Do we all want to be lean and buff? Strong and sexy? Make heads turn? Of course we do. (Come on, don’t try and tell me you don’t).

Really, for all the people that desperately want to lose weight, why is it that most of them don’t?

This morning I read a great online post that got me thinking about motivation (or maybe the lack of it). It actually had nothing to do with health and fitness, but the topic was “productivity” and “getting unstuck”. The author wrote “if we really just cared about what we were doing and had a worthy goal to work towards, of course we would get all of our work done.” Hmmm….

Care? Of course most people do care that they’re overweight, but is that they don’t care enough to do something about it? Or is it that they care too much about other things (like donuts) to really care about what’s going on with their bodies.

How about a worthy goal? How big does your goal have to be to give you that swift kick in the butt you may need?

Here are just a few answers I came up with…

Do you care about the extra weight you are carrying around?

Ok, no brainer. If you’re reading this newsletter, chances are you care at least a little bit about getting the extra weight off (unless you are my husband and you know I’m going to quiz you later on whether or not you read the newsletter).

Or maybe you really care about the “not so good” news your doctor dished out to you on your last visit. Of course, many of us care…but do we care enough? Why is it that we think our jobs, social lives and watching TV are more important than doing something about our high blood pressure, diabetes or obesity?

If you’ve ever told anyone, “I work long hours, I just can’t worry about what I eat.” Or “I go out a lot. It’s too hard to eat healthy while at a restaurant.” Or, have chosen to watch TV instead of doing your exercise for the day, then YES you are guilty of caring more about those things than your health.

Isabel, why are you being so mean? Well, haven’t you ever heard that the people that love you the most will be the ones that will give it to you straight? Yup, that’s me. I want everyone to wake up each day and feel great. Not just great….super awesome! I don’t want to hear about so many deaths due to heart attacks and diabetes anymore. That is why I do what I do every day. Because I want YOU (yeah, YOU) to finally feel the way your body was intended to feel…absolutely incredible!

What is your worthy goal?

My goals have changed significantly as the years have gone by. Here are a few examples of some things that were important enough to me to finally do something about my weight and my health:

19 years old – I wanted to date good looking and in shape guys (we’re being honest here right?). However, when you have acne all over your face and you can barely squeeze into your clothes, this may not become a reality. I cared enough about meeting Mr. Right that it really drove me to stick to my healthy eating and exercise plan.

22 years old – I started my career as a nutritionist and personal trainer, but I still didn’t look the part as best I could. I wanted to be a positive influence on my clients, not only by my words, but by how I looked. Would you listen to a nutritionist that looked unhealthy? I wouldn’t!

26 years old – My mom’s health became so bad that she was put on dialysis treatments. I didn’t want this grim reality to become me some day. I wanted something different for myself and my future family. This truly changed my perspective and outlook on health and nutrition forever (for the better, of course)

31 years old – Pregnant with my first child. Since my first goal worked so well and I did marry Mr. Right, I am now awaiting my first kid’s birth. Knowing that what I put in my mouth affects how my baby’s organs, brain and little cells grow is enough reason for me to keep it healthy.

What is your worthy goal? What would make you feel so motivated, so driven, so passionate about finally taking the necessary steps to make losing weight a reality for you? Finding Mr. or Mrs. Right? Being a positive influence to your family? Changing your family’s “bad” genetics”?

Here is your chance to tell me and the whole world. Post your worthy goal on my blog and maybe your goal will be the inspiration someone else needs. Or better yet, maybe you will find your inspiring, worthy goal by the influence of someone else.

Who loves you enough to give you that kick in the butt? I do, of course.

In health and happiness,

Isabel De Los Rios
www.TheDietSolutionProgram.com

One of the most common questions I get from family, friends and readers several times a week is “Isabel, how are you able to stay on a healthy eating plan so well? I mean, don’t you want to eat something tasty?”

Obviously these people have not been in my kitchen because I really don’t ever eat anything that I don’t enjoy. That is really how eating healthy food has become such an easy way of life for me. My days are filled with meals that I love and look forward to and I can’t imagine having it any other way (although I do recall in my past “diet days” the boiled chicken breast and steamed broccoli…Yuck…that was not fun and completely not necessary).

With that being said, I do make an effort to attempt one new recipe each week. Yesterday I made my sister’s “Garlicky Mashed Cauliflower that I want you to believe are Mashed Potatoes” (What? Too long of a name?)

My favorite part about this recipe is the Garlic. Yes, I enjoy the taste of garlic, but this one ingredient offers such a long list of health benefits that many people don’t realize. Anyone who’s been around me while I’ve had a cold knows that I reach for my raw garlic way before I resort to cold medications. I’ve even been known to rub raw garlic in olive oil on my feet for faster healing (and have ruined perfectly good socks in the process).

Garlic has incredible antibiotic and blood cleansing properties (which is why it is so great for a cold or other infections). It has been shown to have 1% of the potency of penicillin and can ward off a number of bacteria such as Listeria, Salmonella, E. coli, Cryptococcal meningitis, Candida albican and Staphylococcus. The problem with most antibiotics is that bacteria develops resistance to them, however this is not the case with garlic. These benefits were first realized back in the early 19th century when English priests caught infectious fever. The French priests living in the same area, who ate garlic every day, did not.

Here are just a few ailments that may be helped by a few extra garlic cloves each day:

1. Acne - Although I don’t believe eating garlic on its own will cure it, I do believe the blood cleansing properties can be a great help.

2. Cardiovascular Health and High Bad Cholesterol - A good diet and exercise program is the most essential component when working to reduce your risk for heart disease, but a bit of garlic to cleanse the blood each day can be quite helpful.

3. Antioxidant - Garlic has also been shown to contain Allicin which naturally increases antioxidant enzymes. Since we are continuously exposed to free radicals every day, a couple extra antioxidants here and there is a good thing.

4. Being left alone - Garlic is not just for warding off vampires. Nasty co-workers you want to avoid or just people in general will not even go near you if you’ve eaten enough of it. Trust me. Just have a few raw cloves and see how many of them invite you to lunch. (No, I’m not serious.)

Here are a few important tips when using garlic:

* Garlic is most effective when crushed or chopped and when raw.
* One clove a day will improve your health and 2-3 cloves will help prevent a cold.
* When cooking garlic wait until the last 10 minutes of cooking to add the garlic.
* Be careful about taking too much as it can cause digestive discomfort.
* Don’t put garlic in the microwave. It kills the active ingredients.
* Garlic is not a replacement for a healthy balanced diet.
* Garlic supplements may interact with certain drugs such as anticoagulants. Be sure to check with your doctor if you are on any medications.

Now on to my sister’s delicious recipe…

“Garlicky Mashed Cauliflower that I want you to believe are Mashed Potatoes”

Ingredients

·1 head of cauliflower
·1 small onion (red or yellow)
·1-2 TBSP organic butter
·1-2 cloves of garlic (this will depend on your taste)

Directions

Steam or boil the cauliflower. Chop the onion and sauté it with either olive oil, butter or coconut oil. (My sister used olive oil. I used butter).
Add the cooked cauliflower to the sautéed onions and sauté together for approximately 8 minutes.
Take the cauliflower and onion sauté and puree in a food processor or blender. Add a tablespoon or more of butter and blend.
Take 2 cloves of garlic and chop them up into small pieces. Add more olive oil, butter or coconut oil to pan and cook the garlic until brown (but try not to burn it).
Pour the garlic into your mashed cauliflower and mix by hand.

I don’t really believe you are going to convince your family that these are potatoes, but even my sister’s husband, a Non- Cauliflower Fan, devoured his portion because they were so delicious.

Let me know if you enjoy this recipe as much as we did!

In health and happiness,

Isabel De Los Rios
www.TheDietSolutionProgram.com

As many of you may know, I have one sister. We are exactly 14 months apart and have been the best of friends and inseparable since I can remember (Not to mention my mom dressed us exactly alike until we were 10 and 11 years old…How embarrassing!)

Well, for two girls who came out of the same woman, we couldn’t be more different, especially when it comes to our health and fitness. Where as I took my mom’s difficult health struggles (Obesity, Type 2 Diabetes, and Kidney failure) and turned it into my driving force to take care of myself, my sister just figured “Oh, that will never happen to me” (We all think we’re a bit invincible, right?)

Now, at 33 years old, Vicky’s theory has not held up. Her pregnancy was plagued by gestational diabetes which has now turned into full blown Type 2 Diabetes. Her weight has caused consistent high blood pressure. Also, at such a young age, she has been put on medications for both (Do you know anyone like this?). This is where Vicky knew things had to change.

Knowing that her weight was the cause of all these health issues, she decided to join a very well known weight loss system where you count points and sit in meetings once a week (need I say more?). It’s not that she doesn’t trust her nutritionist sister, she just wanted to find her own thing and do what she thought would work best for her.

After exactly 7 weeks of these meetings and tiresome point counting Vicky lost 4 lbs (pretty good, right?). However, here was the problem. Her blood sugar was not going down, it was going UP! Her blood pressure was not dropping, it was RISING! She received a call from her doctor informing her that her kidneys were struggling and that she would need another medication. This was when I received a call from poor Vicky in tears.

“Isabel, I will do whatever you say. I am too young for this. I don’t want to end up on dialysis like Mommy”

Well, I am happy to report that only after 6 days (yes, just 6 days) of being on a meal plan I gave her, Vicky has lost 4.6lbs, her blood sugar is normal (with no meds) and her blood pressure is back to normal. You may think this is an extreme exaggeration, but I promise you, it is not. After just 3 days of following the plan, her blood sugar stabilized so much she had to stop the diabetes medication and same with the blood pressure. I am by no means guaranteeing that this will happen for everyone or that you should just quit your meds on your own. Every person is different, but I have seen this happen more than once. Actually, more like a thousand times.

Yesterday, Vicky attended her weight loss weekly “meeting” and the leader couldn’t believe how much weight Vicky had lost and how well she was doing. During the meeting, the leader asked Vicky to share with the group exactly what she had done to achieve such a great week. Vicky first said “Well, I’m not sure you’re going to be happy with what I say, but here goes…

1. I threw out absolutely everything in my refrigerator and cupboards that was processed or was really just “fake food”. All of those snacks, bars and meals that (insert name of weight loss company here) promotes are really just junk and their ingredients are not only causing people to not lose weight, they are detrimental to our health.

2. If a food has more than 3 ingredients in it, I don’t eat it! I am sticking to natural meats, raw nuts, healthy oils and fruits & vegetables. Because I am focusing on combating my diabetes right now, I have greatly reduced the amount of grains I eat, but I know there will be a day that I can go back to them.

3. I stopped listening to all the “mainstream” advice and finally decided to listen to my crazy sister (yes, she called me crazy at her meeting). I’ve seen what she has done with herself, my mother and her clients and I can’t believe it took such an extreme situation for me to finally listen.

What can we learn from Vicky today? Cut out the processed stuff and let’s go back to wholesome, natural eating. Ingredients that sound like chemistry experiments are really just harming us in the long run. Last but not least, stop listening to all the “mainstream” media that tells you they have the latest quick fix to your weight problems. There is no quick fix! The only way to permanently change your weight and the state of your health is to find a long-term strategy that is enjoyable, satisfying and healthy.

I know Vicky is now committed to taking care of herself for the long-term. Not just for herself but for her beautiful 6 month old baby too.

Here’s the best part. Vicky is quite the chef and has come up with so many new Diet Solution approved, delicious recipes. Of course I will share them all with you. Stay tuned…

In health and happiness,

Isabel De Los Rios
www.TheDietSolutionProgram.com

(Picture taken from http://transformationcontest.thedsp.info)

If you’re a woman looking to lose fat, your first thought is that you need to do more cardio. And of course, you’d never want to do the same workout as your husband, boyfriend, or brother, right?

But what if I told you that the differences between men and women actually PROVE that both genders should use the same type of fat loss workout? Wouldn’t you be surprised?

Now I know the guys reading this article are thinking, “I don’t want to do long, slow, boring cardio.” But that’s fine, because you’re about to discover why both men AND women should ditch the long slow cardio and switch to short, burst workouts for fat loss.

First, let’s take a look at the scientific differences between men and women. Most folks will agree that women tend to have more body fat than men, and that it’s even more difficult for women to lose fat – especially from their thighs – due to hormones.

But did you know that when men and women do cardio exercise at the same intensity that women burn significantly more fat during the workout?

For example, if you put a woman and a man on a cardio machine and had them exercise at 70% of their best cardio intensity, the woman would burn proportionately more fat than the man. That should be an advantage to women, but it isn’t.

Let’s think about what that means for a second. Mainstream fitness magazines keep on telling us to do lots and lots of cardio for fat loss. But if women burn more fat than men during regular cardio workouts, why do they still have more fat on their bodies?

If “fat burning cardio” was the answer to our fat loss problems, women should have LESS fat than men! But that’s simply not the case. Strike one against cardio.

Time to throw another fastball and get strike two against long, slow, boring cardio. For this one, we go to the scientific journal, Obesity, and take a look at a study where men and women did one hour of cardio per day, six days per week, for one year.

Add it up. That’s 300 total hours of cardio. You’d sure get through a lot of magazines and every song on your Ipod after doing 300 hours of cardio. Now most so-called “fitness experts” would tell you that you’re going to lose a lot of weight with that much cardio.

But what did the science show? It found that the average fat loss was only 5 pounds (men lost 6 pounds and women lost an average of 4 pounds). So that’s about 50-60 hours of cardio just to lose one pound! I’d get fired immediately for terrible results like that.

And there was practically no difference between men and women. Both genders seemed to waste their time on cardio equally well. What a shame. I bet those subjects wished they had those 300 hours back.

So now we have cardio in the hole, let’s get strike three by taking a look at what works better for fat loss. For this, we go to an Australian research study that compared one group of women who did three 20-minute interval training workouts per week against a second group of women who did three 40-minute cardio sessions per week.

The researchers found that the women who exercised less (the interval training group) lost significantly MORE belly fat than the women who exercised twice as long (the slow cardio group). Strike three for cardio, you’re out.

The Australian scientists believe that men would have the same type of results, and my personal research and experience proves this. When men and women use short, burst workouts including both resistance training and interval training, they can lose up to 33 pounds of fat in just 12 weeks.

For photographic evidence, visit http://transformationcontest.thedsp.info where you’ll meet men and women who have completely transformed their bodies without cardio. They are busy men and women just like you who used Isabel’s diet program combined with the fast and effective Turbulence Training workouts.

Here in the States we celebrated a special day for all Moms this past Sunday. I am so fortunate to have a wonderful family and I enjoyed the day with my parents and my sister (now a new mom) and her family.

We had a wonderful, healthy dinner together (well almost healthy with the exception of just a few items), but one thing I did notice was that cheese was an integral part of almost every component of this dinner: cheese and crackers to munch on upon arrival, mozzarella and tomato as an appetizer, cauliflower casserole with cheddar cheese, and grilled burgers with the option of melted cheese on top. We actually did not have cheese cake for dessert, but that really would have made for quite the “cheesy” evening. (wow, a cheesy joke too!)

So, do you know which “cheesy” parts of this meal were healthy or not? Let’s take a look at the anatomy of cheese and figure out exactly where cheese can fit into our healthy eating plan.

What kind of fat is in cheese?

The kind of fat in a particular cheese will be completely dependent on the source of that cheese. Just as the quality of our milk is only as good as the cow it came from, the same rule goes for cheese.

As many of you have read in the “Dairy” chapter of the Diet Solution Program, cows were really meant to be fed grass and be raised in free roaming pastures (so they can dance and sing and be merry). Unfortunately, that is not the case with many milk manufacturers and cow farmers. It is much cheaper and much easier for them to feed their cows grains (a very unnatural source of food for cows) and raise them in extremely tight quarters (again, not how they would really live in nature and no dancing possible) than give them the nourishment and enough land to grow the way nature intended. As a result many cows become extremely ill and require antibiotics in order to stay alive. These antibiotics that are now in the blood stream of the cows end up in our milk, cheese and yogurt (not to mention our beef) and is extremely detrimental to our health.

To make matters even worse, many cows are given growth hormones to speed up their growth and development (farmers are thinking they gotta make the most money from each cow right?). Not only do the growth hormones also make for some pretty sick cows but the actual hormones also get into our foods and cause a lot of health problems in our own bodies (and the bodies of our little children).

Oh boy Isabel. You are so depressing sometimes!

Don’t worry. There’s good news. Fortunately for us Organic Milk and Cheese has now become more readily available than ever before. This means we are able to purchase our favorite foods without the added antibiotics and hormones that are in conventional dairy products by choosing organic products.

Hold on, before another organic rant, let me get back to the question at hand: What kind of fat is in cheese?

Conventional cheese from poorly raised cows is very high in Omega 6 Fats. Again, remembering back to the “Fats” chapter in The Diet Solution, we want to reduce the amount of Omega 6’s in our diet and consistently keep increasing the amount of Omega 3’s in our diets. Cheese that is made from the milk of grass fed, free roaming cows (without antibiotics and growth hormones of course) is much higher in Omega 3 fats and conjugated linoleic acid (conjugated what?). CLA, as it is often referred to, is an extremely healthy fat that has been found to be a potent cancer fighter. The most abundant source of natural CLA is the meat and dairy products of grassfed animals. Research conducted since 1999 shows that grazing animals have from 3-5 times more CLA than animals fattened on grain in a feedlot. Simply switching from grainfed to grassfed products can greatly increase your intake of CLA.

So… Is the fat in cheese of the good kind or bad kind? As you can see, that greatly depends on the source of your cheese. Conventional, non-organic cheese can be quite high in bad fat and laden with antibiotics and hormones and really should NOT be included in our meal plans where as grass fed, organic cheese can be a wonderful and tasty addition to your healthy meal plans.

Also remember that raw dairy is always a better option than pasteurized dairy. Raw milk may be extremely difficult to find in many states but raw cheese can be found at most grocery stores and health food stores all over the world. I order our raw cheese online from http://grasslandmeats.com or buy it at the small organic health food store near our home. If you have never had raw cheese before, you are going to be absolutely amazed by the delicious taste. Raw cheese is so much more flavorful than any conventional cheese and makes all the difference in the world especially when used in recipes.

Certain cheeses should be avoided at all costs. Never and I mean never eat cheese out of a can (Does that even sound normal?) Also, American Cheese out of plastic wrapping is another big No-No. It’s not even a “real” type of cheese and the fact that it’s wrapped in plastic is quite scary to say the least.

Is cheese a fat or a protein?

Where as many nutrition plans count cheese as a protein, I count it as a fat option in The Diet Solution Program. That is because I do not feel that the protein content in cheese is high enough to qualify it as a full protein. With that being said, cheese does have a significant amount of protein, but for blood sugar balancing purposes, it just may not be enough for some. This is where the “listen to your body” tactic really comes into play. Some people can have 2 ounces of cheddar cheese and a small apple as a snack and feel great where as others may have this same snack and feel lethargic and sleepy just 30 minutes later. Let your body tell you if this would be a healthy option for you.

Let’s remember that portion control comes into effect with just about everything and 1-2 ounces of cheese (1 oz is about the size of a domino) can go a really long way in any meal (No, not the whole block. That’s way too much at once.)

Here are some great ways to add cheese into your healthy weight loss meal plans:

1. Sprinkle some shredded cheese on top of your morning vegetable omelet.
2. Combine cheese with an apple or pear and some raw nuts as a great 3pm pick me up.
3. Melt cheese over vegetables to get your whole family to eat their “veggies”

Remember, it only takes a small amount of cheese to add that extra flavor to most meals and recipes. There is no need to drown your salad, veggies, omelet, or meat in gobs and gobs of cheese (my apologies to chicken parmigiana and cheese casserole). There is a healthy way to have your cheese and eat it too.

In health and happiness,

Isabel De Los Rios
www.TheDietSolutionProgram.com

A couple years ago I was definitely suffering from a condition that is not too commonly discussed, but does very often appear in many restaurants, parties and homes all over the world. Yes, you too may be suffering from this horrible condition and not even know it. What is this awful plague? It’s called: Portion Distortion, and it just may be what is holding you back from reaching your weight loss goals.

This weekend I saw portion distortion at its very finest. I was at a family party at a Spanish restaurant on Sunday celebrating the Christening of my baby nephew Alex. Here I was chit chatting with guests and catching up with friends and relatives when I see the waiters walk out of the kitchen with what looked like the most insane servings of steaks, lobsters, chicken and salmon on each plate. At first I was thinking they were serving each plate on each table “family style”, where the whole table could each enjoy a piece. I was wrong. One plate was for one person and the amount of food on each was downright scary.

I walked back to my table and said to my husband, “Holy smokes! Wait until you see the size of the portions!” My husband replied, “Oh Isabel, you exaggerate. You think one extra grain of rice on the plate is too much. I’m sure its fine for normal people.” Normal? There’s a good question. Do we even know what a normal portion is anymore? Or a better question to ask to ask ourselves would be, What is a healthy portion?

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Here at my house we’ve gotten into a Saturday morning ritual of waking up a bit later, getting in our morning workout and then making one of our favorite breakfasts, French Toast!

You’ll see that all of the ingredients below are Diet Solution approved and completely healthy. How does it taste? Absolutely delicious. And that has been verified by my husband, my in-laws, my parents and several friends that have stayed at our house and enjoyed our Saturday morning ritual with us.

French Toast a la The Diet Solution

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I absolutely hate to use the word “Dieting”. It has such bad feelings attached to it and if you looked it up in the dictionary it might as well have “torture” alongside it.

I also hate it when people ask me “How can you be on a diet all the time?” Whatever gave them that idea? I’m never on a diet, EVER! Does bacon and eggs for breakfast sound like dieting to you? How about Steak on the grill? Chocolate Cake?

If you remember last week I talked a little bit about how I never deprive myself of anything I want and if Chocolate Cake is on tap, well, by golly, bring it on. This goes along with my theory that a treat, favorite food or “not so healthy” food really can be an integral part of any healthy weight loss plan. Actually, it can help you accelerate your results.

Now, let’s make sure not to misinterpret the data I’m about to share with you and take it too far. “Well, Isabel said Chocolate Cake was good for me and that’s why I’m eating it for breakfast.” No, sorry. It doesn’t work that way. Some people, unfortunately, have used the concept of “planned cheat day” incorrectly and have ended up stopping their fat loss process, just because they did not apply this theory the right way.

The most important question here is:

“How can we appropriately plan and use a cheat day or cheat meal without sabotaging our weight loss results?”

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Last Saturday was a beautiful 70 degree day here in New Jersey and I decided to take my exercise routine outdoors. Tomorrow is going to be another gorgeous day and I plan to repeat this workout (since I felt great after last week’s).

I know what you may be thinking, “Isabel, you’re 6 months pregnant. How hard could this workout really be?” I’ll just say this. Give it a try and then let me know if you think you can keep up with this pregnant woman.

Here’s the routine:

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If there was a magic food that would cure everything (weight gain, heart disease, aging, your annoying boss) would you eat it? Of course you would!

Unfortunately, I can’t say I have found that one magic food yet (as soon as I do, I promise to let you in on it). The good news is there are several foods you can eat that give you some extra bang for your buck. By this, I mean, not only are they tasty and healthy additions to your meal plans, they also provide a chock full of antioxidants to your body.

What exactly are antioxidants?

Antioxidants have been all the rage for quite some time now, but many people don’t know exactly what they are. Antioxidants are substances or nutrients in our foods which can prevent or slow the oxidative damage to our body. When our body cells use oxygen (in almost everything we do each day), they naturally produce free radicals (by-products) which can cause damage. (Exercise is a good example of a healthy activity that naturally produces free radicals.) Antioxidants act as “free radical scavengers” and help prevent and repair damage done by these free radicals. Health problems such as heart disease, macular degeneration, diabetes, and cancer are all contributed by oxidative damage.

You can see how it’s important for us to get these “free radical scavengers” into our bodies each day, especially if we have made exercise a part of our daily routine.

What foods contain antioxidants?

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