Chris and Heidi Powell on the Vemma Bode Program

Heres a short video from our youtube channel by Chris and Heidi Powell were they explain about the Vemma Bode Program, and how you can apply it to your life to help you lose weight!

Have a watch and let us know what you think;

Food to improve your life

Chris Powell is a mastermind when it comes to weight loss and his food recomendations are 100% on point. If your not where you want to be with your diet and nutrition right now, look at adding in some of the above foods to help fight fat, boost your metabolism or squash your hunger pangs!

Im working on some great blog posts for you guys at the moment, and hope to have them up really soon!

Carb Cycling: The Easy Cycle

Want to know how to cycle carbs for best results? Read Chris's info below!

 Carb Cycling: The Easy Cycle

Do you have a hard time going without your favorite foods, but you still want to lose weight? Then the Easy Cycle is for you. In this cycle you alternate low-carb and high-carb days, and on every single high-carb day you can have a reward meal, as long as that meal isn’t your dinner meal. That’s right, you can eat the foods you love—four days a week— and still reach your weight loss goals. And by favorite foods I mean pizza, ice cream, bacon, chocolate cake, cheesecake—they’re all okay. The power of this cycle is that if you get those favorite food cravings on low-carb days, you only have to wait until the next day to satisfy them. Anyone can do that! Success can be yours with this cycle.
How is this possible? First of all, you’ll be following my low-carb/high-carb eating plan for your non-reward meals, and the success of this pattern has been proven many times over. And even though you’ll be rewarding yourself, you’ll be rewarding yourself less often. Let’s say you usually eat seven servings of ice cream a week. With the Easy Cycle you’re already eliminating three bowls of ice cream a week, and that’s a lot of calories! You’re satisfying your cravings without depriving yourself, and losing weight.
Here’s what an Easy Cycle week looks like:

For all your meals, on both low and high-carb days, try and eat smaller portions than you would pre-carb cycle. The more calories you can cut, the faster you’ll lose that extra weight!
And yes, you won’t lose weight as quickly as you would in other cycles, but the important thing is that you will lose weight, and you’ll also be forming healthy habits that will last a lifetime. And when you’re ready, you can move onto another cycle if you want to. Or you can stay with the Easy Cycle throughout your weight loss journey. It’s totally up to you!

Winter warmer recipe

Heres a tasty, healthy recipe to keep you warm on those cold winter nights!


Chicken, Zucchini and Potato Soup:  This is one of the comfort-food type Chris Powell Recipes that anyone on the Chris Powell Carb Cycle Diet will want to give a try.  Hearty and satisfying and perfect for a cold, winter day.

Chicken, Zucchini, and Potato Soup-

Ingredients:
2 lbs. potatoes, peeled and cut into inch square pieces
2 lbs. chicken breast
2 lbs. zucchini, cut into inch square pieces
2 med. onions, chopped
5 c. low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 tbsp. per serving unsweetened Greek yogurt (optional)

Directions:
Place all ingredients into a crock pot, layering potatoes first, then chicken, followed by zucchini and onions last. Pour in low sodium chicken broth, and sprinkle nutmeg on top. Cover and cook for 8-10 hours on low heat. After cooking, shred chicken with a fork. When ready to serve, add a tablespoon of unsweetened Greek yogurt to each bowl and enjoy.

 

 

 

 

What are you really supposed to be eating in a day?

You see them a lot, in advertisements, in health stores, in grocery stores, maybe even in your child’s school cafeteria. What am I talking about? Food Pyramids. Triangle charts that tell you what, as a healthy individual, you are supposed to be eating in a day. Problem is, most of them are wrong. *Gasp* I know what you’re thinking… “But there’s one in my doctor’s office, surely they know what they’re talking about!” “There’s a food pyramid poster in the lobby of my gym! There are health instructors there! What do you mean it’s wrong?” Well, in order to understand why the way most people are told to eat is not really good at all, we have to go to all the way to Sweden. That’s right. Sweden. The food pyramid was brought about in 1978 by their government. It migrated over here thanks to the USDA (Untied States Department of Agriculture) in 1992. The pyramid was not created by studied nutritionists or knowledgeable athletes. No sir, it was made by a government who had to support all of the farmer’s needs in their country. It was based on sustaining people off of cheap, mostly nutrition void food and then packing in the other nutrients you needed to survive with as little cost as possible. What does this lead to? Multiple countries that are now thoroughly mislead as to what they’re supposed to be eating. So, what’s really meant to be powering your body through your tough days? Well, most food pyramids have carbohydrates as the largest portion of your food. Then comes veggies and fruit, then protein and dairy, and last on the list is fats and sweets. What your pyramid should look like is this: 

Sugar and processed foods should be the thing you take in the least of. This category is comprised of basically anything found in a jar or package. I’m not talking beans or canned fruit, though both of those should be used sparingly, I mean foods like lunch meat, canned meats, white and brown sugars, alcohol, white bread and chips, pastries and cookies, cereal, soda, microwaveable or packaged meals and candy. Also included in this category is red meats like steak, and oils like canola or vegetable oil.

The second to top tier is dairy or dairy substitutes. Though I personally advise against dairy, mostly because of widespread food allergies and the havoc it can wreak on your mucus membranes and stomach, most people consume dairy or other animal products like goat cheese. Whether you eat dairy or things to substitute for it, such as soy, rice or almond milk, it should not comprise most of your diet. 

Many people believe that fat, of any sort, is bad for you. This is absolutely not true. While you still should watch the amounts of -even healthy- fats you take in, foods like avocados and peanut butter have healthy fats that can help you feel fuller and more satisfied when you eat. Pistachios, cashews, almonds, walnuts and pecans are all great nuts to snack on alone, or you can eat their nut butters. Fats should be eaten in moderate amounts, along with carbohydrates. Whole grain bread, rolled oats and real granola are all good carbs that can help you, like good fats, to stay full and give you long- term energy. 

Processed meat coated in more processed flour drenched in oil is not the kind of protein you should be eating. Lean meats like fish, chicken and turkey are all vital parts of your meal plan if you ingest animal products. Seeds like quinoa and buckwheat are also fabulous sources of protein and are good alternatives, especially for vegetarians or vegans that need a little extra protein.

The foods that should make up most of what you eat are fruits and vegetables. Of that part of your diet, veggies should comprise about 75% and fruits 25%. Leafy greens are chock full of iron and greens like kale, Swiss chard, arugula, spinach and watercress are all easy to cook with and all have the ability to be eaten raw. Fresh fruits and vegetables should make up if not all, about 90% of your intake. Though canned fruit can be a nice, quick snack, you should always try to eat fresh fruit instead. If your food can go bad, it’s probably good for you. Most canned fruits are kept in sugary syrups and juices and takes away from the health benefits that it would have had. 

If your health is something you already watch, or are interested in looking after and especially if you are trying to lose weight, what you eat should correspond to this food pyramid on a larger scale than the popularized pyramids most people follow. You can always alter your personal pyramid as some people need more or less protein and many people have dietary restrictions that doesn’t enable them to eat certain foods or food groups. Figure out what foods, or combination thereof work for you. Your body deserves the best, and the best are always the brightest (veggies).