These little bumps in the road are inevitable.  It’s how we handle them and use our motivating factors that separates those of us that succeed from those that give up.  Motivation levels will also change each day depending upon how you feel or how you experience certain situations.  Weight loss motivation can sometimes be particularly challenging because although you may understand that weight loss, to be permanent, is a slow process, in this fast paced world we all want that ideal size NOW.  Since the number one new year’s resolution has a fitness or weight loss connotation, we will focus our attention on that today.

There is actually a reason why most people start a new diet or exercise plan with very high motivation, but have difficulty maintaining it once they reach a plateau.  Not one person has ever become successful without first falling short at some level.  You may even consider this failing.  It’s time to learn how to fail forward.  In other words, when you fall short of a goal or even fail, learn the lesson life threw at you, get back up, and move forward.  It’s when you learn from your shortcomings that you win!

Once your goals are set, sit down and figure out exactly WHY you have these goals.  What is your driving force?  This is your motivation.  I have patients that will tell me they need to lose weight for their children.  They want to be healthy for their kids, setting a good example.  There are actually many different types of motivation for weight loss.  Discovering your type will allow you added success. Maybe you are motivated by plotting graphs and keeping track of weight loss by comparing the results to previous numbers.  Use weight and measurements of arms, legs and core as well as measurements of your exercise and strength training to meet this type of goal oriented motivation.  Others are more motivated by relationships.  You may find that programs that incorporate meetings and group motivational times will suit your needs better.  If learning oriented motivation is more your style you may find that your motivation increases after you’ve done your research in understanding what weight loss can do for your life and body at a cellular level.  Whatever your motivation, the point is to find it and USE it!

The strength of your weight loss motivation will help to determine how successful you are in your weight loss efforts (or any other goal for that matter).  If you can first determine what really motivates you, your success rate goes up exponentially.  You also need to state for yourself what your life will be like if you DO NOT reach these goals.  Every time the road gets difficult, refocus on these motivating factors.  Concentrating on what life is like with your goals met, and what it is like without them met.  Remembering this, go easy on yourself and start fresh the next day.

I must say that another aspect of weight loss motivation is to learn to accept yourself for who you are.  The most common reason people lose interest and abandon their weight loss is because they have unrealistic expectations of how much weight they will lose and how quickly they can lose it.  Learn to love the person you are today and not the person you want to become.  You may need to improve your health and your eating habits but your character isn’t defined by how much you weigh or what you eat.  When you learn to appreciate your body you can work WITH it and not against it.  To lose weight consistently, over time, the right way and keeping it off permanently is definitely doable by following your motivation and loving who you are at the same time.

What we have done to our grains now is mass produce, chemically treat, and incorrectly harvest.  And all of this without giving back to the soil what it needs to continue to create proper nutrient filled foods.  Once harvested, most of the grains are then stripped of any vital nutrients they have left, bleached so they are pleasant to our eye, and then sprayed with a chemical coating of synthetic vitamins.  Putting this in your body is not a happy picture for your cells working so desparately hard to keep a living working environment clean and healthy.  What it creates instead is a body that has to work extra hard to break down this ‘food’ and try to use the deficient parts and pieces to sustain life.  Here we can begin to distinguish the difference between merely surviving and THRIVING.

The grains we need to be most suspicious of are wheat and corn (yes corn is a grain, not a vegetable!).  You will find these in everything from bread to sauces.  In a perfect world, your diet would consist of proteins, fruits and veggies, and good fats.  No grains at all.  But I realize this is not a perfect world, so if you use a few of the better grains instead of wheat and corn, your world in my opinion could be pretty close to perfect!  Listed here are some new, healthier grains to try.

Amaranth:  grown throughout Aisa and Africa, this grain is packed with nutrients and protein.

Buckwheat:  with it’s high antioxidants, this grain is helpful in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Bulgur Wheat:  a Mediterranean delight used in tabbouleh and high in fiber.  Because it is close in structure to regular wheat, make sure you soak it overnight before using it.

Quinoa: (pronounced keen-wa) this highly digestible grain was a necessity for the Incas due to it’s high concentration of protein.

Spelt:  ’the good wheat’.  Packed with B vitamins and good fiber, but again close in molecular structure to wheat, so consume in moderation.

Teff:  full of iron and a little sweet tasting, this makes great wraps and porridge.

If you are steering clear of grains entirely but would still like the occasional grain-like variety here and there, I would encourage you to try using coconut flour.  This obviously comes from a coconut (not a grain at all), is FULL of nutrients, and is easily digested.

Try this amazing pancake recipe (courtesy of one of our favorite patients):

4 tbsp coconut flour

4 eggs

4 tbsp coconut oil or real butter

4 tbsp coconut milk

1 tsp aluminum free baking powder

a little sprinkle of sea salt

Blend it all up, heat as pancakes on a griddle, and enjoy!  Opt for pureed berries for topping.

Category three – (the majority of us fall here): Concerned and wanting to help, but unsure of how and or where to start.

Recently I decided that it was time for my family to dedicate a little more time and effort into doing our part for this earth. I personally wanted to find practical ways to help that were easy and quick to implement. Throughout my research I discovered what I think are wonderful ways for the average family to help out without completely reorganizing their lifestyle.

1. Shave one minute off your hot shower. By doing this, you can actually keep 170 pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere. Not to mention the water it saves.

2. Match up your pan size to your burner size. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, cooking with a 6-inch pan on an 8-inch burner wastes 40 percent of the heat. (Also, make sure you are using stainless steel or glass to minimize toxins in your food).

3. Dry your razor after shaving. Just a quick pat dry after each use will double the lifespan of your blade and save space at the landfill. Did you know Americans throw away 2 billion disposable razors each year?

4. Switch to voice mail. Answering machines use up tons of stand-by energy (electricity consumed by an appliance even when it is not in use). If you can’t switch over yet, unplug it when you’re home. If all Americans converted, we would save more than 2 billion kilowatt hours of energy. About the same as taking 250,000 cars off the road for an entire year!

5. Wash with powder detergents instead of liquid, and wash in cold water. Not only do powder detergents usually come in biodegradable cardboard boxes, they also use up much less water (liquid detergents contain up to 80 percent water). Using cold water wash will reduce your machine’s energy usage by 90 percent. Also, don’t forget to clean the lint out of the dryer after each use. You will improve your dryer’s energy efficiency by 30 percent and save around $40 each year on utilities.

6. Get rid of the disposable lighters. Most of them contain petroleum-based fuels (which are toxic to your cells in the first place) and are made of plastic that does not bio-degrade. Choose matches.

7. Keep the appropriate amount of air in your tires. Even brand new tires lose air over time. This causes the engine to have to work much harder, which in turn causes your car to give off more greenhouse gases. Maintaining the proper pressure can improve your vehicle’s gas mileage by more than 3 percent and can extend the life of your tires by 15 percent. Also, gradually accelerating and braking pays off as well. Careful drivers use 35 percent less gas than more aggressive drivers.

8. Skip the receipt at the ATM and gas pump. If every American did this, we would save enough paper to circle the earth 15 times every year.

9. Let your food cool before putting it in the refrigerator or freezer. Putting hot or moisture-rich foods in makes it harder for your fridge or freezer to maintain cold temperatures. Make sure you cover your foods with a lid or a plate instead of foil or plastic wrap to minimize waste and eliminate the addition of toxic chemicals into your food.

If everyone committed to doing even one or two of these simple tips, our world would be saved quickly and easily. But that’s just it – it takes everyone to do their part. Even though it may seem like no big deal when you are doing it, with time and consistency, it truly adds up.

Now that we are in the midst of the holidays, sugar temptations seem to be lurking around every corner. So for all you bakers out there, here’s your chance to shine! Eliminate the guilt of feeding your loved ones the big “S.” Try one of my favorite delicious dessert recipes without damaging refined sugar, and without neurotoxic artificial sweeteners.

Pie Crust
1/3 cup barley flour
1/3 cup rice flour
1/3 cup quinoa flour
½ cup melted butter

In a medium bowl, combine flours. Using a fork, stir in the butter to form a dough (if dough is too dry, add a few drops of water at a time). Form dough into a ball and place between two pieces of wax paper. Roll out the dough into a 10-inch circle. Press flattened dough into a 9-inch pie pan and crimp or flute edges. Prick bottom with a fork, and bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes, or until light brown. Add your favorite “no-bake” filling, or add filling to the uncooked crust and bake according to individual recipe instructions (such as the pumpkin below).

Pumpkin Pie
2 pounds fresh or canned pumpkin, puréed
4 beaten eggs
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
½ tsp. ground cloves
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. stevia (optional)

Thoroughly mix ingredients in a bowl. Pour into uncooked pie crust and cook at 450 degrees for 20 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Spicy Carob Brownies
½ cup quinoa flour
½ cup rice flour
½ cup powdered carob
2 tsp. powdered ginger
1 rounded tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. non-aluminum baking powder
1 cup well-cooked (baked or steamed) sweet potatoes
2 Tbs. safflower oil
2 eggs

Combine flours, carob, ginger, cinnamon and baking powder in a bowl and set aside. Beat together sweet potatoes, oil and eggs until well-blended. Add dry ingredients, ½ cup at a time, to form a smooth batter. Pour into 7×11-inch greased and floured baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool and serve.

Hot Carob “Cocoa” (The Wendler’s recipe)
1 quart rice or almond milk
4 Tbs. carob powder
½ tsp. stevia extract (to taste)
pinch of sea salt, to taste
1 tsp. vanilla

Blend ingredients, pour into a pan and heat (don’t boil).

Carob Chip Cookies
½ cup butter
½ cup raw cashew butter
¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
1 egg
½ tsp. stevia extract
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup oat, spelt or sorghum flour
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. sea salt
½ cup carob chips (or 75% cocoa or higher dark chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Olive oil a baking sheet. Soften butter. Cream butter and cashew butter together. Blend in applesauce. Beat in egg. Mix in stevia and vanilla. Stir flour, baking soda and salt together, and then mix into the liquid ingredients. Add carob chips and stir. (Batter should be fairly stiff, add 1-2 tablespoons. flour if needed.) Drop batter onto cookie sheet and press down on the cookies once with your palm. Bake 12-15 minutes.

Coconut Sweet-Potato Pudding
4 cups well-cooked (baked or steamed) sweet potatoes
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup shredded fresh coconut
1 Tbs. vanilla
Mix ingredients in a blender until thoroughly puréed. Pour into individual parfait glasses (or into the cooked pie crust above), and refrigerate until ready to serve. Add ½ cup powdered carob for a chocolate taste. Enjoy and be well!