Body By Vi 90 Day Challenge - Start Date 10/22/2014

I began my Body By Vi 90 Day Challenge on 10/22/2014. Let me say, I have probably tried just about every weight loss plan known to man at one time or another. Sadly, most left me very hungry, with headaches, and overall very irritable. 

I am using the Vi-Shape Shakes. Granted, I have only been on the Challenge for 2 1/2 weeks, but here is what I have noticed:

I am not hungry
I usually forget to eat a snack (that is not normal for me)
I have ENERGY! (This is without any energy supplements)
The shakes taste GOOD
The shakes are Sugar-Free
The shakes are only 90 Calories (lowest cal protein shake I have seen)
The shakes are not gritty
The Vi System is SIMPLE
Vi-Shape is VERY affordable ($99 = 60 Meals!)
Our grocery bill has been cut in HALF!
MOST IMPORTANTLY - I am down 14 lbs already!!!!

If you want to shed some weight quickly, tone up, or add muscle then Visalus is the answer!!!

My husband is already down nearly 20 lbs!!!

I am going to go down on the scales this holiday season!

For more info watch this video to see how it works, then contact me with any 
questions or to join The 90 Day Challenge with us!!!

http://youtu.be/n7bQvKd_5OY

Or visit our website:  http://markandanna.bodybyvi.com

Why Avoid Regular Bread?

http://mariahealth.blogspot.com

Looks like a "healthy" sandwich right? WRONG!

We all know that we need to stay away from sugar, but are you eating "whole grain" bread? Whole wheat bread is high in sugar, higher than some candy bars and sugary sodas, and some scientists have proven that two slices of whole wheat bread will raise your blood sugar levels as high as if you were eating a candy bar.

Why does it take the mainstream media so long after a new study to report health benefits? BECAUSE they would lose all their advertising! I had to sign a waiver when I would be on TV that I won't bash whole grain or cereals.

It's really thing to wrap our mind around. According to the Life Extension article, eating two slices of whole wheat bread is worse than drinking a can of Coke or eating a candy bar. The original 1981 study at the University of Toronto found:

Glycemic Index:

White Bread = 69 

Whole-grain Bread = 72

Wheat Cereal = 67, 

but Table Sugar (sucrose) = 52

That means the Glycemic Index of whole grain bread is higher than that of table sugar, which is also known as sucrose. For you "gluten free" readers out there...rice cakes are listed on the Glycemic Index at 77! This is why when people go "gluten free" and grab a lot of packaged "gluten free" items at the store, they gain weight rather than lose weight.


To read more, check out Oct 2011 issue of Life Extension magazine, "Wheat, the unhealthy whole grain," in the Oct. 2011 issue of Life Extension Magazine, page 82.

Coconut Flour Cheddar Drop Biscuits

By Laura · Jul,13 2011
http://heavenlyhomemakers.com

Coconut Flour Cheddar Drop Biscuits

¼ cup coconut oil or butter, melted
1/3 cup sifted coconut flour
4 eggs
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon baking powder
½ cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Blend together eggs, coconut oil or butter, salt, and onion powder. Combine coconut flour with baking powder and whisk into batter until there are no lumps. Fold in cheese. Drop batter by the spoonful onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. For a cheesier biscuit increase cheese to ¾ cup.

This recipe makes about 10 biscuits.

Pecan Pie Cookie Dough Balls

By Chocolate-Covered Katie
http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com

(raw and gluten-free)

• 1/2 cup raw pecans (For all substitutions on this recipe, see nutrition link below) (52g)
• packed 1 cup pitted dates (I use Sunmaid, found in regular grocery stores near the raisins, as they are softer and stickier than the ones found in natural food stores.) (160g)
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
• optional: chocolate chips (or mini chips, or a piece of your favorite chocolate bar)

Combine all ingredients in a food processor until it makes a crumbly dough. (You can add the optional chocolate chips either before or after blending.) Pour crumbles into a bag and smush into one big ball. Remove from bag and form little balls. Or you can make bars or cookie-cuttered shapes if you prefer. This can also be made in a Magic Bullet: halve the recipe for best blending in a bullet.

View Nutrition Facts

Coconut Flour -- Why Use It?

http://www.sarahwilson.com.au/2012/01/paleo-coconut-flour-muffins-sugarfree-of-course/

there are six reasons to give coconut flour a crack.

1. It’s sweet tasting, but contains no fructose (as with all coconut products).

2. It’s great for baking – it gives things a dense texture.

3. But it’s grainless, thus containing no sugary starch nor toxins (phytic acid etc). Which is why it’s the paleo’s “flour” of choice.

4. It’s efficient. It’s the natural byproduct from making coconut milk – the dried coconut meat that’s left over. I like this. It’s using up stuff that would otherwise be chucked.

5. It curbs cravings. It’s rich in protein, fiber and good fat. As well as manganese, which is craving-curber.

6. It’s nourishing, especially for autoimmune disease sufferers: containing lauric acid, a saturated fat that supports the immune system and the thyroid as well as manganese, which also supports the thyroid.

but you need to know this:

1. This stuff is DRY, so don’t substitute with other flours one-for-one: 

1 cup normal flour = about 1/3 cup coconut flour.

2. I read somewhere that when baking with coconut flour,

for every one cup you need to use six beaten eggs + one cup of liquid.

I keep some coconut milk and coconut oil nearby and splash it in to get a batter to the right consistency.

3. It can also be used to coat meat (dredging) or fish. But remember, it does have a “sweet” flavour.

4. It seems to work really well with almond meal when baking – the consistencies balance each other.

5. It needs to be sifted.

Copycat Recipe: Reeses Peanut Butter Eggs

By Chocolate-Covered Katie
http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com

Copycat Peanut Butter Eggs

(Makes 6-9 eggs)

Click for: Step-by-Step Photos.

• 1/4 cup peanut butter (or any nut butter)
• dash salt (I also use salted peanut butter)
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar or Sugar-Free Powdered Sugar
• 2 tbsp. cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp. virgin coconut oil (see below, for substitution notes)
• Liquid stevia to taste, or 2 tbsp. agave or pure maple syrup
• 2 more tbsp. of the sugar/sf sugar, if needed

Mix the first three ingredients together in a bowl until it becomes a crumbly dough. (Note: if your nut butter is from the fridge, let it sit awhile—or microwave it—so it’s easier to mix. Also, I put the dough into a plastic bag to shape into a ball with less mess.) Add the extra 2 tbsp. sugar/sf sugar if it’s too gooey, and add a little more pb if it’s too dry. (Different brands of peanut butter will yield different results.) Taste the dough and add a little more salt if desired. Form dough into flat little ovals (or egg shapes, but real Reeses eggs are flat). Freeze the dough for an hour or so, until it’s hard.

Meanwhile, mix the cocoa and coconut oil (melt the oil if it’s not already melted) in a shallow dish. Add the agave/maple or stevia drops. If you use the stevia option, also add a scant 2 tbsp. water or extra oil. Mix until it looks like chocolate sauce, and then take one “egg” out of the freezer at a time (so the rest stay cold) and cover in chocolate. (I used a corn-cob skewer. No idea why I even have those, but they worked really well! A fork would also be fine.) Immediately return covered egg to the freezer and let harden. Best to store these in the freezer as well. You can thaw a little before eating, or eat when frozen–either way, they’re awesome!

View Nutrition Info

Substitution notes: If you don’t have virgin coconut oil, or if you want “eggs” that don’t need to be stored in the freezer, you can melt chocolate chips and dip the pb eggs in that instead. As mentioned above, you could also opt to simply freeze a blob of nut butter until it’s shapeable, shape it into eggs, and dip in chocolate. Or, if you have egg-shaped molds, just pour in a little chocolate, then the pb, then more chocolate. Freeze.

Reeses Pieces Fudge Frosting

By Chocolate-Covered Katie
http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/

This healthier alternative to store-bought frosting tastes like what you’d get if you melted a Reeses peanut butter cup and slathered it thickly onto the top of a cupcake. Or ate it straight off the spoon.

Reeses Pieces Frosting

(Yields almost 1/2 cup)

• 1/4 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter)
• 4-8 tsp pure maple syrup (click for a sugar-free alternative)
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 4 tsp milk of choice (or more for thinner frosting)
• 3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
• optional: handful of chocolate chips (the “pieces”)

Blend everything (including chips, if using) in a small food processor or Magic Bullet. If you have a bigger processor, it might be best to double the recipe so everything blends more smoothly. Best to store uneaten frosting covered in the fridge.

View Nutritional Info

Substitution notes: If you don’t like—or can’t have—peanut butter, feel free to try this recipe with almond butter, cashew butter, sunbutter, or maybe even coconut butter! Agave can be subbed for the maple syrup. I haven’t tried a stevia version, nor have I tried the recipe with pb2 or better’n pb. Try those substitutions at your own risk.