Female Bodybuilding Dilemma We Face Today

Sorry I've been on hiatus, and I can't say I blame you if you have been researching other blogs about female bodybuilding. Although I admit, it's a curious thing. It's curious from the standpoint that not only do women struggle with their self image, but let's face it, women get beat up daily on how they look.

I mean, men can throw on jeans and a t-shirt, and just look sexy, but for us gals, it's hair, makeup, clothes, the style, the look, the attitude, everything.

I enjoy being me, but it took me a loooong time to get to this place. I had to work on my insides if you know what I mean, but that doesn't change the fact that we need to take care of our body. Right? This is why female bodybuilding is still a hot topic for me, and between me and some girlfriends of mine.

I would like to just start a discussion here for all women on how they feel about themselves physically, where they are now, and how all of us can come together to change this position of insecurity, and self criticism. Life is beautiful and so are you, and so, it's time for you my friend to step into your greatness!

Why Female Bodybuilding Has Been a Hot Topic

Okay, so bodybuilding isn't really for everyone, but I am talking about how most folks define female bodybuilding. We should all be building our bodies, but it all starts with good nutrition, not a fad diet. 

If you have been reading this blog, you know I support the HCG diet, and that is true. However, I don't think everyone should do it. It is a great way for the body to detoxify, and it's the best way to reset the hypothalamus gland by waking it up with a massive thermogenic effect. 

While there is a ton of science and research behind it, it is still under scrutiny to this day. Some think it's extreme, but I really think cutting out your stomach is extreme, not to mention cutting open your chest  and breaking your sternum to get to your major valve. 

Before I get off topic here, I say all of that to say this; the body, no matter whose body we are looking at or talking about, needs nutrients, and the modern day diet in America isn't enough. The average American diet meets the following criteria:

1. English muffins or toast in the morning and bottled orange juice loaded with sugar 
2. Fast food lunch washed down with a soda 
3. Fast food dinner with more greasy food and burgers that are made with beef loaded with hormones etc 

How could this be good for anyone? 

It isn't, and we are now hearing more about superbugs in the meat as a result. You can follow a bodybuilding plan, but the reality is that unless you eat whole foods, and put pure nutrition into the body, you won't be able to see and feel the changes that you want. 

Here is a great infographic that spells out what the American diet looks like today:

If you look at this, and you can see what is represented here, you can see that the evidence is clear. The American diet leaves very little room for nutrition, and plenty of room for fat, calories, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and a myriad of other diseases. 

What Female Bodybuilding Should Really Consist of 

So, with nutrition being at the core of my beliefs about female bodybuilding, you should know that yes, I used to bodybuild, and no I didn't compete. In my mind it wasn't for show, although I have tossed around the idea about figure competing. 

Bodybuilding for women needs to start with a proper education in nutrition, and this means a thorough assessment from a medical doctor that has a holistic view on your health and medication. If you haven't watched the film "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead" on Netflix, I highly suggest you do. 

You'll find that Dr. Joel Fuhrman is fantastic, and you should absolutely read his books! You can also check out the vitamin injections, weight management products, and supplementation you'll find when you go HERE. 

I hope that you found this helpful, and no, this wasn't intended to promote any bodybuilders. My point was to:

• Get your attention
• Make you think about what body building truly means (building the body from the inside out) 
• Give you some encouragement on how to feel better and look better as a result 

Once you make these changes, you'll look and feel more vibrant too! So, go watch that movie, and research whole foods and start making a list you like. Feel free to email me or comment below and let me know what you are doing to feel better too! 

To Your Health,  

Tammy Coffin-Hana
http://www.squidoo.com/tchana

Best Way to Lose Weight? Good Nutrition!

Chances are, you found this article because you were looking for the best way to lose weight. You may have tried eating less and exercising, or perhaps you started counting calories to lose weight but you don't really exercises all that much.

You may have joined Weight Watchers in the past, or any number of weight loss centers or programs, and yet the vicious cycle continues to go round. What do you do? Simply put it's time to get off of the roller coaster once and for all.

It's time for you to really grasp what the best way to lose weight really is, and it all starts in the kitchen. I am going to share with you WHY you could be hindering your own success when it comes to losing weight, and how you can change that for the better.

Best Way to Lose Weight is Easier Than You Thought

Did you know that the best way to lose weight is right within your own kitchen? No, it isn't a fad diet or program, but yet small changes you can make starting today. 

I find that most women and men, are looking for the quickest way to lose weight, and if you are having problems with your health, I am not surprised that you want results as soon as possible. I think we all do in a world where food can be made in a flash, or we can just pull up to the ATM to get cash. 

However, fast doesn't mean good, with anything in life. If you see that photo above with fried chicken, that is part of the problem. Fried foods are loaded with oils and fat, and the only benefit of eating like this is clogged arteries. No, this isn't really a benefit, but you get the point. 

Replacing that same dish with baked chicken instead, and fresh steamed broccoli is better! Potatoes aren't bad for you, but if weight loss is your goal, and you are holding fat around the belly, buns, or thighs, then no grains and starches aren't for you. 

Make sense? 

So, aside from what you eat, how you can change the scope of your diet overall? Let's talk about some basic nutrition guidelines and what you need to focus on for weight loss. 

Best Way to Lose Weight is Good Nutritional Supplementation

Okay, so now that we have covered making small changes over time in the kitchen, what can you do for better nutritional supplementation? 

You can consume the following:

• Women need Vitamin D, Magnesium, and Calcium daily 
• Women need Folic Acid, Vitamin B 12, B5, and Vitamin K (potassium) 
• Men need the same but in lesser amounts (zinc can be added here) 

There are plenty of things we need, but these we need each day. The best way to lose weight is with the vitamins and minerals, and the changes in the kitchen will complete what you need for the day. Consuming the following foods will boost your vitamin C intake, and help you shed unwanted fat and pounds. 

1. Kale 
2. Spinach
3. Carrot juice freshly pressed with a juicer 
4. Blueberries 
5. Raspberries
6. Strawberries 
7. Romained lettuce 

There are tons more you can consume to help you get the protein you need, and you can certainly get all you need from vegetables too. Just study them for yourself. 

As you make these changes, focus on becoming a better you overall, and don't stop until you get the results you want. Your mental well-being is just as important as your physical, and they go hand in hand. This is why we call it personal development! 

Are you ready to become a better you? If you want to learn more about the best way to lose weight, and you want top quality products to help you get there and to help you feel better, just go HERE right now!

To Your Health, 

Tammy Coffin-Hana  

Better Nutrition!

Better Nutrition Starts in the Kitchen 

There is no doubt an argument that better nutrition starts in the kitchen. How do we know if we need a better option? 

Truthfully, most Americans don't eat healthy at all, and truth be told, they could use a dramatic change from the lifestyle heavily laden with fast food. We all know it's laden with fat and calories, and if that weren't enough, you should check out the statistics on cancer, heart disease and diabetes in the US. 

The numbers as opposed to other countries is staggering, wouldn't you say? I would, and no doubt that you have been thinking more about what you eat, otherwise you would NOT have come across this article. 

What I do want you to know is that better nutrition is possible if you follow a few simple steps first, in order to start making your adjustment into a healthier lifestyle. 

Simple Steps to Better Nutrition 

So, what can help you create a better and healthier lifestyle? 

I usually tell most people it's a matter of making small changes over time. There is no way that you can go cold turkey and come out on the other side of this healthy, happy, and satisfied. If you gained weight quickly, you won't be taking it off quickly. 

That is for sure. So, there are a few things you can to get to better nutrition do including:

1. Eat smaller meals, eat more meals per day 
2. Instead of drinking soda, drink iced tea, coffee, or iced water 
3. Instead of snacking on candy bars or chips, try fruit even if it's sweeter 

There are small changes like this that can help you start to shed a few pounds off the bat. While you will lose water at first, remember, retaining water is a nasty culprit to preventing you from losing weight.

Remember, you also need to get some exercise in, even if you just go for a walk. It's NOT hard to do and it's easy on the joints. No matter who you are, you will be able to walk, even for just a few minutes. The longer you have lived a sedentary lifestyle, the harder it is for you to get moving.

Always, always, check in with your doctor as they may help you monitor your progress. Don't be afraid to share your goals with them; this is your life.

Each step you take for eating better and exercising more will help you achieve a better lifestyle with better nutrition!

To better health,

Tammy Coffin-Hana
Email: tch4hcg@gmail.com

Days 7 & 8

Hey all,I am here to share the whole journey with you, so that even means telling you the TRUTH!

Why? Because you need to know what happens if you DON'T stick to the protocol.

Believe me when I say that it sucks when you don't follow the plan. DON'T divert from the plan! Okay?

Here is what happened. GRRRRR.

My husband got this wild idea that we should go see a movie....which was a GREAT idea, but..........

my weakness is....................

MOVIE THEATER POPCORN with..............

extra butter.

Imagine..........

You have already spent 6 days with no sugar, no fried food, no oils, and really almost no fat.

Then...........

You eat this? Yeah, it was GREAT! At the moment.however, I did gain weight. I gained just 1 pound. No biggie.

So, what happens when you do this?

Sodium is a big part of the popcorn issue, but it's also quite starchy. Yeah, I topped it off with a Coke, and that is because I have a hard time downing pop corn with water, and I am a freshly brewed iced tea brat.

Call me what I am, I already know it.

However.......

I couldn't resist.

So, I did it. One pound though isn't bad. Generally, the rule is that you could gain 3 to 4 pounds, and that is due in part to the trigger of using the HCG as well as the high calorie content of what I ate.

So.....

I did what is known as an apple day. This helps to reduce the bloat as I mentioned before. It's a great trigger to eliminate the sodium as well as to put some fiber back into the body to cleanse again.

Also, it's wise to keep up with your water intake folks. Don't forget this, no matter what you eat, drink water.

So what happened on day 8? Of course, it's like magic. Another 3 pounds down, and, so it is. On day 8 I am officially down 13.4 pounds.

The greatest part about this diet isn't just the hunger control benefit of the drops, but that you get results every day.

Keep in mind that.......

It could just be inches too. The Dr. Simeon's principles are all written in the document for you, but you need to read, study, and understand what he is telling you. This diet is profound and has helped countless thousands.

No, it isn't for everyone. Consult with your doctor first folks, okay?

Goodnight!

Tammy Coffin-Hana

Days 5 & 6

So, what did days 5 and 6 bring? It was interesting to say the least.

On day 5, I was down another 3 pounds. Yes....the happy dance. I did an apple day to trigger losing additional water as you now know. Once you do that, it sort of resets the body's ability to only hold the fluid it should. So, once you do that, you are READY.

The reality is that this is MUCH needed in order to continue, so again, following the protocol is important. What did I have for lunch?

I had.........

Grilled chicken tenders, with an all natural barbecue sauce, and a green salad with balsamic vinaigrette. You can enjoy life no HCG, it's true! Naturally, I drank a liter of Gerolsteiner. No, it isn't beer guys. It's mineral water.

The key is the using the HCG formulation with the amino acids, because you will never feel hungry.

I know..

Crazy, right?

For dinner? I had a herb mixed salad, with sliced hydroponic tomato, and shredded chicken. Yes, it was great with Balsamic Vinaigrette, and I had stopped at Wendy's to get an iced team with lemon. On this note guys, do yourself a favor;

Be absolutely sure you only use Stevia.

For one, the body will start to detox as you do HCG, simply because you are losing fat, and fat is what holds toxins in the body.

Naturally, your tissues do..however, you need to understand that drinking a 2 gallons of water per day is optimal.

Why?

You need to make sure you stay hydrated, and it helps your body absorb the vitamins and minerals you take in addition to what is in the HCG mix. 

So...

I say all of THAT to say this;

STEVIA is not a sweetener of any kind, HOWEVER. You need to know that artificial sweeteners are loaded with chemicals which are toxins in the body. Don't underestimate what eliminating those from your diet can do.

As a trial, based on the "myth" that Splenda causes some folks to have nightmares, I decided after 9 days of being Splenda free to use it in my iced tea last night. I had the strangest dreams ever.

I am not saying I had hallucinations, BUT......

Many folks have reported similar findings. Could it be?

You have to try things for yourself, so you may NOT get the same reaction. Remember, this is all about trial and error for my book folks.

Until tomorrow, EAT better!

Tammy Coffin-Hana

Days 3 & 4

So, on day 3 I was awakened by not having lost more than a few ounces. Oh well, that is the nature of your first week.

It's sort of touch and go, and I said before, you lose mostly water. It's okay because of the two load days. We don't realize how much sodium we really consume until we do something like this. Then, when we drink the extra water that we should have had all along, we then find the truth!

Day 3 consisted of an apple day, simply because I only lost a few ounces. I knew that this meant only one thing-it had to be an apple day because I still felt the bloat!

For those of you who don't know what this is, it's a particular trick used in the HCG Diet to trigger the elimination of extra fluid in the body that isn't necessary, while giving the body enough fiber, and vitamin C to sustain itself.

Additionally, apples are high enough in calories that we can easily make it through the day eating apples when we face this challenge.

Apples contain water, and if you ever doubt that, just bite into one and take a quick look at it. It's juicy because it contains water.

The combination of apples with their own grams of fiber, and the combination of the HCG drops with the aminos is plenty to keep hunger at bay. So, how does this trick work?

Simply put, you start at lunch time, and eat one large apple, then eat one every few hours until your cut off point which is 7 p.m. This is the time in which you would normally have your half apple on a normal day of eating.

This is put into place to train the body to finish eating way before bed time. Make sense?

So, what happened the following morning on the scales? They were certain tipped in my favor, down another 3 pounds, so it goes to show the trigger works. Keep in mind that this is normal. As my holistic doc would say, two pounds of that is probably water, but I still lost one pound of fat.

The HCG Diet is Thermogenic in it's own right, simply because your body is still burning thousands of calories per day. This prevents the body from going into starvation mode, so it's impossible to hit catabolism.

Any questions? Feel free to comment or email me, I always love hearing what readers have to say, and yes, I am still putting the book together.

Health and wellness take a lot of research, and with the controversy, it's well worth the wait to get it right!

Until the next post, be healthy!

Tammy Coffin-Hana

HCG Days 1 & 2 with Homeopathic Drops

Hey all, I have been gone for awhile, and for those of you who have followed this blog before, you know that I enjoy a good holistic diet. I decided that in my adventure in the course of writing this book, The HCG Diaries, that I owed myself and those around me a shot at the drops too. So, here we go! Days 1 & 2 To give you a bit of background on the HCG Diet, it starts with 2 load days of 5,000 calories per day. You eat as much as you want, whatever you want. Some folks don't make it to 5,000 calories but they probably get pretty close! Why is this important? It helps to build the fat stores in the body, and with 2 days in a row of gorging, day 3, the first day on 500 calories per day is a welcome change! For starters, you bloat horribly, and there is plenty to eliminate, enough said. Day 1 for me on the low calorie diet was welcomed incredibly this time, and I had to make an effort to eat. The difference versus the injections? Simply put, injections are easy to administer, and you always get the right dose, however, the new drops have added aminos, making them the perfect solution for hunger control, and of course metabolizing fat as HCG does anyhow. Day 1 this round started off with a half apple at 10 am, lunch at noon with 3 grams of free-range chicken, and 3 grams of cucumber. The idea is to eat lean protein, but with your meat or animal protein source, free-range is always best. I eat organic only, so having a place I can always shop is fantastic. They see me coming, and they already know what I need. Day 1 for dinner was a free-range beef patty, and it involved a sliced tomato.I love my vegetables which is nice, considering the low calorie portion of this diet is restrictive. However, the drop with aminos, make it easy with tremendous hunger control, which is really psychological when following a rigid plan like this. Day 2's results were in, first thing in the morning with the weigh in. Yes,4 pounds down already. Most of that is water when you start, however, bear in mind that the caloric trigger is what puts your body into fat burning mode. I usually call it flipping the switch, and flip the switch I did! Isn't metabolism a great thing? Lean protein was in order, and I followed the same meal plan. Yes, I love chicken, and at some point I will eat some white fish, and mix it up with a meal that is mostly egg whites, but you get the idea. I closed out the day with a half apple, so now I am ready to sleep. Until tomorrow, eat well, sleep well, and live well! Much Love, Tammy Coffin-Hana