November 2, 2010

Mary Lou brought the lesson tonight.  She got it out of the Flat Belly Diet book.  She gave us a quiz called Are You Prone To Belly Bloat?  So grab a piece of paper and make 2 columns, A&B and here's the quiz:

1.  Do you tend to eat too quickly?  If yes, add 1 point for every speedy meal you eat per day (e.g., if you eat 4 times a day and they're all eaten at rapid speed, put a 4 in column A).  If no, place a 1 in column B.
2.  Do you believe you are lactose intolerant?  If yes, place a 1 in column A.  If no, place a 1 in column B.
3.  Do you tend to talk while you eat?  If yes, place a 1 in column A.  If no, place a 1 in column B.
4.  Do you add table salt to your food?  If yes, add 1 point for every salt-sprinkled meal you eat per day (e.g., if you eat 4 times a day and you salt each meal, put a 4 in column A).  If no, place a 1 in column B.
5.  Do you regularly binge on carbs?  In other words, do you have episodes of eating more than you usually would of carb-rich foods at least once a week?  If yes, add 1 point for every high-carb binge you can recall over the was week.  If no, place a 1 in column B.
6.  Add 1 point in column A for each of the following foods you eat at least once a week:  beans, lentils, nuts, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, onions, peppers, raw citruice fruits.  If you don't eat any of these foods at least once a week, add a 1 to column B.
7.  Do you chew gum, including sugarless?  If yes, add 1 point for every piece of gum you chew per week (e.g., if you chew 1 piece a day, put a 7 in column A).  If no, place a 1 in column B.
8.  Do you use sugar substitutes?  If yes, add 1 point for every packet you use per day (e.g., if you use 2 in your morning coffee, place a 2 in column A).  If no, place a 1 in column B.
9.  Do you eat sugar-free candies or sweets?  If yes, add 1 point for every serving of sugar-free food you eat per week (e.g., if you suck on sugar-free candies in the afternoon at work M-F, place a 5 in column A).  If no, place a 1 in column B.
10.  Do you suffer from sleep apnea?  If yes, add 1 point to column A.  If no, place a 1 in column B.
11.  Do you eat fried foods?  If yes, add 1 point for every serving of fried foods you eat per week (e.g., if you treat yourself to fried only once a week, place a 1 in column A.  If no, place a 1 in column B.
12.  Do you drink carbonated beverages?  If yes, add 1 point for every can or bottle you drink per week (e.g., if you drink 2 diet colas a day, place a 14 in column A).  If no, place a 1 in column B.
13.  Do you drink coffee, tea, or acidic juice (orange or tomato) daily?  If yes, add 1 point for every glass or mug you drink per week (e.g., if you drink 2 cups of coffee a day, place a 2 in column A).  If no, place a 1 in column B.
14.  Would you rate your everyday stress level as high?  If yes, place a 1 in column A.  If no, place a 1 in column B.

Add up your score in each column:

FINAL SCORE (Subtract B score from A score):___________

A NEGATIVE NUMBER:  Congratulations!  Your bloating risk is relatively low.  You're already avoiding a lot of the foods and bad habits that contribute to excessive bloating and water retention.  But that doesn't mean the Four-Day Anti-Bloat Jumpstart won't help you.  You man not lose significant inches, but you will still feel lighter and healthier and be on a better path to long-term well-being.
0-5: NOT SO BAD.  You probably experience come and go bloat.  It's what I like to call a bloat-flow--one day you're swollen; a few days later, you've deflated again.  The good news is that you can tame your tummy without making too many changes to your lifestyle.  You should get some immediate gratification on the Four-Day Anti-Bloat Jumpstart.
5-10:  You may experience a little withdrawl from your usual habits, but you'll be handsomely rewarded--you should experience a noticeable difference after just 2 days ont he Jumpstart.
10+:  Congratulations again!  If you're confused, don't be.  I say congratulations because you are perfectly suited to seeing fantastic results on the Four-Day Anti-Bloat Jumpstart, so you're virtually primed for success ont he Flat Belly Diet as a whole.  The Jumpstart itself is really a cleansing--of foods, drinks, and behaviors--that cause your body to unnecessarily hang on to fluid or produce excess gas and waste.  It's not a detox but a cleaner, simpler way to eat taht you may be used to.  And because of that you're likely to see some major belly shrinkage.

If anyone is interested in reading the Flat Belly Diet book, I've got it and would be happy to loan it out.  Just let me know.

Tonight it was only Mary Lou, Amy and I that could come to the meeting, so we had some dinner together.  Amy made Kansas City Sue's Slow-Cooker Chicken (SO Yummy!) over brown rice and Mary Lou brought a Broccoli and Cabbage Salad (Also SO yummy but kind of ironic since she planned a lesson on reducing belly bloat!).  I'll post the recipies after this.  Try them.  They're definately worth eating and both quick and SO easy.  Have a really great week.