by Amber Zuckswert www.epicself.

com All Rights Reserved 2011

Epic Nutrition Guidelines

In my personal health journey, tireless research, and client experience its alarmingly obvious that diet and nutrition are absolutely crucial components to every day vitality and superb longevity. Im convinced that 90% of our physical appearance, moods and energy stem from what we sip and munch. Movement and spiritual happiness are absolutely essential as well, but you can kill your body in the gym and see no results if you continue to feed your cells junk. Research is now showing that our tummies are directly linked to our emotional centers in the brain. If the pipes arent owing smoothly and absorption of nutrients is halted prepare for some unhappy campers! And we wonder why millions of people are depressed on the SAD diet.

Chose to be vibrant, happy, clean, green and lean! Below are my standard guidelines for clients. They serve as a jump off point on your road to epic living. I promote a plant based whole food vegan diet, but respect that every body and lifestyle is unique. I work to build plans that seamlessly t into my clients busy lives. I aim to educate, while immediately implementing action steps that transform you quickly. Epic eating is quick, easy and inexpensive. You just have to take the time to learn and practice like any other life skill. I am here to inspire, keep you focused and teach you how! If not now, when? You deserve to be epic. Lets get started!

Cut Highly Rened Foods: Processed sugar and our are the big
bad guys. Read all labels for ingredients. Highly processed foods, including oil, our, sugar and added salt, articially stimulate the pleasure chemicals of the brain, including dopamine, resulting in an addictive-like pleasure trap analogous to drug addiction. One result is the overconsumption of calories which is a major contributing cause of the obesity epidemic in industrialized nations. Avoid: Keep your eyes peeled for processed white sugar, high fructose corn syrup, enriched white our, and any hydrogenated oils or trans fat. Cut back on starches like potatoes, white bread and grains. Organic sprouted grains are best. Don't know if you're gluten intolerant? Go without wheat for two weeks and then slowly add back in. What to Eat: Quinoa, millet, and amaranth are the highest nutrient dense ancient "grains," they are actually seeds. If you want to eat grains these are the winners! High in protein and healthy fats. Stick to low glycemic fruits, like berries, stone fruits, apples, grapes, grapefruits, and
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citrus, while saving the tropical fruits for special occasions.

Salt Isnt Necessary: Sodium increases blood pressure and makes

you retain water which leads to bloating. A certain amount is needed by the body for proper nerve and muscle function, but whole real foods (aka vegetables) provide all we need. Say no to ionized heavily processed salt. If you decide to use any salt opt for raw sea salt, which still retains it's minerals. The vast majority of sodium in the typical American diet comes from foods that are processed and prepared. Celery and seaweeds like dulse and nori add a salty taste to any dish while packing a truck load of minerals.

Add Probiotics For Optimum Digestion: 750 trillion single

cell bacteria sit in your gut. While it might sound like a nightmare, the little guys help your immune system ward off more-dangerous bugs, break down nutrients, and even manipulate how the body stores fat. Maintaining a healthy balance of gut ora is key to stellar digestion, hormone regulation and nutrient absorption. Say no to bloating and PMS, while welcoming radiant skin and unstoppable energy! Keep the peace in your belly with these bacteria packed eats: Kombucha tea, sauerkraut, fermented soy (tempeh), coconut ker, rejuvelac (wheat based ker) or probiotic supplements. Dairy is not necessary.

Add Essential Fatty Acids: Ignore the low fat craze that swept
the country over the last few decades. We need a proper balance of omega 3 and 6 fatty acids to reduce inammation and for proper nerve function. The human body simple does not make these particular acids. This doesn't mean all fats are created equal! Avoid all deep fried foods. Americans are most decient in omega 3s, which is why salmon/sh oil and ax seed have been highlighted in the last few years.

Chia and ax (must grind for proper absorption!) seeds are the two highest vegan sources of omega 3's. Hemp seeds offer the perfect balance of omega 3 and 6, while packing lots of protein. I suggest hemp seed protein powder to all my muscle building buddies over whey and other dairy by products. Other healthy fats to include: raw nut butters (almond and macadamia are best! Avoid peanut), raw coconut oil or butter, avocados, sesame seed (also known as raw tahini when blended), pumpkin seed, sunower seed, and olives.

Add Water Dense Fruits and Veggies: How many times have
you eaten when you were really just thirsty? Drink your 8 glasses a day and eat your water too! Our cells are made of 70% water. Eat the foods that mimic your cellular makeup. You'll feel fuller quicker with less calories. For clear glowing complexion, and energy, pack an abundance of raw fruits and veggies into your diet. Most Water Dense Fruits: melons, apples, all berries, grapefruits, and lemons. Most Water Dense Veggies: Cabbage, celery, cucumber, lettuce, dark leafy greens, tomatoes, and radishes. Note: Dehydrating fruits concentrates their natural sugars and removes the water. Go raw most of the time and leave dehydrated fruits for treats.

Increase Your Minerals: Munching fresh fruits and vegetables

isn't enough now days to absorb all necessary nutrients and minerals. Thanks to intensive farming and use of inorganic fertilizers over the past 50 years, our soils and thus our produce are decient in minerals and trace elements. Luckily we have the ocean plants too! Seaweeds and algaes like spirulina and chlorella are nutrient dense power houses. Chlorella is 60% pure bioavailable protein by weight! When you feed your body nutrient
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dense foods your body will be satiated and won't need as much food. Eat: nori, dulse, wakame, Health Force Nutritional's Vitamineral Green (my favorite raw organic green powder superfood mix), spirulina and chlorella tabs, E3live.

Balance Your Hormones: Do you drink caffeine and have a

stressful busy life? Like the vast majority of people, your adrenaline is buzzing continuously. This taxes the adrenal glands leading to hormone imbalances across the board. Aim to minimize stress by taking movement and breath breaks from work and cut back on stimulants. Add foods, called adaptogens into your meal planning that naturally balance hormone levels by helping you cope with stressors. My most trusted potent adaptogens: maca root (Health Force Nutritionals (healthforce.com) has two varieties I love), holy basil and ginseng. Hormone levels are thrown off when you consume too much soy. Soy bean in all forms acts like an estrogen mimic in the body. Taking birth control, and consuming animal products that have been treated with hormones also drastically effect hormone balance. Note: The vast majority of all animals meant for consumption are given hormones.

Reduce and Clean Up Your Toxin Load: Do you know what

toxins lurk in your food, body products and environment? Antibiotics, hormones, pesticides, herbicides and heavy metals create a chemical slew that wreak havoc on our healthy buzzing cells and DNA. This can not only lead to cancer down the line, but fog your everyday happiness and vitality. I recommend eliminating all animal products from your diet specically for this reason. But, if you do decide to include meats and dairy, buy local organic farm fresh brands. Know what the farmers are feeding and
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injecting into the animals because all of it will be transferred to your cells. Reducing or completely eliminating your dependency on animal products is the number one way to save the planet and reduce world hunger. The meat and dairy industry impact our environment and climate change more than all other factors combined. Dr. Colin T Campbell describes in his book, The China Study, and furthermore in the feature lm Forks Over Knives, how casein, the protein in cow's milk, literally turns cancer cells on and off. Scary stuff! Buy organic and farm fresh seasonal produce whenever possible. The Environmental Working Group has an awesome downloadable list of the dirty (pesticide ridden) dozen and clean fteen fruits and veggies here: http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/ Carry it in your pocket when you head to the market and save some moolah!

Master Portion Control:

I've written at length and provided an

extensive list of tips on mastering portion control for life on Epicself.com. Here is the direct link to that guide: http://www.epicself.com/nourish/how-to-master-portion-control-forlife/ I encourage all my clients to ll their plates with veggies and greens followed by a small portion of meat and bread/starches/grains. Eat and ll up on all the water/nutrient dense vegetables rst. Then feel if you are really hungry for the lack luster, empty calorie white bread roll. Eat fruit instead of starches, quinoa instead of white rice. Make smart swaps.

Mindful Eating: My extensive guide for mindful eating can be

found here: http://epicself.com/nourish/your-guide-to-eating-mindfully/ Eat with your friends and family. Move slowly, chew, chew and chew some more. You'll then give your stomach the time to signal the brain when you are 80 percent full. Laugh, enjoy, and savor the tastes. One of the biggest no no's is eating mindlessly at your desk! Take time away from work at lunch so you can focus and feel satised. Eat outside in nature whenever possible. You'll absorb a vital dose of Vitamin D to boot.

Still wondering how to proceed beyond the above guidelines to slim down, tone up and increase energy? Schedule 15 min free nutrition consultation with me via phone or skype. To get the most out of our time together I ask that you take pictures of everything you munch for at least a week and ll out my epic health form. Email me at amberzuckswert@gmail.com to schedule. To book an initial nutrition consultation click here. Need a healthy kitchen and fridge makeover? Ill walk you through the process virtually or make a house call. Sign up here

Virtual Pilates
Looking for a fun new movement sequence? Back pain and poor posture taking over your life? Wishing you could touch your toes and have a rock hard core? For all your mind/body movement needs head over to my youtube channel (www.youtube.com/epicself) and video library (www.epicself.com/video/) to start practicing. Go in-depth, perfect your form and allow me to design a program for your specic body needs and goals by signing up for a live session with me through the virtual studio (www.epicself.com/studio/). Consistency and accountability are key. There are no quick xes. Begin this moment! Download

Breath, Posture and Your Six Pack Video Series

to any digital device and practice my pilates, nutrition and overall wellness techniques anytime anywhere.

Resources! Books, Films, Products

Sculpting your most epic self begins with education and self exploration. Knowledge is power. Once you know the facts and experience self change its hard to fall back into poor habits. Stay motivated on your health journey with some of my most trusted book and lm resources. Raw vegan beauty and self care product brands round out my list.

Must Read Books:

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1.) The Pleasure Trap- Mastering the Hidden Force that Undermines Health and Happiness, by Doug Lisle Ph.D and Alan Goldhamer, D.C. 2.) The China Study by T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D 3.) Diet For A New America by John Robbins 4.) Eat To Live by Joel Fhrman, M.D. 5.) The Body Ecology Diet by Denise Del Russo 6.) Eating For Beauty by David Wolfe 7.) Rainbow Green Live Food Cuisine by Dr. Gabriel Cousins 8.) The Sunfood Diet System by David Wolfe 9.) Survival in the 21st Century by Viktoras Kulvinskas 10.) Crazy, Sexy, Diet by Kris Carr 11.) Eat Your Greens by Victoria Boutenko 12.) Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foe 13.) The Coconut Oil Miracle by Jon Kabara 14.) Feel Good Food by Karen Knowler 15.) Detox Your World by Shazzie 16.) Ani's Raw Food Essentials: Recipes and Techniques for Mastering the Art of Live Food by Ani Phyo

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17.) 80/10/10 Diet by Dr. Douglas Graham 18.) Healing With Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford 19.) The Complete Book of Ayurvedic Home Remedies by Vasant Lad 20.) Silent Spring by Rachel Carson

Cook Books Galore:

Raw Transformation by Wendy Raudell RAW by Roxanne Klein Rawvolution by Matt Amsden Raw: The Uncook Book by Julianno
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Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook by Isa Chandra Moskowitz Eating in the Raw: A Beginner's Guide to Getting Slimmer, Feeling Healthier, and Looking Younger the Raw-Food Way by Carol Alt The Complete Book of Raw Food by Julie Rodwell Ani's Raw Food Essentials: Recipes and Techniques for Mastering the Art of Live Food by Ani Phyo

Must Watch Feature Films and Documentaries:

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Forks Over Knives (2011) Super Size Me (2004) Fast Food Nation (2006) Food Inc. (2008) The Future Of Food (2004) No Impact Man (2009) Earthlings (2010) Food Matters (2008) Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days (2011) Avatar (2010)

Beauty and Self Care Body Products:

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Raw Organic Skin Care:

Living Libations Skin Care and Make-Up: www.livinglibations.com Raw Essentials Skin Care by Carol Alt: www.rawessentials.com AnnMarie Gianni Skin Care: www.annmariegianni.com or do what I do and simply by bulk raw coconut, avocado, almond, and/or sesame oils to moisturize all skin types.

Self Care Techniques:

Body Brushing: Skin, our largest body organ, eliminates more than a pound of waste over the course of an average day. In fact, about 1/3 of all the bodys impurities are excreted through your skin. Aide the detox, clear your complexion and eliminate cellulite by brushing. Read all about body brushing here. Foam Rolling: Have you spotted those foam tubes at the gym? Say hello to your new massage buddy. A foam roller is wonderful for massaging your tight muscles and fascia network. Rolling also aides lymph ow and circulation, ultimately reducing cellulite. Watch and follow along with a simple, but amazing, roller massage here.

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As a professional contemporary ballet/modern dancer with over twenty-three years of technique, performance and teaching under her belt, Amber Zuckswert turned to the Pilates method to stay in peak mind/body condition and injury free. Since graduating from the rigorous and renowned Ron Fletcher Program of Study shes worked with a vast array of clients from professional dancers and athletes, to pre and post natal, to rehab. Amber specializes in back care, pre and post natal, Fletcher Towel, Floor, and Barre techniques.

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Ambers holistic nutrition studies span Western sports nutrition, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Indian Ayurveda in college, and extensive self study in plant based living raw foods and super-foods. Believing that every person has unique needs, she enjoys blending approaches when designing nourishment plans for clients. Amber teaches small group raw food and vegan cooking classes and loves pantry makeovers. ALIVE SF is her monthly pilates, massage, raw feast event. She nds nothing more fullling then empowering and inspiring people to dramatically change their life through nutrition and mind/body tness. Beyond her virtual work, Amber teaches large mat and small equipment classes and privates at both UCSF Mission Bay and Parnassus campuses, as well as The Informed Body Pilates and Gyrontonic Studio. Shes also a resident teacher every month at the worlds #1 destination spa, Rancho La Puerta. She currently enjoys lming video packs and developing the rst virtual pilates Ipad application. Amber brings a creative, fun and uid approach to classes and privates. Focus on breath, precision, and mindfulness, infuse each session. Building a balanced, toned and pain free body while challenging the mind with breath and body coordination, dynamics, balance and grace is her forte. Amber LOVES all movement and continues extensive studies in the Pilates method, Gyrotonic, Somatics, Anusara and Ashtanga yoga, meditation and all forms of dance.

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