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There are so many choices available it is difficult to make an intelligent decision - unless you understand how your body works and what your real needs are.


So how do you decide what's right for you? Ideally if you want to lose weight and you want to keep it off, there are some basic premises to keep in mind. You didn't get where you are overnight and it's important to realize that it won't change overnight. But don't be discouraged! You can quick-start your weight loss process if you choose strategies wisely while learning about a healthy holistic approach. This type of approach will not only lead to weight loss, it will result in permanent weight loss and a healthier lifestyle… forever!

A holistic approach does not involve dieting as you know it. Instead you will learn about nutritional needs and how to increase your metabolism rate. You will base your food intake on that knowledge. Other topics that you will also learn about in a holistic program include how to decrease and manage stress and anxiety in your life. This is important because many people find that they either eat more or less healthy when they are stressed.

A holistic approach is a comprehensive approach that covers the whole person. Gradual changes are made that are easily incorporated into the individual's life, resulting in a healthy lifestyle and a slimmer, fitter person!

This approach keeps the focus on the individual, thereby creating independence. The individual learns from the beginning how to deal with temptations and develops a plan for such. A Food Journal and Exercise Log, as well as other documentation forms are used. These help the individual stay on track and determine where their focus should be. Any emotional attachments to food items can be determined, or associations with food and times of the day.

All changes are made slowly so they can easily be integrated in one's life. This approach should never be the cause of stress or any discomfort. Instead, you will continuously feel better and better, become more motivated each and every day, and at the same time you will be losing weight and getting in shape! It's awesome! - Because the changes are made slowly, as you integrate these into your life, you will be much more likely to stick with the positive changes. Not only will you find that you are losing weight, but you will feel more vibrant in so many other ways as well.

Before you attempt another fly-by-night program, consider something that will provide lasting results. Chose a holistic approach to weight loss to achieve your healthiest lifestyle possible, a much improved emotional state, and long term results!

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Carolina Tabrizi, M.Ed is a Holistic Nutrition and Natural Health Counselor with over 12 years of teaching and coaching experience. Her primary focus is to empower women to achieve abundant health, and to help them view life’s challenges as an opportunity for personal growth.

From the Environmental Working Group, here is a list of the fruits and vegetables that are ranked highest and lowest in pesticide content. You can see from the list that generally, it is the produce with the thinner skins that rank high. You should always try to buy organic but it is vital to at least buy the produce that ranks high in organic form especially for women that are pregnant and for young children.

Highest In Pesticides

These 16 popular fresh fruits and vegetables are consistently the most contaminated with pesticides - buy these organic.

• Apples
• Asparagus
• Bell Peppers
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Celery
• Cherries
• Corn (sweet)
• Grapes (imported)
• Nectarines
• Peaches
• Pears
• Potatoes
• Red Raspberries
• Spinach
• Strawberries

Lowest In Pesticides

These 8 popular fresh fruits and vegetables consistently have the lowest levels of pesticides.

• Avocados
• Bananas
• Kiwi
• Mangos
• Onions
• Papaya
• Pineapples
• Peas (sweet)

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Carolina Tabrizi, M.Ed is a Holistic Nutrition and Natural Health Counselor with over 12 years of teaching and coaching experience. Her primary focus is to empower women to achieve abundant health, and to help them view life’s challenges as an opportunity for personal growth.

Following are some tips for blending essential oils to feel more alert and energized throughout the day. They provide a natural way to stimulate your brain and revive your body.

Whether you are young, old, or somewhere in between, there have undoubtedly been times where you have felt worn out. We are a society that sleeps too little, works too much, eats poorly, and in general over-schedules every last second of the day. In short, the rigors of daily life can have a way of depleting anyone’s energy reserves. For the chronically worn out, there are plenty of questionable energy sources like double cappuccinos and sugar. On the other hand, you can add more pep to your step in a completely safe, effective, and easy way with the help of aromatherapy.

As a rule, essential oils with spicy or citrus scents are the most popular in combating overtiredness. There are two reasons to explain this. One is that such smells just make you feel perky. Consider for example how smelling orange juice first thing in the morning helps you wake up. The other reason is that these oils contain similar chemicals, all of which stimulate the nerves and emotions. If you are having trouble concentrating after long hours of work or studying, essential oil of lime is an excellent energizer. It refreshes the mind and helps with focus. It blends well with basil, which helps stimulate both the brain and body. Try combining it with grapefruit, an essential oil known for its reviving capabilities.

Certain components within the oils will stimulate the immune system, destroy bacteria, act as powerful antioxidants and building blocks to improve nutrient absorption. It takes up to 20 minutes for the oils to be absorbed by the body, where they remain for 7 hours or more, benefiting the entire system. Some essential oils proven to boost immune function are Frankincense, Ravensara and Tea Tree.

Smell plays an important role in the process. When we smell essential oils, their odor is transferred into a nerve message. The message is sent to different parts of the brain where the process of stimulating different stress relief hormones takes place.

All of the above-mentioned oils are generally considered safe, but applying too much to the skin can cause irritation. Always blend or dilute a few drops of pure essential oil with a ‘carrier’ oil such as olive or grapeseed. Also, certain essentials can give you a headache if you overindulge in their fragrances. Above all, never use these or any other oils internally and consult your physician beforehand if you have a serious medical condition. In this way, you will ensure that you do not accidentally aggravate your condition. The following essential oils are not recommended during pregnancy or for children under 3 years of age. Keeping these precautions in mind, you can start using energizing aromatherapy to benefit your body and mind.

To perk up the atmosphere of your home or enliven the air during a cram session, try using an aromatherapy room spray. This alcohol-based blend is easy to make and is a great replacement for store-bought air fresheners. To make it, you will need thirty drops of your favorite blend of essential oils, twelve ounces of bottled water, and a tablespoon of vodka. Combine the ingredients in a spray bottle, cap, shake well, and use. Keep a bottle at work, in the car, or anywhere else where you spend a lot of time. For this purpose you can try combining Lavender and Pine, Peppermint and Sage, Orange and Clove, or Lemongrass and Thyme.

Aromatherapy offers a wonderful alternative to caffeine’s jitters and sugar’s cravings. Instead of bombarding your body with unhealthy stimulants, you can use Mother Nature’s gifts to feel energized and focused in any situation. Beyond the few mentioned here, there are dozens of other revitalizing essential oils that you can try. Once you experience the natural perk that aromatherapy provides, you will never want to go without it.

Other Aromatherapy Tips To Energize and Reduce Fatigue

Try diffusing Basil before going out in the evening. This is especially good when you’ve been working all day and need to get up enough energy to go out. Basil’s energizing effects will give you the boost you need.

Peppermint and Tea Tree are essential oils indicated for mental fatigue. They promote blood flow to the brain.

The stimulating scents of Rosemary and Peppermint are a superb as a post-shower treat. Spray it on after you’ve toweled off but your skin is still a bit damp. In a spray bottle place 5 ounces of distilled water, 1 tsp olive oil, 6 drops rosemary and 4 drops peppermint essential oils. Shake well to mix — spritz on as desired. Very invigorating!

Traveling can really throw us off schedule. Either we can’t sleep or we’re too tired. Either way, essential oils can help. To help you relax after reaching your destination, you can use Lavender, Marjoram, and/or Chamomile in a warm bath, through massage (combined with a few drops of carrier oil like olive or grapeseed), or in a diffuser.

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Carolina Tabrizi, M.Ed is a Holistic Nutrition and Natural Health Counselor with over 12 years of teaching and coaching experience. Her primary focus is to empower women to achieve abundant health, and to help them view life’s challenges as an opportunity for personal growth.

Lycopene is an antioxidant compound that gives tomatoes and certain other fruits and vegetables their color. It is one of the major carotenoids in the diet of North Americans and Europeans (carotenoids are pigments that give yellow, red, and orange colors to vegetables and fruits. The body can use some of these to make vitamin A).

According to the American Cancer Society, people who have diets rich in tomatoes, which contain lycopene, appear to have a lower risk of certain types of cancer, especially cancers of the prostate, lung, and stomach. Further research is needed to find out what role, if any, lycopene has in the prevention or treatment of cancer. It is likely that the preventive effect of diets high in fruits and vegetables cannot be explained by just one single part of the diet.

Proponents claim that lycopene may lower the risk of heart disease (hardening of the arteries of the heart), macular degenerative disease (an age-related illness which can lead to blindness), and lipid oxidation (damage to normal fat molecules that can then cause inflammation and disease). It is also said to lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or "bad") cholesterol, enhance the body's defenses, and protect enzymes, DNA, and cellular fats.

Some researchers believe lycopene may be valuable in preventing and slowing the growth of cancers of the prostate, lung, and stomach. These scientists describe lycopene as a powerful antioxidant, a compound that blocks the action of activated oxygen molecules - known as free radicals - that can damage cells. The antioxidant activity of lycopene is at least twice as great as beta carotene, another carotenoid that is also thought to be an effective cancer-preventing nutrient. Lycopene is considered one of the more effective antioxidants because it is not converted to vitamin A after it is eaten. Conversion to vitamin A weakens the antioxidant properties of carotenoids like beta carotene.

Dietary lycopene is mainly found in tomatoes, although apricots, guava, watermelon, papaya, and pink grapefruit are also significant sources. Tomatoes are the best food source of lycopene. Lycopene is also available in the form of soft-gel capsule supplements.

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Carolina Tabrizi, M.Ed is a Holistic Nutrition and Natural Health Counselor with over 12 years of teaching and coaching experience. Her primary focus is to empower women to achieve abundant health, and to help them view life’s challenges as an opportunity for personal growth.