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!
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