Tag Archives: Healthy Eating

Health & Fitness Articles of the Week – 9/7/14

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A Call for a Low-Carb Diet That Embraces Fat– “By the end of the yearlong trial, people in the low-carbohydrate group had lost about eight pounds more on average than those in the low-fat group. They had significantly greater reductions in body fat than the low-fat group, and improvements in lean muscle mass — even though neither group changed their levels of physical activity. While the low-fat group did lose weight, they appeared to lose more muscle than fat.”

Train Your Brain to Choose Fruit Salad Over French Fries– This is a short article that talks about new research which suggests how we can change how our brain responds to healthy foods as rewards. Researchers did MRI’s before and after on patients starting a new weight loss program and found their brains responded differently to healthy and unhealthy foods before and after. More research needs to be done, but it is a great starting point.

Five Ways to Build Mental Toughness– This article talks about how working out and fitness is just as much mental as it is physical. It is important to work and hone your mental skills for not only success inside the gym, but also outside of it as well. Here are the 5 mental tools listed out, Humility, Confidence, Focus, Integrity, and Passion. The article goes into depth on each of them.

The Age Of Aspartame May Be Coming To An End As More Health Risks Are Confirmed– “In a new study observing over 60,000 women, diet drinks containing aspartame consumed at 2 or more per day increased the risk of heart related illness by 50%. This is added to the list of studies that have shown aspartame causes fast paced kidney decline, brain and neurological damage, and is linked to increased rates of leukaemia and lymphoma and more.”

The NFL Dodges on Brain Injuries– With Football season just kicking off, I thought it only fitting to include an article I found in the Atlantic. I am sure many know about the class action lawsuit against the NFL league, however what this article focuses on is how the outcome will  not only affect the NFL, but it is also a matter of public health and could potentially have a significant public cost.

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Photo from Huff Post

Health & Fitness Articles of the Week – 8/31/14

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 The Stationary Bike of the Soul– If you have ever been to a Soul Cycle Spinning class then you probably already know what the draw is to it. I for one never thought I would be a person that would pay $30+ dollars to be pushed through a hard workout, however once you do it you find how addictive these type of classes are. “Not much different from other cult-like exercise programs, or even branding in general—the most successful companies create a sense that their product is part of a lifestyle, like the choosy moms who choose Jif. The twist with SoulCycle is what it calls the “mind/body experience.”

Meet CrossFit’s Fittest Man on Earth– Rich Froning just secured his 4th year in a row being titled the Fittest Man on Earth at the CrossFit Games.  The competition is 4 day event where you do everything from running, to hand stand push-ups, to squats, and even rope climbs to just name a few. In this interview with Rich you find out what it takes to be a 4 time champion and what he likes about cross fit.

The Dark Side of Almond Use– This article is interesting because it not only talks about the health benefits from Almonds, but also the rise in popularity of the nut and the farming practices of it. “The only state that produces almonds commercially is California, where cool winter and mild springs let almond trees bloom. Eighty-two percent of the world’s almonds come from California. ”

The Perils of Clean Eating– I for one have been quoted as saying I need to eat cleaner. In fact I said it this morning as a response to this last week of over indulging due to my family being in town, moving, and get together’s with friends. This lead me to look into an article on clean eating and is it really that good for you?

Why Junk Food Makes You Fat, NOT Fat or Carbs– This article shows the correlation between obesity and caloric intake. As a country we started to see this uptick in 1980 with the addition of more highly processed foods. It also touches on how our brain reacts to junk food.

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Image from Huff Post

Curry Shrimp Recipe

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Let me say, I love curry! Indian and Thai food are always some of my favorite take out dishes on a cold winter night. Something about the warm dish mixed with full bodied spices creates a very comforting feeling. Now although I have to say I crave curry more in the winter, it can also be a great summer dinner as well.

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Yesterday my mom and I went to see The Hundred Foot Journey with Helen Mirren. What does this have to do with curry? Well the movie is all about food, with an emphasis on Indian cuisine. The food dishes were visually impact-full and stunning. It made you leave with your mouth watering and a strong desire for some good Indian Food.

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This lead me to want to make my easy curry shrimp recipe and share it with all of you. This dish is a lot lighter then most curry fare you find out, but hits the spot all the same. It is easy, filling, and delicious. You can add in other vegetables then what I have mentioned below, this just happened to be what I had on hand.  Hope you enjoy!

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Curry Shrimp Recipe

1 lbs of Green Beans Trimmed

1 pound cooked shrimp

1 Can Water Chestnut’s

1/2 Onion Chopped

1 cup light coconut milk from a can

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon Curry Powder

1 Tablespoon Cumin

1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce

1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar

1 Tablespoon Corn Starch

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon salt. Add the green beans and cook until just tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain and run under cold water to cool; transfer to a serving bowl.

2.  In a large skillet add olive oil and onion. Cook until slightly brown. Add in coconut milk and all of the spices. Next add the shrimp and green beans. Cook for about 5 minutes on medium heat

3. Ready to serve! I added mine on top of brown rice

 

Health & Fitness Articles of the Week – 8/03/14

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The Link Between Birth Control Pills and Breast Cancer– “A new study out today suggests that having recently taken birth control pills increases breast cancer risk by about 50 percent. Women who were on a formulation of the pill with an especially elevated level of estrogen nearly tripled their risk of getting breast cancer, and a pill with even a moderate amount of the hormone increased the risk by about 60 percent.”

Why High-Impact Exercise Is Good for Your Bones– Being a runner myself and having had a back injury I completely understand the importance of making sure I am keeping my bones healthy. I have always wondered how high impact exercises affect my body, so this article is interesting to see that there are a lot of benefits from doing high impact exercises.

What Makes a Superfood?– Superfood is a new buzz word out there. Are there foods that can give us everything we need? This article is short and sweet but try’s to add a simple perspective to the topic. “And while marketers are at liberty to label anything a superfood, Dr. Hagen doesn’t believe any one food can be super.”

What to Look For in a Fitness App– Although this article does not give you any specific apps to download it does give some good rules of thumb to look at when downloading a Health and Fitness App. I can say I would not have been able to do my weight loss without My Fitness Pal. This has been by far the best App I have personally used for tracking food. In terms of fitness I really like Map My Run for running. It has various versions for biking, walking, etc. They are all the same so all you need is one and you get the same use from it.  However I would love to hear thoughts on what has worked for others.

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Photo from Huff Post

Health & Fitness Articles of the Week – 7/27/14

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Finding Balance Between Your Life and Your Diet– This article is definitely an opinion piece, however I really like a lot of what he says. He has 3 basic ideas for living a balanced life where you are not tied to a diet. First is to try intermittent fasting, second is to make smart food choices, and lastly train and be very active. These are 3 things I personally practice.

What Happens to Your Brain When You Eat Junk Food (And Why We Crave It) – I for one have read a few books on this subject. It is interesting to know why our body craves certain foods and how companies work hard to make you want them.

How Our Arms Help Us Run– “The results showed, as the scientists had expected, that the volunteers used the least energy and were most efficient when they ran normally, their arms swinging at their sides. With each change in arm position, their efficiency dropped.”

Could a probiotic prevent obesity?– “Since it worked in mice eating a high-fat diet, it does suggest that it will be beneficial, even if people don’t change their diet to something including more vegetables and less junk food. But we expect that it would likely provide the most benefit to those who do change their diet and try to get sufficient exercise.There are lots of people who are doing their best to change their lifestyle and it still isn’t enough for them to get to and keep a healthy weight, we think this strategy will really help them.”

The HPV Vaccination Rate Is Still Too Low, CDC Says-“Though the CDC recommends the HPV vaccine for all 11-year-old and 12-year-old boys and girls, the 2013 study found that doctors had not recommended it to one third of girls and more than half of boys.”

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Photo from Huff Post

 

Health & Fitness Articles of the Week – 7/13/14

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10 Mistakes Women Make in the Gym– I am still surprised by how many women I know that work out all of the time, but still feel like cardio is the only way to lose weight and stay fit. They completely neglect weight training, which I believe to be key in staying in shape. “Too often women end up blending elements of all those practices and as often happens when you combine too many recipes, that dish won’t cook. Women make little progress and often end up looking worse than when they began, sometimes developing a body that’s “skinny fat,” a cruel, paradoxical condition where they appear thin in clothes, but actually have a higher body fat percentage than they did before they started to exercise because they lost muscle instead of body fat.”

 Training Footwear 101– One of the most important things when working out is making sure you have the right gear to do it in. Shoes are key. For someone like me who is an avid runner I have to replace my shoes very frequently. If not my body can feel it.This article does a nice job of laying out how footwear geared to what you are doing is key.

Study of Organic Crops Finds Fewer Pesticides and More Antioxidants– “A comprehensive review of earlier studies found substantially higher levels of antioxidants and lower levels of pesticides in organic fruits, vegetables and grains compared with conventionally grown produce.”

Workout Nutrition Illustrated– In a great fitness book I read it broke out bodies into 3 types and talks in depth how you have to cater how you work out and eat based off of your body type. This illustration captures it quite nicely and is a good first step in my opinion.

Do Carbohydrate Sources Matter?– The writer of this article definitely has a strong opinion, but the topic is one that I feel a lot of people are curious about and so I wanted to include it. “Some studies show that a lower GI diet may help with cholesterol and in lowering inflammation levels in the body [4][5]. I do believe that the majority of your diet should be made from those types of foods.”

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Photo from Huff Post

Easy Turkey Potato Salad Recipe

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Over the 4th of July weekend Dustin and I went up to Shasta Trinity National Forrest  to go camping with some of our closest friends for the weekend. Over the trip a debate started with the group on whether or not our generation still eat’s potato salad. I mean yes, if potato salad is at a picnic we will eat it. However if there was going to be a pot luck or party would this be a dish we would think to bring? In a generation where we are being over saturated with new grains like quiona, farro, barley and trendy leafy greens like Kale, have we forgotten about a classic dish like potato salad? After discussing this topic the only solution I could come up with was I was craving potato salad and decided I needed to make a healthy version at home. This recipe was not from a cookbook or found online, I simply made it up. So feel free to tweak and add to suit your liking.

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Ingredients

  • 2-3 Large Carrots diced
  • 2-3 Large Celery Sticks diced
  • 1/2 Chopped Onion diced
  • 1 Large Bell Pepper diced
  • 1 1/2 Cups of grapes
  • 2 Medium potatoes cooked (also can use 5-6 small russet potatoes)
  • 1 Cup diced turkey (I used the Trader Joes pre-cut version)
  • 1 Cup Non-Fat Greek Yogurt (Fage is my favorite)
  • 2 Tablespoons of honey mustard
  • Splash of salt, pepper, and garlic salt
  • Option to add a tablespoon of curry

Makes about 6 servings. Mix everything together and enjoy!

Snacking or Meals- What do you prefer?

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Snacking……what can I say about it. I am obsessed. I hate sitting down to eat a full meal. I would much rather graze and eat all day. I love eating, who doesn’t right.  So the idea of taking long extended breaks from it throughout the day just does not seem to work for me. I wake up in the morning and before the hunger hits I feel normal. I go to the gym, get ready, grab my coffee, down a bottle of water, and I am able to start my day worry free. Then mid morning the hunger starts to set in and then that is when it all begins.

I typically eat the same thing for breakfast everyday. Some might find this boring or even monotonous. Not me. Every morning I still get excited for what meal is in store for me. Now this is not to say I never switch it up. I try to vary things on the weekend or when I travel, but for the most part I am usually good with eating the same thing most days. Right now my breakfast of choice is overnight oats. If you have never made them then you are missing out! They are sweet, creamy, filling, and amazing. A couple of hours later if I can hold out that long is when the snacking starts.

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Sometimes I make a full on meal for lunch. Usually it is when I know I have a packed afternoon and I will have to eat quickly. However if I know I will have time to enjoy lunch then I snack. I vary it up everyday, but some of my favorites are roasted or cut up veggies, dips like hummus or eggplant pesto, crackers, fruit in season, homemade breads, baked tofu, side salads, etc. I like little things that I can just continue to eat throughout the afternoon. One thing I hate is that really full feeling, especially at work. So snacking seems to keep me energized all day.

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I would like to say that is the end of my snacking, but oh no. It continues. Next I come home and usually grab some nuts, crackers, and cheese first thing upon entering the door. There are days when my purse does not even make it off of my shoulder before a snack is in hand. Dinner is when I eat my most filling meal of the day. I like feeling full and relaxed at the end of the day. This is also where I like to splurge if I am going to eat something more un-healthy. However I try to save that for going out to eat with friends and just use dinner at home as a time to eat healthy. But let’s be honest, it does not always work.

Now here is the whole point of my blog. I have found an eating routine that works for me. I can’t recommend it for everyone, but through a lot of trial and error I have finally learned how to keep myself happy, healthy, not starving or deprived, and overall just satisfied. I highly recommend everyone spend sometime thinking about their eating routine and really focusing in on what makes you happy. Eating is not just a meal to me, it is so much more then just making my hunger go away. It is the experience of it. Now the only thing I need to work on is learning how not to snack after dinner…….I guess none of us are perfect right 🙂

Navigating the Un-Healthy

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Every now and again we find ourselves in situations where eating healthy is not easy and sometimes just plain difficult!  Thinking back to before my weight loss there was never a moment where I thought about what I was eating. I would eat any and everything I wanted to without a moment of pause for what I was actually putting into my body. If it tasted good and I wanted it I would just eat it.

When I went into weight loss mode and in my early days of maintenance I would obsess about food. My biggest concerns always came down to calories and making sure I was within my set range.  I did eat healthy with a main focus on fruits, veggies, and various proteins. However I would also eat a lot more processed foods because it was easy for me to identity their calories and that way I was making sure everything I was eating was fitting into my calorie budget for the day.  If I found myself in a situation where there was not a healthy food option or I was not able to see the calories on something I would panic. How was I going to be able to eat if I did not know how many calories something had?!?!

This may sound silly to some, but when food and how you are nourishing your body is all you think about for a while it is hard to not be able to control the situation. Well at least for me. After being in weight maintenance for long enough now I have learned how to work through these situations and the things to look out for in order to make sure I am doing the best I can for my body.

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This past week I found myself in a few situations where eating healthy was not as easy as I would have wanted. I was in Arkansas for work and typically I never have a problem eating healthy here as I have a rental car and can go to my favorite Arkansas spots like Panera or grab some things at the grocery store. This week however I was out for our big shareholders meeting and therefore most of the meals there were provided for us.

I am not going to lie and say I have come so far that being in a room with a bunch of un-healthy food does not still make me panic because it totally still does!  However now I take a step back, breathe, and have learned to just do the best I can and know I will be back to my normal routine in a couple of days.  I thought it might be good to share a couple of my tips for navigating through these type of food situations and what works for me.

Breakfast is by far the easiest one to normally figure out. Most hotels offer oatmeal, fresh fruit, yogurt, or eggs as a healthy option. If you stick to eating these foods you will probably end up feeling full, satisfied, and will not have consumed too many calories. The high calorie foods are going to be the bagels, muffins, fruit juices, sausages, bacon, and waffles.  For myself I started each morning off with a big bowl of fruit and either yogurt or an egg white omelet with veggies to get some protein in.

It was lunch and dinner where healthier options were really more limited. Most of the events had a lot of processed or fried foods and main dishes based with bread or pasta. Now of course I did have to end up eating some of these things, but I tried to limit how much I consumed of them and tried to help off set calories where I could. My first go to is always to fill up as much as I can on veggies, lean protein, and fruit. This way you are getting fuller first on the healthier foods and will then hopefully eat less of the higher calories items later. Dairy and condiments can have a lot of hidden calories in them so if I could I choose to get my sandwich or burger without the cheese, avoided mayo and creamy salad dressings, and passed on anything fried.  In order to help me escape the dessert table I would just eat a mint or a piece of dark chocolate after dinner. That way I was ending my meal with a little something, but was not indulging every night. Of course I did end up having a cookie one night because sometimes you just need to have a cookie. I know some of these things seem minimal, but over time it is these little things that really do add up. Small changes will eventually lead to big changes if you keep at them for long enough.

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Food Is Bringing Sexy Back

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I love food. Everything about it. The experience of walking into a restaurant, breathing in the ambiance, sitting down to look over the menu, and imagining how each dish will taste.  I love the presentation of the food upon it’s arrival, the plate it is served on, and the utensil used to enjoy it. Then of course there is the obvious, how good the food tastes. Nothing beats the first bite of a dish. No matter how many bites come after, it will not taste the same. Therefore I try to savor that first bite every time and stay present in the moment. With that said I wanted to share some of the delicious meals I have had the pleasure of enjoying over the last couple of months. These meals span from Los Angeles up to the Bay area and instead of describing each meal in length, I will let the pictures speak for themselves.

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 One of my favorite neighborhood mexican restaurants. Everything is organic, local, and delightful.

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Homemade Moscow Mules from my best friend, served in authentic copper mugs

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Los Angeles knows how to serve a good chicken salad sandwich. Made with Truffle oil. Need I say more

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Grilled fish tacos, perfect paired with summer sun and a cold beer

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Quinoa, beets, and curry eggplant. Perfect combination

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Brunch with avocado toast and a poached egg

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A light and refreshing simple salad

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Strawberry Rhubarb scones. A treat upon arriving and sitting down at what will now be my new favorite brunch spot in the city

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Arepas, probably my favorite food on the planet. One filled with eggs, one with potatoes, and one with pork, black beans, and plantains. Perfectly split with a friend

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Two words, Shishito Peppers