Is The Era Of Cheap And Abundant Food Drawing To A Close?

Read this article by NY Times Journalist and sustainable food expert Michael Pollan and decide for yourself.

A fascinating, if scary, read.

Life Is Now. Press Play.

Kat

How To Make Your Health Dollar Go Further

I have a friend who regularly reminds me that if you jump off the top of an 80-storey building, for 79 storeys you can actually think you’re flying. It’s the sudden stop at the end that gets you. When I think of the financial boom, bubble and bust the US has just gone through, I often think about that image. We thought we were flying. Well, we just met the sudden stop at the end. The law of gravity, it turns out, still applies.

This was actually an introduction to an article in last week’s Age, written by journalist Thomas Friedman, but I just had to use it – quite the vivid picture, I thought!. If you live in the civilised world, the chances are high that the financial crisis has affected you. Maybe you’re lucky and it hasn’t hit you in the wallet, but it has to have made some impact, if just that you’ve been forced to listen to every armchair expert pontificate on reasons and outcomes for the situation at hand.

Maybe you’re one of the lucky ones and your career, finances and plans are not dependent on current financial climate, and the only impact for you is a drop to your mortgage payments. But for many people, things are suddenly looking tight. Scary, even. And – regardless of promises that Australia will not enter a recession – it’s no surprise that many of us are suddenly paying closer attention to our outgoings.

So I thought now would be a good time to look at ways to flip things. To find the positive side of being forced to tighten the purse-strings. And to just share with you some great tips for making your health dollar go further regardless of what’s going on in the world. I think we can all agree that it’s always nice to save money, whether or not you actually need to. And if you want the 79-story-drop rush then you could even go ahead and re-invest the dollars you saved back into the share market! (No, that’s not part of my advice!)

Five Ways To Make Your Health Dollar Go Further

1. Try Group Personal Training Rather Than One-on-One.
A good Personal Trainer should be able to run a small group session in such a way that you still feel like you were at PT, not in a class. In fact, some of my clients even comment that the group sessions are of a higher intensity than a one-on-one, and they love the competitive spirit. A PT small group should run at no more than 6 people, and should generally save you around 50% on the cost of regular PT. If your trainer doesn’t have a current group session, ask them if they’d be willing to run one if you organise a couple of friends or colleagues.

2. Buy Better Quality, And Cheaper
Did you know that the average fresh grocery spend at a market is between 30 and 40% lower than what you’d shell out at your suburban supermarket and is often half the price of shopping at express stores within the CBD? Plus, market food is fresher and there’s lots of interesting things you’d never find on the tired old shelves of the supermarket. Kind of a no-brainer, isn’t it? Going to the market can be more time consuming than running into the city IGA (mind you, how many times each week do you have to run out for last-minute groceries?), so why not turn it into a planned weekly excursion and have some fun with it. I’d suggest doing your weekly shop in one big hit, but if you’re up for a challenge then grab a friend, a sibling, or a handy neighbourhood kid (good for bag-carrying!) and set yourself a $15 budget each. The goal is to buy enough food for a delicious and tasty meal for two – see who can come up with the most interesting mix. Remember to arrive early for the freshest produce and greater selection, or at least check on the internet for closing time – most markets start winding down around 2pm.

3. Hit The Factory Outlets For The Latest Gym Gear
The average retail cost of a pair of sneakers is around $180, but you’re paying top dollar to walk into that conveniently located city store. Find the factory outlets in your area (google it) and you can save up to 70% on your sports shoes. Same goes for gym gear. And I’m not talking about dodgy 80’s lycra jobs, factory outlets carry quality brand-name gear that is usually only one season out of fashion. Fact is, it doesn’t really matter what you clothe your bod in whilst exercising – Target leggings and your Dad’s old t-shirt are fine, but a good pair of sneakers is hard to beat. So why not shop smart – head down to Foot Locker or Rebel for a fitting, note down your preferred brand and style and then make the effort to hit the outlets on the weekend. Definitely worth the effort!

4. Invest In Wellness Not Sickness
Did you know that in 1998 Americans spent one trillion dollars on doctor and hospital care? And a further one point three trillion dollars on prescription medicine?! It’s fair to say that countries like Australia and the UK are proportionally similar to this. So how much of this horrifying expenditure is coming out of your pocket? And – more scary still – how much could you have prevented by taking preventative measures to preserve your wellness and quality of life? I’ve always thought that if you don’t spend the money on your health now, you will be forced to spend it on your sickness later. I know which I’d rather do. Especially when the reality is that sickness can cost a heck of a lot more than wellness. Don’t gamble with your health – in this case the obvious bet really is the best bet.

5. Challenge Yourself To Achieve Exceptional Stress-Handling Fitness
We all know that increased fitness helps us to handle stress. But how often do you truly think about and apply that information? Avoid the temptation to throw it all in and hide in the jungle with your hands over your eyes by actually making use of the dollars you are already spending on your health. Hit the gym three times a week (or more) – regardless of whether your work/financial world is falling down around you. Commit to maintaining your healthy eating plan despite the fact that colleagues are drowning their sorrows in creamy bowls of pasta. Get up early, focus on the positive, dance around in your living-room while singing into the vacuum head (okay, that’s just me) but basically do whatever it takes to remind yourself that this is your life, and that despite what’s going on in the world, in fact in spite of it, that the choice to be healthy, fit and vibrant is yours. And that now is definitely not the time to waste that gym membership or single-handedly fund your local pastry store’s Christmas party.

Remember –

Life is Now. Press Play.

Kat

*Do you have any tips for making your health dollar go further? Please share in the comments section!

Could The Contraceptive Pill Be Confusing Your Deeper Instincts?

Just another thing to think about!

Contraceptive pills taken by tens of millions of women around the world can disrupt the innate ability to sniff out a genetically compatible partner, a study released today has found

Personally, I believe that anything that tricks your body into thinking it is in a different (hormonal) state to what it actually is cannot be a good thing. And as much as your doctor insists that the Pill has no side-effects, we all know better. Mood swings and weight fluctuation anyone? If you won’t admit to it, I’ll bet your partner will! And if the way you look or behave is affected by the Pill, then doesn’t it stand to reason that stuff on the inside will be thrown off course as well?

I guess it’s all about weighing up the risk with or without this (and other) drug(s), and then deciding which is the lesser of two evils. And in case you’re wondering – this is by no means the first time I’ve stumbled on research detailing the riskier or lesser-known effects of the Pill.

So you tell me – can we really beat Mother Nature and take control of our bodies?

Life is Now. Press Play.

Kat

For a fantastic detox that increases energy, sheds stored fat, enhances sleep and digestion, and actually saves you money on your grocery bill, investigate here – and then drop me a line at info@playlife.com.au

What’s Clogging Your Pipes?

According to foodmatters.tv (now that’s a fascinating documentary – definitely worth purchasing the DVD):

‘A physician from Berlin, whose life work was performing autopsies, stated that 60 per cent of all the corpses he worked on contained worms and putrefied faeces in the alimentary canal. He further stated that in nearly all cases the intestines and colon were also lined with a crust of hardened faeces, making it evident that these organs had degenerated to a state of utter inefficiency.’

The article goes on to detail a fairly vivid and stomach-turning picture of your innards. Yes, I am talking about you. And – according to autopsy physician’s – that’s even if you drop the kids off at the pool daily.

This fascinating piece (please don’t read it while eating) concludes with a quick sales pitch for a colonic cleanse program. Personally, I haven’t tried this brand. But I do have a few tips of my own for cleaning up your dirtiest parts:

• Drinking plenty of water is a start, but our tap water is purified, and this kills off important minerals. Add a pinch or two of organic sea salt to your water. A quality brand, such as Himalayan Sea Salts (any organic brand is fine), will add over 85 vital nutrients back into your body. This will aid all bodily functions, digestion in particular.
• Incorporate some Yoga or stretching into your exercise regime. These gentle exercises not only make you feel great, but are known to stimulate movement down below.
• Follow the 80/20 rule: Eat quality, non-processed, preferably organic foods 80% of the time, and keep the nasties to a minimum of 20% or less. The big offenders are caffeine, sugar, refined wheat products, and alcohol.
• Consider implementing some sort of detox or cleanse at least once a year. This could be as simple as eating 100% organic food and avoiding all nasties. Personally, I’m a new but raving fan of the Isagenix 30-day cleanse. The products are organically based, contain quality proteins, fats and carbs (a balanced meal), I love the taste, they work out at less than $7 per meal, and they’re hugely convenient in my busy life. As if that’s not enough, they work. Here’s what just a few of my clients and fellow trainers had to say:

‘I am obsessed with the shakes they smell like gingerbread, so far so good’ Personal Training client

I am getting great results. I am exactly half way through and have lost 4.5kg! My goal is 8kg. Now seeing as my digestive/hormonal problems have been giving me a very hard time with weight gain and difficulty losing it, I am especially pleased with the outcome. Most of that weight came off in the first week. The second week was, my time of the month, which as you know will slow things down, plus of course the first week i likely lost some fluid. All in all, loving it.’ Amanda, Personal Trainer

‘My days are great, gonna measure myself tonight but yesterday my mum told me to start eating cos she doesn’t want me so kinny!!!! Also I’m down a belt notch and my work pants are looser and I wore my brothers pants on the weekend and he is skinnier then me…..I’m looking great, definition I’ve never had before, it just makes you motivated to train…..only the start but so far so good……’ Nik, Health Club Reception Manager

‘I’ve lost 3 kg which is amazing & unprecedented for me so that’s pretty motivating’ Personal Training Client

‘Being an avid member of the fitness community, it’s hard to come across effective supplements and cleansing systems, which don’t conflict with professional views on health, food, nutrition and detoxification. As we find toxins increasingly available in the food we eat, taking a step back and going back to basics with “organic” whole foods can be an inconvenient chore. This is where i found the Isagenix 30-day cleanse to be a key element in helping me, and my clients, lean up, without restricting my food intake. My sceptisism was met with remarkable results, as I was able to shed 6 kilos by the end of the 30-day program. It’s all about quality’                                                                                                                                                         Andray, Personal Trainer

‘I love the shakes and ongoing I am going to keep having them when I need to (busy times when I don’t have time to make a good meal). Like you mentioned they keep you going for a long period of time’ Jo, Yoga Teacher

‘I began using the Isalean shake predominantly because I needed a meal replacement drink to help me with the times I wasn’t able to prepare something to eat. What I found was, the Isalean shake kept me full, diminished my sugar cravings, was easily digested and tasted really good! The vanilla flavour is my favourite’ Elizabeth – Actor/Model/Personal Trainer in training

And there’s more where those came from. Want to find out more? Email me at info@playlife.com.au. Alternatively you can purchase your 30 or 9 day cleanse directly through this site. It only takes two days to arrive. Just select ‘Products’ and ‘Cleanse’. Those who are looking just for an occasional meal replacement or filling snack should select ‘Products’, ‘IsaLean shakes’.

If you are interested in purchasing the products at a wholesale cost then contact me at the email above.

In the meantime, remember -

Life is Now. Press Play.

Kat

When Success is Slow, What Can You Do?

Reproduced with permission. Written by Jack Canfield

Pop Quiz: Can success be sped up? Is there an antidote to slow outcomes despite arduous planning and actions taken? What is the secret for seeing huge results right now?!

I get versions of these questions frequently from people who feel frustrated at sluggish progress in their success journey – despite all the know-how and principles they rigorously employ.

But first, let’s get one thing straight…

When we admire someone else’s success, or even our own, we often focus on the end result and not so much on the effort, time, discipline, and setbacks that it took them to get there.

This can often cultivate unrealistic expectations and frustrations, especially the idea that overnight success can happen through careful strategy and execution of sound advice.

Truth be told, success typically follows a series of little events and achievements that include a few disappointments along the way, which challenges everything about you to the core–your stamina, courage, integrity, and even your willingness to keep going.

If you focus on what’s not working, guess what: You’re likely coming from a place of aggravation as your mind wraps around all that is wrong. You may even have negative thoughts like “I’m not good enough,” “It will never work,” or “Something must be wrong with me.”

What this does mentally is engender more of these counter-productive feelings. And given what we know about the Law of Attraction, you attract what you are feeling. Negative experiences, people, and results will beget more negative experience, people, and results. There’s not much success in that.

The key, then, is to focus on what IS working.

To do so, I recommend two simple practices: journaling and meditation.

Maintaining a journal (I call it an Evidence Log, Results Journal, or Gratitude Journal) is a great way to steer your attention to the positive and it helps to continually renew your vision for yourself. Start each day with reflections on what you are grateful for in your life (list them out!) and end each day with notes on what went right (again, write them down), however small.

Meditation can be a powerful tool for arriving at solutions to problems and shifting your attitude so you can attract success sooner rather than later.

The magic of meditation is its ability to essentially shut down the outer layer of your judgmental, highly-critical brain and allow your unconscious mind to take over. This is where you enter a deeper state of inner peace and joy, tapping into a higher level of creativity that will help usher in the results you want.

Through the practice of meditation you will begin to become even more aware of your subtle intuitive impulses, insights, ideas, emotions and inspirations.

Don’t know how to meditate? Lots of books and materials are available to guide you this practice. It’s easier than you think.

Okay, let’s say you’re doing ALL these things,
but you still aren’t happy with your results…

Then, I’ll ask you: Are you taking real ACTION? You may be taking the actions you are used to taking. But therein lies the problem: if you keep doing what you’ve already done then you’ll keep getting what you’ve always gotten. It’s a matter of practicing some new behaviors. Shake things up a bit and see if you can take new actions or modify existing ones.

Remember the Rule of 5. Every day do five specific things that take you toward your goal. Change up the five actions regularly and be open to feedback so you know when you’re off course.

Lastly, I want to remind you about patience.

It’s natural to underestimate how long a certain goal can take, especially a profound one. When I set a goal to become a millionaire, the year was 1983. How long did it take? Eleven years. It took time for Chicken Soup for the Soul to hit the bestseller lists. You could say our tenure on the New York Times list was more than a decade in the making. That’s a lot of patience for someone who initially wanted overnight success.

So, yes, patience is a virtue. But keep at it, and in time, you’ll be only one week, or one day away from your ultimate success.

Remember… be grateful, reflect on what IS working and continue to take ACTION!

© 2008 Jack Canfield

Jack Canfield, America’s #1 Success Coach, is founder of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul and a leading authority on Peak Performance and Life Success. If you’re ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get your FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now at: www.FreeSuccessStrategies.com

*Yes, in case you’re wondering, I was feeling lazy this week. Well, actually, am busy working on my new blog! Soon to be revealed. But I hope you enjoyed this post. I thought it was great.

Remember – Life is Now. Press Play.

Kat

Practical Advice To Ease Computer-Related Aches and Pains

Do you ever get to the point where you feel like you’re just about ready to throw your computer out the window? And I’m not just talking about technical frustration (although believe me, I can relate to that!) No, I’m talking about that moment somewhere toward the end of a long day when you realise that not only have you been breathing in other people’s stale air and germs, not only have you skipped a healthy lunch for a couple of old muffins and some bad coffee, but your entire body is seriously aching. Your neck hurts, your eyes are burning, and if you tried to stand up and touch your toes your stiff back would probably leave you stuck halfway down to the floor, forcing you to contemplate your own belly in a little more detail than what you’d probably like.

Now surely I’m not the only one who forgets everything they know about smart posture at the computer?

Just when I knew I was starting to slip back into bad habits, I came across a great article by Today Massage Therapist Lovelyn Bettison. Give your poor tired back a chance and check it out by following this link:

How To Avoid The Physical Hazards of ..

(This article is written for bloggers, but definitely relevant for any of you who are computer-bound, by choice or force).

PS* This sort of advice works best when you actually apply it!

Life is Now. Press Play.

Kat

When Good Eating Goes So So Bad – How NOT To Lose Weight

Lately I’ve been spending a lot of time hanging out in weight loss forums such as Dr Phil. I tell you what, if you’ve got a spare hour or so and want to make your own worries about your body image disappear, then follow my lead. There are some seriously desperate people out there. And it’s hard not to admire their courage in sharing (sometimes a little too much). But you do have to wonder at the advice that’s being given out online. Sure, most of it is from ‘novice to novice’ (as opposed to professional advice), but that doesn’t stop it being pretty damn scary.

And just a little bit funny – surely, with all that we now know about health, surely .. there isn’t anyone out there that actually thinks this sort of thing works?!

How NOT To Lose Weight (I’ve left the spelling mistakes in – it adds that something extra!)

day 1- all you have to eat is furits in whole day but not the
bananas + mangos. try water melon in the breakfast.

day 2- all you have to eat the vegetables in whole day
cocked or uncocked but dont put oil in it, should be
boiled.

day 3- today you can mix the furits and vegatables, there is no
limit how much you eat.

day 4- today all you have to eat is 8 bananas and three
glasses of milk, thatsit.

day 5- today you may eat one cup of rich without oil only
boiled but you have to eat 6 tomatos and drink
a lot of water.

day 6- you can eat one cup of rich as yesterday with
vegetables in whole day.

day 7- to is the juices day. you can drink as much as you like
the whole, thatsit.

after seven days you have to come back on your normal life but should take meal with brown bread for 3 days. then if you wanna loose more you can do the same again or just leave it and have fun in your life.

i asure you that i did this and i loose 5 kgs in 7 days.

Hmmm, any takers?

Now I’m not too sure what ‘rich’ is, but I’m not really thinking that I want to email the author and find out!

On a more serious note – the really scary part is that there are people out there, even in our oh-so-evolved-and-educated society, who still believe in and follow these sort of crazy plans. I almost cried reading the blog of a 25 year old London girl, who documented eating less and less each day (basically a cup of broth morning and night), whilst upping her exercise, and then complaining about feeling woozy and grumpy. And, to top it all off, asking for advice as to what else she should cut out as she wasn’t losing enough weight! I mean sure, you can roll your eyes at her stupidity, but there is nonetheless an element of sadness that people do go to such desperate measures to change their body.

I guess when it comes down to it, despite all that we supposedly know about nutrition, there are still too many people out there who just aren’t getting the results despite their best efforts. So we do have to ask ourselves – is there a chance that conventional nutritional advice is all wrong?

My opinion – that’s pretty much a statement of fact, not a question. There’s a very real reason (well, several actually) that low-calorie and high-exercise doesn’t work. And those reasons are pretty much the basis of my new book. More on that another time ..

In the meantime, what is the craziest diet you’ve tried in your life? I once ate nothing but sultanas for three days. Yes, it was a long time ago, but ug, I can definitely still remember the aftermath. And it wasn’t pretty! I’m just glad I somehow got pointed in the right direction after that attempt. How about you? What is some of the useful, or plain stupid, advice you’ve received about health or nutrition?

Maybe we could put a book together!

Life is Now: Press Play

Kat

**PS: The reason I’m hanging out in weight loss forums? Market research for the book of course! But you guys are my best inspiration – I’d love to hear your questions or wonderments, or even your frustrations when it comes to getting in shape and why doing ‘all the right things’ sometimes makes no difference at all.

**PPS: For wonderful nutritional supplementation that is solely quality whole foods, saves you time and money, and definitely works for weight loss, click here, or email me at info@playlife.com.au

When Life Forces You To Stop and Think

It’s been an interesting week. I’ve been bitten by a white-tail spider, had three doctor’s refuse to see me about it because they were ‘too busy’, my cat’s bladder nearly exploded requiring immediate and expensive action, and – to top it all off – my ignition barrel has given up on life and I’ve spent the last ninety minutes sitting in my car waiting for a tow truck to rescue me.

Want to know the really fun part? I have an hour and thirty-six minutes in which to do tow-truck man business, get back home, pack, and get to the airport. Make that an hour thirty-five.

Awesome.

Anyway, after spending said ninety minutes drumming the dashboard, learning how to play games on my phone, and throwing back too many long macchiato’s, I decided it’s time to take action. In fact, in my slightly drug-induced (excess caffeine) state, I decided to try some calming meditation.

But after slowly repeating ‘this too shall pass’ to myself three and a half times, I realised I was feeling slightly insane, and pretty nearly ready to kill someone. Specifically the tow truck man if he didn’t get his butt here NOW.

And that was when it hit me. I could sit here working myself up into such a sweaty, enraged bother, or I could take advantage of my enforced captivity by pulling out my laptop and ticking a few things off my research and writing list.

Of course – wouldn’t you know it – as soon as I logged on to the internet I got a call from Mr Tow Truck Man saying that he was twenty minutes away. Grrrr! Doesn’t he know I was trying to work! But it’s funny how – once you’re in the right mindset – you can sure get a whole lot of stuff done in next to no time.

In twenty minutes, with my mind focused on the determination to walk away from this mess feeling like I’d achieved something, I managed to:

• Hunt down all the old and new research I need for an article I’m writing on ‘Whether Vegetarians Live Longer Than Meat-Eaters’
• Get things moving on a new joint-business venture by organising hosting, outsourcing the set-up of a new paid blog, and re-direct an existing domain name to my new hosting (this even included having to watch a video on how to re-direct a domain name: no, I’m not a tech-geek by nature!)
• Reply in fairly detailed length to four important emails.
• Update my Facebook status (okay, that wasn’t on my must-do list)
• Go through the client accounts for my two apprentice Personal Trainers and check that everything is up to date

Pretty cool, huh? Even better – for that brief period of time, I managed to forget that I was in peril of missing my flight to Canberra.

In case you’re wondering, it’s Friday morning and I’m sitting in my parents lounge-room in Canberra finishing this article off now. But, yes, I did write most of it in the car after I’d completed the above list. Mr Man was actually about eight minutes late on his stated arrival time so I got to writing.

Now the only thing I have to figure out is why I work so much better under pressure. And I know I’m not the only one. It seems most of us out there thrive on the adrenaline of a deadline – real or self-imposed. Wouldn’t success be so much easier if we were just naturally motivated to stay on task and pursue all our exciting ideas regardless of circumstance? If you find out the key to that one, please let me know!

In the meantime, if you’re looking to get some work done or pursue a new idea, why not create your own self-imposed deadline? You don’t have to wait for your car to break down. Here are five of my favourite tactics. Can you guess which one of them I’m employing right now?

1. No morning coffee (or whatever gets you going) until you have spent 30 minutes working on something important. This does not mean email and surfing.
2. Choose something that you love, and ‘forbid’ yourself to do it until a set task has been accomplished. Even if the something you love is good for you. I find not allowing myself to exercise works well for me.
3. Commit to not attending a much-looked-forward-to social event until you have ticked three important things off your list.
4. Set the alarm clock for half an hour earlier and actually make use of the time!
5. Do it NOW. Even if you’ve only five minutes. Five minutes a day adds up, you know. And it’s sure better than getting to the end of the year and realising you’ve progressed barely at all because you were ‘too busy’. Whether it’s exercise, food preparation, business or career advancement ideas, or just cleaning the house, it ain’t gonna happen unless you make it happen.

Remember – Life is Now. Press Play.

Kat

*Oh – and my car is sadly spending the weekend in Mitcham at a mechanics. I say sadly because it’s many many miles from my home. Any takers to pick it up?! I promise to lock you in it afterwards and force you to be productive!

Scary Soy – Five Compelling Reasons To Stop Eating This So-Called Health Food

When it comes to eating soy products there’s really only one question to ask yourself -

‘Do I want to believe the marketing or the facts?’

Because the truth is that soy food has never been proven safe and that there are countless studies showing it can permanently damage your health. Here are five compelling reasons to avoid this dangerous food:

1. It is one of the world’s most commonly genetically modified (GM) foods. Although there are some dubious advantages to GM foods (such as food staying fresher for longer), GM technology has never been proven safe, and laboratory tests on rats and insects have shown GM produce to cause stunted growth and immune system dysfunction. Another major concern with GM foods is that they are gradually destroying naturally sustainable agriculture and farming. GM technology can also impact on the molecular structure of plant proteins and fats, causing digestive and metabolic disorder. GM soy is everywhere – up to 60% of food on supermarket shelves contains some GM Soya. Now if that’s not a reason to read labels then I don’t know what is!

2. US Government scientists Drs Daniel Doerge and Daniel Sheehan recently broke away from the FDA (America Food and Drug Administration) after not wanting to put their name to pro-soy propaganda. The Drs quoted 28 studies listing the dangers of soy. Of the many concerns the greatest were that soy foods can increase the risk of breast cancer in women, brain damage in men and women, and abnormalities in children.

3. Isoflavones are one of soy’s most harmful chemicals and they mimic your body’s natural estrogen hormone. This can cause hormonal imbalance leading to thyroid problems (your thyroid helps to regulate your metabolism), infertility and digestive sensitivity.

4. History shows that people in Asian cultures did not consume soy in large quantities except in times of food scarcity. Even then, careful care was taken to prepare the soybeans through fermentation. This rids the bean of harmful chemicals and soy toxins.

5. It’s worth saying again – soy has NEVER been proven safe, nor have any of the numerous studies showing its harmful effects been disproven.

I know I don’t want to risk it.

But what if you love soy and don’t want to cut it out of your diet? You can play it safe:

- Choose only certified organic soy products. They will not be genetically modified, and will not have been grown with the aid of harmful pesticides and toxins.

- Fermented soy products are the best choice. Tempeh , miso, soy sauce, and natto are all fermented soy foods. You will find organic versions of them in your local health food or organic store.

Want to know more? Check out my sources:

Soy May Cause Cancer and Brain Damage – Mercola.com

Genetically Modified Foods

And remember: Life is Now. Press Play.

Kat

*PS: My favourite new cleansing and weight loss products, the fabulous Isagenix IsaLean shakes, do NOT contain harmful soybean products from GM sources. (Of course ) For those who have followed my detox and are unsure about how to order the products, or which program is right for you, email me at info@playlife.com.au

If you’re not interested in improved digestion, releasing stored toxins and body fat, and the convenience of a quick, tasty and filling shake that costs less than a gourmet sandwich, then don’t click here.

I (Finally!) Reveal My Mystery Detox Product …

This morning I made a pretty poor decision. I decided to (yes, again) deviate from my cleanse. You’d think I’d have the willpower to stick to the program for a mere 30 days, but you’d be wrong. It turns out I am indeed human, and – when it comes to indulgent foods – definitely flawed.

Anyway, as far as consequences of my cheat meal (scrambled parmesan and basil eggs on 5-grain toast, with spinach and bacon on the side … mmm .. ) I’d have to say the news is positive. Not that I’m trying to justify, you understand. But it is good to get feedback from your body. And the feedback I got was pretty much:

‘Urrckk. Please don’t do that again. Give me back my morning shake!’

That’s my body talking, in case you’re wondering. Specifically my digestive system. Really, though, it wasn’t the unhealthiest of meals. The main problem was portion size and too much cheese. Processed meat isn’t great either. But there’s definitely worse things you could eat for breaky.

Here’s my point:

I’m writing this at 3pm and I still feel sluggish. That food is sitting in my gut, and it’s giving me a headache. I can’t be bothered training and I know that if I do I’ll be moving as if through water. Basically, I can’t wait until my stomach clears and I can ‘shake it up’ for my next meal.

See now why I said the news is positive? Even though I knew the cleanse program was doing wonders for my energy and digestion, it took that big heavy meal to really rub in the contrast. I was trying to explain this to a colleague this morning, and she expressed the concern that she ‘wouldn’t want to get hung up on taking shakes instead of meals because sooner or later you have to go back to real food’.

I agreed. That makes a lot of sense to me. If it were a nutritionally void ‘magic fix’ product, that is. But Isagenix is not. Btw, it’s only now that I’m 100% confident it ROCKS, that I am finally revealing the name of this product. Isagenix IsaLean shakes (the main part of the 30-dy [program I’ve been following) are a complex balance of 30% essential fats, 40% organic grass-fed protein from whey, and 30% high-grade vegetable based carbohydrate. In other words, they have everything that a balanced meal should provide, along with a plethora of real-food vitamins, minerals, and enzymes. The truth is that even if you source the highest quality farm fresh organic meat and produce (and let’s face it, how often does that happen?!), you may still not match the nutrition quality of an IsaLean shake.

For now, here is a little more info on just exactly what this product and company is all about. This should give you more of an idea about why I’m willing to put my name to a product for the first time ever ..

Isagenix is all about nutritional cleansing. This means the focus is not on fast weight loss or a quick-fix detox (although initial results might make you think so). It’s about using premium herbs, vitamins and minerals to aid cleansing and do two things:

• Accelerate the removal of impurities from the body.
• Nourish the body with vital nutrients to rapidly revive health.

A cleansed and revitalized body is stronger; resists illness better, is more efficient and performs at a higher level than one that is filled with impurities. Many people notice an ability to reach and maintain their ideal weight. In all the research I’ve done over the years, this is the first time I’ve found a product that I believe matches and even beats eating the best wholefood, organic diet. It’s also pretty convenient in my busy life!

I’m honestly amazed that in my already healthy body, in not even 3 weeks, I’ve noticed a tremendous difference. In the last ten days alone I’ve lost 2.8 kilograms, taking me from 62 to 59.2kg. My ‘perfect’ weight is 58kg. This fast weight loss was, I believe, mainly through improved digestion – and I had thought my digestion was fine!. I’ve also noticed I just plain feel good on these products. My energy is really stable, I feel full without being heavy, and – strangest side effect – my eyes seem to have become clearer and more sparkly! Can’t complain about that.

Here’s what a couple of my clients had to say about the products:

‘I love the Isalean shake and it tastes really good.’ Elizabeth Codrington

‘My stomach is so flat even though I’m getting my period, and you were right about the digestion!’ Name withheld

‘I’ve lost 3 kilos already – I didn’t think it would work that fast’ (a fellow Personal Trainer)

Anyway, the long and short of it is that I love these products, I think they’re great, and I want to share them with you. As I said, I’ve been following the 30-day program. It works out to cost around $5-6 per meal, so although it may seem pricey upfront you definitely come out on top by the end of the month. For those who are wondering, yes I am selling these products. This is a new step for me, but one I’m quite proud and excited about. This link will take you to my Isagenix site. You can place your own orders here and have them shipped to your house in about 2 days. You can also read a little more about the different programs and products.

For those who just want a protein shake, try the IsaLean shakes, but if you’re looking for a full body re-vamp I’d definitely recommend either the 9 or 30 day programs. If you’d like to know more, or are interested in finding out how to pay wholesale for these products, drop me an email here.

Thanks for listening! And remember -

Life is Now. Press Play.

Kat

*Ps: I’ll keep you updated on my cleanse, but will also return this blog to it’s usual mix of weekly nutrition, exercise and success tips. Comments or feedback? Add them to this blog. The comment link is at the top of the post.