocado, and other days it is Olive oil (save for when I dine out) or butter/peanut butter, etc. I don’t really consume a lot of the oils on my list as I mainly use coconut oil and MCT oil which fall in a different category.

Try These Tasty Recipes:

Healthy Granola- (Click Here)

Healthy Trail Mix- (Click Here)

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Choose This:

Bun-less / Protein Style Burger

There are a number of restaurants that now serve bun-less burgers, and if you don’t see it on the menu, you can still ask for it. Carl’s Jr. is by far my favorite in the fast food department. It’s their Low Carb Six Dollar Burger. I order it without the cheese and light on the sauce. It’s very yummy! Another fast food favorite is In-N-Out Burger. It’s called “Protein Style” and it is on their “secret” menu, but you can order it at any restaurant. The meat comes wrapped in lettuce instead of a bun and you can get a single or a double patty.

Do Not Choose This:

It goes without saying that white bread is not a healthy choice. However, you need to be aware of restaurants who serve their burgers with wheat buns. Eating whole grains is the wisest choice. So, whether you purchase hamburgers in restaurants or buy buns in the store, make sure it says 100% whole grain. Sometimes you will see “Whole Wheat” which also means the product is a whole grain.

Watch and avoid these phrases:

Wheat Buns/Bread – usually this is just wheat flour, which is just refined white flour. Same with Enriched Wheat Flour or Unbleached Enriched Wheat Flour. Enriched flour means that is has been refined. Also, 100% Wheat is not acceptable. Make sure it says “Whole” along with the word wheat.

Multi-Grain – this means that the product contains more than one type of grain. These are not whole grains and usually are refined. Many of this type of bread usually has sugar added as well.

The post Choose Wisely – Dining out (Hamburgers) appeared first on Little Choices Everyday.

Eat Your Veggies

Today Carol’s VLOG and question of the week addresses the importance of vegetables in our diet.

You need at least 3-4 cups of vegetables a day or more.

Ways to prepare your vegetables:

The best way to eat your vegetables is raw.  This packs the most nutrients and you get the best benefit from them.  Make big salads and cut up veggies to snack on throughout the day.

The second way is to steam or sautee them on low heat.  This will keep you from losing all the nutrients.

Baking or boiling would be the last way to prepare them but in soups and some recipes this is necessary just offset the nutrients lost in your other meals.

Never microwave your vegetables, this will strip out 97% of its nutrients.

The importance of dark green leafy vegetables are well known.  Adding in Romaine lettuce, spinach and others to your diet will have a huge impact on your health and your waistline.

Today Carol Talks about Vegetables and the Case Study she is doing with some in phase 2 and the results they are seeing.

Related Post:

Peppermint Shake: Click Here

Spinach Meatloaf: Click Here

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There are many uses for Mayonnaise in our diets so it’s important to pick the wisest choice for our bodies. If you choose the best Mayonnaise, you can enjoy it occasionally guilt-free. Use it on sandwiches, salads, deviled eggs, as well as use it in your favorite recipes.

Choose This

Safflower Mayonnaise
Ingredients: Expeller Pressed Safflower Oil, Whole Eggs, Grain Vinegar, Filtered Water, Egg Yolks, Salt, Egg Whites, Dehydrated Cane Juice, Spice, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Honey, [Mixed Tocopherols (Vitamin E) Ingredients not Found in Regular Mayonnaise], Natural Flavors, Paprika Extractives (for Color).

Safflower mayonnaise uses expeller-pressed safflower oil.  At this time, Safflower mayonnaise is the only mayonnaise I can find on the market that does not contain soybean oil or canola oil.

Expeller-pressed means the manufacturer uses a chemical-free mechanical process that extracts oil from seeds and nuts. The temperature reached during this process depends on the hardness of the nut or seed. The harder the nut or seed, the more pressure required to extract the oil, which in turn creates more friction and higher heat. There is no external heat applied during this process, therefore it is a wiser choice than the hexane-extraction method used for many conventional oils.

Do Not Choose This:

Make sure you always check your ingredient lists! Here is the reason why I think these brands are not a wise choice. Besides the sugar in some brands, most have soybean or canola oil in them.

Soybean Oil: Most soy beans grown in the US are genetically engineered to allow farmers to use large amounts of herbicides. They are treated with acid baths, high heat, and additives such as nitrates before they are made into soy products. Most of the soybeans grown in this country are for producing soybean oil, which is then hydrogenated and turned into trans-fat.

Canola Oil: Manufacturers put this oil through a process using very high heat. When you do this, you are destroying the healthy qualities of the oils. This process takes any healthy fat molecules and turns them into harmful free radicals.

Best Foods: INGREDIENTS: SOYBEAN OIL, WATER, WHOLE EGGS AND EGG YOLKS, VINEGAR, SALT, SUGAR, LEMON JUICE, CALCIUM DISODIUM EDTA (USED TO PROTECT QUALITY), NATURAL FLAVORS

Best Foods Light: INGREDIENTS: WATER, SOYBEAN OIL, VINEGAR, MODIFIED CORN STARCH**, WHOLE EGGS AND EGG YOLKS, SUGAR, SALT, XANTHAN GUM**, LEMON AND LIME PEEL FIBERS** (THICKENERS), (SORBIC ACID**, CALCIUM DISODIUM EDTA) USED TO PROTECT QUALITY, LEMON JUICE CONCENTRATE, PHOSPHORIC ACID**, DL ALPHA TOCOPHERYL ACETATE (VITAMIN E), NATURAL FLAVORS, BETA CAROTENE**.
**INGREDIENT NOT IN MAYONNAISE

Many are drawn to Duke’s mayonnaise because it is naturally rich in Omega 3 ALA (alpha linolenic acid), is trans-fat free and unlike other brands, is sugar-free. However, the very first ingredient is Soybean Oil and this ingredient is why I don’t choose it.

Ingredients: Soybean oil, eggs, water, distilled and cider vinegar, salt, oleoresin paprika, natural flavors, calcium disodium EDTA added to protect flavor. Contains: Eggs

The post Choose Wisely – Mayonnaise appeared first on Little Choices Everyday.

Chocolate Melba

Phase 2 Recipes for Melba Toast

1 cup whole grain flour (I used Bobs Red Mill) ingredients: Whole grain organic stone ground hard red wheat
3/4 cup water
1 tsp sea salt

Mix it all up, and then plop about a teaspoon portions on parchment paper (round or oblong). Bake at about 380 for 15 to 20 mns. Take them off the parchment paper & cool.
Makes 38 crackers at 12.63 cals a piece, so have 2 twice a day.

Home Made Melba with Chocolate Melba…P2

by: Berenice Marquette Jurgens

½ Cup Bob’s Red mill Whole Wheat Flour (240 cals)
1/3 Cup plus 4 TBSP water
1 ½ TBSP Unsweetened Cocoa powder (about 15 cals)
3 Packets of Sweet Leaf Stevia
½ tspn Stevia Glycerite
Dash of salt (1/2 tsp)

Put the whole wheat into a bowl, add the Stevia powder, cocoa powder, salt & stir until mixed. Then add the water & Stevia Glycerite & mix well. Place spoonfuls on a baking tray covered with parchment paper (like a healthy teaspoon full & swirl it flat like a cookie). This should make about 20.
Bake at 380 for about 20 minutes total BUT flip them half way through (they peel off the parchment paper easy, thats what gave them the rippled look) Bake longer for crispier or about 15 for chewier.
Calories for each is about 12, so have 2 of them twice a day. I figured it was ok to add cocoa to Chocolate Delight, so why not the Melba. You can add some Chocolate Flavored Capella drops if you have them…

Visit the links below for Phase 3 Bread Recipes

Phase 3 Bread Recipes for the Diet

Flaxseed Meal Cinnamon Bread

Click here to Watch Carol’s Video on this recipe

Make sure and “Choose Wisely” for your butter.

Organic butter contains many nutrients, some even protect us from heart disease! It contains Vitamin A, Vitamin E, lecithin and a number of other anti-oxidants which can help strengthen our immune system. It also contains the medium chain fatty acids found in coconut oil. Butter does not cause diseases, but rather protects against them. Organic butter actually contains many nutrients that protect us from heart and other diseases. It contains vitamin A which is needed for the health of the thyroid and adrenal glands, both of which play a role in maintaining the proper functioning of the heart and cardiovascular system. Organic butter is the wisest choice so you don’t eat hormones and pesticides that get absorbed into cows.

Ingredients: Pasteurized Organic Sweet Cream (Milk), Microbial Culture.

There are a number of good butters on the market so read your ingredients and choose wisely. Don’t get butter with a lot of extra ingredients – most will say cream and salt.

The post Melba Toast Recipe appeared first on Little Choices Everyday.

Exercise in Phase 3: when its okay, how to get started and what you should expect.

When entering Phase 3 it is important to not jump straight into an exercise routine. Your body is coming out of a very strict season and you will first want to introduce the new higher calories before doing any exercise including walking. It would be best to make sure your body is settling in to your new calorie counts before beginning any exercise program.

Make sure you are getting within 200 calories of your maintenance calories. If you do not get enough or too many calories in phase 3 you will gain. We get the question a lot of how can I eat so many calories, but if you think about how this protocol works our bodies are breaking down abnormal fat and we are getting a lot more than 500 calories daily. If you stop protocol and do not increase your calories you will go into starvation mode which can cause a gain. You can check maintenance calories here here and please email if you need help getting started Click Here.

Week One Sample Menu:

First week of p3 menu:

Breakfast- 3 eggs and meat/veggies (meat must be sugar free) and try adding in veggies such as bell peppers, onion etc.. or whatever you like.

Snack– 1 scoop of protein.. make sure there is  no added sugars or chemicals or 1- fruit (p2) orange, strawberries, apple, grapefruit. You can add in oils, butter, seeds and heavy whipping cream week one. You can also use almond milk or coconut milk in your smoothies.

Lunch 6-8oz of meat and veggies such as chicken salad you could have 8oz breast on a bed of spinach or lettuce 2-3 cups with tomatoes or other veggies.

Snack– grissini( keep it in a few days a week at least until we add other grains)

Dinner– 6-8 oz protein and veggies.

First begin adding in new protein and veggie sources and then after the first week start adding in healthy fats such as Greek Yogurt, oils, flaxmeal but Carol said keep oils/seeds/nuts to 4T a day… avocado to salad etc will help you get your calories up.  Remember to add one new item per day and monitor the results at the scale.  Problem foods are typically milk, cream, cheese, nuts and any other sugary fruits so be careful and introduce these in small quantities after week one.  After the first 2 weeks the weight become less volatile and by 21 days you will have stabilized.

Adding in exercise after week one would be light walking only.  By week three you can get a more aerobic exercise with a brisk walk and extend it to 40 minutes.

Reasons for Possible Gains with Exercise:

• As you move into p3 stabilized (after 21 days or p4) you need to be prepared if you are doing strength training as you may gain weight, especially in the beginning.  You will need to rely heavily on measurements at this time.  When I was a trainer I would instruct those looking to tone only, to do 20 minutes in anaerobic cardio workout and never lift over 10 lbs with the arms or 30 with the legs.. If you want trim thighs watch how much weight you are lifting with your legs or you will  end up with thunder thighs.  Lower weights in smaller reps of 10-12 are best for toning and not building bulk.
• If you are gaining you might not be getting enough calories.  You need to make sure you get in protein right after you exercise.  This will help with restoring the muscles and help cut down on inflammation and soreness which will effect the scale as water retention.
• No enough sleep.  Dr. Oz (Click Here for Article) recently had a show about the importance of the cortisol that is released during sleep and recommends for our health and weight loss that we get at least 7 hours a night.  Not getting enough sleep can greatly effect your mood, attitude, weight management and cause many health issues.  Let your body restore by giving it enough rest every night.  If you need help falling asleep try the Valerian root tea which is helpful sleepy time tea.  Here is a complete list of foods and tips for helping with sleep.  (Click Here)
• Be careful of hunger which can cause you to eat more than you should and things you shouldn’t.  Sometimes when we are exercising we feel justified to have something as a treat.  Be careful of this mentality as it will get you in trouble quickly.  You need healthy protein and also healthy carbs after a workout.  Not being able to eat those necessary carbs in phase 3 causes issues because the body is not getting what it needs to restore.  Healthy Carbohydrate options for P3 stabilized (after 21 days) are veggies, fruit and even beans such as kidney beans,  black beans, and legumes, and whole grains.
• Exercise might not be burning as many calories as you think.  Be careful to find the right amount for getting enough but not going over calorie intake.

Example:

Elliptical training for 44 minutes/500 cal
Kickboxing for 25 minutes/272 cal
Jogging for 60 minutes/470 cal
Pilates for 30 minutes/119 cal

Exercise may trigger hunger make sure the calories you are consuming are the right ones that will fill you up. Foods high in fiber, protein and healthy fat will keep you from sabotaging your results.

Exercise for the right reasons. Make sure you stay hydrated with your water and lemon water. It will become less about the scale and more about your overall health.  We want you to make this a lifestyle change where you are eating and exercising for other benefits such as reducing your risk for cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

The post Exercise in Phase 3 appeared first on Little Choices Everyday.

Jif recently added Omega 3 fish oil into their peanut butter and proudly splashes it on their packaging so choosy mom’s choose Jif to get in the all important Omegs 3’s. First, it’s a mere dusting of fish oils, 32mg to be exact. This number is what food companies proposed to the FDA to be the number required in order to be labeled as ‘High in Omega-3’ or ‘Good source of Omega-3.’ But the FDA didn’t approve it because it wasn’t enough. So, they can add it their foods but just can’t make fancy claims about it. Okay, so it’s not enough Omega 3’s to claim anything, but it still is in there so that good, right? No. If this isn’t enough to convince you not to choose Jif, take a look at the ingredients. Sugar and the hydrogenated oils are listed first so you know they trump the fish oils that are added. Manufactures are known to use the cheapest oils which are already rancid and full of free-radicals. Then, in order to take the smell out of fish oils which are used, you need to cook them in hydrogen gas at a high temperature as most oils are processed.  Since the peanut butter doesn’t smell fishy, you know this type of processing has taken place which causes more harm than good.

JIF Omega 3 Peanut Butter Ingredients:
MADE FROM PEANUT BUTTER [ROASTED PEANUTS, SUGAR, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: MOLASSES, FULLY HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OILS (RAPESEED AND SOYBEAN), MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, SALT], ANCHOVY* AND SARDINE OIL*,TILAPIA GELATIN, TOCOPHEROLS AND CITRIC ACID (ANTIOXIDANTS). *A TASTELESS, ODORLESS SOURCE OF OMEGA-3 DHA AND EPA.

Most peanut butters on the market are going to have harmful ingredients. You should always check the ingredient panel before you buy any peanut butter.

Choose This:

Peanut butter should have one ingredient: Peanuts. May be a hint of salt. That’s it. There are a few good ones on the market but my personal favorites are Costco & Whole Foods 365 brand. They are very good & don’t need a lot of stirring. The saturated fats in peanuts are healthy fats because it is from a plant source. According to the latest research, a diet rich in peanut products helps reduce cholesterol, as well as lower your risk for heart disease. I have peanut butter daily, either mixed in my chocolate, or added to protein shakes and I also dip my apples and celery in it.

Don’t fall into the marketing hype! Smart Balance is NOT smart and choosy mom’s should not choose Jif

Laura Scudder’s All Natural Peanut Butter Ingredients:

PEANUTS, CONTAINS 1% OR LESS OF SALT.

The post Choose Wisely: Peanut Butter appeared first on Little Choices Everyday.

Vegetables are protein too!

Question of the week #4- What are the best choices for protein?

This weeks vlog discusses the importance of protein and what sources are the best choices for your overall health. It’s key to have a high protein intake on P3. Protein foods also help to slow down the absorption of glucose into the bloodstream which reduces hunger by reducing insulin levels and making it easier for the body to burn fat. Carol discusses the tier list of how to get your protein starting with veggies, Greek Yogurt, animal sources and then protein drinks. While all vegetables do contain enough protein to register.  Vegetable protein is considered to be incomplete, which means if you eat a diet based in vegetables you are probably not getting all of the essential amino acids your body needs to function.  You can get your protein amounts for vegetable and animal sources:  CLICK HERE.

If a food supplies a sufficient amount of the nine essential amino acids, it is called a complete protein. Virtually all proteins from animal foods are complete. Foods that lack or are short on one or more of the essential amino acids such as some fruits, grains, and vegetables are incomplete proteins. Such plant-derived foods can nonetheless be excellent sources of protein if eaten in combination with animal proteins.  We want you to have balance in your meals for your overall health.

Beans provide nearly as much protein as meat, and are much lower in fat and calories. One cup of cooked beans contains 12 to 25 grams of protein.  Once you are p3 stabilized, try adding 1/2 cup of black beans to your diet daily.

Greek Yogurt is one of our favorite dairy sources packing 20g of protein in the Fage 2%  Read more about Greek Yogurt.  CLICK HERE

Watch Carol’s VLOG, we want you to see there are many protein sources and to not always think about meat when getting in your protein.  Animal sources are important, but so are vegetables, beans and dairy.  Keep your menu interesting adding a nice variety to your plate.

The post Best Protein Sources appeared first on Little Choices Everyday.

Refined grains are not a healthy choice, however, whole grains are! Whole grains provide the body with energy, nutrients and fiber. They contain vitamins and minerals that are vital to good health.

There are many varieties of whole grains. A few of my favorite choices are brown rice, quinoa, barley, spelt, and farrow. Farrow is by far my family’s favorites. Farro (pronounced FAHR-oh) is one of the oldest cultivated grains. Farro is considered the Mother of all grains; the original grain from which all others come from including rice, barley, wheat and rye. It is such a good source of protein and fiber. Introduce this grain in p3 stabilized.

Choose This:

Do Not Choose This:

White rice is a simple carb and is converted to sugar and has very little calorie usage. White rice has a higher glycemic index than brown rice and other whole grains. That index is a measure of how fast a particular food raises blood glucose levels, compared with the same amount of glucose. White rice goes through a refining process which results in loss of fiber, vitamins, magnesium and other minerals, lignans, phytoestrogens, and phytic acid, many of which may be protective factors for diabetes risk. All around, rice is not a healthy choice so next time you have a craving for rice try Farro.

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Nutritious Chocolate Shake

(Stabilized P3)

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