How can I tell if my soymilk is spoiled?

Many people are switching to soy mil instead of cow’s milk. Some are lactose intolerant and others are making it for health or philosophical reasons. Soymilk comes from soybeans and like cow’s milk it is fortified with missing nutrients such as vitamin D and calcium.

Does soymilk go sour? And how do you tell?

Yes, soymilk does sour. Soymilk can last a long time unopened, but once it is opened it should be refrigerated consumed within 10 days with most brands.

Here is some information adapted from the SILK soymilk website.

"If your soymilk doesn't look, smell or taste the way it usually does, it may be spoiled. Fresh soymilk does not have a strong odor. Signs of spoilage include:

• The package looks abnormally bloated
• When poured, the soy milk appears to have thickened slightly
• The color of the soy milk has changed (chocolate turns lighter and vanilla may look beige)
• It is so thick that it won't pour easily, or it looks like a milk shake and has curds or lumps
• Any smell resembling dying flowers, sour milk or chemicals
• A slightly "off" or beany flavor, or a bitter, metallic, earthy, grassy or extremely sweet taste
• If you are unsure about whether your soy milk has spoiled, do not drink it or cook with it.

How long will Silk products stay fresh?
Silk Soymilk will keep fresh in your refrigerator unopened until the date stamped on the top of the carton. Once opened, Silk will stay fresh for seven to 10 days if kept refrigerated. It is not unusual for Silk to remain good past the 10-day mark; however, we only guarantee that it will be good for seven to 10 days.”

The only time you will find cow’s milk in my house is when I need it for a recipe. Otherwise I choose soymilk and I like it better. Different brands taste differently, so try a variety of brands until you find the one you like the most.

“I am thankful for laughter, except when milk comes out of my nose.” (Woody Allen)

Are you "The Biggest Loser?"

I have been watching “The Biggest Loser” lately. The show is wonderful and captures the different effects on people while recreating their lives. Each contestant handles the stress and event differently. Some get stressed out while others have a can-do attitude. Do you notice who stays on the show the longest? It is the can-do people. And even when these can-do people are eliminated they continue to lose weight when they return home.

What I love most about the show is that it is creating social awareness, and also motivation in some viewers. Just like those who love boxing might watch Rocky over and over again, or those who like personal drama may watch Desperate Housewives each week. The Biggest Loser is a great source of motivation for those who want to lose body-fat. The show offers insight into having a personal trainer (some better than others), and the emotions and trials of the challenge. When you see the contestants tearing from happiness as they talk about how much weight they have lost for the first time in their lives; that is real. That is powerful.

As great as the show might be, I have a problem with it. As a trainer and coach I know the effort that the contestants are going through. This is not real life. You are not going to spend four hours a day in the desert jogging and lifting logs over your head. This is dangerous and insane. I once hiked a desert mountain in August. Thrilling, but not the safest form of exercise even for someone in peak shape.

The show creates unrealistic expectations. Only in extreme circumstances like on “The Biggest Loser Campus” (i.e. movie studio) will a person lose 19 pounds one week and then lose another 12 the next. This is incredibly unlikely and some of those numbers are not real body-fat loss, but water loss. The numbers look good, but it is not true. This is not to take away from all their hard work. Far from it. I bring out this point so that you understand that when Julie lost only 5 pounds in the first 2 weeks, this is real life. No it is not as exciting, but it is real. Losing about 2 pounds of body-fat a week is what you should strive for. You go Julie!

Losing body-fat slow and steady over the long term is what is going to make you successful in permanent weight loss. Dramatic jumps in numbers are not significant. Losing consistently week after week is success.

Keep watching “The Biggest Loser” show. It is a wonderful program and each contestant offers a lesson to be learned. Just remember not all of it is real life. Some of the story is manufactured by the producers, some by the contestants in an artificial atmosphere, and some is creative film editing.


Go for long term and steady results in body-fat lose and you too will be a “big loser.”

The Water Factor

We all know that a body needs water to survive, but do you know why? Sure, to keep from dehydrating. That is the simple answer, but it goes much deeper than that.

Water can account for 80% of body weight at birth, and about 50% in the elderly. If more water can be equated to the beginning of life, and less water can be equated to the end of life, doesn’t it make sense to drink an ample amount of water on a daily basis during life? Studies have shown that over fifty percent of American adults are chronically dehydrated. This is not immediately life threatening, but it is a factor in weight gain.

Water’s Functions
Virtually all of the body’s functions require water: digestion, absorption, transporting nutrients, building tissue, and maintaining temperature. Water is in the cells, the spaces between the cells, and in the blood plasma. It is used in the transportation of nutrients to each cell, and to help in the excretion of waste to the kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, lungs, and skin. Water is also used in the brain, spine, and joints, and it helps protect organs. An adequate amount of water is needed for the body to properly and efficiently digest and dispose of excess toxins.

Research shows that consuming at least five glasses of water a day reduces the risk of heart attacks and stroke by as much as fifty percent.

How Much Water?
The body’s primary gauge for water is thirst, which is a fail-safe indicator. If you wait until your body signals you to hydrate (drink fluids), it has already been too long since you last hydrated your body.

The body loses two and one-half to three quarts, or more, of water in an average day. This means that the body needs about three quarts a day or ten to twelve cups of water a day. You might be relieved to know that only eight cups a day is needed when a person has a balanced diet. The difference is obtained from your body extracting water from the foods that we consume. That is only four typical size (16.9 oz) water bottles a day.

Drink up!

Summer Fest

The end of summer is one of the greatest times in the year. Why? Because gardens are overflowing. Right now, you can get almost any fruit or vegetable you desire. Almost everything is in season right now. My tomato and cucumber plants are full and begging to be picked. There is so much this time of year that I get to share with family, friends, and neighbors. At summer's end there are more vegetables that one can eat from even a small garden.

Most love going to a farm stand to get fresh produce, it is even more fun and exciting to go into the backyard and pick fresh off the vine as you prepare dinner. Next year I am going to start earlier and plant a little more variety.

To enjoy living a healthy life, truly thrive in a healthy lifestyle you must find the experiences that make you happy. You must create the events that make you want to eat better foods and live the right way. A small garden is one of those ways.

It does not take much work either. In the spring after the last frost, go buy tomato and vegetable flats that already have a good start. Buy various maturities to get some produce early and some late. Plant in the ground or in pots and set up a DIY automatic watering system that you buy in a good garden center. And then let nature takes its course. Keep it simple. There is nothing else to do except pick until you tummy is content. An added benefit, it is less expensive than buying from the supermarket and always tastes better.

Always Have a Plan

On the path to a healthy life and weight loss, it is important to always have a plan. Plan your meals and snacks. Plan your food shopping list. And plan for adversity.

This sounds like a lot of planning, but it is not. Planning your meals and snacks is simple. You can bring your meals and snacks to work and plan what is acceptable when you go to the cafeteria or restaurant. Food shopping is a little more time consuming before you go, but it is quicker at the market. You know what you are going to get so there is no need to lollygag and you are in and out. You are also less likely to succumb to the marketing plays of the store that are designed to separate you from your money. We all know how different the food shopping experience is when you go with a list and without a list. We also know how different shopping can be when we go on an empty stomach. Don’t you buy more junk and high calorie snacks when you shop hungry? I know I do.

It is also very important to have a plan for adversity. When your schedule gets out of whack, and when you find yourself in a dangerous environment, such as an office party with cake and donuts, what will you do? What will you choose when you go to the vending machine? These choices can make so much difference in your daily calorie intake. One unplanned and poor choice can add hundreds, even more than a thousand unplanned calories. Many vending machine choices have five or six hundred calories in an itsy-bitsy little bag.

Always bring snacks with you. There are so many choices that with accelerate your weight loss, such as, carrot or celery sticks, low calorie crackers or cookies, fruit, nuts, trail mix, water, and baked chips or tortilla chips with salsa. It is simply a matter of making the right choices and having those items with you during the day.

Most snacking occurs because of boredom or habit. If you have a plan for when this happens you will save a lot of calories and guilty. When the urge strikes to snack out of habit or boredom, get up and change your scenery for a moment. Walk to the copy machine or outside in the fresh air. A quick and brisk short walk followed up by a cold bottle of water can alleviate your cravings. It also gets your blood flowing to bring vital oxygen to your organs and extremities. It is a matter of changing the pattern that you have had for years.

Change your patterns, change your life.

Do you have a fan club?

The reason that sports teams prefer to play in their hometown is because they have the home team advantage. The familiarity of the field, the short journey to the game, the crowd that cheers for them, and the love of friends and family right there with them. This is their fan club and you need a fan club too.

Whenever we start something new and tell others about it, we always come across those who say, “that will never work” or something pessimistic about it. They might be friends, coworkers, even family. But, there are those who support you, believe in you, and want to see you succeed. Seek these people out, surround yourself with these people, and make them your fan club. We all need a fan club!

When you talk with someone who is not a fan and they ask, “how it’s going?” Tell them great, and it is getting better. But, do not engage in detailed conversation with them. In time, that person is likely to see that you are succeeding and achieving your dreams, and they may become part of your support team, your fan club. Until then, keep them at a distance because you need, we all need, to be around those who truly care for us and want to see us become who we dream to be.

Meet with your fan club, or speak with them often. Have a “fan club” night once a month. Let them know how you are doing, your successes, and your failures. Share in their successes too. They will boost you higher and help pick you up when you need it. Don’t make you journey any harder than it has to be, find those who will push, motivated, and encourage to reach you goals.

You also have to be a part of someone’s fan club. You must be there for others when they need you. Pick them up when they are down, raise them higher when they are successful, and love them when they need a shoulder to rest on. When you are giving to someone, you are also receiving. And the more you give, the more you will receive.

Ah, but what if you do not have any fans? At times, everyone is short of fans. You may have moved, changed jobs, or life has changed. This is a great opportunity for you to build a new fan club. If you are building a fit body, join a club and talk with others, you will find several people that you click with. Go online into forums or chat rooms about a subject that you need support. A fan does not have to be someone you meet face to face. Ask your neighbors, and check the local community message boards for events with people of like minds. Invite your existing fans over for coffee and tell them to bring their fans. If you want it to happen, you must go out and make it happen.

Live in a home team advantage by building a rich and diverse fan club!

Where does it begin?

It has been estimated that 95% of those who try to diet and lose weight, fail to keep the weight off more than one year. Some estimates are even gloomier. What does the 5% do. Why are they successful when the majority is not?

The commonality of those who are successful is that they choose to live differently. They made a decision that life will be different. Something occurred that made them understand that there was no option but, to lose weight and to live healthy. It was an event or they found the necessary mind shift. Sometimes it is the death of a close friend of similar age and condition. Sometimes it is a diagnosis that is, do or die. Sometimes it is a relationship that ends or one that begins. Whatever the catalyst, the decision was made, and as they say, “set in stone.”

What if you do not have a dramatic experience? What if you do not have an epiphany to become an icon of health? What do you do then? How do you get that necessary mind shift? You must find or create your catalyst for change. If an event does not present itself, you have to create it. This is easier than you might expect. Sit back and think. Think about all of the things you will miss if you die early because of unhealthy life and its medical issues. Think of all of the things your family will miss because you are not there to share it with them. How will your daughter feel when she gets married and her father is not there to walk her down the aisle because he died from a heart attack? How is your son going handle not being able to share the birth of his first child with his mom because she passed from obesity complications? Who is going to teach your son or daughter to play softball or soccer when you cannot keep you breath for more than a few paces? How is your family going to survive financially with only one income because you died suddenly at 52 years old? Who is your spouse going to share the golden years with if you are not there to hold hands?

Does this sound morbid, cruel, or distasteful? It is not! It is the reality for those who remain unhealthy, and certainly for those who are obese and morbidly obese. An early death, an unhealthy being, and limited life is a certainty for those who do not maintain their body, mind, and nutrition. An overweight body is a life full of ailments and doctor visits, multiple surgeries, and medical diagnostics. It is a life full of missed events, opportunities, special occasions, and tender moments. It is a life at its least potential.

I bring this to your attention and hope you understand that life is about choices. You can choose to live unhealthy and fat like you have in the past, or you can choose to recapture your health and youth with a healthy lifestyle. Weight loss is not about a diet, it is about the choice to live well and with balance. Weight loss is easy if you choose to live with a focus on your outcome of a fit body and balanced life. A vibrant body will happen if you focus on an able physique and powerful nutrition instead of focusing on what you have to give up or sacrifice to get it.

When I gave up Mountain Dew, cakes, processed junk food, and processed meats, I was asked by most of my friends and family, don’t you miss x, y, or z. I explain that I did not give up anything because I choose other foods. I choose to have other foods such as fruits, vegetables, and balanced meals. I do not miss my past habits because they are no longer a lifestyle that I crave. What I gave up was clogged arteries, muscle spasms, restless nights sleep, midday doldrums, limited mobility, lack of energy, and a spare tire around my waste.

What I receive is a bounty of fresh foods, wonderful meals, more energy than ever before in my life, a physique of my sculpted early 20s, and an enthusiasm for life that I find only to be shared by those who also live this lifestyle.

Anything is possible in life if you choose to make it happen.
Live well, long, healthy, and happy!!

Welcome to the Great Journey!

Life can get so busy, so hectic, and crazy. It is easy to let some things go by the wayside. For many it is finances, friends, and extended family. But most often it is one’s health. When life is busy, the fast food joint serves its purpose. A candy bar keeps you going, and a 64-ounce soda gets you through the day. And then we fall into patterns. Some patterns are carried over from childhood and continue through habit and some develop as an effect of circumstances. Patterns of being late, being busy, running around, and that is before you even get to work. It really is no wonder that so many are overfat. Who has time for a good meal?

I must be clear with you right up front. Life can get in the way and we all have more to do than we can humanly accomplish in a 24-hour day, but these are only circumstances and not excuses. These are not reasons to remain overfat, out of shape, and deteriorating. I am unapologetically direct and frank at times because I know that you have the power, strength, courage, and willpower to make any change in your life that you set your mind too. The human mind and body is almost without limits. Success stories are everywhere with people who have gone from fat to fit, from weak to strong, from sick to healthy, and from diseased to free.

This is your life and your choices. Will you choose to stay the way you are? You can complain about your health and weight for the rest of your life, or you can choose to make a change. Will you commit to creating the life of your dreams? Will you accept nothing less than a fit and sculpted body? Will you demand a healthy life so that you can play with your children, family, pets, and friends with a vigor and enthusiasm known only to those who have taken control of his or her life? These are questions only you can answer. Only you can decide to make a change. The choice must be made by you, and for you. Weight loss is easy once your mind decides it is a must.

Life is a wonderful journey. It is even grander when you have the energy of a 20-year-old lifeguard, and a body that you admire on yourself at any age. Life is amazing when you have the endurance to holiday at Disney World with your children and they tire out before you do. Life is outstanding when you do not need to worry about high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, most diseases, or respiratory problems.

This can be your life! It is up to you!

Let me help you get there.

About Croix

Since a teenager I have been enthusiastic about health and fitness, always in the background and the foundation of my life. As I grew older, fitness would come and go with stages of my life. Like most people, other events took precedence over my health. When I approached the 30 mark of my life, my physiology began to change. The weight no longer stayed off and I was no longer the athletic shape of my early youth. This is when I became serious about health. But once again life got in the way. Does this sound familiar to you? My life was permanently changed because I was introduced to new information and tools to take control of my life.

Health and fitness is so much more than going to the gym and running on the treadmill for thirty minutes. This set me on a path with only one direction, the road of lifelong health, fitness, and balance. I continued my knowledge with certifications and studies in personal training, cardiovascular exercise, nutrition, yoga, personal development, mental skills development, life coaching, psychology, Neuro-linguistic programming, visualization, meditation, and communication. I never stop learning. I continue to learn and build on current knowledge, and explore new areas of study from our culture and abroad. I firmly believe that if you are not growing, you are dying. Growth comes from learning, believing, achieving, and contributing.

Within months of making a commitment to myself, I lost 30 pounds of bodyfat. I began toning and sculpting my physique, and eating truly healthy. It is a different “healthy” than in the mainstream beliefs. Different than the corrupt peddling of information the government promotes because of lobbyist pressure. It is a healthful way of living based on logic, balance, and time-honored knowledge. It is a plan that anyone can follow and use. I feel better now as I am approaching 40 than at any other time of my life, with more endurance and energy. My BetterBody BetterLife plan is the results of my work, studies, and commitment to an outstanding lifestyle in health, fitness, nutrition, and a balanced life.

I look forward to sharing my blog. In this blog I will share my knowledge, experiences, and dreams. I hope you do the same and post you successes in thoughts in the comments section.

Work hard, play harder, live fit, laugh often, love most. Life is a wonderful ride!
All the best ... Croix