I want to share with you 2 delicious tea recipes that I love to make to add variety to my healthy drinks.

Before we get to those, I want to address an important question I received after sending out all the detailed information about tea…

“Isabel, is it true that the tannins in tea negatively affect digestion?”

Let’s take a look at exactly what tannins are and what their effect on the body is.

Tannins are substances present in the seeds and stems of grapes, the bark of some trees, and present in tea leaves. The tannins in tea are responsible for the bitter taste in your mouth after you drink your tea and also responsible for tea’s dark color (making green tea contain less tannins than black tea). It has been shown that the shorter the steep time of your tea, the less tannins that will be released (which is consistent with the fact that if you leave your tea bag in your tea cup too long, it will develop a very bitter taste.)

But the bitter taste of tannins is generally not as concerning as research that has shown that tannins negatively affect the digestive process.

However, even though tannins have been shown to slightly slow down the digestive process, slower digestion does not mean imperfect digestion. It has also been shown that this slowed digestion may actually be beneficial, causing people to become hungry less often and able to remain satiated with their meal much longer.

If you have ever experienced digestive discomfort from your tea drinking, it may not be because of the tannins the tea contains, but may just be that you are drinking too much tea in one day. Lessening the amount to only 1 cup per day could be better suited to your body’s needs and relieve any digestive difficulties. You can also drink tea in between meals as opposed to with meals to keep it from affecting the digestive process of your food.

I have found it to be consistent that the tolerance of any food is so incredibly personalized to each person individually. Whereas some people feel wonderful drinking coffee, others feel ill, even nauseous at even the idea of having a cup of Joe. The same goes for tea or any other food or drink for that matter. Your body is your best indicator of whether something is well suited for you or not so don’t forget to pay close attention to the cues your body is giving you at all times.

If you’ve found tea to be a good choice for you, here are 2 of my favorite tea recipes that I use to change up my usual tea routine.

Indian Chai Tea
(modified slightly from www.tealand.com)

Ingredients
* 3 teabags black tea
* 4 cups water
* 1 3 inch cinnamon stick
* 1 inch piece of ginger root cut into 4 slices
* 1/2 tsp (2 ml) cardamom seeds
* 1/2 tsp (2 ml) black peppercorns
* 1/2 tsp (2 ml) whole cloves
* 1 tsp (5 ml) whole coriander seeds
* 1 cup (225 ml) coconut or almond milk
* honey or stevia to taste

Directions
Bring water to boil in a saucepan. Add spices, cover, and simmer 20 minutes. Add teabags and steep 10 minutes. Add milk and heat to drinking temperature-do not boil. Strain mixture through a cheesecloth or cotton dish towel. Serve with honey or stevia to taste.

Green Tea Smoothie
(www.smoothieweb.com)

Ingredients
* 1 green or white tea bag
* 2/3 cup water
* 1/2 cup mango, cubed
* 1 wedge fresh lime juice
* 2 cups crushed ice

Directions
Heat water and brew tea. Let cool.
Place cooled tea, mango, lime juice, and crushed ice in a blender and blend until thick and smooth. Adjust ice to the consistency you like best.
The fruit will naturally sweeten this smoothie but for those who want a little more sweetness, add a touch of stevia or raw honey.

So, have no fear, enjoy your tea and all its wonderful health giving and fat burning properties!

A lot of people wrote in and were thrilled to hear that green tea and Wu-long tea had wonderful fat burning properties, but what about white tea and rooibos tea?

White Tea

As with all the other teas we’ve already discussed, white tea also comes from the Camellia sinensis plant, as almost all teas do. The main difference between white tea and the other teas is that the white tea leaves are picked and harvested at a younger age than the other tea leaves. Whereas black tea is fully fermented and green tea is partly fermented, white tea is not fermented at all, helping it to retain more of its beneficial antioxidants.

Some studies have shown that because of this “no fermentation”, white tea has a concentration of antioxidants that is 3 x’s higher than green tea, making it an incredibly healthy choice for drinking as part of any healthy eating plan. Not only that, it is a wise choice for those who are sensitive to caffeine. It only contains 15 mg of caffeine per cup, much lower than the 20-30 mg you get from green tea, and 40-60 mg you get from black tea.

But what about fat loss? Does it contain the same fat burning properties as green tea and wu-long tea?

White tea has been shown to promote fat burning in the body by preventing cells from storing body fat. White tea’s caffeine content also does help to stimulate the metabolism (without causing any jitters). But I will reiterate that white tea’s greatest claim to fame is still its extremely high antioxidant content, making its fat burning properties secondary and not as powerful as the fat burning properties found in Wu-long tea (Isabel’s favorite brand of Wu-Long tea).

Rooibos Tea

Rooibos tea (pronounced “roy-boss) is a perfect choice for those looking for NO caffeine at all. Rooibos, also known as “red bush”, does not come from the Camellia sinensis tea plant as all the other previously mentioned teas do. Instead, it comes from the Aspalathus linearis plant which is native only to South Africa.

Rooibos tea has been found to contain some incredible health benefits without ANY caffeine. It has been shown to boost the immune system, treat hay fever, asthma and eczema, relieve stomach cramps and colic in infants and greatly help those individuals who suffer from heartburn.

As with white tea, including a cup or two of rooibos tea into your healthy eating plan will bring you some incredible benefits, but it is not widely known or used for fat burning and weight loss. So enjoy your rooibos tea for its immune boosting properties, not for accelerating fat burning.

Oh, and did I mention it also happens to be absolutely delicious?

I highly encourage you to experiment and try all the varieties of teas we’ve covered and find which one suits you best. A little raw honey, stevia or xylitol added to sweeten your tea will help make it a healthy alternative to any sugar filled drinks or those calorie laden “fancy coffee drinks” that so many people are currently addicted to (and spending WAY TOO much money on every day).

Last year I created a Facebook Fan Page where all Diet Solution followers could ask questions, post meal and recipe ideas, share success stories and just be there to support each other on good days and bad days. Yes, it’s our own little therapy group except we don’t lay on the couch and talk about our problems, we type them on Facebook instead.

http://facebook.com/thedietsolution

On Tuesday, after one “fan” asked for meal suggestions for Easter Sunday, I decided to pose the question to the whole community.

Here was my question…

Many people celebrate Easter on Sunday. Does anyone have any healthy Easter recipes to share? It can be for an Easter lunch or dinner.

We had some great ideas posted that I wanted to be sure to share them with you.

Marko Bartscherer

I found that if you take a Ezekiel 4:19 tortilla, put them in the oven till they are crunchy you get great chips. Take an avocado and some hot sauce or tomatoes and the perfect snack is born

Rachael Smart

I’ve made deviled eggs using organic plain yogurt instead of mayo.

Freddy Yanez

Maybe roasted leg of lamb using extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, pepper and fresh rosemary, sweet potatoes whipped with butter a touch of greek yogurt (or half&half) to make it creamy topped with walnuts and asparagus grilled with olive oil salt and pepper?

WOW, does anyone else want to go to Freddy’s house? That sounds yummy!

If you’re looking for a community of people to get more meal ideas, share your own ideas or just say “Hey, I need some help here!” Come join us here:

http://facebook.com/thedietsolution

Coming next week…more videos!!! I know, I know, it’s been a while since I’ve gotten in front of the camera. Next week, I’ll be wiping the dust off the camera and will be showing you some of my own favorite recipes in the kitchen (and wait until you see how big my baby has gotten. I’ll make sure he makes an appearance.)

For now, make sure you come and see us on Facebook:

http://facebook.com/thedietsolution

Based on the feedback I received from my last blog post, it looks like I’m not the only one who has suffered an attack from the craving monster. Yup, it happens and I would be kidding myself, actually, lying to myself, if I thought I would never want another piece of cake, cookie, or sweet treat ever again even after eating healthy for so many years.

I mention more “sweet” stuff than anything else because that seems to be most people’s problem, but there are many that also crave “salty” and when I say “salty” it’s usually not salted broccoli and cauliflower, but more like chips and dip (and not the healthy kind).

Since cravings are something we’re all going to have to deal with from time to time (some more often than others), I decided to share my….

Top 10 “Beat the Cravings” foods and meals. (Some of these I have mentioned before, but they are so good they are well worth repeating).

1. Cut up some fresh fruit (berries, an apple, a pear, 1/2 banana) and put 1 tsp of raw, natural honey on top. One teaspoon goes along way and gives your already sweet fruit a bit more of a kick.

2. Make your own healthy Vegetable Chips. Cut up Kale and sweet potatoes and coat them with olive oil or butter. Add some Celtic sea salt and bake in the oven for 20 – 30 minutes at 250 – 300 degrees C. You really have to watch these, especially the kale, because you don’t want it to burn. You’re looking to get them crispy but if you’re not paying attention, they could easily burn.

3. Drink some Tea Juice (this is the first recipe in your Diet Solution Recipes). Essentially it is herbal tea sweetened with Stevia and cooled to be enjoyed as a cold drink. This really hits the spot at 3pm when I “think” I want a sweet treat but this naturally sweetened beverage is enough to calm my cravings.

4. Get some sliced turkey and/or roast beef (I get the natural kind that is store baked and does not contain nitrites and nitrates) and lay 1 or 2 slices flat on a plate. Add 2-3 pieces of raw cheese and wrap it up into a roll. You can also make this into a lettuce wrap by adding a lettuce leaf.

5. Mix some almond or peanut butter with unsweetened organic apple sauce and sprinkle cinnamon on top. A great mid morning or afternoon snack.

6. Go do something you love…haha…I know…I stuck a “non food” one in here. Sometimes we’re not really craving food, we’re just “bored” and need to go and consume ourselves with something we enjoy. For me, sitting at the book store with an herbal tea, reading magazines, is such a treat! (Although I always come home with more magazines than I will ever possibly be able to read, but, hey, everyone’s got their addictions right?)

7. Cut up one apple, spread almond butter or peanut butter on top and sprinkle some crushed raw cacao or organic dark chocolate on top.

8. A fruity or chamomile herbal tea sweetened with stevia or xylitol in the evening is perfect right before bed to calm you after a busy day.

9. After you’ve made your own veggie chips, get some salsa and have your own chips and dip party. I am going to keep experimenting with different kinds of veggies and see which one work the best but so far, I love the kale.

10. 1 piece of organic dark chocolate with a dab of natural peanut butter or almond butter. You’d be surprised how 1 piece can go a very long way as far as knocking out a chocolate craving!

Remember you want to stay away from processed sugar and artificial sweeteners as much as possible. I personally use Stevia for all of my sweetening needs, but I know many people who also enjoy xylitol which is also a great choice.

As I mentioned before, if you’re still struggling to stay on track, a good alternative that I highly suggest is considering a medical hypnosis program. The most powerful one that I have already researched for you that has already proven incredible results for so many is here:

http://hypnosis.thedsp.info

You can read people’s experiences right on that page and personally, I have found this to be the best, most complete and effective hypnosis program on the market today.

If you’ve struggled with your weight over and over again, this bit of “extra help” may just be what you need and are looking for. Also never let pride hold you back because you think you should do this on will power alone. I’m here to help make this easy for you and trying out what works best for you is always the right choice.

Best of all, the program is guaranteed to work or you get your money back. And you have a full year to try it out.

Get more information here:

http://hypnosis.thedsp.info

I’m no stranger to the ugly beast called “Cravings”. For some it may be sweet, others salty and some even just all food, but I can remember way back when I first started my new healthy eating strategy, I really missed my sweet stuff and I missed it bad.

To be honest, I’m not even sure if it was so much physical as much it was emotional. Physically, I felt more satiated, more energetic and was actually enjoying the food on my new meal plans much more than the unhealthy sugary and processed foods I was eating before. But emotionally, I think the morning sweet Danish or chocolate muffin with coffee and tons of sugar gave me a sugar high that helped me to deal with the fact that I was exhausted and going to a job that I didn’t enjoy.

I’m not going to get too deep into what my life was like back then, but the funny part is that here I was walking around exhausted all the time, thinking that the sugar was helping to keep me awake, but it was the very reason I was so tired! I proved this to myself clearly when just 72 hours after starting my healthy eating regimen, the exhaustion lifted like a dark cloud.

I’m not going to lie to you though. Cravings did sneak their way in to my life every so often. So how did I deal with them in those moments?

1. Know that once you start eating the right foods for your specific Metabolic Type, your cravings will subside significantly. Cravings are your body’s way of telling you that you are not getting something that you need and if you are craving sugar, you may need more carbs…healthy carbs that is. If you are craving salty, you may need more fat…healthy fat that is. The point is, once you give your body specifically what it needs, it will not be screaming “feed me Danish, feed me cake, feed me potato chips”.

2. The less sugar and processed foods you eat, the less you will crave them. Believe it or not, it usually only takes about 72 hours of staying away from the bad stuff before your body calms the ugly cravings dragon. Why 72 hours? I’m not quite sure. I do know it works and if you can get yourself to commit to 3 days of keeping away from the ugly foods, you will see a dramatic shift in your cravings.

If you have already tried my first 2 suggestions above and could still use a bit more help, there is another technique that many of my readers have used with great success that you may want to consider. It’s called “medical hypnosis” and of course I wanted to know if it’s something hokey or it’s the real deal so I decided to research it fully. It’s not something I have ever tried myself, but after many reader inquiries and successful testimonials, it was well worth looking into and sharing with you.

After much research, I found a specific program that has been getting normal people just like you results for almost 5 years here:

http://hypnosis.thedsp.info

I wasn’t quite sure about the whole “medical hypnosis thing” at first, so if you’re skeptical, I understand.

Many people are when they first hear about this. But I wouldn’t even be writing about it if I didn’t think there was a significant amount of value in this program. Actually, once I found out that this particular program was one of the best of the best as far as hypnosis is concerned, I contacted the owners and they sent me a whole package of CD’s for my personal review right away and just as I thought, they were great! As a matter of fact, they were beyond my expectations because the CDs were not only thorough, but extremely easy to use with just 20 minutes of time each day.

Look, some people,(maybe you) may not be able to stick to my 72 hour strategy or are having a really hard time sticking to their metabolic type meal plans. Trust me. I get it. I was there too, which is why when one strategy doesn’t work, you have to try a new one and continue to find ways that will help you achieve your health goals. I do believe medical hypnosis is a wonderful option to try.

There are piles upon piles of scientific information proving the effectiveness of medical hypnosis, but I’m not going to bore you with any of those. That’s my job to decipher and then pass on to you the important stuff you need to know.

Here are just some of the many benefits that you can and will experience by implementing this technique:

As many of you have heard me say before, I love to be a mad scientist in the kitchen. When healthy eating is your way of life, you’ve got to keep your meals new and interesting which is why I love to experiment with new recipes all the time, making them (of course) Diet Solution approved.

Today from the “mad scientist” kitchen of Isabel, I have these two recipes for you:

The first recipe is something my husband still likes to make fun of me for. He says it’s “too weird” and “looks gross”…but you know what? I love it! It’s my own creation (at least I think so).

Isabel’s Oatmeal Concoction

Ingredients

  

Have you ever been in the car for 26 hours? This weekend my family and I went on a little road trip.

13 hours on Friday to Charleston, South Carolina and yesterday 13 hours back to New Jersey. The trip was wonderful and the scenery along the way was stunning.

The scenic views and a couple of CD’s only got me to about hour 3 before I began the “Are we there yet?” like a typical annoying 5 year old.

What else is there to do on an all day road trip? Eat of course. This brings me to one of the most common questions I get about healthy eating:

“Isabel, I am always on the go. How can I stick to my healthy eating plan and still live my life?”

For starters, you may need to take a deep breath and chill out a bit (but that can be a whole separate email for a different day.) If your days really have you running around from work, to parties, to picking up kids all over the neighborhood, here are a few strategies that really do work:

1. Make your trunk your refrigerator.

Ok, not literally, but I have known many people (including myself)
to keep a small cooler in their trunk at all times. They fill it
with healthy goodies at the beginning of the day (raw nuts, fresh
fruits and veggies, even hard boiled eggs) along with some ice
packs and extra tupperware (just in case) and they’re off for the
day. At the end of the day, they empty whatever is left and the ice
packs go back in the freezer for the next day. This is also a great
way to keep your water bottles nice and cold and not warm from the
car heat.

2. Make your supermarket your Fast Food stop.

Instead of a quick trip through the drive thru, run into the local
supermarket and pick up an assortment of dried or fresh fruits,
healthy trail mixes, fresh veggies and natural peanut or almond
butter. Most supermarkets now have wonderful salad bars and
prepared foods like grilled chicken and salmon (better than any
fast food joint) and healthy sandwich options (be careful with
certain condiments like mayo that may be added). Eliminate the fast
food joints from your choices of “quick stops” and look for the hot
spots in town that offer healthier options.

3. Be the bearer of good food.

When going to a barbecue or social event, always offer to bring
something (now I sound like the etiquette police). I always bring
something and that something is always healthy. I know, if nothing
else, at least I’ve got that to eat (although all of my friends and
family know why I do this Even if you contribute the healthy and
lean beef burgers or turkey burgers, this may deter you from the
not-so healthy hot dogs and sausages. Or how about a colorful salad
or fruit salad?

4. Find the healthy places all over the world.

Before I go on any trip, I go online and find the closest Whole
Foods or Health Food Store. If there are none close by, I find a
major supermarket. This doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy myself on
vacation (like the Key Lime Pie I enjoyed down South) or when
visiting family and friends, but I make sure that all healthy
principles do NOT go out the window. I keep it healthy and have a
great time! (not one or the other)

And what did I eat during my 26 hours in the car: hard boiled eggs,
chicken, natural beef jerky, carrots, broccoli, almonds, walnuts,
and a Starbucks cookie (I just can’t tell a lie!)

In health and happiness,

Isabel De Los Rios
www.TheDietSolutionProgram.com