Makes about 1 cup

Ingredients
1 large egg, raw or coddled
Grated zest from 1 lemon
Juice from 1 small lemon
1 to 2 garlic cloves
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
Pinch of salt (optional)
2 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup flaxseed oil

Directions
Place all ingredients except the flaxseed oil in a blender or food processor. Drizzle in the flaxseed oil and blend until thickened and smooth. Store the dressing in the refrigerator.

Yields about 1 cup

Ingredients
1/2 cup raw apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup flaxseed oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, or to taste
1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon minced fresh dill
1 teaspoon minced green onions

Directions
Place all ingredients in a glass container with a lid; shake well. Keep refrigerated.

Serves 4

Ingredients
1 pound asparagus spears, washed and dried
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup 1-2-3 Chicken Broth
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon flaxseed oil (optional)

Directions
In a medium-sized bowl, toss the asparagus with ginger, garlic, and parsley and let stand for 20 minutes (or longer). Bring broth to a quick boil in a nonstick skillet. Add asparagus and herbs to the broth, lower heat, and sauté for 12 minutes, turning the asparagus occasionally until the spears are just tender. Remove onto a serving dish and drizzle with lemon juice and flaxseed oil.

Yields: 10 to 12 cups
Serving size: 2 to 3 cups

Ingredients
2 tsp. olive oil
1 1/4 lean ground beef, turkey or chopped chicken*
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
1 large red, orange and/or green pepper, seeded and chopped
1 large zucchini or yellow squash, chopped
8 oz mushrooms, chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 bottle (46 oz) reduced-sodium tomato or vegetable juice
1 can (15 oz) pinto, garbanzo or black beans, rinsed and rained
1 can (14 oz) crushed tomatoes
1 Tbs. fresh lime juice
1 Tbs. ground cumin
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper, or to taste
1/4 cup each fresh cilantro and parsley leaves, chopped

Directions
In a saucepan over medium-high heat, cook oil 30 seconds or until heated. Add beef, turkey or chicken. Cook for 5 minutes or until cooked through, stirring occasionally.

Remove from skillet; drain, if desired. In same saucepan, cook onions, peppers, zucchini, mushrooms and garlic for 5 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in next 6 ingredients and cooked meat. Add up to 1 cup water to thin soup, if desired. Cover and bring soup to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in cilantro and parsley. Cover and let simmer for 5 minutes. Garnish with shaved Parmesan cheese, if desired.

* For vegetarian option, omit meat and add another can of beans.

Extras!
Try the basic soup recipe and concentrate on these suggested ingredients to target the top four types of weight gain triggers!

1) The Thyroid Type: if you are depressed, tired and blue. Opt for zucchini over the yellow squash (or use both). The potassium in zucchini helps mitochondria (your cell’s energy centers) respond to thyroid hormone. You can also add 2 tsp of seaweed gomasio because it is rich in iodine.

2) The Adrenal Type: if you have high anxiety levels, dark circles under the eyes, dizziness, low blood pressure and difficulty falling or staying asleep. Sufficient potassium is a key to balancing cortisol (the hormone that the adrenals secrete when under stress). The squash in this recipe is an ideal source of potassium!

3) The Liver Type: if you’re feeling bloated, and are prone to headaches and colds. You liver is charged with purifying the body so when the liver is overloaded, it spells trouble for everything else! Try adding 1 tsp of turmeric to your soup. Turmeric’s potent anti-inflammatory action restores the liver’s ability to clear trapped fat and toxins. Also try increasing the amount of cilantro to 1/2 cup. The herb attracts and binds to heavy metals and speeds their excretion through the kidney (bypassing the liver, hence cutting down on the filtering burden).

4) The Yeast Type: if you have brain fog, sugar cravings, or sinus problems. Replace the mushrooms in the recipe for 1/2 cup of grated daikon. This mild Japanese radish contains digestive enzymes that help break down fat and clear out toxins. This helps ease the digestive process and allows your system to focus on fighting yeast. Also, try doubling the amount of garlic (use 4 cloves) or add 1 small peeled, chopped eggplant. The vegetable’s antifungal phytonutrients help fight the fungus among us.

The soup stores in the fridge for up to 5 days, or frozen for longer storage. Soup’s on!

Adapted from Dr. Ann Louise Gittleman’s ‘Edge on Health Blog‘

Serves 1

Ingredients
1 scoop Fat Flush Chocolate Whey Protein
8 ounces water or cran-water
10 large cherries, fresh or frozen
1 tablespoon flaxseed oil
Ice cubes (optional)

Directions
Combine ingredients in a blender until smooth. Don’t skip the flaxseed oil—it’s essential for long-lasting satiety.

Serves 4

Ingredients
Olive oil spritz
1 onion, chopped
1 orange or red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 1/4 pound lean ground beef (or turkey)
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons Shakedown Seasoning
8 large leaves of lettuce, rinsed
1/4 cup of salsa
fresh cilantro

Directions
Coat a large skillet with a few spritzes of olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Sauté the onions and peppers until softened. Add the ground beef and garlic and continue sautéing until the beef is cooked through; drain. Stir in the Shakedown Seasoning and let simmer for 5 minutes. Spoon the beef mixture into the lettuce leaves. Top each with 1 tablespoon of salsa, green onions, and cilantro.

Stretching is especially important as you get older. Our joints tend to lose some of their flexibility, but this tendency can be combated by regular stretching. The younger you are when you start stretching, the move flexible you’ll be as you get older. Static stretches are a classic way to enhance flexibility. These stretches are a slow, gradual, and controlled elongation that brings muscles through the full range of motion. Hold them for fifteen to thirty seconds in the furthest comfortable position, without pain.

Here are some tips on how to stretch properly:
- Stretch your muscles when they are warm, not cold. After cardio activity is a good idea because your large muscles are warm and flexible.
- Focus on the muscle you’re stretching.
- Breathe deeply while you stretch. If you inhale as you begin your stretch,  you’ll find that your muscles extend comfortably even further. For stretches that require you to bend forward, exhale as you bend forward and inhale slowly as you hold the stretch.
- Move into the stretch until you feel a slight tension, but no pain. The stretch should feel good, even if your muscle feels slightly achy.
- Hold the stretch for ten to thirty seconds. If you are a beginner or have rarely stretched before, start with ten seconds and gradually increase to thirty seconds.
- Release the stretch slowly. Never bounce or jerk out of the stretch- that can trigger the stretch reflex, which causes the muscle to tighten, rather than relax, to protect itself from injury.

Adapted from ‘ The Fat Flush Fitness Plan ‘

- The soluble fiber aids in reducing carbohydrate absorption, stabilizing blood sugar levels, inhibiting cholesterol absorption, and lowering blood cholesterol.
- The insoluble fiber absorbs water in the digestive tract to ease elimination, making it a great help with bowel problems such as constipation and diverticular disease.
- Lignans- which are concentrated 800 times more in whole flaxseed than in other plants- are recognized for their antiviral properties and helping to alleviate perimenopause and menopause symptoms.

Quick Tips:
* Use flaxseed whole or grind to the consistency of finely ground coffee. Although ground flaxseed can be stored for a short time in the refrigerator, you will get the most nutritional benefit by grinding the seeds as needed.
* Store whole flaxseed at room temperature up to a year. Store ground flaxseed in your refrigerator for up to ninety days.
* When you’re using whole flaxseeds in baked goods, soak them for 10 minutes before adding them to the batter.

Easy Uses:
* Delicious and nutritiously healthy, flaxseed tea helps cleanse toxins from the kidneys and combat intestinal irritations or mucous membrane irritations. Simply steep 1 teaspoon of flaxseeds in 10 ounces of boiling water for 20 minutes. Strain and enjoy with your breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
* Blend 1 tablespoon of flax oil into yogurt and stir in some fruit.
* Drizzle flax oil over veggies and season to taste.

Adapted from ‘Eat Fat, Lose Weight Cookbook‘