Natural Solutions!!! Shedding the Winter Pounds

Food Recipes Health Beauty   Balance Samples     Natural Solutions is here to help!   Let's just start with one of the most glorious statements one can hear after a long winter... SPRING IS ALMOST HERE! Winter often slows us down and with the holidays we tend to put on a few extra pounds. Then spring draws near and we realize we haven't shed those few pounds off yet. And the inevitable happens- that dreaded time when we are faced with swimsuits, shorts and tank tops. And who wants to wear any of those things not feeling like we have our "summer bodies" back yet? Natural Solutions is here to help!     Stop Trying to Lose Weight These days, we're fed so many conflicting messages about how to stay slim and fit—Hollywood beach bodies and celebrity diets abound. But the secret to maintaining a healthy body weight doesn't lie in deprivation or fly-by-night fads. Thankfully, it's a lot simpler: Eat healthy, fresh, seasonal foods in moderate amounts, and get lots of exercise, fresh air, and sleep. Make this a way of life (not a short-lived diet strategy that you're bound to blow off) and steer clear of the five most-common weight-loss landmines, and this year, your lose-10-pounds resolution will actually become a reality.   Beyond the Bathroom Scale For many of us, the number on our bathroom scale makes or breaks our day: joy, if it moves downward a few pounds, and despair if it creeps upward, as we diet, sweat, and stress our way toward that magical number we believe defines our ideal weight. But that number may not carry as much import as people—and many doctors—have long thought. It turns out that what you weigh isn't nearly as important as where that weight is. Learn more about going beyond the scale and body mass index numbers and why they matter.   Detox the Right Way Raise your hand if you've ever dreamed of using a juice fast to lose your love handles or compensate for holiday excesses. You're not alone. Between October 2008 and October 2009, Americans spent more than $100 million on cleansing and detoxifying products in an effort to lose weight, gain energy, or purify themselves of harmful toxins, according to market research firm Spins. The appeal is obvious: Multiday detoxes are advertised as if they were shops where you send your dinged-up old body to be detailed. When you get it back, it's so clean and shiny, it might as well be brand-new. If only it were that simple.   Winter Weight, Be Gone Try these quick tips to help shed some extra pounds. Click here to find out how.   Red Pepper Hummus Try this recipe for red pepper hummus from Ani Phyo, raw chef and author of Ani's Raw Food Essentials. You'll love this light and easy to make snack that you can store in the refrigerator for up to two days. Try it with pita chips! Click here for the recipe.