So I have to confess, I’m having more trouble with this elimination diet than I thought I would. While I’m finding and trying great recipes, that’s only a small part of making a restrictive diet like this work for you. I was reminded of this when reader Tiffany shared her troubles earlier this week on An Elimination Diet Adventure. My advice to her was given based on my previous experience with cleansing, and while the principals are the same and the tricks will work, two weeks into my elimination diet and I’m still cheating.

The great thing is that I’ve identified the main source of my problems: stress. Right now, I’m experiencing both internal and external types of stress. Internally, any major change in diet or routine is going to stress your body whether you realize it or not. Your body will adjust, it just needs time. You can make this adjustment phase easier with several healthy lifestyle tricks, including the attempt to control as much external stress as possible.

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Two hottie Toronto personal trainers were featured in an article in this past Monday’s Metro. They’ve trained the likes of Miss Universe Canada , actors, Maple Leaf players, supermodels and world boxing champions. You know what they had to say about health and fitness?

“Fix your nutrition. The rest will fix itself,” says one blond, buff brother. The other Adonis says, “Nutrition is paramount. It is almost 80 per cent of the equation for performance and weight loss.”

If you haven’t heard it before, you are what you eat and so this brings us to…

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Did you know that many of us have food allergies or sensitivities to food without even knowing it? Symptoms to food reactions are varied, the most severe resulting in death, but most are subtle, such as gas, an uncomfortable belly or even forgetfulness.

So how do you find out if you have food intolerances and what foods your body dislikes? Well, one way is to go on an elimination diet . This is a super restrictive diet that cuts out all food allergens known to affect some people. This includes:

• Sugar
• Dairy
• Gluten (wheat, rye, barley, spelt, oats)
• Peanuts, pistachios and cashews
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Earlier this week, I revealed the first step in getting a bikini-ready body was a belief in and a commitment to healthy living . The second step is essentially prepping your body and mind for regular total body workouts by starting with your centre, building core strength and stability.

Now it’s time to pay a little attention to nutrition. No worries, though, no rabbit food for you yet. This is a seemingly small step and might even be your favourite in this weight loss approach!

Step #3 to your Beach Bod: Increase Your Protein

Last month, I published a post, Heavenly, Healthy Snacks that Last , which talked about the difference in how our bodies process different types of foods. Basically, protein has a high glycemic index, which takes longer to digest, and therefore combining carbs with protein allows one to be more satisfied for longer.

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If you’ve been following this series of posts , then you’ve probably already taken the first step towards your bodacious beach bod . That is, you’ve made a commitment to yourself to do something healthy everyday so you can make healthy living a habit.

If you decided to walk for a half an hour instead of watch a TV show you’re not even really interested in anyways, then you and I have something in common. That’s how I began my health journey over a year ago (and lost 43 lbs and 43 inches since then, for those who don’t already know).

Today, I’d like to share with you the second healthy activity I strategically implemented into my regime. Every second day – while I watched TV and after my 30 minute walk – I performed 1 set each of 5 core exercises which took all of 20 minutes.

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“The successful person makes a habit of doing what the failing person doesn’t like to do.” Thomas Edison

Edison had something here, but there’s more to it than this success equation suggests. Like those who fail, most successful people also dislike what they make a habit of…at first. What truly sets them apart is they find a way to enjoy it .

They’ve found the secret to turning difficult into easy . Habits are easy because they are default behaviour. They become second nature only through repetition but it’s against human nature to repeatedly do something that causes you pain, either mentally, emotionally or physically.

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Spring is officially here, which means we have 3 months to prepare for the hot weather…and less clothing. If you’re slightly worried about peeling back the layers and baring skin, then this Bodacious Beach Bod Series is for YOU.

T he next six posts will uncover a 6 step approach to weight loss that can easily fit into any lifestyle. Along with the tips at the end of each post, this series will help you develop tenacious, healthy habits. I know because I did it myself! I discovered this approach last year when I lost 25 pounds in 3 months and to this day continue to lead a healthy, active lifestyle. Actually, not only have I managed to keep the weight off, I’ve lost a total of 43 pounds and 43 inches to-date!

This Bodacious Beach Bod Series focuses on nutrition and fitness (leaving out the cleansing for those who don’t believe in it). This 6 step approach will help you shed the gigglies and firm up those flabby muscles so you can take on the world! It will also increase your metabolism for long-lasting effects.

So get yourself geared up to take 6 steps closer to your health goals and make the most out of Spring…the beach bod is just a really cool side-effect.

Step #1
Step #2
Step #3
Step #4
Step #5
Step #6

So you’ve been reading about detoxing , cleansing and think your body might be telling you it needs assistance in detoxifying. You’ve tried a few detox tricks , including a couple super detox drinks , but it’s Spring (or Fall) and you’re in the mood for a deeper internal cleanse.

But you’ve never cleansed before! A little apprehensive, you want a safe, gentle and natural cleanse without trying the expensive cleansing programs currently on the market.

The following is such a cleanse based on my research in this area over the last few years. However, I highly recommend printing this out and consulting your doctor first as any cleanse (no matter how natural) may catalyze certain health conditions.
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For those just tuning in, over the last week we’ve been talking about what it means to detox and cleanse your body. We discussed why we should detox and the signs of toxicity , where our bodies are saying:

“Hey! You! Your life-long buddy here, your BODY, is getting old and worn. I need a break from trying to process all the junk I’m exposed to on a daily basis. Help me!”

Giving Nature a helping hand

There are several things we can do everyday to help stop the influx of toxins, help our bodies flush the accumulated toxins out and heal the damage they cause:
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A few posts ago, we defined detoxing and body cleansing . We’ve also covered why we should detox and the warning signs our bodies show to tell us when a detox might help make life a bit easier. In that last post, I promised this one would cover how to detox.

How to Detox.”

However, faithful Readers, I thought you might enjoy a break from reading. In keeping with the theme, the following video is a Fox news segment covering Isagenix , a body cleansing system currently out on the market.

MY ISAGENIX REVIEW:

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