Weight Loss and Wellness 101

VIM Today PRODUCTS, WEIGHT LOSS AND WELLNESS 101
by Lynette Novelli

The year began, and we all started out with good intentions for weight loss and trying to get healthy.  If you may have slipped, it’s not too late to get back on track! Any time is the perfect time to spring into RENEWAL and it doesn’t take long to start to feel amazing with simple steps to WELLNESS.

It can be challenging to get those new intentions to turn into real results, but it doesn’t have to be frustrating. Here are some tips on how to use VIM Today products, along with good nutrition, to safely lose weight while strengthening the immune system to create true wellness and not just quick weight loss.  Being thin does not always equate to being healthy and starting a healthy lifestyle for long term wellness can start any day of the year!

At VIM Today, we do not support quick fixes or diets.  We support Healthy Lifestyles.  Clean food with clean supplementation results in weight loss, increased energy and disease prevention. Safe, consistent, life style change is the key to avoiding the yo yo dieting drama.

My first, and best advice for Weight Loss and Wellness is preparation. Pick a day that you can prepare for the week.  Wash veggies, precook proteins, portion meals and container them. Period. Being prepared breeds success. The more prepared you are, the less likely you will stray.

A typical healthy day goes something like this:
FIRST AM MEAL AND SUPPLEMENTS
                D-3 Liquid under the tongue (The latest research suggests 35 IU's per pound of body weight).  Our new D-3 Liquid Sunshine is 1,000 IU’s per drop. One thing is for sure, there are so many benefits physically and mentally, that it is an important addition to every ones day, especially during and after the winter.

                1 OHH-mega capsule (a daily intake of Omega 3 is essential for the body and brain)
                A Basic VIM SUPER FOOD Breakfast SMOOTHIE Recipe
                                ½-1 frozen Banana
 (you can use any frozen fruit of your choice, I like Blueberries with ½ a frozen banana)
                                Liquid of choice (water, rice, almond, coconut milk are some choices)
I like a thick frozen smoothie, but add liquid to your preference. I also use water to keep calorie count down, but, plant milks make it more creamy.
                                1-2 Scoops VIM SUPER FOOD ( You may be satisfied with one or 2 scoops, everyone is different, experiment with what works for you, it depends on your protein need or activity level)

In the beginning, you may have to make the transition from the tummy full feeling that people sometimes use as a signal to stop eating.  This is a learned behavior.  The true signal for satiation is no hunger.  When you receive the proper and complete nutrition profile, your body responds with lack of hunger and alert energy.  This will happen the more VIM SUPER FOOD you get in.  If, in the beginning, you are still feeling hungry, then include 1 or all of the following additions to your morning smoothie.

                                1 Tablespoon of Raw Organic Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
                                1 Tablespoon Raw Organic Almond Butter
                                1 cut up raw organic apple
                                1-2 Tablespoons of RAW organic ground Flax meal
                                1 -2 Cups of baby spinach or other dark leafy green
                                 You can add seeds (hemp, sunflower, pumkin) the options are endless!

The healthy fat, increased fiber and additional protein will give you a longer sustained satiation as well as other healthy benefits, until your body adjusts to the change and feeling a full belly is longer the goal. High energy, clear thinking and alertness will become normal.

Of course, the smoothie can be adjusted to suit your taste.  Experiment!  There are endless possibilities.  We also have recipes on the VIM Today web site at vimtoday.com.

BETWEEN BREAKFAST and MID MORNING ON EMPTY STOMACH

If you need a little energy between meals and assistance with curbing your appetite and cravings, try our VA-VOOM.  Scientific studies conducted by Health-Canada and International researchers on safe, effective weight management supplementation were used to design this synergistic blend of proven ingredients.

HEALTHY MID MORNING SNACK
If you have implemented an exercise routine, having a healthy snack about 2 hours later is recommended. It will assist in keeping cravings away and keep the blood sugar stable while supplying the necessary protein requirements to build muscle and maintain focus. 

Having a healthy small snack will decrease the cravings for sugar and keep you alert.  Some easy, suggestions include:

15-20 Raw Almonds and an apple (easy travel food)
1-2 Tablespoon of Almond or Peanut Butter on Celery or an apple
1-2 Tablespoons Hummus and Cucumbers

Notice that these snacks have a healthy smaller portion of protein and a hydrating carbohydrate.  Yes, veggies have carbohydrates too, but they are low in sugar and have fiber.  Even more important, are the phytonutrients that are in them.  Phytonutrients are the rock stars of nutrition and they should be eaten in abundance!  So, if you need more cucumbers?  Go for it?  Celery?  Munch away!  Apple? Sure, there is some sugar, but the age old saying, “an apple a day, keeps the doctor away” is absolutely in line with the VIM Today philosophy. Make it an absolute addition EVERY DAY! Even better with 1 Tablespoon of Raw Almond Butter!  For an extra treat add some fresh dates.  It tastes like a healthy version of a taffy apple!

One more thing about PHYTONUTRIENTS.  This is the cornerstone of VIM SUPER FOOD.  The green in plants are made by the sun.  These amazing green nutrients are the minerals our bodies are so deficient in.  Get as much VIM SUPER FOOD in the body as possible.  You will feel your energy increase, your mind more alert and your sugar cravings decrease.  The more you consume, the more your body will crave it. 

LUNCH
A lean protein (options: beans, hummus, chicken, ground turkey, cod, tuna, salmon, sardines) 4-6 ounces (portion is approximately the size of your palm)

Healthy Carb (only if you feel you need it and in small portions, 2-4 ounces (options: sweet potato, brown rice, quinoa)

Healthy carbs with low sugar (options: spinach, tomato, cucumber, onion, green beans, fennel, kale, celery) This can be a salad, a wrap on a sprouted grain tortilla, or a bowl meal.

The options are many, but, try and keep it simple in the beginning.  Add herbs and spices.  Use only 1 Tablespoon of Oil (olive, coconut, ghee) for cooking or on a salad.  Use 1 Tablespoon of vinegar (apple cider, balsamic, lemon) for a salad dressing or marinade.  Use only Sea Salt (no bleached white salt EVER!) sparingly, and no salt for the first 1-2 weeks in any program. Then, when your routine is working, you can jazz it up a bit!

MID AFTERNOON SNACK
When that 3pm slump hits, skip the coffee and sugar.  Just follow the mid morning snack suggestions and pick a different one than you had in the morning.  Variety is important. I enjoy another VIM smoothie in the afternoon.  It really makes me feel alert and satisfied.  Sometimes I have a light smoothie blended with ½ a frozen banana and water already mixed and ready to drink at this time.  It keeps the calories and sugar down and I don’t have to worry about taking the time to chew a snack.  I have never had a problem drinking a VIM SUPER FOOD SHAKE in a travel mug at a meeting when I was hungry.  I certainly could not pull out an apple or some hummus and cucumbers at a meeting, so this keeps me on track for success and everyone else thinks I’m just drinking coffee! 

If needed, now would be the time to consume VA-VOOM!

Again, be prepared, and have your snacks or meals with you when you leave the house.  In my experience, when I am prepared, it leaves so much free time throughout my day.  I no longer have to figure out what I am going to go get for lunch, drive time, ordering time, the extra expense, the fatigue after a restaurant meal, the bloating from excess sodium. The benefits far outweigh the temporary taste on my tongue.

DINNER
Follow the same guidelines for lunch.  I suggest a salad with every evening meal with a healthy protein.  In the beginning, if you feel you need the small portion of the carbohydrate options then go ahead.  This is a healthy lifestyle.  Not a punishment or a diet.  Once you feel how great you feel eating clean, you will be amazed how terrible you feel when you eat the foods you used to eat.

Red Meat:  Try to limit red meat to 1-2 times a week. 

Animal Protein:  If you eat animal protein, we recommend Grass Fed/Organic whenever possible.  Clean, cared for, animal protein is a good alternative protein to commercial meats that are full of toxins with hormones, antibiotics, chemicals, corn and soy.  We are what we eat, so it makes sense that eating clean protein creates healthy cells.  Remember, clean food creates clean bodies.

If you feel that you want to have a “treat” meal once a week.  That’s OK.  Just get right back on track the next day.  Soon enough, your body will tell you that you don’t feel good when you eat that type of food. Listen to the language of the human body.  Feeling terrible after a meal is a good sign you shouldn’t be eating it.  When you feel vibrant and happy, know that what you are doing is working!  If you put sand in the gas tank of your car, it would sputter, and die.  The same goes for you.  Fill it with what it needs.  The results will amaze you.

Evening Snack

1-2 Tablespoons of Almond butter on an apple should satisfy your sweet tooth and supply the necessary protein

Try any of the mid-morning snacks suggested above

Keep the sugar low.  Sugar is extremely addictive and dangerous to the human body.  If you eat fruit, choose Organic, NON-Genetically Modified and Heirloom whenever possible.  The conventional fruit available today has been altered to have an extremely high sugar content. It is genetically modified and serves little nutritional value along with the long term dangers of being a Genetically Modified Organism.  The original way Nature gave us our fruits and vegetables is what the human body was designed to consume.  Educate yourself on GMO’s and the dangers associated with them. There is plenty of information and studies available for you to read.

Better yet, grow a Heirloom fruit tree or berry bushes and eat to your hearts content! 

Follow this plan and before you know it, you will SPRING into energy, weight loss and vitality!
 
The content of this article is provided is intended for informational use only.  It is always wise to see your Doctor or health advisor before starting any new nutrition program.