#1. 💦WATER, WATER, WATER

👙Why It Matters:
Water Hydration is Essential for Releasing Weight and for our Overall Health.

Our Bodies are over 60% Water and we need to keep Replenishing Water we loose on a Daily Basis.

Water helps Flush out our Toxins, Keeps our Metabolism Running Smoothly, and Helps us Reduce our Feelings of Hunger, all of which helps us Release our Excess Weight.

What We Can Do:
💦DRINK WATER: Drink a Glass of Water 1/2 Hour BEFORE our Meals, helps us Feel Fuller and therefore, we Eat Less. 

🍾CARRY A WATER BOTTLE: When we Carry a Water Bottle, it Reminds us to Drink throughout our Day.

🍓INFUSE WATER: Can't seem to Drink enough Water?  Don't like the Non-Taste?  Add some Slices of Cucumber, or our Favorite Fruit and throw in some Fresh Mint for a bit of Flavour.


 #2. 🥦LOAD UP on SEASONAL PRODUCE!

👙Why It Matters:
Fresh, Organic, RAW Fruit and Vegetables are low in Calories and HIGH in Fiber, Vitamins, Minerals, Anti-Oxidants, Amino Acids, Enzymes and Nutrients! 

They keep us Feeling Full and Satisfied, and help us with Regular Bowel Movements, which helps us Release Weight.

What We Can Do:
👩🏼‍🌾VISIT LOCAL FARMERS' MARKETS:  Buying our Seasonal Produce at our Local Famers' Market, helps Support these Farmers so they continue to bring their Produce to us.  We get the Freshest Produce available and it's a chance for us to Connect with our Farmers, and learn their Growing Methods. Nothing tastes better than Fresh and Organic! 

🌈EAT THE RAINBOW: By incorporating a Variety of Colourful Seasonal Fruits and Veggies we get a Cross Section of PhytoNutrients that our Bodies Crave and Need to THRIVE.  Each Colour represents Different Nutrients which are Beneficial for our Overall Health.

🥗DRINKS, SMOOTHIES and SALADS: There's a New Breakfast in Town and it's the Breakfast of Champions!  Blend up some GREEN Drinks, Smoothies for an Instant Breakfast Energy Boost. Salads don't have to be boring especially with Seasonal Options.  Creating Vibrant Salads Packed with Veggies, Nuts, and, Seeds takes our FUEL up a Notch.  Salads for Lunch and/or Dinner are no longer ho-hum but rather Interesting and Inviting!


#3. RAW Plant-Based PROTEINS

👙Why It Matters:
By Consuming Plant Based 'Proteins' which are really Amino Acids, (the 'Building Blocks' to make Protein inside our Bodies), we can Protect ourselves, and even quite possibility, heal ourselves from Diseases and Chronic Conditions. 
​
​Consuming Animal Based Proteins, Increases our WEIGHT, Cholesterol, Blood and Heart Pressure, and can cause Heart complications and issues, which stops us for Daily Physical Activity.
​
​Consuming RAW Plant Based Foods, helps us RELEASE WEIGHT and gives us ENERGY so we can Engage in Daily Physical Activity.

NOTE:  Our Bodies need 20 Different kinds of Amino Acids to Function Properly.  9 of these are Essential, meaning must be Consumed through our FUEL. 

NOTE:  Animal Based Proteins do not contain All Complete Amino Acids.

NOTE:  ALL PLANT FOODS Contain ALL 20 AMINO ACIDS including the 9 Indispensable (Essential) Amino Acids.

What We Can Do:
🧃GREEN Drinks:  By Blending our GREENS, the Amino Acids brake open and are Easier for our Bodies to Assimilate to Build Protein for our Bodies.

💚HEMP HEARTS:  Add these Power Packed Seeds to our Meals, Smoothies, GREEN Drinks and Salads.

When we Blend Hemp Seeds with Spring Water, it makes Hemp Mylk, and if Blended more Densely, turns into a Creamy Texture which can be used for Thickening a Sauce, Soup or Dip.

🟤QUINOA and AMARANTH: These Pseudo-Grains (they resemble Grains but are from a Different Plant Family).  Both are High in Amino Acids and can be used in a Variety of Meals, Salads, Smoothie Bowls and as a Side Dish.


#4. 🧃The POWER of JUICING

👙Why It Matters:
Juicing is an Excellent Way to Consume a Variety of Nutrients, so our Body's Feel Satisfied.  The more High-Nutrients are Body has, the less it will be Hungry for MORE FOOD.  Juicing for Our Health (check out our Blog).

Juicing also helps DeTOXify our Bodies, Increase our Energy Levels and Aid in Releasing our Excess Weight! 

What We Can Do:
🧃READY MADE:  When we can't Juice our Produce at Home, it's a Smart Idea to Buy an Organic, Cold-Pressed RAW Juice.

💪🏼HOME MADE:  By Juicing at Home, it Saves us Time and Money in the Long Run.  We can make a few Juices Ahead of Time and have them Ready when we want to have one (or two) Glasses of Fresh, Organic Juice.

🔬PREMIUM JUICER:  By Investing in a Premium Juicer (check out our Blog on the NAMA J2), we are adding a Healthy Appliance to our Healthy Kitchen.  By having an Easy-to-Use and Clean, Juicer, we will use it Regularly!


#5. 🍱FUEL Prep

👙Why It Matters:
Prepping our FUEL in advance Saves Time and Saves us from SNACKing and Eating Unhealthy Choices, which Sneakily packs on our pounds!

By having Pre-Planned Meals Ready and Waiting for us, we know ahead of time what we will be Consuming.

Not having to Think about what to Eat next, Prevents us from Over-Eating, Over-Indulging, Grapping some Junk Food or Heading through a Drive-Thru, all of which, Contribute to adding Pounds on our Bodies.

What We Can Do:
✍🏼FUEL LIST:  Sit down with a Pen and Paper and Think about what Meals you want to Create.  High in Fiber, Low in Calories, Healthy Fats.

Next, Make a List of Healthy Ingredients that we need to Buy in order to make our Meals.  Add these ingredients into your FUEL List,  GRAB our FREE FUEL LIST and Head to our Local Health Grocery Store and FOLLOW OUR LIST - NO EXCEPTIONS!

Exceptions put on our Weight.  All the Junkie Foods, Creamy Pastries, Hot Buns, Pastas, Diary Cheeses, Spreads, Dressings and Dips, things that are not on our FUEL List!

🥗🥗🥗REPEAT, REPEAT, REPEAT: Prepare Large batches of FUEL.  It can be Different kinds of Salads, Quinoa with Veggies, Guacamole and even Chia Pudding.

Putting our Planned Meals into Glass Containers with BPA-Free Tops and Storing them in our FUEL HOLDER (Fridge), will help us STAY ON TRACK with our SUMMER SLIMDOWN Goals.


#6. 🍕ELIMINATE The JUNK

👙Why It Matters:
Almost every Junk Food is UnHealthy, in Fats, Calories and Non-Food Ingredients.

Chip by Chip the Calories enter our Bodies, and when our Bodies can no longer Assimilate the Junk, it pushes it out and away from our Organs, causing Bell Fat, Thigh Fat, Upper Arm Fat, Enlarged Breasts and Buts, and into our Faces making them appear Puffy.

If we don't want that and we want to SLIMDOWN for the SUMMER, the following will help!

What We Can Do:
🥨REMOVE THE JUNK: Out of Sight, Out of MIND.  By Removing all Junk Food from our Home, we're less likely to Eat it!

It's time we go through our Cupboards and Pantries and Get Rid of Temptations.  Cleaning our Cupboards, Pantries and Fridge to make way for FUEL will not only make us Feel Lighter, we WILL BE LIGHTER!

🍍HEALTHY SUBSTITUTES:  Load up on Fresh, Organic Produce and have Washed Fruit on the Counter, and the FUEL HOLDER Ready to Grab and GO!   

🔎READ LABELS: We become Savvy Shoppers when we Read Ingredients Labels and Nutritional Facts Labels (Check out our Blog) and begin to Avoid Products High in Sugar, Unhealthy Fats, and Artificial, Chemical and Toxic Ingredients.


#7. 🍸ELIMINATE ALCOHOL

👙Why It Matters:
Alcoholic Beverages contain a lot of Calories, without Providing any Nutritional Value, and thus called "Empty Calories".

When we Drink Alcohol, it Slows Down our Body's ability to Burn Fat, and it Increases our Appetit, which often lead us towards Poor Food Choices and Over-Eating!

What We Can Do:
🏆SET SUMMER SLIMDOWN GOALS: Once we make a Decision (check out our Blog) to Set our SUMMER SLIMDOWN GOALS, writing them Down in order to Track our Progress will Encourage us to STAY-ON-THE-HEALTHY Track!

It could be as Simple as 1 instead of 2 Cocktails!

🍹MOCKTAILS: Replace Alcoholic Drinks with Non-Alcoholic Beverages or MOCKtails. 

Use Natural Sweeteners like Blended Fruits, mix with Herbal Teas and add some Herbs. 

🧉BOOM: Bring Our Own MOCKtail to the Party!  Be bringing our own Drinks, we Control our own Appetite and WEIGHT!


#8. 🤸🏼‍♀️DAILY PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
​
​👙Why it Matters:
Staying Physically Active Every Day Boosts our Metabolism, Burns Calories (often while we Sleep) and Improves our Overall Health and Wellness, as well as our Mood.

What We Can Do:
🚴🏼‍♀️OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES:  Whether we are Biking, Hiking, Swimming or Jogging, getting Fresh Air Helps Trigger our Feel-Good Hormones, and when we Feel Good, we want to Do More!  

🏋🏼‍♂️THE GYM:  When we are Committed to going to the Gym to Lift Weights, it is a Mental and Physical Triumph. 

Not only do we Build Confidence, we Build our Muscles and our Bones.  We Metabolism much Faster which Results in Reducing our Weight. 

🏊🏼‍♂️HOME WORKOUTS:  We can have a Great Home Workout with Weights, Trampoline, Jump Rope or Free Cardio. 

Doing Laps in our Swimming Pools, or Stationary Swimming in Resistance Pools, Builds our Muscles, Helps us Tone and Release Weight.


#9.  🧠MINDful Consumption
​
👙Why It Matters:
Mindful Consumption (Eating and Drinking), helps us Enjoy our Food and Beverages while Listening to our Body's Hunger and Fullness Cues, in order to Prevent Over-Eating Unnecessary Calories. MINDful Eating and Drinking (Check out our Blog).

What We Can Do:
🤚🏼SLOW DOWN:  Taking our time to Chew and Savor Each Bite, helps us to Recognize when we are Full and we can Stop Eating. 

📺AVOID DISTRACTIONS:  When we Eat in front of any Digital Screens, we do not Focus on our Food.  Distracting Dinning is the number one cause of Over-Eating.

🍽DINING TABLE:  Sitting at a Dining Table helps us to Focus on our Meals.  By using Utensils, it Slows Down our Eating.  Taking a Pause after each Bite and Chewing Properly are things we can Concentrate on when we're at the Table and Not in Front of the TV!


#10. Get Enough Sleep

👙Why It Matters:
Getting Adequate Sleep is Essential as Sleeping Regulates our Hormones that Control Hunger, Helps with our Body Composition, and Allows our Bodies to Recover, Repair and Release Weight!

What We Can Do:
🕗ESTABLISH A ROUTINE:    By Going to Bed at the Same Time, and Waking up at the Same Time (even on Weekends), we Naturally Lower our Body Fat.  Less than 8 hours of Sleep Daily has been associated with Higher Body Fat.

🛌🏼SLEEP ENVIRONMENT: Making our Bedroom a Primarily SLEEP Room, with no TV Digital Screen Distractions, helps us get a Good Nite's Sleep. 

Digital Devices and their Screens (Blue Junk Light), can Upset our Body's Melatonin (Sleep Hormone), and Interfere with our Natural Sleep Cycle.

🧊COOL and COMFORTABLE:  Lowering the Temperature when we are going to Sleep, helps us to Fall and Stay Asleep as our Body Temperature drops.  

Investing in Natural Fiber High Quality Comfortable Mattress, Pillows and Sheets such as Organic, Bamboo, Rubber, will help with our Support, Comfort and Quality of our Sleep while Preventing Dust Mites which feed on our Fluffed off Dead Skin Cells (yuk).​