Curb those carbs with this healthy breakfast option from Dr. Natasha Turner’s The Carb Sensitivity Program.

1 serving whey protein isolate (vanilla)
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup orange juice
2–3 fresh or frozen strawberries
1/2 small fresh or frozen banana, chopped
1 tablespoon almond butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Stevia to taste (optional)
4–6 ice cubes

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend on high speed until smooth and creamy. Add extra water if desired.

Calories 325 | Protein 28 g | Fat 11 g | Carbohydrates 34 g | Fibre 6 g

Excerpted from The Carb Sensitivity Program by Natasha Turner, N.D. Copyright © 2012 by Natasha Turner, N.D.. Excerpted by permission of Random House Canada, a division of Random House of Canada Limited. All rights reserved.

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Are You a Carb Addict?

There’s no doubt that the more carb sensitive you are, the more prone you are to carb addiction. And addiction to carbs is certainly a reflection of an insulin imbalance, specifically reduced insulin sensitivity, which raises insulin. But regardless of your current state of carb sensitivity, my bet is that 99 per cent of you could use some help to deal with an appetite stuck in overdrive, carb cravings or stress-related eating. Many of you may even consider yourself a fullblown carb addict, in need of an intervention to break your food obsession. Some sources say 75 to 85 per cent of overweight adults identify themselves as carbohydrate addicts. Since at least 60 to 70 per cent of adults are in fact overweight, this is a problem that is affecting a large portion of our population.

Let’s begin by distinguishing between a craving and an addiction. While a craving denotes something you feel you want once in a while, an addiction reflects a need to have carbs to allow you to feel “normal.” With a carb addiction, just like any other drug addiction, you may also eventually notice that you need more and more to get the same results or that you have withdrawal symptoms when you don’t get your carbs. Do you think you could be carb addicted? Ask yourself if any of these statements or questions applies to you:

1. I feel I have to eat carbs in the morning. According to psychotherapist Dr. Mike Dow, the desire to eat “bad” carbs within 1 hour of waking is a strong sign that you are a carb addict. (This same assessment tool is used to diagnose drug addictions and alcoholism.)

2. I get tired or feel foggy in the afternoon.
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7 Belly Slimming Breakfasts

(Choose One Daily; Each Option Totals About 350 Calories)

Don’t be tempted to skip this important meal; eating breakfast wakes up your metabolism, priming it for a day of calorie burning. Plus, because you won’t be so ravenous come lunch, you might end up eating less throughout the day. In fact, studies show that people who regularly eat in the a.m. are thinner than those who don’t. If you’re usually not hungry first thing, you don’t need to force spoonfuls of yogurt down your throat as soon as your eyes pop open. Wait a little while, and eat either after you’ve dressed or when you get to work. The key is that you have something, especially the mix of protein, fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, and whole grains you’ll find in these tasty meals.

Eggcellent A.M. Option – Baked Eggs Sauté 1 cup sliced mushrooms and 2 cups chopped kale in an ovenproof skillet coated with cooking spray until mushrooms are tender and kale wilts, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in 1 whole egg and 1 egg white, beaten; 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese; and 2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil. Heat under broiler until egg mixture puffs, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve with 1 slice whole-wheat bread topped with 1 tablespoon almond butter.

Slimming Smoothie – Blueberry-Almond Smoothie Blend 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, 1 tablespoon almond butter, 6 ounces low- fat plain Greek yogurt, and 1/2 cup skim milk until smooth. Thin with water if necessary.
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Memory and Habit

In the fall of 1993, a man who would upend much of what we know about habits walked into a laboratory in San Diego for a scheduled appointment. He was elderly, a shade over six feet tall, and neatly dressed in a blue button-down shirt. His thick white hair would have inspired envy at any fiftieth high school reunion. Arthritis caused him to limp slightly as he paced the laboratory’s hallways, and he held his wife’s hand, walking slowly, as if unsure about what each new step would bring.

About a year earlier, Eugene Pauly, or “E.P.” as he would come to be known in medical literature, had been at home in Playa del Rey, preparing for dinner, when his wife mentioned that their son, Michael, was coming over.
“Who’s Michael?” Eugene asked.
“Your child,” said his wife, Beverly. “You know, the one we raised?”
Eugene looked at her blankly. “Who is that?” he asked.

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Easy Egg White and Goat Cheese Omelette

Serves 2

10 egg whites or 1 1/4 cup egg whites (Naturegg Simply Egg Whites)
2 egg yolks (omega-3 eggs) or 1/4 avocado, sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 heaping tablespoons goat cheese
4–6 tablespoons sugar-free prepared salsa such as any from Neal Brothers Organics, or Mrs. Renfro’s Habanero Salsa or Que Pasa Salsa Mexicana
1 cup apple, chopped

Whisk the egg whites (and yolks, if included in the recipe) and season with salt and pepper. In a small skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of the oil and pour in half the egg mixture. Cook while pulling the egg mixture to the side of the pan, allowing the runny part to flow underneath until set (about 2 to 3 minutes). Top with half of the cheese and salsa (and sliced avocado, if using). Gently slide the omelette onto a plate, tipping the pan to fold the omelette.

(Note that this meal can be enjoyed with cow’s milk cheese instead of goat cheese after the first two weeks of your detox. In this case, you can add 2 slices of low-fat Swiss or Jarlsberg cheese.)

Calories 250 | Protein 27g | Fat 11g | Carbohydrates 11g | Fibre 2g

Excerpted from The Supercharged Hormone Diet by Natasha Turner. Copyright © 2011 by Natasha Turner. Excerpted by permission of Random House of Canada Limited. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

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Use any of these supercharged recipes for a meal. If you are using one as a snack, reduce the serving size to meet your snack intake requirements. So, instead of 21-30 g of protein, women should have 20 g and men should have 25 g per smoothie. You should also reduce the fruit and milks by half for snack serving sizes. For each smoothie, place the ingredients in a blender and blend at high speed until smooth.

Choco-Bananachino

1 serving whey protein isolate
2 tablespoons chia seed or flaxseed (ground) or 1 serving of Clear Fibre
2 teaspoons cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
4 ounces milk/soy milk/yogurt/almond milk
1/4 cup water
1/2 small banana (preferably frozen)
4–6 ice cubes

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So? How are your New Year’s healthy resolutions holding up? Are you still going strong or has your will-power petered out?

There’s no doubt about it: change is hard. We all need extra inspiration and motivation to keep us moving in the right direction.

But if you find the right tool to help you with your specific goals, your success rate could skyrocket! There are all kinds of diet and fitness books out there, it may be hard to decide which one is right for you.

Here are a few suggestions that might be right for your goals.

If you want to cook healthy meals:

Everyday Food Light by Martha Stewart Living Magazine can help you get dinner on the table in a snap, and keep it under 500 calories. Try the Lighter Eggplant Parmesan!

Meals That Heal Inflammation by Julie Daniluk, R.H.N. features a nutrition guide, menu plan, and 130 easy recipes that will help change your immune response through diet. If you suffer from allergies, skin disorders, asthma, heart disease, arthritis or any other condition ending in “itis,” you’ll want to have a look at this tool.

Good Food to Go by Brenda Bradshaw and Cheryl Mutch is the tool for you if you resolved to prepare healthier lunches (and snacks!) for your family. Think outside the lunch box and try a few of these for starters.

The Dairy-Free & Gluten-Free Kitchen by Denise Jardine proves that you no longer have to abandon the foods you love, even when you do have to give up the dairy and gluten that doesn’t love you. Test it out with the Flourless Chocolate Almond Cake.

Deliciously G-Free by Elisabeth Hasselbeck is a must-have for anyone needing delicious gluten-free meals. This Daytime Emmy Award winner is no stranger to the kitchen! Try her recipe for Veggie Pad Thai.

The Sexy Forever Recipe Bible by Suzanne Somers is a stunning compilation of more than 400 delicious classics, updated and coded for those with preferences for gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, vegetarian, or vegan options. The Crab Bisque with Sweet Corn and Crab Relish sounds amazing!

If you want to lose weight:

The Supercharged Hormone Diet by Natasha Turner, N.D. is a quick-start diet plan with a thirty-day time frame. Did you know that our hormones play the biggest part in our weight-loss woes? Read about the eight most common fat-packing hormones to get started.

The Dukan Diet by Dr. Pierre Dukan uses the power of protein to achieve dramatic weight loss and then maintain the results forever. This plan has helped millions around the world achieve the success they were looking for. Try these three healthy recipes for free.

The G.I. Diet, 10th Anniversary by Rick Gallop is the right tool for people who no longer want to count calories, points, or carbs. It’s the green-light way to permanent weight loss. Read the introduction for more details.

The Amen Solution by Daniel G. Amen, M.D. is for those of you who already know how to eat right and exercise, but just can’t seem to stick with it. You’ve tried diet after diet, and nothing seems to work. Here’s the key: weight loss success has more to do with changing your brain than your body! In this excerpt, learn four of the nine secrets to conquering your cravings.

Master Your Metabolism by Jillian Michaels, best known as a strength trainer and life coach for NBC’s hit show The Biggest Loser, shares her simple, 3-phase plan that engages all the weight-loss hormones (including the friendly HGH, testosterone, DHEA; and the not-so-friendly: insulin, cortisol, and excess estrogen).

Why We Get Fat by Gary Taubes is a straightforward essential guide to nutrition and weight management. Getting to the science of it all, Taubes answers the questions: Why are some people thin and others fat? What roles do exercise and genetics play in our weight? What foods should we eat, and what foods should we avoid?

If you want to get fit:

The Body Sculpting Bible for Women (and Men) by James Villepigue and Hugo Rivera is a comprehensive guide that includes not only exercises but also nutritional tips, psychological tricks, meal charts, workout graphs, different fitness plans, the inside scoop on supplements and vitamins, advice on keeping fit while traveling, and weightlifting information for teens, seniors, and expectant mothers.

Barefoot Running by Michael Sandler and Jessica Lee offers the only step-by-step direction runners need at any age to overcome injuries, run faster than ever, and rediscover the pure joy of running. Once you tear off your shoes and learn to dance with nature, you’ll tread lightly and freely, hearing only the earth’s symphony and feeling only the dirt beneath your feet.

You Are Your Own Gym by Mark Lauren and Joshua Clark offer motivation techniques, expert training, and nutrition advice. You’ll see rapid results by working out just thirty minutes a day, four times a week—whether in your living room, yard, garage, hotel room, or office.

If you want to boost self-confidence and live life to the fullest:

Unlimited by Jillian Michaels will give you the attitude and action to do everything you want. (It will be available in paperback in March, too!)

Enjoy Every Sandwich by Lee Lipsenthal distills everything Lee learned about how we find meaning, purpose, and peace in our lives. As Lee and his wife, Kathy, navigated his diagnosis, illness, and treatment, he discovered that he did not fear death, and that even as he was facing his own mortality, he felt more fully alive than ever before.

Stop Saying You’re Fine by Mel Robbins will help you discover what’s missing from your life, and how to win it back. The key, she explains, is understanding how your own brain works against you. Because evolution has biased your mental gears against taking action, what you need are techniques to outsmart yourself. Here’s the first step in finding a more powerful you.

Cravings are usually what sabotages most people’s success in dieting. In this step I will give you nine secrets to getting control of your cravings to increase the chances this program will be successful.

STEP 1: REV YOUR METABOLISM

Both physical and mental exercises are essential to weight loss and a brain healthy life. In this step I will explore the right kinds of physical exercise that rev your metabolism and how new learning also boosts brain metabolism.

STEP 2: KILL THE ANTS

Negative thinking patterns make you fat, mentally sluggish, and unhappy. Here I will give you an in- depth look at correcting the automatic negative thoughts, or ANTs, that drive depression and overeating.

STEP 3: PRACTICE DIRECTED FOCUS

Both hypnosis and meditation are powerful tools to enhance brain and body function. I will teach you simple exercises to enhance your brain and your body.

STEP 4: BUST YOUR BARRIERS

There are many barriers that derail success. Here I will give you simple tools to prevent relapse, stop other people from making you fat, and information on what to do after you reach your ideal weight.

Boosting your brain to get slimmer, smarter, and happier is a big promise. Follow me for at least ten weeks and let me prove it to you. What do you have to lose? More of your belly while you get a better brain!

Excerpted from The Amen Solution by by Daniel G. Amen, M.D., New York Times Bestselling Author of Change Your Brain, Change Your Life and Magnificent Mind at Any Age Copyright © 2011 by by Daniel G. Amen, M.D., New York Times Bestselling Author of Change Your Brain, Change Your Life and Magnificent Mind at Any Age. Three Rivers Press, a division of Random House of Canada Limited. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

For more great lifestyle tips & recipes, sign up for our Joie de Vivre newsletter!

The following is a brief overview of the six main underlying causes of inflammation. I am a nutritionist, so my book focuses on healing with food, but the Meals That Heal Inflammation program works best in conjunction with other complementary therapies. No matter what, I always recommend that you consult a physician to ensure a proper diagnosis of your personal symptoms—especially for pain management. Also, consider seeking out the services of a trained physiotherapist, osteopath, chiropractor, rehabilitation personal trainer and/or emotional therapist to get to the root of your pain.

TOXICITY
Cellular injury is caused by constant exposure to various irritants such as a chemical or physical agent (for example, radiation, cyanide, asbestos, pesticides, alcohol, drugs and tobacco smoke). Inflammation ensues to heal and protect cells from these toxins.

INFECTION
A pathogenic organism, such as a yeast, fungus, virus, bacterium or other parasite, attacks the body. The immune system responds with inflammation to fight the infection and heal infected tissues.

ALLERGY
During an allergic reaction, the immune system overreacts to a substance that may be harmless (such as natural food) or potentially harmful (such as synthetic chemicals) and creates an inflammatory response to protect the body. Immune reactions range from mild rashes to anaphylaxis and, if left unchecked, can contribute to autoimmune diseases.

NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCY OR EXCESS
Nutritional imbalances may lead to hormone disturbances, a strained immune system and chronic inflammation. A nutritional deficiency of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals deprives the body of the materials required for proper repair. On the other hand, an excess of certain compounds or nutrients can cause an imbalance, which stresses the organs and tissues. Cell injury can be caused by genetic factors, but nutrition and lifestyle choices, as well as other environmental factors, play a key role in determining if and when these factors are expressed.

INJURY
Inflammation is part of the natural process of repairing cell or tissue damage caused by a physical injury.

EMOTIONAL TRAUMA
The body follows the mind: mental distress can affect human physiology. Elevated adrenaline and cortisol that are released during stress can lead to hormonal imbalance and unresolved inflammation.

Excerpted from Meals That Heal Inflammation by Julie Daniluk, R.H.N. Copyright © 2011 by Daniluk Consulting. Photographs Copyright © 2011 by Julie Daniluk. Excerpted by permission of Random House Canada. All rights reserved.

(ebook also available)

JULIE DANILUK, RHN, hosts Healthy Gourmet, a reality cooking show that airs on OWN (the Oprah Winfrey Network). Julie has appeared on The Dr. Oz Show, The Right Fit and The Marilyn Denis Show. Julie has been a co-operative owner of one of Canada’s largest health food stores, The Big Carrot. She creates one healthy recipe a week for Chatelaine.