Over the past months we have talked a lot about the benefits to cleansing the colon and colon cleanse products.

I wanted to quickly review a few Colon Cleanse products today and compare them.

First lets take a look at :

Colon-Cleanse Pro

Colon-Cleanse Pro is a proven colon cleanser. It contains natural ingredients that flush harmful food debris and toxins from the colon - leaving it clean, disinfected, and functioning properly.

The standard American Diet (or SAD) for most American’s consists of ultra-high level fat content foods with high levels of preservatives. Add to that pollution from red and white meats, water, air and other environmental factors can leave your insides feeling yucky and run-down.

An average American will eat 4-6 meals/day and have a typical bowl-movement (bm) once a day. This leaves anywhere from 5-8 meals of food sitting in your system at any given time. Have you ever considered this simple question: Are You Clean Inside? Find ot how you can use Colon-Cleanse Pro to help you shed this extra weight now !

Another product we have been looking at is BOWTROL. BOWTROL Bowtrol is an all natural herbal colon cleansing treatment that has changed thousands of people’s lives through our effective internal cleansing. Bowtrol was also designed for people suffering from constipation and maximizes colon health. Bowtrol maximizes one’s elimination without causing loose stool or uncomfortable cramping via frequent healthy bowel movements while assisting in cleansing the vital organs and lymphatic system. Click here to find out more about BOWTROL.

Walking is a wonderful way to burn calories and fat while improving your mental well being.  It is one of the many free activities you can do to keep yourself looking trim and fit in 2009!

If you have back pain, osteoporosis, diabetes or even stress, walking can help allieviate some of the pain by improving muscle tone and strengthening the heart.  In this day and age, we’re all trying to turn the hands of time back to regain some of our youthfulness.  We obsess about our weight and vow to be more fit as our New Year’s resolutions.

Well, this year, you can start your new health regimen with a simple walking plan.  First, start out gently with your body.  If you’re not used to daily exercising, keep it short.  Start with 10 minutes a day until you feel comfortable and don’t have to huff and puff for air.  Remember to breathe deeply, in and out, during your walk.  When you feel that you’re ready, increase your time to 15 or 20-minute walks or change your walking route to include more hills for a little resistance. 

Gradually, increase your walking time to fit your lifestyle and your goals.  Remember, this is something that can benefit you your entire life.  So be gentle with your body and create a fitness plan that you know you can stick to.  All you need to get started is a good pair of walking shoes!

A good rule of thumb when you are first starting out and trying to gauge your pace is the “walking test”.  If you cannot hold a conversation with someone without getting out of breath, you’re walking too fast.  Slow it down a bit to a more comfortable pace.  This will ensure that you do not injure or over exert yourself.

What is your fitness walking plan?

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Tags: back pain, Fitness, fitness plan, improving muscle tone, simple walking plan, strengthening the heart, walk, walking, walking plan, walking test

Eating brightly colored veggies like carrots, cucumbers, spinach, celery, beets and peppers is a great way to get lots of vitamins, minerals and enzymes your body needs to function at its optimal level.  We know that by cooking foods, we destroy nutrition and enzymes and change the chemical structure of foods, which can produce free radicals.  Here is a simple way to get your daily requirements of vegetables in a fun, fresh way.  Raw food rainbow wraps can be modified to fit your own tastes and likings.

I like to use a few large whole pieces of romaine for the outside shell, but you can use just about any large green leafy veggie you like.  Look in your fridge and pull out any veggies you like and maybe ones that are about to spoil and ready to use.  Cucumbers, celery, carrots, lettuce, beets, peppers (green, red, yellow or hot), garlic and fresh herbs are good staples to start with.  Chop the vegetables into smaller pieces if necessary and stick them in your food processor (I love mine).   Chop for a few seconds and voila!  That’s all there is to it.

You can spread a heavy layer of hummus on your lettuce shell or just leave it plain.  Scoop a big helping of chopped veggies on top and, if you like tomatoes, stack a few thin slices on top of the chopped mixture and fold like a burrito.

The possibilities for this simple, healthy snack are endless.  You don’t need to spend a lot of money on food to eat nutritious, fun meals.  Just add a little imagination!

What are your favorite raw food recipes?

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Tags: chemical structure of foods, enzymes, food processor, free radicals, minerals, rainbow wraps, raw food, raw food recipes, vitamins

Growing up in the South, my mother always prepared the traditional New Year’s Day meal of Hoppin’ John and Greens.  I’d like to carry on that tradition, but give it a healthy twist. Hoppin’ John is essentially black-eyed peas, onions, bacon and rice, and it’s believed to bring good luck in the upcoming year.

Here are my healthier versions:

Super Quick Hoppin’ John

Ingredients

• 2 Tsbp extra version olive oil
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 glove garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 can black-eyed peas
• 1/2 - 1 Tsp Hickory Liquid Smoke
• Tabasco Chipotle Pepper Sauce to taste (optional)

Directions:

1. Warm the oil in a saucepan.
2. Sauté the onions in the oil for 5-7 minutes until they begin to brown.
3. Add the garlic and cumin and sauté for 2-3 more minutes.
4. Add the black eyed- peas and Liquid Smoke and simmer for about 5 minutes until hot.
5. Serve over brown rice.

Slow Cooker Hoppin’ John

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp onion powder
• 2 Tbsp garlic powder
• 1 Tbsp cumin
• 1/2 Tsbp cayenne pepper
• 1 pound dried black-eyed peas, rinsed & soaked overnight
• 2 - 3 Tsp Hickory Liquid Smoke
• vegetable broth, just enough to cover the beans

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients to the slow cooker, stir and cook for 8-10 hours on high.
2. Serve over brown rice.

I know, I know.  It’s that time of year again.  New Year’s resolutions start popping into our minds and suddenly…we’re panic stricken.  This year, let’s start the new year right by first loving our bodies in all their magnificence.  If you think about it, our bodies truly are amazing.  If we treat them right by eating healthy foods, getting plenty of daily exercise and getting enough sleep, our bodies will treat us right, with every part working in sync.

Women, especially, have a bad habit of obsessing over their bodies.  I know, because I do it, too.  We tend to focus on our flaws instead of celebrating our assets.  Positive self image is everything!  If you have a poor self image, you may perpetuate the negativity, being less likely to take care of yourself by doing things like eating healthy, balanced meals and exercising regularly. 

Fortunately, there are plenty of ways you can do today to start appreciating your body and loving yourself from the inside out.

1. Don’t deprive yourself.  Researchers have found that women who constantly fluctuate between eating low and high-calorie meals were more dissatisfied with their bodies than women who remained consistent, eating meals with the similar amount of calories.
2. Change up your exercise routine.  If your exercise routine has gotten, well, routine, switch it up a bit.  Try a mixture of weights and aerobics or get outside and hop on your bike for a spin around the block.  Whatever you do, have fun with it.  There’s nothing worse than dreading exercise.  Play with your kids or have a dance party in your living room.  The possibilities are endless!
3. Love yourself (and mean it).  I know I’ve said this time and time again, but positive thinking can work miracles.  Look in the mirror at your beautiful body and tell yourself just that, “I am beautiful”.  Believing you are incredible, not matter what your pant size says, will make all the difference in the way you carry yourself and on your overall health.

So let’s all get out there this January and make our New Year’s resolutions to love our bodies and recognize that if we treat them right, our bodies can do just about anything.

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Tags: eating healthy foods, Exercise, exercising regularly, love your body, love yourself, New Year's resolutions, positive self image

Thank you to all of our Yeahtips followers.  We wish you a very healthy, happy Christmas with your loved ones.  Whether you are staying home for the holiday or visting with family and friends, remember to take a few minutes for yourself and relax.  Remember that the most important part of Christmas is to spend quality with those you for the most.

Merry Christmas and have a blessed day!

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Tags: christmas, merry christmas, yeahtips