Wow . . . it has been a while since my last post. Sorry . . . had a small little thing to participate in (I GOT MARRIED!) and the holiday season is flying by. So now I am back and thought this would make a good tip sheet to help with your meal planning.
With the help of Tony Horton and in no particular order, yet all very important:
Processed sugars: White sugar, high fructose corn syrup, sucrose, or pretty much any kind of sugar that came from a factory instead of a piece of fruit. Processed sugar negatively affects your metabolism, your insulin response, even your mood—and all for totally empty calories. Cutting sugar out of your diet means you're going to have to read some labels, because it is by far the most common food additive in the U.S.
AND - once you cut this junk out of your diet your taste buds will reward you with the added benefit of actually enjoying the natural sweetness of things like fruits.
Alcohol: Calories that are as empty as sugar, and at 7 calories a gram, booze can really pack it on. Alcohol also dehydrates your body, which compromises muscle growth. Plus it slows your metabolism, so you burn fewer calories. In short, drinking gives you less muscle and more fat—you're just undoing everything you're trying to achieve with your workout. * Now with the holidays here it can be very easy to add hundreds of calories just with the holiday cocktails. If you feel you must indulge, try your best to select low-cal mixers to go along with that alcohol, and drink plenty of water in between those drinks!
Caffeine: As much as we rely on this potent energy booster it comes at a cost. It increases cortisol levels in your body, which inhibits lean muscle growth. Plus, it can negatively affect your sleep patterns. The bottom line is that if you exercise regularly, eat healthy and get enough sleep, your "need" for caffeine will diminish. It won't happen overnight so you need to put some effort in - but well worth it.
Gluten: Trust me on this one - you do not need this in your diet! Gluten is a grain-derived protein found in lots of different foods, mostly wheat, rye, and barley products. Back in the day it was also used as glue. Remember those school projects where you used flour water and paper? Hello! might as well have a few spoons of Elmer's glue. Just about the same thing . . .
Even if you're not one of the millions who are sensitive or allergic to gluten, you'll be operating a much cleaner machine if you cut it out of your diet. There are plenty of other healthier gluten-free alternatives, like millet, amaranth, quinoa, and oats.
Animal products: Although I have nothing against those who choose to not eat anything that has a face, however I love my meat! But, as with anything else you can find in the store, you must be careful where your animal products come from. It used to be that you could find some decent lean meat sources, but in the last few decades, the hormones, antibiotics, and chemicals that have been used to process meat and fish make them pretty worthless as a source of protein. So, put the effort in to find organic meats and products. This means no hormones, antibiotics and chemicals were used in the feeding, treating or processing of the animal.
Processed foods: Know what you are eating! Look in your freezer, fridge or pantry and star pulling out all the packaged processed food. Now read the labels - if there are words that are hard to pronounce or you do not know what they mean, do you really want to put them in your body? Plus, much of the processed dinners out there use a lot of additives for flavor or preservation. They are just empty calories that do much more harm than good.
Well I hope these tips help you get on track for a healthier eating lifestyle . . . .
Friday, December 3, 2010
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
WARNING! Side Effects May Include . . .
Wouldn't it be great if food comercials and ads had to include a warning like prescription drug ads? Seriously, it would be such an eye-opener to so many people who may just be unaware of what really is out there in terms of food. Now I am not saying every single food item being advertised is bad for you. At the same time, in my opinion many are, but don't you think we the "consumer" deserves to know before we make a purchase? That way as a more informed shopper you can make a purchase based on not only whether it is on sale/has a fancy package/easy to make/fill-in the blank but also based on whether it is good for you or not. Of course you can always look the other way if that makes things easier for you. Out of sight - out of mind . . . as long as the kids are happy . . .
So here is my take on what food advertising should include:
WARNING! Consumption of this food item may cause
Your waistline to expand
Addiction to sugar
Spike in insulin
Crashing on the couch one hour after eating
Side effects may include:
High risk for diabetes
Dehydration due to high levels of sodium
Increased cravings for sugar, bad fats and chemicals
Clothes to shrink
Hormonal imbalance
WARNING!:
Our "Cage-free" chickens fed all vegetable diet acually means that we have them all squeezed into a building with no access to the outdoors and feed them mostly corn!
The soy you are eating is a genetically modified organism due to the fact that we have messed with it's genetic makeup so that we can spray high doses of pesticides on the soy crop without killing it. Please enjoy . . .
The only way we could reduce the calories per serving was to reduce the size of food item. The cookies are smaller but there are more servings per bag. Were not worried, we know you will eat them all anyway!
Fat Free means we either added more sugar and/or chemicals to make it taste better. Can also mean more calories per serving! (Thanks for playing . . .)
Although your meal does include chicken, Chicken Beaks & Feathers does not make for a good menu name
"All Natural Ingredients" can mean soooo many things . . .
Now I can come up with more but hopefully you get the point. You can take the time to learn about the foods you are eating (or should eat) or you can look the other way. You may thing it is ok but your body thinks otherwise.
So here is my take on what food advertising should include:
WARNING! Consumption of this food item may cause
Your waistline to expand
Addiction to sugar
Spike in insulin
Crashing on the couch one hour after eating
Side effects may include:
High risk for diabetes
Dehydration due to high levels of sodium
Increased cravings for sugar, bad fats and chemicals
Clothes to shrink
Hormonal imbalance
WARNING!:
Our "Cage-free" chickens fed all vegetable diet acually means that we have them all squeezed into a building with no access to the outdoors and feed them mostly corn!
The soy you are eating is a genetically modified organism due to the fact that we have messed with it's genetic makeup so that we can spray high doses of pesticides on the soy crop without killing it. Please enjoy . . .
The only way we could reduce the calories per serving was to reduce the size of food item. The cookies are smaller but there are more servings per bag. Were not worried, we know you will eat them all anyway!
Fat Free means we either added more sugar and/or chemicals to make it taste better. Can also mean more calories per serving! (Thanks for playing . . .)
Although your meal does include chicken, Chicken Beaks & Feathers does not make for a good menu name
"All Natural Ingredients" can mean soooo many things . . .
Now I can come up with more but hopefully you get the point. You can take the time to learn about the foods you are eating (or should eat) or you can look the other way. You may thing it is ok but your body thinks otherwise.
Monday, September 27, 2010
The Magic In Shakeology
Well first off, there is no "magic" in Shakeology. Just very good high quality ingredients that gives you a lot of the nutrition you need. There is no magic pill, special switch or fancy dance. You have to eat quality nutrition to get it in your body. Whether you want to buy it, make it, cook it, bake it, mix it or shake it is up to you. So I guess that if there was "magic" in Shakeology it would be that all the stuff you need for a very nutritious meal is found in this drink. Just mix it up to your liking and drink it. Pretty simple and easy to do.
So what is all the good stuff in Shakeology? Well let's take a look at some of the ingredients.
Goji berry - Goji berries contain 18 amino acids and are one of the richest sources of cartenoids of all known foods. Not only does goji berry improve eyesight, fertility and circulation but it supports your immune system and promotes a long life!
Chia seed - Coined as the Aztec running food, Chia seeds enhance stamina, endurance and help you stay hydrated. The seeds help you lose weight for 2 reasons. 1st, they are so filling that you will eat less. 2nd, they form into a gel and cleanse the old "junk" in you.
Quinoa - It was once called "the gold of the Incas" for increasing the stamina of Incan warriors. The protein this seed supplies has all nine essential amino acids. These proteins are required by the body as building blocks for muscle. Quinoa is a good source of dietary fiber (to help ease elimination).
Acai Berry - Acai berries are amongst the healthiest fruits on Earth. They're packed with antioxidants, healthy omega fats, protein & fiber. They have a fatty acid ratio similar to olive oil.
Kamut Grass - Coined nature's most powerful detoxifier, Kamut grass cleanses the blood and detoxifies our cells to restore health and vitality. It's pretty powerful stuff!
Ashwagandha powder - An adaptogen herb for the mind that promotes clarity. Betterments include: improving mental acuity, learning and memory while also alleviating anxiety and depression.
Wheat grass - High in calcium, magnesium and potassium. Studies have shown it to have cleansing, detoxifying and healing effects on your body. Recommended as a way to stimulate metabolism, wheat grass can be helpful in correcting obesity and indigestion.
flax seed meal - Flaxseeds' omega-3 fats are a good source of fiber that can help lower cholesterol levels, aid in digestion and help stabilize blood sugar levels. Also, its combination of healthy fat and high fiber content make it great for weight loss!
Sacha Inchi - It has the highest concentration of omega 3 of any food on the planet and promotes a balance between omega 3 and 6 so your metabolism can work perfectly. Naturally rich in protein, good fats and fiber, Sacha Inchi acts as a strong natural appetite control and creates benefits you can feel right away!
Amaranth - Not only is Amaranth a great source of vitamins and amino acids, but it's also high in protein, fiber and helps to boost your immune system.
Blue green algae - This power packed nutrient can help to increase energy, improve memory, increase mental clarity, improve digestion, control cravings, heighten immune function, help relieve fatigue, PMS, anxiety and depression. It's even recently been called a cure for ADD!
So there you have it. Is it all the ingredients? No. However it gives you an idea of how nutrient dense Shakeology is. Now some of you may be thinking that you can get these ingredients with other foods. Of course. Just remember that because you see an ingredient in a food item you eat does not necessarily mean it is of high quality. When analysing ingredients take into consideration where they are obtained and how they are processed. With Shakeology, many of the ingredients are obtained outside the U.S. in remote areas where the soils have not been depleted of nutrients. These ingredients are also processed based on the individual food so that no nutritional value is lost.
Now the best way to get your nutrition is to eat quality healthy foods. For most of us this can be a challenge. Not only are some of these ingredients hard to find (in high quality) how many of us actually have time to prepare and eat all of this on a regular basis? Also, do you really want to buy a bunch of pills to get all the individual benefits that Shakeology gives you in one drink? Things like prebiotics, digestive enzymes and antioxidants.
Shakeology is a very good meal replacement and/or nutritional drink that is easy to mix and take. With only 140 nutrient packed calories you have the flexibility to even add extra ingredients and turn it into your favorite drink of the day. (Personally I love mixing mine with almond milk and almond butter.) Is it for everyone? probably not but it should be! I guarantee you that unless you are making multiple nutritionally balanced full meals every day you are not getting all the nutrition your body needs. No matter what other "supplements" you are taking.
The bonus? Shakeology is less than a fancy cup of coffee at Starbucks and much less than a meal at a fast food place.
So give it a try . . . your body will love you for it!
Try Shakeology
So what is all the good stuff in Shakeology? Well let's take a look at some of the ingredients.
Goji berry - Goji berries contain 18 amino acids and are one of the richest sources of cartenoids of all known foods. Not only does goji berry improve eyesight, fertility and circulation but it supports your immune system and promotes a long life!
Chia seed - Coined as the Aztec running food, Chia seeds enhance stamina, endurance and help you stay hydrated. The seeds help you lose weight for 2 reasons. 1st, they are so filling that you will eat less. 2nd, they form into a gel and cleanse the old "junk" in you.
Quinoa - It was once called "the gold of the Incas" for increasing the stamina of Incan warriors. The protein this seed supplies has all nine essential amino acids. These proteins are required by the body as building blocks for muscle. Quinoa is a good source of dietary fiber (to help ease elimination).
Acai Berry - Acai berries are amongst the healthiest fruits on Earth. They're packed with antioxidants, healthy omega fats, protein & fiber. They have a fatty acid ratio similar to olive oil.
Kamut Grass - Coined nature's most powerful detoxifier, Kamut grass cleanses the blood and detoxifies our cells to restore health and vitality. It's pretty powerful stuff!
Ashwagandha powder - An adaptogen herb for the mind that promotes clarity. Betterments include: improving mental acuity, learning and memory while also alleviating anxiety and depression.
Wheat grass - High in calcium, magnesium and potassium. Studies have shown it to have cleansing, detoxifying and healing effects on your body. Recommended as a way to stimulate metabolism, wheat grass can be helpful in correcting obesity and indigestion.
flax seed meal - Flaxseeds' omega-3 fats are a good source of fiber that can help lower cholesterol levels, aid in digestion and help stabilize blood sugar levels. Also, its combination of healthy fat and high fiber content make it great for weight loss!
Sacha Inchi - It has the highest concentration of omega 3 of any food on the planet and promotes a balance between omega 3 and 6 so your metabolism can work perfectly. Naturally rich in protein, good fats and fiber, Sacha Inchi acts as a strong natural appetite control and creates benefits you can feel right away!
Amaranth - Not only is Amaranth a great source of vitamins and amino acids, but it's also high in protein, fiber and helps to boost your immune system.
Blue green algae - This power packed nutrient can help to increase energy, improve memory, increase mental clarity, improve digestion, control cravings, heighten immune function, help relieve fatigue, PMS, anxiety and depression. It's even recently been called a cure for ADD!
So there you have it. Is it all the ingredients? No. However it gives you an idea of how nutrient dense Shakeology is. Now some of you may be thinking that you can get these ingredients with other foods. Of course. Just remember that because you see an ingredient in a food item you eat does not necessarily mean it is of high quality. When analysing ingredients take into consideration where they are obtained and how they are processed. With Shakeology, many of the ingredients are obtained outside the U.S. in remote areas where the soils have not been depleted of nutrients. These ingredients are also processed based on the individual food so that no nutritional value is lost.
Now the best way to get your nutrition is to eat quality healthy foods. For most of us this can be a challenge. Not only are some of these ingredients hard to find (in high quality) how many of us actually have time to prepare and eat all of this on a regular basis? Also, do you really want to buy a bunch of pills to get all the individual benefits that Shakeology gives you in one drink? Things like prebiotics, digestive enzymes and antioxidants.
Shakeology is a very good meal replacement and/or nutritional drink that is easy to mix and take. With only 140 nutrient packed calories you have the flexibility to even add extra ingredients and turn it into your favorite drink of the day. (Personally I love mixing mine with almond milk and almond butter.) Is it for everyone? probably not but it should be! I guarantee you that unless you are making multiple nutritionally balanced full meals every day you are not getting all the nutrition your body needs. No matter what other "supplements" you are taking.
The bonus? Shakeology is less than a fancy cup of coffee at Starbucks and much less than a meal at a fast food place.
So give it a try . . . your body will love you for it!
Try Shakeology
Thursday, September 16, 2010
An extra scoop here . . . another bite there . . . it all adds up!
This post is to build on my last one where I showed you how to find out your "recommended" daily caloric need. Now that you have your magic number (You did read the post, clicked on the link and entered your info right?) let's see how we can all manage to come close to it on a regular basis.
The best way to manage your caloric intake is to keep track of everything you are eating. In my opinion the most efficient and easiest way to do this is to use an online food tracker program. There are many out there to choose from. Just Google "Calorie Tracking" and a bunch will come up. Many of them will have a free version and this will be good enough to keep track of calories. I use the one from Daily Burn ( http://www.dailyburn.com/ ).
It also has an iPhone app and food label scanner app so I went with it and have no complaints. You can also share recipes which is a nice option but I never used that feature. Other programs offer this too. The bottom line is to find the one you like and will want to use.
In order to use any type of food tracking you need to also understand portions. This was a BIG eye opener for me when I first started. I thought a portion of pasta meant fill the bowl! Learning portion sizes will be a big step in managing your calories. So what do you need? Must haves are a digital scale, measuring cups and spoons. (2 tablespoons of almond butter are NOT as big as I thought!)
The next step will be more of a challenge but well worth the effort. In order to get a good grasp on the food you are eating on a regular basis you need to track your daily food consumption for at least 2 weeks. Longer would be better but this will start showing you some patterns and possibly some red flags. I know, this will be a pain. Just suck it up and do it! I will guarantee that if you have not done this before, something that you eat on a regular basis is going to be way off in reference to portions.
Another thing to know up front - you need to break down your "meal" into individual foods. If you make your meals from scratch this means entering every ingredient. How many slices of bread, how much meat did you use for that sandwich. Did you add cheese? What kind and how much. Made a stew in the crockpot? How many potatoes and what size, what type of meat and how much. I think you get the point. Now this is where I probably lost a lot of you. As you go running out of the room (or clicking off this blog) screaming you have no time for this, stop! I know this is a pain. I did it and for a lot longer than 2 weeks! However, I do not need to do this on a daily basis anymore. During that "period of time" I learned a lot about portions, macronutrient ratios and calories. Enough that much of this comes second nature now. From time to time I will check my eating habits to see where I fall but that is it. Was it worth the effort? Yes! (BTW: Not only Did I enter all my food info I did it for my fiance Robin too!) As a side note - another feature with Daily Burn is that you can create a "meal" and it saves all the information. So, I created a bunch of different meals that we eat on a regular basis and then when it comes time to enter that info I just click on the meal instead of every ingredient. Makes things much easier. Also, by now there are so many foods entered into these programs by other people, much if not all of what you eat will be in there. All you have to do is find it and click.
OK, if you are still with me here are some tips that might help you during your "training" period.
1 gram of carbohydrates = 4 calories
1 gram of protein = 4 calories
1 gram of fat = 9 calories
You must include everything that goes in your mouth. This includes that piece of brownie or cookie you snuck out of the kitchen along with the alcohol you drank.
Not only keep track of your calories but look at the macronutrient ratios (protein/carbs/fat). You should also have a goal as to what they should be. A lot will depend on your activity level. Unless you are training very hard (marathon/triathlete/competition) you should keep your carbs to around 25%-35% for the day. which means your ratios could look something like this: 45/30/25 where 45% of your calories are protein, 30% carbs and 25% (good) fats. This is a general ratio for someone wanting to loose body fat and gain some muscle definition. Remember everyone has a different metabolism and different goals.
So I have presented some tools for you to use. Feel like doing a little remodeling? If you already have done this then good for you. Even if you are at what is considered a "healthy" weight, it would benefit you to go through this experience if you haven't already. If you need to do this and you just think it is too much work, then you just don't care. Because if you did care and you do need to make some changes, you need to put in some effort. If you can't muster up the will to do this for even just a few days, then I am sure you won't change any of your eating habits either . . .
To those that have the will to change, I hope this helps.
The best way to manage your caloric intake is to keep track of everything you are eating. In my opinion the most efficient and easiest way to do this is to use an online food tracker program. There are many out there to choose from. Just Google "Calorie Tracking" and a bunch will come up. Many of them will have a free version and this will be good enough to keep track of calories. I use the one from Daily Burn ( http://www.dailyburn.com/ ).
It also has an iPhone app and food label scanner app so I went with it and have no complaints. You can also share recipes which is a nice option but I never used that feature. Other programs offer this too. The bottom line is to find the one you like and will want to use.
In order to use any type of food tracking you need to also understand portions. This was a BIG eye opener for me when I first started. I thought a portion of pasta meant fill the bowl! Learning portion sizes will be a big step in managing your calories. So what do you need? Must haves are a digital scale, measuring cups and spoons. (2 tablespoons of almond butter are NOT as big as I thought!)
The next step will be more of a challenge but well worth the effort. In order to get a good grasp on the food you are eating on a regular basis you need to track your daily food consumption for at least 2 weeks. Longer would be better but this will start showing you some patterns and possibly some red flags. I know, this will be a pain. Just suck it up and do it! I will guarantee that if you have not done this before, something that you eat on a regular basis is going to be way off in reference to portions.
Another thing to know up front - you need to break down your "meal" into individual foods. If you make your meals from scratch this means entering every ingredient. How many slices of bread, how much meat did you use for that sandwich. Did you add cheese? What kind and how much. Made a stew in the crockpot? How many potatoes and what size, what type of meat and how much. I think you get the point. Now this is where I probably lost a lot of you. As you go running out of the room (or clicking off this blog) screaming you have no time for this, stop! I know this is a pain. I did it and for a lot longer than 2 weeks! However, I do not need to do this on a daily basis anymore. During that "period of time" I learned a lot about portions, macronutrient ratios and calories. Enough that much of this comes second nature now. From time to time I will check my eating habits to see where I fall but that is it. Was it worth the effort? Yes! (BTW: Not only Did I enter all my food info I did it for my fiance Robin too!) As a side note - another feature with Daily Burn is that you can create a "meal" and it saves all the information. So, I created a bunch of different meals that we eat on a regular basis and then when it comes time to enter that info I just click on the meal instead of every ingredient. Makes things much easier. Also, by now there are so many foods entered into these programs by other people, much if not all of what you eat will be in there. All you have to do is find it and click.
OK, if you are still with me here are some tips that might help you during your "training" period.
1 gram of carbohydrates = 4 calories
1 gram of protein = 4 calories
1 gram of fat = 9 calories
You must include everything that goes in your mouth. This includes that piece of brownie or cookie you snuck out of the kitchen along with the alcohol you drank.
Not only keep track of your calories but look at the macronutrient ratios (protein/carbs/fat). You should also have a goal as to what they should be. A lot will depend on your activity level. Unless you are training very hard (marathon/triathlete/competition) you should keep your carbs to around 25%-35% for the day. which means your ratios could look something like this: 45/30/25 where 45% of your calories are protein, 30% carbs and 25% (good) fats. This is a general ratio for someone wanting to loose body fat and gain some muscle definition. Remember everyone has a different metabolism and different goals.
So I have presented some tools for you to use. Feel like doing a little remodeling? If you already have done this then good for you. Even if you are at what is considered a "healthy" weight, it would benefit you to go through this experience if you haven't already. If you need to do this and you just think it is too much work, then you just don't care. Because if you did care and you do need to make some changes, you need to put in some effort. If you can't muster up the will to do this for even just a few days, then I am sure you won't change any of your eating habits either . . .
To those that have the will to change, I hope this helps.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Quick! How many calories should you eat a day? (tic toc tic toc . . .)
If your answer is "Huh, what's a calorie?" then we are in trouble. For everyone else I am sure you know that calories, in the end, are what ultimately determines the success of any weight loss program. Now I am not saying that every single one of you who reads this needs to lose a few pounds. However, it is not a bad idea for everyone, fit, unfit or somewhere in between to have a good idea as to where they need to be with their daily caloric intake. Not only is it important to know this information, it is of equal importance to know how much and what kind of food is needed to manage your calories on a regular basis.
For those new to this there will be a learning curve along with some effort on your part. As time progresses much of this will become second nature and your brain will have this all figured out for you before you even reach for that 2nd cookie.
For the purpose of this post, a calorie is a food calorie. Which is a form of energy that is created through cellular respiration. When a piece of food is digested it reacts with the oxygen in living cells and gives off energy. Some guys in lab coats locked down in a basement somewhere figured out how many calories are in each of the different foods we eat. So if one of those guys ever escapes and you see him, give him a hug and say thanks. Bottom line - look at a calorie as energy. Simple right? Well my physiology teacher back in college would disagree. So if you want to learn more that's up to you . . .
While we are at it let's get this out of the way. For the purpose of this post let me also ask that you just keep it simple with the process. You eat calories (food) for energy. If you eat too much food and create more energy than you can use (burn), it can get stored as fat. There is a lot more to this process but that is not the intent of this post. If it is important for you to learn it all then please do the research.
So here we are - fit and at a desired weight or less than and needing to change. It all works the same. The first thing is to find out what amount of calories will you (and your body) function in a healthy way. Ideally the best way to find this out is to learn to listen to your body and observe. The more in-tune you are to this the easier it is to know what you need and when. This not only applies to calories but to macronutrient ratios too.
But, if you are just starting on your fitness journey you and your body might not be communicating in the same language. This is when certain formulas come in handy to give you a starting point for your caloric intake. Basically you plug in some information and it spits out a number for you. Just remember that this formula is just a general guideline and is not written specifically for your metabolism. Ultimately that is what it comes down to, your metabolism and how it functions.
Here is one formula that you can use but feel free to search out more. They all basically use the same info anyway . . .
This formula will give you your RMR or Resting Metabolic Rate. This is the amount of calories you would need if you were to do nothing but rest for 24 hours.
RMR Calc (click on BMR & RMR Calculator)
Now very few of us are dedicated "resters" so that means we are active during the day. You need to take this into consideration. Your level of activity actually has an assigned number that you need to multiply with your RMR. The calculator I used above will actually do this for you and give you your numbers for each level of activity. * Just look below your RMR results
So there you have it. You now know your RMR and how many calories you need at different activity levels to "maintain" your current weight. Please remember this is just a general formula and everyone's metabolism is different. But for those that are new to this it is a first step. Now start listening to your body and let it tell you what you really need!
Oh yeah, obviously if you want to lose or add weight you just reduce or add calories to your daily meal planning. I strongly recommend that you do not reduce your caloric intake more than 500 calories from your "formulated' Caloric number. Eliminating too many calories at once will slow your metabolism down and you will have a reverse effect and end up either not losing any weight or even gaining some.
Finally remember this - a good calorie and a bad calorie are still calories. What you put in your mouth will all total up at the end of the day. Make wise healthy food choices. Give value to the food you eat not just a calorie number . . .
Coming soon . . . Part II How to know how much your eating - track your calories
Friday, September 10, 2010
Get The Lead Out! (And I don't Mean Zeppelin)
Just a quick follow up to my last post. You never know what you are drinking. Sometimes flashy advertising and warehouse pricing does not equal quality.
Check out this video and you decide:
Now I do want to point out that I am a firm believer in getting the correct amount of protein on a daily basis. Generally this means between 0.75 grams to 1.0 grams of good protein per pound of lean body mass. Of course try to get all your nutritional needs from good natural (organic is best) food sources first. But, with protein it can be difficult and protein powders are an option.
Just know what you are drinking . . .
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Cheers! (clink) Here is to your protein drink . . . I mean recovery drink . . . ummm I mean . . .??????
Yeah, it can get a little confusing! What's that in your hand? Is it your protein drink, recovery drink, meal replacement drink, "hair of the dog" drink (just had to add that one) or is it the I-Don't-Know-Anymore drink but it sure is sweet and I'm really buzz'n right now?
There sure are a lot of different drinks that claim different things. Are YOU sure you are drinking the right one? With so much variety now you can really get your head spinning if you do not fully understand YOUR needs, and the TYPE of product you're drinking.
Let's break down the 3 different catergories of drinks I am refering to. There is a protein drink, recovery drink and a meal replacement drink. The protein drink is just that, it gives you added protein. Why would someone need to add more protein to their diet if they are eating healthy? The main reason is that for many of us, it is very difficult to get OUR required amount by just eating solid foods. Did you know that we need between 0.75 and 1.0 grams of (good) protein per pound of lean body mass? And, if you are trying to add muscle you will need closer to 1.5 grams per pound. What's lean body mass? It's what is left after you take away your body fat. Let's use me as an example. I currently weigh around 160 lbs and have around 15% body fat. (I know, still working on it!) Quick math tells me that is 136 lbs of lean body mass which means I need anywhere from 102 grams to 136 grams of good protein a day. Maybe even more since I am working on adding more muscle. This is a lot of protein to try to get from solid foods considering a serving of chicken breast is only 30 grams and an egg is around 6 grams. Now could I get all my protein from solid foods? Yes, but that would be a heck of a lot of food to eat day in and day out. Which is why I use a protein powder to give me the needed protein on a daily basis.
Now there are different protein supplement sources such as whey, casein, soy and eggs. Whey and soy are 2 of the most popular. In general there are 3 types of whey protein: concentrate; isolate; and hydrolysate. Whey concentrate is the least expensive of the three due to the processing. Because of this it contains less protein but includes more lactose. Whey isolate has a more refined process elliminating much of the lactose and is around 90% protein. Finally there is whey hydrolysate which is a predigested form of whey that is relatively free of allergens. It is very expensive and unless you are extremely allergic really is not worth the extra money you need to pay. So always look for at least whey isolate as the protein source.
Soy, has been very popular of late as a protein source but has it's pros and cons. The debate continues as to whether it's health benefits outweigh the potential health concerns such as hormone imbalances and cancer. You know what? I will leave that to you to decide. You can find as much bad as you can good so do your research. BUT . . . I will leave you with this: soy is one of many crops that have become heavily genetically altered. There are many claims that over 90% of all soy found in the U.S. is a GMO (Genetically Modified Organism). If you are not understanding any of this I suggest doing a little research on the Monsanto Company. Two words that should not go together: Round-up and Soy. (Oops! Got a little political there . . .)
Can you guarantee that the soy you are using is not GMO?
Of course eggs are a very very good source of protein unfortunately at around 6 grams of protein per egg, thats a lot of eggs to eat. But I do eat around 4 a day!
The last thing I want to talk about with protein is this - if you are using a protein drink for added protein then make sure it just has protein! Take a look at some of the protein drinks out there and they are full of carbs. You do not need to get your carbs from a protein drink! Why add all those extra calories to your daily meal planning. You are working hard at staying healthy, why make it harder? Also read the labels. Make sure those long hard to pronounce words are amino acids and not chemicals to make it taste better!
Next is a recovery drink, meant to be used within one hour after a strenuous workout. No, not after a walk around the block, 30 minutes of slow cardio or when you are just jonez'n for a sugar rush. A true recovery drink should have a ratio of carbs to protein of 4:1. This means for every 4 carb grams there should only be 1 gram of protein. Remember, carbs are basically sugars and you do not want to put a high amount of carbs in your body when not needed. A recovery drink is meant to be used after a hard workout to replentish your glycogen storage in your muscles and liver. Think of glycogen as fuel for your muscles and the storage areas in your muscles and liver like a gas tank. Your gas tank can only hold so much gas right? Same with your muscles and liver storing glycogen. If you haven't exhausted your glycogen supply there is a very high chance those carbs in your recovery drink will just be stored as fat. So think about when to use this drink. Now not to try to confuse you but . . . a good recovery drink will also include essential amino acids which help with protein synthesis. Yes amino acids are the building blocks of protein, at the same time essential aminos have added benefits over a whole protein. Other good ingredients include vitamins and electrolytes that are lost during your workout. Overall this total mix will replentish glycogen and assist in muscle repair and soreness.
So, a good recovery drink will have a 4:1 ratio of carbs to protein, essential amino acids and vitamins & electrolytes. Now some of you might mention chocolate milk as a good recovery drink. Although it does have a close ratio of carbs to protein (because of the sugar to make it chocolate sweet) it lacks the essential amino acids and some minerals. Plus, why would you want to drink milk anyway? The are much better sources of calcium out there now. Also, do you know we are the only mammal that drinks milk in adulthood, and it's the milk of another mammal! Yuk! Not to mention all the hormones and antibiotics that are in most of the milk now. Why even bother? If you feel the need to make this a DIY project then use juice and protein powder. Although not fulfilling all requirements it would be a better choice than chocolate milk.
Finally there is the meal replacement drink. What's that all about? Just eat 5 very healthy and nutritious meals a day and you are all set right? Well for some of us this has become more and more difficult. Our lives are set at warp and the days sometime blend together making it a challenge to fill this order. So, if you know that every meal should be nutritious then your "meal replacement" needs to be too. More often than not, some of your other meals are lacking the nutrients you need which makes choosing a meal replacement drink even that much more important. So what is a good meal replacement drink? One that has as much nutrition as possible covering various parts of a healthy diet. It would not hurt for it to be low in calories also. When it is lower in calories it generally means not a lot (if any) junk is in it. Protein & essential amino acids, vitamins & minerals, antioxidants and digestive enzymes are all great areas of concern when it comes to your diet. Get as much of all of this as you can in a meal replacement drink and you will be well on your way to getting all the nutrients you need for a healthy body.
So . . . are your eyes all blurry and glazed over yet? Seems like a lot to worry about all the time. Well, isn't your well being worth it? The most important thing is to know what you are drinking and why. Let's do a quick breakdown:
Choose your protein drink based on the quality of the protein. Not because it tastes like a Starbucks Mocha or that you can get it cheap at Costco.
Don't drink a recovery drink just because you did some form of exercise. Make sure you really need it (remember the carbs) and the ratios are correct. Essential amino acids and electrolytes are the key.
As for a meal relacement drink. Wow . . . if you know you need one then make it a good one. Think quality quality quality. Warehouses and Walmart will not be your friends here. Take the time to learn the ingredients and choose the one that fulfills all your nutritional needs.
Want to know what I use?
Protein: Currently I am using IsoPure Zero Carb. Obviously it has zero carbs and has 50 grams of protein per serving (2 scoops). It probably falls right in the middle between the low end products and the top shelf. If I was a body builder or at least very serious about bulking up I would upgrade, but this serves me fine for now.
Recovery drink: Well I do not use one every day (except when I did my 30-day Bikram Yoga Challenge), but when I do I use P90X Results & Recovery Formula. I like it because it is a quality product, meets all the requirements for a recovery drink, comes in a powder form so I can mix when I want to and tastes great.
More info
Meal replacement: Hands down there is nothing that compares to Shakeology. It is loaded with nutrition, low in calories which means that it can be used as a meal replacement (can add extra calories if you need to) or as a nutritional supplement.
Shakeology
Yes if you have not caught it already, I am an Independent Beachbody Coach. The recovery and meal replacement drinks I use are from Beachbody and part of a whole bunch of products I represent. At the same time, they are of high quality and are what they state they are. I encourage you to look into both products on your own and make your own decision. I am confident it will not be a waste of time. Plus, if you are interested I can show you how you can get a 25% discount on both of these products.
There sure are a lot of different drinks that claim different things. Are YOU sure you are drinking the right one? With so much variety now you can really get your head spinning if you do not fully understand YOUR needs, and the TYPE of product you're drinking.
Let's break down the 3 different catergories of drinks I am refering to. There is a protein drink, recovery drink and a meal replacement drink. The protein drink is just that, it gives you added protein. Why would someone need to add more protein to their diet if they are eating healthy? The main reason is that for many of us, it is very difficult to get OUR required amount by just eating solid foods. Did you know that we need between 0.75 and 1.0 grams of (good) protein per pound of lean body mass? And, if you are trying to add muscle you will need closer to 1.5 grams per pound. What's lean body mass? It's what is left after you take away your body fat. Let's use me as an example. I currently weigh around 160 lbs and have around 15% body fat. (I know, still working on it!) Quick math tells me that is 136 lbs of lean body mass which means I need anywhere from 102 grams to 136 grams of good protein a day. Maybe even more since I am working on adding more muscle. This is a lot of protein to try to get from solid foods considering a serving of chicken breast is only 30 grams and an egg is around 6 grams. Now could I get all my protein from solid foods? Yes, but that would be a heck of a lot of food to eat day in and day out. Which is why I use a protein powder to give me the needed protein on a daily basis.
Now there are different protein supplement sources such as whey, casein, soy and eggs. Whey and soy are 2 of the most popular. In general there are 3 types of whey protein: concentrate; isolate; and hydrolysate. Whey concentrate is the least expensive of the three due to the processing. Because of this it contains less protein but includes more lactose. Whey isolate has a more refined process elliminating much of the lactose and is around 90% protein. Finally there is whey hydrolysate which is a predigested form of whey that is relatively free of allergens. It is very expensive and unless you are extremely allergic really is not worth the extra money you need to pay. So always look for at least whey isolate as the protein source.
Soy, has been very popular of late as a protein source but has it's pros and cons. The debate continues as to whether it's health benefits outweigh the potential health concerns such as hormone imbalances and cancer. You know what? I will leave that to you to decide. You can find as much bad as you can good so do your research. BUT . . . I will leave you with this: soy is one of many crops that have become heavily genetically altered. There are many claims that over 90% of all soy found in the U.S. is a GMO (Genetically Modified Organism). If you are not understanding any of this I suggest doing a little research on the Monsanto Company. Two words that should not go together: Round-up and Soy. (Oops! Got a little political there . . .)
Can you guarantee that the soy you are using is not GMO?
Of course eggs are a very very good source of protein unfortunately at around 6 grams of protein per egg, thats a lot of eggs to eat. But I do eat around 4 a day!
The last thing I want to talk about with protein is this - if you are using a protein drink for added protein then make sure it just has protein! Take a look at some of the protein drinks out there and they are full of carbs. You do not need to get your carbs from a protein drink! Why add all those extra calories to your daily meal planning. You are working hard at staying healthy, why make it harder? Also read the labels. Make sure those long hard to pronounce words are amino acids and not chemicals to make it taste better!
Next is a recovery drink, meant to be used within one hour after a strenuous workout. No, not after a walk around the block, 30 minutes of slow cardio or when you are just jonez'n for a sugar rush. A true recovery drink should have a ratio of carbs to protein of 4:1. This means for every 4 carb grams there should only be 1 gram of protein. Remember, carbs are basically sugars and you do not want to put a high amount of carbs in your body when not needed. A recovery drink is meant to be used after a hard workout to replentish your glycogen storage in your muscles and liver. Think of glycogen as fuel for your muscles and the storage areas in your muscles and liver like a gas tank. Your gas tank can only hold so much gas right? Same with your muscles and liver storing glycogen. If you haven't exhausted your glycogen supply there is a very high chance those carbs in your recovery drink will just be stored as fat. So think about when to use this drink. Now not to try to confuse you but . . . a good recovery drink will also include essential amino acids which help with protein synthesis. Yes amino acids are the building blocks of protein, at the same time essential aminos have added benefits over a whole protein. Other good ingredients include vitamins and electrolytes that are lost during your workout. Overall this total mix will replentish glycogen and assist in muscle repair and soreness.
So, a good recovery drink will have a 4:1 ratio of carbs to protein, essential amino acids and vitamins & electrolytes. Now some of you might mention chocolate milk as a good recovery drink. Although it does have a close ratio of carbs to protein (because of the sugar to make it chocolate sweet) it lacks the essential amino acids and some minerals. Plus, why would you want to drink milk anyway? The are much better sources of calcium out there now. Also, do you know we are the only mammal that drinks milk in adulthood, and it's the milk of another mammal! Yuk! Not to mention all the hormones and antibiotics that are in most of the milk now. Why even bother? If you feel the need to make this a DIY project then use juice and protein powder. Although not fulfilling all requirements it would be a better choice than chocolate milk.
Finally there is the meal replacement drink. What's that all about? Just eat 5 very healthy and nutritious meals a day and you are all set right? Well for some of us this has become more and more difficult. Our lives are set at warp and the days sometime blend together making it a challenge to fill this order. So, if you know that every meal should be nutritious then your "meal replacement" needs to be too. More often than not, some of your other meals are lacking the nutrients you need which makes choosing a meal replacement drink even that much more important. So what is a good meal replacement drink? One that has as much nutrition as possible covering various parts of a healthy diet. It would not hurt for it to be low in calories also. When it is lower in calories it generally means not a lot (if any) junk is in it. Protein & essential amino acids, vitamins & minerals, antioxidants and digestive enzymes are all great areas of concern when it comes to your diet. Get as much of all of this as you can in a meal replacement drink and you will be well on your way to getting all the nutrients you need for a healthy body.
So . . . are your eyes all blurry and glazed over yet? Seems like a lot to worry about all the time. Well, isn't your well being worth it? The most important thing is to know what you are drinking and why. Let's do a quick breakdown:
Choose your protein drink based on the quality of the protein. Not because it tastes like a Starbucks Mocha or that you can get it cheap at Costco.
Don't drink a recovery drink just because you did some form of exercise. Make sure you really need it (remember the carbs) and the ratios are correct. Essential amino acids and electrolytes are the key.
As for a meal relacement drink. Wow . . . if you know you need one then make it a good one. Think quality quality quality. Warehouses and Walmart will not be your friends here. Take the time to learn the ingredients and choose the one that fulfills all your nutritional needs.
Want to know what I use?
Protein: Currently I am using IsoPure Zero Carb. Obviously it has zero carbs and has 50 grams of protein per serving (2 scoops). It probably falls right in the middle between the low end products and the top shelf. If I was a body builder or at least very serious about bulking up I would upgrade, but this serves me fine for now.
Recovery drink: Well I do not use one every day (except when I did my 30-day Bikram Yoga Challenge), but when I do I use P90X Results & Recovery Formula. I like it because it is a quality product, meets all the requirements for a recovery drink, comes in a powder form so I can mix when I want to and tastes great.
More info
Meal replacement: Hands down there is nothing that compares to Shakeology. It is loaded with nutrition, low in calories which means that it can be used as a meal replacement (can add extra calories if you need to) or as a nutritional supplement.
Shakeology
Yes if you have not caught it already, I am an Independent Beachbody Coach. The recovery and meal replacement drinks I use are from Beachbody and part of a whole bunch of products I represent. At the same time, they are of high quality and are what they state they are. I encourage you to look into both products on your own and make your own decision. I am confident it will not be a waste of time. Plus, if you are interested I can show you how you can get a 25% discount on both of these products.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Free Shakeology Tasting!
Hey everyone in the Phoenix Valley (Arizona)! If you have been wanting to try Shakeology and/or learn about Bikram Yoga, then you will want hear this:
Monday September 13th I will be having a (free) Shakeology tasting at the Bikram Yoga of North Scottsdale. Come on out and try both flavors (Chocolate & Greenberry) of Shakeology, learn about some of the fun Beachbody workout programs, talk about nutrition and meal planning, and learn about Bikram Yoga.
* Rumor has it that there will also be some Results & Recovery drink samples too!
What a great way to come on out ( meet me!) and have some fun. If you want, take a Bikram class while you are there. Robin will be teaching both classes during the time of the tasting.
There is no catch, the tasting is free but you would have to pay for the Bikram class.
The timeframe will be between 5:30pm and 8:30pm. The yoga classes are 90 minutes and are at 4:30 and 6:15.
Location:
Bikram Yoga of North Scottsdale
9301 East Shea Boulevard
Scottsdale, AZ 85260-6735
(480) 551-5285
Google Map
Also, order Shakeology during the month of September and be entered into a drawing to win a free Beachbody workout program of your choice valued at up to $120!
Drawing
There you have it. Hope to see you on Monday!
Monday September 13th I will be having a (free) Shakeology tasting at the Bikram Yoga of North Scottsdale. Come on out and try both flavors (Chocolate & Greenberry) of Shakeology, learn about some of the fun Beachbody workout programs, talk about nutrition and meal planning, and learn about Bikram Yoga.
* Rumor has it that there will also be some Results & Recovery drink samples too!
What a great way to come on out ( meet me!) and have some fun. If you want, take a Bikram class while you are there. Robin will be teaching both classes during the time of the tasting.
There is no catch, the tasting is free but you would have to pay for the Bikram class.
The timeframe will be between 5:30pm and 8:30pm. The yoga classes are 90 minutes and are at 4:30 and 6:15.
Location:
Bikram Yoga of North Scottsdale
9301 East Shea Boulevard
Scottsdale, AZ 85260-6735
(480) 551-5285
Google Map
Also, order Shakeology during the month of September and be entered into a drawing to win a free Beachbody workout program of your choice valued at up to $120!
Drawing
There you have it. Hope to see you on Monday!
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Want a chance to win a workout program like P90X or Insanity?
This is pretty short and to the point. Try Shakeology during the month of September and be entered into a drawing to win a Beachbody workout program valued at up to $120.
I'm sure you have heard of some of them - P90X, Insanity, Turbo Fire, Chalean Extreme, Hip Hop Abs and many more. Winner will get to chose which one they win! This offer is through The Primal Fit Club and not Beachbody. (So if you want me to sign it I can. Kidding!)
Here are some of the programs to give you an idea of what you can select from: Beachbody programs
As you will see, there is a variety of workouts for all fitness levels!
Don't know what Shakeology is? It's your healthiest meal of the day with over 70 ingredients including amino acids, prebiotics, antioxidants and vitamins. All in one tasty drink! Here is more info - Shakeology
Some of the known benefits:
Help lose weight
Lowers cholesterol
Improves digestion & regularity
More energy
Comes in 2 delicious flavors - Chocolate & Greenberry
For more details on the give-away please visit:
Contest
So come on everybody . . . let's get healthy!
Here are some of the programs to give you an idea of what you can select from: Beachbody programs
As you will see, there is a variety of workouts for all fitness levels!
Some of the known benefits:
Help lose weight
Lowers cholesterol
Improves digestion & regularity
More energy
Comes in 2 delicious flavors - Chocolate & Greenberry
For more details on the give-away please visit:
Contest
So come on everybody . . . let's get healthy!
Friday, August 27, 2010
I Have No Weights To Workout - What Can I Do?
So for those who are just starting out with a little weight training, and feel you cannot get started because you do not have all that fancy equipment, fear not.
First off - if you are just starting out you may not need weights to workout certain body parts. You can very easily use your own body weight to work your chest (push-ups), triceps (dips), shoulders (v Push-ups) and even legs (squats & toe raises). Believe me, if you have not done any resistance training yet, these exercises will get you started very nicely.
Still want to add more weight to your workouts? Here are my suggestions for homemade ("Poor Man's") weights:
- Grab some can goods of all different sizes. Great for curls and working your obliques while doing crunches. Think of mini medicine balls!
- Use plastic jugs (that have handles and caps) and fill with water or sand. A gallon of water weighs roughly 8.3 lbs and a gallon of sand 12.5 lbs. These work great for kettlebell exercises and lateral raises.
- Along with the jugs you can use 5 gallon pails. A lot more weight and can be used while doing squats.
- Add a galvanized steel bar and you can use both the jugs and pails for curls, dead-lifts and back work. If you are really serious you can grab a couple cement blocks. * Always make sure jugs/pails are secure on the bar.
- Want to add some weight while walking or running? Grab a backpack and fill it with some heavy books. (Ouch! Flashback to college . . .)
- Need some wrist weights? Grab an old sock (preferably clean) and fill with sand. Add a strip of Velcro and you are ready to go
Friday, August 13, 2010
(Grain) Carbs, What Are They Good For? Absolutely Noth'n . . . Say It Again!
Great, now I can't get that song out of my head. If your my age or older you know which one I am talking about. Anyway . . . I thought this would be a great follow-up to my last post about macronutrients. I realize that not everyone will welcome what I have to say with open arms. That's ok, I get a lot of hugs at home. I believe it is far more important to share this information and let those that are serious about their nutrition make their own decision.
Here goes . . . all carbs are not created equal! There I said it, and it really is true. First a quick definition of what a carbohydrate is. For a "food" definition, carbohydrates are basically sugar, fiber and starch, either individually or a combination of the three. Just to be clear, fiber and starch are just chains of sugar molecules. So yes, carbohydrates are sugar. Not all sugar is created equal either which is why "grain carbs" are #1 on my list of DO NOT EAT. Now I will not argue that certain grain carbs have their place for a specific group of hard core athletes. And I will also accept the fact that with all the types of carbohydrates that can fall into the grain carb category, there will be some that are healthier for you than others. With this being said, for the average person, especially those that are trying to get their bodies to a healthier state, grain carbohydrates in general are not a good food choice. Before I state my case about grain carbs, let me first try to explain the whole body-fuel-carbohydrate process.
So we know that all carbs consist of some form of sugar. There are simple carbohydrates (less than 3 sugar molecules) and complex carbohydrates (more than 3 sugar molecules in a chain). In order for the body to use these carbohydrates for energy, it has to break down the sugars into individual molecules in order for the sugar to enter our bloodstream. So, simple sugars are broken down and absorbed fast while the more complex chains take time. Remember this because we will be coming back to this later.
Ok now lets take a look at our body's metabolism. It is the process of which chemical reations breakdown the food we eat and convert this food into energy. This "energy" is used for numerous body functions and without it we could not survive. The main energy source (food) our body searches for to obtain the sugar molecules needed is carbohydrates. The energy I am refering to is called glucose or blood sugar. Our cells need it and it is transported throughout the body in our bloodstream, and regulated by the hormone insulin. Our bodies can only use a limited amount of glucose at one time. Glucose is first stored in our muscles and liver as glycogen. This is the fuel used for aerobic exercise. When our bodies sense glucose in our bloodstream it releases insulin which signals the cells to let in the glucose. If the cells have already taken in as much glucose as they can and there still is more in the bloodstream, our bodies will continue to release insulin in an attempt to regulate our blood sugar level. If the blood sugar levels remain high over a period of time, the cells (or the cell receptors for insulin) become resistant to all the insulin that is being released. As a result, the body needs to release more insulin in order for the glucose to enter the cells. Again over time the excess glucose builds up in the bloodstream setting the stage for diabetes. All this glucose still needs to go somewhere and will eventually end up into your fat cells.
Now this whole process is much more detailed and I urge you to take the time to learn and understand it completely. The simple explanation is this: You eat food - some of this food is carbohydrates - these carbs are broken down into individual sugar molecules - these molecules are then absorbed through the intestines into the bloodstream as blood sugar/glucose - our body identifies that glucose is in the blood and releases the hormone insulin - insulin allows cells to access the glucose to use - there is only a limited amount of glucose that can be stored at one time - the excess may end up being stored as fat.
Try to visualize this process. I'm sure all of you agree that too much glucose in our bloodstream at one time is bad, very bad. But, we do need glucose to function properly. So what is the solution? Well to me (and I hope all of you agree) is to limit carbohydrate intake to just enough for proper body functions but not enough to cause a surplus. Keeping in mind the individual and that person's lifestyle will dictate just exactly how much. For example, a professional athlete (or someone training at that level) will burn through their glycogen storage fast and often, so a higher percentage of carbs daily would make sense. But, someone overweight and/or sedentary will NOT use up their glycogen reserves quickly or even at all, causing the excess glucose in their bloodstream to be stored as fat.
Let's get back to the whole point of this post - grain carbs. Grains = carbs and other than in low doses carbs are bad. Grains also are empty of nutrition and can add a whole lot of calories to a meal. (BTW: The word Fortified is a fancy way to say they had to add all the healthy stuff to the food because otherwise it was crap.) Do you know 1 slice of bread equals around 100 calories! Which is another point. Mostly we see grains in the form of breads, pasta and cereals. What also do we find in these foods? Processed sugar! Remember earlier I spoke about simple sugars being metabolized quicker. Your body does not have time to burn off this energy so hello fat cells here we come. All the while your insulin levels are sky rocketing and you go from a sugar rush to a nose dive to the sofa. Tell me you never felt that way after eating a bowl of pasta. And to top it all off, the popular grains such as wheat, rye and barley also contain gluten and lectin. Gluten, a water soluable protein that gives you the elasticity in dough (and is used in some glues) causes intolerence/sensitivity in many people. The reactions can include inflamation, joint pain, acid reflux and autoimmune disorders among other problems. Lectin is a (mildly toxic) protein found in many foods but in high quantities in grains. Some of the unhealthy affects of lectin are: resistance to gut proteolysis, reduction in the absorptive capacity of the small intestine and interference with the immune system.
So there it is, my take on grains. Now you know why bread and pasta are pretty cheap staples. You get what you pay for. Now does this mean never ever ever eat a grain based food product? I'm not saying take it that far. I for one still endulge in the occasional dessert, forkfull of pasta salad and even a bite or two of a fresh loave of bread. More so because it represents a special occasion than needing a fix. Thats as far as I take it though and I am happy to say that I am a "Grain Free" eater. And the proof? Once I switched to a healthier way of eating I lost 25 lbs! Of course I exercised and I exercised hard. I was starting my second month of the Beachbody program Insanity when I eliminated grain carbs from my diet. Never crashed once from a lack of energy. After that I did a full 90 days of P90X without ever running out of gas. So sorry, you're not allowed to use the "I need my carbs for energy" excuse. You can get along fine without them!
Now did any of this put a dent in your addictive grain eating gluten gobbling habits? If so, while you are out at the local health food store searching for gluten-free bean flour because you can't go without pasta, try walking a couple isles down to produce. Grab some organic spinach or broccoli to pour your homemade sauce over. Your body will thank you for it . . .
Here goes . . . all carbs are not created equal! There I said it, and it really is true. First a quick definition of what a carbohydrate is. For a "food" definition, carbohydrates are basically sugar, fiber and starch, either individually or a combination of the three. Just to be clear, fiber and starch are just chains of sugar molecules. So yes, carbohydrates are sugar. Not all sugar is created equal either which is why "grain carbs" are #1 on my list of DO NOT EAT. Now I will not argue that certain grain carbs have their place for a specific group of hard core athletes. And I will also accept the fact that with all the types of carbohydrates that can fall into the grain carb category, there will be some that are healthier for you than others. With this being said, for the average person, especially those that are trying to get their bodies to a healthier state, grain carbohydrates in general are not a good food choice. Before I state my case about grain carbs, let me first try to explain the whole body-fuel-carbohydrate process.
So we know that all carbs consist of some form of sugar. There are simple carbohydrates (less than 3 sugar molecules) and complex carbohydrates (more than 3 sugar molecules in a chain). In order for the body to use these carbohydrates for energy, it has to break down the sugars into individual molecules in order for the sugar to enter our bloodstream. So, simple sugars are broken down and absorbed fast while the more complex chains take time. Remember this because we will be coming back to this later.
Ok now lets take a look at our body's metabolism. It is the process of which chemical reations breakdown the food we eat and convert this food into energy. This "energy" is used for numerous body functions and without it we could not survive. The main energy source (food) our body searches for to obtain the sugar molecules needed is carbohydrates. The energy I am refering to is called glucose or blood sugar. Our cells need it and it is transported throughout the body in our bloodstream, and regulated by the hormone insulin. Our bodies can only use a limited amount of glucose at one time. Glucose is first stored in our muscles and liver as glycogen. This is the fuel used for aerobic exercise. When our bodies sense glucose in our bloodstream it releases insulin which signals the cells to let in the glucose. If the cells have already taken in as much glucose as they can and there still is more in the bloodstream, our bodies will continue to release insulin in an attempt to regulate our blood sugar level. If the blood sugar levels remain high over a period of time, the cells (or the cell receptors for insulin) become resistant to all the insulin that is being released. As a result, the body needs to release more insulin in order for the glucose to enter the cells. Again over time the excess glucose builds up in the bloodstream setting the stage for diabetes. All this glucose still needs to go somewhere and will eventually end up into your fat cells.
Now this whole process is much more detailed and I urge you to take the time to learn and understand it completely. The simple explanation is this: You eat food - some of this food is carbohydrates - these carbs are broken down into individual sugar molecules - these molecules are then absorbed through the intestines into the bloodstream as blood sugar/glucose - our body identifies that glucose is in the blood and releases the hormone insulin - insulin allows cells to access the glucose to use - there is only a limited amount of glucose that can be stored at one time - the excess may end up being stored as fat.
Try to visualize this process. I'm sure all of you agree that too much glucose in our bloodstream at one time is bad, very bad. But, we do need glucose to function properly. So what is the solution? Well to me (and I hope all of you agree) is to limit carbohydrate intake to just enough for proper body functions but not enough to cause a surplus. Keeping in mind the individual and that person's lifestyle will dictate just exactly how much. For example, a professional athlete (or someone training at that level) will burn through their glycogen storage fast and often, so a higher percentage of carbs daily would make sense. But, someone overweight and/or sedentary will NOT use up their glycogen reserves quickly or even at all, causing the excess glucose in their bloodstream to be stored as fat.
Let's get back to the whole point of this post - grain carbs. Grains = carbs and other than in low doses carbs are bad. Grains also are empty of nutrition and can add a whole lot of calories to a meal. (BTW: The word Fortified is a fancy way to say they had to add all the healthy stuff to the food because otherwise it was crap.) Do you know 1 slice of bread equals around 100 calories! Which is another point. Mostly we see grains in the form of breads, pasta and cereals. What also do we find in these foods? Processed sugar! Remember earlier I spoke about simple sugars being metabolized quicker. Your body does not have time to burn off this energy so hello fat cells here we come. All the while your insulin levels are sky rocketing and you go from a sugar rush to a nose dive to the sofa. Tell me you never felt that way after eating a bowl of pasta. And to top it all off, the popular grains such as wheat, rye and barley also contain gluten and lectin. Gluten, a water soluable protein that gives you the elasticity in dough (and is used in some glues) causes intolerence/sensitivity in many people. The reactions can include inflamation, joint pain, acid reflux and autoimmune disorders among other problems. Lectin is a (mildly toxic) protein found in many foods but in high quantities in grains. Some of the unhealthy affects of lectin are: resistance to gut proteolysis, reduction in the absorptive capacity of the small intestine and interference with the immune system.
So there it is, my take on grains. Now you know why bread and pasta are pretty cheap staples. You get what you pay for. Now does this mean never ever ever eat a grain based food product? I'm not saying take it that far. I for one still endulge in the occasional dessert, forkfull of pasta salad and even a bite or two of a fresh loave of bread. More so because it represents a special occasion than needing a fix. Thats as far as I take it though and I am happy to say that I am a "Grain Free" eater. And the proof? Once I switched to a healthier way of eating I lost 25 lbs! Of course I exercised and I exercised hard. I was starting my second month of the Beachbody program Insanity when I eliminated grain carbs from my diet. Never crashed once from a lack of energy. After that I did a full 90 days of P90X without ever running out of gas. So sorry, you're not allowed to use the "I need my carbs for energy" excuse. You can get along fine without them!
Now did any of this put a dent in your addictive grain eating gluten gobbling habits? If so, while you are out at the local health food store searching for gluten-free bean flour because you can't go without pasta, try walking a couple isles down to produce. Grab some organic spinach or broccoli to pour your homemade sauce over. Your body will thank you for it . . .
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Protein/Carbs/Fat . . . Our Macronutrients
Wow . . . Macronutrients! Fancy word huh? All it means is that we need a lot (macro) of those nutrients. Sure vitamins and minerals are also important, and of course water, but without the "Macros" (protein/carbs/fats) our bodies would be in BIG (pardon the pun) trouble.
Macronutrients play a big part in almost everything that has to do with our body. They are so important that they are always referenced to with any type of diet (<--- bad word) and/or meal planning. You will constantly see Macronutrient Ratios with percentage numbers as a guideline for your meal planning. It will look like this: 45/30/25. Meaning 45% protein, 30% carbs and 25% fats. Most of the time it will be in the order of protein/carbs/fat but sometimes the carbs and fats are switched. Always make sure the of the order when you are following the ratios! Basically these ratios are used to make sure you get the proper amount of the macronurtients on a daily basis. There are various thoughts and opinions on what the ratio(s) should be, and that will need to be another post!
See . . . I'm getting side tracked already. Let's get back to the topic:
* BTW: This is just a basic outline for some general knowledge. There is far more detailed info about all three that can be acquired with a little research
Protein(s) are chains of amino acids and play a very important part in our body. It is the main component of our hair and nails. Protein also is used to build and repair tissue, along with making enzymes, hormones and other body chemicals. Protein is an important building block for bones, muscle, skin and blood. The human body cannot synthesis protein nor can it store any surplus. So this means we must acquire our individual amount (everyone is different) through the food and supplements we take daily. As you can guess, protein is very important and needs to be at the top of our shopping list.
Now that we know what protein is (my very simplest explanation), where can we find it? Well just about everywhere. Meat, fish, nuts, dairy, eggs and even some vegetables have protein. All at different levels and sometimes at the cost of having to accept the extras that are included, such as fat, carbs and lactose!
Okay, we know that our bodies need protein and we can get it by eating the various foods above. So all good right? Yes and no. First, you need to know how much protein your body needs on a daily basis. On average, a person will need 0.5-1.5 grams of protein per pound of lean body weight, depending on their level of activity. For some people this can be a challenge because of all the food they would have to eat. Who has time for that nowadays anyway! To make things a little easier you can obtain protein as a supplement in the form of a powder to mix into a drink. Some of the popular ones use either, whey, casein, soy and egg as the main protein source.
On to carbohydrates. What was once the main focus for fuel for our body has now become a main source of controversy. Let's face it . . . carbs at their basic structure are just sugar molecules. How good can that be? For our body, it is the desired source of fuel. In general there are 2 types of carbohydrates: simple and complex. Simple carbs like fruit and table sugar, are broken down fast by the body, while complex carbs ( carbohydrates that have 3 or more linked sugar molecules) take longer to break down and are absorbed more slowly into our system. The reason for this is because our bodies breakdown carbohydrates into individual sugars before they can be absorbed. So, the more sugars a carb has the longer it takes to break down. This is then mostly converted into glucose, commonly refered to as blood sugar. A certain amount of glucose can be stored in our liver for future needs. The amount of glucose in our blood system is regulated by the hormone insulin. Here is where the problem starts. Our bodies need a certain amount of blood sugar to function properly. Unforunately too little or too much glucose along with the challenges of regulating it can cause a whole lot of problems such as Hypo/hyper-glycemia and diabetes.
So, when you think about carbohydrates, also consider what type of carb your eating and why. Carbs like bread and pasta may be great if you are a triathlete in training, because your body will be in need of lots of quick fuel to off set those hard-core workouts. But, those are "empty" calories with no substantial nutritional value. A better choice for your daily carbohydrate intake would be vegetables and a moderate amount of fruit. They are full of other healthy nutrients that the body needs!
Finally fats, my favorite macronutrient. I can't get enough of the good fats, and I'm not scared of 'em! Fat used to be a bad word. Old conventional wisdom taught us that fat is bad. Well I'll argue that one. Of course not all fats are created equal, and it is the "good" fats that I am in support of.
Ask what types of fat are there and you will hear words like saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and trans fatty acids. Yikes! When put that way none of them sound good, and some are a lot worse than others. But you really need to know the difference. I could do my best to explain them all in detail but there is some chemistry involved and well, I just do not like chemistry! So, I highly recommend for you to read a great article by Mark Sisson: The Definitive Guide to Fats
Now let me tell you why I like "good" fats, (formerly called) Saturated Fats. Now you will learn all the health facts by reading Mark's article. What I want to add is that saturated fats helped me loose 25 pounds! No I didn't just sit on the couch watching TV and eating butter, cheese and marbled steak all day. Although that sounds absolutely delicious! I also worked out and changed my meal planning to a healthier lifestyle. What made the difference is that I eliminated all grain carbs from my diet, and replaced them with more (good) saturated fats. Yup, no bread, pasta or other nutrient empty carbohydrates. This caused my metabolism to look for another source of fuel to burn, and guess what that was? Yes again . . . FAT! My body uses my fat (well any that still is remaining) along with the fat I eat as fuel. How cool is that? I know, I know, not all of you will be totally on board with this concept, but remember . . . there was a time that everyone thought the world was flat!
Before you go out and buy all the butter off the store shelf here is my disclaimer: You need to cut your carbohydrate intake way back for this to work. Otherwise your body will use the carbs as fuel and store the fat as . . . yup, fat.
Now I know this post was supposed to be about macronutrients and I hope my simple explanations helped some of you. I just couldn't resist added a little "fat" on the end . . .
Macronutrients play a big part in almost everything that has to do with our body. They are so important that they are always referenced to with any type of diet (<--- bad word) and/or meal planning. You will constantly see Macronutrient Ratios with percentage numbers as a guideline for your meal planning. It will look like this: 45/30/25. Meaning 45% protein, 30% carbs and 25% fats. Most of the time it will be in the order of protein/carbs/fat but sometimes the carbs and fats are switched. Always make sure the of the order when you are following the ratios! Basically these ratios are used to make sure you get the proper amount of the macronurtients on a daily basis. There are various thoughts and opinions on what the ratio(s) should be, and that will need to be another post!
See . . . I'm getting side tracked already. Let's get back to the topic:
* BTW: This is just a basic outline for some general knowledge. There is far more detailed info about all three that can be acquired with a little research
Protein(s) are chains of amino acids and play a very important part in our body. It is the main component of our hair and nails. Protein also is used to build and repair tissue, along with making enzymes, hormones and other body chemicals. Protein is an important building block for bones, muscle, skin and blood. The human body cannot synthesis protein nor can it store any surplus. So this means we must acquire our individual amount (everyone is different) through the food and supplements we take daily. As you can guess, protein is very important and needs to be at the top of our shopping list.
Now that we know what protein is (my very simplest explanation), where can we find it? Well just about everywhere. Meat, fish, nuts, dairy, eggs and even some vegetables have protein. All at different levels and sometimes at the cost of having to accept the extras that are included, such as fat, carbs and lactose!
Okay, we know that our bodies need protein and we can get it by eating the various foods above. So all good right? Yes and no. First, you need to know how much protein your body needs on a daily basis. On average, a person will need 0.5-1.5 grams of protein per pound of lean body weight, depending on their level of activity. For some people this can be a challenge because of all the food they would have to eat. Who has time for that nowadays anyway! To make things a little easier you can obtain protein as a supplement in the form of a powder to mix into a drink. Some of the popular ones use either, whey, casein, soy and egg as the main protein source.
On to carbohydrates. What was once the main focus for fuel for our body has now become a main source of controversy. Let's face it . . . carbs at their basic structure are just sugar molecules. How good can that be? For our body, it is the desired source of fuel. In general there are 2 types of carbohydrates: simple and complex. Simple carbs like fruit and table sugar, are broken down fast by the body, while complex carbs ( carbohydrates that have 3 or more linked sugar molecules) take longer to break down and are absorbed more slowly into our system. The reason for this is because our bodies breakdown carbohydrates into individual sugars before they can be absorbed. So, the more sugars a carb has the longer it takes to break down. This is then mostly converted into glucose, commonly refered to as blood sugar. A certain amount of glucose can be stored in our liver for future needs. The amount of glucose in our blood system is regulated by the hormone insulin. Here is where the problem starts. Our bodies need a certain amount of blood sugar to function properly. Unforunately too little or too much glucose along with the challenges of regulating it can cause a whole lot of problems such as Hypo/hyper-glycemia and diabetes.
So, when you think about carbohydrates, also consider what type of carb your eating and why. Carbs like bread and pasta may be great if you are a triathlete in training, because your body will be in need of lots of quick fuel to off set those hard-core workouts. But, those are "empty" calories with no substantial nutritional value. A better choice for your daily carbohydrate intake would be vegetables and a moderate amount of fruit. They are full of other healthy nutrients that the body needs!
Finally fats, my favorite macronutrient. I can't get enough of the good fats, and I'm not scared of 'em! Fat used to be a bad word. Old conventional wisdom taught us that fat is bad. Well I'll argue that one. Of course not all fats are created equal, and it is the "good" fats that I am in support of.
Ask what types of fat are there and you will hear words like saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and trans fatty acids. Yikes! When put that way none of them sound good, and some are a lot worse than others. But you really need to know the difference. I could do my best to explain them all in detail but there is some chemistry involved and well, I just do not like chemistry! So, I highly recommend for you to read a great article by Mark Sisson: The Definitive Guide to Fats
Now let me tell you why I like "good" fats, (formerly called) Saturated Fats. Now you will learn all the health facts by reading Mark's article. What I want to add is that saturated fats helped me loose 25 pounds! No I didn't just sit on the couch watching TV and eating butter, cheese and marbled steak all day. Although that sounds absolutely delicious! I also worked out and changed my meal planning to a healthier lifestyle. What made the difference is that I eliminated all grain carbs from my diet, and replaced them with more (good) saturated fats. Yup, no bread, pasta or other nutrient empty carbohydrates. This caused my metabolism to look for another source of fuel to burn, and guess what that was? Yes again . . . FAT! My body uses my fat (well any that still is remaining) along with the fat I eat as fuel. How cool is that? I know, I know, not all of you will be totally on board with this concept, but remember . . . there was a time that everyone thought the world was flat!
Before you go out and buy all the butter off the store shelf here is my disclaimer: You need to cut your carbohydrate intake way back for this to work. Otherwise your body will use the carbs as fuel and store the fat as . . . yup, fat.
Now I know this post was supposed to be about macronutrients and I hope my simple explanations helped some of you. I just couldn't resist added a little "fat" on the end . . .
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Bottle Of Red, Cup Of Joe, Now These 2 Fixes Have To Go!
Ever think about how & when you started to like something? I remember when I was a little kid, I was visiting one of my aunt & uncles and they let me have a cup of coffee. I was so excited! I filled up a mug half way with milk then added a whole lot of sugar (were talking over 40 years ago). What ever room was left I filled with coffee. Yeah . . . I was having an adult drink. Mmmm . . . Mmmm . . . Other than the coffee part I really liked it. Now I have a similar story for alcohol but I see no reason to share that here. I just thought it was fun to think back to when I first tasted both. Anyway, enough of me, this post is about caffeine and alcohol. And guess what, neither are any good for you! I'm not just talking about drinking & driving or acting like an idiot when drunk. I'm referring to what happens to your body when you drink either of these . . . ok here it comes . . . POISONS. Yeah I said it. Now that it's out in the open, here are some points to ponder.
Both are very acidic in nature. Nothing like throwing your whole metabolism out of whack which can cause major digestive issues. Not to mention it can also cause inflammation. Ever start feeling like your stomach has a hole burning through it? Yup, could be the coffee. Of course what do we do? Add more milk/cream/creamers. Which of course usually are flavored with either bad chemicals or lots of sugars.
Coffee also messes with 3 stress hormones: cortisol, adrenaline and norepinephrine. These give you that "fight or flight" reaction and is why you get a nice zippy buzz when you have a strong cup of coffee. Unfortunately this reaction is the cause of an elevated heart rate, increase of blood pressure and a decrease of blood flow to your digestive system. (You don't need your stomach now, you're running for your life!) So after feeling like you are fighting for your life for a few hours, which probably is a normal morning for many of us, your body is bound to hit a wall. So do you crash for the day? Nope, just have another cup of coffee, or 2 or 3 . . . continuing throughout the day and when night comes, you are a total mess. This will cause a disruptive sleep pattern only to be fixed by more coffee the next morning. And so on and so on . . . Might not be a picture of everyone out there who drinks a caffinated drink, but more likely than not enough of you end up using caffeine as a crutch instead of a nice refreshing beverage.
Alcohol also has it's place on the Oh Oh I Better Not Drink list. By now we all should know how drinking can affect a whole lot of mental and bodily functions. But did you know it also affects our sleep patterns? Ever wonder why your dead tired after a night of drinking? Well other than staying out late, drinking alcohol also makes it difficult to get into REM sleep. We all need REM sleep for our bodies to heal and recover. It also (over time) can deplete our needed levels of serotonin, which leads to depression and moodiness.
Will this keep me from drinking coffee or having a glass of wine. Not really. But it does explain why certain things seem to happen when I have a bit too much caffeine a few days in a row. (Luck for me after a half a glass of wine I'm falling asleep so no problem with that one . . .) So there are times I do need to back down from my caffeine for a couple of days and let me body balance back out. Definitely a not-so-good habit I need to work on.
And there you have it. So next time you find yourself in close proximity to a grumpy, moody tired looking person, don't offer them a caffeine or alcohol "fix". Tell them to take a break!!
Sunday, June 27, 2010
How Big Is Your "WHY"?
How big is your why? Looks like a pretty simple question right? But what do I mean by "why"? Well basically your WHY is your reason. Your reason to do something. For a lot of our normal day our reasons to do things are pretty cut and dry. You take the same route to work either because that is your only choice, or you have found out that it is the quickest or easiest way. There is not much to think about with it. The same holds true with a lot of other things such as when to cut the grass (the grass is high . . . hmmm), when to go food shopping (um no food in the house) and what to wear to work. Ok that last one might be a challenge for some. The point I am trying to make is that for normal day to day functions that we have been doing thousands of times, the WHY is easy. But what if you need to jump out of your comfort zone to accomplish that "something"? Think any old WHY will make it happen?
What about personal improvement? Your health? New career? Are you able to change your habits to grow as a person, lose weight or become more successful? There is no magic pill or special lotion to help make these changes. It takes hard work and dedication to accomplish any of these goals. The challenge for almost anyone is having the motivation to take those first few steps. Turning the TV off to read a few pages of a self-help book, grabbing a healthy alternative snack when you are hungry instead of a candy bar, or taking on new challenges at work instead of kicking back are all choices. If it was easy the world would be a much better place. But, stepping out of our comfort zone, taking risks and/or making major changes in our life is hard. It is much easier to find a reason not to. That's not for me, it cost too much, I could never do that . . . are all easy excuses to use to justify not doing something. For those people their "why" just isn't big enough.
I was fortunate to attend a speaking engagement by Darren Hardy. (Publisher and editorial director of SUCCESS magazine www.darrenhardy.success.com.) He used this analogy to explain the "why" factor.
Imagine a wooden board on the ground. Would you walk across it for $20? What if it was 10 feet in the air? How about if it was 10 stories high connecting 2 buildings, would you walk across it then for $20? Now let's put a loved one on the other side and that building was on fire. The only way they can be saved is by you walking across. Now would you?
As you can see the $20 "why" is easy when the board is on the ground. As the board gets higher off the ground that $20 does not have the same value. When that dollar amount turns into someone you love dearly, will your level of "why" change also?
Now let's put this in perspective. When it is time to turn off that TV, start a workout program or take a risk at your job where will YOUR wooden board be? Are these changes so easy to do that the board is flat on the ground? Or will it be so high in the air that there will be no way you will do it? How about somewhere in the middle?
Every choice we make has a "why". Whether it is of the least importance or a major decision, you will always have a reason to do it. It is up to you to make your "why" so big that nothing will stop you.
What about personal improvement? Your health? New career? Are you able to change your habits to grow as a person, lose weight or become more successful? There is no magic pill or special lotion to help make these changes. It takes hard work and dedication to accomplish any of these goals. The challenge for almost anyone is having the motivation to take those first few steps. Turning the TV off to read a few pages of a self-help book, grabbing a healthy alternative snack when you are hungry instead of a candy bar, or taking on new challenges at work instead of kicking back are all choices. If it was easy the world would be a much better place. But, stepping out of our comfort zone, taking risks and/or making major changes in our life is hard. It is much easier to find a reason not to. That's not for me, it cost too much, I could never do that . . . are all easy excuses to use to justify not doing something. For those people their "why" just isn't big enough.
I was fortunate to attend a speaking engagement by Darren Hardy. (Publisher and editorial director of SUCCESS magazine www.darrenhardy.success.com.) He used this analogy to explain the "why" factor.
Imagine a wooden board on the ground. Would you walk across it for $20? What if it was 10 feet in the air? How about if it was 10 stories high connecting 2 buildings, would you walk across it then for $20? Now let's put a loved one on the other side and that building was on fire. The only way they can be saved is by you walking across. Now would you?
As you can see the $20 "why" is easy when the board is on the ground. As the board gets higher off the ground that $20 does not have the same value. When that dollar amount turns into someone you love dearly, will your level of "why" change also?
Now let's put this in perspective. When it is time to turn off that TV, start a workout program or take a risk at your job where will YOUR wooden board be? Are these changes so easy to do that the board is flat on the ground? Or will it be so high in the air that there will be no way you will do it? How about somewhere in the middle?
Every choice we make has a "why". Whether it is of the least importance or a major decision, you will always have a reason to do it. It is up to you to make your "why" so big that nothing will stop you.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Birthday Cake the Primal Way . . .
Well this past weekend was Robin's birthday and our first "challenge" since going Primal with our daily nutrition. What to do for a birthday cake?
For those reading that are unaware of what "primal" means, part of the diet change is eliminating processed sugars and grain carbs. (There is a lot more to it and I will save that for another post.) Since learning the basics it has been fairy easy for us to follow - no grain carbs and no processed sugar. Kind of a no-brainer until you need to bake something! How do you bake without flour? (Generally flour = wheat = grain = NO.) I have been pretty successful making non-flour pancakes but a whole cake is a different story. After some Googling and forum searches (like Marks Daily Apple) I found a couple options I was willing to try. The first was Carrot Cake with Coconut & Pecans and the other was Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cake. I added/swapped/changed a few things with both based on what I wanted or had in the house.
Both have limited ingredients:
As you can see, almond butter, pecans, bananas, eggs, chocolate, honey and some lemon juice. (There is also baking soda but I did not have it in a picture friendly container.)
This one is just as easy with almond meal (just ground up almonds), bananas, grated carrots, eggs, pecans, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. (Cream cheese & agave nectar for the frosting.)
For the chocolate cake it is the almond butter and eggs that hold it together, and the baking soda helps get it to rise. With the carrot cake it is pretty much the almond meal and eggs. So, this means all the other ingredients are more for taste and texture. So feel free to mix it up to your liking!
So really quickly (because it is that easy) for each dessert just mix up all the dry ingredients together then add the eggs/liquids. Bake both at 350 degrees until they are done in the middle. Use the toothpick test. The chocolate cake takes only about 15 minutes and the carrot cake closer to 25 minutes. I used heavy cream to whip up a topping for the chocolate cake and cream cheese whipped up for the carrot cake. Both are sweetened with agave nectar.
Here are what they look like:
Here is the rundown:
Carrot Cake
2 cups almond meal (ground up almonds)
1 Tbs cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup chopped pecans (I used the Magic Bullet so they were more than chopped!)
1 cup shredded coconut
2-3 cups of grated carrots
3 bananas
½ cup almond milk
3 eggs
2 Tbs agave nectar
Frosting
8oz cream cheese
2 Tbs agave nectar
Mix all the dry ingredients together then carrots/bananas. If the bananas are less ripe you might want to mash them a little before mixing in. Then add milk, eggs and nectar and thats it.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. I used a glass 8x8ish Pyrex dish and sprayed with baking spray. This one needs more time to cook than the chocolate cake so make first if you want to bake both at the same time. I have seen various times for different recipes but this one was done in less than 30 minutes. Just make sure to use a tooth pick to ensure center is baked. You do not want to over bake this!!
When done let cool and frost with cream cheese. I bought the prewhipped plain and sweetened with agave nectar. I still whipped it with a hand mixer but for only about 20 seconds.
Chocolate Cake
2 cups almond butter
3 eggs
2 Tbs agave nectar
1 banana (the more ripe the easier to mix and more sweet)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 bar of chopped dark chocolate (I used 90%. Remember the high the % the less sugar and less sweet)
1 Tbs lemon juice
It really doesn't matter what ingredients you mix first with this one. The size of the chocolate pieces will determine how "gooey" it will be. Once all mixed I used a pie dish (buttered/lard) and put in a 350 degree preheated oven for about 18-20 minutes. Make sure you do the toothpick test! This "cake" rose very nicely but you do not want to overbake!
When done let cool and frost with a whipped up heavy cream sweetened with agave nectar.
** NOTE **
Robin really liked both of these but I thought they could have been just a little sweeter. You can add more honey/agave to the mix or to the frosting but I wouldn't want to do both.
Nutritional Values per serving
Carrot Cake:
Calories - 516
Fat - 40 grams
Protein - 13 grams
Carbs - 35 grams
Chocolate Cake:
Calories - 570
Fat - 44 grams
Protein - 18 grams
Carbs - 29 grams
** If you know Primal then you will also know that most of the fats in these recipes are "good" fats and the ratio(s) will be more fat than carbs.
So thats it. I hope you found this of interest and maybe even a little tempting to make . . . Ounce for ounce they are more nutritious than conventional desserts. If you are looking for a better and healthy alternative I hope you give them a try.
For those reading that are unaware of what "primal" means, part of the diet change is eliminating processed sugars and grain carbs. (There is a lot more to it and I will save that for another post.) Since learning the basics it has been fairy easy for us to follow - no grain carbs and no processed sugar. Kind of a no-brainer until you need to bake something! How do you bake without flour? (Generally flour = wheat = grain = NO.) I have been pretty successful making non-flour pancakes but a whole cake is a different story. After some Googling and forum searches (like Marks Daily Apple) I found a couple options I was willing to try. The first was Carrot Cake with Coconut & Pecans and the other was Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cake. I added/swapped/changed a few things with both based on what I wanted or had in the house.
Both have limited ingredients:
As you can see, almond butter, pecans, bananas, eggs, chocolate, honey and some lemon juice. (There is also baking soda but I did not have it in a picture friendly container.)
This one is just as easy with almond meal (just ground up almonds), bananas, grated carrots, eggs, pecans, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. (Cream cheese & agave nectar for the frosting.)
For the chocolate cake it is the almond butter and eggs that hold it together, and the baking soda helps get it to rise. With the carrot cake it is pretty much the almond meal and eggs. So, this means all the other ingredients are more for taste and texture. So feel free to mix it up to your liking!
So really quickly (because it is that easy) for each dessert just mix up all the dry ingredients together then add the eggs/liquids. Bake both at 350 degrees until they are done in the middle. Use the toothpick test. The chocolate cake takes only about 15 minutes and the carrot cake closer to 25 minutes. I used heavy cream to whip up a topping for the chocolate cake and cream cheese whipped up for the carrot cake. Both are sweetened with agave nectar.
Here are what they look like:
Here is the rundown:
Carrot Cake
2 cups almond meal (ground up almonds)
1 Tbs cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup chopped pecans (I used the Magic Bullet so they were more than chopped!)
1 cup shredded coconut
2-3 cups of grated carrots
3 bananas
½ cup almond milk
3 eggs
2 Tbs agave nectar
Frosting
8oz cream cheese
2 Tbs agave nectar
Mix all the dry ingredients together then carrots/bananas. If the bananas are less ripe you might want to mash them a little before mixing in. Then add milk, eggs and nectar and thats it.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. I used a glass 8x8ish Pyrex dish and sprayed with baking spray. This one needs more time to cook than the chocolate cake so make first if you want to bake both at the same time. I have seen various times for different recipes but this one was done in less than 30 minutes. Just make sure to use a tooth pick to ensure center is baked. You do not want to over bake this!!
When done let cool and frost with cream cheese. I bought the prewhipped plain and sweetened with agave nectar. I still whipped it with a hand mixer but for only about 20 seconds.
Chocolate Cake
2 cups almond butter
3 eggs
2 Tbs agave nectar
1 banana (the more ripe the easier to mix and more sweet)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 bar of chopped dark chocolate (I used 90%. Remember the high the % the less sugar and less sweet)
1 Tbs lemon juice
It really doesn't matter what ingredients you mix first with this one. The size of the chocolate pieces will determine how "gooey" it will be. Once all mixed I used a pie dish (buttered/lard) and put in a 350 degree preheated oven for about 18-20 minutes. Make sure you do the toothpick test! This "cake" rose very nicely but you do not want to overbake!
When done let cool and frost with a whipped up heavy cream sweetened with agave nectar.
** NOTE **
Robin really liked both of these but I thought they could have been just a little sweeter. You can add more honey/agave to the mix or to the frosting but I wouldn't want to do both.
Nutritional Values per serving
Carrot Cake:
Calories - 516
Fat - 40 grams
Protein - 13 grams
Carbs - 35 grams
Chocolate Cake:
Calories - 570
Fat - 44 grams
Protein - 18 grams
Carbs - 29 grams
** If you know Primal then you will also know that most of the fats in these recipes are "good" fats and the ratio(s) will be more fat than carbs.
So thats it. I hope you found this of interest and maybe even a little tempting to make . . . Ounce for ounce they are more nutritious than conventional desserts. If you are looking for a better and healthy alternative I hope you give them a try.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
2010 Beachbody Coach Summit
This past weekend Robin and I had an opportunity to attend this years coach summit. We learned a lot more about the Beachbody products (including new releases), were touched by so many healthy transformation stories, motivated by successful coaches, and met a bunch of great people.
And we had LOTS OF FUN! So as much as I would love to talk about the business, I really want to share with you some pics and talk about the great time we had . . .
Part of the planned weekend included workouts with the celebrity trainers. On Friday night there was the "Super" workout where all the celebrity trainers shared the stage and we did 10-15 minutes of each of their popular workouts.
Here is Robin & I waiting to get in:
We never attended anything like this before and did not know what to expect. It felt like we were at a Bruce Springsteen concert the way everyone started lining up and pushing toward the doors. We were standing about 3 feet from one set of doors but when security opened them, we got left in the dust! I guess like at a concert you need to run as fast as you can (screaming) and hope no one gets in your way. So by the time we made it down to the stage we ended up this far away:
Yeah . . . we felt the same way. What just happened??? So much for coming early and waiting. There were over 1500 people attending this event and if most showed up for the workouts, there will be a lot of arms, elbows and knees flying around.
Of course there was always enough room to take a pic of my sweetie . . .
Anyway, we had mini workouts with Shaun T of Insanity, Hip Hop Abs . . .
Tony Horton of P90X, 10-minute Trainer . . .
(sorry bad pic but he is doing the X)
and many others! (Chalene Johnson - ChaLEAN Extreme/Turbo Jam, Leandro Carvalho's Brazil Butt Lift, Brett Hoebel - Revabs and Debbie Sieber - Slim in 6) It was impossible to get pictures of everyone. These fans were CRAZY!
Okay, this workout was nuts. I think I was more worried about getting kicked in the teeth than using proper form. It was a lot of fun and really exciting to be a part of it. So what to do after an hour of this madhouse on a Friday night? Chill by the pool? (It was very cold out) Glass of wine at the bar? Nope . . . had to go and do a Bikram Yoga class!
This was not just another Bikram Yoga studio but THEE Bikram Yoga Studio. The one Bikram Choudhury (creator of this style of yoga) headquarters out of and actually teaches at! Why is this important? Robin is a certified Bikram Yoga instructor. So yeah . . . had to do it. Nothing like another 90 minutes of sweating in a hot room moving my body in all sorts of different positions. I tease because I know Robin will be reading this. Bikram Yoga is actually very beneficial to the body, mind and soul. I recommend it for everyone!
And now time for a funny story . . . The yoga studio was about 3 1/2 miles from the hotel so we took a cab to get there. During the drive there we realized that we will need a ride back. So we asked the driver how long he was working tonight and if he was going to be at the hotel when we finished at 9:30. He enthusiastically handed me a business card and explained that if we call any of the 3 numbers on the card a cab will come. Well that sounded good so in the studio we went. Once class ended, we came outside and I called the 1st number. Out of order. So I called the 2nd number. Out of order. (See the pattern?) I then called the last number and to no surprise, it too was out of order. Now what? The driver also said not to worry because this is a busy street and cabs drive back and forth all the time. Yeah well, if the numbers were out of order do you really think his comment about cabs driving up and down the street would be correct? Never saw one cab! Anyway, 30 minutes later and a cold and windy walk back we made it to the hotel.
Saturday morning (7am) was the individual workout with your favorite trainer. Of course Robin and I wanted to do Insanity with Shaun T. Insanity was our first Beachbody workout program we did together. After 60+ days of seeing Shaun on our TV we felt like we knew him. After Friday's workout fiasco we decided to get there early and be ready for a mad dash to the front of the stage. We were actually the 3rd and 4th person in line and looking pretty good at this point. After we finished the Insanity program at home we each were sent an Insanity T-shirt. We brought them with us hoping to catch Shaun for an autogragh. (I know hard to believe I will be 50 in a few months . . .) It was a good thing we did because security was starting to pick out people wearing these shirts so they could be closer to the stage for the video Beachbody planned on shooting. HAH we were ready for that one! We quickly tossed on the Insanity shirts and merged in with the others. Our little group of shirt wearers were allowed in before anyone else and slowly, ok quickly we walked to the stage. Since no one else was allowed in yet we had the run of the place:
(To make it easy for you I am the old dorky guy)
Just as we were finishing up goof'n around, Shaun T came in to work on setting up for his routine. Well what were we supposed to do???
(Right about then I mentioned that Robin was my Fiance and warned him to be careful)
I guess it was a big shirt because he signed it again . . .
What the heck . . . do mine too!
Well the workout was a killer and we expected nothing less. Shaun brought his trainer and had him on stage facing us, along with one of his friends. The room was packed, Shaun was on fire and we all were pushing ourselves to the max. I'm not sure if it was because we were pumped up or scared that if we stopped to rest we would get trampled, but we kept up pretty damn good throughout the workout! Every now and then Shaun would call someone up onto the stage to do the next part of the workout. Yeah he called me up to do a piece. I wish I had a pic to prove it but that would have been hard to pull off. "Excuse me Shaun, can you stop everything for a sec so I can get my camera?" It was still pretty awesome to do it. Right next to Shaun as he was screaming out commands to everyone. Yeah . . . very cool . . .
Of course there was the after the workout mob wanting to take pictures. Geez . . . can't they leave the guy alone???
Yeah, those abs are real . . .
We even got pictures with his trainer Daniel. If Shaun T is super fit just how fit does his trainer have to be????
Both Shaun and his trainer were super nice and accommodating. We even found out that Daniel is a Bikram Yoga fan!
The rest of the morning and afternoon was training, seminars and a conscious effort not to passout from exhaustion! After a mini nap late afternoon we were ready for the dinner. We haven't had an opportunity to dresss up in a while so we didn't have any clothes that fit! Good thing we had time for a little shopping right before we left.
Here we are with Dave and Monica Ward our sponsor coaches:
And now . . . the man . . . the myth . . .
Mr . . . . Tony Horton:
Tony was very gracious at the dinner. He must have been standing taking pictures with everyone for at least 2 hours. When we got up to him and introduced ourselves, I told him that we get up every morning at 4:30 to do P90X. He shouted out "Whoa Hero Status!"
We had a great time the whole weekend!
Ok I can't keep it in any longer. I have to mention the following:
They are coming out with a new Insanity called Asylum - due out possibly the end of this year (and we can't wait!!!)
Chalene Johnson has a new workout program called Turbo Fire - coming out by summer
There is a new program combining faith & working out called Body Gospel - due out by summer
They cannot make a vanilla flavored Shakeology because it would compromise the quality of the product. Vanilla flavoring is not monitored by the FDA and what is out on the market now (vanilla flavored products) are full of extremely unhealthy chemicals that you would not take individually if you knew what they were. The general public is so accustomed to what they "think" vanilla should taste like that it would be impossible to match that flavor without using the same ingredients.
** What does that say about Beachbody? How easy would it have been for them to just throw out a sub-par product and pretend that it is high quality? Way to go BB!
Also I feel the need to say that both Robin & I were blown away by how committed Beachbody is to changing the world to a healthier and happier place. Not only that, everyone was down to earth, easy to talk with and truely sincere.
Thanks for reading!
Jim
And we had LOTS OF FUN! So as much as I would love to talk about the business, I really want to share with you some pics and talk about the great time we had . . .
Part of the planned weekend included workouts with the celebrity trainers. On Friday night there was the "Super" workout where all the celebrity trainers shared the stage and we did 10-15 minutes of each of their popular workouts.
Here is Robin & I waiting to get in:
We never attended anything like this before and did not know what to expect. It felt like we were at a Bruce Springsteen concert the way everyone started lining up and pushing toward the doors. We were standing about 3 feet from one set of doors but when security opened them, we got left in the dust! I guess like at a concert you need to run as fast as you can (screaming) and hope no one gets in your way. So by the time we made it down to the stage we ended up this far away:
Yeah . . . we felt the same way. What just happened??? So much for coming early and waiting. There were over 1500 people attending this event and if most showed up for the workouts, there will be a lot of arms, elbows and knees flying around.
Of course there was always enough room to take a pic of my sweetie . . .
Anyway, we had mini workouts with Shaun T of Insanity, Hip Hop Abs . . .
Tony Horton of P90X, 10-minute Trainer . . .
(sorry bad pic but he is doing the X)
and many others! (Chalene Johnson - ChaLEAN Extreme/Turbo Jam, Leandro Carvalho's Brazil Butt Lift, Brett Hoebel - Revabs and Debbie Sieber - Slim in 6) It was impossible to get pictures of everyone. These fans were CRAZY!
Okay, this workout was nuts. I think I was more worried about getting kicked in the teeth than using proper form. It was a lot of fun and really exciting to be a part of it. So what to do after an hour of this madhouse on a Friday night? Chill by the pool? (It was very cold out) Glass of wine at the bar? Nope . . . had to go and do a Bikram Yoga class!
This was not just another Bikram Yoga studio but THEE Bikram Yoga Studio. The one Bikram Choudhury (creator of this style of yoga) headquarters out of and actually teaches at! Why is this important? Robin is a certified Bikram Yoga instructor. So yeah . . . had to do it. Nothing like another 90 minutes of sweating in a hot room moving my body in all sorts of different positions. I tease because I know Robin will be reading this. Bikram Yoga is actually very beneficial to the body, mind and soul. I recommend it for everyone!
And now time for a funny story . . . The yoga studio was about 3 1/2 miles from the hotel so we took a cab to get there. During the drive there we realized that we will need a ride back. So we asked the driver how long he was working tonight and if he was going to be at the hotel when we finished at 9:30. He enthusiastically handed me a business card and explained that if we call any of the 3 numbers on the card a cab will come. Well that sounded good so in the studio we went. Once class ended, we came outside and I called the 1st number. Out of order. So I called the 2nd number. Out of order. (See the pattern?) I then called the last number and to no surprise, it too was out of order. Now what? The driver also said not to worry because this is a busy street and cabs drive back and forth all the time. Yeah well, if the numbers were out of order do you really think his comment about cabs driving up and down the street would be correct? Never saw one cab! Anyway, 30 minutes later and a cold and windy walk back we made it to the hotel.
Saturday morning (7am) was the individual workout with your favorite trainer. Of course Robin and I wanted to do Insanity with Shaun T. Insanity was our first Beachbody workout program we did together. After 60+ days of seeing Shaun on our TV we felt like we knew him. After Friday's workout fiasco we decided to get there early and be ready for a mad dash to the front of the stage. We were actually the 3rd and 4th person in line and looking pretty good at this point. After we finished the Insanity program at home we each were sent an Insanity T-shirt. We brought them with us hoping to catch Shaun for an autogragh. (I know hard to believe I will be 50 in a few months . . .) It was a good thing we did because security was starting to pick out people wearing these shirts so they could be closer to the stage for the video Beachbody planned on shooting. HAH we were ready for that one! We quickly tossed on the Insanity shirts and merged in with the others. Our little group of shirt wearers were allowed in before anyone else and slowly, ok quickly we walked to the stage. Since no one else was allowed in yet we had the run of the place:
(To make it easy for you I am the old dorky guy)
Just as we were finishing up goof'n around, Shaun T came in to work on setting up for his routine. Well what were we supposed to do???
(Right about then I mentioned that Robin was my Fiance and warned him to be careful)
I guess it was a big shirt because he signed it again . . .
What the heck . . . do mine too!
Well the workout was a killer and we expected nothing less. Shaun brought his trainer and had him on stage facing us, along with one of his friends. The room was packed, Shaun was on fire and we all were pushing ourselves to the max. I'm not sure if it was because we were pumped up or scared that if we stopped to rest we would get trampled, but we kept up pretty damn good throughout the workout! Every now and then Shaun would call someone up onto the stage to do the next part of the workout. Yeah he called me up to do a piece. I wish I had a pic to prove it but that would have been hard to pull off. "Excuse me Shaun, can you stop everything for a sec so I can get my camera?" It was still pretty awesome to do it. Right next to Shaun as he was screaming out commands to everyone. Yeah . . . very cool . . .
Of course there was the after the workout mob wanting to take pictures. Geez . . . can't they leave the guy alone???
Yeah, those abs are real . . .
We even got pictures with his trainer Daniel. If Shaun T is super fit just how fit does his trainer have to be????
Both Shaun and his trainer were super nice and accommodating. We even found out that Daniel is a Bikram Yoga fan!
The rest of the morning and afternoon was training, seminars and a conscious effort not to passout from exhaustion! After a mini nap late afternoon we were ready for the dinner. We haven't had an opportunity to dresss up in a while so we didn't have any clothes that fit! Good thing we had time for a little shopping right before we left.
Here we are with Dave and Monica Ward our sponsor coaches:
And now . . . the man . . . the myth . . .
Mr . . . . Tony Horton:
Tony was very gracious at the dinner. He must have been standing taking pictures with everyone for at least 2 hours. When we got up to him and introduced ourselves, I told him that we get up every morning at 4:30 to do P90X. He shouted out "Whoa Hero Status!"
We had a great time the whole weekend!
Ok I can't keep it in any longer. I have to mention the following:
They are coming out with a new Insanity called Asylum - due out possibly the end of this year (and we can't wait!!!)
Chalene Johnson has a new workout program called Turbo Fire - coming out by summer
There is a new program combining faith & working out called Body Gospel - due out by summer
They cannot make a vanilla flavored Shakeology because it would compromise the quality of the product. Vanilla flavoring is not monitored by the FDA and what is out on the market now (vanilla flavored products) are full of extremely unhealthy chemicals that you would not take individually if you knew what they were. The general public is so accustomed to what they "think" vanilla should taste like that it would be impossible to match that flavor without using the same ingredients.
** What does that say about Beachbody? How easy would it have been for them to just throw out a sub-par product and pretend that it is high quality? Way to go BB!
Also I feel the need to say that both Robin & I were blown away by how committed Beachbody is to changing the world to a healthier and happier place. Not only that, everyone was down to earth, easy to talk with and truely sincere.
Thanks for reading!
Jim
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