PEERtrainer

Hormone-Sensitive Lipase: Unlocks The Doors To Your Fat Cells

How Hormone-Sensitive Lipase Works:

When there is less sugar in your bloodstream, less insulin is produced by your pancreas.

Scientists now know that when insulin levels drop, something called "Hormone Sensitive Lipase" or HSL rises in your body. This process is literally a fat burning switch.

HSL transforms stored triglycerides into free fatty acids. In simple terms, when your body needs energy, and insulin is not present, HSL will take a triglycerol molecule and break it apart freeing up a diglyceride and a fatty acid.

According to Jonny Bowden, PhD, "HSL literally dissolves the stored fat that you have....into smaller components called fatty acids, which your body then burns for energy. HSL is what unlocks the doors to your fat cells."

Bowden says that HSL and insulin function like a "see-saw" meaning when one goes up the other goes down.

However....

Most people have way too much glucose in their bloodstream for HSL to be present and working its magic. Their diet literally shuts off this fat burning switch.

Consumption of sugar triggers insulin production. But so does the consumption of many foods that we consider healthy or that are commonly eaten. For example whole wheat bread, whole grain cereals, brown rice, pasta, potatoes and corn all send your insulin levels up.

Fat Burning, Myth Busting Workshop

If you want to get our complete (free) guide on how to eat in a way that keeps your hormones working "right" the right way--what foods to eat, what foods to not to eat, the best vegetables for balancing your hormones, just enter your email and we will send you a webinar, a transcript of the webinar, plus 3 new videos that go deeper into this whole subject.

The webinar is hosted by PEERtrainer founder Jackie Wicks, and features nutritionist JJ Virgin, PhD. She explains how a very simple rebalancing (or nutritional cleanse) helps to promote the set of hormones in your body that take your fat and turn them into fuel.

The webinar teaches you everything you need to know to do this. One tip we have for you, is that you really need keep an open mind about what is taught here. In our experience, so many people are so focused on just calorie counting and exercising.

The most important point to make is that if you eat the wrong calories, you are going to shut off hormones like HSL, the one described in this blog post. We emphasize this, because it seems that we are all totally conditioned to think in terms of just portion control and exercise.

Even when we teach the exact science of fat burning, people seem to not believe it. There is probably a psychological explanation for this. Hopefully this caveat will help you make better use of this great information!

Leptin Tells Your Brain To Stop Eating

We continue to chunk things down for you. As part of a recent article on weight loss resistance by Jason Boehm, there was a discussion about hormone called "Leptin."

Here Is How Leptin Works:

"Leptin tells your brain to stop eating, but when your brain cells become leptin resistant, they stop "hearing" that hormone. You're more apt to get seconds at the buffet even if you're not hungry."

How Leptin Stops Working:

Not getting enough sleep can make you leptin resistant. Additionally:

"Toxins can also create leptin resistance. When toxins bind to brain receptor sites, they stop "hearing" leptin's message. Plus, toxins can interfere with your mitochondria, your cells' "power plants" that burn fat for energy. In both cases, your body's machinery can't do its job and fat burning comes to a halt."

Why Is This Important?

This is important because there are many things that go into losing weight successfully.

The more things you learn, the more empowered you will feel, and the less frustrated you will feel.

However, so many of us are conditioned to think that weight loss is nothing more than calories in, calories out.

We know there is a lot more to it, and our challenge is to teach you "all this stuff" in a way that is really easy. We hope this mini-lesson is helpful!!

PS: If you want to read the complete guide to weight loss resistance click this link!

PPS: If you want to get our complete (free) guide on how to detoxify the right way- what to eat, what not to eat, the best vegetables for getting toxins out, just enter your email and we will send you a webinar, a transcript of the webinar, plus 3 new videos that go deeper into this whole subject:

 

 

 

Related PEERtrainer Articles:

The Hormone That Literally Burns Stored Fat

The Hormone That Tells Your Brain To Stop Eating

The Worst Thing You Can Do When Trying To Lose Weight

The 3 Things You MUST Do To Burn Belly Fat

How To Build Muscle (New From PEERtrainer)

How Men Lose Weight Differently

This is the first in a series of content pieces focused on just the men in the PEERtrainer community and audience.

There has been a great deal of demand, and we are being as responsive as we can.

As you will see in this audio interview, there are a lot of things that men experience that is truly different in the whole area of making better eating decisons, getting healthier and dropping the pounds.

This series is hosted by Habib Wicks, CEO and co-founder of PEERtrainer. If there are any questions that the men out there have, Habib will go out and find the leading expert and have them answer your questions for you!

Link To Download MP3 Of This Call

Men's Weight Loss: Hunger, Testosterone, Stress and More

If that link does not work, copy the following URL into your browser:

http://www.peertrainer.com/mp3/cleanse/menweightloss.mp3 

Why Spices Fight Inflammation

There are many more foods which exacerbate chronic inflammation than foods which directly cause it. In other words, there are specific nutrients which, when consumed by healthy individuals, will have both pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory effects, but when these same nutrients are consumed by people who already suffer from chronic inflammation, their effect is much more pro-inflammatory.

It should also be noted that the most important role food plays in chronic inflammation is not what we do eat, but what we don't eat enough of. Fruits, vegetables, and most crucially spices all play a huge role in turning down the levels of pro-inflammatory messengers. It can be hypothesized that the biggest role pro-inflammatory foods have is that they replace anti-inflammatory foods in our diet, making it more about balancing inflammatory foods than completely removing them. 

How Spices and Herbs Fight Inflammation

A lot of attention has been focused recently on turmeric as an anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer spice. Turmeric does contain a high number of active anti-inflammatory and disease preventing compounds, but the truth is that every spice and herb contains anti-inflammatory compounds, usually at least three. And, whereas most drugs target only single pathways, the anti-inflammatory compounds found in herbs and spices target multiple pathways, meaning they provide health in many ways, not just one.

All spices turn down the production of TNFa, NFkB, IL-6, and other inflammatory messengers. When combined with foods which may provide a pro-inflammatory effect, the herbs and spices help keep our immune response in check. Many of the same herbs and spices also aid in the prevention of cancer, by turning down NFkB activity. Some of the active compounds have been also been shown to be chemosensitizers--they help chemotherapy target the cancerous cells while protecting the healthy ones at the same time! 

Read The Complete Guide To Fighting Inflammation Here

Dr. Fuhrman's Take On The Long Term Impact Of Weight Watchers

One of the big components of PEERtrainer's mission is to really challenge status quo thinking and action. We have done this by engaging in a constant conversation with the leading change agents out there, and then presenting these conversations with the PEERtrainer audience.

Dr. Fuhrman was one of the first voices we presented many years ago, and we would note that he is currently the #1 author on the NY Times Best Seller List, due in part to his appearance on the Dr Oz show recently.

We asked him his opinion of the long term impact of Weight Watchers. Our own view for years has been that it is an excellent first step to teach people portion control. Learning portion control is hard for many.

However, once you get past this point, the question becomes do you want to tinker at the edges of your eating habits, or engage in something that takes you to a new place. 

Here is what he said:

"Weight Watchers is not in the business of disease reversal, disease protection and health. It is all about weight. Participants and even leaders are poorly educated about nutritional science and women are not motivated to eat to win the war on cancer.

Participants are forever maintaining their food addictions, because eating a little healthier and trying to cut back is simply a formula for failure in too many cases (the vast majority).

So they give lip service to better health and healthier eating, but this is impossible to maintain without serious attention to excellent nutrition, prevention of all deficiencies, sufficient anti-inflammatory super foods and reduction of additions and cravings that result.

That's why Weight Watchers is so successful, because people lose and then gain it back and are forever on the weight loss merry go round, so they keep needing their relatively ineffective supportive services.

Eat To Live is all about life extension and winning the war on cancer. And, once you learn it, the weight comes off permanently and you never have to diet again."

Read The Whole Thing

Related PEERtrainer Article: A Look At Dr. Fuhrman's Newest Book: Super Immunity

A Look At Weight Watchers From A Biochemical Perspective

We just published a new article by Jason Boehm that looks at the short term and long term track records of the Weight Watchers program.

PEERtrainer has long been a strong advocate of Weight Watchers as a proven and helpful tool to help people get a handle on the very first steps of long term weight control.

We have also observed that as people progress down the path of weight loss, people should start to develop a focus on using a wide variety of tools and ideas to help build upon their progress.

This new article goes deep into the science of how the Weight Watchers points system effects the body. And in particular, takes aim at the idea of "everything in moderation."

Read The Whole Article Here

 

 

Is Natural Sugar Different Than Added Sugar?

This is an excerpt from a recent article that looked at how much sugar you should consume each day.

Is Natural Sugar Different Than Added Sugar?

What about the naturally-occurring sugars in fruits, vegetables, and other plant-based foods? Should these foods be limited as well?

Unlike foods with added sugars, fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and other plant-based foods naturally contain vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals that are important for the human body, as well as fiber and other types of beneficial carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates are a main energy source for the body, and the central nervous system can only use carbohydrates as a fuel.

Therefore, it is best to consume some carbohydrates every day.

While it is possible to live on a very low-carbohydrate diet, most researchers agree that the ideal amount for health is around 40-45% of your total daily calories, or about 150 grams for the average female and 190 grams for the average male.

However: Americans typically get well above this amount, primarily from sources high in added sugars.

Read The Whole Article Here

Related PEERtrainer Articles:

How To Get Rid Of Belly Fat

How To Maximize The Odds Of A Successful Day

How To Lose More Than 25 Pounds

Leaky Gut Syndrome Explained

Why Vitamin D Is So Important

The Cause Of Hypothyroidism

How To Do A Cleanse

 

 

Can stress prevent you from burning fat?

We recently asked our friend Jonny Bowden the following question:

"Can stress prevent you from burning fat-even when you exercise and eat right?"

His answer is interesting because it is a component of something called 'Weight Loss Resistance"- that sense that you are really doing all the right things, but not making progress.

Here is what he said:

"The answer is yes. There are two main reasons.

1. Stress hormones (i.e. cortisol and adrenalin) actually prompt the body to store fat around the middle (even in skinny people..). Cortisol-- which the sports nutritionist Michael Colgan once called "the grinch of bodybuilding"-- actually breaks down muscle, since muscle increases metabolic rate.

2. Stress hormones prompt the release of inflammatory cytokines"

Dr. Oz has said pretty much the same thing recently. In his view:

"When you're under stress, your body releases the hormone cortisol, which makes your body store fat around your midsection.

If you tend to gain weight when you're stressed out, this supplement can help you tackle stubborn belly fat. Relora is supplement made from the extracts of two plants used for thousands of years by Chinese herbalists to promote relaxation.

Clinical studies have shown that Relora can help mitigate feelings of anxiety. Decreased levels of cortisol can lead to the prevention of weight gain, the loss of excess weight, and the reduction of stress eating.

Dr. Oz's Suggested Dose: Take 250mg of Relora three times a day -- or one dose with every meal. Studies have demonstrated this to be the most effective use of this supplement so you receive the maximum benefit."

In the Cleanse, JJ Virgin has recommended a proprietary version of Relora that is a cut way above what is out there. You can learn more about what is added to this formulation at this link:

Relora Plus From Thorne Research

Whenever we see the experts line up with the same opinion, we pay close attention.

Relora plus is also part of the Stress Support Pack and the Metabolic Booster Pack, all put together by JJ Virgin.

For a limited time we have put all three items on a deep discount to get people to try these for the first time. 

 

How To Keep A Relationship Strong

We just published a new article by Dr. Jen Landa, titled Why Men Cheat.

Here is one response:

"Great subject! I think that low self-esteem is a nasty ingredient that also contributes to infidelity. Having an affair is a shallow ego boost and spiritually self-destructive. I think we all need to be mindful and vigilant with temptation. Just as you weed the flower garden so it will thrive, you must keep harmful energy out of your personal environment. Pursuing new activities, interests and adventures together as a couple is essential and makes for a happier, more fulfilling life. Like anything in life, you get what you put in!"

Read The Article

Six Foods That Fight Allergies

Vitamin C and the antioxidant quercetin work synergistically to knock out your worst allergies.

A study in Inflammation Research for instance, concluded quercetin suppressed allergy-related inflammation.

Fruits and vegetables like oranges and red peppers offer vitamin C, and quercetin-rich foods include green tea, red onions, oranges, and apples.

Stress – including allergy-related stress on your body – depletes vitamin C. To get therapeutic amounts of these allergy-fighting nutrients, you’ll need to supplement.

Keep Reading:

http://www.peertrainer.com/health/how-to-get-rid-of-allergies.aspx

From The Raspberry Calories Entry:

Quercetin is a flavonoid found in onions, garlic, and also raspberries. Quercetin has anti-inflammatory effects and is also a potent anti-carcinogen, helping to prevent cancer. Raspberries have 15mg quercetin per cup. 

Quercetin Also Helps With Leaky Gut Syndrome:

Quercetin Found in apples and onions, quercetin works as a powerful antioxidant to reduce histamine, an inflammatory compound your immune system releases with leaky gut syndrome. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, therapeutic amounts of quercetin are anti-inflammatory and can help stabilize the cells that release histamine in your body. 

The Three Things You MUST Do To Burn Belly Fat

One of the things that we have been learning with our new look into the science of belly fat is that it really IS a slightly different animal.

Over the years we have heard that "you cannot target belly fat." Based on new understanding of the science, that view appears to now be outdated.

Here is an excerpt from a new article of ours that goes into some detail about how to lose belly fat:

"To succeed in the battle against belly fat, a three-pronged approach must be taken. The first and most important thing to begin doing is aerobic exercise. Second, the other causes of insulin resistance must be addressed.

Finally, stress must be taken care of so that cortisol levels don't run chronically high. Fixing one problem is certainly a move in the right direction, but fixing all three will ensure success."

Read The Full Article

We know that a diet high in an array of vegetables can be powerful in terms of reducing and preventing disease. But there are limits to a high nutrient diet only strategy. We see this anecdotally, as well as in the research:

"Studies suggest that to lose belly fat, exercise is absolutely necessary, and diet alone is not sufficient. This may seem intimidating, but to begin losing belly fat you do not need to run five miles a day. Even a slow start is beneficial, and reductions in belly fat happen in a dose-dependant manner, meaning that the more you exercise the more belly fat will be lost."

This is why the work we are doing with the PEERtrainer Cleanse and JJ Virgin, PhD is so so so important. 

We are targeting the second and probably most important part of the equation here: insulin resistance.

According to JJ, when people go on the cleanse and start to pull out the reactive foods this:

"lowers the insulin response, which then allows your body to start using fat for fuel. And by reducing inflammation, we also improve insulin sensitivity, which then again,means your body can spend fat for fuel."

As you will learn in the article, insulin resistance and belly fat form a vicious cycle, and you have to really attack them head on, on all fronts.

Another good nugget from the article is this:

"Chronic inflammation has been linked to an incredible amount of diseases, ranging everywhere from autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and ulcerative colitis to heart disease and even cancer. Beyond diet and lifestyle, belly fat is a leading cause of inflammation, and reducing it will play a huge role in your overall health!"

The PEERtrainer Cleanse, properly adopted, can help set in motion all sorts of positive actions, which over time can help to undo some major damage.

PEERtrainer Cleanse

We also have a comprehensive webinar and content series that discusses all the aspects of why this approach to cleansing is really the best one. If you are thinking about doing a juice cleanse or liquid cleanse, we'd strongly encourage you to think twice.

The science is on our side!

PEERtrainer Cleanse 101 Course With JJ Virgin

 

 

Related PEERtrainer Articles:

The Hormone That Literally Burns Stored Fat

The Hormone That Tells Your Brain To Stop Eating

The Worst Thing You Can Do When Trying To Lose Weight

The 3 Things You MUST Do To Burn Belly Fat

How To Build Muscle (New From PEERtrainer)

The Worst Thing You Can Do When Trying To Lose Weight

PEERtrainer Note: This is an excerpt from a new article. The full article can be read here:

The Worst Thing You Can Do When Trying To Lose Weight

"A myth which has been ingrained in our beliefs is that blood sugar is inherently unstable, and we need a constant stream of calories to ensure it never dips or spikes. Now people are running out to buy little snack packs and trying to eat exactly 100 calories every hour to make sure their blood sugar remains stable.

This is actually one of the worst things you can do for blood sugar stability, and worse still is that this will actually fight your ability to lose weight.

If insulin is the storage hormone, then glucagon is the "take from storage" hormone. The problem is that insulin responds rapidly to the increase in blood sugar that eating causes, allowing us to store excess energy readily, but glucagon has a much slower response which only happens after we have gone through that fuel, a process which can take up to four hours!

If you attempt to control blood sugar by eating often, the only metabolic change you are likely to make is that your body will be releasing more insulin and less glucagon. By actively suppressing glucagon secretion, your body is less likely to take energy back out of storage, and weight loss will be slow."

Read The Whole Article

PPS: If you want to get our complete (free) guide on how to eat in a way that keeps your hormones working "right" the right way--what foods to eat, what foods to not to eat, the best vegetables for balancing your hormones, just enter your email and we will send you a webinar, a transcript of the webinar, plus 3 new videos that go deeper into this whole subject:

 

Related PEERtrainer Articles:

The Hormone That Literally Burns Stored Fat

The Hormone That Tells Your Brain To Stop Eating

The Worst Thing You Can Do When Trying To Lose Weight

The 3 Things You MUST Do To Burn Belly Fat

How To Build Muscle (New From PEERtrainer)

How Stress Helps Us Store Belly Fat

Full Article Here

"While stress may possibly play a role in increasing belly fat through insulin sensitivity, the more insidious way and common way which stress influences the production of belly fat is through selective deposition of free fatty acids. Cortisol actively selects for fat to be deposited as belly fat instead of subcutaneous fat!

We are not certain why cortisol has this effect, but a well-regarded theory is that it serves the body well, when stressed, to store its excess energy in a readily available form.

Belly fat is easier to release and burn than subcutaneous fat, so storing excess energy as belly fat favors a quick energy response to stress, allowing us to escape a future stressful situation better. But when the stress is constant, we just keep storing more and more fat in the belly, and since our response to stress is usually not running or climbing, we never give the body the opportunity to burn the fat back off!"

"While stress is itself an unpleasant psychological state, it is cortisol which wreaks havoc upon our body when it is chronically high, and it is cortisol which tells the body to store belly fat. Psychological aspects of stress may encourage "stress eating" or other detrimental behaviors, and for this reason stress management techniques are important, but in the short-term we can also try to fix cortisol levels and reduce the overall health risk associated with chronically high cortisol levels and the belly fat it encourages."

Keep Reading: Stress and Belly Fat, How To Get Rid Of Belly Fat

Can Chinese Medicine Help You Lose Weight?

The Cycle of Five Elements and Weight Loss

Traditional Chinese medicine and herbology focuses on a cycle of five elements to which nature rotates. Since you're part of nature, you also experience these changes. From this Eastern perspective, spring becomes the Wood Element season.

We associate the Wood Element with your liver and gallbladder. During spring, cleansing and detoxifying your liver and gallbladder symbolizes letting go after winter storing and introversion.

Longer days provide more sunlight and warmer temperatures, which allow you more time outdoors. Sun provides you with vitamin D and opens your pores much like flowers blossom. Warmth symbolizes lightness, joy, and vibrant health.

I want to share my expertise in traditional Chinese medicine to give you three simple, effective strategies to detoxify, become your sexiest self, and get the most out of warmer weather ahead.

Chinese Medicine and Weight Loss

Reducing Weight Reduces Cancer Risk

Increased body fat increases risk of cancer. Body fat acts as a depot for producing inflammation and hormones that contribute to a pro-cancer physiology. Overweight, overfat, and obese individuals have increased rates of cancer and cancer recurrence.

One reason body fat contributes to cancer growth is that it contributes to increased levels of inflammatory factors such as COX2 and LOX5, C Reactive Protein and the cytokine Interleukin-6 all of which contribute to a pro-cancer environment.

Related PEERtrainer article: How to Reduce Inflammation

2. Maintaining normal blood sugar metabolism and normal insulin signaling and reducing the risk of diabetes. Elevated blood sugar, diabetes, and pre-diabetes, also known as insulin resistance or metabolic syndrome, can fuel cancer growth. Diabetics with chronically elevated blood sugar, insulin and Insulin Like Growth Factor (IGF-1) levels have increased risk of cancer and cancer progression. Why? Cancer cells preferentially utilize sugar as a fuel.

The more sugary your blood, the more ready fuel for cancer cell growth. Elevated insulin and IGF-1 levels also promote cancer cell growth. Exercise not only reduces body fat and increases percent muscle mass, but also influences hormone signaling to normalize blood sugar metabolism. The key is here is MODERATE exercise. Very intense exercise can trigger the release of cortisol, a hormone that elevates blood sugar.  

Read The Whole Article Here

How Detoxification, And Detoxification Supplements Work (A Simplification)

We just published a new article that goes deep into the science of detoxification, and the supplements that can be used. The article is a bit complicated, so we want to break down the basic message as easily as we could:

Key Points

1. In step one of the process where "toxins" are eliminated from your body, toxins are converted from being "polar" to "non-polar."

The analogy here is this process takes a non-magnetic substance and makes it magnetic.

2. In step 2, these toxins that are now "magnetized" and combined with certain amino acids. These amino acids are like "trucks leaving the city"- the polar toxins attach to the amino acids and are then excreted through urine, sweat and bile.

There are a lots of different substances involved in these two processes. Your body already does this naturally, but if you are not in 100% ideal health, you'll need all the help you can get.

The basic idea here is that there are specific enzymes, amino acids, herbs and minerals which aid in these two steps.

When you supplement these to your nutrient dense, low sugar, slow carb diet, you'll improve the overall function of your body.

Read Full Article: How Detoxification Supplements Work

This is where the the Detox Nutrient Packs from Thorne come in. It contains three supplements, all of which are contain clinically-tested ingredients which improve detoxification across all phases.

The Detox Nutrient Packs are a triple-whammy of detoxification boosting botanicals, minerals, and amino acids. Every single ingredient in all three of them has a proven record, confirmed through study and science, towards aiding the body in detoxification.

A lot of emphasis is placed upon increasing phase II detoxification. This is because phase I detoxification without phase II is actually more damaging than not detoxifying at all! All of the supplements in the Detox Nutrient Packs increase phase I and phase II detoxification to ensure your body does not only release the toxins, but excretes them as well.

All of the ingredients in the Detox Nutrient Packs are clinically-tested and proven to be effective. When you supply your body with the right ingredients to detoxify, the road back to health becomes much straighter and simpler, allowing you to achieve your goals faster. Even more important, the Detox Nutrient Packs provide protection against re-toxification. We are bombarded on a daily basis by toxins in the air, food, and water, and the Detox Nutrient Packs help ensure they have a minimal effect on our lives and health.

Read Full Article: How Detoxification Supplements Work

Related Articles:

How To Burn Fat Faster, Naturally

How To Do A Cleanse

PEERtrainer Fresh Start Cleanse (Next One Starts May 7th, Sign Up Now)

 

A New Look At The Dangers Of Splenda

We have just published a new guide which outlines the dangers and side effects of splenda, among other topics related to sweeteners.

One interesting point made in the article is that the actual amount of Splenda that one ingests on a daily, weekly, monthly basis matters a great deal:

"The manufacturer of Splenda claims that very little sucralose gets absorbed into our bloodstream, and the amount that is absorbed is excreted through our urine. It's easy to assume from this claim that there is a 100% recovery rate of sucralose, either through urine or feces, but this study found that total recovery rate for a normal dose of sucralose (1mg/kg) was 92.8% and for a high dose (10mg/kg) was 96.7%, which means that approximately 3.3% to 7.2% of the sucralose remained in the body after five days.

If you had Splenda once, chances are that the tiny amount to remain in your system caused no harm and was eventually excreted. However....

Splenda, and other sucralose-containing products aren't marketed for one-time users, however, but for habitual users. Splenda is for people who want to cut sugar calories out of their sweet foods and drinks. Sucralose in small amounts occasionally is not likely to accumulate, but what happens when a small amount is ingested every day? "

 

Read The Full Article Here

New PEERtrainer Article On Inflammation

We published a new article in the last couple days which has gotten a tremendous amount of positive feedback.

One subject the article addresses is how to reduce inflammation naturally.

Many people felt that they really got a sense of how to do this. One person wrote us and said that their doctor was not able to explain to them what causes inflammation, and this article explained it to them!

Read The Article Here

A Question To Ask Yourself If You Are An Emotional Eater

This is session 4 of the 8 part PEERtrainer Emotional Eating Mini-Course

 

Hi There-

In part 4 of our series today, we are going to bring focus to a very important question, and we are going to hit it right away:

Session 4 Exercise:

"On a scale of 1 to 10, do you really believe that you can be rid of using food as a key tool to bring comfort to your life?"  

You want to think about where you are right now, not where you want to be. Even if you are a two, that is fine. You begin to think "ok, what do I need to do to get to a three or a six."

If you want to jump right into the 9 minute call, here it is:

Session 4 Audio File

Session 4 Summary and Key Concepts:

We share a story of a real-life example of someone we have been working with who has been struggling with EE for a long time, thought she had it under control, but then realized she really didn't. 

Actually, in a sense she did have it under control, but she wasn't free from it.  She had it "managed" in her life in a way where it was predictable, but she wasn't really free of it.  It's sort of like learning to live with a hip injury rather than getting it actually corrected.  You can be limping around in pain, and you convince yourself that it's manageable pain because for some reason in your mind you think "it will just always be this way". 

But does it really have to just be that way?

The break through for this client came when she admitted that she just wasn't where she wanted to be in terms of her body.  She had a belly that she hated but she hadn't made the decision that at all costs it was no longer an option for her to keep.

Instead, she kept CHOOSING, over and over again to use food as her emotional crutch to help her deal with the challenges in her life.  Making that choice over and over again was the direct reason for belly.  It was a one to one correlation.

Food as comfort = belly fat.

Then what she realized is that as much as she REALLY WANTS to get rid of it, she hasn't actually DECIDED that the belly fat is no longer an option.  Once she really looked at it, she realized she is actually prioritizing food as comfort over having the body she wanted.

And of course what that insight gives her is the realization that she can make a different choice.  

I hope these calls are helping you start to get a better handle on things. If you have any  insights into today's session, please hit reply!

-Jackie

What People Who Lost Weight In 2011 Did (And How To Join This Group In 2012)

We recently conducted a survey of the PEERtrainer community, and asked people a simple question. Did you gain or lose weight in 2011? The wonderful thing is about half the people who responded did!

For the people who lost weight, we then asked them what things they did differently. For the people who didn't, we asked them what their plan was for 2012. The consistency and contrast in both sets of answers was absolutely fascinating.

For the people who lost weight they overwhelmingly cited the changes to their diet. Dramatically more vegetables, less sugar, fewer fast carbs, less processed food and the elimination of gluten, dairy and other common allergens. Usually people did all these things in some combination.

Many people cited the Cheat System and the PEERtrainer Cleanse as helping them. Lots of people referenced our recommendation to read Eat To Live by Dr. Fuhrman. 

The people who lost the most weight made very dramatic shifts, citing an "elimination" of a lot of the junk food. They did not cite "moderation" as the key to their success in 2011. 

What The People Who Didn't Lose Weight Are Planning For 2012.

Of the people who didn't lose weight in 2011, many people stated that they plan on moving in the direction of the changes that the "losers" in 2011 did. More vegetables, work on reducing sugar, bad carbs, gluten and dairy.

One person said that their plan was the Fresh Start Cleanse and Cheat System- "doing it, not just talking about it!"

However, a vast majority are focusing their goals on exercise and discipline. This is usually expressed by a plan to "eat less and exercise more." One person even added the comment "duh, what else are you going to do??"

In general, among the people who did not lose weight in 2012, there was a common theme of needing to have more discpline, control, reduction in calories and dramatic increase in exercise.

So if you are one of those people who are thinking just in terms of exercising more and eating less, we'd really encourage you to look at the habits of the 2011 losers. That means get in the mindset of changing what you eat, and focusing less on exercise as the main path to weight loss.

Exercise is of course fantastic, and the more natural and enjoyable the better. But if you are not focused on an eating plan that in some way resembles the Cheat System or Cleanse, your odds of success, based on what we are seeing will be lower.

There are also people who are in a category where they are really struggling with sugar. What we would tell these people is that when people add the nutrient dense foods and also remove the foods that you remove on the cleanse- they get a handle on their cravings.

A Very Clear Pattern (And Success Roadmap!) Has Been Established

This isn't a 100% thing, but there is a very clear pattern that has been established. The key to focus on here is are clear success patterns that you can model.

How PEERtrainer Is Responding To This Survey

Based on what we are seeing with people who are moving from the planning to action phase of their 2012 plan, we want to put together something for you that will almost guarantee that you move into the "Loser" categegory for this year. Or at least have 100% confidence that you are going in the right direction, which is a major victory itself.

What we are doing is putting together a plan that will help you do everything that the successful losers from 2011 did.

Starting today, for a limited time, anyone who signs up for the PEERtrainer Cleanse will also get a free copy of the Magic Fridge Recipe Guide, and will get free membership to the PEERtrainer Mastermind program. That will give you support for a full six months.

Mastermind is designed for people who have already put some solid changes in place. It is designed to help you stay on track with you changes and also make some new ones. 

Additionally, for the next 25 people who sign up we will send you a free copy of the newest edition of Eat To Live, by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. These three items together are sold for $74 separately. 

All of these tools, combined with the Cleanse are all highly proven. And together they will serve as one of the best weight loss packages one could possibly do. The PEERtrainer Cleanse is the lynchpin of this, because it can give you some quick success in a short amount of time. The results have been so consistent.

When you are able to get some quick success under your belt, it helps you do everything else we recommend. Our advice becomes possible, and more of a reality for people.

And remember, you don't need to do any of this stuff 100%. Keep in mind our advice of going for the B+ not the A+. The most important thing here, no matter what, is that you shift your idea of what it takes to lose weight and keep it off.

The other reality here is that this advice we are putting out there is not what is commonly recommended. But the results we are seeing are crystal clear, and build upon trends we have seen for many years now.

If you are looking for a plan that you can have 100% confidence in for 2012, this is it. Come join us and make the shift. 

http://www.peertrainer.com/freshstart

PEERtrainer New Year Challenge

We are putting together a fun challenge for participants of the PEERtrainer Fresh Start Cleanse, to celebrate the best success stories of weight loss, health and personal habit change.

We are not focusing just on the pounds. Rather the focus will be on the actual stories of change, with the purpose of inspiring and encouraging the other PEER's in our community.

The people who demonstrate the greatest change that leads to great success will be recognized.

Anyone who purchases the program from December 21st, 2011 to January 8th, 2012 is eligible. (Challenge Rules And Regulations Here) If you have already purchased the program during this window, you are in. Here are the prizes compliments of our sponsors.

Grand Prize: There will be 1 Grand Prize winner who will receive a prize package featuring:

• 30 Min Consulting Session with JJ Virgin ($1500 value)
• One X-iser Personal Trainer For At Home Burst Training ($300 value) The X-iser helps you do a very effective burst workout in a short amount of time. 
• One Hour Success Review Session With Jackie Wicks 
• Wild Salmon and Halibut "Grilling Gift Basket" from VitalChoice ($149 value)
• One Bodylastics Basic Tension Set ($40 value) Bodylastics are the highest quality resistance bands on the market, and are the only brand on the market guaranteed not to snap when you workout.
• Membership To PEERtrainer Mastermind 6 Month Weight Loss Maintenance Program ($48 Value)

Second Prizes: There will be 5 Second Prize Winners

• One Hour Success Review Session With Jackie Wicks 
• Membership To PEERtrainer Mastermind Program ($48 value)
• One Bodylastics Basic Tension Set ($40 value)
• $75 VitalChoice Wild Seafood Gift Certificate

About The PEERtrainer Fresh Start Cleanse:

PEERtrainer Fresh Start Cleanse Sign Up Page

"Jenny's" Palm Beach Luncheon, Results Of The Fiber Survey, New JJ Video

Something fun to share with you- "Jenny" (not her real name) has a luncheon to attend next week at Donald Trump's Palm Beach Mansion.

 

There are always lots of events at this place, and lots of people usually attend. Often these events result in even more money flowing into the Donald's pockets. But everyone has a good time.

 

"Jenny" has known about this particular event for a while. A couple weeks ago she was convinced by a close mutual friend of ours to start the Cleanse.

 

She told our friend last night that she is now down 5 pounds since she started. And most importantly she can now fit into the dress that she wanted to wear.

 

It would be great to get a picture of her in her dress, at the mansion.

That would be fun and we will work on getting that.

 

Two Things We Learned From Yesterdays Fiber Survey:

 

Yesterday we sent out a short survey, asking people how much fiber

they were getting. We broke the question into two parts, asking

people how much fiber they got from both processed, and non-

processed food.

 

Processed food tends to be high in sugar, while fiber from non-

processed food tends to be very in the "micronutrients" that we

all need to get more of.

 

There are a lot of benefits to fiber, most important of which is hunger.

 

People who have high fiber diets tend to be less hungry and feel

satiated. Those who have lower levels of fiber tend to be

hungry and constipated.

 

There isn't a health expert out there who doesn't talk about the

importance of fiber. But often it is a very vague, general thing

and people really don't have a number to focus on.

 

One important thing we have learned from JJ in developing the 

Cleanse is that a daily target of 50 grams of fiber is something

to shoot for.

 

In her view you get to this number by any means necessary.

(Although please try to avoid Metamucil because of the sugar

and additives)

 

1000 people responded to the survey,  and we saw 2 things that

stuck out. 

 

First is that 1/3 of people don't have any idea how much fiber

they are consuming each day.  Additionally only 10 percent

of people get more than 30 grams of total fiber per day.

 

Given these numbers, JJ's relentless focus on the subject of

fiber in the PEERtrainer Cleanse makes a ton of sense. 

 

It is fairly simple- do you want to be part of the 90 percent or

part of the 10 percent?  

 

This is such a mundane subject, but we hope that we have really

shown you a good reason why we continue to focus on the cleanse

and all the different components of it.

 

New JJ Video: Lasting Change

 

We just posted a new video, about 5 minutes long. One of the

interesting parts of the video is where she talks about how a

cleanse leads to lasting change.

 

It is fun to talk about someone quickly fitting into the dress

for a party. But all the work that goes into that is meaningless

unless you can keep that off.

 

Watch The Video

 

 

-Jackie

 

There is always a gap between the things that people feel they should be doing, and the things they actually are doing.

If you could, take a quick second and think about some new ideas to help your health and weight. Which one of those are you actually doing?

This is a link to our survey account, if you wouldn't mind taking a few seconds to enter your response. Thank you!!

 

>>>What Is ONE Change You Have Recently Made?

We hosted a live call with JJ Virgin, PhD, on September 15th where she shared with us her view on what the "real deal" is with cleanses and detoxing. In her view there is a lot of value to cleanses, but you have to know some things before jumping in to anything.

This is an area of particular expertise for her. For the last 15 years, her main job has been teaching doctors how to help their patients get better nutrition, health and lose weight. As you may know, doctors don't get much of this kind of training in medical school. 

In this (free) class you are going to learn:

• What JJ teaches the doctors she works with.
• Which cleanses to avoid and how to cut through the hype.
• How to use a cleanse to overcome "weight loss resistance."
• Learn WHY people should detox (hint: toxins play a role in almost every single major health condition.)
• What a proper cleanse or detox is and how to define it. (It is not just products you buy)
• How your body detoxifies- you will learn how it works.
• What you must cut out to really detoxify(and it’s probably what you are eating to be healthy everyday!) 
• What you must include in your diet in order to detoxify optimally (the specific foods and vegetables that do this!)
• A secret weapon for appetite and cravings control
• And what to never ever do during a cleanse

Just enter your email address and we will send you the call, a transcript of the call, and a copy of the PEERtrainer Cheat System which shows you what foods to avoid when on a cleanse.

This is a link to a new article on the site about Gluten written by JJ Virgin, who has a PhD in nutrition:

Should You Remove Gluten From Your Diet?

We asked for this to be written in response to an email we had been sent arguing that there was no scientific basis to the assertion that gluten was something that could harm your health or hinder your weight loss efforts.

We had written a summary on this subject earlier this year, and it is great to have us continuing this discussion. In the summary we quoted another well known nutritionist, Dr. Alan Pressman who said this:

"Gluten is a protein, and it can be found in wheat, rye, and barley.  Many people are allergic to it, and millions of people are sensitive to it.  It can trigger all sorts of inflammatory responses in your intestinal track and entire body. It creates chronic inflammation throughout the body, and if you are sensitive or allergic to it can cause a 72 percent increased risk of death. That's pretty serious business."

This is an emerging area of scientific understanding, and we hope that by presenting these different views it will help you see if gluten is something that is effecting you personally.

Read JJ Virgin's take on Gluten here

We just rolled out a new interview for the PEERtrainer Mastermind Program, in the form of a 20 page interview we recently did with JJ Virgin.

Because of the importance of the information she presented, we thought that it made sense to highlight a couple of the key points and share them with everyone in the PEERtrainer Community.

As you read these bullets you will see why we wanted to share them with you!

Food Sensitivities And How They Impact Weight Loss

• A food allergy is the person who if you open the peanuts on the plane, they go into anaphylactic shock. It's your mother‑in‑law eating lobster and getting hives. These are rare, and represent less than 1% of the population.
• Food sensitivities are not rare, from JJ's testing represents around 70% of the population. The worst part is that we usually think the symptoms are normal for us: gas, bloating, joint pain, fatigue, cravings, skin problems, can't lose weight.
• The problem is that they are hard to identify. Your energy might drop six hours later, you may break out the next day. It can be very hard to put this all together.
• There are many common food allergens. Gluten is not good for anybody because of how it damages the gut.
• When you reduce food allergens in the diet, it becomes easier to lose weight.
• Replacing the allergen causing foods is a big challenge. When you deal with this, it becomes much easier to follow an "elimination diet."
• According to JJ it is the combination of gluten, stress and toxins that are doing the most damage. What she does in her practice is help the gut heal, and then you can usually layer in some of the traditional allergens. (But leave the gluten out as much as you can.)

There is much more, and for those of you in the PEERtrainer Mastermind Program, you'll be sent this transcript in week six. This subject matter is a part of the "Stress Formula" that we talk about. There are many components to stress, and removing food allergens is a core part of it.

We thought that the 70% statistic would get attention. Now, this is from JJ's experience in her practice, but the point here is that you will likely benefit from reducing common food allergens.

What is interesting about her comments is that at PEERtrainer we have designed all our recipes, recipe guides and meal plans to leave out these allergens. For those of you who have The Magic Fridge or our Mastermind Quickstart Meal Plans- you'll find recipes that are 99% free of the common allergens!

 

We came across the following comment yesterday, and wanted to provide this person (and others at the same point) some ideas to help keep them going:

"Still so close to giving up. Making some changes but no weight loss. Anything that helps keep me going is appreciated."

With this particular person there could be many different and personal reasons they are not making the progress they want to be. However, over the years we have seen many people make some really amazing changes. And often, people cite many of the same things over and over again. We have listed 7 here, and there are many more.

Look over this list, and see how you are doing in each of the areas. We also have an exercise you can do at the end.

1. Have you increased your green vegetables to a pound a day and made soup a core part of your meal planning? Many successful PEERtrainer members cite this in the list of things that helped them personally. In fact, if you look at the Cheat System, you'll see that you can earn a "Cheat" if you consume over 8 ounces of greens in a day. Many people following the Cheat System are doing exactly this and more. And it is working really well for them.

If you need some ideas for getting more greens into your diet, we have published many at the PEERtrainer Recipe Blog.

2. Do you a firm grasp on portion control? Many people when they start to eat a better diet think they can eat pretty much anything they want. With low calorie vegetables, this is true. But other "healthy" foods can really pack on weight with hidden calories or fat. As you build your aerobic base, you will increase your ability to burn off a lot of these calories, but when you are just getting going, you are going to find that you really want to watch your calories and portions. This page shows you some portions of common foods. Daily journaling is a great way to keep track of your portions. You don't need to go nuts in tracking very morsel, but if you write down what are are doing each day, and develop this habit, you'll find that you start to think "I am going to have to log this" before you eat. Just another thing that works. And at PEERtrainer we have developed a very easy format for logging as little or as much as you want.

In fact, we just created a new team called "Successful PEERtrainer Habits" for those of you who want to log and who also really want to interact and support others. (Please only join this group if you are looking to really "dig in" and give and get support on a daily basis.

3. This one might be a little controversial, because there is research that points in different directions. But do you weigh in once a week or once a day? We have observed a weird phenomenon, in that some people say that the scale becomes their friend when they weight themselves more often. For some people with serious food issues, you might want to be careful. But we have observed that staying very aware of your reality can be very helpful. It might be scary at first, but it will become a game as you start to make progress.

4. Are you great all day and then start going off track at night? For those of you who have been around PEERtrainer for many years, you know we talk about this a lot. It is a real phenomenon, and makes a huge difference between success and failure. We even address this a little with the incentive structure of the Cheat System. If you eat 8 ounces or more of greens during the day you earn half a cheat. But if you eat them after 5pm you earn a full cheat. The reason we do this is because we want to encourage people to fill themselves up with healthy food at the exact time that many people commonly go off track.

5. How are you doing in the excuse department. Do you always seem to come up with an excuse to make a choice that will not help you to your goal?  Or have you stopped the excuses? Could it be that you have decided this is really not a priority?  There are people out there who have their hands full, and who say "I know I have a problem, and I am just not ready to deal with it. Be really honest with yourself, and think about this a bit. Highly successful PEERtrainer members really understand the power of the word "decide." In fact, we focus on this exact concept early on in the Point of No Return Program. 

6. Can you honestly say that you are in control of your decisions and are not influenced by others? Peer pressure is a huge deal for most people. In fact, creating positive peer pressure is at the root of PEERtrainer. Our big idea has been over the years to create a place where you get positive peer pressure that helps to balance out some of the less positive areas of your life. Highly successful PEERtrainer members learn to become very strong in this department. In fact, this can often be a "heroic" effort, and require a bit of a journey to get to this place. If you aren't here yet, don't worry, but do keep this in mind.

7. How much sugar are you eating or drinking?  Sugar is a beast, and highly successful PEERtrainer members gain the upper hand in their relationship with sugar over time. There is a lot of hidden sugar especially in foods that we think are "good for a diet." Your breakfast is an excellent place to look for hidden sugar that you can easily eliminate.

Another thing that has proven to be helpful in the battle with sugar is hypnosis. Successful PEERtrainer members very often mention a product we have recommended for YEARS now called "Enjoying Weight Loss." It is one of those things that is helpful, works. We continually get great feedback from those who use it. As we have developed our own programs over the years, we still find a very strong role for Enjoying Weight Loss in the mix.

This is not a complete list of course, but we hope you find some ideas here that will help you. They have certainly helped others!

Bonus Exercise:

For those of you who are "socially active" please share your responses to this article on this thread in our new community:

http://mastermind.peertrainer.com/forum/topics/what-good-habits-have-helped-you

What things here have you tried that have worked? What have you not tried?

Write a short paragraph and answer these questions. And please share them with others.

PS, you'll have to sign up to join this free community, but we do this so we can easily monitor people who are "less than helpful."

-Jackie

 

 

 

 

 

By Habib Wicks, PEERtrainer Co-Founder

Each week it seems we are shown new research that a) confuses people and b) seems to be designed to simply get attention. And it does get attention. Today we are subjected to the latest headline:

August 4th: Study: Healthy eating is privilege of the rich

The author of the study is assistant professor Pablo Monsivais at University Of Washington School of Public Health. Predictably the conclusion of his work, or at least the conclusion of the reporter who presented his work is this:

"The government should provide help for meeting the nutritional guidelines in an affordable way."

The problem with this conclusion is that highly nutritious food is already highly affordable. I emailed my good friend Jerry Deutsch, who runs the Nutritional Research Project- which supports research to "discover the true relationship between food and health."

I shared the link to the new study with him, and asked him for his thoughts. He shared with me a set of statistics, which I think will speak for themselves:

• The average price per serving across all produce was $0.28 for fruits and $0.21 for vegetables in the total U.S. for the year. 

• Nationally, the average retail price for nine servings of fruits and vegetables (four servings of fruits and five servings of vegetables) was $2.18. 

• Average retail prices for nine servings varied throughout the seasons, ranging from $2.08 in the fall of 2009 to $2.31 in the spring of 2010 for the total U.S. 

• Vegetables’ average retail price comprised 48% of the average retail price of the nine servings, and ranged from $0.20 to $0.23 per serving throughout the year. Fruits ranged from $0.27 to $0.29 per serving. 

• The East region showed the lowest average price for nine servings for the year, with $2.08, while the South was the highest at $2.30. 

Least Expensive Servings

• In the total U.S., watermelon, bananas, apples, pears, pineapple and peaches were options at less than the average of $0.28 per serving. 

• Nationally, potatoes, lettuce/salad, eggplant, prepared cooking greens, summer squash, carrots and tomatillos were less than the average ($0.21 per serving) for vegetables. 

Value Shopper/Store-Level Scenarios

• Opting for the least expensive choices available to a value shopper in a single store drops the average retail price of nine servings to $0.88, a discount of 60% from the national average of $2.18. 

• Over the four regions, value shoppers can save between 54% and 62% off their regions’ average price of nine servings of fruits and vegetables. 

• Six of the top 10 most common fruits appeared in store-level baskets in each quarter—apples, bananas, watermelon, oranges, pineapple and honeydew. 

• Nine of the top 10 most common vegetables appeared in store-level baskets in each quarter—lettuce/salad, potatoes, cabbage, carrots, summer squash, onions, eggplant, root vegetables and greens.

My Concluding Question:

Given these statistics do you think that our efforts to promote healthy eating should focus on price- or would our efforts be better spent focusing on teaching people the power of nutritionally powerful foods?

One thing I have seen over the years at PEERtrainer is that most people simply have no idea how powerful certain foods are for weight loss and overall health. When they do start to "get" this concept, their thinking changes on the spot because it is so easy to start to add these foods in.

Price often has nothing to do with it. This is why the work that Jerry is doing is so important. As the link between health and good food is proven, it will be promoted more. For those of us who have gotten this over the years this is common sense because we see and experience this first hand. But there are many many more, who when you explain this link, they will simply roll their eyes.

Related:

PEERtrainer Cheat System  (Helps You Start On The Path To A Healthier Diet)

PEERtrainer Mastermind Program (Keeps You On Track and Supported Each Week)

PEERtrainer Point of No Return (Master Your Mind, Get Over The "Big Hump")

 

 

 

I did a radio segment yesterday, (KGO in the Bay Area) and I was asked a very interesting question in the interview. We were discussing the latest (jaw dropping) obesity stats, and the host, Gil Gross, presented a theory that I thought was very interesting and worth some further discussion.

His theory was something that people think, but never say. Which is that a lot of people in the US have made the conscious decision that they would rather eat hamburgers and ice cream than live long. He thinks that people have looked old age "squarely in the eye" and made the decision that they don't want to live into their 80's or longer. 

In his view, most people are expecting a period of their life where there is going to be pain and suffering, and they are going to be a burden to others.

My response to this (and you can listen to the segment here) was basically, yes, for people who have not figured out the food formula, they really have given up, and decided on "the path of least resistance."

Key Point:

But for people who have figured out the food formula, they understand that you can live into your 90's AND be healthy and strong. Jack LaLanne came up in the conversation, and Gil responded by saying something to the effect of "but who wants to work out an hour a day?"

While it is true that Jack LaLanne was very physically fit and did work out, he was also a very early adopter of the nutrient dense diet. In fact he was an early fan and advocate of the work of Dr. Fuhrman. So yes, if your only perspective is the "conventional diet" one, you probably have a pretty grim view of your later years.

But when you make the shift to a higher nutrient way of eating, your life literally changes. In fact, we talked about this exact thing yesterday.

Gil's observation builds on this. Not only will your immediate life change, but your perception of how you will age and what the quality of your life will be as you age changes. For the better.

The big question we see at PEERtrainer is "ok, HOW do I do this?" Many people see something like the Cheat System or Eat To Live and can dive right in. Others need a ton of help, which is why we have developed our programs to help put these ideas into practice.

Conclusion: Please tell us what you think about Gil's comment. Do you see this in yourself or people around you? Has your perception of how you will age changed, if you are one of those people who has made "the shift?" Leave a comment here on this blog post, reply to the email that you were sent with this blog post or leave a comment on our facebook wall.

 

Related Resources:

PEERtrainer Point Of No Return (changes how you think permanently)

PEERtrainer Mastermind (lightweight program to keep you on track and keep the progress going)

 

Related Articles:

How To Change Anything

How To Live Without Apology

 

 

 

 

 

 

From the inbox this morning:

"Hi Jackie,

It's not an exaggeration when I say the day I stumbled upon Peertrainer was a day that changed my life. I've always struggled with my weight, always thought I was eating healthy (a thought that was encouraged by nutritionists I saw who encouraged the idea that pasta, chicken and dairy are "health" foods...), and could never understand why I kept gaining weight despite being relatively disciplined.

The daily tips fixed some major holes in my nutritional strategy - for example, the first tip I received from you is to focus on the one thing that trips me up. I knew that I was generally good at portion control (or so I thought), but whenever I cook a fresh pot of something, about twice a week, I keep nibbling on it for a while after I finish my meal. I decided to focus on that, and discovered that when I don't nibble, the pot suddenly produces around 8 meals instead of the usual 6 - I was actually "nibbling" two extra meals twice a week!

Next, the Cheat System provided me with a simple and easy strategy to lose weight. I didn't really have to give up anything, just limit whatever is on the right column to a 1000 calories per day, and more importantly increase the amount of vegetables and legumes in my diet. I cooked sweet potatoes and chickpeas, and bought a bunch of bags of peeled mini-carrots, and I was good to go. I lost 14 lbs in a little over 3 months. Not only that, but I felt healthier and more energized than I ever felt even when I was 18 (I'm 34 now). Even my eyesight, that was starting to deteriorate, all of the sudden became perfect again. Probably saved me a lot of money on getting prescription glasses..."

2 Reasons This Email Is Important

The email keeps going but we want to keep this post short and simply point out that this is a GREAT email because it outlines very clearly the power of getting out of "conventional diet food" mindset. We hammer away at this idea because it is so embedded in people's minds that they eat "diet foods." We have a controversial suggestion- if you are eating anything that is labeled low calorie or 100 calorie snack pack stuff- that is a strong indicator that you are going to struggle.

For whatever reason, people are resistant to making this shift, but when they do things change.

It also shows how the (free) PEERtrainer Cheat System helps to provide a simple way to eat a plant strong, nutrient dense diet.

We are also posting this to show people that if they follow the Cheat System, good things can happen.  

Additionally, it is a great example of the power of the free resources at PEERtrainer. Good advice and help is the best support you can get!

A Quick, One Question Survey!

There is always a gap between the things that people feel they should be doing, and the things they actually are doing.

If you could, take a quick second and think about some new ideas to help your health and weight. Which one of those are you actually doing?

This is a link to our survey account, if you wouldn't mind taking a few seconds to enter your response. Thank you!!

 

>>>What Is ONE Change You Have Recently Made?

5 Things You Must Know Before Doing Any Kind Of Cleanse

We hosted a live call with JJ Virgin, PhD, on September 15th where she shared with us her view on what the "real deal" is with cleanses and detoxing. In her view there is a lot of value to cleanses, but you have to know some things before jumping in to anything.

This is an area of particular expertise for her. For the last 15 years, her main job has been teaching doctors how to help their patients get better nutrition, health and lose weight. As you may know, doctors don't get much of this kind of training in medical school. 

In this (free) class you are going to learn:

• What JJ teaches the doctors she works with.
• Which cleanses to avoid and how to cut through the hype.
• How to use a cleanse to overcome "weight loss resistance."
• Learn WHY people should detox (hint: toxins play a role in almost every single major health condition.)
• What a proper cleanse or detox is and how to define it. (It is not just products you buy)
• How your body detoxifies- you will learn how it works.
• What you must cut out to really detoxify(and it’s probably what you are eating to be healthy everyday!) 
• What you must include in your diet in order to detoxify optimally (the specific foods and vegetables that do this!)
• A secret weapon for appetite and cravings control
• And what to never ever do during a cleanse

Just enter your email address and we will send you the call, a transcript of the call, and a copy of the PEERtrainer Cheat System which shows you what foods to avoid when on a cleanse.

5 Reasons To Consider Removing Gluten From Your Diet, By JJ Virgin, PhD

This is a link to a new article on the site about Gluten written by JJ Virgin, who has a PhD in nutrition:

Should You Remove Gluten From Your Diet?

We asked for this to be written in response to an email we had been sent arguing that there was no scientific basis to the assertion that gluten was something that could harm your health or hinder your weight loss efforts.

We had written a summary on this subject earlier this year, and it is great to have us continuing this discussion. In the summary we quoted another well known nutritionist, Dr. Alan Pressman who said this:

"Gluten is a protein, and it can be found in wheat, rye, and barley.  Many people are allergic to it, and millions of people are sensitive to it.  It can trigger all sorts of inflammatory responses in your intestinal track and entire body. It creates chronic inflammation throughout the body, and if you are sensitive or allergic to it can cause a 72 percent increased risk of death. That's pretty serious business."

This is an emerging area of scientific understanding, and we hope that by presenting these different views it will help you see if gluten is something that is effecting you personally.

Read JJ Virgin's take on Gluten here

How Food Sensitivities Impact Weight Loss

We just rolled out a new interview for the PEERtrainer Mastermind Program, in the form of a 20 page interview we recently did with JJ Virgin.

Because of the importance of the information she presented, we thought that it made sense to highlight a couple of the key points and share them with everyone in the PEERtrainer Community.

As you read these bullets you will see why we wanted to share them with you!

Food Sensitivities And How They Impact Weight Loss

• A food allergy is the person who if you open the peanuts on the plane, they go into anaphylactic shock. It's your mother‑in‑law eating lobster and getting hives. These are rare, and represent less than 1% of the population.
• Food sensitivities are not rare, from JJ's testing represents around 70% of the population. The worst part is that we usually think the symptoms are normal for us: gas, bloating, joint pain, fatigue, cravings, skin problems, can't lose weight.
• The problem is that they are hard to identify. Your energy might drop six hours later, you may break out the next day. It can be very hard to put this all together.
• There are many common food allergens. Gluten is not good for anybody because of how it damages the gut.
• When you reduce food allergens in the diet, it becomes easier to lose weight.
• Replacing the allergen causing foods is a big challenge. When you deal with this, it becomes much easier to follow an "elimination diet."
• According to JJ it is the combination of gluten, stress and toxins that are doing the most damage. What she does in her practice is help the gut heal, and then you can usually layer in some of the traditional allergens. (But leave the gluten out as much as you can.)

There is much more, and for those of you in the PEERtrainer Mastermind Program, you'll be sent this transcript in week six. This subject matter is a part of the "Stress Formula" that we talk about. There are many components to stress, and removing food allergens is a core part of it.

We thought that the 70% statistic would get attention. Now, this is from JJ's experience in her practice, but the point here is that you will likely benefit from reducing common food allergens.

What is interesting about her comments is that at PEERtrainer we have designed all our recipes, recipe guides and meal plans to leave out these allergens. For those of you who have The Magic Fridge or our Mastermind Quickstart Meal Plans- you'll find recipes that are 99% free of the common allergens!

 

The 7 Habits Of Highly Successful PEERtrainer Members

We came across the following comment yesterday, and wanted to provide this person (and others at the same point) some ideas to help keep them going:

"Still so close to giving up. Making some changes but no weight loss. Anything that helps keep me going is appreciated."

With this particular person there could be many different and personal reasons they are not making the progress they want to be. However, over the years we have seen many people make some really amazing changes. And often, people cite many of the same things over and over again. We have listed 7 here, and there are many more.

Look over this list, and see how you are doing in each of the areas. We also have an exercise you can do at the end.

1. Have you increased your green vegetables to a pound a day and made soup a core part of your meal planning? Many successful PEERtrainer members cite this in the list of things that helped them personally. In fact, if you look at the Cheat System, you'll see that you can earn a "Cheat" if you consume over 8 ounces of greens in a day. Many people following the Cheat System are doing exactly this and more. And it is working really well for them.

If you need some ideas for getting more greens into your diet, we have published many at the PEERtrainer Recipe Blog.

2. Do you a firm grasp on portion control? Many people when they start to eat a better diet think they can eat pretty much anything they want. With low calorie vegetables, this is true. But other "healthy" foods can really pack on weight with hidden calories or fat. As you build your aerobic base, you will increase your ability to burn off a lot of these calories, but when you are just getting going, you are going to find that you really want to watch your calories and portions. This page shows you some portions of common foods. Daily journaling is a great way to keep track of your portions. You don't need to go nuts in tracking very morsel, but if you write down what are are doing each day, and develop this habit, you'll find that you start to think "I am going to have to log this" before you eat. Just another thing that works. And at PEERtrainer we have developed a very easy format for logging as little or as much as you want.

In fact, we just created a new team called "Successful PEERtrainer Habits" for those of you who want to log and who also really want to interact and support others. (Please only join this group if you are looking to really "dig in" and give and get support on a daily basis.

3. This one might be a little controversial, because there is research that points in different directions. But do you weigh in once a week or once a day? We have observed a weird phenomenon, in that some people say that the scale becomes their friend when they weight themselves more often. For some people with serious food issues, you might want to be careful. But we have observed that staying very aware of your reality can be very helpful. It might be scary at first, but it will become a game as you start to make progress.

4. Are you great all day and then start going off track at night? For those of you who have been around PEERtrainer for many years, you know we talk about this a lot. It is a real phenomenon, and makes a huge difference between success and failure. We even address this a little with the incentive structure of the Cheat System. If you eat 8 ounces or more of greens during the day you earn half a cheat. But if you eat them after 5pm you earn a full cheat. The reason we do this is because we want to encourage people to fill themselves up with healthy food at the exact time that many people commonly go off track.

5. How are you doing in the excuse department. Do you always seem to come up with an excuse to make a choice that will not help you to your goal?  Or have you stopped the excuses? Could it be that you have decided this is really not a priority?  There are people out there who have their hands full, and who say "I know I have a problem, and I am just not ready to deal with it. Be really honest with yourself, and think about this a bit. Highly successful PEERtrainer members really understand the power of the word "decide." In fact, we focus on this exact concept early on in the Point of No Return Program. 

6. Can you honestly say that you are in control of your decisions and are not influenced by others? Peer pressure is a huge deal for most people. In fact, creating positive peer pressure is at the root of PEERtrainer. Our big idea has been over the years to create a place where you get positive peer pressure that helps to balance out some of the less positive areas of your life. Highly successful PEERtrainer members learn to become very strong in this department. In fact, this can often be a "heroic" effort, and require a bit of a journey to get to this place. If you aren't here yet, don't worry, but do keep this in mind.

7. How much sugar are you eating or drinking?  Sugar is a beast, and highly successful PEERtrainer members gain the upper hand in their relationship with sugar over time. There is a lot of hidden sugar especially in foods that we think are "good for a diet." Your breakfast is an excellent place to look for hidden sugar that you can easily eliminate.

Another thing that has proven to be helpful in the battle with sugar is hypnosis. Successful PEERtrainer members very often mention a product we have recommended for YEARS now called "Enjoying Weight Loss." It is one of those things that is helpful, works. We continually get great feedback from those who use it. As we have developed our own programs over the years, we still find a very strong role for Enjoying Weight Loss in the mix.

This is not a complete list of course, but we hope you find some ideas here that will help you. They have certainly helped others!

Bonus Exercise:

For those of you who are "socially active" please share your responses to this article on this thread in our new community:

http://mastermind.peertrainer.com/forum/topics/what-good-habits-have-helped-you

What things here have you tried that have worked? What have you not tried?

Write a short paragraph and answer these questions. And please share them with others.

PS, you'll have to sign up to join this free community, but we do this so we can easily monitor people who are "less than helpful."

-Jackie

 

 

 

 

 

Why Anyone Can Afford To Eat Healthy (And The Numbers To Prove This)

By Habib Wicks, PEERtrainer Co-Founder

Each week it seems we are shown new research that a) confuses people and b) seems to be designed to simply get attention. And it does get attention. Today we are subjected to the latest headline:

August 4th: Study: Healthy eating is privilege of the rich

The author of the study is assistant professor Pablo Monsivais at University Of Washington School of Public Health. Predictably the conclusion of his work, or at least the conclusion of the reporter who presented his work is this:

"The government should provide help for meeting the nutritional guidelines in an affordable way."

The problem with this conclusion is that highly nutritious food is already highly affordable. I emailed my good friend Jerry Deutsch, who runs the Nutritional Research Project- which supports research to "discover the true relationship between food and health."

I shared the link to the new study with him, and asked him for his thoughts. He shared with me a set of statistics, which I think will speak for themselves:

• The average price per serving across all produce was $0.28 for fruits and $0.21 for vegetables in the total U.S. for the year. 

• Nationally, the average retail price for nine servings of fruits and vegetables (four servings of fruits and five servings of vegetables) was $2.18. 

• Average retail prices for nine servings varied throughout the seasons, ranging from $2.08 in the fall of 2009 to $2.31 in the spring of 2010 for the total U.S. 

• Vegetables’ average retail price comprised 48% of the average retail price of the nine servings, and ranged from $0.20 to $0.23 per serving throughout the year. Fruits ranged from $0.27 to $0.29 per serving. 

• The East region showed the lowest average price for nine servings for the year, with $2.08, while the South was the highest at $2.30. 

Least Expensive Servings

• In the total U.S., watermelon, bananas, apples, pears, pineapple and peaches were options at less than the average of $0.28 per serving. 

• Nationally, potatoes, lettuce/salad, eggplant, prepared cooking greens, summer squash, carrots and tomatillos were less than the average ($0.21 per serving) for vegetables. 

Value Shopper/Store-Level Scenarios

• Opting for the least expensive choices available to a value shopper in a single store drops the average retail price of nine servings to $0.88, a discount of 60% from the national average of $2.18. 

• Over the four regions, value shoppers can save between 54% and 62% off their regions’ average price of nine servings of fruits and vegetables. 

• Six of the top 10 most common fruits appeared in store-level baskets in each quarter—apples, bananas, watermelon, oranges, pineapple and honeydew. 

• Nine of the top 10 most common vegetables appeared in store-level baskets in each quarter—lettuce/salad, potatoes, cabbage, carrots, summer squash, onions, eggplant, root vegetables and greens.

My Concluding Question:

Given these statistics do you think that our efforts to promote healthy eating should focus on price- or would our efforts be better spent focusing on teaching people the power of nutritionally powerful foods?

One thing I have seen over the years at PEERtrainer is that most people simply have no idea how powerful certain foods are for weight loss and overall health. When they do start to "get" this concept, their thinking changes on the spot because it is so easy to start to add these foods in.

Price often has nothing to do with it. This is why the work that Jerry is doing is so important. As the link between health and good food is proven, it will be promoted more. For those of us who have gotten this over the years this is common sense because we see and experience this first hand. But there are many many more, who when you explain this link, they will simply roll their eyes.

Related:

PEERtrainer Cheat System  (Helps You Start On The Path To A Healthier Diet)

PEERtrainer Mastermind Program (Keeps You On Track and Supported Each Week)

PEERtrainer Point of No Return (Master Your Mind, Get Over The "Big Hump")

 

 

 

Have You Decided That You Don't Want To Live Past Your 70's?

I did a radio segment yesterday, (KGO in the Bay Area) and I was asked a very interesting question in the interview. We were discussing the latest (jaw dropping) obesity stats, and the host, Gil Gross, presented a theory that I thought was very interesting and worth some further discussion.

His theory was something that people think, but never say. Which is that a lot of people in the US have made the conscious decision that they would rather eat hamburgers and ice cream than live long. He thinks that people have looked old age "squarely in the eye" and made the decision that they don't want to live into their 80's or longer. 

In his view, most people are expecting a period of their life where there is going to be pain and suffering, and they are going to be a burden to others.

My response to this (and you can listen to the segment here) was basically, yes, for people who have not figured out the food formula, they really have given up, and decided on "the path of least resistance."

Key Point:

But for people who have figured out the food formula, they understand that you can live into your 90's AND be healthy and strong. Jack LaLanne came up in the conversation, and Gil responded by saying something to the effect of "but who wants to work out an hour a day?"

While it is true that Jack LaLanne was very physically fit and did work out, he was also a very early adopter of the nutrient dense diet. In fact he was an early fan and advocate of the work of Dr. Fuhrman. So yes, if your only perspective is the "conventional diet" one, you probably have a pretty grim view of your later years.

But when you make the shift to a higher nutrient way of eating, your life literally changes. In fact, we talked about this exact thing yesterday.

Gil's observation builds on this. Not only will your immediate life change, but your perception of how you will age and what the quality of your life will be as you age changes. For the better.

The big question we see at PEERtrainer is "ok, HOW do I do this?" Many people see something like the Cheat System or Eat To Live and can dive right in. Others need a ton of help, which is why we have developed our programs to help put these ideas into practice.

Conclusion: Please tell us what you think about Gil's comment. Do you see this in yourself or people around you? Has your perception of how you will age changed, if you are one of those people who has made "the shift?" Leave a comment here on this blog post, reply to the email that you were sent with this blog post or leave a comment on our facebook wall.

 

Related Resources:

PEERtrainer Point Of No Return (changes how you think permanently)

PEERtrainer Mastermind (lightweight program to keep you on track and keep the progress going)

 

Related Articles:

How To Change Anything

How To Live Without Apology

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Man Who Lost 14 Pounds in 3 Months Using The PEERtrainer Cheat System

From the inbox this morning:

"Hi Jackie,

It's not an exaggeration when I say the day I stumbled upon Peertrainer was a day that changed my life. I've always struggled with my weight, always thought I was eating healthy (a thought that was encouraged by nutritionists I saw who encouraged the idea that pasta, chicken and dairy are "health" foods...), and could never understand why I kept gaining weight despite being relatively disciplined.

The daily tips fixed some major holes in my nutritional strategy - for example, the first tip I received from you is to focus on the one thing that trips me up. I knew that I was generally good at portion control (or so I thought), but whenever I cook a fresh pot of something, about twice a week, I keep nibbling on it for a while after I finish my meal. I decided to focus on that, and discovered that when I don't nibble, the pot suddenly produces around 8 meals instead of the usual 6 - I was actually "nibbling" two extra meals twice a week!

Next, the Cheat System provided me with a simple and easy strategy to lose weight. I didn't really have to give up anything, just limit whatever is on the right column to a 1000 calories per day, and more importantly increase the amount of vegetables and legumes in my diet. I cooked sweet potatoes and chickpeas, and bought a bunch of bags of peeled mini-carrots, and I was good to go. I lost 14 lbs in a little over 3 months. Not only that, but I felt healthier and more energized than I ever felt even when I was 18 (I'm 34 now). Even my eyesight, that was starting to deteriorate, all of the sudden became perfect again. Probably saved me a lot of money on getting prescription glasses..."

2 Reasons This Email Is Important

The email keeps going but we want to keep this post short and simply point out that this is a GREAT email because it outlines very clearly the power of getting out of "conventional diet food" mindset. We hammer away at this idea because it is so embedded in people's minds that they eat "diet foods." We have a controversial suggestion- if you are eating anything that is labeled low calorie or 100 calorie snack pack stuff- that is a strong indicator that you are going to struggle.

For whatever reason, people are resistant to making this shift, but when they do things change.

It also shows how the (free) PEERtrainer Cheat System helps to provide a simple way to eat a plant strong, nutrient dense diet.

We are also posting this to show people that if they follow the Cheat System, good things can happen.  

Additionally, it is a great example of the power of the free resources at PEERtrainer. Good advice and help is the best support you can get!