I'm so preppy!

Life is busy.  It is hard sometimes to make healthy meal and snack choices when you are being a taxi for your kids, working full time, in school, trying to fit workouts in, have a social life and family time.  I get it!  The best tip I have found useful is to be proactive and prep healthy meals and snacks for the week.  I know it is easier said than done but once you get into the routine, I promise it will get easier!

Find an evening or time on the weekend that you can spend a couple hours in the kitchen.  I like to bake some pumpkin or banana protein bars, cut them up and store in the freezer.  Protein energy balls can be made in about 15 minutes and stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.  Wash and cut all kinds of raw veggies to have ready for salads, stir fry, omelets, or other dishes like jambalaya, chili, quinoa or rice dishes, etc.  Cook a whole package of chicken breast, dice and store some in refrigerator and some in the freezer to have ready for salads or other dishes.  Hard boil eggs.  Make turkey meatballs and store in freezer.  Make your own trail mix with raw nuts, seeds and dried fruit.

When you have your dinner menu planned for the week and have healthy meal ingredients on hand, it takes the guesswork out of dinner and you'll be less likely to opt for takeout or frozen pizza.  Having healthy snack items to take with you to work will make it easier to say no to the donuts in the break room.  I like to keep some healthy snack options with me when I go shopping, to class, or even out with friends so I am not at the mercy of fast food, a vending machine or gas station snacks.

Give it a try this week.  If you don't have too much time, just start with a few prepped items.  Maybe just snacks then try to prep for meals next week.  Once you find your groove, you'll become a pro at prepping!

Some might call it being in control.  Many would call it proactive.  I say I'm just being preppy!

It's time to make a plan!!!

"If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail."   - Benjamin Franklin

This quote can be applied to any area in life but today we will talk about it in the context of nutrition and meal planning.  I was talking with a client of mine the other day about her unhealthy food choices over the weekend and we discussed how she could plan ahead for the upcoming weekend to make healthier choices and stay on track nutritionally.  I think this is a common struggle with many people, whether it is on the weekends, at work, at school or on vacation.  There will always be temptations and excuses to get off track and I know how frustrating it can be to feel like you are starting over every Monday, every few weeks, or sometimes every day!

If you find during the week, there is no time to cook healthy meals for your family and often resort to fast food, frozen meals or easy boxed meals, try meal prepping one morning or afternoon over the weekend.  You can chop fresh vegetable and have them ready to snack on or to add to meals over the course of the week.  Roast a chicken, hard boil several eggs, and brown some ground beef or turkey in batches.  Plan out recipes for the week in advance so that there is no temptation to make unhealthy meal choices.  Prepare healthy casseroles, meatballs, protein bars, etc. and store in freezer to pull out for use when you need them.  When we make homemade pizza, we make two large pizzas at a time and freeze the leftovers so we can pull out a couple slices here and there when we need a quick meal option.

The other must-do is to take healthy snacks with you wherever you go!  Even when out for an afternoon of shopping, I keep a bag of almonds, a banana or healthy protein bar with me and always a bottle of water to be ready when hunger hits!   Whether it is a long day at work, school or an all-day soccer tournament on the week-end, you are not at the mercy of the break room, food court or concession stand!  If you are often rushed in the morning, (as we all are sometimes!) get everything ready the night before.  When preparing my kids' lunches at night before bed, I get my snacks or lunch ready for the next day, too!

It's also nice to have a buddy that has common health goals to help you stay on track.  Try sharing lunch with a work colleague or friend by bringing healthy leftovers from the night before or going to a café with a quinoa & kale salad instead of Chinese buffet with the rest of your work crew.  I have found that most people really want to be healthy, they just lack discipline or knowledge.  You may find that many people in your circle of influence have the same goals as you and can all support each other!

As all thing in life, there will be challenges.  It is how you approach them and react as to what makes the difference!  Plan ahead so that you can make a healthy choice and remember no one is perfect!  There will be hard days, but don't let one bad choice take you off track.  Get back on track and plan ahead!

"To be prepared is half the victory."  Miguel De Cervantes

How does it taste?

So, I totally cannot take credit for this concept but I love it so here is my regurgitated version....

This morning while listening to the radio, a registered dietitian called in and suggested a great way to experience your food and appreciate what you are actually eating.

Next time you eat fast food and peel the processed sticky cheese-like product from the paper wrapper of your smashed up burger, take a bite of that greasy, soggy mess and hold it in your mouth for 20-30 seconds and take time to experience the flavors and textures of the "food" you are fueling your body with.  Chances are, it won't taste like much and will feel pretty mushy!

Now try the same exercise with some "real" food. Perhaps a piece of grass-fed beef steak, an egg from a farm-raised chicken, vegetables from your own back yard (or the organic section of the grocery store.)  Taste and feel.  Think about what you are putting in your body and the nutrients it provides.

Now go forth and make good choices. 

No More Counting Calories!

I just read a great article in my Fitness Journal for ACE Certified Professionals called "Nutrition by the Handfuls."  It talks about how frustrating it can to count calories and track macronutrients and many people just give up trying to figure out how to eat healthy!  Because I haven't counted calories in years, I love the approach and method of the article so I'd like to share the basic information with you here! 

All you need is your hand.  Well, more specifically, your palm, fist, and thumb.  And some food, of course!  This is how it works:  your palm determines your protein portions, your fist determines your veggie portions, your cupped hand is used for carbohydrate dense food and your thumb is for fat portions.

For protein dense food like lean meat, fish, eggs, cottage cheese and Greek yogurt, you will use your palm to determine the serving size.  According to the article, each palm sized serving will provide 20-30 grams of protein to help build muscle, burn fat improve, muscle recovery and boost performance. Women need 4-6 protein portions each day and men need 6-8 portions.

Your fist will be used to portion nonstarchy colorful vegetables like spinach, broccoli, salad greens, carrots, etc.  Women will need 4-6 portions per day and men will need 6-8 fist portions per day. Since veggies are low in calories and high in nutrients, you can always eat more veggies than the recommended amount!

Grains, starches (corn, potatoes, etc.) and fruit (yes, fruit is a carb!) you will use your cupped hand for the portion size, which will provide approximately 20-30 grams of carbs.  Women need 4-6 carb portions per day and men 6-8 portions per day.  The proper amount of carbs help fuel workout performance, maintain hormones and regulate blood sugar levels.

Finally, the thumb is used to measure healthy fat dense food like nut butters, avocado, nuts, seeds and oils.  Each thumb sized serving will provide approximately 7-12 grams of fat to maintain a healthy immune system and hormone functions.  The daily servings for fats are 4-6 for women and 6-8 for men.

How many meals you eat each day will determine your breakdown of servings.  If you eat three squares a day, then you would need at least 2 servings from each category at each meal (men would need 3 at some meals.)  If you eat 6 small meals a day or 3 small meals and 3 snacks in between, you would have about 1 serving from each category at each meal or snack. 

Now this may or may not sound like a good method to you.  If you are stuck in your current nutrition plan or tired of calculating everything you put in your mouth, why not try something new?  If you do, let me know how it works for you!  Now get started and give yourself a hand!

So what is the big deal with clean eating?

 

Just in case you are not familiar with the concept of clean eating, I thought I'd write a post to fill you in. Not to mention the fact that it is one of my biggest passions! Simply put, it is a lifestyle that focuses on eating healthy, whole, natural and unprocessed foods.

It dates back to the natural health movement of the 1960s, became popular in health clubs and gyms and has now moved to mainstream America, I believe, because people really want to learn how to eat right and be in control of their health.

According to Registered Dietician Diane Welland, here are seven core principles of eating clean:

1. Choose whole natural foods and eliminate or minimize processed foods

2. Choose unrefined over refined

3. Include protein, carbohydrates and healthy fat at every meal

4. Pay attention to fat, salt & sugar

5. Eat 5-6 small meals throughout the day

6. Don't drink your calories

7. Be physically active

For some people these might be very easy tips. For others, you may have to ease into it. If everything you eat comes in a box or through a drive through window, start buying your own meat, vegetables and fruit and make your own meals a few nights a week. If you eat white bread, switch to whole grain or sprouted or skip the bread altogether and opt for a salad or an omelet. Eggs from farm raised chickens are my best friend! Carry snacks with you like raw almonds, fruit, homemade protein bars, string cheese, etc. so you can eat every couple of hours. It may take time to adapt but you will feel and look much better very soon!

Click here for the full article about clean eating www.cookinglight.com/eating-smart/smart-choices/clean-eating

Everytime you eat...

"Every time you eat or drink, you are either feeding disease or fighting it!"

                                                                               - Heather Morgan MS, NLC

I love this quote because it is so true!  This is just a short mid-week post to remind you to think about everything you put in your body!  There are so many good foods that have great health benefits, (just read some of my other posts) that there is no reason to allow harmful, chemically laden substances masquerading as food into your body!  I'm not going to get on my soap box today because I simply don't have time but please remember, you only get one shot at life and only one body.  If you want to make the most of it, take care of yourself - inside and out!  Choose wisely!

Happy Heart Day!

Today is Valentine's Day. A day to honor all things of love and pass out heart shaped cards to friends and family. Instead of eating a giant box of bon bons or artificially flavored gummy bears that will stick in your molars for days, let's take a look at some good clean food that will help take care of your real heart – the organ deep within your thoracic cavity that pumps life giving blood throughout your body.

One of the best heart healthy food to eat is salmon, which is high in omega-3 fatty acids and helps to prevent blood clotting. The recommended amount of salmon or other oily fish, like tuna and sardines, is two servings a week.

Berries, such as blueberries and raspberries contain fiber and antioxidants that help fight cancer causing free radicals and according to Web MD, 5 oz of walnuts a week can cut your risk of heart disease in half.

Foods high in potassium such as bananas, oranges and avocados help lower blood pressure and legumes and lentils like chickpeas and black beans are a great source of soluble fiber that can help lower LDL cholesterol. Oatmeal, barley and seaweed are also good sources of fiber. Olive oil is a great oil to replace vegetable oils and butter in cooking because it is not saturated and does not contain trans fat, which clog arteries.

My favorite heart healthy food is dark chocolate! Cacao is high is flavanols that help lower blood pressure and prevent blood clots. It is also an antioxidant, helping to fight free radicals and lower LDL cholesterol levels. Just make sure your dark chocolate is 66% cacao or higher to cut out unnecessary sugar. The higher the cacao content, the more bitter it will taste, so a little will go a long way and keep you satisfied longer!

These are just a few important foods to incorporate into your diet to keep your heart beating stronger and longer. What a better way to show your loved ones you care than to make some healthy changes and improve your quality of life! Happy Heart Day!

The Amazing Avocado!

Just what is so amazing about this pear shaped alligator looking fruit? Yes. It's a fruit. It grows on a tree and contains a pit. Avocados provide almost 20 vitamins and minerals, are low in sugar, high in fiber and have a mild buttery flavor that makes them very versatile for use in dips, spreads, smoothies and a variety of recipes!

According to Medical News today, avocados contain the phytochemicals lutein and zeaxanthin, which are essential to eye health. It contain twice the amount of potassium as a banana, which helps control blood pressure, and folate which is important during pregnancy and helps lower the risk of breast cancer. Avocados are also naturally high in fiber, which is very important in maintaining a healthy intestinal tract. I don't know about you, but I would rather eat an avocado than choke down a glass of Metamucil any day!

It contains a whole alphabet soup of vitamins A, C, E, K, and B6. The avocado is high in monounsaturated (the healthy kind) fat, which helps reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, regulate blood pressure and insulin levels, reduce risk of stroke and help maintain a healthy heart. It also contains powerful antioxidants, which help fight cancer causing free radicals and helps keep us all younger looking!

According to several home remedy and natural websites, avocados can even help fight bad breath because it has all that fiber to clean out the intestines, which are the cause of a coated tongue and bad breath. Goodbye, Metamucil!

Due to its thick skin, avocados are one fruit that you don't have to buy organic and are usually pretty inexpensive. Avocados can be purchased at any stage and left to ripen on a counter. Once it is soft to the touch, peel and eat or refrigerate until ready to eat. I keep these bad boys on hand all the time...they are pretty amazing!

Food Fight: Give Cholesterol an Upper-Cut! The Final Round!

Finally! The final round to the fight against cholesterol. In addition to food consumed, there are some additional healthy dietary choices that can provide additional benefits and help naturally lower unhealthy cholesterol levels.
 

Green tea contains powerful antioxidants that can help reduce oxidized LDL cholesterol. Dark chocolate contains flavonoids, which are antioxidants that help lower LDL levels and red wine contains resveratrol, which may prevent damage to blood vessels by reducing the risk of blood clots and lower LDL. If you do indulge in chocolate and wine, please do so in moderation as chocolate may contain added sugars and excess alcohol consumption can lead to other health issues.
 

When cooking, plant based oils are best. According to Harvard University School of Public Health, even though coconut oil is high in saturated fat, it has many health benefits including increasing HDL “good” cholesterol levels. Olive oil is an excellent choice to replace unhealthy fats such as margarine, butter and oils such as corn, soybean and canola. In a study at Sapienza University in Rome, Italy, blood tests after eating a Mediterranean diet with added extra virgin olive oil showed lowered levels of blood sugar and LDL cholesterol.
 

Another suggestion in lowering cholesterol is to increase vitamin K2 intake. Vitamin K2 is different from vitamin K1, which is found in green leafy vegetables and aids in bone formation. Vitamin K2 helps to reduce atherosclerosis, which is the hardening and narrowing of the arteries due to a buildup of plaque, and works together with calcium and vitamin D to deliver calcium to the bones, where it belongs, instead of accumulating in arteries. K2 is found in natto (fermented soybeans,) goose and chicken liver, hard and soft cheeses, egg yolk and butter.
 

According to Dr. Joseph Mercola, reducing chronic inflammation is key in lowering cholesterol. Chronic inflammation in the body can be caused by eating lots of sugar and grains, foods cooked at high temperatures, smoking, emotional stress and a sedentary lifestyle. No matter your cholesterol levels or health concerns, it is always best to avoid food high in trans fat and processed foods, both of which raise the “bad” LDL cholesterol and lower the “good” HDL cholesterol. Physical activity is also a key component to better health because it increases blood circulation and strengthens the immune system. Yoga and Tai Chi can help lower stress, anxiety and depression as well as improve cardiovascular and blood lipid profiles. An under active thyroid, known as hypothyroidism, is sometimes connected to high cholesterol. Talk with a doctor or functional practitioner about improving your thyroid function, which may help to naturally lower cholesterol levels.
 

Well, there you have it! The whole healthy enchilada of how to fight cholesterol the natural way.  If you need a more concise eating plan, the DASH diet is endorsed by the American Heart Association to lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, reduce insulin resistance and reduce the risk of developing diabetes. The DASH eating plan is rich in fruits and vegetables, low fat dairy, whole grains, high fiber, potassium, calcium and magnesium. More information can be found at http://dashdiet.org.

“Let food by they medicine and medicine be thy food.” - Hippocrates

Food Fight: Give Cholesterol an Upper-Cut! Round Three

So here it is, what you've all been waiting for. The list of foods that will naturally lower cholesterol!

Well, maybe not so much as a list as the cliff notes version.

The American Heart Association recommends eating at least two servings of fish a week to increase levels of Omega-3 fatty acids, which can reduce inflammation, lower triglycerides, reduce blood pressure and the risk of developing blood clots. Fish that contain the highest levels of Omega-3 fatty acids are mackerel, herring, sardines, albacore tuna, salmon and halibut. Be careful to make sure that your fish isn't farm raised, which will contain higher Omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids can also be found in supplement form, fish oils, and foods such as walnuts and avocados. Many seeds also contain high Omega-3's including pumpkin, chia, flax and hemp.

Just like the commercial says, oatmeal can help lower cholesterol but please put down that box of processed Cheerios and opt for the real stuff! Oatmeal contains soluble fiber, which can reduce the absorption of cholesterol into your blood stream. If you don't care for a bowl of mush for breakfast, make your own granola or grind it up and use as a replacement flour in recipes. Other sources of soluble fiber are apples, pears, barley and beans, such as kidney, black, lima and garbanzo. Hummus, anyone? Most vegetables are also high in fiber including peas, broccoli, brussels sprouts, artichokes, eggplant and okra.

 

Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps reduce inflammation, which will decrease the amount of cholesterol needed and therefore produced by your body. Sources of vitamin C include oranges, grapefruit, lemons, limes, kiwi, papaya, strawberries, pineapple, cantaloupe, red and green peppers, sweet potatoes, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and kale. Blueberries are also very high in antioxidants and fiber.

Magnesium is one of the six essential minerals that must be supplied through diet and acts as a natural statin to help moderate cholesterol production in the body. Some foods high in magnesium are kelp, wheat bran, wheat germ, almonds, cashews, molasses, brewer's yeast, buckwheat, brazil nuts, filberts, peanuts, millet, pecans, rye, tofu and dark chocolate.

 

But wait... there's more! There is so much more information I have to share about how to lower cholesterol that it's going to take another post. Find out the best oils to use in cooking, the best cheese to eat and whether or not you can go ahead and have that glass of wine....

Food Fight: Give Cholesterol an Upper-Cut! Round Two

The American Heart Association recommends all adults over age 20 to have their cholesterol tested every 4-6 years. A complete fasting lipoprotein profile will include total blood cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels all given in milligrams per deciliter of blood. A little science lesson here. Cholesterol is transported in the bloodstream by lipoproteins. Now remember, your body needs good cholesterol to carry out important work in your body. It's the oxidized (or rancid) cholesterol that causes the problems.

 

There are two types of lipoproteins that carry cholesterol in the blood: low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL.) LDL is considered the bad cholesterol since it may form plaque, which can build up and clog your arteries, leading to heart attacks and stroke. A good LDL number is less than 110mg/dL. HDL is considered the good cholesterol because it carries LDL cholesterol away from the arteries back to the liver, where much of the body's cholesterol is produced. A desirable level of HDL cholesterol is 35 mg/dL or higher.

Triglycerides are the most common type of fat that stores extra calories from the foods we eat and has been linked to heart disease and diabetes. This number should be less than 150 mg/dL. High triglycerides can be caused by physical inactivity, obesity, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption and a diet high in sugar and grains.

According to Dr. Joseph Mercola, there is no good or bad cholesterol, total cholesterol levels are not a good indicator of heart disease and modern medicine puts way too much emphasis on lowering cholesterol, which can be an indicator of chronic inflammation in the body. There is a very interesting article about cholesterol, inflammation and the dangers of cholesterol lowering medications at http://cholesterol.mercola.com/

As with any health concern, it is always best to start at the root of the problem. Whether you want to lower cholesterol levels, reduce inflammation, or just plain feel better, it always starts with food. You are what you eat. If you owned a prize race car, wouldn't you use the best fuel available to ensure it's peak performance? Why then do Americans contribute to the degradation of their own performance by consuming cheap, chemically modified, imitation fuel? In part three, I will have a complete list of real foods that are known to reduce cholesterol.

 

 

It's time to start fighting back.

Food Fight: Give Cholesterol an Upper-Cut! Round One

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” - Hippocrates

The first fight I have decided to pick is with cholesterol. In preparing for this entry I feel that I have embarked upon a Master's thesis so in attempt to reduce the boredom factor, I'll try to stick to the nitty-gritty with some reputable facts so you know I'm not just making stuff up! Warning... it will be a little lengthy so I'll split it into multiple posts.

According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) website, over 102 million Americans have unhealthy levels of cholesterol. While it is recommended that all adults over age 20 should have their cholesterol levels tested, the CDC reports that 20 percent of 12-19 year old individuals have elevated cholesterol levels and children with a family history of heart disease, diabetes and certain other diseases should begin testing at age two! This is a real problem, folks!

Here are some science facts. Cholesterol is a waxy, oily steroid that plays an important role in cell formation, manufacturing hormones and maintaining a healthy immune system. It is actually a valuable substance unless it is oxidized, a chemical change that occurs when combined with unstable oxygen molecules, the amino acid homocysteine or chlorine. Yawn, I know. Basically cholesterol is oxidized and enters the blood stream by consuming processed food, certain animal products, environmental pollutants and stress and damages arteries. We need those arteries to be nice and strong to carry blood from the heart to all organ systems and keep them in healthy working order. Unhealthy arteries lead to many health complications including stroke and heart disease, which is the number one cause of death in the United States. Serious stuff.

Good news. A simple blood test by a doctor can determine cholesterol levels. According to the CDC, high cholesterol levels can be reduced by diet and lifestyle changes, and in other cases by pharmaceutical intervention. Don't do drugs, people! Stay tuned to learn how to reduce bad cholesterol levels the healthy way!