Some of you have been wondering where I’ve been since I haven’t posted in a while. Well, Big NEWS, I’m pregnant! Wow, it’s a far cry from what I was doing last summer- bikini competitions and being Single Digit Body Fat! Last year was all about getting lean & fit and doing crazy competitions. This year is all about gaining weight, in the right places of course for having a healthy baby!  As you can see from the Picture Mark is ecstatic, and I’m rockin’ the Bump now!   Everyone wants to touch my belly it’s hilarilous!

I’m over half way through my pregnancy and I have learned a lot through this process about diet, lifestyle habits and exercise. Even though I already train clients who are pregnant, being prego gave me a whole new appreciation for what they are going through when they train with me.  Thanks for all your love and support Ladies!

I avoided the deficiencies that can be linked to pregnancy and I have had a very comfortable pregnancy overall. I did feel the nausea most women feel in the 1st trimester, but I did learn some secrets about how to lessen it, but luckily I got through it pretty quickly also.  It was still tough though, so again I have such an appreciation for other women who have had children and of course my Mom and Grandma!

Since I didn’t get a chance to make another holiday recipe this year yet, here’s the link to one I made in the past that’s super yummy and healthy! It’s my holiday cranberry orange scones. They are flourless and sooo yummy with agave coconut oil spread. Your family will love them and not even know you are feeding them something healthy! A little trickery never hurt any one!    Have a wonderful Holiday Season with your family and look for more recipes and Health tips soon!

Wishing you wellness,

Kardena

Author of Easy Veggie Meal Plan- 90 day done-for-you vegetarian weight loss program

Personal Trainer- Edge Personal Trainers

One of the questions I get is, “Am I getting enough fiber in my diet?” This is an  important question to be asking because most of us probably know fiber is important to our health but we might not know why. Oh yeah, it’s really great for weight loss too!

**Fiber is also filling and can make you feel full so it promotes weight loss by helping you not over eat.

When you use my vegetarian weight loss ebook for weight loss people tell me that they can’t finish the entire meal because they are full. When Craig Ballantyne eats a veggie diet he said he almost forces himself to eat to get in the calories he needs because it’s so filling from the large quantities of fiber.

Here’s some important details about fiber. What is fiber, why is it so important, what does it all mean to me? Be sure to check out the list of high fiber foods at the end of this article and you’ll be surprised which foods are high in fiber.

1. What is Fiber?

Fiber is the indigestible part of carbohydrate foods. Fiber gives foods it’s structure like in celery, beans, lettuce, etc. Most plant based foods contain two types of fiber in different portions.

These 2 types of fiber are called soluble and insoluble fiber.

Soluble: fiber that is readily fermented in the colon into gases and physiologically active by products.

Insoluble: fiber that is metabolically inert , absorbing water & toxins as it moves through the digestive system, easing ones ability to have a bowel movement.

What’s the big deal?!

**Very important to know and this is so helpful in weight loss. Fiber increases food volume with out increasing caloric content. Giving you the feeling of being full and satisfied. This is only one amazing benefit, I’ll go in to more cool benefits later.

It is difficult to eat excessively on a “healthy” vegetarian diet. The amount of fiber in a healthy veggie diet fills you up making it difficult for you to over eat. Yes, there are unhealthy vegetarian diets and I’ve seen unhealthy, overweight vegetarians. In fact you’d be surprised how common it is!  Please make sure you’re eating high fiber not low fiber processed grains and sugars is key.

The good news is vegetarian diets are typically higher in fiber than a meat eaters diet. Now if you are a meat eater, not to worry!  Incorporating in some vegetarian meals throughout the week has been shown to be a healthy addition to a clean and healthy colon. Vegetarians and vegans are typically likely to meet the FDA’s daily requirement of 20-35 grams of fiber a day versus a meat eater who typically only consumes 12 grams of fiber a day. Now, if you are one of these super health conscience meat eaters than you probably include a high amounts of healthy high fiber foods in your diet so these statistics don’t pertain to you.

The biggest and most recent study on the effects of fiber on the body was published earlier this year in the Archives of Internal Medicine included more than 388,000 adults, who participated in a diet and health study conducted by the National Institutes of Health and AARP. The results concluded that people who ate the highest amount of fiber were 22 percent less likely to die from causes such as cancer. Who doesn’t love that?!

Here’s the benefits of adding more fiber into your diet above and beyond just having a healthy colon and cancer prevention.
- Normalizes bowel movements (keeps you “regular” If not, this has been linked and is a root cause of sickness and disease)
- Helps control blood sugar levels, thus control diabetes
- Prevents diverticulitis, lower your risk of hemorrhoids
- Lowers blood cholesterol
- Lowers inflammation in the body
- Help prevent heart disease

Check out this high fiber recipe I made- raw granola

How much fiber should I be eating?
The typical adult male should consume approximately 35-38 grams a day and the average woman should consume about 25 grams a day.

Change your life- High Fiber Foods List
Flax Seeds- 2 Tbl = 4 grams fiber
Split peas- 1 cup= 16 grams fiber
Lentils- 1 cup= 15 grams fiber
Beans and legumes of all kinds- 1 cup = approx 16 grams fiber Wow!
High Fiber Cereal (Kashi Go Lean)- 1 cup= 10 grams fiber
Broccoli- 1 cup= 5 grams
Fresh Carrots- 1 cup= 2 grams fiber
Raspberries- 1 cup= 8 grams Surprisingly High!
Pear- 1 medium= 5.5 grams
Bran flakes- 3/4 cups= 5.3 grams
Sweet corn- 1 cup= 4 grams
Psyllium Husk- 4 tspn= 8 grams

**Very Important- slowly increase the amount of fiber in your diet or else you will feel uncomfortable gas and bloating so slowly work up to the daily amount over a week or two.

Share with us what high fiber foods you enjoy eating. What benefits have you noticed from adding more fiber in to your diet?

Kardena Pauza Author of Easy Veggie Meal Plans- 90 day Done for you diet

Personal Trainer and owner of EdgePersonalTrainers.com

I’m so happy to announce the winners of the healthy detox prizes from Redmond Clay & RealSalt! I excited to share these great products with you & I cant wait for you to add these to your daily routine for better health.

Here are the winners, in no particular order-

Diane Pinho-Arcaro, Holly Moran, Jim Toner, Sandy, Sue, Bev Budig, Sandra Moses, Lisa Moose, Rozelyn, Donna Maginley, Garrett Hildebrand

I need your physical address so Redmond can directly mail you your prize. It will be coming from Utah so give it time for shipping.
I will attempt to contact you on Friday if I have your email address from your comment. Feel free to email me/leave a comment with your address and I will get it.

Congratulations!!!!!!!

Clay is pretty amazing stuff and it sounds like you learned alot from the article. If you did not win I just want to say thank you for truly participating and wanting to make a healthy change in your life and your families life. Remember these products are pretty inexpensive compared to other supplements and found easily or online if you want to also try them!
Wishing you wellness!

Kardena Pauza
Author of Easy Veggie Meal Plans 90 day done for you vegetarian meal plan
Owner & Fitness Trainer Edge Personal Trainers

I had a great interview at the Natural Products Expo 2011 with Darryl from Redmond Inc. out of Utah about their health products. He was so excited about what we are up to here at Kardena’s Kitchen and was generous enough to give away 10 Redmond Gift packs valued at $30 each to 10 of you lucky ducks!! At the end of this article you’ll find more information about the giveaway and what you’ll get in your pack when you win.

Redmond Int. offers a variety of natural mineral salts and clay products for a variety of health purposes. I recommend them for optimal health, for athletes and for detoxification so I’m excited to be sharing them with you. I love and use their products and have them in my house at all times. I’m not getting anything from them in return for sharing this information with you, it’s from my heart.

Here’s the low down on their two most popular products

RealSalt

It’s an all-natural mineral salt that comes from an ancient seabed and contains 60 trace minerals that are essential to hundreds of our bodies functions. Think of these minerals as electrical conductors that help charge your body. Salt and minerals are necessary for hundreds of functions in your body and is even more important for active people, since it replaces electrolytes lost through sweating & drinking loads of water. RealSalt helps build up the bodies store of essential minerals that so many of us are deficient in because of eating over processed foods that are stripped of minerals.

“The salt contains dark specks in it, is it dirty?” Some people think the salt wasn’t washed well but really the specks are the naturally occurring minerals from the earth. Realsalt is healthier because they leave it in it’s naturally occurring state containing 60+ minerals that are bio available to the body when ingested.

**FYI- I prefer mineral salt like RealSalt instead of processed table salt because of it’s higher trace mineral count and taste! I like it for the health of it, haha

TASTE TEST! Try this at home- put mineral salt in your hand and taste it on your tongue, then taste table salt immediately after. You will notice the mineral salt has a more well rounded flavor and table salt is a sharp almost poison type flavor. Try it! You will never eat table salt again.

HEALTH TIP: Drink up to 1 gallon of water a day and put a pinch of RealSalt in your water to help naturally increase electrolytes and help with the bodies ability to absorb the water by giving it “structure”.

On to the Clay!

Redmond Clay

is used for hundreds actually 1,000 of uses according to Redmond Inc. including relief from internal & external maladies.  Because of its alkaline pH, Redmond clay helps with upset stomachs, heartburn, arthritis, colitis and even diverticulitis. Its alkalinity also helps to draw lactic acid from the muscles after workouts and I use it in higher doses when I do a bowel cleanse twice a year.

Clay has been used for centuries to detoxify internally since it has an amazing absorbing ability, pulling towards it positively charged elements like heavy metals, parasites, reduces inflammation and viruses.

With over 70 trace minerals in the clay, it provides supplementation for charging every cell in the body, similar to the benefits of the mineral salt.

The body is like an electrical machine, which needs to be charged to run smoothly.

HEALTH TIP: Take one teaspoon loose clay mixed in water or two capsules daily. That’s all you need for gentle cleansing.

Redmond Clay can also be used externally for facials – clay paste is applied to the skin, where it works by drawing out impurities and increasing circulation to help improve complexion and acne. After it dries it can be gently washed from the face. Another use for Redmond Clay is to sooth bee stings and spider bites, improve burns, boils and infections.

Check out their website for updated research information & their blog where they answer all your difficult questions about salt.
RealSalt OR Facebook and find out the 14,000 uses for salt!
Redmond Clay

Look for Redmond’s products at your local health food store.

On to the contest!

First, the goodies that you will receive are:

1. 9 oz shaker RealSalt Mineral salt

2. 1 bottle Daily Detox capsules

3. Redmond Clay Facial Mud

All packaged together and shipped to you free of charge at a retail value of $30! You are so lucky!

You can enter the giveaway by:

1. Answering the question below in the comment section of this post
2. Leaving a comment on my Facebook Fan page
3. Or posting on your blog linking back to this post and leaving me a comment letting me know you did so!

Rules:

• Must “Like” Kardena Pauza Facebook Fan page to be entered to win
• Only one blog comment, one blog link back and one Facebook comment entry per person
• Contest open to US residents only- I apologize if you are international, it’s the companies stipulation for the contest.
• Anyone found to use multiple accounts to enter will be ineligible.

This giveaway will be live from Monday June 20th- Wednesday June 22nd midnight. Thursday afternoon we will pick our winners at random and announce it here on our blog and on our Face Book page.

Question: Tell us how you would use these products and why you should win.

You can eat healthy without spending tons of time and sacrificing flavor. I’m going to give you my little secret that makes my dishes taste gourmet. With this secret, your family and friends will be shocked at how amazing your food tastes and will make them wonder when you snuck away and attended culinary school.

Giveaway!

***Before I get in to that, be sure to come to my website next Monday June 20^th. That’s when I’m having a giveaway to 10 lucky readers valued at $30 each! Free! Shipped to you directly with no strings attached. Each person will receive 3 items in their gift box. Find out what the gifts are on Monday when the give away begins. The contest will be for 3 days only, so be ready!

On to the secret! You don’t have to slave for hours in the kitchen to make healthy food that tastes gourmet.

Chefs make food taste magical and it seems like a mystery on how they make it taste so amazing! Well, not anymore! Now you can prepare simple, nutritious, scrumptious foods in very little time and still have your food tasting like a gourmet chef prepared it.

I must give credit and thanks to the person who taught me what I know. Her name is Elaina Love and she taught me advanced techniques in preparing raw food including this technique you’re about to learn. Thank you Elaina, you’re the best!

GOURMET SECRET REVEALED!

In order to get a balanced well rounded foundation of flavors in any dish you are making whether it’s salad dressing, soup, a vegetable dish or bean dish, you need to have these elements/ingredients.

When we taste food that we think is amazing, it’s hitting these 4 elements possibly the 5th & 6th element also. That’s what makes us like it so much. Once you learn this you will be able to pick out what’s missing in your dishes that you need to add to get that wow effect from your family and friends.

Here are the 6 Elements and options for each category

#1 FAT:

Avocado oil or meat

Cold Pressed Oil: Macadamia nut oil, Sesame, Grapeseed, Olive, Hemp, Flax

Nut Butters or Whole nuts & seeds- Peanut Butter, Almond, Sunflower, Cashew

Raw Butter- if you are vegetarian

Raw Coconut Oil/Butter

#2 SALT: Salt’s not bad for you.

Sea or Mountain Salt- I’m not talking about regular table salt, I’m talking about mineralized “REAL SALT”. Stay tuned for an interview from REALSALT.

Miso Paste- the darker the miso the richer the flavor. lighter it is the sweeter it is.

Nama Shoyu- unpasteurized soy sauce

Tamari – wheat free

Brine from olive

Olives

Sea Vegetables/Seaweed

Dishes typically need more salt than you first might think. My husband always comes in, tastes my food and adds more salt. He was right! It always tastes better!

#3 TART/SOUR: Brightens up the dish. Start small and add more.

Citrus- lemon, lime, grapefruit

Vinegar- apple cider, white, red

#4 Pungent: doesn’t have to be much, just a little. Adds depth

Fresh Garlic

Fresh Onion

Fresh Ginger

Dash Cayenne Pepper

Mustard

#5 SWEET: Optional depending on the dish you’re making but typically balance out the flavor especially the acid and tone down the heat.

Dried fruit- raisins, dates, pineapple, banana, cherries, coconut

Fresh Fruit: apple, pear, banana, peach, orange

Vegetable: Carrot, Beet, Bell Pepper

Stevia

Raw Honey

Agave Nectar

#6: Spice, herbs or seasoning: This will give your dish an ethnic flair and is optional

Mexican: cumin, cayenne pepper, cilantro, or Mexican seasoning mix

Indian: Curry, coconut, cardamom, garam masala, black pepper, chili paste,

Thai: lemon grass, cilantro, lime, mint, basil, chili paste, curry

Italian: basil, thyme, oregano, rosemary, sun dried tomatoes, Italian herb mix/seasoning

Whenever you’re making a dish use this check list and make sure you are hitting all the elements! You will be amazed at the difference, pat yourself on the back chef!

Kardena Pauza

Author of Easy Veggie Meal Plans- 90 day vegetarian weight loss plan
Certified Personal Trainer- Edge Personal Trainers

Please share with us your secrets to making food taste amazing!

I gathered up some munchies and beverages from the Natural Products Expo in Anaheim.  I found good examples of healthful and not so healthful products.

Unhealthy “Health” Snacks

A really popular snack lately are different varieties of puffy bits in a bag.  They are advertised as a healthy replacement to chips or popcorn, but they are loaded with refined carbohydrates and little protein, and should be thrown to the curb! However, I did find a similar puffy product, Nature’s Options by Olympian Labs, that is a healthier choice,  because they made a conscious effort to make it low glycemic and  high in protein by adding pea protein as a main ingredient. I haven’t seen it on the market yet, but keep on the lookout for it.   FYI, I do not recommend this as a regular part of your diet, but as an occasional treat.

Unbelievably popular products are bars, and clients often ask me which ones I recommend. I would recommend staying away from bendable, gooey, chewy bars because the first ingredient listed in them is typically sugar or syrup.  Actually, I’ve found four to seven different kinds of sugars listed in one bar, such as cane sugar, brown sugar, honey and brown rice syrup. These are a definite indication that a food is not healthful!  Also, advertising on the packaging use key words like “nourishing” and “high in vitamins A and C”  — but beware, because that does not always mean that a food is healthy, so be sure to look at the list of ingredients on the back of the package, rather than the advertisement on the front.

Refined Sugar & Healthy Sugar

Scientists report that eating too much refined sugar will not only make you gain weight, but it also damages the collagen in your skin causing wrinkles and sagging prematurely. Collagen is essential in maintaining the skin elasticity. The scientists recommend dates, stevia, xylitol, and agave.  Beauty truly does come from within.

Healthy Snacks

Larabar is better than many kinds of bars on the market because it’s made of all natural whole foods, but eat them sparingly because it does contain alot of dates and nuts.  Also, watch out for bars with chocolate and refined sugar.  I recommend bars from a company called GoRaw (see earlier videos for an interview with the owner). The bars are low in calories and high in omega fatty acids,which most people are deficient in.  Some ingredients in the GoRaw bars include sprouted seeds, dates, pumpkin seeds, bananas, sesame seeds, spirulina, sometimes a touch of agave and easily digested protein sources. GoRaw also makes healthy bite size snacks, which include chocolate and lemon-flavored cookies,  with dates instead of refined sugars. Their products are made with all living ingredients and are high in enzymes and easy to digest.  Rawnola bars are also a favorite of mine, containing only about 5-7 wholesome ingredients as opposed to up to 25 ingredients in other processed snack foods.

Beverages

I saw so many varieties of beverages, such as coconut water, teas, waters that are alkalizing, high in oxygen and electrolytes and I would like to talk a little bit more about them.   I have been drinking coconut juice for over 8 years and enjoy bringing them home fresh, cracking them open and drinking directly from the coconut. Coconut juice is becoming extremely popular by professional athletes and is now being substituted for other sports drinks that are high in sugar.

Coconut juice is high in electrolytes such as magnesium, potassium and sodium, helping with hydration and feeding your red blood cells; it further acts as an anti-inflammatory agent. Coconut water drinks are one thing I recommend to take with you to the gym for re-hydration after a workout. One coconut beverage I saw at the expo contained a little cranberry juice and stevia for extra flavor, but still maintains low sugar.

Be Aware – I also saw  flavored teas that taste oh-so-good, but with 34 grams of added sugar per bottle, I do not recommend drinking them.  With so many bottled tea companies out there, beware of added sugar and make it a habit always to check labels.

Chia Seeds

Chia Seeds are from South America are the last product on the list for today. Chia stands for strength in the Mayan language, many Aztec and Mayan warriors would eat chia seeds for endurance. The easily digested seeds are high in fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, help to balance blood sugar and cut cravings for food! They can be added to smoothies and salads. They are entirely organic, which is good for your body and for the planet.

Have you seen any new items on the market that you’d like to share?

Kardena Pauza

Author of Easy Veggie Meal Plans- 90 day vegetarian weight loss plan
Certified Personal Trainer- Edge Personal Training

If you would like to lose weight in a healthy vegetarian manner, go to easyveggiemealplans.com and pick up my easy 90 day low calorie vegetarian meal plan.

Here’s Part 2 of my tour of the Largest Natural Products in the world.

Cool Products and Cool People, (Hint,”I can’t believe it’s not butter”)

Check out the video to see the actual interviews.

Let’s start with my favorite muffin company. For the record, in the past I never ate muffins before I found these. Usually muffins are too high in carbs and sugar.

Zen Bakery! They have a 6 pack of little muffins called fiber cakes. Zen Bakery makes other muffins and cookies but they don’t fit my standard and criteria so don’t touch’em. These “fiber cake” muffins have only 80 calories, 13 grams of fiber. Wholly moly that’s a lot! And  12 grams of insoluble fiber provide for a “sweeping out” of the digestive system, keeping things nice and clean.One muffin contains only 2 grams of sugar and no refined sugar, just fruit juice sweetened!
I like them for a snack or for breakfast warmed with peanut or almond butter, a dash of cinnamon & melted coconut oil.

Zukay Salad Dressing
What’s so cutting edge about this company is they use raw, natural, organic ingredients, fermented with friendly bacteria to make this product a probiotic rich. No oil is added, so buyers are free to mix in olive oil, flax seed oil or other favorites. I think the dressings are a little light so you could add a little more salt, at least for my taste. Good news is there’s no processed sugar added. I would definitely recommend this Salad dressing. Or if you don’t have it in your area this can give you ideas of how to make your own dressing at home by using vegetables, herbs & fruits!

Go Raw Snacks
The owner of Go Raw, Robert created these really great tasting snacks from 100% organic sprouted seeds, whole ingredients, and no fillers. Now he really knows how to make snacks taste exceptional. What’s so special about 100% sprouted seeds? Sprouts are the most enzyme-rich stage of the plant’s life. That means there is more life force (energy) in the food that is transfers to you. The packaged snacks are still so much alive that they will actually sprout if water is added. That’s amazing! Check out the video to see this!

Vapur is a water bottle designed to be used anywhere and stored conveniently. It can easily be carried in a purse or a child’s backpack. The company is owned by an athlete who is aware of the problem of dehydration, which can cause people to overheat while exercising and also encourages people to drink more water since lots of people mistake thirst for hunger and over eat. The product has no harmful chemicals to leach into the drinking water and can be washed and reused. It is dishwasher-safe and can be frozen overnight so that cold water will be available for a morning walk or trip to the gym. It is available from Eddie Bauer, Macy’s and sporting goods stores around the country. I like using my glass bottle but sometimes I drop them and make a big mess. This is a great convenient on the go option.

Fabio has a new product out right now. It’s a pure protein supplement that includes amino acids derived from whey. No heat is used in it’s processing, so the whey protein is not denatured and the product remains biologically active. It is scientifically proven to help the muscles to burn fat naturally. If you are vegetarian, this may be an option for you.  I don’t personally use whey but this is supposed to be a great quality from Europe so there are no concerns about rBGH (growth hormones). I use Life’s Basics which is a combination of chia seeds, pea protein, hemp, and rice protein. A great combination to cover all the essential amino acids. I can’t believe it’s not butter!!! Funny but that’s what I think of when I met Fabio. Fabio is very knowledgeable and still looks great!

Look for the next videos in the Natural Products Expo series… Look out for a giveaway coming up also.

Kardena Pauza
Author, Easy Veggie Meal Plans 90 Day Vegetarian Weight Loss Ebook

I had the best time at the largest Natural Products Expo in the US. Zillions of products and hundreds of people, lots of sampling going on, I was in heaven! I should have not eaten two days before to save myself.

Just kidding, nobody should do that…

I even rubbed shoulders with celebrities like Jillian Michaels, Fabio & Tv host- Ajay Rochester (super amazing).

I interviewed the Italian Heart throb so look for that video in an upcoming article. Honestly, I didn’t know I was a fan until I had the chance to meet him. He looks great, he’s still in great shape & was very nice!

My tour of the Natural Products Expo will be broken up in to segments since there was a lot to cover and interviews to be done about products I think are helpful to your health & weight loss program & some that are just interesting & entertaining so check out the following posts also.

Lara Bar

In the beginning of my tour we headed to Lara Bar. It’s an all raw bar and their original bars are made from dates, nuts and fruit. Their newer additions to the line have included chocolate & other flavors that could include processed sugars, so watch out. I would stick with the original bars as a quick after workout snack for fast energy.

Yerba Mate

I personally don’t like the flavor of coffee anyway but Yerba Mate is touted as a substitute for coffee. You coffee drinkers will probably tell me, “It doesn’t taste anything like coffee.”  That’s true because it’s not coffee, your taste buds have to get used to the new flavor. Give your body a chance to like it. In the video she talks about all the benefits. Here’s a couple points- It is a stimulus plant but a lower amount of caffeine, it contains potassium, manganese, magnesium, I recommend drinking the non-toasted version and steep in warm water not boiling water to get the maximum benefit of the cholesterol lowering benefits as well as the antioxidant benefits.

Coconut Water

Coconut water is a great beverage to bring to the gym. Coconut water is one of the best drink replacements for electrolytes like potassium & magnesium that’s lost through working out. Some coconut waters are now adding fruit juices to their coconut waters, BE CAREFUL! Once they add the fruit juice, you are increasing your “liquid sugar” intake and this will sabotage a weight loss program. So go with the original coconut water, no added fruit juice or if you have them available to you, but the fresh coconuts!

Earthlings Organics

EO is a cool raw company make snacks like rawnola matcha (green tea) bars, pumpkin seed bars, and coconut bars. The higher-protein snacks are great for taking to the gym, light on your stomach and easier to digest giving you energy pretty quickly. This is a cute, up and coming company with a great foundational philosophy, great tasting, healthy bars, and contains all raw vegan ingredients. Kardena approved!

Now this next product is out side the box but I think it’s pertinent. What do you think?

GUM!

Millions of people chew gum, I know I do once in a while, especially if I’ve had one of my garlic surprise dishes or salads and I’m meeting someone right afterwards! I don’t want to scare them away.

A little disclaimer about gum- it won’t whiten your teeth like the commercials say and it actually makes ME hungry because the chewing action triggers the release of HCL in my stomach because my body thinks I’m eating food that needs to be digested. The body’s so smart!

You Will Be Shocked!

Now most commercial gums are terrifyingly bad for you. Here’s a list of their main ingredients-

-Synthetic rubber & polymers just like what rubber tires & panty hose are made from. What ?!

-Aspartame/Saccharin (carcinogen)

-artificial colors (carcinogen)

-preservatives (embalming material)

- HFC’s (high fructose corn syrup)

There’s a solution!

Awwww..Chicza Gum is made of all natural, 100 per cent organic and biodegradable ingredients from  sapodilla tree sap without any petrochemicals used to make tires. We like that!

Host of Australia’s Biggest Loser

I had the pleasure of meeting Ajay Rochester, former host of Australia’s Biggest Loser .  Ajay once weighed over 300 pounds and lost 170 of them. What a huge accomplishment & inspiration. I love her energy and her “never give up” attitude. She has also created a recipe/weight loss book that she will be sharing recipes from in a future article so look for it!

After meeting the bubbly Ajay, we cruised the aisles & found a range of products from vegan cheeses, organic wines, chocolates of all kinds. They are getting bold with chocolates these days, chilli chocolate!? My favorite is still chocolate and peanut butter. I ate my way through the vegan meats, veg samosas, coconut bliss ice cream,  raw treats, coconut drinks, dips of all flavors, colors, & consistencies.

All types of nut and seed butters like sunbutter made from sunflower seeds which is great for people with allergies to nuts & the availability of the protein and lower fat content.

Now, some of the products I mentioned above may not be found in your local grocery store or health food store. However, my tour will at least give you new ideas and understanding of healthy options and you can seek out a similar product if this exact one is not available in your area.

I have several more captivating interviews in upcoming articles.

What do you think so far?

Wishing You Wellness,

Kardena Pauza

Fitness Trainer/Owner

Author- Easy Veggie Meal Plan

There is no reason why vegetarians cannot eat out in restaurants. Some restaurants now serve vegetarian food or are strictly vegetarian, and provide a relaxing haven where vegetarians can order anything on the menu.

Even that great American symbol of beef and cholesterol, McDonald’s, has Caesar salad, side salad, and its snack size fruit and walnut salad, as well as apple dippers with low calorie caramel dip. Ok, I’m not saying I condone eating at McDonalds because you still have to watch out for the salad dressing etc… But in a pinch you have at least something to eat! Remember, it’s key that you eat small meals throughout the day and not skip meals so have a little something to keep your metabolism going.

Check out the side dishes at nice restaurants-

A little secret I have for eating out at nice restaurants is looking at the side dishes.  I have had some amazing sauteed brocolini in sweet & spicy sauce, sautéed Spinach with garlic, oh so good! They add some wonderful flavors and spices to their veggie options.

Even chain restaurants like Outback Steakhouse offer side dishes of baked potatoes (eat sparingly), fresh seasonal veggies, sweet potatoes, wedge salads, and pecan chopped salads. Put some of those sides together and you have a good vegetarian meal.

Just ask

Most restaurants that do not list a vegetarian dinner will make a special vegetable plate if a customer asks for it. Think outside the box and ask for help being creative. They are usually more than happy to help.

Between the two extremes of vegan and carnivore lie most restaurants, which offer at least some veggie plates such as veggie pizza and lots of varieties of salads. So fear not, vegetarian, to eat out in restaurants. There’s enough out there that you will surely find something healthful to fill you.

In my area, we have The Loving Hut in the city of Orange. It’s a small, unpretentious restaurant with veggie burgers and other vegetarian Asian inspired faire that’s really delicious! They also have restaurants across the USA and internationally! Native Foods Café, with such tempting menu items as Poncho’s Quesavilla, has three Orange County locations. Au Lac in Fountain Valley serves such yummy Chinese and Vietnamese veggie dishes such as veggie spring rolls with peanut sauce, sates, pho, sweet and sour soup and a complete raw menu. The Veggie Grill and The Wheel of Life in Irvine and 118 Degrees Restaurant in Costa Mesa also specialize in vegetarian foods.  Of course, those restaurants are in the minority, but there is no restaurant that does not serve at least some fruits and vegetables.

Just do some research in your area and I bet you will be pleasantly surprised!

These websites may help you find the locations of vegetarian restaurants in your area.

http://www.happycow.net/

http://www.vegguide.org/.

http://www.vegdining.com/Home.cfm

Bon Appetite Veggie style!

Kardena Pauza

Author of Easy Veggie Meal Plans

Some people have asked me about my 90-day Easy Veggie Meal Plan Ebook, so in case you have questions about it, here you go!

I made a vegetarian weight loss meal plan because so many people I know kept asking me how to lose weight while being vegetarian. So I looked online to see what was available to you wonderful people around the world and there was literally no meal plans available! I was really surprised!  And what I did find out there was not too helpful like a 7-day meal plan with really boring foods and no calorie accountability.  Even the vegetarian recipe books in the bookstores might have some great recipes but they do not portion out the calories, carbohydrates, protein, and fat that your body needs. In the vegetarian recipe books, it just says: makes 4-7 servings. Not Helpful…

This was when I decided to dedicate all my time and resources in to creating a 90-DAY done for you vegetarian meal plan! Read the rest of Tell Us a Little about Easy Veggie Meal Plan