Why Weight Loss Can Be SO Difficult and SUCCESS

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The WINNER of the ChocoPerfection Bars is: Natasha Iglehart

Please email me at craigmaria@gmail.com so we can get them shipped ASAP!

Here is a wonderful email that I just received!

"Maria, I had tried so many diets in the past. I will admit I was one to be fooled into thinking that the popular "low fat" diet was the way to go. I can CERTAINLY agree with you and say, IT'S NOT!!!! After cutting fat and calories I found myself losing weight (1 pound a week if i worked out a lot) but then I would feel deprived and depressed and gain it all back. In addition I was noticing my hair thinning a ton!! I started seeing my doctor about my hair thinning over a year ago. She did a blood panel and then sent me to see multiple other specialists. I'v probably had one appointment every couple months for a year and still I have no answers, nor have I been directed to take action in any way. That is what really tipped me over the edge to contact you, Maria. I figured I'v already spent so much time and money NOT getting any answers. Why not try this, what have I got to lose?

From our first email I could tell that Maria cared to help me. As soon as I booked we took action (unlike the doctors office) I listened to everything she said and well, she helped me change my life. Everything she teaches just made sense to me and really "clicked."  I started the "maria way" in October 2012 and it is now January 2013. Since then I'v lost over 30 pounds and I'm still losing!!

The more important part for me is that all of the symptoms I had when I came to Maria are gone or very close to gone. Anxiety = gone. Hunger spikes = gone. Stress levels = GREATLY reduced. Not to mention my hair is growing in thicker, healthier and much FASTER. My skin looks amazing too and I'v been getting so many compliments about it :) Overall I feel like a million bucks!

From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU!!!!"

Losing weight gets harder each time! Why you ask? Well, a healthy liver is the main organ that governs fat loss. It processes hormones, cleanses the cells of toxins, makes cholesterol, breaks down fats, metabolizes carbohydrates and proteins, as well as many other bodily functions. When a liver is constantly stressed by dieting, it gets tired and toxic, which makes it unable to assist you in your weight loss journey. Not only that, but in Chinese medicine, they consider the liver function to govern our emotions. When the liver is stressed by poor food, alcohol, fructose and sugar, lack of sleep, or pollution, you are most likely to be depressed, anxious or angry. Low liver function causes food cravings, binge eating and excretion of too much cortisol.... Causing more liver stress... It is a vicious cycle! Not to mention, if you go on anti depressants because your liver is causing low moods, the anti depressant causes more toxicity to your liver, which causes more depression and inability to lose weight.

The term "leaky gut" refers to when waste and partially digested foods are allowed into the blood stream due to perforations in the intestinal wall. People who are very sensitive to food poisoning have weak intestinal walls which allow bacteria to enter the blood easily. People who take antacids allow food particles to sit in their digestive system too long causing stress on the intestinal wall and are subject to leaky gut. This all causes water retention and stress on the liver. Some clients gain about 10-15 pounds of extra fluids. A healthy body is about 2/3rds water (hydrated cells are happy cells!) but when you have a leaky gut, water gets trapped and is unable to filter out toxins and waste; this also inhibits cell functions including the movement of fat. This is where cellulite comes into play. Your lymphatic system gets overwhelmed which causes the undesired effect of cellulite.

Also, our body and fat cells want to stay at "homeostasis"... when you lose weight, your fat cells shrink. When this happens, one of the 25 messengers in the fat cells sends powerful messages to the brain to eat. This message often sends people into an over-feeding binge, making the fat cells even larger and makes your set point even higher. Yo-yo dieting is very detrimental to fat cell growth.

Another important role is the liver ensures proper hormone balance. Estrogen dominance is a very common issue I see with many clients. First off it is because we are exposed to unhealthy external estrogen (such as non-organic meat and milk, alcohol, fructose, microwaving in plastics, drinking from plastic water bottles, and even soap leaches estrogens into the blood). But estrogens are detoxed by a healthy liver. Disruptions of the liver detoxification contributes to estrogen dominance; this causes difficulty in losing belly fat. Too often we are told to calculate calories in and calories out for weight loss. I believe it is all about hormone regulation. Insulin, estrogen, testosterone, leptin, ghrelin, glucagon, thyroid, progesterone, cortisol, human growth hormone as well as others determine our rate of fat metabolism, cravings, energy, sleep...if we fail to support our hormones, you can run all day and eat 500 calories and you will be frustrated at the conventional wisdom of the calorie lies.

The liver also produces over half of your bodies cholesterol production. Most of this is used to produce bile which breaks down fat. Bile gets stored in the gallbladder and is used to digest food and bile salts stimulate the secretion of water into the large intestine which helps us with proper bowel movements. One sign of a tired liver is that you don't have a daily bowel movement. Other signs are excess belly fat, fatty cysts, and age spots.

Signs of liver stress:
1. Chronic indigestion
2. Constipation
3. Cellulite
4. Hot feet at night
5. PMS or menopausal symptoms
6. Low moods: depression/anxious/irritable
7. You are negative or resentful
8. Muscle or joint pain
9. Headaches or migraines

10. Fatigued

The good news is, the liver can heal very rapidly when provided the right food and nutrients! I have a whole chapter on Liver Cleansing foods in my book: Secrets to a Healthy Metabolism. Instead of bogging down your liver with a high carb Saturday morning breakfast of pancakes, waffles, syrup and cereal... try my recipe ideas:) Happy Eating!

"Healthified" Granola
NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (1/4 cup serving)

BareNaked Granola = 130 calories, 22 carbs, 2g fiber, 4g protein
"Healthified" Granola = 110 calories, 9.7 carbs, 7.6g fiber, 5g protein

Unsweetened Almond Milk
NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (1 cup serving)

Skim Milk = 90 calories, 13 carbs, 0g fiber, 13g sugar
Unsweetened almond milk = 30 calories, 1 carb, 0g fiber, 0g sugar (PLUS twice as much calcium!)

"Apple Juice"
NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (1 cup serving)
Traditional Apple Juice = 117 calories, 29g carb, 27g sugar
"Healthified" "Apple Juice" = 0 calories, 0 carbs, 0 sugar

Cream Cheese Danish
NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per serving)
Starbuck's Danish = 440 calories, 61 carbs, 0 fiber
"Healthified" Danish = 158 calories, 3 carbs, 0 fiber ***using FULL FAT, Full-flavor stuff!

Protein Pancakes
NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per serving)
Aunt Jemima = 160 calories, 31 carbs, 1 g fiber, 4 g protein
"Healthified" Protein Pancakes = 90 calories, 1.75 carbs, trace fiber, 13g protein

Nature's Hollow Xylitol Syrup
NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per serving)
Maple Syrup = 208 calories, 48g sugar
Nature's Hollow Syrup = 50 calories, 0g sugar

"Healthy" Nut Butter (Pecan Butter shown). See the recipe in the cookbook The Art of Healthy Eating: Kids

Eggs: Scrambled, poached, fried... love those eggs!