"NEVER BE FAT AGAIN" by RAYMOND FRANCIS

Good day to you all!

After finding the amazing book, "Never Be Fat Again," by Raymond Francis, I feel re-directed, back on track, and so very grateful!

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Here is a description of the book from Amazon:

Fight Fat at Its True Source . . . Your Cells. 

An M.I.T.-Trained Scientist Explains the ONE Secret You Need to Know to Lose Weight and Keep It Off.

Raymond Francis is the scientist people turn to when diets don't work. His groundbreaking approach treats excess weight for what it really is--a disease caused by malfunctioning cells. As Francis explains, many of the foods we eat every day, especially the 'health' and 'diet' ones we dutifully buy to lose weight, have the opposite effect . Full of hidden toxins and lacking nutrients, they actually poison your cells and alter your weight-control genes, causing your body to put on the pounds. Like he's done for thousands of other people, Raymond Francis can help you turn this fat cycle around and reclaim your waistline--and your health.

His simple yet scientifically supported plan will have you looking and feeling better than you have in years-- in just six weeks. You'll discover:

• Which low-fat and no-fat products actually make you fatter
• How one missing nutrient can signal your body to store fat
• Which food additives are most toxic--and how to spot them on a label
• The 'Big 4' worst foods to eat--with delicious and nutritious alternatives
• How to sneak more fiber- and nutrient-rich foods into your day

Plus, delicious recipes for meals and snacks and week-by-week to-do lists to keep you on track

Your body already knows how to regulate its weight--you just need to give it a fighting chance. Now you can--for life.

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So interesting that Dr. Arcilla of the Better Living Lifestyle Center (www.drarcilla.com) has the SAME viewpoint about the cells.  Dr. Arcilla does live cell testing.  That is how we knew I was getting healthier after 21 days on his mostly raw diet, because my cells looked so much more normal.  All of the cells were no longer shaped oval (bad), and furry looking cells (bad) from free radical damage were gone, and there was no more fat running in between the cells, among other things.

So we are not fat because we are weak willed gluttons?

No, we are fat because we have a DISEASE caused by malfunctioning cells!

That takes a lot of the guilt and shame out of it.  
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THE NEVER BE FAT AGAIN DIET
The worst foods to eat that create malfunctioning cells, Raymond Francis says, are WHITE FLOUR, SUGAR, MOST OILS, CORN, ALL PROCESSED FOODS, DAIRY and MOST MEAT.

Francis offers a wise transition plan to help wean oneself away.

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Basically, what is left makes up a MOSTLY RAW ORGANIC VEGAN DIET, including:

• raw organic fruits and vegetables
• steamed organic vegetables
• cold pressed organic E.E.V.O, Flax and Hemp oils and grape seed Veganaise
• raw nuts and seeds
• seaweed
• all beans, sprouted or cooked
• sprouted breads on occasion or never
• cooked or sprouted raw starches - brown rice, quinoa, millet, etc... 
• cooked starchy vegetables - potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, etc...
• natural Stevia as a sweetener, and agave, raw honey and molasses only very occasionally or never 
• grass fed organic meats, wild fish, organic free range eggs in very small portions, if desired. 
• Lots of water
• Daily Exercise

It is a common sense WHOLE FOODS PLANT BASED diet very similar to what I learned at the Better Living Lifestyle Center.

Hm, interesting.  Corn and all corn products are no-no's because corn is so corrupted, and even the organic variety has GMO in it, writes Raymond Francis.  No more corn chips!

I love that he recommends soaking beans and nuts/seeds.  This is always a good reminder.

He even recommends soaking starches to improve digestibility, and then eating them raw the next day, or cooking them.

You mean, if I soak brown rice overnight, and then rinse and cook the next day, that improves its digestibility?  I'm excited to try!  

Francis recommends the following food combining:

• Fruit alone or with soaked nuts for Breakfast.  
• Or, soaked / cooked grains for breakfast. 
• Salad, and raw and cooked vegetables with protein for lunch. 
• Salad, and raw and cooked vegetables with starch for dinner. 
• Fruit - or raw nuts - or raw veggies with hummus, etc... for snacks.    

I feel grateful for fruit today, because if sugar is off limits, something sweet is SERIOUSLY appreciated.    

He recommends eating the RAW PORTION of your meal first.  Smart!  I ate my salad first today.  That's what I did at the BLLC, too!  Gettin' back on track!

For an EXCELLENT overview of the book: http://www.diet.com/dietblogs/read_blog.php?title=Never+Be+Fat+Again%3A+The+Science+Behind+Slimming&blid=12013 

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WHAT WE ATE YESTERDAY

Yesterday, we had green smoothie for breakfast: spinach, papaya, pineapple, banana.

For Lunch, we had vegetables with chick peas sauteed in olive oil, and sprouted grain garlic bread, using an organic vegan soy butter.

Raymond says that we should never use HIGH HEAT when cooking, and always use cold pressed E.V.O.O..  It takes a lot longer for the veggies to cook on medium or low heat, but they tasted good, are more nutritious, and that way, we're not creating toxins with overheating the oil.  

Also, no more microwaving.  We're heating up our food on the stove on low. 

For dinner, I forget what Cliff had.  I had leftover chick peas and veggies, and a smoothie.

Having a smoothie for dessert was bad food combining....but I'm weaning.  It's okay.  It's alot better than sugary chocolate or cookies, what I've been eating. 

The idea of "weaning" is so freeing...and gives me lots of leeway to start, and really helps me from feeling I have to be perfect.  I so appreciate that.   

No black and white.  Just what I need to succeed!  Easy going, relaxed.  No rules, just guidelines to work my way into!  NO STRESS!!!

Oh, and my dessert smoothie was super delicious: banana, blueberry, carob, brazil nut, vanilla.  A real winner~!   

For snack, I had an apple and 1/2 cup of pumpkin seeds while watching Downton Abbey.  I LOVE THAT SHOW!!!

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SUPERMARKET SHOPPING TO NEVER BE FAT AGAIN
Today, i went to the Market and carefully shopped.  I filled my cart with canned beans, bagged beans, sprouted grain bread, Tinkyada brown rice pastas (the best gluten free pastas), brown rice, unsweetened almond milk, raw nuts, plenty of organic produce.

It's really important to have things that can be prepared quickly for when we don't have time or are really hungry or tempted, like canned beans and boxed almond milk.

It was a new-fangled shopping experience.  It was very peaceful.  I guess that's because I wasn't buying lots of stimulating toxic foods....which stimulate me when I buy them!!

Usually I go hyper hog wild buying processed veggie burgers and veggie meats.  As I do this, i always feel excited  and guilty.  First of all, they are so expensive.  And secondly, that little voice inside of me knows they are insanely addictive and I'm better off without them.  Plus, they bloat me.  They're very salty.  I always tell myself, 'This time, i'll eat them in moderation.'  But most of the time I binge on them.  I can go through 2 or 3 boxes of veggie burgers in one day.  Frankly, I'm glad processed is out.  It feels right.  And, as I passed the aisle with the veggie meats, I sadly said, "Bye Bye..."

I'm excited to make cooked vegan Sunshine Burgers this week.  They are an excellent replacement to boxed veggie burgers.  You take cooked brown rice, chick peas, almonds or sunflower seeds, celery, garlic, onion, carrot, or whatever veggies you want, and some salt, and process using S blade in Cuisinart.  Then form the dough into patties and bake or pan fry.  They are so good and so much better for you.  My friend, Talia, taught me how to make them. When I told her how much I love boxed veggie burgers, she looked so sad and grimaced and said, "Don't you know how to make Sunshine Burgers?"  I'm so glad she taught me.  They are soo soo soo good!!!  

(You know when I was talking about Abraham saying to eat what we believe will help us?  When you get a stimulating guilty charge buying or eating something, it's probably not something that is helping!!!)

I also bypassed lots of things with hidden sugars that we enjoy, like ketchup, applesauce, baked beans, etc...

I passed the cracker, cookie, bread aisle, and headed straight for the sprouted breads.

Surprise! The Alvarado Street Bakery Sprouted Breads were on sale.  50% off!!

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NO WHITE FLOUR / NO SUGARLooking back in my dieting history, there were two times in my life where I lost large amounts of weight and kept it off - 5 or so years ago, when I was raw vegan for 3.5 years, and in my 20's when I was on O.A. HOW.

On both of these programs WHITE FLOUR and SUGAR were off limits.

On both of these programs, foods were seriously restricted.

I find it interesting to note that these were the only two plans that ever "worked" for me and produced somewhat lasting results.

Al Roker, who is maintaining a 100 lb weight loss, follows the same type of restricted plan.  He says this works best for him.    

Did anyone see Al Roker on Dateline last night?  He is on a whole foods based diet, too, and is totally off of white flour, gluten and sugar, too.  You see, I think it works.  These are addictive substances, and, they give us cravings and make us fat.   

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WHAT WE ATE TODAY
For breakfast today, we had green smoothie: spirulina, bananas, strawberries, pineapple, spinach.

For Linner, we had: home made cole slaw with Veganaise, a humongous salad with homemade vegan Ceasar dressing, sprouted bread, leftover steamed veggies with chick peas, and Cliff had some leftover fake sausages.  

I'm aiming to re-establish my 2 meals, but tonight I plan on having a fruit-based snack, if I need it.

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It feels so good to be back on track today!

After only one day of doing better, I awoke this morning actually feeling GOOD.

xoxo michelle joy