Why Does Soda have SUCH a bad Reputation?

Everyone loves some nice strong carbonation right? Isn’t that the point of drinking soda? When a soda goes flat, usually it’s going in the trash. So what’s wrong with having a dark or light soda? Why do these soft drinks have such a bad reputation? Let’s look at some facts about sodas.

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•   Soda generally has about 39 grams or more of sugar, sugary substitute, or a combination of both.
•   Soda is linked to obesity, addiction (caffeine), increased risk for strokes, heart attacks, and              diabetes.
•  Studies have shown that diet soda actually increases weight GAIN and not weight loss
•  In studies the caramel artificial coloring in dark sodas have shown to be cancer causing agents.
•  Soda may accelerate the aging process (cause one to look older than they are) because it actually dehydrates the person drinking the soda thus drying out their skin.
• The artificial sweeteners used in diet sodas do not break down in our bodies.
•  Hazardous material signs are required on the trucks that carry the ingredients that are mixed together to make soda.
• Soda can clean corrosion from car battery terminals, can be used to loosen a rusted bolt, and can increase the risk of having kidney stones.

So does it sound like Nakeesha’s Nutrition is an advocate of not drinking soda? ABSOLUTELY but here we also believe in providing solutions or alternatives that still fulfil that carbonation desire. Keep in mind these alternatives are not going to taste exactly like your favorite soda BUT they do provide a much healthier option and still have that great strong bubbly taste.

•       Izze drinks- 100% juice w/ sparkling water
•      100% fruit juice with added sparkling water- may prepare it yourself
•        Reed’s Ginger or other flavored “soda”- drink sparingly they still have sugar but are also sweetened with honey and fruit juice

There are many more but these should help get you started if you are ready to make the “no more soda” commitment. If you’re not, that’s okay too. Just please keep these facts in mind and at least try to cut back as a start and then go from there. Every little step you take towards better health will soon create a huge leap. There are many stories of people who simply eliminate or cut back on sodas drastically and lose weight almost immediately.

Challenge- instead of picking up a soda today drink more water and try one of the above alternatives. YOU can do this!!!

If you enjoyed this article go to www.nakeeshasnutrition.com and sign up for the mailing list for more high content, fresh new high value information to help you grow in health!

Continue to Put YOU First and let’s hydrate our bodies with greatness! Remember it’s not a diet….it’s a lifestyle!

Yours in Health,

Nakeesha of Nakeesha’s Nutrition

Chicken Chicken Chicken and MORE CHICKEN!!!

Why is it such a big deal?

So what’s the big deal with eating chicken? All this fuss about steroids, antibiotics and the “supposed” affects it has on people specifically women: fibroids, earlier start of menstruation cycle, people becoming immune to medication, and many more things. Let’s look a little deeper to discuss what is safe for you.

Why the need for antibiotics and steroids?

As we all know, the world is growing. With growth comes more of a demand for supply. The normal growth cycle for animals, and plants, takes too long when it comes to supplying the consumer. If you notice pretty much everywhere there is a chicken shop and a burger joint on every corner. Not to mention McDonalds, 

Chick Fil-A, Wendy’s and the like. So where do they get all of their meats from so quickly? You guessed it- injecting animals so they quickly grow. These growth hormones are placed in their foods or injected in their bodies.

Now in theory it makes absolute sense- more people means the need for more food so why not come up with a quick solution that satisfies everyone? Well it gets much deeper than that.  These antibiotics and steroids- while they help supply more chicken and other foods- are not safe when eaten in abundance as well as while it “seems” this is done for the consumer- it’s really all about the money. Supplying meats quicker means more money and so by any means necessary this must be done. This article will not go into the politics of this process but just understand when it is said these chemicals are safe, it’s not being said for your well-being, it’s being said so you will continue to buy it!

Check out this short video on chickens http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enwU5jIXSlU

There are cases of people now becoming immune to antibiotics because it is already in their systems from the chicken, and other meats.  Doctors are now beginning to advise women who have cyst or are prone to fibroids to cut back on chicken or at least begin consuming meats and produce without the use of antibiotics and steroids. Studies are even being done to see if these growth hormones need to be removed altogether because as mentioned  people are beginning to become immune to prescribed antibiotics since it is already in their system. Studies are also showing that growth chemicals used in dairy rBST while deemed safe, when interacting with other chemicals in the body then promote the growth of cancer.

So What Now?

This is why it’s so important to understand what to purchase. As discussed in a few articles, yes healthier food options may cost more but your health is priceless! So here are the best options to remove these growth hormones as much as possible:

1.      

1.      Buy organic or locally grown meats and other products- both do not have antibiotics and hormones
2.         Look for dairy products that say- organic or not treated rBST hormones
3.     Eat less fast foods- unless organic ALL of the meats, produce, and dairy are treated with antibiotics, hormones, and pesticides
4.         Eat out less altogether- as mentioned unless the restaurant is organic or supplies locally grown foods, it is probably stocked full of yuckiness (sorry to be so blunt but it’s the truth). So it’s best to eat more home cooked foods

So hopefully this article at least has you thinking of some immediate changes that you can make for you and your family if you have one. It’s time to start thinking proactively instead of reactively. We do not have to wait for a doctor’s report to make some changes let’s make those changes NOW!!

Nakeesha’s Nutrition would be honored to help you further in your health journey. www.nakeeshasnutrition.com 

Thank you for your attention. You are really investing the time it takes to Put YOU First! Remember  it’s not a diet…..it’s a lifestyle

In Health,

Nakeesha of Nakeesha’s Nutrition

Certified Nutritionist

Health and Wellness Expert

Last Day of the Detox!!!

We MADE It!!!!!!

     Wow I'm really excited! First I cannot tell you how humbled I am that so many people entrusted my program to help lead them to healthier lifestyles. I have had the opportunity to meet and hear so many wonderful things about how people are feeling and I am so excited!!! I really feel great and am going to continue with this plant based detox. Even though I have been doing this for years, it still amazes me how just changing what I eat makes SUCH a difference. It's so simple and yet so difficult. Again that mind body connection has to get in sync. 

So I do hope everyone else plans on continuing or incorporating some of these tools into their lives. Your body and mind really will respond in a positive way.  I'll keep you updated on how things are going!!

Oh! Tonight 8 pm there will be a Put YOU First teleconference, even if you didn't detox, feel free to call in and grow with us!

Conference #  1-712-432-3011 and the Code: 884813

Detox Day 5

Day 5

     Wow I can't believe the days are going by so quickly!! This detox is 7 days and we are already on day 5!!!! Wow! Well I'm feeling great and am actually considering extending this longer. This detox is helping put things in perspective for me. It's so simple yet so difficult. I feel SOOOO much better when I eat things that my body loves. It's my mind that I have to convince of that. Especially on the weekends when my husband and I want to hang out and enjoy the fact that it's the weekend. I want to eat what I want and enjoy....but I always end up paying for it in the end. So in this detox my plan is to find a happy balance. I don't necessarily want to be as strict on myself as I was in the past, even though that's when I felt my best, and at the same time I don't want to be fancy free and footloose ( I really wasn't that bad but for me I could have been much better). 

Time to use these next few days to get my mind and body on the same page. Happy DETOXING!!! 

Detox Time- Day 1

DAY ONE

               I’m so glad it’s finally detox time!  A little over a month ago around Thanksgiving time as I stuffed yet another piece of sweet potato rum cake in mouth (yes I did and it was GOOD), I said to myself I’m going to have to get it together. Eureka!! I’m going to do a detox I said….and then DOUBLE EUREKA!!! Why not put together a detox for EVERYONE?!?!

                So here we are- Day 1 of the 7 day detox. I’m so excited and at the same time just earlier I was thinking of everything else that I could be eating at this time  none of which was on the list for day 1 lol. It always works out like that for me, the benefits are unbelievable but even in that, I STILL crave all the bad stuff. Just human nature I guess.

I hope Day 1 is going well for everyone else, can’t wait to see and hear about all the wonderful things that are happening with your health after these 7 days!! I’m enjoying my smoothie for dinner as we speak.  Talk to you all tomorrow!! 

Update about ME!

Happy Holidays!!!!!

Enjoy this time and get ready for 2014! It's time to take our health to a new level. It's time to Put YOU First.

I want to do this detox not just for YOU but for ME too! Yes....yes....and yes again I AM enjoying my holiday time. I am eating, enjoying family and friends, and relaxing. Of course for me the "eating" is in moderation BUT I am still enjoying more foods that I do not normally eat. Let me share some updates about myself:

• I am no longer 100% vegan- I eat fish and dairy occasionally. I would like to think of myself as "plant-based". The majority of the time I'm eating foods that come from plants but I will eat other things. 
• Being that I am no longer vegan, things for me are not as strict. I think if I lived in California being a vegan would be SOOOO much easier but it is what it is....I still love all vegan food and would probably choose that over anything else if it was an option.
• I indulged on a few small pieces of turkey during Thanksgiving...shhhhhhhhh (lol)
• I actually still feel great but I believe that's because I have worked VERY hard to really live a life of total health and well being.
• This health and well being includes- daily prayer, daily reading, daily exercise(5 days), daily healthy eating (I do have treat days) and just constant working on bettering myself.
• I feel FREE!!

Well that's about it for me, I am truly learning how to put me first and in that I want to share the principles that have really helped catapult me into this world of peace, joy, and health, and love.

Let's DO THIS!!!!!!

Do I have more than one level?

So ya'll know at this point that I am a radical healthy person. I am CONSTANTLY taking things health wise to the next level but in that I have to wonder....is that all that I am about? Am I that one dimensional that people see me as only the crazy healthy woman? I have to reflect because something very interesting happened today at work:

My coworker and I are doing a juice cleanse. We blend fruits and vegetables together and drink them for our breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The goal is to do this for one month. Now we only have the teacher's lounge to blend in so of course when people enter they are curious. There are a few people who just don't seem interested in nutrition, eating healthy, making changes etc. Sidebar: while we all have things to work on, from a nutritional standpoint it bothers me greatly that these particular woman don't care because they are overweight and have some health issues. One has great trouble coming down the stairs because of the pressure the additional weight she carries puts on her knees, and the other has blood clots and is continuously gaining weight. Day in and day out I watch them bring in fast food, fried food, processed food etc. I have said a few things when I felt it would be received and when I saw that it was no longer received, I left it alone. And those that know me know that I am not judging, I am just genuinely concerned about them.

So now that you have some background knowledge, today one of the women came in and immediately turned the TV on in the room. The TV is NEVER on and I knew that doing that was a guise to keep us from discussing anything dealing with nutrition and to distract others that may want to know what was going on with us. They then carried on their own conversation, and I could just feel the negative energy throughout the room. At first I was offended and I made a plan:1. Post something on FB about it 2. Hide the remote 3. Talk to others NOT addressing the person about it in a negative way.

Of course being a mature Christian, I knew that was not the answer and I do actually plan on going to ask them how they feel. I was going to confront the issue, but now I am curious about their side of the story. Maybe when they see me, they are annoyed that all I talk about is health, am always happy, and really don't discuss anything else other than church(health ministry, sometimes God), summer camp(health summer camp), and my personal life(how my husband deals w/ me being so healthy). Notice in all of those were the word HEALTH! Maybe they have insecurities and by me always talking about health, they feel like all eyes are on them. I don't know but I'm just trying to be reflective in my thoughts.

That leads me to take a closer look at myself, am I really THAT one dimensional that all I have to talk about is health? I realize this is my calling, my passion, my love, but their are many other things that I am about. First and foremost the will of God- that's another thing- while it is good, that is my second most talked about thing- the dreams I have, God dealing with me, praying, spiritual warfare, etc., etc., and while I say it's the second it is truly the first because I believe my calling to heal is to guide others closer to God and their purpose....there I go AGAIN!!! Let me get back to what else there is about me:

Hmmmm I LOVE to laugh,I LOVE making others laugh, I LOVE hanging out, I LOVE the beach and nature(to an extent, I am not camping lol), I LOVE LOVE LOVE my husband and my family, I LOVE my dog, I LOVE meeting new people, I LOVE interior decorating and house projects, I LOVE the idea of being a mother and can't wait to build a family, I LOVE when someone else is blessed, I can go on and on but I am already starting to feel better. There are more things to me than just health, I just have to take the time to intentionally make them known both verbally and non verbally.

So I'm setting a goal for myself: I will begin to show others and myself that there are more things to me than just health...starting RIGHT NOW!! Thank you for your time and attention!

Yours NOT just in health,
Nakeesha, the beach lover lol