London Shulman Weightloss Cleanse- Feb 13-17th

1. Upon waking, drink 1 cup of hot water with fresh squeezed lemon (1⁄2 prior to eating)

2. No dairy is permitted aside from 1⁄2 cup of plain yogurt once per day (i.e. breakfast)

3. 1⁄2 cup serving of a non gluten grain such as brown rice or quinoa , permitted at breakfast or lunch

4. 1 fruit per day is allowed (ideal fruits are apples, blueberries or Clementine oranges)

5. Vegetables are free aside from all potatoes, corn or squash which are not permitted

6. Eliminate all red meat 7. Protein should be consumed at each meal (tuna, salmon, tofu, chicken, turkey, tilapia, sole). If you are a vegetarian, lentils, black beans, chick peas, etc. 8. Coffee or alcohol is not permitted (please note: Green tea and herbal teas can be
consumed)

9. 8 glasses of water per day – add chlorophyll to water 2x per day (mint flavored chlorophyll is available if desired)

Tips:
*** If you should become constipated – please add 1⁄2 cup of a high fiber, low sugar cereal to your breakfast
*** Do not exceed 15 nuts per day

Supplements:
1) Ground flaxseeds – Add 1 heaping tablespoon of ground flaxseed to breakfast meal
2) Acidophilus – Purchase acidophilus with >3 billion organisms per capsule. Supplement with 4 capsules per day
3) Chlorophyll – Available at health food stores – add 1 teaspoon to water 2x daily
Sample:

Breakfast:

• 1⁄2 cup of plain yogurt • 1⁄2 cup of blueberries • 10-12 walnuts • 1 tbsp. of ground flaxseeds
• 2eggs • 1 apple
• 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder • 1 cup of water + crushed ice • 1⁄2 cup of mixed berries • 1 tsp of flaxseed oil
Lunch and dinner – have your grain with lunch
• Salad with at least 3 ounces of protein , 1⁄2 cup of gluten free grain • Vegetable or chicken soup broth with at least 3 ounces of protein • Steamed vegetables with at least 3 ounces of protein
Snacks (maximum 2 snacks per day):
• 1 cup of chicken or vegetable broth or, • 1 hard boiled egg or, • Sliced red pepper, cucumber or baby carrots or, • 1 apple • 10 walnuts or almonds
Recommended grocery items
• Omega 3 eggs (hard boiled and kept in fridge) • Tetley cinnamon tea for cravings • Raw almonds, walnuts, pistachios • Green or red apples
• Red peppers • Cucumbers • Baby carrots • Lemon
• Imagine soup broth (vegetable or chicken – drink as much or as often as you like)
• Plain Low Fat Greek Yogurt – such as Liberte or Okinos
NO!
• Mayonnaise • White sugar (i.e. added to tea) • Bread, pasta, potatoes • Red meat • Coffee • Wine • Beer • Hard alcohol • Dates • Raisins • Cheese (including cottage cheese, cream cheese or hard cheeses)

Honestly, who ever really wants to diet anyway? Dieting brings up thoughts of hunger, restriction and struggle. It reminds some of us of past attempts that didn’t go so well. The diet industry has left so many of us feeling confused and beat up, yet still holding onto extra weight. We are left wondering: Does losing weight really have to be that much of a struggle?

At the same time, the desire to look and feel our best is natural, and making healthy choices definitely plays a crucial part. Empowering ourselves with knowledge about nutritiously balanced food choices is always wise. Yet how do we know who to turn to for help and support?

Before beginning any type of new weightloss program ask the following questions:

1.Could you see yourself following a version of this program for 5-10 years?

If not, please don’t start it. Many programs are impossible to follow long term leading to eventual weight gain and harming our metabolism in the process, making it harder to lose weight next time.

2.Does the program make you feel supported, as if you have a “Buddy” who is always there for you? Ensure that there is a willpower or emotional eating portion to the program for those times when knowledge just isn’t enough.

3.Are you learning information about food that you can use for your entire life…even to feed your children? Knowledge is power, it is the key to life-long weight loss.  Are you gaining “food wisdom” that you can use at the grocery store, restaurants, on the go, and especially at the family dinner table? You should begin to notice that the entire family is benefitting from your new habits and knowledge.

I once heard Oprah say that if there was a shortcut…a product to buy or pill to take that could magically help her lose weight, by now she would own the company. Lets make 2012 the year we learn to make simple healthy choices that support our bodies while we watch the pounds melt away for life. Lets develop a new relationship with food that allows us to focus on it less, but enjoy it more.

There is undeniable evidence that the mind body connection is powerful. We have all felt the effects of stress in our body. Muscles tighten, breathing becomes shallower, and often we feel a knot in our stomach. There are many symptoms that are associated with stress. In fact, not paying attention to ongoing stress can thwart even the most consistent weight loss attempts.

One of the main hormones we release when under stress is cortisol. Cortisolʼs effects on our body were clearly designed to keep us safe when under immediate threats such as running from a saber-tooth tiger. However, when cortisol is released over long periods of time those effects that kept us safe begin to undermine our health. Unfortunately, in todayʼs society of long to do lists, stressful workplaces, ongoing relationship issues and fast paced schedules many of us experience ongoing stress resulting in long term cortisol release.

Some of the many effects of long-term cortisol release include:

• An increase in the bodyʼs desire for sugar resulting in increased abdominal fat storage and sugar cravings. 
• A decrease in the bodyʼs immune response. 
• An increase in insulin spikes and crashes resulting in less stable insulin reactions, weight gain, a decreased metabolism and increased Type 2 Diabetes. 
• A leaching of calcium from the bones into the bloodstream increasing the risk of osteoporosis.
• Eventual exhaustion, lack of motivation, burn out and fatigue.

In fact, this is one reason why it is imperative that any system we implement to lose weight will not cause us stress in the long term. A moderate amount of stress when changing eating patterns is normal. However, any system that requires long term energy draining techniques that are hard to implement into daily life such as counting or measuring all of the food you eat, severe calorie restriction or ongoing judgements of whether you were “good” or “bad” eventually create stress and cortisol release, severely effecting weight loss results. That is why long term weight loss is so rare with these systems and it is essential thatany weight loss strategy you choose fits easily into your life for the long term. Ask yourself..”Can I do this for the next 5-10 years?”

There is very good news though. Oxytocin is a hormone that has many of the opposite effects of cortisol and can therefore brings us back to balance. Oxytocin relaxes the body and promotes immune function, healing, and weight loss. There are many ways to increase oxytocin on a daily basis and many people find that when they implement them into their lives they are not only healthier and thinner but they having more fun!

Some of the ways to increase oxytocin release include:

• meditation, or any activity that quiets the mind -dancing, singing, or any anything that feels like carefree play to you.
• journalling, yoga, or time in nature
• connecting with others, especially those you love
• hugging, touch, massage
• chiropractic adjustments
• Healthy sleep patterns
• Low glycemic index food, alkaline food choices

Committing to healthy eating is certainly important when it comes to losing weight. But the next time you are worried about the extra french fry you had at lunch take the time to ask yourself:

Have you hugged someone you love today? When was the last time you bopped along to your favorite music just for fun? Did you get those extra few minutes of sleep you so desperately need? Are there things on your “to do” list you can eliminate? Do you know what fills you up and have you made it a priority? Did you play and laugh today? Do you have techniques that you can use to eliminate recurrent, ongoing stress?

There is great truth in the statement “we are what we eat”. But keep in mind that there is just as much truth to the statement “we are how we feel”.