CPR training

.I went to CPR training this weekend. To be honest I didn't feel like going at all. The sun was shining outside and I was going to sit inside all day. But I'm so happy I went. The teacher was fantastic, I met great people and I learned a lot. I enjoyed every minute of it.

The most important take away was that an adult has 8 minutes of oxygen in their lungs so the most important thing to do when someone's heart has stopped is pushing on their chest so that the heart circulates the blood. Keep on pushing until the ambulance or firefighters come to take over. I hope I never have to use this new skill...

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Unlikely Source of Healthy Fat: Coconuts

.Doctors (not experts...) are starting to question the health benefits of coconut oil. Since I've started eating coconut oil I've seen a difference in my hair and skin. I also use it as lip balm. As always, if it works for you and make you feel good then go for it. Everything is about balance and listening to your body. Also, do your own research instead of listening to the latest news. In two months they are going to tell us coconut oil is the best thing on earth... Wall Street Journal article: Unlikely Source of Healthy Fat: Coconuts.

coconut oil

Clean eating and ketogenic recipe - baked eggplant mozzarella

.Prep time: 10 min Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 30 mins

You can't never go wrong with veggies and cheese...Here is a flavorful and healthy recipe - baked eggplant mozzarella. Just replace the bread with a salad and you have a ketogenic meal.

Ingredients • 2 eggplants • 3 tbsp olive oil • 1 onion • 1 garlic clove • 8 oz can chopped tomatoes • 1 tbsp tomato purée • 10 oz fresh mozzarella cheese • Salt and pepper • Fresh basil • Hearty whole wheat bread

Instructions 1. Turn on the oven on 400°F. 2. Chop the onion and put it to the side. 3. Crush the garlic and put to the side. 4. Slice up 8 slices of the mozzarella cheese and put them to the side. 5. Clean the eggplant and slice them in the middle lengthwise. 6. Brush the eggplant with 2 tbsp of the oil and place the four pieces on a baking sheet. 7. Roast the eggplant in the oven for 20 minutes. 8. Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a frying pan. 9. Add the onion and the garlic to the pan and cook until the onion is soft and is starting to brown. 10. Add the tomatoes and tomato purée and let simmer for about 5 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. 11. Remove the eggplant from the oven and cover each half with sauce and 2 mozzarella slices. 12. Season to taste with salt and pepper and return to the oven for about 4-5 minutes to melt the cheese. 13. Remove from the oven, scatter with basil leaves and serve.

Enjoy!

FDA Prepping Long-Awaited Plan to Reduce Salt

."Food companies and restaurants could soon face government pressure to make their foods less salty — a long-awaited federal effort to try to prevent thousands of deaths each year from heart disease and stroke." - NBC News article about salt.

FDA's plan to reduce salt is great news to our health. Reducing your sodium intake through diet can lower your blood pressure by as much as 25%. There are many health risks with consuming too much salt: Hypertension High intake of salt causes water retention and promotes abnormal influx of water molecules into your blood vessels. This increases your blood volume and blood pressure. Sudden rises of blood pressure can trigger life threatening cardiovascular emergencies like strokes and heart attacks.

Abnormal Heart Development A habit of eating salty food can also heighten your risk of non-blood pressure related heart diseases. Having higher than normal blood volume means that your heart has to work much harder to provide proper circulation.

Osteoporosis Sodium inhibits your body’s absorption and utilization of calcium, leading to a loss of bone mass and increased porousness of your bones. Kidney Disorders Excess calcium and sodium that are not used by your body goes into your urine. This can increase the filtration load of your kidneys and increase the likelihood of crystal formation.

Dehydration and Swelling Feeling thirsty is a direct response after having salty food. This happens because excessive sodium in your blood draws water out of your cells and into your tissues. Dehydrated cells signal your brain for water.

Digestive Diseases Sodium regulates the acid-base balance of blood and body fluids. Too much salt can trigger acid reflux and cause heart burn and long-term damage to your upper digestive tract. Studies have shown that habitual intake of salty foods is a strong risk factor for duodenal and gastric ulcers and cancers.

Electrolyte and Hormone Imbalance Excessive sodium can impact both your electrolyte and hormone balance. Too much sodium can severely hinder the conduction of nerve impulses and induce symptoms like dizziness, muscle cramps and shakiness.

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Image: Pinterest

The war on fat

.I'm so thankful for the latest issue of TIME magazine covering fat and the proof that consuming fat is not dangerous to your health. It's wonderful to see our message reaching more people and opening doors to healthy lives. But many are new to the ketogenic lifestyle and will need the right information to be successful.

Excerpt from my book:

Eat more fat, Fatty! and lose weight.

The ketogenic lifestyle is a high-fat, adequate-protein and low-carbohydrate diet. In other words, eating limited healthy carbohydrates and lots of healthy fats. A ketogenic lifestyle means consuming real homecooked meals made out of quality produce, and it means feeding your body wholesome goodness. This also means removing all sugar and processed foods from your diet.

Some people think that the ketogenic diet is a high-protein diet, which is not true. You simply replace the unhealthy carbohydrates (processed foods) with high-quality carbohydrates (vegetables) and replace store bought sauces with homemade sauces made with oil or real butter. You don’t make the portion sizes bigger. You just increase the percentage of fat so that you don’t have to be hungry. It’s that simple.

TIME Magazine

Ending the war on fat

.Little by little everyone is catching up with us and is ending the war on fat. TIME's new issue is covering fat and it's benefits. It so great to get our message out to more people, helping them to a healthier life.

For everyone who wants to find out more about how fat can improve your health - check out my groundbreaking book. Here you fill find all the information and tips for a healthy life:

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Don't skip breakfast - or should we?

.We always been told that skipping breakfast will lead to weight gain, but does it really?

I fast (I don't eat after 8pm the night before and not until lunch the next day) two days every week and not only do I have more energy and feel better, I've also lost weight.

The belief that skipping breakfast is bad for you if you want to lose weight doesn’t hold up when subjected to a more rigorous study design, according to the study — “The effectiveness of breakfast recommendations on weight loss: a randomized controlled trial,” published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

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Clean Eating recipe - Salmon burgers

.How about some omega-3 on this beautiful Tuesday? These salmon burgers is a great Summer dish.

Salmon Burgers

Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 35 mins

Ingredients

• 2 pounds salmon fillets • 4 sweet potatoes • 2 egg whites • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard • ½ cup fresh bread crumbs (1 slice white bread, ground in a food processor) • 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill • Salt • 2 tbsp olive oil • 4 hamburger buns, toasted • Lettuce and tomatoes

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 400° degrees. 2. Cut the sweet potatoes into strips 3. Drizzle the potatoes with 2 tbsp olive oil and sprinkle with salt. 4. Bake the potatoes in oven until fork tender. 5. Heat the grill to medium or heat a grill pan. 6. Chop the dill. 7. Ground the bread to create the bread crumbs. 8. Remove the skin and finely chop the salmon. Place half in a large re-sealable plastic bag and use a flat-surfaced meat pounder or a rolling pin to mash it. 9. Place all the salmon in a large bowl. Combine with egg whites, mustard, bread crumbs, dill, and ½ teaspoon salt. Form 4 ¾-inch-thick patties. 10. Place the patties on grill or in grill pan; cook 4 to 5 minutes per side. (On a stovetop, heat the oil in a grill pan over medium heat and cook patties 5 minutes per side.) 11. Serve the patties on the burger buns with lettuce and sliced tomatoes, and with a side of the potatoes. Enjoy!

Workout schedule - results

.I promised last week that I was going to start working out a minimum of 5 hours a week to lead as an example. How did I do? I actually did really good (I even did 5 1/2 hours!), but it wasn't easy to find the time so the schedule moved around a little. Lesson learned - If I don't plan and make exercise an important part of my life - it won't happen. You need to be prepared for life to happen.

Here are my results:

Monday Plan: 30 mins walk after work 30 min weight training (shoulders, biceps, stomach)

I completed the workout this day according to the schedule. I took my daughter with me on the walk who is 11 years old. After the walk I felt like my ears got more exercise than my legs..!

Tuesday Plan: Run 5k at 8pm (40 mins. I'm just starting to run which is why it's taking me 40 mins. I try to cut down on time every time I run to challenge myself) 20 mins weight training (chest, triceps, stomach)

I did this and was able to cut one minute of the run.

Wednesday Plan: 30 min walk in the evening

I wasn't able to do this.

Thursday Plan: Run 5k at 8pm (40 mins. I'm just starting to run which is why it's taking me 40 mins. I try to cut down on time every time I run to challenge myself) 20 mins weight training (shoulders, biceps, stomach)

I wasn't able to do this.

Friday Plan: 30 min walk in the evening

I changed this to an hour run (first time ever!). It felt so good. Afterwards I added 30 mins of weight training.

Saturday Plan: Rest

I did 30 mins of a cardio/weight training DVD.

Sunday Plan: Run 5k at 8pm (40 mins. I'm just starting to run which is why it's taking me 40 mins. I try to cut down on time every time I run to challenge myself) 20 mins weight training (chest, triceps, stomach)

I changed this to an hour run, and 30 mins weights.

What is your workout plan this week? Share your workout schedule and together we can get motivated. Lets live!

Vitamins and minerals

.Since I've started eating according to the ketogenic/LCHF lifestyle I've been less sick since before the new lifestyle. A varied diet rich in whole foods offers the best combination of dietary nutrients, but I'm still curious if I'm missing any vitamins in my diet and if I will feel a difference. So today I'm starting to take daily vitamins and minerals. I will take them for a month and report if I feel a difference.

Daily vitamins and minerals Fish oil One capsule every day. Multiple studies suggest that omega-3s may provide some benefits to a wide range of diseases: cancer, asthma, depression, cardiovascular disease, ADHD, and autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis. My eye doctor has recommended that I take fish oil to help my dry eyes. Daily vitamin One a day to ensure I get all the essential vitamins. BCAA - branched chain amino acids One tablet morning and night to help muscle growth and exercise performance. Athletes use branched-chain amino acids to improve exercise performance and reduce protein and muscle breakdown during intense exercise. Branched-chain amino acids are essential nutrients that the body obtains from proteins found in food, especially meat, dairy products, and legumes. They include leucine, isoleucine, and valine. “Branched-chain” refers to the chemical structure of these amino acids. People use branched-chain amino acids for medicine.

Twice a week vitamins and minerals

Magnesium I will take magnesium twice a week to assist in carbohydrate and fat metabolism. One of the most common use for magnesium is alleviating constipation (you may recognize it as the active ingredient in well-known over-the-counter laxative medicines) which is why magnesium is helpful to take when you are following a ketogenic/LCHF lifestyle.

Vitamin D I don't get the chance to get out in the sun during the day, so I will take a vitamin D to help the immune system function and help the calcium uptake and re-absorption.

Vitamin B6 Vitamin B6, also called pyridoxine, is a water-soluble nutrient that is part of the B vitamin family. B vitamins help support adrenal function, help calm and maintain a healthy nervous system, and are necessary for key metabolic processes. Vitamin B6 acts as a coenzyme in the breakdown and utilization of carbohydrates, fats and proteins.

My handy container that helps me keep track of all vitamins and also makes it easy to bring to work.

vitamins

Clean eating and ketogenic/LCHF recipe - Shrimp Tacos

.A quick healthy meal which the whole family will love - shrimp tacos. Skip the tortillas to make it a ketogenic recipe and switch out the fat-free Greek yogurt for full-fat yogurt.

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 30 mins Shrimp Tacos Ingredients • 1 lb shrimp • 6 oz fat free Greek yogurt • ¼ cup chopped cilantro • 2 tbsp fresh lime juice • 1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper • ½ a head of cabbage, thinly sliced (about 5 cups) • 8 corn tortillas • 4 tsp extra virgin olive oil • Salt and pepper to taste Directions 1. Defrost and clean the shrimp. 2. Heat tortillas over medium heat in a dry skillet until warm and starting to form small brown spots, or in the microwave for a few seconds. Set aside on a plate covered with a clean kitchen towel. 3. Chop the cilantro. 4. Mix yogurt, cayenne, lime juice, cilantro, & salt in a small bowl, set aside. 5. Heat two teaspoons of olive oil in a medium non-stick skillet and add cabbage. Cook for about four minutes or until the cabbage is just barely wilted. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. 6. Meanwhile, cut shrimp into thirds, so you have little bite size pieces. 7. In another pan, sauté the shrimp in two teaspoons of olive oil and season with salt, pepper and a dash of cayenne pepper over medium heat just until done. They cook up in just a few minutes so be careful not to over-cook them.. 8. To serve the tacos, place a scoop of cabbage on the warmed tortillas taco, then top with shrimp, and cilantro sauce

Enjoy!

Workout schedule

.It's important to me that I live what I preach to my Clients, which is why I'm going to follow the same schedule I give to them. If you are looking to lose weight you need to exercise 5-7 hours a week. I know how difficult it is to find 5 hours for exercise when you have a busy schedule, because I'm struggling with it myself. I'm going to have to change both routines and habits to fit it into my schedule. I actually tried to get up an half hour earlier this morning at 5.30am to take a 30 min walk, without success. I keep on trying to exercise in the morning, but it is not for me. It's important that listen to your body and find a schedule that will set you up for success.

I'm going to following the schedule below this week: Monday 30 mins walk after work 30 min weight training (shoulders, biceps, stomach)

Tuesday Run 5k at 8pm (40 mins. I'm just starting to run which is why it's taking me 40 mins. I try to cut down on time every time I run to challenge myself) 20 mins weight training (chest, triceps, stomach)

Wednesday 30 min walk in the evening Thursday Run 5k at 8pm (40 mins. I'm just starting to run which is why it's taking me 40 mins. I try to cut down on time every time I run to challenge myself) 20 mins weight training (shoulders, biceps, stomach) Friday 30 min walk in the evening

Saturday Rest

Sunday Run 5k at 8pm (40 mins. I'm just starting to run which is why it's taking me 40 mins. I try to cut down on time every time I run to challenge myself) 20 mins weight training (chest, triceps, stomach)

What is your plan? Share your workout schedule and together we can get motivated. Lets live!

Feng Shui Makeover - happiness

.I'm continuing my Feng Shui journey to improve happiness. I've found that soothing sounds of nature make for a calming environment and impact happiness. Try to create a playlist of natural sounds; gentle ocean waves, mountain streams, birds, a gentle breeze through the trees etc. When you listen to sounds of nature, your heart rate slows down, your breathing becomes more expansive and your nerves are calmed. It's important that it is a recording that’s made from the actual sounds of nature (not electronically produced), since the life-force energy flowing from natural surroundings will be healing for your body and mind. When your space is calm, your thoughts slow down and you can begin to hear the guidance from your soul.

We've started playing nature sounds and calming music every evening, and we've found that the entire family is calmer. Dinner time and homework is a calm experience now = happiness.

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Avocados

.One of the most common questions I receive is - how do I add more healthy fats to my diet? Many people who are following strict low-fat diets thinks that it's easy to eat more fat. Fat is everywhere, isn't it? But the trick is to add fat to healthy meals, not eating more potato chips, french fries and ice cream. My favorite way to add fat to my meals is to add an avocado. It can't get easier than that. Adding an avocado ensures that you get the fat and it adds a ton of nutrition to your meal.

Fat account for around three quarters of the calorie count of an avocado. Most of it is monounsaturated fat, in the form of oleic acid. Monounsaturated fat is considered to be a "good fat" which reduces levels of bad cholesterol in your blood and lowers your risk of stroke and heart disease. Avocados also contains around 4 grams of protein and 11 grams of fiber, which is much more than most other fruits. Avocados has a low sugar content compared to other fruits. Avocados are an excellent source of potassium (containing more per weight than bananas!). In addition, avocados are rich in vitamin K, Vitamin B9, vitamin B6, vitamin B5 vitamin C, and vitamin E.2. Can't get any better than that!

avocados

Clean eating and ketogenic/lchf recipe - Ratatouille

.You can never go wrong with a flavorful vegetarian dish. This Ratatouille is packed with bell peppers which are an excellent source of carotenoids, vitamin A and C, and also a source of over 30 different members of the carotenoid nutrient family. So yummy and super healthy! Skip the bread to make the recipe ketogenic.

Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 30-35 mins Total time: 45-50 mins

Ratatouille

Ingredients • 1 red pepper • 1 green pepper • 1 yellow pepper • 2 yellow onions • 1 small eggplant • 1 zucchini • 3 garlic cloves • 3 tbsp olive oil • 2 8oz crushed tomatoes • ½ tbsp sugar (optional) • Salt and pepper • Whole wheat bread

Instructions 1. Rinse all vegetables and cut them up 1-inch pieces. 2. Chop the garlic. 3. Heat up the oil in a large pot on low heat. 4. Add the garlic and vegetables and cook stirring for about 5 minutes. Make sure the vegetables cook without getting any color. 5. Add the crushed tomatoes and let simmer on low heat under a lid for about 30 minutes. 6. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Add sugar if you like (this will enhance the taste of the tomatoes). 7. Pour into a serving bowl. 8. Serve with the whole wheat bread.

Enjoy!