Happy New Year!

Goals to “lose weight” and “eat healthier” likely top many resolution lists, but most will go unmet than achieved. And you know why? They aren’t specific enough. As with anything, goals take planning and specific strategy. For years my goal has been to lose weight and eat healthier. And I didn’t achieve anything until I educated myself and followed a plan. This blog is a way for me to archive what I’ve learned, and hopefully speed up the process for someone else. There’s no one way to do anything, and the “right” way to do it is largely debatable, especially when it comes to nutrition. But the one thing I’ve resolved to do is keep learning about it and sharing what I find here.

If you’re just starting out, a good place would be a resource like the one Whole Foods has to offer. Let someone help you get a solid foundation for a healthy lifestyle- not with fad diets or weight-loss gimmicks. Do things that are sustainable and realistic. Start reading ingredients lists. Pick one day and cook for the week. Shop around the edges of the grocery store (avoid processed foods!) Eventually, you’ll realize you’d rather know what you’re actually eating rather than save a few minutes of your time by ordering out. Just as you never regret working out but will likely regret skipping it, I have learned that it’s very rare to regret not eating something you know is unhealthy.

In the spirit of the season, here’s my list of goals, (reasonable, specific and attainable goals,) so that maybe I will have a little more accountability to stick to them now that they’re out into the interwebs for anyone to see:

• Blog once a week
•  Take medicine/vitamins/supplements every day
• Run at least twice a week (gotta get to training for that 10-miler I signed up for…. oy)
• Eat vegetables and protein at every meal
• Track cheats every day (i.e. non-Paleo foods) with a 3 cheat max per day
• Get double unders
• Get eight kipping pullups unbroken

Here’s to 2013 and actually keeping those resolutions!

 

 

Adventures in Paleo

About a month ago, I completed the 9-week Lurong Living Paleo Challenge. What is Paleo, you ask? It is most simply this: eat real food. More specifically, I think it is most concisely explained in this pyramid.

For me, the most challenging thing about going Paleo was that it banned pretty much everything that is convenient. And I’m not just talking about takeout or frozen dinners– something as simple as bread for my egg and sausage breakfast sandwich I typically ate on the way to work every morning. And if I ate out, things got pretty complicated, deciphering menus and finding substitutions. But overall, I simply felt better. I did notice at first that I had a little less energy when I went to workout, likely due to my body adjusting to the new diet. By the end of the challenge, it was no longer an issue.

9 weeks later,  I went back to eating normally and fulfilled all my cravings. And I can honestly say it wasn’t worth it. I thought I could use what I’d learned and just be a little more liberal with my food choices– not worrying about the specifics, using ketchup or Italian dressing once in awhile, eating green beans and other things that one would consider healthy but don’t meet the Paleo criteria. But the truth was I overindulged, and I definitely felt the effects of that.

Through this challenge, I discovered I need rules and structure to be able to stick to a diet. But I also need to let myself cheat once in awhile, or I’ll binge later. For the new year, I’m resolving to get back to the primal life. As the saying goes, my goal is to be 100% paleo, 80% of the time.

Other things I learned from going Paleo:

1. To eat healthy, you MUST cook.

I spent tons of time online scouring for Paleo recipes. I highly recommend Pinterest as a source. In fact, all of the recipes I’ve tried can be found on my board “pinned there, done that” with ratings. It also doubles as my own virtual recipe book. #awesome. (See more Paleo recipes on my “Paleo things” board)

2. You also should plan your meals.

Get that convenience factor back by spending Sunday night preparing meals for the week. When you buy fruit at the grocery store, wash it and divide it into little Ziploc baggies as soon as you get home. It will make it that much easier to throw in the lunch bag.

3. There is a healthier substitute for just about everything you crave.

Mashed potatoes? Try mashed cauliflower. Pasta? try spaghetti squash. French Fries? Try cut up zucchini or turnips “breaded”  with almond meal. 

4. Less is more, always.

I’ve counted calories, I’ve detoxed, I’ve done Weight Watchers, I’ve lived with two vegetarian roommates and one gluten-intolerant roommate. I’d like to think I’ve been exposed to a few diets. And the one thing I’ve noticed that they ALL have in common– real food is always the best choice. If you’re gonna eat butter, eat butter, not margarine or some other imitation product made in a lab. The less ingredients, the better. And if there’s no ingredient list, that’s the best (i.e, fruits and vegetables.) And it’s the idea behind almost every diet plan out there. (Fruits and vegetables are zero points on WW, for example.) It just makes sense.

5. Lastly, and most importantly, bacon makes everything better. That is all.

Here’s some more of my creations and experiments. I began making up my own recipes and having a lot of fun making cooking a hobby!

tomato, spices and almond meal crusted chicken breast

another typical breakfast–scrambled eggs and sausage, onion, green pepper

tacos!

chocolate zucchini bread

A typical breakfast for me. Egg whites, green pepper, bacon

zucchini noodles

zucchini fries

lemon herb chicken

pumpkin cookies with coconut

pumpkin pie

chicken pizza with almond meal crust

My most favorite meal– stuffed peppers

almond flour chicken nuggets

homemade guac

Avocado bacon burger

spaghetti squash, tomato sauce and meatballs

Almond crusted chicken and broccoli slaw. My own creation!

And some favorite Paleo products for my sweet tooth

Couldn’t be happier to get back on track in the new year!

REBLOG: Artificial Intelligence

…If you eat a Nutri-Grain strawberry cereal bar in the United States, it will contain Red 40, Yellow 6 and Blue 1. But that same bar in the UK contains only the natural colorings beetroot red, annatto and paprika extract.

This is the third piece I’ve read today in my daily perusal that has brought up the dangers of artificial ingredients in foods. It is a pretty good round-up of some reasons why artificial flavorings are bad.

We hear a lot about how “X ingredient is derived from coal tar,” or how “red bugs are in our Frappuccinos,” and we read them and publish them for the shock factor. That part sticks with you. But the next time I’m reading a food label at the grocery store, I don’t usually remember what said scary ingredient’s alias name is. Naturally, I know to avoid ingredients I can’t pronounce. And the less the better. But Red 40, soy lecithin, potassium phosphate, and monocalcium phosphate are all unfamiliar words. But what are they really, and are they truly necessary to avoid?  A dictionary-like resource that is more credible than Google but more accessible than a textbook would be helpful. One that offers details like how partially hydrogenated oils are code for trans fats.  And maybe that exists, but I don’t think many people know about it, utilize it, or can find it in a single, comprehensive place.

Which brings me back to the quote from the first article–why have other countries figured out how to make comparable products without all the fake stuff and we haven’t? Just the other day I went to a World Market store and noticed a bunch of familiar-looking candies with slightly different packaging and wondered if their ingredients were slightly different, too, as the aforementioned blog post seems to suggest. If I learned anything from dabbling with the Paleo diet, it’s that there is an indefinitely healthier substitute for just about anything. (more on that later). I think the most important thing we can do is educate ourselves about these artificial ingredients and what dangers they posses, and realize that there are other options that can be used to create comparable end products anyways. Maybe you’ll have to dish out a little extra cash, but really, what’s more important than your health?

You’ll probably end up spending more on pills and medical bills that if you had just eaten healthier in the first place!

REBLOG: Calorie Counts Vending Program

This here post was inspired by my dear alma mater. 

According to a press release from the American Beverage Association, pretty soon vending machines will have calorie counts slapped onto selection buttons in an effort to encourage people to make healthier choices.

I’ve written before about how I think that nutrition info being more readily accessible on menus and on packaging is a good thing. And I think that this, too is another step in the right direction. With a calorie count next to “B2,” consumers are forced to consider this information before making their selections. Whether this affects the final decision or not, at least more people are thinking about it.  Which brings me to three points.

1. This initiative, I believe, is a much more effective effort than simply banning certain products in schools or even cities (i.e. The Big Gulp). People want to have choices and they should be able to

make their own decisions.

2. The release also mentions that beverage companies will make more lower-calorie selections available. I support that initiative as well (which is why I got so excited when I first saw one of those Sprout vending machines.)

3. Although a little impractical logistically and probably irrelevant for someone who is making a selection from a soda machine, I still feel the need to address the fact that calories are not the only nutritional fact to be concerned with. (Especially when certain companies are putting out information like this, suggesting that zero calories do no damage.) There are many who will argue that a full-sugared beverage that is made with real sugar and natural ingredients is better for you than a zero-calorie diet drink that is filled with artificial chemicals. (I actually have a blog post that has been saved as a draft for over a year that tries to decide which is the better option. I still don’t know. Which is why it remains unpublished.) So while providing calorie information is a fabulous start, (kudos, ABA,) there are still more nutritional factors like fat, sugar, sodium and artificial ingredients, to name a few, that consumers should consider. But they’re all probably not going to fit on a vending machine label.

Defining your Diet

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how everybody seems to have the right answers when it comes to nutrition. And they are usually quite adamant about how right they are and how everybody else doesn’t have a clue what they are talking about.

Me, I’ve taken a nutrition class or two and I’ve been to a few nutritional counselors, so I am by no means an expert. I am, however, pretty well-versed in different nutritional theories and practices and I definitely have an insatiable interest in learning more about the topic. What I’m trying to find are the common threads (post coming soon about what I’ve discovered, get excited)  that seem to be universally recommended, because I’ve come to realize there is no universally agreed upon diet recommendation. There are so many conflicting options and misinformation out there between nutritionists, health organizations, doctors and specialists that it makes the average consumer have to hunt through that information to find a trustworthy source. And really, it shouldn’t be this difficult. One of my personal goals is to sift through this mess and figure out what really works and what doesn’t (and to share it with others via this blog, or perhaps some bigger publication some day.)

One example of aforementioned mess:

There’s this, (and it’s follow-up) which argues in favor of a Paleo diet (meat/eggs/fish, vegetables, fruits and nuts). “Guess what rots in the colon? Grains, vegetable fiber, and beans. Our bodies lack the enzymes to break these down”

versus this, which is quite directly opposite of the recommendation above. “Nutritionists advise including both lean protein and fiber in your morning meal, such as whole-grain unsweetened or low-sugar cereal mixed with non-fat yogurt, low-fat milk, or soy milk and topped with fresh fruit.”

While the first argument is coming from a source that caters to weight lifters and athletes, it is just one example of a pointed argument for or against a way of eating that dismisses all others as useless. In the same way, sources that cater to the average person constantly call out different foods for their new-found health risks (or benefits).

Like politics and religion, are diets becoming a taboo topic guaranteed to spark a heated debate?

REBLOG: Neck cracking

I saw this post on Huffington Post’s Healthy Living page today about whether or not cracking your joints is dangerous and promptly felt the urge to crack my neck. And my back, for good measure.

Basically, the good news is it is not true  that cracking leads to arthritis later in life. The bad news is that there is a very small chance that you might tear something and have a stroke or nerve damage. Mostly if you’re old and/or weak.

What I found most interesting was that the popping sound isn’t really related to the relief one feels when they crack. Relief is felt because  cracking stimulates pain-blocking sensors in the brain and loosens up the joints.

“We know that spinal manipulation causes stimulation of areas of the brain that block pain, changes the function of the muscles that help support the spine and changes the flexibility of motion segments in the spine. Exercises can help loosen the muscles and other treatments can help with pain, but the flexibility of the joint — that’s uniquely aided by manipulation.” – Dr. Stephen Perle, a chiropractor and Professor of Clinical Sciences at the University of Bridgeport

 

My favorite Pilates moves

I generally prefer more active workouts like running and Crossfit to slower-paced ones like Yoga, but doing Pilates is a great compliment to high-impact training by increasing flexibility and improving core strength–both of which may improve performance in other forms of exercise. Personally, I can never get enough ab work and I could definitely use a little help with flexibility. I also find that Pilates has just the right balance of activity and relaxation. That being said, here’s a compilation of my top five favorite Pilates mat exercises*:

*Disclaimer: This is simply a list of exercises that I look forward to during a Pilates workout. I would recommend incorporating this list into planned routines that involve the whole body. This is not a comprehensive workout and the exercises are listed in no particular order.

1. Toe Dips

I like this exercise because my hip flexors do not like many abdominal moves (which probably indicates that I need to do them more often.) This exercise, though, strengthens my core without making my hip flexors too angry. 

2. Double Leg Kick (and single leg kick)

These exercises are great compliments for abdominal work. The back is an often neglected part of the core, and these moves engage the lower back while getting a good stretch through the hamstrings. I love how this exercise embodies the Pilates goal of strength and flexibility all at once.

3. Rolling Like a Ball

If I’m being totally honest, this one is just really fun.

4. Double Leg Stretch

This is a great abdominal challenge. I like exercises that I can feel working right away–instant gratification.

5. Anything with the Pilates ring (aka Magic Circle)

A little equipment can add variety to mat exercises. Most can be performed without the ring, but I find that using it helps take the edge off of my hip flexors when used between the thighs and adds a little extra toning to my arms when held between the palms.

Train your taste buds

Have you ever heard someone say that something you are eating is too rich or too sweet while you took no notice? Everyone’s preferences and sensitivities to taste are different, but because richness and sweetness typically derive from high-calorie, low-nutrient foods, it could mean that some of us are more likely to overindulge based on the way our taste buds have adapted.

The concept of training our taste buds to recognize when foods are too sugary or too salty is intriguing. This post from David Katz MD,the creator of NuVal nutrition scoring system, discusses how high amounts of sodium and sugar found in commercial products like pasta sauce and breakfast cereals have skyrocketed our tolerance levels. By consuming the same products with less added sodium and sugar, he argues, over time we might find that those foods we once enjoyed are now too sweet or too salty.

“Because if your taste buds have acclimated to high levels of [sugar and sodium], you will simply prefer more highly processed foods, and reject the simple, unadulterated flavors of simple foods close to nature. You will NOT eat “food, not too much, mostly plants,” because you won’t like doing that! And you, and perhaps your family, will miss out on the enormous health benefits associated with doing so.”

I side to agree with this idea and hope that it could really work. If we no longer enjoy the taste of something, we simply won’t eat much of it. Hopefully it really is that simple to enforce and encourage a healthy diet. If nothing else, cutting back on sugar and sodium couldn’t be a bad thing.

The Business of Fitness

I think it will always be a struggle to promote fitness/nutrition without accusation of trying to take people’s money. There are plenty of “specialists” out there who have put their names on books and products that promise quick fixes and other lies, making it hard to find a trustworthy and credible source of information about fitness. So when there is truthful information to be shared, how can the industry spread the word without being lumped in with all the other false information out there? And, how can you expect to be found if you don’t promote yourself? In the end, everything comes down to money, whether you’re a fitness magazine publisher or you own a gym. But can money be made without being manipulative?

This post sparked my thinking because until Reebok came along and attached a brand to it, I think Crossfit did a really good job of maintaining credibility while also promoting itself, at least in my experience. Crossfit studios allow anybody to come try a class for free and decide for themselves if it’s right for them. They don’t try to manipulate people into joining, but let the “product they sell” speak for itself. As a fitness enthusiast, I appreciate that.

Food Science

As a summer design intern for The Chautauquan Daily, I’ve had the opportunity to not only design the newspaper, but write several stories about some pretty cool people, including the Director of the International Spy Museum Peter Earnest and bestselling author Dan Brown.

For one last story, I attended a cooking demonstration about Molecular Gastronomy. The demo itself was fascinating, there were samples, and the featured chef had amazing talent. He worked alongside world-renowned chefs at the number one restaurant in the world, El Bulli. The demo showcased a variety of cooking techniques that really open the doors for creativity in culinary arts. Read about the dishes in the demo here.

What I took away from the event was a promise for the future of the foods we eat. By using certain chemicals and instruments, a chef can create entirely new tastes and textures. Chef Ross Warhol used everything from spherification to make a solid out of a liquid and aeration to take “melt in your mouth” to a whole other level. He paired white chocolate with pea soup and Parmesan cheese with strawberries and Nutella. The possibilities and combinations are endless. It is an exciting development for the 21st century that pairs modern technology with a most traditional practice. In 10 years, maybe these techniques will make it down to family restaurants and become more commonplace.

 

In addition to the exposure to these techniques, this was a great opportunity for me to practice the skills I am developing as a visual journalist. Not only was I able to write the story, but I also designed my own section front. I went back to the photographer’s full take to create the menu-like pull out information of each dish. I thought it was important to highlight the dishes I discussed in the story, and also the science that went into making them. For the dominant photo, I went back and fourth with a variety of shots similar to the secondary image. I finally decided on this one because it looked more science related and active. I thought the secondary image was important to include so that the Sous Chef would be presented as well.

Overall, the story and the package was a great experience and the opportunity was perfect for me in all aspects.

The section front as it appeared in the 8/20/11 Weekend Edition of the Chautauquan Daily