RESTART® Your Health Nutrition Classes AND Nourish Your Family Freezer Cooking Parties!
RESTART® is Back!
Excess weight, tiredness and fatigue, headaches, gas and bloating, brain fog, poor sleep, unbalanced hormones, high blood pressure, heartburn, or lack of energy? Do you suffer from any of these things? Like many Americans, have you accepted them as “normal?”
I hate to break it to you but nothing on the above list is “normal” and none of these things should be experienced day to day.
Thankfully, YOU ARE IN CHARGE OF YOUR HEALTH AND YOU CAN TURN THESE THINGS AROUND! Living this way does not need to be normal!
That is what the RESTART® class is for! This 5 week class provides the education, support, and a 3 week REAL FOOD CHALLENGE where we’ll be focusing on using FOOD to HEAL the body, specifically by eliminating all processed food and sugars.
Want to begin living life without those everyday complaints? Go against the normal and sign up for the next RESTART® class that will be held on Monday nights from 7-8:30 beginning OCTOBER 26th!
You can learn more and Sign up for the class here.
Nourish Your Family Freezer Cooking Party
Want to put healthy meals on the table for your family but aren’t sure where to begin? Are you too busy to cook real food from scratch? Need some new fresh ideas for meal time?
If any of these are true of you, then you would LOVE our new Nourish Your Family Freezer Cooking Parties!
We will provide the menu, recipes, pastured meat and eggs from a local farm, and run the cooking party.
You will walk away with several servings of 4 different freshly prepared meals ready for your freezer to enjoy at anytime!
You will need to bring groceries from a very basic grocery list that will be provided and the cost of the party is $75 per person.
The next party will be on Friday, October 23rd from 6-9 pm in Warrenville. Spots are very limited so sign up today by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Can’t make it to this one? That’s OK – we can come to you! Gather 4-5 friends for your very own freezer cooking party. This will be no cost for party hosts.
All of our menus are gluten free, dairy free, refined sugar free, and paleo with pastured meat and eggs that we will provide from a local farm.
Our Fall Menu:
-Pumpkin Chili
- Italian Stuffed Peppers
- Salmon Cakes
- Sweet Potato Casserole
- Veggie Egg Cups
Are you trying to lose weight, get healthier, lower your blood pressure or cholesterol, have more energy, balance your hormones or address some other health condition?
Have you been trying to eat more natural, real foods but are not sure where to begin? Are you interested in what a healthy diet actually looks like with all of the conflicting information out there? If any of these things are true, the RESTART® class will help with all of these questions and provide you with the education and support to actually make it happen!
Why is this so important?
From underweight, tired, and unbalanced to happy, healthy, and PREGNANT!
What we put into our body will either move us toward health or toward sickness. This is my story of the impact food has had on my body.
From 2003 until 2012, the picture on the left was me. Through trying to be healthy, I began eating low calorie, low fat foods (think lean cuisines, fat free yogurt, and 35 calorie bread) and began exercising more. I lost a few pounds at first, fairly easily, so I kept going, ultimately losing 25-30 pounds in only a couple of months. My calorie intake decreased and my exercise duration and intensity increased. During this time I weighed anywhere between 95 and 110 pounds and was running marathons. I knew that this wasn’t the best long term plan but I thought that I felt pretty good and everything was fine. When looking back, I was depressed, tired, and my body was basically on the verge of completely shutting down. My cycles had stopped when this began in 2003 and never returned, my lips would turn purple at the thought of cold, and I stopped wanting to be around people or having fun.
Thankfully in 2012, everything turned around. I was introduced to a program like RESTART® and learned what foods to eat to nourish my body. I replaced my fat free yogurt, boneless skinless chicken breasts, and 35 calorie bread with whole eggs, red meat, and an abundance of vegetables. I knew I wanted to have a family one day so I was pretty desperate to do whatever it took to regain my fertility. I no longer feared foods or counted calories. I was happy. I gained the weight I needed. I had energy. I slept great. My cycles returned. I got pregnant!
This did not happen overnight, but through that initial period of “Restarting” my diet, my life and my health has been forever changed.
Now I know my story is opposite of most. However, I share it to demonstrate the power that food has on our body. If you give your body the nourishment that it needs, it will treat you well. If you don’t, overtime you will get sick. Sick can look like a lot of different things – sleep problems, hormone imbalance, fatigue, anxiety, depression, weight gain, weight loss, high blood pressure, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, the list goes on and on.
For me, changing my diet balanced my mood, hormones, and weight. What can it do for you?
Maybe you are like me, wanting to regain balance and health in your life. Maybe you are more like Sue. Her weight continued to creep up, her doctor was threatening cholesterol medicine, and she didn't want to get into a yo-yo dieting cycle. With a program similar to RESTART®, she lost 25 pounds, has kept it off for 3 years, and her doctor is happy with her cholesterol readings (no medication needed). You can read her story HERE. Maybe you are struggling with something completely different. Where ever you are, I would challenge you to put all excuses aside and consider how incorporating the nutrition that your body needs could help you tackle those problems. Join us for our next RESTART® class beginning either Sept 11th or 14th.
You can learn more and sign up here!
Sign up ends Tuesday, September 8th.
What others say about the RESTART® program?
“This class opened my eyes to the hidden sugar in foods that I previously thought were healthy. Class was interesting and informative.”
–Russ, RESTART® Participant
"Since I did The RESTART® Program I'm off of two medications; one for asthma and the other for acid reflux. I can't tell you how excited I am about this!"
-RESTART® Participant
"Just had my annual physical. Forty...count 'em... forty point drop in my cholesterol!!! My [A1C] sugar level dropped 30% and I'm down 8 pounds, too! I know I couldn't have done it without your support!"
-RESTART® Participant
"I never thought I could do this, but with all the information and support, it went by really fast and I feel great! You have changed my life and I thank you for that!"
-RESTART® Participant
"My husband and I took the class together. This was a great way to change our meals. We both understood what we were changing, why were changing it, and we encouraged each other along the way."
sj, RESTART® Participant
Are You Consuming More Sugar Than You Realize?
After writing the initial post, The Not So Sweet Sugar Reality, there was still more to say about how sugar sneaks into common foods that this topic deserved a follow up.
Before addressing how much sugar sneaks into our everyday foods, let’s put it into context.
How much sugar should we be consuming each day?
According to the American Heart Association and World Health Organization, the recommended amounts of daily sugar consumption are 5 % of total caloric intake or:
Less than 38 grams or 9 tsp per day for men
Less than 25 grams or 6 tsp per day for women
Less than 12-25 grams or 3-6 tsp per day for children depending on size and age
Yet, the average American consumes about 194 grams or 48.5 teaspoons of sugar per day!
How is so much sugar sneaking into our daily plates?
Below is a list of the amounts of sugar found in common foods:
12 oz can of coke = 39 g/9.3 tsp
8 oz cup of apple juice = 26 g/6.2 tsp
Yoplait yogurt = 27 g/6.4 tsp
1 Cups Raisin Bran = 19 g/4.5 tsp
3 Oreos = 13 g /3.1 tsp
AMP Energy Drink = 58 g/13.8 tsp
Starbucks Grande Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino = 65 g/15.6 tsp
Bottled Starbucks Frappuccino Coffee Drink = 46 g/11 tsp
1 Medium 3” Apple = 19 g/4.5 tsp
1 Medium 2.5” Nectarine = 11 g/2.6 tsp
1 Cup Whole Strawberries = 7g/1.7 tsp
Sugar is everywhere!
From this list you can see how common foods, even “health foods” are often loaded with sugar. For example, one Yoplait yogurt cup contains more sugar than an average size woman should eat in the whole day!
In fact, added sugar hides in 74% of processed foods. This is why it is important to get in the habit of reading ingredient labels to spot that extra added sugar. Look for words that end in “ose” (like lactose or sucrose), “tol” (like sorbitol), or ending in malt, juice, or syrup.
It is important to keep in mind that not all sugar is created equal.
The natural sugars found in vegetables and fruits are not as potent. These items also contain fiber, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and beneficial phytonutrients which moderate the effects of sugar on the body. However, when the natural sugars in these foods, like beets, are separated from their water, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other beneficial components, we are left with refined white crystals that we know as sugar.
What is the big problem with this refined sugar?
Besides all of the negative health affects (i.e. diabetes, heart disease, weight gain) that were addressed in the first post, The Not So Sweet Sugar Reality, sugar can be compared to drugs in the way that it affects the brain and body.
In animal studies, sugar causes cravings, tolerance, and withdrawal, similar to the effects of substance abuse. In one study, given the choice, rats chose sugar over cocaine because the high that they received from sugar was more pleasurable. In humans, sugar has a similar affect in the brain as addictive drugs leading to cravings and addiction.
What Can You Do About a Sugar Addiction?
A 21-day sugar detox can be a great start when you base it on consuming real, whole foods. This helps to eliminate sugar cravings and break that sugar addiction cycle. When we limit our sugar, we limit the blood sugar spikes and crashes that sugar causes. This has a significant impact on our cravings/
For a deeper look into breaking your sugar cravings and establishing healthy eating patterns for a lifetime, check out my 7 Weeks of Real Food program. In it you will receive the practical support to embrace healthy eating and the tools you need to be successful in your attempts.
Dr. Jamie
Sugar consumption has increased dramatically, causing unwanted health consequences.
In 1700 the average consumption of sugar was 4 lbs. per person per year. By 1900 sugar consumption was up to 90 lbs. per person per year. Today, according to the USDA the average person consumes a whopping 156 lbs. of sugar per year!
Are you consuming more sugar than you realize?
Unfortunately, the selection in grocery stores today makes it nearly impossible to avoid sugar.
Sugar is not just found in sugary desserts like ice cream and doughnuts, but now food producers sneak it into almost all foods including salad dressing, granola bars, protein powders, canned fruits and vegetables, and many seemingly “health” foods. When we eat food high in refined carbohydrates and sugar, the blood sugar response in the body makes us crave it more.
This leads to a vicious sugar cycle.
Why is this such a problem?
The overconsumption of sugar wreaks havoc on the systems of the body.
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Sugar contains no nutrients. When sugary food is on our plates, we remove nutrient dense food. This leaves the body lacking in essential nutrients necessary to health.
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Sugar creates unbalanced gut bacteria, which is home to 70-80% of our immune system.
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Sugar stresses your hormonal system causing adrenal fatigue, thyroid conditions, and other hormonal symptoms.
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Sugar causes an inflammatory response in the body. This inflammation leads to a host of other conditions listed below. When the body is chronically inflamed, it suppresses the immune system leaving you vulnerable to infection and disease.
Too much sugar has undesired consequences - problems that you may not realize are caused by the sugar.
Common conditions associated with sugar consumption include:
- Migraines
- High Blood Pressure
- Heart Disease
- Body aches and joint problems
- Arthritis
- Autoimmune Conditions
- Leaky gut
- Diabetes
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
- Cancer
Want to stop the vicious sugar cycle?
Here are some tips to help you reduce your sugar intake and beat those sugar cravings.
- Drink some water when you crave sugar. You may just be dehydrated!
- Focus on consuming meals higher in fat and protein.
- Start reading labels so you notice the hidden sugar.
- When you feel like eating something sweet, distract yourself by doing something else. Some ideas include going for a walk, calling a friend, taking a nap, or reading a book.
- Write about your motivations for reducing sugar and keep a food journal. This will keep you motivated!
- Cinnamon! Cinnamon regulates your blood sugar after meals.
- Drink some spiced tea or mint-flavored water (no added sugar) for a sense of sweetness without actually consuming sugar.
- Join us for 7 Weeks of Real Food where we will learn together to eat REAL food for REAL changes.
Let me know if you are limiting your sugar intake and tell me how you are doing that. I'd love to hear about it!
Dr. Jamie
