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No weight loss strategy works if you find it unpleasant. If you don’t like doing it you won’t keep it up for long. Anything that you don’t follow through with doesn’t get done.
In this podcast, Kira and Bill Van Ittersum share five simple tips to permanent weight loss. They strive to make them fun and easy to do so you won’t give up before you reach your goal. Listen in and enjoy the results in your figure!

Links
6 Easy Ways to Speed Up Weight Loss
by Melanie Haiken
http://www.forbes.com/sites/melaniehaiken/2013/02/27/7-easy-ways-to-speed-up-weight-loss/

5 Foods That Burn Away Fat
by Melanie Haiken
http://www.forbes.com/sites/melaniehaiken/2011/07/20/5-foods-that-burn-fat/

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In addition to breaking down all the food you eat, extracting the nutrients, and processing most of the remaining waste, your gut is also responsible for 60 to 70% of your entire immune system! Your gut is an amazing organ and most people treat theirs very shabby indeed.
Spoiled food, over-processed food, too much sugar, caffeine, and alcohol, chemicals in the air and water—these are just some of the things that we often make the gut digest. It’s no wonder that your gut rebels with symptoms like stomach lining problems, intestinal allergies and spasms, cramping, diarrhea—all the way up to the big “C”, cancer.
In this podcast, Kira and Bill Van Ittersum share their findings on gut health; what you do that makes it sick and what you can do to make it well again.

Links

Is Your Digestive System Making You Sick, and Fat?

by Mark Hyman, MD
http://drhyman.com/blog/2010/05/20/is-your-digestive-system-making-you-sick/

10 Tips for Better Digestive Health
by Krisha McCoy, MS
http://www.everydayhealth.com/hs/healthy-eating/tips-for-better-digestive-health/

Powerful Tips to Improve Your Digestive System’s Health: From a Conversation with Nancy Spahr, CBE & Colon Therapist
by Body Ecology
http://bodyecology.com/articles/nancy_spahr_colon_therapist.php#.VHJeGSiQvzY

The Four R’s, How to Restore Optimal Gut Health
by Brad Sly
http://breakingmuscle.com/nutrition/the-four-rs-how-to-restore-optimal-gut-health

10 Ways to Cultivate Good Gut Bacteria and Reduce Depression
by Therese Borchard
http://www.everydayhealth.com/columns/therese-borchard-sanity-break/ways-cultivate-good-gut-bacteria-reduce-depression/

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Physical movement is so important to your overall health. If it’s fun and easy, you’re more likely to do it!
Moving your body oxygenates your cells, helps carry wastes from your body, and strengthens your muscles and bones. Physical movement also boosts your blood stream’s job to provide the nourishment that your cells need to thrive.
Kira and Bill Van Ittersum suggest that you move into exercise gradually in a fun and easy way. Do whatever movement you find enjoyable. As Dr. Oz says, “If you make it easy, you’re more likely to do it!”
It’s easy to find fun exercise videos that interest you. Many are available on YouTube or at your local library. And, it’s more fun if you find a buddy to do it with!

Links
Billy Blanks Jr: Dance Party Boot Camp Cardio Workout—Full Fitness Routine

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Your liver is your body’s chemical plant. It processes and eliminates waste products and dead cells from your blood stream, it detoxifies poisons, heavy metals, and other pollutants, it metabolizes drugs (OTC, prescription, and recreational alike), it produces glycogen for brain and muscle energy, and it produces bile for aiding digestion.
A healthy liver is a blessing to your life. It helps give you strength, energy, and vitality. If you continuously abuse your liver with air pollution, water pollution, pesticides, poor eating habits, and even smoking/chewing tobacco, and consuming large quantities of alcohol, it will get sick and cause you no end of misery.
Your liver will become congested and your body will experience fatigue, poor digestion, lymph infections, intestinal inflammation, kidney and bladder problems, and skin irritations, to name just a few.
In this podcast, Kira and Bill Van Ittersum talk about liver health and suggest several foods and herbs that will treat your liver right!

Links
Herbs for Improved Liver Function
by Jean Argus of Many Hands Organic Farm
http://mhof.net/articles/herbs-improved-liver-function
Five Herbs Your Liver Will Love: detox, boost function, and more
by PF Louis of Natural News
http://www.naturalnews.com/041944_liver_function_detox_medicinal_herbs.html#
The Top 9 Herbs for Liver Cleansing
by Dr. Edward F. Group III, DC, ND, DACBN, DCBCN, DABFM of the Global Healing Center: Natural Health and Organic Living
http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/top-9-herbs-for-liver-cleansing/
Top 5 Herbs for Liver Health
by Ross
http://liveenergized.com/detox-guides/top-5-herbs-for-liver-health/
14 Foods That Cleanse the Liver
by Dr. Edward F. Group III, DC, ND, DACBN, DCBCN, DABFM of the Global Healing Center: Natural Health and Organic Living
http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/liver-cleanse-foods/

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Some people are worried about some of the ingredients in commercial sunscreens. Some dermatologists are concerned with these chemicals in the sunscreens, but the majority of dermatologists think that the FDA approved ingredients are perfectly safe.

Most professionals believe that the risks of going out into the sun’s harmful UV rays far outweighs the controversy surrounding sunscreen products.

In this podcast, Kira and Bill Van Ittersum cover fears of some of the chemicals in sunscreen, such as, retinyl palmitate and oxybenzone, as well as nanoparticles of ground zinc oxide and titanium dioxide used as mineral blocking agents in sunscreens. There is also a thorough discussion of the SPF ratings, how to properly apply sunscreen, and what dermatologists feel are the most important reasons to use sunscreens.

Links
Retinyl Palmitate
by Paula’s Choice Skin Care
http://www.paulaschoice.com/cosmetic-ingredient-dictionary/definition/retinyl-palmitate

Sunscreen Safety: What to Know
by Sonya Collins
Reviewed by Laura J Martin, M.D.
http://www.webmd.com/beauty/sun/sunscreen-safety-labels-ingredients

Is Sunscreen Safe and Do I Need It Daily?
http://time.com/3056125/you-asked-is-sunscreen-safe-and-do-i-really-need-it-daily/

Sunscreens: Safe and Effective?
by Warwick L. Morison, MD, MB, and Steve Q. Wang, MD
http://www.skincancer.org/prevention/sun-protection/sunscreens-safe-and-effective

Making Sense of Sunscreen Controversies
by Mary Walla, MD
Medscape Multispecialty
http://www.medscape.org/viewarticle/764184 transcript

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Ahhhh, summertime, and the livin’ is easy! Time to go down to the beach and catch some rays or work outside in the garden. However, if you are exposed to frequent and intense UV radiation, you are exposed to one of the major risk factors for melanoma.

Ultra Violet radiation from the sun can penetrate the upper layers of the skin and causes sunburn, and can cause changes in your DNA and can stimulate unchecked cell growth such as skin cancers and tumors.
Kira and Bill Van Ittersum discuss the dangers of unprotected exposure to UV radiation and introduce you to the EPA’s “SunWise” website where you can view the UV Index, a multi-colored map of the U.S. that shows the UV intensity by region and by day for solar noon..

Links:
EPA – SunWise
data by NOAA
http://www2.epa.gov/sunwise/uv-index

Ultraviolet Radiation and the UV Index
Understanding Melanoma: Melanoma Risk Factors » Tanning and Burning
AIM at Melanoma Foundation
http://www.aimatmelanoma.org/melanoma-risk-factors/tanning-and-burning/ultraviolet-radiation-and-the-uv-index/?gclid=CjwKEAjwh6SsBRCYrKHF7J3NjicSJACUxAh78S8xfRy96mHPUoS4XmyYQxtOS7O7NMb1w8oUDAOwWRoCB13w_wcB

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Ahhhh! Time to relax! Get a cold or hot drink, watch some TV or grab a mystery or a romance novel, kick your feet up. Who could ask for more, Right?

Wrong! These activities, including the sugared and hi-carb drinks do little to reduce the damaging effects of stress. A new term has been coined by physiological and psychological researchers: “The Relaxation Response.” This means: learning to develop a state of deep calmness that is the polar opposite of the stress response.

Kira and Bill Van Ittersum discuss the benefits of relaxation techniques and give some tips about learning them safely and easily.

Links:
Relaxation Techniques: Try these steps to reduce stress by Mayo Clinic Staff
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/relaxation-technique/art-20045368

10 Relaxation Techniques That Zap Stress Fast by Jeannette Moninger
http://www.webmd.com/balance/guide/blissing-out-10-relaxation-techniques-reduce-stress-spot

Relaxation Techniques for Stress Relief: Finding the Relaxation Exercises That Work for You by Lawrence Robinson, Robert Segal, M.A., Jeanne Segal, Ph.D., and Melinda Smith, M.A.
http://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/relaxation-techniques-for-stress-relief.htm

Relaxation Techniques: Breath control helps quell errant stress response
by The Family Health Guide
http://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/relaxation-techniques-breath-control-helps-quell-errant-stress-response

Relaxation Techniques for Health: What You Need To Know
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services/National Institutes of Health (NIH)
https://nccih.nih.gov/health/stress/relaxation.htm