Don’t get me wrong, I follow him and think he has a lot of good information to share.  In fact as a holistic practitioner, he has really helped get alternative  health views into the mainstream.  Yay!

But (and this is a big BUT) I just couldn’t believe what I was watching…a magic  bullet for weight loss? Dr. Oz  interviewed a drug company that has developed the next weight loss drug after Fen Phen. ( Like didn’t that drug cause heart problems?).  The new drug is called Qnexa  . It claims to curb cravings and even change the way food tastes.

I tried to blow off my feelings because who wants to diss Dr. Oz, right?  He is  considered the all knowing when it comes to wellness. I do have to remind myself that he is a cardiologist, and he means well, but when it comes to nutrition, I can get a little fired up.

During the show he actually seemed positive about this new drug. What he said is that it gets those people who can’t lose weight a little jump start.  That way they have some success and want to keep going.  This will lead to a healthy life.

I ended up watching this episode again and realized that Dr. Oz was giving America the opportunity to make a choice.  Quick fix OR work hard, dig way deep, and solve the problem.

Click to watch the episode:  The New Silver Bullet for Weight Loss

Episode Part 1

Episode Part II

This question is often asked:  “So Lisa, in your opinion, what’s the #1 way to lose weight and keep it off?”

Well, we know about the exercise, eating right (clean),  using portion control, etc… but do you want to know what trumps all of that?

Your self-esteem.

Dr. Christiane Northrup, highly acclaimed physician and author,  was right on when she states that you can try everything;  any magic bullet, even work at it with natural ways to lose weight, but how you FEEL about yourself is # 1.  If you work on that first, work hard, get through all the crap, then losing weight or just maintaining weight loss or a healthy weight is effortless.

Putting it all together is  hard work, I mean crazy hard work,  but it’s doable.  As long as you believe in yourself and trust your body, you are gold in my opinion.

How do you feel about this magic (silver) bullet?  What are your thoughts about the connection between your self-esteem and health?

Weigh in below with your comment.

(I’m dying to know what you think).

Kickin’ It Clean is  here! 

This virtual group and meal plans (yep, 4 weeks all planned for you!) are ready.

Click the box for sign up info.

Rock the Tacos is my absolute favorite “clean” taco recipe.  You will find this recipe in the Kickin’ It Clean meal plan for Week 2.

I’m a big fan of chickpeas, and here is a quick way to make tacos the healthy way without a lot of fuss.

Rock the Tacos

Ingredients:
1 15 oz. can of chickpeas, rinsed
1 taco seasoning recipe packet (try Simply Organic)

1 Tbps. of extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
8 corn taco shells  (try Little Bear brand)

Add ons:  chopped tomatoes, mixed greens

Let’s get to it:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Whisk  juice, olive oil  & spices together. Add rinsed chickpeas and toss until  coated. Place chickpeas on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Assemble tacos with chickpeas, mixed greens, and  tomatoes.

Note:  You can make your own taco seasoning by blending these ingredients:

Every summer during high school, I used to slather the Johnson’s Baby Oil all over my body and bake in the sun.

I can hear my mom’s voice even now, “You better watch out! When you get older you will regret it.”

(I’m wondering if every child of the 80′s did this…I’m thinking yes).

Fast forward 20+ years. Here I am at 43 years old, and I’m so glad I found Soleil Organique.

I want to protect myself from sun damage (although a little Vitamin D is good…go for about 10 minutes without sunblock and then cover up!) plus avoid dry skin and wrinkles.

I also want to stay clear away from toxins.  The skin is the largest organ on our bodies, and well, I’m not gonna put crap on it. Like those cans with sunscreen for the kids…the fumes are enough to knock you out!

I got to do a test drive with Soleil Organique’s  100% Mineral Sunblock (SPF 15).  I’m so lucky!

This sunblock is:

• water resistant
• hypoallergenic
• vegan
• gluten-free
• paraben-free

AND it comes in a BPA -free package. Oh, so nice.

This naturally based sunblock contains Green Tea Leaf extract which helps guard against UV induced cancer causing skin damage.  Not to mention the organic shea butter, sunflower, almond and jojoba oils and aloe vera juice.   These help with keeping your skin supple and preventing inflammation.

And check this out.  Soleil Organique’s EcoSun Complex is a power packed natural formula that prevents loss of firmness, increases skin smoothness, and decreases wrinkle depth. Hot damn!  Now that I’m in my forties, this is so important for me.

I used the mineral sunblock while biking, running and hanging out at the park.  As you can see I’m pretty active, and Soleil’s sunblock stuck with me the whole time.  So light, clean, and I didn’t have that chalky residue.  I felt relieved knowing that I didn’t have to worry about any chemicals.  Using the sunblock gave me a piece of mind, too.  I felt relieved that my skin was protected and that I didn’t have to worry about new wrinkles popping up.

Go and visit Soleil Organique’s site for all sorts of sunscreens and anti-aging products. It’s never too late to take care of your skin so why not use the best.  Soleil Organique has also been featured in In Style Magazine and Whole Living. Yeah baby!

*Soleil Organique, thank you for having me review your sunblock. I’m so over the moon happy that I now have a product I can rely on and will use time and time again.

How do you protect yourself from the sun? Leave your sun safe tip below.

Ahhh, pancakes.

Quoting Zoe from Nurse Betty (from Showtime), “Pancakes make me want to dance!”

Then she goes into the “running  man.”  Just love that.

If pancakes make you happy like me, then have your family make you these beauties for Sunday:

Ingredients:

Dry:

1 3/4 cup of brown rice flour

1/4 cup almond flour (meal)

1/4 cup buckwheat flour

1/4 cup tapioca flour (starch)

1/4 tsp. of xanthan gum

1/4 tsp. of sea salt

Wet:

1 cup coconut (or almond milk; I used almond)

1 cup filtered water

Egg replacer for 2 eggs (I used Ener-G or you can use 2 eggs)

3 Tbsp. of coconut oil

1 tsp. of almond extract

 Let’s start:

• Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
• Add in the wet ingredients.  Beat until the batter is smooth, not lumpy or too thick.
• Put the griddle on medium heat.
• Pour a scoop of pancake batter (I used a ladle) on to the griddle. Repeat until you fit as many scoops on the griddle.
• After about 1-2 minutes (look for tiny bubbles in the batter), flip the pancakes with your spatula.  Cook about one more minute or until firm.
• Add maple syrup, fruit, or honey for a nice topping.

Serves 4.

Note:  I didn’t have agave or honey, but I suggest adding 1 Tbsp. to the wet ingredients if you want more sweetness. These were pretty sweet as it is, but go for it if you want to.

If you’re a mama, I wish you a beautiful Mother’s Day!

What are you plans for the special day?

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