WHAT TO EAT

KEY #1 Eat lots of Organic Vegetables and Fruits!
Veggies and fruits are low in calories, provide filling fiber, vitamins and minerals, and protect your health in many ways. Organic produce has superior nutrition without the insecticides and poisons found in ordinary produce. Eat as much of your produce raw as you can. Cooked or frozen is acceptable, but stay away from canned. Naturally fermented (lacto-fermented) vegetables, such as sauerkraut and kimchee, are very good for you as well.

KEY #2 Eat Meat and Animal Products.
There are vital nutrients found in animal foods that cannot be found elsewhere. Meat, fish, eggs, cheese, and milk are important staples in our diet. And their protein is important for preserving and building lean tissue C the muscle that burns calories!

KEY #3 Eat Whole Grains-- Properly Prepared.
Grains should be soaked, sprouted, or fermented to be digestible for most people. Whole grain products that have not been properly prepared can cause mineral deficiencies and intestinal problems.

KEY #4 Add Raw Milk Products to Your Diet.
Raw (unprocessed, unhomogenized, unpasturized) whole milk from grass fed cows is what the body needs (adults and children). It will boost your intake of calcium and other nutrients, and help your body shed unwanted fat with the CLA found in it. See http://realmilk.com for more information.

KEY #5 Eat lots of "Good" Fats
The omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids in butter, some fish (especially cod liver oil) coconut and palm oil and nuts are vital to health. Saturated fat, despite what you probably heard, will help you lose weight, does not cause heart disease, and is actually something the body needs for healthy functioning.

WHAT TO AVOID

KEY #6 Cut Out Junk Carbs-- Sugar and White Flour.
They sabotage your healthy diet in all but the smallest amounts. Use soaked whole grain flours and small amounts of natural sugars such as raw honey and organic maple syrup. Stay away from corn syrup-- it is worse than sugar.

KEY #7 Greatly Reduce Junk and Bad Fats
Trans fats and processed oils (most of the oil you will find in the grocery store for cooking) are not only high in calories, but are loaded with harmful fatty acids that contribute to disease and obesity. Use butter and coconut oil for cooking, and other healthy oils like flax and olive oil raw for salads.

KEY #8 Stay Away From Modern Soy Foods.
Soy is not a meat replacement and can block mineral absorption, inhibit protein digestion, depress thyroid function and contains potent carcinogens. Traditional soy foods are fine, if taken in small amounts and properly fermented, like in soy sauce, miso and tempeh. Avoid all products with soy proteins and isolates added to them. Do not give infants soy formula!

KEY #9 Avoid Processed Food.
Canned and processed produce, boxed meals, processed meat and cheese, protein powers and powered milk contain toxins and things that keep you fat-- such as MSG, rancid fats and cholesterol, hydrogenated oils and trans-fat, white sugar, and white flour, not to mention all the added colors, preservatives and artificial vitamins. Use unrefined sea salt and herbs to season your food instead of refined salt and MSG.

KEY #10 Reduce or Eliminate Processed Alcohol.
Processed alcohol consumption tends to cause weight gain. Traditional homemade fermented unpasturized beverages, low in alcohol, on the other hand, are good for you in moderation.

WHEN, HOW & HOW MUCH TO EAT

KEY #11 Cut Down on Food Gently
Extreme and sudden dieting causes your body to conserve, not burn calories. See "Report."

KEY #12 Eat Snacks, Not Meals
More frequent, smaller healthy snacks are burned for energy, not stored as fat.

KEY #13 Stop Counting Calories
It isn't the calories that make you fat, it is what foods you eat-- like sugar, white flour, processed foods and bad oils!

EXERCISE & LIFESTYLE

KEY #14 Eat Earlier, Not Later
Skipping breakfast makes it difficult later in the day to control your appetite.

KEY #15 MOVE!
You must exercise to build lean tissue that burns fat! Gradually boost exercise frequency and intensity for even greater effects.

KEY #16 Reduce Stress
Stress increases hunger and promotes weight gain.

KEY #17 Get Daily Sunshine and Plenty of Sleep
Sunshine produces Vitamin D, which helps in fat loss, while sleep is necessary for rejuvenation and carbohydrate metabolism.

KEY #18 Lead a Healthy, Active Life
Good habits and small steps can set you on the right path to a healthy and fit lifestyle.

KEY #19 Be a Positive Person
Think positive thoughts and practice forgiveness.

KEY #20 You are in Charge of Your Own Health
It is your job to take responsibility for your healthit is not the job of your spouse, your family, your doctor, or your cook. Educate yourself and practice discipline. Share what you learn with others.

This was taken in part from 16 Keys to a Healthy and Fit Lifestyle by Nexagen (http://nexagenusa.com/diet_patch) and modified by Dianne Ronnow, author and Independent Distributor for Nexagen. They are headed in the right direction, but I modified them a little by the proven healthy living principals of the Weston A. Price Foundation (http://westonaprice.org).

Sometimes we just need a little help to live a healthy lifestyle. Something to jump-start the metabolism, give us energy and start the fat burning and muscle building. If that is you, check out the great Jen Fe Fat Loss Diet Patches from Nexagen. They are proven safe and they really work!