Yes, that's right: I have a problem! I have a problem with the same old excuses as to why people won't take control of their actions to ultimately determine whether or not they are going to live a long, healthy, energetic life! Sure, I'm biased! But, if given the option, wouldn't you choose to live as long as you could, as healthy as you could with plenty of energy and vitality to boot?! You'd be surprised the amount of noncompliance I encounter on a daily basis in regards to life-changing choices that are simply seen as "too hard" or "too time consuming" or the ever-popular "too expensive"!
I'm a full time manager and personal trainer at a private training studio. I train roughly 40 sessions per week on top of all my other duties associated with my job. I probably clock in atleast 60 hours in a given week, tending to all that needs to be done around the studio--not to mention starting my days in Greensboro at 5:30 in the mornings and staying some nights until 7:30! It's sad to say, but I sometimes see some of my clients during the day light hours more than I see my own husband. But, you know what, I'll go ahead and nip one excuse in the bud: Exercise is a priority and if being healthy is important to you, you'll make time for it. Given what I've just said about my daily regimen (and that's just a nugget of info), I still make time to exercise. If I didn't I'd not only go insane, but I'd have no time for ME to keep ME healthy. And if I'm not healthy, neither is my professional life and my performance at work will suffer. Every time I hear the excuse that there's not enough time to exercise I want to literally scream. Another nugget: My workouts NEVER last more than about 40-45 minutes, and that's on a long day. If you're telling me that you can't carve that our of your busy day a few times a week, you don't want to be healthy! Period.
Second excuse to conquer: Eating healthy is too time consuming and I can't find the time to eat. First of all, I can't overcome the notion of not being able to find the time to eat. I LOVE TO EAT and I will make damn sure I eat when I need to. What's not to like about EATING OFTEN IS A GOOD THING and EATING OFTEN WILL HELP YOU BURN FAT?! I hear all the time that folks can't seem to figure out how to snack during the day. Oh, and don't get me started on the "I don't eat breakfast" deal! That's my favorite meal of the day, and there's no way in HELL I'm starting my day off in a fasted state! I wake up hungry--as you should. You just spent HOURS fasting and your body and mind need a boost to make for a great day. Not to mention this low blood sugar state is no good for your adrenal health and actually puts more stress on you than it's worth. Note: Skipping breakfast to "cut calories and lose weight" is a FALACY and should not be attempted, and not under the supervision of a doctor either! Bottom line: You have to eat the right combination of things at the time right times to lose weight, feel great, and remain energetic. Period.
The final excuse I'll tackle today has to do with the excuse that eating healthy is "too expensive." Case in point: My husband, my daddy, and I all go out to our local co-op every Sunday morning for breakfast. My dad and husband get a fresh baked biscuit (I know, NASTY and PURE TOXIC) loaded with sausage, egg, and cheese (atleast all of these lovelies are locally sourced products). Dad gets bottled water (there's a plus, I suppose) and Korey either gets bottled green tea or his new obsession pomegranite aloe vera juice (with the pulp because he loves to "chew" his juice--interesting, right?!). I always get 3 local, hard-boiled eggs and make a little salad of fresh greens, shredded carrots and balsamic. If they have it on the hot bar, I may get some sauteed veggies. Okay here's the breakdown: Dad's running total every week is $3.69; Korey cashes in at $4.68 if he gets his pulp juice or $4.28 if he goes with bottled tea; mine is priced by weight and the bar there is $5.99/lb, leaving me with a total of less than $3.00 every week. While they are indulging on loads of bread (I mean, there are new borns smaller than these buscuits!) along with all of that pork and egg-age (not a bad thing but not that great when combined with all that refined flour), I am enjoying a protein- and healthy fat-rich snack with a little complex carb on the side--AND FOR A LOT CHEAPER!!! Who can argue with me now, huh?! And this is just one tiny example of how eating healthy, cutting out the junk and sticking with pure ingredients as nature and our genes intended can actually save your life AND SAVE YOU MONEY!
Let me just also mention that since I've made my primal transition, our grocery bill is almost half of what it used to be. JUST SAYING!
That's all I really want to tackle this week. I think I've reached my quota on soapbox height!
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Monday, September 26, 2011
I'd rather take a cab...
So this is a SOAPBOX edition today. Have you seen the new campaign(s) for Subway lately? You know, the ones with all the healthy options, including the NEW yogurt parfait along with several other breakfast choices, touting the slogan that goes something along the lines of "Where the athletes eat..." (not exact words but something similar)?
Let me start off by saying that the one time my husband has had food poisoning, the culprit was known to be the "rainbow meat" (he calls it that) from Subway. There's a reason he calls it "rainbow meat": If you hold it just right in the light, a sparkling, shimmery rainbow pattern glistens the surface of this ever-so-processed "meat." It makes me sick just to think of it--probably not as much as him, though! Here's the thing, if anything ever qualified as "meat," this wouldn't be it. Take a look at the following ingredients (posted right on their site for all to see):
Let me start off by saying that the one time my husband has had food poisoning, the culprit was known to be the "rainbow meat" (he calls it that) from Subway. There's a reason he calls it "rainbow meat": If you hold it just right in the light, a sparkling, shimmery rainbow pattern glistens the surface of this ever-so-processed "meat." It makes me sick just to think of it--probably not as much as him, though! Here's the thing, if anything ever qualified as "meat," this wouldn't be it. Take a look at the following ingredients (posted right on their site for all to see):
- HAM (Black Forest): Ham cured with: water, dextrose, salt, potassium lactate, contains 2% or less modified food starch (derived from corn), sodium phosphates, sodium diacetate, sodium erythorbate, smoke flavoring, sodium nitrite. May contain: seasoning [potassium chloride, pork stock, sugar, yeast extract, salt, lactic acid, fructose, sunflower oil, cysteine HCL, calcium lactate, modified food starch, flavors, grill flavor (from sunflower oil), polysorbate 80, rendered pork fat, and smoke flavor], hydrolyzed corn protein, autolyzed yeast extract, modified food starch, acacia gum, sunflower oil, tricalcium phosphate, silicon dioxide, spices and sulfites.
- BEEF: Beef, beef broth (water, beef stock), seasoning (hydrolyzed soy protein, salt, dextrose, modified corn starch, sodium phosphates, beef extract, soy sauce powder [soy sauce (soybeans, salt, alcohol) maltodextrin, salt], yeast extract, natural and artificial flavor, grill flavor [maltodextrin, grill flavor (from vegetable oil), modified corn starch, corn syrup solids]), beef flavor (water, natural flavors, beef fat, gelatin/gum arabic coacervate, xanthan gum, citric acid, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate and soybean oil). Rubbed with: salt, maltodextrin, modified corn starch, dextrose, caramel color, beef extract, garlic powder, onion powder, natural flavor. May contain tomato, lemon, onions, peppers,Contains soy.
- TURKEY: Turkey breast, turkey broth, contains 2% or less of: carrageenanan, dextrose, modified food starch (derived from corn), salt, seasoned salt (salt, sodium diacetate, flavoring), sodium lactate, sodium phosphate. * Browned in soybean oil. May contain: seasonings (modified corn starch, dextrose, salt, carrageenan, sodium diacetate
If you're all like me and have any sort of food allergies (most of us do, some of you just may not know it!)...avoid this LIKE THE PLAGUE! I'm pretty sure the meat I eat at my house has one simple ingredient!
Allow me to touch on their nutritious breakfast options; but, may I add first that I can't even imagine the thought of having breakfast at Subway--it just seems odd! In their attempt to touch on all the needs of the American population, they offer a "regular" egg omelet "patty" and one made of egg whites. Here's the lovely ingredient list for those gems:
- EGG OMELET PATTY (Regular): Whole Eggs, Egg Whites, Water, Nonfat Dry Milk, Premium Egg Blend (isolated pea product, salt, citric acid, dextrose, guar gum, xanthan gum, extractive of spice, propylene glycol and not more than 2% calcium silicate and glycerin to prevent caking), Soybean Oil, Butter Alternative (liquid and hydrogenated soybean oil, salt, soy lecithin, natural and artificial flavors, beta carotene (color), TBHQ and citric acid added to protect flavor, dimethylpolysiloxane (antifoaming agent added), Salt, Beta-Carotene (color).Contains eggs, milk and soy.
- EGG WHITE OMELET PATTY: Egg whites, artificial butter oil (soybean oil, artificial flavor), modified corn starch. Contains less than 2% of the following: dicalcium phosphate, salt, xanthan gum, white pepper. Contains eggs.
Let's hop on the breakfast parfait bandwagon shall we Subway? I don't know where we got the notion that such a thing could be considered a health food. It was probably decided by the same panel that gave the stamp of approval to bagels, muffins, and wraps (and, YES, I'm bashing all of them, "whole wheat" or not!!!). This cup-o-joy for your morning commute contains 24 grams of sugar and a host of allergens for all my allergy-rific peeps out there. It may only have 164 calories (for those of you who are calorie-obsessed); but I'd rather get my calories from something other than a boat load of sugar that's only going to have me crashing 2-3 hours after I eat it!
Friday, September 23, 2011
Proud parent...
In case you didn't know, Korey and I own 11 hens and 2 roosters--turns out that one of the original dozen "hens" we bought back in May happens to have been born a boy! Long story short: he's found himself now. He and BC (our actual rooster) are starting to be at odds with one another...you know, kinda how two pimps would be fighting over 11 hoes. Well, anyway, we've been waiting what seems like forever for eggs. This particular breed of chicken, we were told, is supposed to lay around 310 eggs EACH per year, starting around age 6 months. When we purchased them in May we were under the impression that they were already 4 months old. You do the math: that means in only 2 months time, I'd be in egg heaven, right? I've safely deduced that my hens were NOT that old when we bought them. As a matter of fact, the actual rooster we purchased separately was supposed to have been the same age and the hens. He started crowing a good 2 months before our other rooster came out!
Where am I going with this, you ask? You'll see...
Tuesday afternoon I go out to their house to let them out to roam around and THERE...like a shining nugget that had fallen straight from Heaven, a small, lonesome egg shone in the corner of the chickens' house. I swear to you it had light beaming off of it like a pot at the end of my long awaited rainbow. Keep in mind, this is now the end of September! These hens had been getting threats from me to be put on the spit for a couple of months by this point if they didn't get to producin'!
Back to my egg! Of course, being married and somewhat skeptical about whether or not my husband was tyring to by "funny," my first thought was, "This better not be a trick Korey is trying to play on me because I will certainly kick his ass when he gets home!" Then rationality kicked back in and a huge smile came across my face; I was elated--just like a new mommy (well, as close to one as I could have gotten at that point)! I brought in the treasure, took a picture and sent it to everyone that I thought may give a smidge of a damn and would be happy for me. Everyone was! And yes, I'm a HUGE DORK. I realize this.
What's next? Well, one of the chickens has laid at least one more egg, yesterday as a matter of fact--this one slightly bigger than the first. In a way I'm a little sad because we have to break the news to the "egg man" that we buy our eggs from locally. We typically buy 3 dozen from him and his wife every Sunday (Korey and I are egg-ivores if there were such things--we go through a TON each week).
The point of this little story isn't to allow you to see just how darn domesticated I am. The point is to discuss the value of being able to have things that are given to you by nature, organically created, and tended to with nurture and care. All of the attention, money, you name it, has gone into the creation of not just that first little jewel but into the creation of many a meal, snack, hors deuvers--all from 20 yards away from my front door. I know what goes into the chickens, how they are allowed to roam around as they wish and I know that the eggs they eventually give me will be 1000 fold more nutritious than any egg purchased at any grocery store. Even the "organic, omega-3" eggs can't hold a candle to these babies!
Now for the nutrition part...
There are few things on this planet that are more nutritious than an egg. Egg's have gotten such a bad reputation over the years via conventional wisdom and doctors telling us not to eat them if we wanted to keep our cholesterol down. That evil yolk of deadly saturated fat quickly became the target of much criticism. So society's answer: cut eggs of your diet and if you dare eat anything resembling an egg, it must come from a carton in the form of a liquidy jelly-like substance, colored with yellow number 40 to trick our minds into thinking we're consuming an egg.
An egg is a solid source of protein, easily digested protein for that matter (unless you're allergic to them, that is!) and contains all nine of the essential amino acids. Guess what? There is no significant like between egg consumption and cardiovascular disease! So, doc, you can take that and shove your theory on dietary intake of cholesterol you know where. Eggs are great for your eyesight since they are high in lutein and zeaxanthin. The choline found in eggs is a powerful nutrient to help the body protect itself from damage to the brain, nervous, and cardiovascular systems. Eggs (the yolk mainly) is one of very few sources of naturally occurring vitamin D. Speaking of the yolk, EAT IT! Yes, it's the FAT in the egg, and YES it houses the cholesterol. If you remember nothing, try to remember this: there is no actual length between dietary cholesterol intake and serum cholesterol levels (the level you have tested each year during your annual exam)! Repeat that to yourself and REMEMBER IT! The yolk is a source of healthy fat and is also crammed with all sorts of vitamins and minerals. Just a factoid that goes right along with this discussion: No you don't need a rooster for hens to lay eggs (I've gotten this question a LOT). However, if the egg is fertilized by the rooster that increases the nutrition of the egg that much more. I don't want to know the source or the mechanism that makes it that way (probably am safer not knowing) but it's true. How do you tell: when you crack the egg, there will be a tiny red dot on the yolk. That's all I'm going to say regarding the nutrition.
I can't think of many better ways to start off a day other than with some fresh, organic, freely-roaming chicken eggs. I look forward to the umpteen hundred I'll get yearly from my brood! Note: I'll have PLENTY to go around...keep this in mind if you'd like to give home-grown eggs a try, I may need some folks to help get them off my hands!
Where am I going with this, you ask? You'll see...
Tuesday afternoon I go out to their house to let them out to roam around and THERE...like a shining nugget that had fallen straight from Heaven, a small, lonesome egg shone in the corner of the chickens' house. I swear to you it had light beaming off of it like a pot at the end of my long awaited rainbow. Keep in mind, this is now the end of September! These hens had been getting threats from me to be put on the spit for a couple of months by this point if they didn't get to producin'!
Back to my egg! Of course, being married and somewhat skeptical about whether or not my husband was tyring to by "funny," my first thought was, "This better not be a trick Korey is trying to play on me because I will certainly kick his ass when he gets home!" Then rationality kicked back in and a huge smile came across my face; I was elated--just like a new mommy (well, as close to one as I could have gotten at that point)! I brought in the treasure, took a picture and sent it to everyone that I thought may give a smidge of a damn and would be happy for me. Everyone was! And yes, I'm a HUGE DORK. I realize this.
What's next? Well, one of the chickens has laid at least one more egg, yesterday as a matter of fact--this one slightly bigger than the first. In a way I'm a little sad because we have to break the news to the "egg man" that we buy our eggs from locally. We typically buy 3 dozen from him and his wife every Sunday (Korey and I are egg-ivores if there were such things--we go through a TON each week).
The point of this little story isn't to allow you to see just how darn domesticated I am. The point is to discuss the value of being able to have things that are given to you by nature, organically created, and tended to with nurture and care. All of the attention, money, you name it, has gone into the creation of not just that first little jewel but into the creation of many a meal, snack, hors deuvers--all from 20 yards away from my front door. I know what goes into the chickens, how they are allowed to roam around as they wish and I know that the eggs they eventually give me will be 1000 fold more nutritious than any egg purchased at any grocery store. Even the "organic, omega-3" eggs can't hold a candle to these babies!
Now for the nutrition part...
There are few things on this planet that are more nutritious than an egg. Egg's have gotten such a bad reputation over the years via conventional wisdom and doctors telling us not to eat them if we wanted to keep our cholesterol down. That evil yolk of deadly saturated fat quickly became the target of much criticism. So society's answer: cut eggs of your diet and if you dare eat anything resembling an egg, it must come from a carton in the form of a liquidy jelly-like substance, colored with yellow number 40 to trick our minds into thinking we're consuming an egg.
An egg is a solid source of protein, easily digested protein for that matter (unless you're allergic to them, that is!) and contains all nine of the essential amino acids. Guess what? There is no significant like between egg consumption and cardiovascular disease! So, doc, you can take that and shove your theory on dietary intake of cholesterol you know where. Eggs are great for your eyesight since they are high in lutein and zeaxanthin. The choline found in eggs is a powerful nutrient to help the body protect itself from damage to the brain, nervous, and cardiovascular systems. Eggs (the yolk mainly) is one of very few sources of naturally occurring vitamin D. Speaking of the yolk, EAT IT! Yes, it's the FAT in the egg, and YES it houses the cholesterol. If you remember nothing, try to remember this: there is no actual length between dietary cholesterol intake and serum cholesterol levels (the level you have tested each year during your annual exam)! Repeat that to yourself and REMEMBER IT! The yolk is a source of healthy fat and is also crammed with all sorts of vitamins and minerals. Just a factoid that goes right along with this discussion: No you don't need a rooster for hens to lay eggs (I've gotten this question a LOT). However, if the egg is fertilized by the rooster that increases the nutrition of the egg that much more. I don't want to know the source or the mechanism that makes it that way (probably am safer not knowing) but it's true. How do you tell: when you crack the egg, there will be a tiny red dot on the yolk. That's all I'm going to say regarding the nutrition.
I can't think of many better ways to start off a day other than with some fresh, organic, freely-roaming chicken eggs. I look forward to the umpteen hundred I'll get yearly from my brood! Note: I'll have PLENTY to go around...keep this in mind if you'd like to give home-grown eggs a try, I may need some folks to help get them off my hands!
Thursday, September 15, 2011
So, I probably have done everything under the sun when it comes to cardiovascular activity: jogged/walked, cadio-kickboxed, high-intensity stepped, sprinted, stair-climbed (all for countless hours at a time)--you name it, I've done it. This includes gut-wrenching hours on the pavement of the streets of Greensboro, pounding out what seemed like endless miles. And for what? Okay, so there is that fact that I can say I've completed a marathon and 3 half marathons; BUT, aside from that, it didn't grant me anything other than dreadful, BORING, pretty much useless time wasted. You go into these "things" thinking, "I'm going to get fit and look great and I'm going to do by way of (fill in the blank)." Let's make this clear and simple: More is NOT better! I can tell you this from experience.
You already know that I did the whole "I'm-gonna-lose-weight-by-going-vegan" thing, remember? Well, at the same point in my life I decided to make another ridiculous decision and that was to start training for lengthy races--my first being a half marathon. Long story short, not only was I depriving my body of much-needed nutrients that even a sedentary person would need to remain in okay health, but I was doing this while putting my body through hours of undue and unjust stress without giving it what it needed to operate at it's peak or to fully recover from all of that running. I was literally breaking myself down on the inside and not seeing a damn bit of difference on the outside other than I started to look more "soft" than I did before I made those two not-well-thought-out (or well-educated) choices.
Long before this time in my life, back when I first got the initiative to start trying to lose weight, I definitely fell into the trap that I needed to not only eat less but MOVE MORE to get results. Picture me: NCSU student gym; 30 minutes on the elliptical, 30 minutes on the bike, 30 minutes on the treadmill; 1-hour long aerobic group exercise class; 15 minute abdominal group exercise class. YUP, that's all in one day folks! It's that MORE IS BETTER frame of mind we've all been conditioned to at some point. Yes, I'll admit I got results initially. This statement is analogous with any trendy diet: You'll lose weight initially because you've either got excess to lose or your body has to take time to adapt to whatever it is you're doing that's different--or in some cases, BOTH. But then what happens? It all comes to a screeching halt. You're left asking yourself, "But I've done (fill in the blank) for umpteen hours EVERYDAY and the scale is not moving! What is going on here?"
We've all been there if you're like me and have tried to lose weight before. Well, frankly it's taken me quite a while to break down the conventional-thinking wall that we need to spend several hours a week stomping it out on a treadmill or going 500 miles on a bike the whole time you're at the gym. A huge factor that feeds into the dread of doing these activities has nothing to do with the time spent doing it--it's WHAT YOU'RE DOING! Simply put, if you don't like the activity, you're not going to want to do it, and you're not going to feel good while you're doing it, AND you'll dread the next time you'll "have to" do it before you even finish the time you're spending while doing it! So ask yourself why spend so much time doing something that you HATE (I prefer the term LOATHE!) when you're really not benefitting physically or psychologically.
What really pisses me off is that the notion that we need to eat less and move more is still all that's being touted through the media! Now, don't get me wrong--this principal definately applies to the woman whose currently trying to become the world's fattest woman (a soapbox subject on its own for me), with her weighing 1500 and some odd pounds by eating 20,000 calories a day. Unfortunately she's near her goal, so maybe that's what matters? But anyway, I digress! Back to the notion of eating less and moving more for optimal health.
Eating less we can get into on a later date. Moving more, I've already briefly touched on that. Moving is good, really good. Finding something you enjoy doing that incorporates lots of moving is even better. Sports of any kind, for example, are a great choice especially if it involves a lot of full-body movement and gets the heart rate up for a period of time. Here's where it's sticky from a "fun" stand point: Though you need to find movement you enjoy, you should also incorporate other movements that truthfully suck while you're doing them BUT are over quickly and make you feel energized when you're done. "What are you speaking of, some sort of torture is what it sounds like?" I know this is what you're thinking and some people, including myself at times, could equate these types of activities with torture! I'm talking about fast, quick, ass-busting (not literally, just figuratively!) sprints--whether in the form of running out or inside, biking, cycling, ellipticaling (I just made up a word). Whatever the equipment, even if it just you, your own body, and a hill, move your weight from one point to another as fast as you can.........and then rest. Rest only as long as necessary to move your weight again from one point to another as fast as you can.........and rest again. Easy enough, right? This is the type of "cardio" our ancestors did when sprinting to either run after their dinner or run in an effort to not become dinner! What this means is that this is how our genes were made to perform: short, intense bursts with periods of rest. What this also means is that (given that you're working at optimal intensity) your "cardio" sessions could be cut down to as little as 15 minutes! Starting to sound maybe a little less like torture, right?
I find it quite refreshing to start and end a cardio workout within 20 minutes or so--sure does beat those hour-and-some-odd-minute long bouts. YES IT SUCKS while I'm busting my arse at 10.0 mph intervals on the treadmill; BUT, not only do I get rest between those sprints, my body welcomes the challenge and thanks me by BURNING FAT for fuel after I'm done! Not sure about you, but I love reaping that benefit. I can honestly say that since the lightbulb went on for me in regards to how to do cardio, I have been in the best cardiovascular shape of my life and have never been so lean (and MEAN some would say!). It's definitely worth the challenge; it sucks, but you're done in 20! Can't argue with that!
You already know that I did the whole "I'm-gonna-lose-weight-by-going-vegan" thing, remember? Well, at the same point in my life I decided to make another ridiculous decision and that was to start training for lengthy races--my first being a half marathon. Long story short, not only was I depriving my body of much-needed nutrients that even a sedentary person would need to remain in okay health, but I was doing this while putting my body through hours of undue and unjust stress without giving it what it needed to operate at it's peak or to fully recover from all of that running. I was literally breaking myself down on the inside and not seeing a damn bit of difference on the outside other than I started to look more "soft" than I did before I made those two not-well-thought-out (or well-educated) choices.
Long before this time in my life, back when I first got the initiative to start trying to lose weight, I definitely fell into the trap that I needed to not only eat less but MOVE MORE to get results. Picture me: NCSU student gym; 30 minutes on the elliptical, 30 minutes on the bike, 30 minutes on the treadmill; 1-hour long aerobic group exercise class; 15 minute abdominal group exercise class. YUP, that's all in one day folks! It's that MORE IS BETTER frame of mind we've all been conditioned to at some point. Yes, I'll admit I got results initially. This statement is analogous with any trendy diet: You'll lose weight initially because you've either got excess to lose or your body has to take time to adapt to whatever it is you're doing that's different--or in some cases, BOTH. But then what happens? It all comes to a screeching halt. You're left asking yourself, "But I've done (fill in the blank) for umpteen hours EVERYDAY and the scale is not moving! What is going on here?"
We've all been there if you're like me and have tried to lose weight before. Well, frankly it's taken me quite a while to break down the conventional-thinking wall that we need to spend several hours a week stomping it out on a treadmill or going 500 miles on a bike the whole time you're at the gym. A huge factor that feeds into the dread of doing these activities has nothing to do with the time spent doing it--it's WHAT YOU'RE DOING! Simply put, if you don't like the activity, you're not going to want to do it, and you're not going to feel good while you're doing it, AND you'll dread the next time you'll "have to" do it before you even finish the time you're spending while doing it! So ask yourself why spend so much time doing something that you HATE (I prefer the term LOATHE!) when you're really not benefitting physically or psychologically.
What really pisses me off is that the notion that we need to eat less and move more is still all that's being touted through the media! Now, don't get me wrong--this principal definately applies to the woman whose currently trying to become the world's fattest woman (a soapbox subject on its own for me), with her weighing 1500 and some odd pounds by eating 20,000 calories a day. Unfortunately she's near her goal, so maybe that's what matters? But anyway, I digress! Back to the notion of eating less and moving more for optimal health.
Eating less we can get into on a later date. Moving more, I've already briefly touched on that. Moving is good, really good. Finding something you enjoy doing that incorporates lots of moving is even better. Sports of any kind, for example, are a great choice especially if it involves a lot of full-body movement and gets the heart rate up for a period of time. Here's where it's sticky from a "fun" stand point: Though you need to find movement you enjoy, you should also incorporate other movements that truthfully suck while you're doing them BUT are over quickly and make you feel energized when you're done. "What are you speaking of, some sort of torture is what it sounds like?" I know this is what you're thinking and some people, including myself at times, could equate these types of activities with torture! I'm talking about fast, quick, ass-busting (not literally, just figuratively!) sprints--whether in the form of running out or inside, biking, cycling, ellipticaling (I just made up a word). Whatever the equipment, even if it just you, your own body, and a hill, move your weight from one point to another as fast as you can.........and then rest. Rest only as long as necessary to move your weight again from one point to another as fast as you can.........and rest again. Easy enough, right? This is the type of "cardio" our ancestors did when sprinting to either run after their dinner or run in an effort to not become dinner! What this means is that this is how our genes were made to perform: short, intense bursts with periods of rest. What this also means is that (given that you're working at optimal intensity) your "cardio" sessions could be cut down to as little as 15 minutes! Starting to sound maybe a little less like torture, right?
I find it quite refreshing to start and end a cardio workout within 20 minutes or so--sure does beat those hour-and-some-odd-minute long bouts. YES IT SUCKS while I'm busting my arse at 10.0 mph intervals on the treadmill; BUT, not only do I get rest between those sprints, my body welcomes the challenge and thanks me by BURNING FAT for fuel after I'm done! Not sure about you, but I love reaping that benefit. I can honestly say that since the lightbulb went on for me in regards to how to do cardio, I have been in the best cardiovascular shape of my life and have never been so lean (and MEAN some would say!). It's definitely worth the challenge; it sucks, but you're done in 20! Can't argue with that!
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Tumeric + Garlic = Inflammation's Antithesis!
So, if you haven't guessed by now (even though I haven't really talked about it), I LOVE to cook. And I love to try new flavors, even making up my own weird combinations along my merry way--I'm usually the only one eating my concoctions, so I can try things without worrying about divorce papers being filed post-experiment!
The best thing I find about cooking and knowing the little that I do about nutrition and healthy eating is that there are soooooo many things out there that are good for you and that are just damn tasty! I'm so tired of the "I can't eat diet food because it tastes nasty," or the ever-popular "don't you ever get bored eating the same boring crap all the time?" UGH--just thinking about how many times I've heard similar statements out of peoples' mouths gives me another reason to mildly consider Botox!
Truth of the matter is that eating healthy food means eating a variety of different things. Variety not only in proteins, carbs, and fats, BUT in herbs and spices--ya know, the things that make the "boring crap" have FLAVOR! What is even cooler is that all that flavor comes with so much other added benefit that most folks don't even have a clue about. Here they are with their daily/weekly/monthly pill box of beta-blocking, anti-inflaming, corticosteroid-filled, anti-blah blah blah who knows what, all the while probably causing symptoms that they didn't even have before they started their 3-time-daily pharmy cocktail. Little do they know that they may actually be able to cure whatever it is that is ailing them simply by taking their tails to the spice counter instead of the pharmaceutical counter the next time they're on their grocery run.
In my culinary excursions over the past while I've discovered how much I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE tumeric and garlic, especially together. Both of these fab faves of mine are highly praised for their natural anti-inflammatory abilities. (Listen up those of you with chronic pain and irritation!) Let's start with tumeric--a lovely colored spice, I might add!
Tumeric's active ingredient that makes it such a potent powerhouse is curcumin, a compound that has been shown to prevent the growth of cancer and slow the progression of Alzheimer's. It's best known for it's anti-inflammatory benefit. It can be used for treatment of pain associated with arthritis and other joint-related disorders as well as in the treatment of inflammatory skin problems such as eczema and psoriasis. Using tumeric can also speed wound healing and the rebuild and regrowth of new, healthy skin. Another profound benefit of adding tumeric to your diet is it's ability to aid in liver detoxification--we all need it, not just those of us who enjoy happy hour every now and again! Now, if you're not into the smell or the taste of tumeric in cooking (that's unfortunate), then it can be found in pill form at your local health food store. Either way is fine, I prefer to cook with it because I LOVE TO EAT and I'm not bothered by the aroma. My fave thing to do is add it into a GIANT pan of sauteed veggies (cooked in coconut oil, of course!). It's pungent, so if you're new to it, start small and add more as your taste develops for it.
Let's move to garlic, nature's trump card for fresh breath! For me, I can deal with my stank breath after eating garlic because it is just so amazingly good for me (and you!) and adds such a depth of flavor to any savory dish. Man, what an addition to any cook's must-have list! This pod of power is overflowing with all sorts of health benefits--not sure I'll have enough space to list them all but I'll give it a go (in bulleted list form, to save your eyes!):
Well, that's not all I could say about tumeric and garlic, BUT one thing I have accomplished is figuring out what I'm going to have along with my dinner tonight: sauteed cauliflower and onion with tumeric and garlic. My joints oughta feel FABULOUS when I wake up in the morning!
The best thing I find about cooking and knowing the little that I do about nutrition and healthy eating is that there are soooooo many things out there that are good for you and that are just damn tasty! I'm so tired of the "I can't eat diet food because it tastes nasty," or the ever-popular "don't you ever get bored eating the same boring crap all the time?" UGH--just thinking about how many times I've heard similar statements out of peoples' mouths gives me another reason to mildly consider Botox!
Truth of the matter is that eating healthy food means eating a variety of different things. Variety not only in proteins, carbs, and fats, BUT in herbs and spices--ya know, the things that make the "boring crap" have FLAVOR! What is even cooler is that all that flavor comes with so much other added benefit that most folks don't even have a clue about. Here they are with their daily/weekly/monthly pill box of beta-blocking, anti-inflaming, corticosteroid-filled, anti-blah blah blah who knows what, all the while probably causing symptoms that they didn't even have before they started their 3-time-daily pharmy cocktail. Little do they know that they may actually be able to cure whatever it is that is ailing them simply by taking their tails to the spice counter instead of the pharmaceutical counter the next time they're on their grocery run.
In my culinary excursions over the past while I've discovered how much I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE tumeric and garlic, especially together. Both of these fab faves of mine are highly praised for their natural anti-inflammatory abilities. (Listen up those of you with chronic pain and irritation!) Let's start with tumeric--a lovely colored spice, I might add!
Tumeric's active ingredient that makes it such a potent powerhouse is curcumin, a compound that has been shown to prevent the growth of cancer and slow the progression of Alzheimer's. It's best known for it's anti-inflammatory benefit. It can be used for treatment of pain associated with arthritis and other joint-related disorders as well as in the treatment of inflammatory skin problems such as eczema and psoriasis. Using tumeric can also speed wound healing and the rebuild and regrowth of new, healthy skin. Another profound benefit of adding tumeric to your diet is it's ability to aid in liver detoxification--we all need it, not just those of us who enjoy happy hour every now and again! Now, if you're not into the smell or the taste of tumeric in cooking (that's unfortunate), then it can be found in pill form at your local health food store. Either way is fine, I prefer to cook with it because I LOVE TO EAT and I'm not bothered by the aroma. My fave thing to do is add it into a GIANT pan of sauteed veggies (cooked in coconut oil, of course!). It's pungent, so if you're new to it, start small and add more as your taste develops for it.
Let's move to garlic, nature's trump card for fresh breath! For me, I can deal with my stank breath after eating garlic because it is just so amazingly good for me (and you!) and adds such a depth of flavor to any savory dish. Man, what an addition to any cook's must-have list! This pod of power is overflowing with all sorts of health benefits--not sure I'll have enough space to list them all but I'll give it a go (in bulleted list form, to save your eyes!):
- Aid in fighting inflammation associated with joints and other systemic inflammation
- Provide protection against damage to arterial linings due to oxidative stress
- Prevent clots from forming in the arteries
- Lower blood pressure
- High in vitamin C, B6, selenium and manganese--all are heart-protective
- Improve airway inflammation as seen in asthma
- Decrease chronic, low level inflammation associated with obesity
- Prevent onset and development of bacterial and viral disease
- Prevent of stomach ulcer
- Improve iron metabolism (YAY for me--a long-term anemic!)
Well, that's not all I could say about tumeric and garlic, BUT one thing I have accomplished is figuring out what I'm going to have along with my dinner tonight: sauteed cauliflower and onion with tumeric and garlic. My joints oughta feel FABULOUS when I wake up in the morning!
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
There's alot to be said about sardines...
Sunday mornings have become routine for me, Korey (my husband), and my dad. I'll usually get up around 4:30 and have my usual breakfast of DELICIOUS sauteed veg (in coconut oil, of course) and BIGGER THAN MY HEAD protein shake, followed by my Cococeps (more on that in a later post, I'm sure). Korey is still in the bed when my dad motors up on the 4-wheeler and I'll start the espresso machine. What's so funny about this is that my dad wouldn't know the difference between coffee of any kind, much less appreciate a good cup of espresso. He's a habitual McDonald's "I-better-get-my-senior-citizen-coffee-with-my-biscuit" kinda man; BUT, I've been funneling him americanos now for several months every Sunday morning. This is my daddy-daughter time! Korey will eventually crawl out of bed around 6 or so and we'll sit and shoot the shit until daylight.
Since we've had our chickens, we'd really enjoyed letting them out to roam in there fenced area and watching their always entertaining ways about themselves. They are just the funniest creatures with so much personality, you'd never believe how funny a group of hens can be! This lasts until around 7 or after. Now it's breakfast time for the men folk!
We head to Burlington, where we've recently had a co-op open up downtown that has a breakfast hot bar. Dad is shocked at the biscuits on the hot bar: "Them thangs are big by grannies! I bout cain't finish it!" Korey will either follow suit or get a tub of dried mangoes if he's already eaten once (at least they have no added sugar) and a bottle of water. Keep in mind that I've already had my breakfast, so by the time we get there (around 8:30), it's time for a snack of sorts. What do I go for? You betcha--a good ol' fashioned can of sardines (finally came around to tie all this mess into my title!)! Something different occurred the other week, though. We were sitting there enjoying our vittles and an older man, maybe 60 or so, walks by and says, "You're not eating sardines are you? Why, yes you are! I was about to poke fun at you for eating sardines. My wife won't even let me bring those into the house; she'd kill me!" At the time I'm thinking to myself, 'My what a rude a-hole to say anything about what I'm eating, especially at the very moment that it's passing my lips!' I remained composed, however, and reply, "Yessir, I LOVE sardines--eat 'em all the time!" His response: "I can't believe any woman would ever eat sardines."
I know that these little fish used to be the cheap snack of choice before manufacturing companies started basically intravenously supplying blue-collar workers with packs of Nabs and Pepsi. I mean, they are still pretty cheap today; but what people don't realize is that these canned swimmers are really very healthy and are nowhere near as scary as people have been led to believe.
I'm not going to lie: Most of the time I don't go for the cheapest cans. I'll get the two- to three-bucks-per-can ones, especially on our Sunday outing. This just reassures me the quality of the product I'm about to eat (wild-caught, no added sodio-benzo-hexa-phosa-fake-shit, etc). Man my mouth is watering right now just thinking about popping the can back and revealing those little guys. Here's a laundry list of the health benefits packed underneath that shiny peel-away can top:
Since we've had our chickens, we'd really enjoyed letting them out to roam in there fenced area and watching their always entertaining ways about themselves. They are just the funniest creatures with so much personality, you'd never believe how funny a group of hens can be! This lasts until around 7 or after. Now it's breakfast time for the men folk!
We head to Burlington, where we've recently had a co-op open up downtown that has a breakfast hot bar. Dad is shocked at the biscuits on the hot bar: "Them thangs are big by grannies! I bout cain't finish it!" Korey will either follow suit or get a tub of dried mangoes if he's already eaten once (at least they have no added sugar) and a bottle of water. Keep in mind that I've already had my breakfast, so by the time we get there (around 8:30), it's time for a snack of sorts. What do I go for? You betcha--a good ol' fashioned can of sardines (finally came around to tie all this mess into my title!)! Something different occurred the other week, though. We were sitting there enjoying our vittles and an older man, maybe 60 or so, walks by and says, "You're not eating sardines are you? Why, yes you are! I was about to poke fun at you for eating sardines. My wife won't even let me bring those into the house; she'd kill me!" At the time I'm thinking to myself, 'My what a rude a-hole to say anything about what I'm eating, especially at the very moment that it's passing my lips!' I remained composed, however, and reply, "Yessir, I LOVE sardines--eat 'em all the time!" His response: "I can't believe any woman would ever eat sardines."
I know that these little fish used to be the cheap snack of choice before manufacturing companies started basically intravenously supplying blue-collar workers with packs of Nabs and Pepsi. I mean, they are still pretty cheap today; but what people don't realize is that these canned swimmers are really very healthy and are nowhere near as scary as people have been led to believe.
I'm not going to lie: Most of the time I don't go for the cheapest cans. I'll get the two- to three-bucks-per-can ones, especially on our Sunday outing. This just reassures me the quality of the product I'm about to eat (wild-caught, no added sodio-benzo-hexa-phosa-fake-shit, etc). Man my mouth is watering right now just thinking about popping the can back and revealing those little guys. Here's a laundry list of the health benefits packed underneath that shiny peel-away can top:
- Concentrated source of omega-3's EPA and DHA, one of the highest in our food supply
- High in B-12, calcium, vitamin D, phosphorous (the last 3 important in bone health)
- High in selenium, an antioxidant that touts cancer-preventing ability
- Extremely good source of good quality protein
- Sprinkle them with lemon juice and olive oil
- Combine them with chopped onion, olives, or fennel (or all three!)
- Top them tomatoes, basil, and oregano
- Douse with a good balsamic
- Blend olive oil, Dijon mustard, garlic, lemon juice, and salt and pepper and toss with sadines for a salad topper
- 1 can sardines (Crown Prince, preferred)
- 1/2 avocado, diced
- 2-3 Tbsp capers, drained
- Handful of chopped green onion
- 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard (I like Annie's Organic)
- Fresh cracked pepper
- 3-4 large organic romaine heart leaves
- Mash together sardines and avocado in a bowl. Mix in capers, onion, mustard. Grind some pepper over the top and spoon desired amount into each lettuce leaf. ENJOY!
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
It should be called the Ahhhhh-vocado :)
Okay, so I'm totally OBSESSED with avocados lately. I've always generally liked them--there are few creamier, more luscious things that are naturally found in nature than what is found within that rough, rigid outer layer. In fact, many times during the week I'll enjoy a snack of a half of an avocado just diced, with a fork, along side of my strips of fresh pulled roasted chicken (more than likely chicken thighs since they are wonderfully LUSCIOUS as well!). Aside from the friggin' awesome health benefits associated with the avocado, I particularly enjoy the fact that you don't have to buy organic ones since they are protected by their own thick, inedible barrier--I'm really a super-saving-soccer-mom-wanna-be in training, trying to save the dough when I can!
Here's something funny to tell your acquaintances at your next after hours business gathering: The word "avocado" originated from an Aztec word meaning "testicle." I totally see the the resemblance, and I'll leave it at that! What's also interesting is that it's said that all avocado trees are spawned from one tree that lived in California, planted by a man with the last name of Hass--so, all avocados are related you could say.
Enough interesting factoids, let's get to my soap box and MEAT of the discussion!
Avocados, unfortunately, are touted as being "too high in fat" and are often on the "avoid" list for folks that are trying to lose weight. To avoid getting into the battle against conventional wisdom on why fat intake is NECESSARY for optimal health (WEIGHT included) and should not be excluded from our daily dietary intake, I'll just remain calm and explain the extreme benefits that adding avocado to your grocery list and daily intake could bring to you.
This super food is actually a fruit that's LOADED with monounsaturated fatty acids. These fats may help lower bad cholesterol, while leaving your good cholesterol alone. (Side note: Higher intake of polyunsaturated fats could result in lowering your good cholesterol along with the bad!) Avocado joins forces with extra virgin olive oil and some nuts to provide us with the wonderful physiological benefits that go along with consuming these fats. Let me just list a few things that make the avocado stand out:
SOAP BOX: I got really pissed me off not too long ago when I was watching a show called "Too Fat for Fifteen," and the kids were instructed to eat out at a Mexican restaurant as a test to see what all they had learned. First of all, they have these kids on a LOW to NO fat diet and they are taught things like homemade rice crispy treats are good snacks because they are LOW IN CALORIES!!! AHHHH!!! (There goes my blood pressure!) Well, not one child goes any where near the guacamole because they had "learned" that avocados were WAY TOO HIGH IN FAT and that they weren't allowed to eat them and still be able to lose weight. So they end up eating white flour bean burritos with rice on the side. This is a PROBLEM AMERICA! Let's count the nutrients in that meal compared to just one serving of BIG, BAD, FATTY AVOCADO. (And there goes my eye twitching!) It's no wonder obesity, type II diabetes, and a myriad other health problems are not running rampant in this country...but anyway, here's to another source of conventional wisdom that's blurring our vision of what's real and true. Damn!
Here's something funny to tell your acquaintances at your next after hours business gathering: The word "avocado" originated from an Aztec word meaning "testicle." I totally see the the resemblance, and I'll leave it at that! What's also interesting is that it's said that all avocado trees are spawned from one tree that lived in California, planted by a man with the last name of Hass--so, all avocados are related you could say.
Enough interesting factoids, let's get to my soap box and MEAT of the discussion!
Avocados, unfortunately, are touted as being "too high in fat" and are often on the "avoid" list for folks that are trying to lose weight. To avoid getting into the battle against conventional wisdom on why fat intake is NECESSARY for optimal health (WEIGHT included) and should not be excluded from our daily dietary intake, I'll just remain calm and explain the extreme benefits that adding avocado to your grocery list and daily intake could bring to you.
This super food is actually a fruit that's LOADED with monounsaturated fatty acids. These fats may help lower bad cholesterol, while leaving your good cholesterol alone. (Side note: Higher intake of polyunsaturated fats could result in lowering your good cholesterol along with the bad!) Avocado joins forces with extra virgin olive oil and some nuts to provide us with the wonderful physiological benefits that go along with consuming these fats. Let me just list a few things that make the avocado stand out:
- High in potassium, magnesium, folate
- Great source of B6, vitamin C, vitamin E
- Provides key enzymes
- High in antioxidants and fiber
- Have I mentioned creamy luscious-ness?!
SOAP BOX: I got really pissed me off not too long ago when I was watching a show called "Too Fat for Fifteen," and the kids were instructed to eat out at a Mexican restaurant as a test to see what all they had learned. First of all, they have these kids on a LOW to NO fat diet and they are taught things like homemade rice crispy treats are good snacks because they are LOW IN CALORIES!!! AHHHH!!! (There goes my blood pressure!) Well, not one child goes any where near the guacamole because they had "learned" that avocados were WAY TOO HIGH IN FAT and that they weren't allowed to eat them and still be able to lose weight. So they end up eating white flour bean burritos with rice on the side. This is a PROBLEM AMERICA! Let's count the nutrients in that meal compared to just one serving of BIG, BAD, FATTY AVOCADO. (And there goes my eye twitching!) It's no wonder obesity, type II diabetes, and a myriad other health problems are not running rampant in this country...but anyway, here's to another source of conventional wisdom that's blurring our vision of what's real and true. Damn!
Friday, August 12, 2011
One fish, two fish, farm-raised, EEEWWW fish!
Fish are one of the BEST sources of omega-3 fatty acids out there. Not having enough of this fab fatty acid is one of the leading predictors of chronic illness in this country. The good news is, however, that adding sources of omega-3's into your diet can significantly decrease your chances of ill health. Omega-3's are important for decreasing internal inflammatory processes that lead to poor health--if in balance with another fatty acid known as omega-6. The problem is that omega-6's are all well and good until you get too many of them coupled with too little omega-3's. Too much omega-6 = inflammation...too much inflammation = heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer...you name it. You see, Americans (most Americans, that is) eat an ABUNDANCE of omega-6's--primarily from conventionally raised beef and other processed meats--and don't get near enough omega-3's from reputable sources like wild-caught fish. Yeah, we are learning that if we're not eating fish, we should at least be supplementing with fish oil--but is this a significant amount to prevent or repair any internal damage done by the omega-6's?
Not every fish is the pathway to health unfortunately. Here's an analogy: Fish are like sponges in a sink full of dish water...they will absorb everything in that water, from the soap to the nastiness of whatever ELSE has made it's way into the water. Wild-caught and farm-raised fish do just this--absorb nutrients as well as contaminants the are present in the waters in which they live. Modern, farm-raised fish soak up chemicals in the feed they are given to fatten them up and are subject to absorbing/consuming the fecal matter that they are forced to live in. Farm-raised salmon often feed off of their own waste...YUM! Wild-caught fish are less likely to encounter PCB's (the chemicals found in commercial fish food), BUT, some varieties are likely to absorb another pollutant that puts anyone that consumes it at risk: MERCURY. The fattier the fish, the more tissue available for the pollutants to sneak into and stay--where we can consume it later. Again, YUM! As harmful as mercury consumption can be to our health, your US Government permits a certain amount to scootch by and be sold to retailers and consumers.
If you're looking to increase your consumption of omega-3's, the last place you want to look is farm-raised fish. These fish are often fed man-made foods of who knows what or are given meal made of ground up parts from other fish. It's these two things that make farm-raised fish virtually VOID of any nutritive omega-3's. What's surprising is although these farms are "regulated," some species of farm-raised fish often contain far more harmful contaminants than wild-caught fish--even those that may be exposed to environmental pollutants!
So, what do you do? Wild-caught Alaskan salman (red sockeye, to be specific) is going to be your best bet for the benefit of getting more omega-3's into your diet from food sources--we can delve into the use of fish oil in a later discussion. This species of salmon has incredible bragging rights. It will cost you more than the Atlantic variety seen in most fish counters at grocery stores; but, if you're at all like-minded to me, you're willing to pay more money for better quality and a bettet shot at living a longer, healthier life! Trust me, the taste alone is worth the extra money spent.
Well, that's all I have for you at this point...I could honestly go on forever and I've left out a lot of the details (in an effort not to bore you to tears). I think you get it, though; and that's what matters.
Not every fish is the pathway to health unfortunately. Here's an analogy: Fish are like sponges in a sink full of dish water...they will absorb everything in that water, from the soap to the nastiness of whatever ELSE has made it's way into the water. Wild-caught and farm-raised fish do just this--absorb nutrients as well as contaminants the are present in the waters in which they live. Modern, farm-raised fish soak up chemicals in the feed they are given to fatten them up and are subject to absorbing/consuming the fecal matter that they are forced to live in. Farm-raised salmon often feed off of their own waste...YUM! Wild-caught fish are less likely to encounter PCB's (the chemicals found in commercial fish food), BUT, some varieties are likely to absorb another pollutant that puts anyone that consumes it at risk: MERCURY. The fattier the fish, the more tissue available for the pollutants to sneak into and stay--where we can consume it later. Again, YUM! As harmful as mercury consumption can be to our health, your US Government permits a certain amount to scootch by and be sold to retailers and consumers.
If you're looking to increase your consumption of omega-3's, the last place you want to look is farm-raised fish. These fish are often fed man-made foods of who knows what or are given meal made of ground up parts from other fish. It's these two things that make farm-raised fish virtually VOID of any nutritive omega-3's. What's surprising is although these farms are "regulated," some species of farm-raised fish often contain far more harmful contaminants than wild-caught fish--even those that may be exposed to environmental pollutants!
So, what do you do? Wild-caught Alaskan salman (red sockeye, to be specific) is going to be your best bet for the benefit of getting more omega-3's into your diet from food sources--we can delve into the use of fish oil in a later discussion. This species of salmon has incredible bragging rights. It will cost you more than the Atlantic variety seen in most fish counters at grocery stores; but, if you're at all like-minded to me, you're willing to pay more money for better quality and a bettet shot at living a longer, healthier life! Trust me, the taste alone is worth the extra money spent.
Well, that's all I have for you at this point...I could honestly go on forever and I've left out a lot of the details (in an effort not to bore you to tears). I think you get it, though; and that's what matters.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Your POULTRY may be PALTRY!
Well today is circumstantially the BEST day to be continuing our discussion of America's tainted meat supply by talking about poultry--chicken and turkey, specifically. Why is today such a grand day to talk about our feathered friends, you ask? Not sure if you've happended to hear about the recent discovery of salmonella-tainted turkey that has lead to over 70 cases of illness and 1 death in the past week or so; BUT, this morning it was released that the USDA (your Government, people!) has known about this threat at this particular processing plant since last year! As it turns out, the USDA doesn't classify salmonella as harmful enough to warrant a halt in production--as it does with another common threat, E. coli. Thus, it seems, plants like the one under examination in Arkansas aren't technically at fault for continuing production of tainted turkeys! Lovely!
Back to the task at hand: taking a peek into our nation's commercially-operated poultry providers. I'm not going to go into details about the rancid, putrid, AWFUL "living" conditions that both turkeys and chickens are kept. We have heard it all before and, frankly, even though it paints a clear enough picture as to why we should avoid giving money to that industry, I don't think I can bear having to type the words. (Side note: I own free-range chickens that are well-kept, happy and fabulously entertaining. I can't even believe there are people/corporations out there that are OKAY with how they treat these animals!) If you're in need of a brief outline, take a look at the list below:
Luckily, more and more actual farmers are catching on the fact that humans should not consume what comes out of these factories and are raising free-roaming chickens and turkeys for sale to reputable retailers and individual consumers. Although chicken is touted as some of the best, most nutritious forms of protein we could eat, free-range turkey actually ranks higher on the scale! Here's something you'd probably never guess: pasture-raised, antibiotic-free turkey is an excellent source of CALCIUM--who'da thunk--AND there's more high-quality protein in one gram of this turkey than in one gram of beef! Don't forget chicken altogether, however; it's still a powerful protein--as long as it's free-range, antibiotic-free, and humanely-raised. (Eventually I'm going to discuss dark vs. white and the great debate--not enough time or space today!) Do you feel like poultry tonight?
We'll cover seafood next time.
Back to the task at hand: taking a peek into our nation's commercially-operated poultry providers. I'm not going to go into details about the rancid, putrid, AWFUL "living" conditions that both turkeys and chickens are kept. We have heard it all before and, frankly, even though it paints a clear enough picture as to why we should avoid giving money to that industry, I don't think I can bear having to type the words. (Side note: I own free-range chickens that are well-kept, happy and fabulously entertaining. I can't even believe there are people/corporations out there that are OKAY with how they treat these animals!) If you're in need of a brief outline, take a look at the list below:
- Sheds with no light
- De-beaking with no anesthetic
- Confined wire cages, stacked on top of one another
- Forced molting using near-boiling water
- Near suffocation from confines
- Dehydration before mass-slaughter
Luckily, more and more actual farmers are catching on the fact that humans should not consume what comes out of these factories and are raising free-roaming chickens and turkeys for sale to reputable retailers and individual consumers. Although chicken is touted as some of the best, most nutritious forms of protein we could eat, free-range turkey actually ranks higher on the scale! Here's something you'd probably never guess: pasture-raised, antibiotic-free turkey is an excellent source of CALCIUM--who'da thunk--AND there's more high-quality protein in one gram of this turkey than in one gram of beef! Don't forget chicken altogether, however; it's still a powerful protein--as long as it's free-range, antibiotic-free, and humanely-raised. (Eventually I'm going to discuss dark vs. white and the great debate--not enough time or space today!) Do you feel like poultry tonight?
We'll cover seafood next time.
"We are what we eat" has eaten...
I'm going to make this post a little shorter than my latest...maybe. The reason being is that it shouldn't take much talk about this topic to get my point across. I've been reading a lot lately about our food supply in this country--mainly protein sources--and have stumbled upon some truths that I've in one way or another known to be true for quite some time; BUT when it's all sitting RIGHT THERE laid out on several consecutive pages within the same text, it hits home a little differently.
Raise your hand if you eat meat--and raise it HIGH because you're on atleast one right track. Now, raise your hand if you purchase your meats from locally-owned farms that humanely raise their livestock and allow them to roam their pastures, free to graze on the grasses that Mother Nature provided for them to survive on. How many hands dropped--I bet most of yours! Keep this in mind, if it's purchased at your local grocery store, it's more than likely not humanely raised, nor is it fed appropriate nutrition (for it, or for you for that matter!). Take a look at the title of this post: "'We are what we eat'...has eaten." That pretty much sums it up. Over the next several posts, I'd like to highlight our favorite sources of protein and show how even if you "bought it at the Fresh Market" you're more than likely buying poor quality protein that's doing you more harm than good. (Now's a good time to slam the Fresh Market--IT'S A FRIGGIN' HIGH DOLLAR GROCERY STORE, NOT A HEALTH FOOD STORE!!! AHHH!) We'll start with beef for today, and delve into the lives of other commercial livestock through the next several days.
BEEF
These grazers are meant to do just that: feed off of grasses growing wildly in yonder pasture. Cows are meant to eat only grasses because their digestive systems are built to break these greens down into proteins and acids their bodies reuse for other processes. Commercial beef for mass-production is weaned off of grass-based diets long before they can barely utter a "moo." Because corn and grain are cheaply sourced, beef manufacturers use this as the main source of food to fatten their stock for quick growth and quick sale. If you were a commercial beef manufacturer, your main goal is to push product, just like any other business owner and operator--and you'll find the cheapest, easiest means to go about doing it with one goal in mind--PROFIT. What this means is, basically, calves are forced to grow faster than mother nature allowed in an effort to get them fatter and larger to provide more companies with inventory for whole- and retail sales.
Going back to what I mentioned earlier: cows' digestive systems were only meant to digest grasses. Force-feeding cows grains leads to many unnaturally occurring issues such as chronic gastritis, increased pH, acidosis and an increase in E. coli. The government prohibited the use of some antibiotics and hormones in cattle and other livestock to curtail any potential for contaminated product; however, cows are still subject to feed containing chicken manure, pig and chicken parts, and certain steroids. Think about it this way: As humans, the Government says we're not allowed to inject steroids into our bodies due to potentially harmful side effects; yet the government allows beef companies to inject your food supply with them?! Maybe if the Government could benefit from the injection of steriods into humans, they'd change their minds--sad, isn't it.
On a different, less argumentative note, grass-fed beef is simply more nutritious than its commercially raised and fed counterpart. While grain-fed beef contains high amounts of inflammatory omega-6 fats, grass-fed beef is naturally high in omega-3 fats, which are heart healthy and anti-inflammatory. One of the reasons Americans are so unhealthy is the fact that we are internally inflammed--all from what we put in our mouths. A main culprit in this high rate of internal inflammation is a diet where the ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 fats is all out of whack. Since cows are not made to digest grains, their bodies actually experience inflammation and we, in turn, end up with "inflamed"--virtually toxic--beef (it's what's for dinner) on our plates!
Raise your hand if you eat meat--and raise it HIGH because you're on atleast one right track. Now, raise your hand if you purchase your meats from locally-owned farms that humanely raise their livestock and allow them to roam their pastures, free to graze on the grasses that Mother Nature provided for them to survive on. How many hands dropped--I bet most of yours! Keep this in mind, if it's purchased at your local grocery store, it's more than likely not humanely raised, nor is it fed appropriate nutrition (for it, or for you for that matter!). Take a look at the title of this post: "'We are what we eat'...has eaten." That pretty much sums it up. Over the next several posts, I'd like to highlight our favorite sources of protein and show how even if you "bought it at the Fresh Market" you're more than likely buying poor quality protein that's doing you more harm than good. (Now's a good time to slam the Fresh Market--IT'S A FRIGGIN' HIGH DOLLAR GROCERY STORE, NOT A HEALTH FOOD STORE!!! AHHH!) We'll start with beef for today, and delve into the lives of other commercial livestock through the next several days.
BEEF
These grazers are meant to do just that: feed off of grasses growing wildly in yonder pasture. Cows are meant to eat only grasses because their digestive systems are built to break these greens down into proteins and acids their bodies reuse for other processes. Commercial beef for mass-production is weaned off of grass-based diets long before they can barely utter a "moo." Because corn and grain are cheaply sourced, beef manufacturers use this as the main source of food to fatten their stock for quick growth and quick sale. If you were a commercial beef manufacturer, your main goal is to push product, just like any other business owner and operator--and you'll find the cheapest, easiest means to go about doing it with one goal in mind--PROFIT. What this means is, basically, calves are forced to grow faster than mother nature allowed in an effort to get them fatter and larger to provide more companies with inventory for whole- and retail sales.
Going back to what I mentioned earlier: cows' digestive systems were only meant to digest grasses. Force-feeding cows grains leads to many unnaturally occurring issues such as chronic gastritis, increased pH, acidosis and an increase in E. coli. The government prohibited the use of some antibiotics and hormones in cattle and other livestock to curtail any potential for contaminated product; however, cows are still subject to feed containing chicken manure, pig and chicken parts, and certain steroids. Think about it this way: As humans, the Government says we're not allowed to inject steroids into our bodies due to potentially harmful side effects; yet the government allows beef companies to inject your food supply with them?! Maybe if the Government could benefit from the injection of steriods into humans, they'd change their minds--sad, isn't it.
On a different, less argumentative note, grass-fed beef is simply more nutritious than its commercially raised and fed counterpart. While grain-fed beef contains high amounts of inflammatory omega-6 fats, grass-fed beef is naturally high in omega-3 fats, which are heart healthy and anti-inflammatory. One of the reasons Americans are so unhealthy is the fact that we are internally inflammed--all from what we put in our mouths. A main culprit in this high rate of internal inflammation is a diet where the ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 fats is all out of whack. Since cows are not made to digest grains, their bodies actually experience inflammation and we, in turn, end up with "inflamed"--virtually toxic--beef (it's what's for dinner) on our plates!
Monday, August 8, 2011
Grain-fed to thyroid DEAD!
Okay, so, I briefly touched on something in my last post. If you'll think back to nearly the last paragraph of my last post, you'll remember I spoke of how great I was feeling once I got back to my meating-eating roots; HOWEVER, I threw in there the facts that my hair was falling out, I was having sleepless nights, blah blah blah--recall? At the time you may have thought, "Wait a sec, I thought the meat made you better, not worse?!" Here's the thing, it all went WAY deeper than that. First thing's first--switching back to my carnivorous make-up, combined with the correct way to exercise actually kept me from falling deeper into an endless pit of poor health. Basically you could say that I was clinging to humanity by my fingernails (which is sort of ironic to say since due to all my metabolic issues, they were brittle and frail as all get out!) and what healthy choices I was making at the time were keeping me hanging on.
This was last fall. Rewind back about 5 months to the previous spring. I had expressed a few concerns to my lady doc about some lady issues for over a year and had been refusing her protocol the entire time: the dreaded BIRTH CONTROL PILL (ICK! I hate to even say the words). Needless to say, in a last-ditch effort to "help jumpstart some processes" (using her phrase), I fell for the CRAP and started the pill that April. By October, I was at my wits end with endless hairloss by the hand full, nights of tossing and turning, dizzy spells, etc. I take myself off of the pill and anxiously wait for my 6 month appointment to tell her where she can take that little grey box and shove it! I see her in the winter, around November, tell her the issues I was having and that I took myself off of the med. The only response I got was, "Well, how do you plan on pursuing not getting pregnant?" There was no sense of urgency to help me find the root cause of all that had been going on...that's conventional medicine for ya, unfortunately.
Well, needless to say, my symptoms continued and I began my research into alternative physicians. I had a couple of clients at the studio whom had spoken of one they or a loved one has seen and they all had good things to say about him. I figured it was atleast worth a phone call to his practice to find out exactly what they do and if I'd be a good candidate. To make a long story WAY short, I went (this was early February of this year)...had A LOT of bloodwork, several times through the spring and summer...finally got a diagnosis in June.
Early this year from my first round of testing we discovered that I had pretty much destroyed my adrenal glands, was enduring chronic fatigue syndrome, was severely anemic, had an intestinal tract that was as permeable as a pair of ratty fish nets (a.k.a. leaky gut syndrome), and--worst of all--my thyroid was on it's last leg. My doc even reiterated that my current eating and exercise habits were the only things that were keeping me from just killing over all together. By June--this was my diagnosis month--we determined I had Hashimoto's disease and celiac (which I later learned that pretty much come hand-in-hand with one another).
Of course, since January the TYPE A in me had been researching my butt off about what would be causing my myriad of symptoms and with every set of bloodtest results, I'd push myself to learn more about human physiology and the cause-and-effect nature of food, lifestyle choices, and chronic disease. I won't go into a lot of details because most of you out there probably wouldn't want a lengthy description about how the human immune system can't differentiate between thyroid cells and gluten molecules, thus attack both as if both happened to be foreign invaders--weird, right?! What I will say is my choice earlier to become a grain-fed, bean-eating, soy-loving VEGAN virtually destroyed my intestinal lining, causing my body to not only absorb much-needed nutrients, BUT causng my immune system to basically attack EVERYTHING, including my thyroid thinking that my body was being invaded by ruthless demons day in and day out. It's funny what the body will do to protect itself, yet what's really happening is an endless spiral of deterioration!
So, now what? Well, thankfully I had given up grain since I had read The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf back last fall (recall me mentioning how this book had changed my life--little did I know at that point how much!). Now knowing I have celiac, that's obviously the best choice I could have made in my life. Turns out that folks diagnosed with Hashimoto's are also advised to go against the grain. That part I have down pat--and I'm loving it!
From this point forward in my blog, I want to focus on the things I've learned about food through my own journey. Each post I wish to introduce a familiar topic, the conventional wisdom surrounding it and then allow myself to let loose on convention and set the record straight. Please keep an open mind and put the pieces together. I'll bet you'll realize how jaded and brainwashed we as a public have become. WARNING: If you're at all like me, you may even get a little PISSED; but that's how we invoke CHANGE in conventional thinking. Now if we can just get the medical community, the government and food manufacturers to start worrying about the health of the nation instead of the health of their bank accounts, we'd be good!
This was last fall. Rewind back about 5 months to the previous spring. I had expressed a few concerns to my lady doc about some lady issues for over a year and had been refusing her protocol the entire time: the dreaded BIRTH CONTROL PILL (ICK! I hate to even say the words). Needless to say, in a last-ditch effort to "help jumpstart some processes" (using her phrase), I fell for the CRAP and started the pill that April. By October, I was at my wits end with endless hairloss by the hand full, nights of tossing and turning, dizzy spells, etc. I take myself off of the pill and anxiously wait for my 6 month appointment to tell her where she can take that little grey box and shove it! I see her in the winter, around November, tell her the issues I was having and that I took myself off of the med. The only response I got was, "Well, how do you plan on pursuing not getting pregnant?" There was no sense of urgency to help me find the root cause of all that had been going on...that's conventional medicine for ya, unfortunately.
Well, needless to say, my symptoms continued and I began my research into alternative physicians. I had a couple of clients at the studio whom had spoken of one they or a loved one has seen and they all had good things to say about him. I figured it was atleast worth a phone call to his practice to find out exactly what they do and if I'd be a good candidate. To make a long story WAY short, I went (this was early February of this year)...had A LOT of bloodwork, several times through the spring and summer...finally got a diagnosis in June.
Early this year from my first round of testing we discovered that I had pretty much destroyed my adrenal glands, was enduring chronic fatigue syndrome, was severely anemic, had an intestinal tract that was as permeable as a pair of ratty fish nets (a.k.a. leaky gut syndrome), and--worst of all--my thyroid was on it's last leg. My doc even reiterated that my current eating and exercise habits were the only things that were keeping me from just killing over all together. By June--this was my diagnosis month--we determined I had Hashimoto's disease and celiac (which I later learned that pretty much come hand-in-hand with one another).
Of course, since January the TYPE A in me had been researching my butt off about what would be causing my myriad of symptoms and with every set of bloodtest results, I'd push myself to learn more about human physiology and the cause-and-effect nature of food, lifestyle choices, and chronic disease. I won't go into a lot of details because most of you out there probably wouldn't want a lengthy description about how the human immune system can't differentiate between thyroid cells and gluten molecules, thus attack both as if both happened to be foreign invaders--weird, right?! What I will say is my choice earlier to become a grain-fed, bean-eating, soy-loving VEGAN virtually destroyed my intestinal lining, causing my body to not only absorb much-needed nutrients, BUT causng my immune system to basically attack EVERYTHING, including my thyroid thinking that my body was being invaded by ruthless demons day in and day out. It's funny what the body will do to protect itself, yet what's really happening is an endless spiral of deterioration!
So, now what? Well, thankfully I had given up grain since I had read The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf back last fall (recall me mentioning how this book had changed my life--little did I know at that point how much!). Now knowing I have celiac, that's obviously the best choice I could have made in my life. Turns out that folks diagnosed with Hashimoto's are also advised to go against the grain. That part I have down pat--and I'm loving it!
From this point forward in my blog, I want to focus on the things I've learned about food through my own journey. Each post I wish to introduce a familiar topic, the conventional wisdom surrounding it and then allow myself to let loose on convention and set the record straight. Please keep an open mind and put the pieces together. I'll bet you'll realize how jaded and brainwashed we as a public have become. WARNING: If you're at all like me, you may even get a little PISSED; but that's how we invoke CHANGE in conventional thinking. Now if we can just get the medical community, the government and food manufacturers to start worrying about the health of the nation instead of the health of their bank accounts, we'd be good!
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Going against the grain...
I figured now is a better time than any to go ahead and get something off of my chest (for those of you who don't know me, of course). If I could stand at the top of a mountain and SHOUT, I would; but I can't do that, so just imagine me doing so as you read the next line of text:
HUMANS ARE NOT MEANT TO CONSUME GRAINS! OUR GENES WEREN'T MEANT TO RELY ON THEM AND OUR DIGESTIVE SYSTEMS WEREN'T BUILT TO METABOLIZE THEM!
Whew! That feels a little better, I suppose. Where did I come to this grand conclusion, you ask? Well, it's kind of a long story, but I'll give it a shot. You've read prior to this post that I'm an ex-chunk and I didn't get that way by grazing on lean meat and raw veggies (don't worry that's not my point of view either!). I am the product of a boxed-dinner, supper-of-convenience extraordinaire--shells and cheese, pasta salad in a box, canned biscuits, you name it, I grew up on it (minus Hamburger Helper--you know it's bad when it wasn't fixed in the Andrews household). Anyway, I digress.
Back to the point: I snacked on cereal almost every day/night. By snack I mean I'd eat the whole box--DUH, you have to pour more cereal just to use up the rest of milk in the bowl, right?! I'd also fill up on those square inch cheesy-goodness crackers day in and day out. In my early dorm years (freshman year mainly) I'd eat grits at breakfast, rice something-or-another for lunch, and TWO (count 'em) packs of Top Ramen noodles for dinner! Now, let's put it all together: Convention would tell you that I should have been fit and trim since my diet was low in fat, right?! (Insert loud, obnoxious game show buzzer HERE!) Wrong, all wrong! I topped out around 175 to 180--I'm about 5'5" on a good day, so that's THICK to say the least!
Fast forward to end of sophomore year: I eventually got tired of blaming the damn drier for shrinking my jeans EVERY TIME I washed them (we've all been there, right?) and I decided I was going to lose weight. I now cringe every time I think about the things I tried to lose weight back then. I would lose weight initially on one of my chicken-breast-steamed-rice-can-of-Veg-All kicks, telling myself "I will NOT eat anything past 3PM" because that's what it'll take to lose weight! I did, however, begin to exercise. When I have more time/shame to discuss what my first experience with exercise was like, I'll go there at that time...not now (it wasn't purty).
Fast forward, again (I'll get there, don't worry). Typical college-aged drinking aside, my weight fluctuated as does the wieght of your typical yo-yoer with me bouncing back and forth between calorie deprivation and intermediate exercise. I eventually came around, fell in love with exercise and decided to make it my career! At this point, I'm still jaded by what actual, healthy eating is, falling for the "lite" version of salad dressing and buying the lowest fat version of whatever the item may be--usually some sort of "wheat" (i.e. BROWN) cracker.
Almost done with a second degree and already working in the fitness industry, I've cleaned my diet up a bit in an effort to be a little more "natural" (another one of those catch words society uses to keep us all dazed and confused). The next step in my journey towards ultimate health, you ask? You've got it: VEGANISM! Oh yeah, I'm talking nothing that ever had a momma crossed my lips. Breakfast: oatmeal. Lunch: pintos and rice. Dinner: veggie burger on a sprouted grain bun.
Amidst this stage in my life I decide to train for a marathon. I was a little on the fluffy side--not fat, just fluffy--and thought between the veganism and the training I'd be model thin by the end of all of that. Not only did I not lose an ounce, my pants got tighter and I SWEAR I got even fluffier. I'd lost strength and I had definately NOT accomplished what I had set out to--other than completing the 26.2 miles of pure H-E-L-L! (I did learn, however, that I'll never do that again!)
After about a year of depriving my body of what it needed, I wanted to give the 'ol meat eatin' a try. At this point I knew that was necessary. Let me just tell you: The MOMENT that Plainville Farms Herb Roasted Turkey crossed my lips, an era had ended! I was back on the carnivorous bandwagon--and PROUD of it! Immediately my body felt the difference and began to re-morph into what it should have looked like all along. My workouts seemed productive and I felt REALLY GOOD. Finally! (Let's just say the "what were you thinking" thought crossed my mind numerous times...even to this day!)
So, skip ahead about a year, maybe a little longer. I'm meat eating and happy, healthy, and feeling good. I was still eating grains--the whole ones, that is, because those are the "healthy" ones, right. However, I'd noticed a few things changing for a period of about 3 months. My hair was falling out (ALOT), my energy would screech to a halt midafternoon, my nights were sleepless, and I was having digestive issues (we'll leave it with that) on top of all of that. "What in the world was going on" is all that was on my mind. I can't recall how I stumbled upon it, but I bought a book online called The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf. I'm always intrigued by all the diet and health books out there, and I read 'em all just to stay abreast of all the biased "research" out there. This book, however, was different--I'd say it changed my life! Since making the change to grain (and many other things-FREE), I've been healthier, more energetic, more muscular, and have realized ALOT about the human body, how we process nutrients and how/why our bodies respond to the types of things we put in it. I'm not a registered dietician, but I truly feel like I'm fighting an uphill battle against those that are, the medical community, and the mass media that touts the benefits of so much biased, unethical, profit-boosting "research"--all the while stripping the American population of what their bodies need to be healthy and fit for the long haul.
My ultimate goal is to alleviate people of this jaded state and educate them that what they've been "fed" (literally and figuratively) is mostly WRONG--hints the nearly 3/4 of the population that's fat and extremely unhealthy. Big Pharma, the Government, and food manufacturers' goal is the exact opposite. It should start to piss you off that these folks would rather you be fat and unhealthy than them lose a chance to make a buck or two. It's no wonder there's a health care crisis in this country, right?!
Okay, so this entry was compiled over the course of about three days. I think I've summed it up as best I can at this point. As my blogging journey goes on, I'll let you in on a great deal of what I've learned during my own health journey--hopefully inspiring you to take my words and rethink what you've been drilled all these years. This is my way of paying it forward!
HUMANS ARE NOT MEANT TO CONSUME GRAINS! OUR GENES WEREN'T MEANT TO RELY ON THEM AND OUR DIGESTIVE SYSTEMS WEREN'T BUILT TO METABOLIZE THEM!
Whew! That feels a little better, I suppose. Where did I come to this grand conclusion, you ask? Well, it's kind of a long story, but I'll give it a shot. You've read prior to this post that I'm an ex-chunk and I didn't get that way by grazing on lean meat and raw veggies (don't worry that's not my point of view either!). I am the product of a boxed-dinner, supper-of-convenience extraordinaire--shells and cheese, pasta salad in a box, canned biscuits, you name it, I grew up on it (minus Hamburger Helper--you know it's bad when it wasn't fixed in the Andrews household). Anyway, I digress.
Back to the point: I snacked on cereal almost every day/night. By snack I mean I'd eat the whole box--DUH, you have to pour more cereal just to use up the rest of milk in the bowl, right?! I'd also fill up on those square inch cheesy-goodness crackers day in and day out. In my early dorm years (freshman year mainly) I'd eat grits at breakfast, rice something-or-another for lunch, and TWO (count 'em) packs of Top Ramen noodles for dinner! Now, let's put it all together: Convention would tell you that I should have been fit and trim since my diet was low in fat, right?! (Insert loud, obnoxious game show buzzer HERE!) Wrong, all wrong! I topped out around 175 to 180--I'm about 5'5" on a good day, so that's THICK to say the least!
Fast forward to end of sophomore year: I eventually got tired of blaming the damn drier for shrinking my jeans EVERY TIME I washed them (we've all been there, right?) and I decided I was going to lose weight. I now cringe every time I think about the things I tried to lose weight back then. I would lose weight initially on one of my chicken-breast-steamed-rice-can-of-Veg-All kicks, telling myself "I will NOT eat anything past 3PM" because that's what it'll take to lose weight! I did, however, begin to exercise. When I have more time/shame to discuss what my first experience with exercise was like, I'll go there at that time...not now (it wasn't purty).
Fast forward, again (I'll get there, don't worry). Typical college-aged drinking aside, my weight fluctuated as does the wieght of your typical yo-yoer with me bouncing back and forth between calorie deprivation and intermediate exercise. I eventually came around, fell in love with exercise and decided to make it my career! At this point, I'm still jaded by what actual, healthy eating is, falling for the "lite" version of salad dressing and buying the lowest fat version of whatever the item may be--usually some sort of "wheat" (i.e. BROWN) cracker.
Almost done with a second degree and already working in the fitness industry, I've cleaned my diet up a bit in an effort to be a little more "natural" (another one of those catch words society uses to keep us all dazed and confused). The next step in my journey towards ultimate health, you ask? You've got it: VEGANISM! Oh yeah, I'm talking nothing that ever had a momma crossed my lips. Breakfast: oatmeal. Lunch: pintos and rice. Dinner: veggie burger on a sprouted grain bun.
Amidst this stage in my life I decide to train for a marathon. I was a little on the fluffy side--not fat, just fluffy--and thought between the veganism and the training I'd be model thin by the end of all of that. Not only did I not lose an ounce, my pants got tighter and I SWEAR I got even fluffier. I'd lost strength and I had definately NOT accomplished what I had set out to--other than completing the 26.2 miles of pure H-E-L-L! (I did learn, however, that I'll never do that again!)
After about a year of depriving my body of what it needed, I wanted to give the 'ol meat eatin' a try. At this point I knew that was necessary. Let me just tell you: The MOMENT that Plainville Farms Herb Roasted Turkey crossed my lips, an era had ended! I was back on the carnivorous bandwagon--and PROUD of it! Immediately my body felt the difference and began to re-morph into what it should have looked like all along. My workouts seemed productive and I felt REALLY GOOD. Finally! (Let's just say the "what were you thinking" thought crossed my mind numerous times...even to this day!)
So, skip ahead about a year, maybe a little longer. I'm meat eating and happy, healthy, and feeling good. I was still eating grains--the whole ones, that is, because those are the "healthy" ones, right. However, I'd noticed a few things changing for a period of about 3 months. My hair was falling out (ALOT), my energy would screech to a halt midafternoon, my nights were sleepless, and I was having digestive issues (we'll leave it with that) on top of all of that. "What in the world was going on" is all that was on my mind. I can't recall how I stumbled upon it, but I bought a book online called The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf. I'm always intrigued by all the diet and health books out there, and I read 'em all just to stay abreast of all the biased "research" out there. This book, however, was different--I'd say it changed my life! Since making the change to grain (and many other things-FREE), I've been healthier, more energetic, more muscular, and have realized ALOT about the human body, how we process nutrients and how/why our bodies respond to the types of things we put in it. I'm not a registered dietician, but I truly feel like I'm fighting an uphill battle against those that are, the medical community, and the mass media that touts the benefits of so much biased, unethical, profit-boosting "research"--all the while stripping the American population of what their bodies need to be healthy and fit for the long haul.
My ultimate goal is to alleviate people of this jaded state and educate them that what they've been "fed" (literally and figuratively) is mostly WRONG--hints the nearly 3/4 of the population that's fat and extremely unhealthy. Big Pharma, the Government, and food manufacturers' goal is the exact opposite. It should start to piss you off that these folks would rather you be fat and unhealthy than them lose a chance to make a buck or two. It's no wonder there's a health care crisis in this country, right?!
Okay, so this entry was compiled over the course of about three days. I think I've summed it up as best I can at this point. As my blogging journey goes on, I'll let you in on a great deal of what I've learned during my own health journey--hopefully inspiring you to take my words and rethink what you've been drilled all these years. This is my way of paying it forward!
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
So, why the name?
It's kind of ironic, the title of my blog--especially since at some point in our lives we've blamed our current state on our heirs, somehow succumbing to the belief that since "Daddy had a big gut and high blood pressure, that means I'm destined to end up that way." Notice the play on word "genes." By "genes" I'm not necessarily referring to the part of your genetic make up from which you were directly created--your parents (or any of your close relatives for that matter). What I'm referring to are the "genes" that make you human and not a billy goat, for example. Let's be real: Yes, you may be likely to "end up like Daddy" if you choose the same path in life when it comes to your food selection and activity level; HOWEVER (and a BIG one at that), you are not destined to that outcome if you live your life in a way that your "genes" prefer. That's where my blog comes in: You'll be more likely to fit into your "jeans" if you make the lifestyle choices that your genetic make-up desires and yearns for. The problem that I'm facing is the uphill battle it's gonna be to get a lot of you see things from a TOTALLY different perspective. All I ask is that you are willing to take the information, ponder over it if need be, and realize that in the end it's all going to make sense.
Allow me to introduce myself...
For those of you who may not know me, my name is Blair Meadows. I'm a late-twenty-something, North Carolina born and bred, used to be overweight and unhealthy girl (now woman, I suppose). I'm the manager and head trainer at a private personal training studio (Fitness Together) in Greensboro, NC. Yeah, that's right! I said I used to be overweight and now I'm managing a studio and personal training for my career! Let me tell ya...it's been a long, hard road. I'll get into that on another post, I'm sure, one day.
What brought me to this point--creating a blog, that is--is I'm about up to HERE with all of the washed up, old "wisdom" that is being fed to Americans about "healthy" eating, "appropriate" exercise, and all the while we as a nation are getting fatter, unhealthier, less happy and broke from doctor bills. It's as simple as this: What they're saying is WRONG, and it's frustrated me to the point that I felt it was my duty to find an outlet to publicly dispel these conventional myths once and for all!
Truthfully, most of what I do on a daily basis is attack conventional wisdom. One could understand that folks that hire personal trainers are all victims to what they've been told should work in the past yet has gotten them to point of overall frustration and not success. Some days I feel like I'm on repeat (hopefully that's not noticeable by the last person that I see in that day!). To be entirely honest, having gone through my own weight loss journey, I've been subject to every fad diet out there--YES, I spent part of the 90's on the "shake-for-breakfast-shake-for-lunch-sensible-dinner" craze. Where did it get me? You probably already know the answer! I even spent a more recent year on a near-vegan diet, because that is "the healthiest" way to live, right?! Having experienced it, I can easily say don't go there! (Again, I'll get to that biggie on another post--probably sooner rather than later!)
Luckily for me (although, I hate to use the term "lucky" because it wasn't out of "luck" but out of shear determination and frustration with being fat and un-sassy), I was able to research myself beyond what is conventionally thought of as "the key" to health, weight loss, and longevity. This blog is my way of paying it forward: I see my having been overweight, having done everything and failed, and the long road to success as a blessing in disguise. I didn't have the help of professionals--JUST MYSELF and my WILL to get it right. I didn't even have the support of my parents, who being Southern and "well-fed" themselves never saw me as anything other than "healthy" since I had "some meat on my bones." (Insert eye roll and sigh here!) My goal now that I've found what I believe to be the answer is to shout it LOUD AND CLEAR and turn some very brainwashed views away from what conventional medicine, the media, and food manufacturers have drilled for as long as I can remember. Keep in mind that I've been a victim myself and I understand how much of a challenge it is to overcome what you've believed to be right all these years. The question to ask yourself is this: If what you believed to be right actually is or was, then would you be unhappy with your body, frustrated with your health status, or have tried everything on the market only to simply fail in the end? I'll let you answer for yourself as well.
Enjoy my blog!
What brought me to this point--creating a blog, that is--is I'm about up to HERE with all of the washed up, old "wisdom" that is being fed to Americans about "healthy" eating, "appropriate" exercise, and all the while we as a nation are getting fatter, unhealthier, less happy and broke from doctor bills. It's as simple as this: What they're saying is WRONG, and it's frustrated me to the point that I felt it was my duty to find an outlet to publicly dispel these conventional myths once and for all!
Truthfully, most of what I do on a daily basis is attack conventional wisdom. One could understand that folks that hire personal trainers are all victims to what they've been told should work in the past yet has gotten them to point of overall frustration and not success. Some days I feel like I'm on repeat (hopefully that's not noticeable by the last person that I see in that day!). To be entirely honest, having gone through my own weight loss journey, I've been subject to every fad diet out there--YES, I spent part of the 90's on the "shake-for-breakfast-shake-for-lunch-sensible-dinner" craze. Where did it get me? You probably already know the answer! I even spent a more recent year on a near-vegan diet, because that is "the healthiest" way to live, right?! Having experienced it, I can easily say don't go there! (Again, I'll get to that biggie on another post--probably sooner rather than later!)
Luckily for me (although, I hate to use the term "lucky" because it wasn't out of "luck" but out of shear determination and frustration with being fat and un-sassy), I was able to research myself beyond what is conventionally thought of as "the key" to health, weight loss, and longevity. This blog is my way of paying it forward: I see my having been overweight, having done everything and failed, and the long road to success as a blessing in disguise. I didn't have the help of professionals--JUST MYSELF and my WILL to get it right. I didn't even have the support of my parents, who being Southern and "well-fed" themselves never saw me as anything other than "healthy" since I had "some meat on my bones." (Insert eye roll and sigh here!) My goal now that I've found what I believe to be the answer is to shout it LOUD AND CLEAR and turn some very brainwashed views away from what conventional medicine, the media, and food manufacturers have drilled for as long as I can remember. Keep in mind that I've been a victim myself and I understand how much of a challenge it is to overcome what you've believed to be right all these years. The question to ask yourself is this: If what you believed to be right actually is or was, then would you be unhappy with your body, frustrated with your health status, or have tried everything on the market only to simply fail in the end? I'll let you answer for yourself as well.
Enjoy my blog!
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