So many people have been asking me…

“Isabel, how is your pregnancy going? How are you feeling these days?”

This morning I filmed a video, showing you my updated baby bump (which is SO much more than a bump now!) and exactly how I’ve been dealing with all of my aches and pains.

The strategies I’ve been using are NOT just for pregnant women. If you are suffering from back pain, arthritis, sciatica, or any sprains and strains, you’ll definitely want to watch this video and see some of my easy to use solutions and strategies.

Do Homeopathic’s REALLY Work Or Are They An Urban Myth?

<—Get your own Rub on Relief Now!

For more information on Jesse Cannone’s Healthy Back Institute

There is so much information available at our fingertips these days (the internet, television, books and magazines) that many times, it isn’t always a good thing.

What I see happening with many people is that the incredible amount of health and nutrition information leads to OVERWHELM, frustration and confusion.

I’ve filmed this short video to help you combat any feelings of overwhelm or confusion when it comes to your healthy eating strategy.

These simple strategies have helped me to implement a healthy way of eating easily and free of stress and frustration.

I want to share with you 2 delicious tea recipes that I love to make to add variety to my healthy drinks.

Before we get to those, I want to address an important question I received after sending out all the detailed information about tea…

“Isabel, is it true that the tannins in tea negatively affect digestion?”

Let’s take a look at exactly what tannins are and what their effect on the body is.

Tannins are substances present in the seeds and stems of grapes, the bark of some trees, and present in tea leaves. The tannins in tea are responsible for the bitter taste in your mouth after you drink your tea and also responsible for tea’s dark color (making green tea contain less tannins than black tea). It has been shown that the shorter the steep time of your tea, the less tannins that will be released (which is consistent with the fact that if you leave your tea bag in your tea cup too long, it will develop a very bitter taste.)

But the bitter taste of tannins is generally not as concerning as research that has shown that tannins negatively affect the digestive process.

However, even though tannins have been shown to slightly slow down the digestive process, slower digestion does not mean imperfect digestion. It has also been shown that this slowed digestion may actually be beneficial, causing people to become hungry less often and able to remain satiated with their meal much longer.

If you have ever experienced digestive discomfort from your tea drinking, it may not be because of the tannins the tea contains, but may just be that you are drinking too much tea in one day. Lessening the amount to only 1 cup per day could be better suited to your body’s needs and relieve any digestive difficulties. You can also drink tea in between meals as opposed to with meals to keep it from affecting the digestive process of your food.

I have found it to be consistent that the tolerance of any food is so incredibly personalized to each person individually. Whereas some people feel wonderful drinking coffee, others feel ill, even nauseous at even the idea of having a cup of Joe. The same goes for tea or any other food or drink for that matter. Your body is your best indicator of whether something is well suited for you or not so don’t forget to pay close attention to the cues your body is giving you at all times.

If you’ve found tea to be a good choice for you, here are 2 of my favorite tea recipes that I use to change up my usual tea routine.

Indian Chai Tea
(modified slightly from www.tealand.com)

Ingredients
* 3 teabags black tea
* 4 cups water
* 1 3 inch cinnamon stick
* 1 inch piece of ginger root cut into 4 slices
* 1/2 tsp (2 ml) cardamom seeds
* 1/2 tsp (2 ml) black peppercorns
* 1/2 tsp (2 ml) whole cloves
* 1 tsp (5 ml) whole coriander seeds
* 1 cup (225 ml) coconut or almond milk
* honey or stevia to taste

Directions
Bring water to boil in a saucepan. Add spices, cover, and simmer 20 minutes. Add teabags and steep 10 minutes. Add milk and heat to drinking temperature-do not boil. Strain mixture through a cheesecloth or cotton dish towel. Serve with honey or stevia to taste.

Green Tea Smoothie
(www.smoothieweb.com)

Ingredients
* 1 green or white tea bag
* 2/3 cup water
* 1/2 cup mango, cubed
* 1 wedge fresh lime juice
* 2 cups crushed ice

Directions
Heat water and brew tea. Let cool.
Place cooled tea, mango, lime juice, and crushed ice in a blender and blend until thick and smooth. Adjust ice to the consistency you like best.
The fruit will naturally sweeten this smoothie but for those who want a little more sweetness, add a touch of stevia or raw honey.

So, have no fear, enjoy your tea and all its wonderful health giving and fat burning properties!

A lot of people wrote in and were thrilled to hear that green tea and Wu-long tea had wonderful fat burning properties, but what about white tea and rooibos tea?

White Tea

As with all the other teas we’ve already discussed, white tea also comes from the Camellia sinensis plant, as almost all teas do. The main difference between white tea and the other teas is that the white tea leaves are picked and harvested at a younger age than the other tea leaves. Whereas black tea is fully fermented and green tea is partly fermented, white tea is not fermented at all, helping it to retain more of its beneficial antioxidants.

Some studies have shown that because of this “no fermentation”, white tea has a concentration of antioxidants that is 3 x’s higher than green tea, making it an incredibly healthy choice for drinking as part of any healthy eating plan. Not only that, it is a wise choice for those who are sensitive to caffeine. It only contains 15 mg of caffeine per cup, much lower than the 20-30 mg you get from green tea, and 40-60 mg you get from black tea.

But what about fat loss? Does it contain the same fat burning properties as green tea and wu-long tea?

White tea has been shown to promote fat burning in the body by preventing cells from storing body fat. White tea’s caffeine content also does help to stimulate the metabolism (without causing any jitters). But I will reiterate that white tea’s greatest claim to fame is still its extremely high antioxidant content, making its fat burning properties secondary and not as powerful as the fat burning properties found in Wu-long tea (Isabel’s favorite brand of Wu-Long tea).

Rooibos Tea

Rooibos tea (pronounced “roy-boss) is a perfect choice for those looking for NO caffeine at all. Rooibos, also known as “red bush”, does not come from the Camellia sinensis tea plant as all the other previously mentioned teas do. Instead, it comes from the Aspalathus linearis plant which is native only to South Africa.

Rooibos tea has been found to contain some incredible health benefits without ANY caffeine. It has been shown to boost the immune system, treat hay fever, asthma and eczema, relieve stomach cramps and colic in infants and greatly help those individuals who suffer from heartburn.

As with white tea, including a cup or two of rooibos tea into your healthy eating plan will bring you some incredible benefits, but it is not widely known or used for fat burning and weight loss. So enjoy your rooibos tea for its immune boosting properties, not for accelerating fat burning.

Oh, and did I mention it also happens to be absolutely delicious?

I highly encourage you to experiment and try all the varieties of teas we’ve covered and find which one suits you best. A little raw honey, stevia or xylitol added to sweeten your tea will help make it a healthy alternative to any sugar filled drinks or those calorie laden “fancy coffee drinks” that so many people are currently addicted to (and spending WAY TOO much money on every day).

As per many reader’s requests, I just filmed a video where I give you all the details of my own personal weight loss journey.

To hear more about…

• What healthy foods I eat all day
• The specifics of my own workout regimen
• Exactly what motivates me
• How I overcome life’s challenges and what strategies I use when things get tough
• The details of my own weight loss journey
• What are some staple items in my kitchen

…listen to the audio interview I did just a few weeks ago here:

http://fitpro.thedsp.info

You’ll also get access to interviews with interview with 10 other top fitness professionals.  People like Joel Marion, Holly Rigsby, Tom Venuto, Vince DelMonte and many many more.

Check out those really great stories here:

http://fitpro.thedsp.info

I’m pretty used to people coming to my home and saying “Wow, this place is so super healthy. I can’t believe it,” but last week was the funniest.

As you may or may not know, it does take quite a few people to keep the Diet Solution Program running. Last week I had a bit of a “retreat” at my house where I invited 3 of our employees to come and work from my house and spend some time together.

I always try and be the “hostess with the mostess” and in my best Martha Stewart impression I asked “Can I get anyone anything? Some food or a drink?”

One of my employees replied, “Yes, I would love some juice please.”

As I did everything in my power to hold back the look of death, I said “We don’t have any juice. How about water or a tea?”

Without going through the entire conversation, this particular employee couldn’t believe there was no juice in the house. Moreover, she absolutely could not believe that my son does not drink juice and only drinks water (and yes, I did let her keep her job).

She has, of course, read and knows the DSP inside and out, but she admitted that she really didn’t believe that I completely lived my life that way until she saw it with her very own eyes.

But back to the juice…

Juice is one of those drinks that many people perceive as healthy, especially when it’s labeled natural or organic and it says it is made from all natural ingredients. Let me clear this up right now…Juice is NOT part of a healthy eating plan unless you are freshly squeezing it right in your kitchen with your own hands or through a juicer.

“But Isabel. My juice says its organic, natural, 100% juice with no sugar added. Is that ok?”

Well, I spent a significant amount of time reading the label of almost every single juice container, juice box, and juice product and they all came up the same…with tons of SUGAR. Read the label clearly and you will see that every gram of carbohydrate contained in the juice directly comes from sugar.

“But Isabel. All the carbs from fruit are from sugar too right?”

Yes, fruits are almost entirely sugar (coming from fructose), but a whole fruit also contains plenty of fiber and vitamins that are lost when you make a juice, bottle it and store it for any amount of time.

“But Isabel. My juice is fortified with calcium, Vit D and iron (or whatever they are fortifying juice with these days).”

When you “fortify” any food or drink with a vitamin and/or a mineral, your body is smart enough to know that this is not the real version of this particular nutrient. So much so, that it will choose not to use it. Yes, all of these fortified products are not giving you the vitamins and minerals you need. You must obtain these from natural sources like real fruits and vegetables (i.e. real food).

So if you’re a juice lover like many people are or have fallen for the “juice is healthy” trap, here are a few strategies to help you get your juice fix while simultaneously following a healthy eating plan.

1. Buy a quality juicer and make your own juice. There are so many different delicious and nutritious juices you can make in a juicer that will give you a super boost of vitamins/minerals and super nutrition. One of my favorite is carrot, apple and ginger. Be careful though! If you’re anything like me and sensitive to too much sugar at once, I would suggest having a serving of 4 oz or less or mixing your 4 oz with some water. I would also suggest juicing primarily vegetables and not as many fruits. This is a great way to get in some serious nutrition without having to eat vegetables all day long (a great option for children). I would also combine your fresh juice with a protein and healthy fat to keep your blood sugar balanced.

It is best to drink freshly made juice right away, as the longer it is stored, the more it will decline in nutrition. You can put your juice in a glass jar with an airtight lid and fill it to the very top. There should be a minimum amount of air in the jar as the oxygen in air (air is about 20 percent oxygen) will “oxidize” and damage the juice. Wrap the jar with aluminum foil to block out all light. Light damages the juice.

2. Make my favorite “tea juice“. If you haven’t seen this recipe in the Diet Solution Recipe Guide, here it is again:

5-6 bags caffeine-free herbal tea (e.g., peach, mint, chamomile, or fruit tea)

3 quarts boiling water

Stevia powder (or liquid) to taste

Pour water over tea bags in a large pot. Add stevia while tea is hot. (Adjust amount
according to the desired sweetness.)
Let the tea cool, remove tea bags, transfer tea to a serving pitcher or individual water bottles, and refrigerate.

3. Make your own DSP approved lemonade. My business partner loves this and drinks it almost daily (be careful if you’re sensitive to citrus or too much lemon.) Mix the juice from half a lemon, 5 drops of liquid stevia and 12oz of water in a large cup. Add more stevia or lemon based on your taste. This drink is a great alternative to people who need a bit more flavor than plain water all day.

So what did I end up serving my thirsty employee? Water! (And she bought juice when we went out to lunch). Oh well, I tried.

Just yesterday I did a great tele-call with my friend Craig Ballantyne, author of Turbulence Training. He is going to be sharing this call with his own readers and clients, but he asked me such an awesome question yesterday, I had to share the answer with you.

“Isabel, how can someone take any recipe out of a regular cookbook and make it Diet Solution friendly?”

I thought this was an awesome question because it is something I do on a regular basis and is how I am able to keep all of my meal plans new, interesting and most importantly….delicious!

Here are my step by step, do-it-yourself, DSP recipe creator rules (ok, that’s a mouthful but you know what I mean):

First, I search the internet or one of my many cookbooks for exactly what I want to make. We’re going to use shepherd’s pie as our example. When I Google shepherd’s pie, I click on the first link that comes up and here is what came up (I have inserted all of my substitutions in italics):

Easy Shepherd’s Pie Recipe (taken from simplyrecipes.com)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs ground round beef (I might use buffalo or even turkey for a little leaner option depending on your metabolic type)
• 1 onion chopped
• 1-2 cups vegetables – chopped carrots, corn, peas
• 1 1/2 – 2 lbs potatoes (3 big ones) (I would use cauliflower instead or do ½ potato, ½ cauliflower)
• 8 tablespoons butter (1 stick)
• 1/2 cup beef broth (use low sodium)
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• Salt, pepper, other seasonings of choice (use unrefined sea salt)

Method

1. Peel and quarter potatoes, boil in salted water until tender (about 20 minutes). (Steam cauliflower so you can mash it or put it in the blender so they resemble mashed potatoes.)

2. While the potatoes are cooking (or cauliflower), melt 4 Tablespoons butter (1/2 a stick) in large frying pan.

3. Sauté onions in butter until tender over medium heat (10 mins). If you are adding vegetables, add them according to cooking time. Put any carrots in with the onions. Add corn or peas either at the end of the cooking of the onions, or after the meat has initially cooked.

4. Add ground beef (or buffalo or turkey) and sauté until no longer pink. Add salt and pepper. Add worcesterchire sauce. Add half a cup of beef broth and cook, uncovered, over low heat for 10 minutes, adding more beef broth as necessary to keep moist.

5. Mash potatoes (or put cauliflower in the blender until they resemble mash potatoes) in bowl with remainder of butter, season to taste.

6. Place beef and onions in baking dish. Distribute mashed potatoes (or cauliflower) on top. Rough up with a fork so that there are peaks that will brown nicely. You can use the fork to make some designs in the potatoes as well.

7. Cook in 400 degree oven until bubbling and brown (about 30 minutes). Broil for last few minutes if necessary to brown. (Watch this carefully, as your cooking time will be less because you are using cauliflower)

Yummy! Is anyone ready for dinner?

Just as a side note, there is nothing wrong with having white potatoes if your metabolic type can handle it, but I find with sheperd’s pie you end up eating too much potato, well beyond what one serving should be and there are many people who cannot eat white potatoes because it effects their blood sugar too much (me being one of them).

The recipe above was an easy one (but I just love it and wanted to share it.)

Let me give you some possible substitutions to many other recipes.

1. When a recipe calls for vegetable oil such as canola oil, which we know we should be avoiding, replace it with coconut oil or butter. This can be done in 90% of most recipes. If you can’t use either of those, use olive oil and cook on low heat (below 350F). If the recipe is for a cake or other baked goods, you can use the same amount of unsweetened applesauce instead of the oil.

2. When a recipe calls for bread crumbs, I either make my own from sprouted grain bread or I purchase gluten free bread crumbs that are made from rice. You can make your own breadcrumbs by drying bread in the oven at 250F for 15 minutes and then putting it in your food processor or blender. Add Italian spices like oregano, parsley and basil to make Italian bread crumbs.

3. If a recipe calls for pasta, many times you can replace it with spaghetti squash.

4. If a recipe calls for sugar, you can use a Stevia blend instead. 1 cup of Stevia Blend (from http://www.stevivasweetener.com) is equal to 2 cups of sugar.

5. Replace all the ingredients listed with organic ingredients instead. Ok, ok, you don’t have to replace all of them, but I just had to throw that in there…hehe.
I highly recommend you give this a try yourself and look for one of your most favorite dishes and see what you can do to serve it “DSP Style”.

Happy Cooking!

With the popularity of our new Facebook Fan Page, I’ve been able to talk and interact with thousands of DSP followers…it’s been great!

But I seem to be seeing the same question come up over and over again…

“Isabel, I’m not losing weight as fast as I would like.  What should I do?”

Listen to my answer in this video (and I promise I don’t yell at anyone).

Not a fan yet? Come join us:

http://facebook.com/thedietsolution

You can also get the low down on Vince DelMonte’s new Maximize your Muscle program.

http://maxmuscle.thedsp.info

Last year I created a Facebook Fan Page where all Diet Solution followers could ask questions, post meal and recipe ideas, share success stories and just be there to support each other on good days and bad days. Yes, it’s our own little therapy group except we don’t lay on the couch and talk about our problems, we type them on Facebook instead.

http://facebook.com/thedietsolution

On Tuesday, after one “fan” asked for meal suggestions for Easter Sunday, I decided to pose the question to the whole community.

Here was my question…

Many people celebrate Easter on Sunday. Does anyone have any healthy Easter recipes to share? It can be for an Easter lunch or dinner.

We had some great ideas posted that I wanted to be sure to share them with you.

Marko Bartscherer

I found that if you take a Ezekiel 4:19 tortilla, put them in the oven till they are crunchy you get great chips. Take an avocado and some hot sauce or tomatoes and the perfect snack is born

Rachael Smart

I’ve made deviled eggs using organic plain yogurt instead of mayo.

Freddy Yanez

Maybe roasted leg of lamb using extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, pepper and fresh rosemary, sweet potatoes whipped with butter a touch of greek yogurt (or half&half) to make it creamy topped with walnuts and asparagus grilled with olive oil salt and pepper?

WOW, does anyone else want to go to Freddy’s house? That sounds yummy!

If you’re looking for a community of people to get more meal ideas, share your own ideas or just say “Hey, I need some help here!” Come join us here:

http://facebook.com/thedietsolution

Coming next week…more videos!!! I know, I know, it’s been a while since I’ve gotten in front of the camera. Next week, I’ll be wiping the dust off the camera and will be showing you some of my own favorite recipes in the kitchen (and wait until you see how big my baby has gotten. I’ll make sure he makes an appearance.)

For now, make sure you come and see us on Facebook:

http://facebook.com/thedietsolution

Based on the feedback I received from my last blog post, it looks like I’m not the only one who has suffered an attack from the craving monster. Yup, it happens and I would be kidding myself, actually, lying to myself, if I thought I would never want another piece of cake, cookie, or sweet treat ever again even after eating healthy for so many years.

I mention more “sweet” stuff than anything else because that seems to be most people’s problem, but there are many that also crave “salty” and when I say “salty” it’s usually not salted broccoli and cauliflower, but more like chips and dip (and not the healthy kind).

Since cravings are something we’re all going to have to deal with from time to time (some more often than others), I decided to share my….

Top 10 “Beat the Cravings” foods and meals. (Some of these I have mentioned before, but they are so good they are well worth repeating).

1. Cut up some fresh fruit (berries, an apple, a pear, 1/2 banana) and put 1 tsp of raw, natural honey on top. One teaspoon goes along way and gives your already sweet fruit a bit more of a kick.

2. Make your own healthy Vegetable Chips. Cut up Kale and sweet potatoes and coat them with olive oil or butter. Add some Celtic sea salt and bake in the oven for 20 – 30 minutes at 250 – 300 degrees C. You really have to watch these, especially the kale, because you don’t want it to burn. You’re looking to get them crispy but if you’re not paying attention, they could easily burn.

3. Drink some Tea Juice (this is the first recipe in your Diet Solution Recipes). Essentially it is herbal tea sweetened with Stevia and cooled to be enjoyed as a cold drink. This really hits the spot at 3pm when I “think” I want a sweet treat but this naturally sweetened beverage is enough to calm my cravings.

4. Get some sliced turkey and/or roast beef (I get the natural kind that is store baked and does not contain nitrites and nitrates) and lay 1 or 2 slices flat on a plate. Add 2-3 pieces of raw cheese and wrap it up into a roll. You can also make this into a lettuce wrap by adding a lettuce leaf.

5. Mix some almond or peanut butter with unsweetened organic apple sauce and sprinkle cinnamon on top. A great mid morning or afternoon snack.

6. Go do something you love…haha…I know…I stuck a “non food” one in here. Sometimes we’re not really craving food, we’re just “bored” and need to go and consume ourselves with something we enjoy. For me, sitting at the book store with an herbal tea, reading magazines, is such a treat! (Although I always come home with more magazines than I will ever possibly be able to read, but, hey, everyone’s got their addictions right?)

7. Cut up one apple, spread almond butter or peanut butter on top and sprinkle some crushed raw cacao or organic dark chocolate on top.

8. A fruity or chamomile herbal tea sweetened with stevia or xylitol in the evening is perfect right before bed to calm you after a busy day.

9. After you’ve made your own veggie chips, get some salsa and have your own chips and dip party. I am going to keep experimenting with different kinds of veggies and see which one work the best but so far, I love the kale.

10. 1 piece of organic dark chocolate with a dab of natural peanut butter or almond butter. You’d be surprised how 1 piece can go a very long way as far as knocking out a chocolate craving!

Remember you want to stay away from processed sugar and artificial sweeteners as much as possible. I personally use Stevia for all of my sweetening needs, but I know many people who also enjoy xylitol which is also a great choice.

As I mentioned before, if you’re still struggling to stay on track, a good alternative that I highly suggest is considering a medical hypnosis program. The most powerful one that I have already researched for you that has already proven incredible results for so many is here:

http://hypnosis.thedsp.info

You can read people’s experiences right on that page and personally, I have found this to be the best, most complete and effective hypnosis program on the market today.

If you’ve struggled with your weight over and over again, this bit of “extra help” may just be what you need and are looking for. Also never let pride hold you back because you think you should do this on will power alone. I’m here to help make this easy for you and trying out what works best for you is always the right choice.

Best of all, the program is guaranteed to work or you get your money back. And you have a full year to try it out.

Get more information here:

http://hypnosis.thedsp.info