Pssssttt…Keep reading for the secrets to healthy weight management

By Janet Koeune

Want to lose weight? Just follow these practical tips. You’ll be on your way to the weight you really want.

Kick off your weight-loss plan with a healthy cleanse. Restoring intestinal health through a colon cleanse allows nutrients to be absorbed and a person tends to eat less.

Avoid crash diets. Anyone who's suffered through a crash diet will tell you that weight quickly lost is weight destined to return.

Get enough sleep. Lack of sleep can lead to stress and fatigue which will lead to overeating and excess weight — a factor for poor sleep habits. The cycle feeds itself.

Keep up your metabolism. To manage your weight healthily, you must exercise. Exercise builds muscle which helps you burn calories and keep metabolism up. Also, don't skip breakfast. It keeps up your metabolism as well.

Use natural spices and eat spicy foods to raise your metabolism up to 25 percent..

High-fiber, antioxidant-packed raw vegetables and fruits are one way to sweep away unwanted toxins and unwanted fats.

Use organic coconut oil. It's very useful in reducing weight. It contains short and medium-chain fatty acids that help in taking off excessive weight. It is also easy to digest and helps in healthy functioning of the thyroid and enzyme systems. Further, it increases the body metabolism by removing stress on pancreases, thereby burning more energy and helping obese and overweight people reduce their weight.

Use Himalayan salt instead of table salt. Himalayan salt regulates the water content throughout your body and aids in absorption of food particles through your intestinal tract.

If you’re looking for a an all-natural diet pill or supplement for weight management, look for one that meets your needs whether you are trying to burn fat by raising metabolism, block fat or reduce calories. Look for a metabolism booster that doesn’t make you lose sleep.

Try a proprietary blend of concentrated Fucoxanthin (seaweed) and cold pressed pomegranate seed oil, the only product backed by human clinical studies. Or try a fat blocker made from an Asian spice called Alpinia. Alpinia works similar to grass fed meat and dairy products which block fat because they contain fatty acids.

Imagine having pasta and cookies and not gaining weight. Alpha-amylase is the digestive enzyme responsible for breaking down carbohydrates. White kidney beans have the ability to inhibit the enzyme.

Apple, the slimming fruit, controls the appetite for proper weight management. Apples delay absorption of sugar and carbohydrates reducing the appetite.

Cooking food destroys important enzymes and puts severe strain on the body because the body is constantly working to produce enzymes that ought to be in food. Raw food enzymes help jump start the process of digestion. Raw vitamins and minerals help reduce carbohydrate cravings, control stress-related weight gain and appetite, and boost energy and reduce fatigue.

Remember, there is no quick fix for weight loss. But by following these tips, immersing yourself in the activities you love, and surrounding yourself with supportive family and friends, you’re well on your way to a slimmer, trimmer you.

Janet Koeune owns Oohlala Health, a provider of natural health and "green” products, fine handmade jewelry and unique gift items. All of the store’s products are manufactured individually from high quality materials and with great attention to detail. For more information, visit www.Oohlalahealth.com or call 920.582.4060.

Everyone knows we should eat more fruits and vegetables and avoid unhealthy foods and toxic things, but I want to explain the science behind it to convince you to begin living a healthier lifestyle.

Dr. Otto Warburg won the Nobel Prize for cancer research in 1931 and 1932. He hypothesized that cancer cells cannot grow in a high oxygen environment. Every time he lowered oxygen levels by 35 percent in a healthy cell, it became cancerous. He determined that increased amounts of oxygen inhibit the spread of cancer eventually causing them to die. In 1932, he discovered cancer cells cannot survive in an alkaline environment. Ninety-nine percent of the time a terminal cancer victim’s body is 1,000 times more acidic than normal.

Ph stands for potential hydrogen. It is measured on a scale from 0 to 14. Zero to 6.9 is acidic, 7 is neutral and 7.1-14 is alkaline. The ideal level is 7.2-7.4 when everything about your body will function best. Being in proper balance also means you will have adequate oxygen in your body, circulation and metabolism are better, and your immune system will be strong. When too acidic, oxygen is low where bacteria, fungi and cancer can thrive.

Your body is amazing in that it automatically attempts to maintain proper balance. A healthy body keeps alkaline reserves and calls upon them when needed to keep the body in balance. Minerals such as calcium, sodium, potassium and magnesium are some of the main minerals the body uses. When we eat things that cause us to go out of balance the body will leach calcium from our bones and joints, leading to arthritis-type illnesses, osteoporosis and a loss in bone density. 

Another common problem when the body uses too many of its reserve minerals is we develop acid reflux as the stomach no longer has adequate minerals to neutralize stomach acids.
    

The foods we eat and drink affect our Ph. Toxins also put our body out of balance. Foods with processed sugar, caffeine, preservatives and additives cause us to become more acidic. Water treated with chlorine and fluoride introduces toxins into your body.  Chlorine is put in tap water to kill bacteria. It kills bacteria because it is toxic and in my opinion should not be drunk if you can avoid it.  Prescription and non-prescription drugs are chemicals which are also toxic and are therefore acidic.
    

Toxins also get into our bodies through our skin, the largest organ in the body. Drugs administered topically wind up in your blood within minutes. Lotions, soaps, shampoos, sunscreens, bug spray, etc. contain ingredients the FDA considers too poisonous to be taken internally. The problem is, if you put it on your skin it is absorbed into your body and ends up in your blood where it can travel throughout your body going to vital organs. 

We also breathe in toxins. Air quality in the home is bad from dust, molds, carpet glue, paint, etc. and is then made worse by using cleaners and air fresheners with chemicals in them to kill bacteria.  If they kill bacteria they are toxic which means they are not good for you, either.
    

Another problem with the way Americans eat is that we cook most of our food killing important enzymes. Enzyme-deficient foods cause red blood cells to weaken and stick together. They then cannot travel through smaller veins causing the body to have low oxygen areas. Enzymes are needed to digest the foods we eat so we can absorb nutrients.
    

Given the American lifestyle, it becomes difficult to be healthy. We need to eat more organic, raw fruits and vegetables to get some of the minerals to help us become more balanced.  Drink 3 quarts to a gallon of filtered water a day.  If you add minerals, lemon or lime juice to your wate,r it will help to restore some of the minerals in your body helping you to become less acidic. 

Avoid processed foods, sugar, caffeine and drugs as much as possible. You can use dehydrated cane juice and blue agave as good substitutes. You can also add honey, pure maple syrup or fruit to sweeten your food instead of using processed sugar. Reduce toxins by using natural cleaners, soaps, lotions, air fresheners, etc. If you can’t eat it, don’t put it on your skin. An herbal internal cleanse is a good way to jump start your way to good health, along with digestive enzymes and probiotics to get your digestive system functioning properly.

Oohlala Health is one of the leading online providers of Natural Health and green products, fine handmade jewelry and unique gift items. For more information, visit oohlalahealth.com or call 920.582.4060.