Since my lifestyle has drastically changed since I began Music and Marathons, the one main thing, I no longer aspire to ever do another marathon. In fact, I am not inclined to do any kind of distance running. However, I am still into nutrition and a healthy lifestyle incorporating Paleo principles. I think I needed to change the name of my blog since it has nothing to do with marathons.
Come follow me and http://paleoimperfection.blogspot.com/
Thursday, October 30, 2014
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
I'm Back!
So, I haven't blogged in a long while. Basically, I was accepted into my dietetic internship. So, this is a program that I have to do for almost a year (after graduating with my nutrition degree) in order to be able to sit for the exam to become a Registered Dietitian. It is actually a very competitive program and it takes a lot of dedication to just get accepted into a program. I started my internship officially in July. We have three main sections in the internship; food service, clinical and community. I just finished my food service which was spent in the kitchens of schools and a hospital, learning all the ins and outs of running a kitchen, food safety health codes, creating and preparing recipes for food service, management etc. It was not my favorite, but overall it was a good experience.
I am now in my clinical rotation, which I really thought would be my niche, because I am really into the science and research of nutrition. Well, we don't really get much of that in clinical like I thought. So, I better really like my community rotation (will be spending that time at WIC) or I kinda have been wasting the past 5 years of my life.....I just started clinical so I will give it more of a chance, since last week I was just learning where things are and how to use their computer system.
Anyway, I have spent the last few months really trying to create a nutrient dense diet based on paleo principles. I make bone broth a lot, organ meats, my garden was a huge success. Here's a pic from my Heirloom tomatoes on my new kitchen counter....
Oh one new thing is I bought cod liver oil and I make myself and the kids eat it a few times a week. My daughter will not eat liver, I want her to get some of the benefits plus we need the omega 3s, especially with salicylate intolerance. I tried and tried to bring seafood into our diet and with the exception of World Planet tuna, we all hate it. I just can't. I do buy wild caught sardines in olive oil and we eat those from time to time, but when I spend the $17 on a wild caught salmon and no one eats it and we give the rest to the dogs....I just don't want to do that anymore. Anyway my dog has been eating really healthy (: She gets all the leftovers. The cod liver oil is exactly what you think it would be. It's a big spoon of fish! (my dog is getting this too and loves it) But when you just quickly swallow and then drink water it's not so horrible.
I will admit, I am not strict paleo. At the schools and the hospitals, I eat for free as a nutrition employee and it is not a paleo friendly atmosphere. Especially, when I have to restrict my meat to halal...However, I believe that eating wheat gives me horrible heart burn and I have started to have that since I've been eating it at work. I don't buy it at home but eating this way once a day is not working. I'm gonna have to just bring my food or not take lunch at work. Socially, I don't know how that's gonna play out.
I am on fall break now and I really miss my old life of just cooking and cleaning and exercising and taking the kids around. Next week its back to doing all of that plus getting up and leaving by 6:20 and going to the internship 5 days a week for 8 hours. But this is what I wanted so now I have it.
Speaking of fall break I love the fall and the pumpkins. I have a roasted pumpkin that I am going to try and make some paleo recipes from. I want to try the smoothies, hot drinks and custards. So, maybe I'll post some recipes tomorrow.
Sunday, April 6, 2014
Dietetic Internship
For the past year, I have been waiting to see if I get accepted to a dietetic internship so that I can finally become a registered dietitian. I graduated from school 2 years ago. I worked as a dietitian assistant right after. I applied and was rejected last year. I applied again and I was finally matched! I am so, so happy. This is such a relief. It's awesomeness.
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
21 Day Sugar Detox
Day 9 of my 21 day sugar detox, courtesy of Diane Sanfilippo. I actually don't have her book because it was stolen by a family member, who I was letting "borrow" it in order to get recipe ideas. But, I know the ins and outs of Paleo by heart, so I don't really need it. ( I just want it for my collection that makes me look smart to other Paleo-addicts, even though I don't personally know any). Off topic, I was at Barnes and Nobel and in the Diet and Health section it was totally over run with all the new paleo books. Woo hoo! I felt proud of all the scientists that I don't really know, but if I did we would be best friends.
My detox, I am going strict paleo here. I am not having butter or cream, beans or cheese, or any wheat cheats (bites here and there). This doesn't mean that I am perfect. I am buying sweets (ice cream at Whole Foods, chocolate at the Chocolate Factory), but I am not eating them. Yesterday we got ice cream "to share" at Whole Foods and then my husband comes out with a muffin, so he didn't even eat the ice cream. I had 2 spoons of it and then I threw it out. Yes, it's wasting, but it's already wasted when I spent money on it. Not when I eat it. So maybe not strictly the sugar detox, but I think that I can have a bite here and there and the fact that I don't want more is progress. With the Chocolate Factory, my daughter dropped my truffle on the floor before I ever got a bite and then I let her eat the other one.
After about 4 days of no sugar (not having honey or syrup either, and not baking paleo desserts), I really wanted it. It was a withdrawal feeling. Now, I don't feel that. We were even at someone's house for a BBQ and there were good desserts, and I abstained and had fruit. And now that I think of it, she didn't have bread there.
I want to do the sugar detox, because I think I am prone to insulin resistance. I am not going to the doctor because what will they tell me? I think that if I lay off the sugar and focus on nutrient density, it will have a balancing effect and improve my health. Although it is very had to find anything on Salicylate Intolerance, Sarah Ballantyne from The Paleo Mom, talks about in her new book that salicylate intolerance is linked to omega 3 and zinc deficiency. Since, I started eating organ meats, and leaving out grains, I have felt that I can tolerate high salicylate containing foods better. I haven't gone all out and had eggplant, but Indian Spices didn't bother me the last 2 times I had them (:
My detox, I am going strict paleo here. I am not having butter or cream, beans or cheese, or any wheat cheats (bites here and there). This doesn't mean that I am perfect. I am buying sweets (ice cream at Whole Foods, chocolate at the Chocolate Factory), but I am not eating them. Yesterday we got ice cream "to share" at Whole Foods and then my husband comes out with a muffin, so he didn't even eat the ice cream. I had 2 spoons of it and then I threw it out. Yes, it's wasting, but it's already wasted when I spent money on it. Not when I eat it. So maybe not strictly the sugar detox, but I think that I can have a bite here and there and the fact that I don't want more is progress. With the Chocolate Factory, my daughter dropped my truffle on the floor before I ever got a bite and then I let her eat the other one.
After about 4 days of no sugar (not having honey or syrup either, and not baking paleo desserts), I really wanted it. It was a withdrawal feeling. Now, I don't feel that. We were even at someone's house for a BBQ and there were good desserts, and I abstained and had fruit. And now that I think of it, she didn't have bread there.
I want to do the sugar detox, because I think I am prone to insulin resistance. I am not going to the doctor because what will they tell me? I think that if I lay off the sugar and focus on nutrient density, it will have a balancing effect and improve my health. Although it is very had to find anything on Salicylate Intolerance, Sarah Ballantyne from The Paleo Mom, talks about in her new book that salicylate intolerance is linked to omega 3 and zinc deficiency. Since, I started eating organ meats, and leaving out grains, I have felt that I can tolerate high salicylate containing foods better. I haven't gone all out and had eggplant, but Indian Spices didn't bother me the last 2 times I had them (:
Saturday, March 29, 2014
Gluten!
What is gluten intolerance? Is it the same thing as celiac disease? If you test negative for celiac, does that mean it doesn't bother you? According the Chris Kresser in Your Personal Paleo Code, and the science that he gets this from, gluten is one of the defense mechanisms of wheat, barley and rye, which acts as a toxin to the animal that eats it. In the first century the Greek Physician Aretaeus described celiac disease (it's not a new fad, despite what people try to make it out to be) and it was in 1950 when Willem Dicke proved that gluten causes celiac disease.
If you are diagnosed with celiac disease you are having an autoimmune reaction caused by wheat that attacks the villi of your gut lining. This damages your ability to absorb nutrients and this chronic inflammation can lead to other conditions such as cancer.This can be diagnosed with a blood test.
The problem is, what if you have symptoms of a sensitivity to wheat products but you do not test positive for celiac disease? Should you continue to eat gluten? Well, there is a condition called non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS). This just means that there is a reaction to the gluten, it is just not in the villi of the small intestines and your body is not making the one antibody that is tested for. It is making others....
Celiac and NCGS are not limited to the gut lining. Gluten can cause symptoms through out the body such as headache, fatigue, joint pain, numbness or tingling, and dermatitis. Also people who have celiac disease may not experience any symptoms.
The reason I am wondering about celiac disease, is because I didn't test positive for the blood test, but I have been debating if gluten has an effect on me. Because I am trying to adopt the "Paleo" lifestyle, I was trying to never have gluten again. It's not enough not to make wheat products at home, I've been debating giving up wheat products altogether. No pieces of bread or bites of cookies. I was thinking that having it once in a while, despite the warnings from Paleo scientists like Loren Cordain or Chris Kresser, was okay for me. Well, last week I decided to start my 21 day sugar detox. (I want to lay of the sugar from Paleo sources such as honey and dates and all the paleo treats, even if I am not eating straight up white sugar). On Sunday, (the day before my detox) I thought let's go to our favorite vegan restaurant ( the antithesis of paleo lol) and have some wheat products. I didn't order sugar, but I ordered my favorite seitan wings. I love them more than chicken wings. And I promised myself that this was the last time, because the Sugar Detox doesn't allow gluten products or anything that is not the strictest paleo. Seitan wings are basically made out of pure gluten, probably some salt and buffalo sauce. OMG, that night and the next morning I had the worst indigestion and heart burn. And I only get heart burn when pregnant and this was worse than that. Coincidentally, this is what happened last time I had these, and the time before, and every time that I've ever had them. So, 20th time is the charm, maybe it's not a coincidence. My daughter also loves these gluten masterpieces. I asked her how she felt that morning and she said fine but her stomach was gurgilly.
Whatever gluten is or isn't doing to me, causing indigestion isn't a good sign. It tells me something is wrong. I have officially decided to give up gluten. I will give in to the Paleo cult and I will become a loyal follower from here on out. I also know from salicylate sensitivity that just because you don't feel the effects in small amounts (when I eat a high amount of salicylate) doesn't mean the small amounts aren't adding up and causing chronic low grade inflammation that is quietly damaging your body (ulcerative colitis) until it's not so quiet anymore. Even if I don't feel anything from that piece of bread or bite of cookie, doesn't mean it is not having an inflammatory effect that I will feel another way (eczema, joint pain) and not ever connect it with the gluten. There is a lot if evidence about the damage gluten does and you can do a simple Pubmed search and read some articles. You can also read the books by Chris Kresser, Sarah Ballantyne, and Loren Cordain, who are all exceptional scientists and check their sources.
If you are diagnosed with celiac disease you are having an autoimmune reaction caused by wheat that attacks the villi of your gut lining. This damages your ability to absorb nutrients and this chronic inflammation can lead to other conditions such as cancer.This can be diagnosed with a blood test.
The problem is, what if you have symptoms of a sensitivity to wheat products but you do not test positive for celiac disease? Should you continue to eat gluten? Well, there is a condition called non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS). This just means that there is a reaction to the gluten, it is just not in the villi of the small intestines and your body is not making the one antibody that is tested for. It is making others....
Celiac and NCGS are not limited to the gut lining. Gluten can cause symptoms through out the body such as headache, fatigue, joint pain, numbness or tingling, and dermatitis. Also people who have celiac disease may not experience any symptoms.
The reason I am wondering about celiac disease, is because I didn't test positive for the blood test, but I have been debating if gluten has an effect on me. Because I am trying to adopt the "Paleo" lifestyle, I was trying to never have gluten again. It's not enough not to make wheat products at home, I've been debating giving up wheat products altogether. No pieces of bread or bites of cookies. I was thinking that having it once in a while, despite the warnings from Paleo scientists like Loren Cordain or Chris Kresser, was okay for me. Well, last week I decided to start my 21 day sugar detox. (I want to lay of the sugar from Paleo sources such as honey and dates and all the paleo treats, even if I am not eating straight up white sugar). On Sunday, (the day before my detox) I thought let's go to our favorite vegan restaurant ( the antithesis of paleo lol) and have some wheat products. I didn't order sugar, but I ordered my favorite seitan wings. I love them more than chicken wings. And I promised myself that this was the last time, because the Sugar Detox doesn't allow gluten products or anything that is not the strictest paleo. Seitan wings are basically made out of pure gluten, probably some salt and buffalo sauce. OMG, that night and the next morning I had the worst indigestion and heart burn. And I only get heart burn when pregnant and this was worse than that. Coincidentally, this is what happened last time I had these, and the time before, and every time that I've ever had them. So, 20th time is the charm, maybe it's not a coincidence. My daughter also loves these gluten masterpieces. I asked her how she felt that morning and she said fine but her stomach was gurgilly.
Whatever gluten is or isn't doing to me, causing indigestion isn't a good sign. It tells me something is wrong. I have officially decided to give up gluten. I will give in to the Paleo cult and I will become a loyal follower from here on out. I also know from salicylate sensitivity that just because you don't feel the effects in small amounts (when I eat a high amount of salicylate) doesn't mean the small amounts aren't adding up and causing chronic low grade inflammation that is quietly damaging your body (ulcerative colitis) until it's not so quiet anymore. Even if I don't feel anything from that piece of bread or bite of cookie, doesn't mean it is not having an inflammatory effect that I will feel another way (eczema, joint pain) and not ever connect it with the gluten. There is a lot if evidence about the damage gluten does and you can do a simple Pubmed search and read some articles. You can also read the books by Chris Kresser, Sarah Ballantyne, and Loren Cordain, who are all exceptional scientists and check their sources.
Saturday, March 22, 2014
Paleo Books!
I have a list of books I want to start reading. They include The Wahl's Protocol, The Paleo Approach, and The 21 Day Sugar Detox. The Wahl's Protocol, is about treating M.S. and autoimmune disease with a nutrient dense diet. It really makes me think about how we eat foods that only offer "calories" and nothing else. Think about it, if you wake up and have a muffin. You ate 500 calories of sugar, flour and corn or soy oil products. There may be 5 cooked, sugared blueberries in it. Then you have a turkey sandwich for lunch, so you get some bread, some factory farmed turkey breast with no fat or anything else with a piece of lettuce and tomato on it. For dinner, you might have some chicken breast (no fat or nutrients either), some salad with soy product salad dressing all over, maybe a roll and a side of some cooked vegetables (possibly from a can, yuck).
I put this meal plan up because with the exception of the muffin, people will eat like this and think it is healthy. Right? The turkey sandwich and chicken breast are low-fat. There were some vegetables thrown in. Hey, the bread might have been whole wheat. The muffin could easily be replaced with skim milk and raisin bran. But guess what? If you eat this way, you are not getting all the nutrients that you need to be healthy. On top of that, you could be having a lot of other issues from eating the wheat and the sugar and not even know it.
Why do some people develop M.S., some people develop diabetes, some people get IBD? This has to do with genetics. However, having a diet that is inflammatory, that does not supply the nutrients for our immune system to work properly, for our digestive system to work properly, does not help and according to the podcast that I listened to on Balanced Bites, she believes that the genes that contribute to disease can actually be turned on when the body is in this undernourished, inflamed state. So, I gotta read this book so I can know more.
I want to read The Paleo Approach, by Sarah Ballantyne, because she discusses auto-immune disease and how to make a paleo diet work for it. For example, some things that are paleo can still be a problem for people with autoimmune disease (and gosh there are so many autoimmune diseases). This reminds me of my whole salicylate issue. Tomato, zucchini, eggplant, turmeric, ginger, are all supposed to be healthy, yet I cannot touch them. On top of that, I cannot eat large quantities of other fruits like peaches, mangoes, pineapples, oranges, because the load of salicylate becomes too much for me to handle. So, the approach of modifying the diet to fit your individual needs, really speaks to me.
I want to read the 21 Day Sugar Detox because it is by Diane Sanfillippo and I love her podcasts with Liz Wolfe and they are so informative on health and nutrition. Therefor, her book should be really good.
I will get to all these books. Right now, I am reading Eat the Yolks by Liz Wolfe. This book isn't a science book it is an easy read that is funny. It does provide a lot if information and I think it will interest people who don't obsess over nutrition and don't read these books as a regular pastime.
I am also trying to study pre-Western medicine. You know that medicine that human kind developed over thousands of years. But, for some reason we decided only the "advances" of the past 50 years matter. I do agree, well from what the media provides us information on, that we have made advances. I am told it is true that we don't have certain diseases anymore, like measles, mumps and rubella. (Thanks to the controversial vaccines) However, we have more cancer, we have more heart disease, and obesity is out of control. I don't think modern medicine has a solution to this. The solutions that are being given are drugs, and this is because they make pharmaceutical companies billions upon billions of dollars, while people are still sick and fat. I think the solution lies in changing diet and life style. Anyway, I still want to know what other healing practices there are, so I am starting with reading The Canon by Avicenna or Ibn Sina, which was his real name. This book is the translation and commentary from the original Arabic. It is only from the first book of The Canon, but that is enough for now. It was a medical text for hundreds of years all over the world. His name was changed in Europe to Avicenna, to sound less "Islamic", because they hated Muslims, but wanted to use his medicine, because it actually worked. This book is hard to read, but some of the points it makes are so amazing that I push through it. More on that when I finish.
So, this is how I am spending my time right now. I really need to read a comical, romantic trashy novel as well. Sometimes, too much science is just too much science.
I put this meal plan up because with the exception of the muffin, people will eat like this and think it is healthy. Right? The turkey sandwich and chicken breast are low-fat. There were some vegetables thrown in. Hey, the bread might have been whole wheat. The muffin could easily be replaced with skim milk and raisin bran. But guess what? If you eat this way, you are not getting all the nutrients that you need to be healthy. On top of that, you could be having a lot of other issues from eating the wheat and the sugar and not even know it.
Why do some people develop M.S., some people develop diabetes, some people get IBD? This has to do with genetics. However, having a diet that is inflammatory, that does not supply the nutrients for our immune system to work properly, for our digestive system to work properly, does not help and according to the podcast that I listened to on Balanced Bites, she believes that the genes that contribute to disease can actually be turned on when the body is in this undernourished, inflamed state. So, I gotta read this book so I can know more.
I want to read The Paleo Approach, by Sarah Ballantyne, because she discusses auto-immune disease and how to make a paleo diet work for it. For example, some things that are paleo can still be a problem for people with autoimmune disease (and gosh there are so many autoimmune diseases). This reminds me of my whole salicylate issue. Tomato, zucchini, eggplant, turmeric, ginger, are all supposed to be healthy, yet I cannot touch them. On top of that, I cannot eat large quantities of other fruits like peaches, mangoes, pineapples, oranges, because the load of salicylate becomes too much for me to handle. So, the approach of modifying the diet to fit your individual needs, really speaks to me.
I want to read the 21 Day Sugar Detox because it is by Diane Sanfillippo and I love her podcasts with Liz Wolfe and they are so informative on health and nutrition. Therefor, her book should be really good.
I will get to all these books. Right now, I am reading Eat the Yolks by Liz Wolfe. This book isn't a science book it is an easy read that is funny. It does provide a lot if information and I think it will interest people who don't obsess over nutrition and don't read these books as a regular pastime.
I am also trying to study pre-Western medicine. You know that medicine that human kind developed over thousands of years. But, for some reason we decided only the "advances" of the past 50 years matter. I do agree, well from what the media provides us information on, that we have made advances. I am told it is true that we don't have certain diseases anymore, like measles, mumps and rubella. (Thanks to the controversial vaccines) However, we have more cancer, we have more heart disease, and obesity is out of control. I don't think modern medicine has a solution to this. The solutions that are being given are drugs, and this is because they make pharmaceutical companies billions upon billions of dollars, while people are still sick and fat. I think the solution lies in changing diet and life style. Anyway, I still want to know what other healing practices there are, so I am starting with reading The Canon by Avicenna or Ibn Sina, which was his real name. This book is the translation and commentary from the original Arabic. It is only from the first book of The Canon, but that is enough for now. It was a medical text for hundreds of years all over the world. His name was changed in Europe to Avicenna, to sound less "Islamic", because they hated Muslims, but wanted to use his medicine, because it actually worked. This book is hard to read, but some of the points it makes are so amazing that I push through it. More on that when I finish.
So, this is how I am spending my time right now. I really need to read a comical, romantic trashy novel as well. Sometimes, too much science is just too much science.
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Decaf coffee and my kitchen investigation
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| http://www.tea-happiness.com/2011/04/i-love-coffee.html |
Hello. Okay, so I have had horrible headaches and bouts of nausea for the past week. Also, my skin was breaking out the way it does when I eat foods high in salicylic acid. I eat a low salicylate diet because I can't handle that stuff, so I was really confused as to what the heck is going on. Therefore, the scientist in me (or else the bored housewife) decided to do some investigating of my kitchen. What was different about it? For real, when ever you suddenly feel unwell with vague symptoms that don't present with a fever or typical signs of a stomach bug or cold, explore your fridge and cupboards.You just might find the culprit. Anyway, back to my point.
After my investigation, I decided that the high salicylate foods that never bothered me before in modest amounts (almonds, peaches, cinnamon) must be the issue, because I was eating my favorite peach cobbler turned peach cake (recipe coming soon, as soon as I make it again, so I can get a nice pic up)everyday. And I was wrong. First of all, I've been eating that just fine for months and second I wasn't eating it and I was sick for 3 more days. So, I thought what the heck is new in my kitchen and I found it. It was my coffee. I had this awesome organic decaf coffee that I loved. So, I was drinking a cup in the morning and a cup at night. I have no concept of the effects of caffeine. I've never felt it through drinking tea or eating chocolate. Caffeinated coffee makes me feel like I'm gonna die, so whatever caffeine effect is there is blunted out by my inability to move for 6 hours. I'm just saying, I don't get how people drink 6 cups of coffee a day to function. Back to my topic. Off topic just one more time, my daughter just brought me the 1/8th of a cup of juice she squeezed from a blood orange and it is so good. Okay, coffee is very high in salicylic acid. I once thought I had a brain tumor a while back ( I love how every time I feel sick I think it's a tumor but I have no intention of actually verbalizing that to a doctor). Well, and I'm ashamed to say, I did this kitchen investigation then, so why is it coming up again? I discovered that the change I made since the headaches started was I joined Gevalia and was drinking a cup of coffee every morning. I stopped that and was fine.
Through the Salicylate Sensitivity website (God bless the maker of this website), I learned that while coffee is very high in salicylate, decaf is low. The decaffeinating process removes the salicylate as well! Yay! However, apparently it does not do so in water-process decaffeinating methods. This amazing new coffee is decaffeinated through a water process. And this my friends is why I was mysteriously sick for a week
What the heck is the decaffeinating process anyway if it removes salicylic acid with the caffeine? According to Wikipedia there are a few different methods. The water method consists of soaking the coffee beans in water. Other methods use chemicals, such as benzene, dichloromethane, or ethyl acetate. These are chemicals you don't really want to be consuming. Benzene is a known carcinogen that is in gasoline and well everything else, so it seems. I am now reconsidering my decaf coffee. I spend all this extra money to eat organic fruits and grass-fed meats and use vinegar and baking soda to do my cleaning and then I drink a substance of beans that were soaked in benzene :(
Friday, February 28, 2014
Balanced Bites
I just discovered these podcasts on the site Balanced Bites by Diane Sanfilippo and Liz Wolfe a few weeks ago and I love them. I recommend that everyone I know listen to this episode," Calories, Do They Matter?" , episode 128. It has convinced me to buy her book, Eat the Yolks. So, I'm excited for that. But with this episode, I really enjoyed the entire calorie conversation. It is something I realized about 15 years ago, when I learned this whole calories in = calories out nonsense was maybe not true. I couldn't get away from it though, because everyone said it was true. I think that this is an idea pushed by people who do not need to count calories.... She makes a real nice point of how come we accept this theory to be fact when it works, but we ignore the implication when it doesn't work. This makes me wonder, do we think all overweight people are a bunch of liars when a patient tells the doctor or the dietitian, " I don't really eat that much" or "I counted my calories for 2 weeks at 1200 calories a day and I didn't lose anything"? I think at some point the medical community needs to take into account what people are saying. And maybe then, they will be able to realize that it is not the law of thermodynamics, of calories in equals calories out. The body is a more complex system and we have hormones that are determining how those calories are used.
I liked that they talked about the set point theory in the podcast. I had read about this theory about 8 years ago, before I ever heard about paleo. Basically, your body wants to stay at a set point weight. There are different things that determine what that weight is and hence a lot of research is being done trying to identify these factors. However, the body wants to keep a stable weight, and does a pretty good job doing so. Things can happen that change the set point to a higher or lower weight and then people can feel pretty stuck in that weight. And I don't remember the author's name or even the name of the book, but his solution to overcoming your body's" set point" was to eat a highly micro nutrient (vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients) dense diet based on whole foods and to get rid of all the processed foods, especially the foods that hide in the health food isle (all those low-fat, fat-free, 100 calorie packs kinda stuff). He also said to take out grains, with the exception of oatmeal, where he sited research talking about the insulin response to oatmeal vs other grains. I don't remember him talking about inflammation, which I've learned a lot about in recent years.
For me this book was really eye opening, because it was the first time I thought that there is a difference between the lean cuisine dinners I ate frequently and the dinners I cooked up from scratch. It made me see food differently and I went to school to study nutrition not too long after.
In the podcast for Balanced Bites, in relation to the set point theory, they are talking about how calories don't really matter. Thank you! I am glad other people are saying it. Counting calories never did a darn thing for me. I have been trying to get away from calorie counting in my own life and I'm not sure if I still held that calorie dogma in posts on this blog. But it is a dogma that we have been fed and people cannot get away from it Anyway, I digress, in the podcast, they talk about how we need to pay attention to the micornutrients and the quality of our food. When people are eating nothing but low quality food that has very little vitamins and minerals and a ton of calories from sugar, than #1 a person will eat more because their body is not satisfied from this food, and #2 this food will affect their hormone balance and cause excess weight gain. It doesn't necessarily have anything to do with how many calories a label says is in that food. If a person just cuts down and that food but does not get the right amount of micronutrients that their body needs to function, they won't necessarily lose any weight. And that's when you go to the doctor and say," What's wrong? I am eating 1200 calories a day and I am recording every bite I take and I am eating low fat food and I don't eat candy, but I am losing nothing". And because the doctor has no answer to this, he or she will say that you are not really eating as much as you say. You are overestimating your portions or you are not exercising enough. Honestly, I think this calorie nonsense breeds eating disorders. People get obsessed with counting calories in and calories out and the point of food, which is to nourish the body, is completely lost. I'm sure there are other factors for eating disorders, but this doesn't help.
I really liked this podcast. They have a lot of interesting topics that they speak about. It seems like more and more people are getting on board with eating real foods and forgetting this low-fat, prepackaged nonsense we are told to eat by commercials. Maybe there will be an upswing when in comes to health in this country.
I liked that they talked about the set point theory in the podcast. I had read about this theory about 8 years ago, before I ever heard about paleo. Basically, your body wants to stay at a set point weight. There are different things that determine what that weight is and hence a lot of research is being done trying to identify these factors. However, the body wants to keep a stable weight, and does a pretty good job doing so. Things can happen that change the set point to a higher or lower weight and then people can feel pretty stuck in that weight. And I don't remember the author's name or even the name of the book, but his solution to overcoming your body's" set point" was to eat a highly micro nutrient (vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients) dense diet based on whole foods and to get rid of all the processed foods, especially the foods that hide in the health food isle (all those low-fat, fat-free, 100 calorie packs kinda stuff). He also said to take out grains, with the exception of oatmeal, where he sited research talking about the insulin response to oatmeal vs other grains. I don't remember him talking about inflammation, which I've learned a lot about in recent years.
For me this book was really eye opening, because it was the first time I thought that there is a difference between the lean cuisine dinners I ate frequently and the dinners I cooked up from scratch. It made me see food differently and I went to school to study nutrition not too long after.
In the podcast for Balanced Bites, in relation to the set point theory, they are talking about how calories don't really matter. Thank you! I am glad other people are saying it. Counting calories never did a darn thing for me. I have been trying to get away from calorie counting in my own life and I'm not sure if I still held that calorie dogma in posts on this blog. But it is a dogma that we have been fed and people cannot get away from it Anyway, I digress, in the podcast, they talk about how we need to pay attention to the micornutrients and the quality of our food. When people are eating nothing but low quality food that has very little vitamins and minerals and a ton of calories from sugar, than #1 a person will eat more because their body is not satisfied from this food, and #2 this food will affect their hormone balance and cause excess weight gain. It doesn't necessarily have anything to do with how many calories a label says is in that food. If a person just cuts down and that food but does not get the right amount of micronutrients that their body needs to function, they won't necessarily lose any weight. And that's when you go to the doctor and say," What's wrong? I am eating 1200 calories a day and I am recording every bite I take and I am eating low fat food and I don't eat candy, but I am losing nothing". And because the doctor has no answer to this, he or she will say that you are not really eating as much as you say. You are overestimating your portions or you are not exercising enough. Honestly, I think this calorie nonsense breeds eating disorders. People get obsessed with counting calories in and calories out and the point of food, which is to nourish the body, is completely lost. I'm sure there are other factors for eating disorders, but this doesn't help.
I really liked this podcast. They have a lot of interesting topics that they speak about. It seems like more and more people are getting on board with eating real foods and forgetting this low-fat, prepackaged nonsense we are told to eat by commercials. Maybe there will be an upswing when in comes to health in this country.
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Cross Fit?
I am currently in a small group training class twice a week. However, my favorite trainer will be on maternity leave for a few months. I love my training class and unless I am running or swimming or doing a cycle class, I have no idea what to do with myself at the gym. I know lots of exercises. I have workout books and lots of links online, but I get so much more out of being in the class with people I know and the trainer that really motivates me.
Everything I hear about Cross Fit, tells me that this is the atmosphere I would like. But here are some of the issues that make me hesitant:
People I know who have tried it say they felt lost and behind. Of course, any exercise you do makes you feel out of whack the first few times. People say they get injured, because they were not shown proper form. That speed was more important than form.
I also cannot get anyone to go with me, and since I am such an introverted person, I'm afraid I would feel too self conscious.
The reasons I really want to try it:
The people who Cross Fit look amazing
Cross Fit Games - I would never do it, but it's cool to know that people who do this actually are top notch athletes.
I'm still on the fence, but I'm gonna harass people I know, until I find someone to go with me. I have never had a workout buddy. Everyone, I know really sucks. For real, who the hell just makes the conscious decision not to exercise.
Everything I hear about Cross Fit, tells me that this is the atmosphere I would like. But here are some of the issues that make me hesitant:
People I know who have tried it say they felt lost and behind. Of course, any exercise you do makes you feel out of whack the first few times. People say they get injured, because they were not shown proper form. That speed was more important than form.
I also cannot get anyone to go with me, and since I am such an introverted person, I'm afraid I would feel too self conscious.
The reasons I really want to try it:
The people who Cross Fit look amazing
Cross Fit Games - I would never do it, but it's cool to know that people who do this actually are top notch athletes.
I'm still on the fence, but I'm gonna harass people I know, until I find someone to go with me. I have never had a workout buddy. Everyone, I know really sucks. For real, who the hell just makes the conscious decision not to exercise.
Thursday, February 20, 2014
More about organ meats
I am realizing that organs are nature's multivitamin. Not only do they have many different vitamins and minerals, but they have the correct forms that you can actually absorb. I have been searching for amounts of how much of this liver do I actually need to eat to get the benefits. I actually found some outdated information that is being passed off as a current recommendation (if you care about the actual research in nutritional science at all and accept it as outdated), that disturbs me. This link from LiveStrong was annoying. They are still recommending against organ meat due to cholesterol, which is absurd. One thing it talks about is vitamin A toxicity. I want to find out how much liver you would have to eat to actually become toxic. I also want know about liver eating for pregnant women.
I found this very interesting article on the Westen Price Foundation, that is really worth a read. They site the scientific article responsible for the liver vitamin A warning.
"Unfortunately, FDA and other agencies warn pregnant women to avoid foods like liver and cod liver oil, claiming that too much vitamin A from these foods can cause birth defects. The study usually cited in support of these warnings was carried out in 1995 at the Boston University School of Medicine and published in the New England Journal of Medicine.5 In the study, researchers asked over 22,000 women to respond to questionnaires about their eating habits and supplement intake before and during pregnancy. Researchers found that cranial-neural crest defects increased with increased dosages of vitamin A; but neural tube defects decreased with increased vitamin A consumption, and no trend was apparent with musculoskeletal, urogenital or other defects.
This study is a poor rack on which to hang the myriad warnings that have kept pregnant women from eating liver and taking cod liver oil. Researchers made no distinction between synthetic vitamin A derived from multivitamins and processed food like margarine, and natural vitamin A from food; nor did they take blood samples to determine vitamin A status. Food recall surveys are a notoriously inaccurate method of determining nutrient intake."
So basically this warning against eating liver, comes from a food recall study (where you remember what you ate the day before and write it down?) and it didn't distinguish supplements from the form of vitamin A in liver. The article also goes on to talk about the necessity of Vitamin A in fetal development.
It also talks about safe levels of vitamin A from food sources, very important, because supplemental vitamin A can have negative health affects.
"A 1999 study carried out in Rome, Italy found no congenital malformations among 120 infants whose mothers consumed an average of 50,000 IU of vitamin A per day.7 Some participants consumed up to 300,000 IU vitamin A daily during pregnancy with no birth defects in the offspring. An average of 50,000 IU vitamin A per day is consistent with our recommendation of cod liver oil to supply 20,000 IU per day plus additional vitamin A in liver, butter, seafood and egg yolks"
This article also supplies sources (:
Here is what they say about Vitamin A toxicity, again the full article is worth a read.
"We have pointed out that concerns about vitamin A toxicity are exaggerated. While some forms of synthetic vitamin A found in supplements can be toxic at only moderately high doses, fat-soluble vitamin A naturally found in foods like cod liver oil, liver, and butterfat is safe at up to ten times the doses of water-soluble, solidified and emulsified vitamin A found in some supplements that produce toxicity.(1) Additionally, the vitamin D found in cod liver oil and butterfat from pasture-raised animals protects against vitamin A toxicity, and allows one to consume a much higher amount of vitamin A before it becomes toxic.(1-3) Liver from land mammals is high in vitamin A but low in vitamin D, and should therefore be consumed with other vitamin D-rich foods such as lard or bacon from pasture-raised pigs, egg yolks, and oily fish, or during months in which UV-B light is sufficient to provide one with adequate vitamin D.
As a general guideline, we recommend the following doses of vitamin A from cod liver oil, along with a nutrient-dense diet that contains other vitamin A-rich foods:
Individuals under stress or wishing to use cod liver oil to treat a disease condition may take much larger doses, even up to doses providing 90,000 IU vitamin A per day, for a period of several weeks."
I made chicken livers last night from a yummy recipe from Melissa Joulwan , I left out the cumin and cloves, because of the salicylic acid (makes me sick) and I used fresh grated garlic. The coconut coating gave it a more palatable texture. I still need to get used to liver, but this was okay. For my kids I chopped it up really small and mixed it in their meatballs. They knew something was different, but didn't know what, so they cautiously ate it. Them acting like I am poisoning them when I feed them is getting really old.
We were just in Mexico getting plenty of sun and vitamin D, so I'm not worried about Vitamin A toxicity. I tell you what though, I am gonna buy some cod liver oil and start making them take it. That gives Vitamin A and Vitamin D. And to think society tells us not to eat these things but to take Flinstones vitamins, ever read the ingredients to that?
I found this very interesting article on the Westen Price Foundation, that is really worth a read. They site the scientific article responsible for the liver vitamin A warning.
"Unfortunately, FDA and other agencies warn pregnant women to avoid foods like liver and cod liver oil, claiming that too much vitamin A from these foods can cause birth defects. The study usually cited in support of these warnings was carried out in 1995 at the Boston University School of Medicine and published in the New England Journal of Medicine.5 In the study, researchers asked over 22,000 women to respond to questionnaires about their eating habits and supplement intake before and during pregnancy. Researchers found that cranial-neural crest defects increased with increased dosages of vitamin A; but neural tube defects decreased with increased vitamin A consumption, and no trend was apparent with musculoskeletal, urogenital or other defects.
This study is a poor rack on which to hang the myriad warnings that have kept pregnant women from eating liver and taking cod liver oil. Researchers made no distinction between synthetic vitamin A derived from multivitamins and processed food like margarine, and natural vitamin A from food; nor did they take blood samples to determine vitamin A status. Food recall surveys are a notoriously inaccurate method of determining nutrient intake."
So basically this warning against eating liver, comes from a food recall study (where you remember what you ate the day before and write it down?) and it didn't distinguish supplements from the form of vitamin A in liver. The article also goes on to talk about the necessity of Vitamin A in fetal development.
It also talks about safe levels of vitamin A from food sources, very important, because supplemental vitamin A can have negative health affects.
"A 1999 study carried out in Rome, Italy found no congenital malformations among 120 infants whose mothers consumed an average of 50,000 IU of vitamin A per day.7 Some participants consumed up to 300,000 IU vitamin A daily during pregnancy with no birth defects in the offspring. An average of 50,000 IU vitamin A per day is consistent with our recommendation of cod liver oil to supply 20,000 IU per day plus additional vitamin A in liver, butter, seafood and egg yolks"
This article also supplies sources (:
Here is what they say about Vitamin A toxicity, again the full article is worth a read.
"We have pointed out that concerns about vitamin A toxicity are exaggerated. While some forms of synthetic vitamin A found in supplements can be toxic at only moderately high doses, fat-soluble vitamin A naturally found in foods like cod liver oil, liver, and butterfat is safe at up to ten times the doses of water-soluble, solidified and emulsified vitamin A found in some supplements that produce toxicity.(1) Additionally, the vitamin D found in cod liver oil and butterfat from pasture-raised animals protects against vitamin A toxicity, and allows one to consume a much higher amount of vitamin A before it becomes toxic.(1-3) Liver from land mammals is high in vitamin A but low in vitamin D, and should therefore be consumed with other vitamin D-rich foods such as lard or bacon from pasture-raised pigs, egg yolks, and oily fish, or during months in which UV-B light is sufficient to provide one with adequate vitamin D.
As a general guideline, we recommend the following doses of vitamin A from cod liver oil, along with a nutrient-dense diet that contains other vitamin A-rich foods:
- Children age 3 months to 12 years: A dose of cod liver oil that provides about 5000 IU vitamin A daily, obtained from about 1 teaspoon of regular cod liver oil or ½ teaspoon of high-vitamin cod liver oil.
- Children over 12 years and adults: A maintenance dose of cod liver oil that provides about 10,000 IU vitamin A daily, obtained from 2 teaspoons of regular cod liver oil or 1 teaspoon of high-vitamin cod liver oil.
- Pregnant and nursing women: A dose of cod liver oil that provides about 20,000 IU vitamin A daily, obtained from 4 teaspoons regular cod liver oil or 2 teaspoons high-vitamin cod liver oil.
Individuals under stress or wishing to use cod liver oil to treat a disease condition may take much larger doses, even up to doses providing 90,000 IU vitamin A per day, for a period of several weeks."
I made chicken livers last night from a yummy recipe from Melissa Joulwan , I left out the cumin and cloves, because of the salicylic acid (makes me sick) and I used fresh grated garlic. The coconut coating gave it a more palatable texture. I still need to get used to liver, but this was okay. For my kids I chopped it up really small and mixed it in their meatballs. They knew something was different, but didn't know what, so they cautiously ate it. Them acting like I am poisoning them when I feed them is getting really old.
We were just in Mexico getting plenty of sun and vitamin D, so I'm not worried about Vitamin A toxicity. I tell you what though, I am gonna buy some cod liver oil and start making them take it. That gives Vitamin A and Vitamin D. And to think society tells us not to eat these things but to take Flinstones vitamins, ever read the ingredients to that?
Monday, February 17, 2014
Easy Recipe: Chicken Liver Paté
I'm trying to eat more organ meats. I didn't particularly like the taste, should I try this recipe? I only know pate from shows like Frazier. I never imagined actually eating it myself. This recipe is from Balanced Bites
Easy Recipe: Chicken Liver Paté
Easy Recipe: Chicken Liver Paté
Yanni - One Man's Dream (Piano) [50% Speed]
With all my organ meat, micro-nutrient posts, I haven't talked about my musical progress. I am trying to work through this set of instruction books. I'm 3/4's through book 1. There are also these tutorials of specific songs at 50% pace, which shows the keys to play. I don't know how I feel about this. I want to learn to be able to read music and play anything. On the other hand, I don't have a teacher to watch play, so this kind of does the trick.
P.S. My 6 year old son is almost playing this song from this tutorial...
I'm gonna get him a teacher. I think he's a musical prodigy(: I know all parents think their kids are geniuses. Like, we really believe everything they do is a sign of a special, rare talent. But realistically, I think that if he gets lessons he will learn how to play well. He's not a musical genius....
Saturday, February 15, 2014
Chopped Liver
I am back! I had the best 6 days in Cancun, Mexico. We stayed at the Westin Lagunamar and it had the nicest pool ever. The beach was perfect and the weather was warm. At that time Colorado was in the below zero range, so great time to escape.
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| A dolphin swimming by at Xel-Ha |
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| This is what I swim in, a burquini, the best invention ever | P.S. I don't get sunburned |
For real, I noticed so much sunburn. Ladies, it is not cute to be burnt as red as a lobster. Put on some sunscreen or a shirt. It was hard to keep my kids from getting burned. Coming from Colorado, they had no tan so they weren't ready for sun. We went through all our sunscreen and by the end we were putting Desitin , yes Desitin (it's zinc oxide) on their noses. We are all very tan now ;).
I am sick of tortillas and cheese, so it's time to eat some healthier food again. I am trying to eat more nutrient dense food and according to Chris Kresser, who wrote a really nice book, Your Personal Paleo Code, liver is the most nutrient dense food. Now, I've been hearing in the Paleo blog world about organ meats for a while and I do eat some of these. The general reaction when I mention organ meats is, "Oh my God, yuck" or something along those lines. But, don't knock it if you haven't tried it. I cook lamb head once a week, in the crock pot for about 16 hours with onions and salt and pepper. (you won't find that in a easy-made crock pot recipes book ;) I like the brain and the tongue. I have had BBQ'ed kidney and heart, and they weren't bad either. However, I didn't like liver. So I made some liver and onions for breakfast (that's the only way I have ever heard of how to eat this) It's not bad but the taste is something to get used to. I don't think I could ever get the kids to eat this.
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Soaking Grains
I would like to go Paleo, but I do miss grains. With some trial and error, I do agree that wheat does irritate my gut :( Also, I have done some reading (link) on how sugar and wheat disrupt the body's bacteria balance. Here is an easy to read news article that talks a little about stomach bacteria and celiac (it says having more exposure to bacteria strengthens the immune system and may protect against allergies and autoimmune disorders).
I am in need of snacks for travel, and Paleo snacks are hard to take. #1 My husband asked me to make him something with bread, regardless if I agree in eating bread or not. #2 My kids want their old, unhealthy, gut killing snacks. I decided to go gluten free for the kids (husband can have his bread). I got them those almond/rice crackers they are selling now, which actually taste good. I got some raisins and nuts, which are yuck. I want to make some sandwiches and wraps but I don't like the gluten free bread. I found some teff wraps at the store. They have a little more substance than the other gluten free brands I've seen. It became softer when warmed and tasted like a regular wrap. Not exactly but good enough.
I decided to do a little paleo research about teff. This is a seed and it does contain anti-nutrients. It is not Paleo at all. However, it is gluten free, so good enough. I did come across this link Traditional Grain Preparation for Better Health. This article talks about how soaking the grains overnight removes the anti-nutrients.Also, soaking them over night allows "good bacteria" like lactobacilli to ferment the grain and break down the anti-nutrients. I don't know how this bread was prepared, but for making Ethiopian Injera (made from Teff), the grains are mixed with a starter to sour it, thus accomplishing the same thing. It also talked about soaking oatmeal to deactivate the anti-nutrients. I plan on bringing oatmeal back in my life, I've missed it!
I will be off the grid for a few days. Enjoy the rest of the week!
I am in need of snacks for travel, and Paleo snacks are hard to take. #1 My husband asked me to make him something with bread, regardless if I agree in eating bread or not. #2 My kids want their old, unhealthy, gut killing snacks. I decided to go gluten free for the kids (husband can have his bread). I got them those almond/rice crackers they are selling now, which actually taste good. I got some raisins and nuts, which are yuck. I want to make some sandwiches and wraps but I don't like the gluten free bread. I found some teff wraps at the store. They have a little more substance than the other gluten free brands I've seen. It became softer when warmed and tasted like a regular wrap. Not exactly but good enough.
I decided to do a little paleo research about teff. This is a seed and it does contain anti-nutrients. It is not Paleo at all. However, it is gluten free, so good enough. I did come across this link Traditional Grain Preparation for Better Health. This article talks about how soaking the grains overnight removes the anti-nutrients.Also, soaking them over night allows "good bacteria" like lactobacilli to ferment the grain and break down the anti-nutrients. I don't know how this bread was prepared, but for making Ethiopian Injera (made from Teff), the grains are mixed with a starter to sour it, thus accomplishing the same thing. It also talked about soaking oatmeal to deactivate the anti-nutrients. I plan on bringing oatmeal back in my life, I've missed it!
I will be off the grid for a few days. Enjoy the rest of the week!
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Awesome Recipe
I have had Orange-Cranberry muffins before and I found them revolting, So I don't know why I made this recipe. Maybe, because I have a ton of frozen cranberries and I don't know what to do with them. I went and bought orange juice concentrate that I have never bought in my entire adulthood and I used my cranberries in the freezer, skipped the almonds and used walnuts. These taste so good. Maybe, it's the almond/coconut flour combo instead of wheat flour that makes them so good. I'm not sure, but they taste great. I omitted the sugar the recipe asked for, because the OJ concentrate is very sweet. You can get this recipe from ThePaleoMom. (:
I made these because I am super stressed about applying to my dietetic internship. It was really stressful to set up all my rotations and now I have to put all the paperwork together and send off my application. I am terrified of not getting matched. If you don't know about the dietetic internship, basically you can get a degree or 2 or 3 in nutrition, but you cannot be a Registered Dietitian without completing a one year internship. Space is very limited. When I started school, they told me 50% chance. It seemed okay, if you are at the top of your class. However, in lovely Colorado, there are even less internships and if you want to stay here, the chance is like 3%.
There is an option called Distance Internships, where you have to set up all your rotations yourself and then you can apply to more programs (still not all of them, because it depends on who has contracts with who). Now, you'd think this would increase your chances; however, every other student who graduated from one of Colorado's 5 nutrition programs knows that this is the only way to go if you're not leaving the state, and they are all setting up rotations and applying to these programs as well.
Match day is April 6th and I am so anxious about when I go online to see if I am rejected or not. I feel it is such a game of chance. I have a strong application, I set up all my rotations, but so did everyone else and the space is so limited. 30 spots outa 120 applicants for one of my internships?!
Let me go stress eat some muffins now.
BTW, the sour cranberries (which I usually detest) taste great with the orange juice sweetened cake. I think the problem with other cranberry muffins is the cake is way sweeter and that just makes the cranberries taste that much sourer...not sure if that's a real word.
There is an option called Distance Internships, where you have to set up all your rotations yourself and then you can apply to more programs (still not all of them, because it depends on who has contracts with who). Now, you'd think this would increase your chances; however, every other student who graduated from one of Colorado's 5 nutrition programs knows that this is the only way to go if you're not leaving the state, and they are all setting up rotations and applying to these programs as well.
Match day is April 6th and I am so anxious about when I go online to see if I am rejected or not. I feel it is such a game of chance. I have a strong application, I set up all my rotations, but so did everyone else and the space is so limited. 30 spots outa 120 applicants for one of my internships?!
Let me go stress eat some muffins now.
BTW, the sour cranberries (which I usually detest) taste great with the orange juice sweetened cake. I think the problem with other cranberry muffins is the cake is way sweeter and that just makes the cranberries taste that much sourer...not sure if that's a real word.
Sunday, February 2, 2014
Another Marathon?
I wanted to run the Colfax Marathon again. I wanted to do it under 5 hours. Then I started thinking of the last marathon and how something happened, be it pneumonia or an asthma attack (it was really hard to breath, probably why it took so long) and I don't know if it is healthy to run a marathon. I like to boast that nothing happened to me and my knees and back are all in good shape. I strength train and I do yoga, so I think I have a very balanced exercise regimen. However, that is so much stress to put on your body. Okay, but the Olympics is coming up and they train longer and harder than I ever have for anything and they're healthy, right?
When I searched to find what are the common health problems among Olympians and other athletes I came across this article The Biggest Health Problems Among Olympians. Guess what it is? Asthma! It apparently is common in endurance athletes such as marathon runners. The theory is that they cause damage to their lungs with the deep, intense breathing. Also, the article says the cold air among winter Olympians is damaging and then there is the pollutants from the ice rink chemicals and polluted air in general. Maybe, I'm not imagining it and I didn't just have some freak 4 week cold when running my marathon. The breathing problems started during my training when I started running the long runs at like 16 miles. After 20 miles, I actually took some time off of running and went of schedule for 10 days hoping to feel better before the marathon. I thought I was and then marathon day, I could not breath after the first 5 miles.
I am running the Colfax Marathon Relay this year. I will be doing a leg that is 6.something miles. I wanted to do it fast. While getting back into running I decided to start with 2 miles and run as fast as I could. You can guess it, my lungs burned and I started wheezing! I do not have asthma, so what the heck is that? Maybe, I should go to the doctor. But I think if something really is wrong they will just give me an inhaler and I'm not big on steroids (they make me fat,dare I say it? Yes they do. And I rather have asthma then get fat)
A friend of mine also wants to run a marathon this year. She asked me to do it with her and I remember asking everyone I know to train with me and them refusing, so I told her I would run the half with her. So, I need to get this breathing thing figured out before May 4th. #1, I supposedly ran a marathon before, right? I'm supposed to be an athlete (lol). So, she cannot out-perform me. The competitive streak that I didn't think I had is rising to the surface. #2, for the Colfax Relay May 18th, I have made a big stink about how we are only as fast as our slowest runner. One of those team members is my 55 year old mother and then people who are just starting to run. I cannot be the slowest runner.
Came across this article: Former asthma sufferer runs 356 marathons in a year. For real? I don't even know how that is possible. He did it in different countries and that means he was flying across the ocean the day he completed a marathon and then ran a marathon the day he landed. After flying from Denver to Cancun I need an entire day to recover before I can start my vacation of relaxing by the pool and getting massages.
I guess I am self-diagnosing myself. I don't think I really have exercise induced asthma. I don't know what qualifies as asthma. Don't out of shape people huff and puff if they start to run all of the sudden? I was reading this blog: Running With Asthma, and one, it convinced me that I don't have asthma (I'm not on 4 medications) and two, she said something that made sense. She was talking about running with asthma and said the lungs need to be worked consistently like any muscle. You need to train them to get them ready. Maybe, during the marathon I did too much too fast? Maybe there is a little exercise induced inflammation happening as well. And since I really haven't done any distant running since last May, now I need to slowly add miles and speed and train my lungs.We'll see if I am wheezing and unable to breath this year.
When I searched to find what are the common health problems among Olympians and other athletes I came across this article The Biggest Health Problems Among Olympians. Guess what it is? Asthma! It apparently is common in endurance athletes such as marathon runners. The theory is that they cause damage to their lungs with the deep, intense breathing. Also, the article says the cold air among winter Olympians is damaging and then there is the pollutants from the ice rink chemicals and polluted air in general. Maybe, I'm not imagining it and I didn't just have some freak 4 week cold when running my marathon. The breathing problems started during my training when I started running the long runs at like 16 miles. After 20 miles, I actually took some time off of running and went of schedule for 10 days hoping to feel better before the marathon. I thought I was and then marathon day, I could not breath after the first 5 miles.
I am running the Colfax Marathon Relay this year. I will be doing a leg that is 6.something miles. I wanted to do it fast. While getting back into running I decided to start with 2 miles and run as fast as I could. You can guess it, my lungs burned and I started wheezing! I do not have asthma, so what the heck is that? Maybe, I should go to the doctor. But I think if something really is wrong they will just give me an inhaler and I'm not big on steroids (they make me fat,dare I say it? Yes they do. And I rather have asthma then get fat)
A friend of mine also wants to run a marathon this year. She asked me to do it with her and I remember asking everyone I know to train with me and them refusing, so I told her I would run the half with her. So, I need to get this breathing thing figured out before May 4th. #1, I supposedly ran a marathon before, right? I'm supposed to be an athlete (lol). So, she cannot out-perform me. The competitive streak that I didn't think I had is rising to the surface. #2, for the Colfax Relay May 18th, I have made a big stink about how we are only as fast as our slowest runner. One of those team members is my 55 year old mother and then people who are just starting to run. I cannot be the slowest runner.
Came across this article: Former asthma sufferer runs 356 marathons in a year. For real? I don't even know how that is possible. He did it in different countries and that means he was flying across the ocean the day he completed a marathon and then ran a marathon the day he landed. After flying from Denver to Cancun I need an entire day to recover before I can start my vacation of relaxing by the pool and getting massages.
I guess I am self-diagnosing myself. I don't think I really have exercise induced asthma. I don't know what qualifies as asthma. Don't out of shape people huff and puff if they start to run all of the sudden? I was reading this blog: Running With Asthma, and one, it convinced me that I don't have asthma (I'm not on 4 medications) and two, she said something that made sense. She was talking about running with asthma and said the lungs need to be worked consistently like any muscle. You need to train them to get them ready. Maybe, during the marathon I did too much too fast? Maybe there is a little exercise induced inflammation happening as well. And since I really haven't done any distant running since last May, now I need to slowly add miles and speed and train my lungs.We'll see if I am wheezing and unable to breath this year.
Turkish Coffee
I will learn how to make this stuff!
I also made eggs with my left over guac and mango salsa
But by the time I got the damn coffee right the food was cold and I didn't want it...I ate the mango salsa and then my dog enjoyed the rest.
The coffee did taste good. I should of googled directions the first time around. It is supposed to boil and then you remove it from heat before it boils over. This took a few tries. Here is the link I used, Turkish Coffee. These directions are different from a few others I looked at, but I like the results. I don't know if it is authentic Turkish coffee or not. But my little copper pot looks authentic enough (:
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Salicylic acid, my favorite word!
It really isn't though. I hate this chemical and wish it never existed. Or at least if it has to exist, it would leave me alone. Yesterday, I came across 2 blog posts about this intolerance, even though I was pretty sure I was one of the few people to have ever heard about it, let alone self-diagnose. But, no! There are other "scientist moms" out there who have uncovered the existence of this little chemical that can wreak havoc on certain people's entire body, head to toe.
Now, I want to say that I find it amazing that anyone can narrow down what seems like "allergic" reactions to this chemical that is present in hundred if not thousands of products. I really haven't a clue how many things have it, but its in plants and cosmetics, soaps, shampoos, lotions (how am I to use anti-aging products, I'm gonna look really old), cleaning supplies, etc. I discovered it by getting a "natural" tomato soap to improve my complexion and my complexion got worse. At the same time I was growing tomatoes in the garden and my hands were covered in pin prick like holes all over, where it seems my skin was being eaten away. I went to the doctor for my hands and she prescribed a cortisone. I asked if it could be from the tomato plants and she said no. Well, when I stopped touching the tomato plants, my hands no longer had holes in them. I googled to find the reason why tomato was in the soap? And the reason was the "natural" salicylic acid in it is an acne medicine. Well, that salicylic soap that I would use in the past for acne never worked on me, so I made this connection. I then saw the list of all the fruits and veggies with high amounts of salicylic acid in them and guess what, these are the foods that give me unbearable stomach pain. Some time later with a little more googleing and I found the Ulcerative Colitis/ Salicylate exposure.
I then found the salicylate senstivity website and saw all the foods and products that were high and low (explained why coffee made me have such a headache and ringing in my ears, I thought I had a brain tumor) and I then went on a no-salicylate bland diet and slowly added things back into my diet to see what I can tolerate and the different way things affect me. For example, mint will not give me stomach pain, but too much, even if it's through the skin in a lotion or oil, will make me nauseous, have a headache, dizzy and wanting to die. But it's not immediate it's about 12 hours later. On the other hand, eating egg plant or zucchini will cause a lot of pain about an hour after eating it. Eating chillies makes my nose water while I eat it.
My daughter will vomit and have bad eczema from these foods.
My skin cleared and my daugther's eczema improved with salicylate free hygiene products from Cleure.com.
The other symptoms resolved with a low salicylate diet and a lot of trial and error.
Here are the links to the articles I read yesterday. I think there are more people out there that deal with this issue and don't know about it. Raising awareness that this is real can really changes lives.
The Paleo Mom
S is For Salycilate
Now, I want to say that I find it amazing that anyone can narrow down what seems like "allergic" reactions to this chemical that is present in hundred if not thousands of products. I really haven't a clue how many things have it, but its in plants and cosmetics, soaps, shampoos, lotions (how am I to use anti-aging products, I'm gonna look really old), cleaning supplies, etc. I discovered it by getting a "natural" tomato soap to improve my complexion and my complexion got worse. At the same time I was growing tomatoes in the garden and my hands were covered in pin prick like holes all over, where it seems my skin was being eaten away. I went to the doctor for my hands and she prescribed a cortisone. I asked if it could be from the tomato plants and she said no. Well, when I stopped touching the tomato plants, my hands no longer had holes in them. I googled to find the reason why tomato was in the soap? And the reason was the "natural" salicylic acid in it is an acne medicine. Well, that salicylic soap that I would use in the past for acne never worked on me, so I made this connection. I then saw the list of all the fruits and veggies with high amounts of salicylic acid in them and guess what, these are the foods that give me unbearable stomach pain. Some time later with a little more googleing and I found the Ulcerative Colitis/ Salicylate exposure.
I then found the salicylate senstivity website and saw all the foods and products that were high and low (explained why coffee made me have such a headache and ringing in my ears, I thought I had a brain tumor) and I then went on a no-salicylate bland diet and slowly added things back into my diet to see what I can tolerate and the different way things affect me. For example, mint will not give me stomach pain, but too much, even if it's through the skin in a lotion or oil, will make me nauseous, have a headache, dizzy and wanting to die. But it's not immediate it's about 12 hours later. On the other hand, eating egg plant or zucchini will cause a lot of pain about an hour after eating it. Eating chillies makes my nose water while I eat it.
My daughter will vomit and have bad eczema from these foods.
My skin cleared and my daugther's eczema improved with salicylate free hygiene products from Cleure.com.
The other symptoms resolved with a low salicylate diet and a lot of trial and error.
Here are the links to the articles I read yesterday. I think there are more people out there that deal with this issue and don't know about it. Raising awareness that this is real can really changes lives.
The Paleo Mom
S is For Salycilate
Saturday, January 18, 2014
Grocery List
A note from yesterday is Chromium is contained in cinnamon. The study made it seem like they were supplementing Chromium but it is actually a component of cinnamon. Which is why they were talking about it with the polyphenols that are in cinnamon.
Anyway, it's grocery shopping day and I am attempting to save money and be more organized (accept my lot in life, this is my job, I should try and be a little professional). Therefore, I am making a shopping list! One that hopefully I can follow. The problem is the list is on 4 different pages and has just become a bunch of recipes and it's mixed with a bunch of stuff that I already have. I am debating whether to go through my list and pick out what I need to buy thus making a new list.......
Anyway, it's grocery shopping day and I am attempting to save money and be more organized (accept my lot in life, this is my job, I should try and be a little professional). Therefore, I am making a shopping list! One that hopefully I can follow. The problem is the list is on 4 different pages and has just become a bunch of recipes and it's mixed with a bunch of stuff that I already have. I am debating whether to go through my list and pick out what I need to buy thus making a new list.......
Friday, January 17, 2014
Can I improve my insulin sensitivity with cinnamon?
Whoooo! I had the hardest workout of my life. It was a tabata workout. Tabata is high intensity for a short period of time. Some of the exercises we would hold for 20 seconds (AAAHHH!) It was awful, but good awful (:
So, I think my insulin sensitivity is improving. I had written before that I think for me insulin sensitivity is everything when it comes to health and weight loss. #1, I am seeing the scale move the other direction, the good direction. #2, my skin is perfectly clear and #3, I think my mustache ( Yuck, I know) is less noticeable.Cutting off the sweetened yogurt ( a.k.a. my favorite food in the world, Noosa is directly from heaven) has made a difference. I was thinking of ways to improve my insulin sensitivity even more (then maybe I can cheat and have my sweetened yogurt again?). I remembered a blast from the past: Cinnamon. Yes, I remembered learning about studies that show cinnamon to be more effective than Metformin with no side effects. The issue was you have to eat a lot of cinnamon. Here is the science for you:Chromium and polyphenols from cinnamon improve insulin sensitivity. ( Richard A. Anderson (2008). Chromium and polyphenols from cinnamon improve insulin sensitivity. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 67, pp 48-53. doi:10.1017/S0029665108006010.)
This article says that 1-6 grams a day for 40 days showed the results of improvement. Right away, I went and took out my gram scale to measure how much that looks like. My scale wouldn't measure one gram. I measured 2 and cut it in half. 1 gram was about 1 tsp of pulverized cinnamon stick. (I always buy cinnamon sticks instead of ground cinnamon)Why does the cinnamon work? For those who took chemistry, you'll enjoy this (it makes you feel smart). People with type 2 diabetes have"reduced phosphorylation" of the insulin receptor. Cinnamon increases the phosphorylation of the receptor and inhibits phosphotyrosine phosphatase (which inactivates the phosphorylation of the receptor) So, whatever the heck phosphorylation is, this is all increasing insulin sensitivity. Yay! This means you do not need to spit out as much insulin in order to use your blood sugar. Less insulin means your hormones will not be out of whack, because high levels of insulin in your blood sends out a whole bunch of signals that basically messes up your hormone balance and tells your body to store fat (and grow a mustache).
This wasn't my topic today but this article talks about supplementing with Chromium (Cr) to aid the metabolism and how this reduced weight gain and helped improve insulin sensitivity. I just wrote about micornutrient deficiencies in the obese.This is what the article says, "Cr also decreases cortisol concentration in human subjects, which is important in relation to weight control because cortisol increases circulating insulin and increases fat accumulation. A meta-analysis of several human studies has reported that there is a significant reduction in body weight caused by Cr, but it states that ‘a body weight reduction of 1to 2kg during an intervention period of 10 to 13 weeks. 1kg/week) seems too small to be clinically meaningful’. Improvements in this range, if sustained, could lead to a loss, or prevention of gain, of approximately 4kg/year, which certainly could lead to large changes over time. Even if Cr only prevents the increase in body weight of 5–1kg/year, it becomes consequential with time. Improvements in insulin-related variables that affect body weight and lean body mass are a result of changes in metabolism and should not be confused with those associated with changes in dietary intake and energy expenditure. Lasting changes in insulin sensitivity and changes in metabolism could lead to lasting changes in body weight and composition. Additional long-term studies in this area are needed."
I love the above paragraph, because this "inconsequential" change of only 1 kg in 3-4 months is not based on eating less or exercising. It is apart of repairing a malfunctioning metabolism. People will never be successful at weight loss (unless they are anorexic, which last I checked is an eating disorder) if the answer is to starve themselves and eat gross unappealing food and then gain that weight back as soon as they go back to "normal" eating habits.What if we tell people to eat real food that gives them adequate micronutrients and improves insulin sensitivity? Cinnamon is a spice. What other benefits do the other hundreds of spices out there have? Chromium is found in beef and vegetables. Broccoli has a very high amount. What if we tell people to eat real food that gives them adequate micronutrients and improves insulin sensitivity instead of encouraging anorexia?
So, I think my insulin sensitivity is improving. I had written before that I think for me insulin sensitivity is everything when it comes to health and weight loss. #1, I am seeing the scale move the other direction, the good direction. #2, my skin is perfectly clear and #3, I think my mustache ( Yuck, I know) is less noticeable.Cutting off the sweetened yogurt ( a.k.a. my favorite food in the world, Noosa is directly from heaven) has made a difference. I was thinking of ways to improve my insulin sensitivity even more (then maybe I can cheat and have my sweetened yogurt again?). I remembered a blast from the past: Cinnamon. Yes, I remembered learning about studies that show cinnamon to be more effective than Metformin with no side effects. The issue was you have to eat a lot of cinnamon. Here is the science for you:Chromium and polyphenols from cinnamon improve insulin sensitivity. ( Richard A. Anderson (2008). Chromium and polyphenols from cinnamon improve insulin sensitivity. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 67, pp 48-53. doi:10.1017/S0029665108006010.)
This article says that 1-6 grams a day for 40 days showed the results of improvement. Right away, I went and took out my gram scale to measure how much that looks like. My scale wouldn't measure one gram. I measured 2 and cut it in half. 1 gram was about 1 tsp of pulverized cinnamon stick. (I always buy cinnamon sticks instead of ground cinnamon)Why does the cinnamon work? For those who took chemistry, you'll enjoy this (it makes you feel smart). People with type 2 diabetes have"reduced phosphorylation" of the insulin receptor. Cinnamon increases the phosphorylation of the receptor and inhibits phosphotyrosine phosphatase (which inactivates the phosphorylation of the receptor) So, whatever the heck phosphorylation is, this is all increasing insulin sensitivity. Yay! This means you do not need to spit out as much insulin in order to use your blood sugar. Less insulin means your hormones will not be out of whack, because high levels of insulin in your blood sends out a whole bunch of signals that basically messes up your hormone balance and tells your body to store fat (and grow a mustache).
This wasn't my topic today but this article talks about supplementing with Chromium (Cr) to aid the metabolism and how this reduced weight gain and helped improve insulin sensitivity. I just wrote about micornutrient deficiencies in the obese.This is what the article says, "Cr also decreases cortisol concentration in human subjects, which is important in relation to weight control because cortisol increases circulating insulin and increases fat accumulation. A meta-analysis of several human studies has reported that there is a significant reduction in body weight caused by Cr, but it states that ‘a body weight reduction of 1to 2kg during an intervention period of 10 to 13 weeks. 1kg/week) seems too small to be clinically meaningful’. Improvements in this range, if sustained, could lead to a loss, or prevention of gain, of approximately 4kg/year, which certainly could lead to large changes over time. Even if Cr only prevents the increase in body weight of 5–1kg/year, it becomes consequential with time. Improvements in insulin-related variables that affect body weight and lean body mass are a result of changes in metabolism and should not be confused with those associated with changes in dietary intake and energy expenditure. Lasting changes in insulin sensitivity and changes in metabolism could lead to lasting changes in body weight and composition. Additional long-term studies in this area are needed."
I love the above paragraph, because this "inconsequential" change of only 1 kg in 3-4 months is not based on eating less or exercising. It is apart of repairing a malfunctioning metabolism. People will never be successful at weight loss (unless they are anorexic, which last I checked is an eating disorder) if the answer is to starve themselves and eat gross unappealing food and then gain that weight back as soon as they go back to "normal" eating habits.What if we tell people to eat real food that gives them adequate micronutrients and improves insulin sensitivity? Cinnamon is a spice. What other benefits do the other hundreds of spices out there have? Chromium is found in beef and vegetables. Broccoli has a very high amount. What if we tell people to eat real food that gives them adequate micronutrients and improves insulin sensitivity instead of encouraging anorexia?
Friday, January 10, 2014
Malnutrition and Obesity
I recently listened to a podcast by Jayson and Mira Calton, Calton Nutrition (while waiting for my car's oil to be changed), and they talked about how micro-nutrient deficiency leads to cravings that leads to weight gain. The micro-nutrients are your vitamins and minerals. If you correct your deficiency you will lower your weight without even realizing it. For example, sugar cravings can mean you need more magnesium and calcium.A strong chocolate craving could mean a vitamin B or magnesium deficiency. I think the nutrition community and industry concentrate on
macronutrients (protein, fat, carbs), with your low carb this and high
protein that. I wanted to look more into this, besides the take a multivitamin dogma we hear.
B-Vitamins, Vitamin A, C, D, K, Folate, Iron, Zinc, Magnesium and many more are your micronutrients that the body relies on for basic functioning. When you are deficient in any one, there will be no flashing light reading low, but if you are chronically deficient you will feel it. For example, a folate or a vitamin B 12 deficiency can lead to megaloblastic anemia. The symptoms can be pale skin, shortness of breath, fatigue, confusion, memory loss and even dementia.
With the diets that are eaten now, a body can be obese and be deficient at the same time. There a number of articles on this topic. One reason for this is that a diet that leads to obesity is full of calories but not nutrients. You can eat rice, bread, cakes cookies and get enough calories but none of the vitamins and minerals you u need. At least, not in a sufficient amount. The nutrients that the body absorbs the best are found in whole food sources, not "enriched" sources or supplements.
The article, The Malnutrition of Obestity: Micronutrient Deficiencies That Promote Diabetes, describes vitamin deficiencies that exacerbate diabetes. "As with nearly all biochemical processes, glucose metabolism and insulin signaling require cofactors and vitamins that are essential in the diet. Deficiencies in any of these micronutrients have potential to impair glucose metabolism and cause insulin resistance. Clinical evidence supporting this hypothesis regarding the metabolic effects of specific deficiencies including vitamin D, chromium, biotin, thiamine and vitamin C is mounting. Unlike vitamin E, which has little to no proven clinical effect when given as a supplement, these vitamins are known to be deficient at relatively high rates in obese individuals and in diabetic patients. Clinicians should consider addressing possible deficiencies of these micronutrients when advising obese patients who are at risk for the development of type 2 diabetes. The medical care plan for obesity should include lifestyle changes, healthy food choices with high-nutrient content foods as part of a balanced approach for the prevention of the development of type 2 diabetes. Use of specific vitamin supplements may adopted into this rational practice." This is taken from the conclusion o f this article.
Now I would say to get these vitamins from food as much as possible, by cutting out the starches, sweets, chips, crackers, etc.I don't believe taking a multivitamin is the answer. For example, another article I came across, Micronutrient Deficiency in Obese Subjects Undergoing a Low Calorie Diet, talks about how the low calorie, high protein "formula diet" (I'm assuming they were on some kind of fortified liquid diet) did not bring up the micro nutrient levels in obese patients who were deficient in certain vitamins and minerals. There could be any number of reasons behind this. The article suggests that obese individuals need a higher amount of these vitamins and minerals. Could it be that they need real food and not just a shake? Could there be metabolic reactions taking place that requires them to need more vitamins or an absorption problem keeping them from getting them? Certain vitamins such as biotin, can be made by the bacteria in our gut. Could an imbalance in gut flora be a problem with this vitamin?
There seems to be different factors at work when it comes to getting all our nutrient such as eating food that is full of calories and little else, gut bacteria imbalances, obesity, diabetes, the list goes on and on.
Here are some foods that may not be part of your daily diet, that I suggest you start to incorporate:
Beets: A good source of fiber, vitamin C, folate, manganese, potassium and magnesium.
Parsley: Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6,
Pantothenic Acid, Phosphorus and Zinc, and a very good source of Dietary
Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Folate, Calcium, Iron,
Magnesium, Potassium, Copper and Manganese.
B-Vitamins, Vitamin A, C, D, K, Folate, Iron, Zinc, Magnesium and many more are your micronutrients that the body relies on for basic functioning. When you are deficient in any one, there will be no flashing light reading low, but if you are chronically deficient you will feel it. For example, a folate or a vitamin B 12 deficiency can lead to megaloblastic anemia. The symptoms can be pale skin, shortness of breath, fatigue, confusion, memory loss and even dementia.
With the diets that are eaten now, a body can be obese and be deficient at the same time. There a number of articles on this topic. One reason for this is that a diet that leads to obesity is full of calories but not nutrients. You can eat rice, bread, cakes cookies and get enough calories but none of the vitamins and minerals you u need. At least, not in a sufficient amount. The nutrients that the body absorbs the best are found in whole food sources, not "enriched" sources or supplements.
The article, The Malnutrition of Obestity: Micronutrient Deficiencies That Promote Diabetes, describes vitamin deficiencies that exacerbate diabetes. "As with nearly all biochemical processes, glucose metabolism and insulin signaling require cofactors and vitamins that are essential in the diet. Deficiencies in any of these micronutrients have potential to impair glucose metabolism and cause insulin resistance. Clinical evidence supporting this hypothesis regarding the metabolic effects of specific deficiencies including vitamin D, chromium, biotin, thiamine and vitamin C is mounting. Unlike vitamin E, which has little to no proven clinical effect when given as a supplement, these vitamins are known to be deficient at relatively high rates in obese individuals and in diabetic patients. Clinicians should consider addressing possible deficiencies of these micronutrients when advising obese patients who are at risk for the development of type 2 diabetes. The medical care plan for obesity should include lifestyle changes, healthy food choices with high-nutrient content foods as part of a balanced approach for the prevention of the development of type 2 diabetes. Use of specific vitamin supplements may adopted into this rational practice." This is taken from the conclusion o f this article.
Now I would say to get these vitamins from food as much as possible, by cutting out the starches, sweets, chips, crackers, etc.I don't believe taking a multivitamin is the answer. For example, another article I came across, Micronutrient Deficiency in Obese Subjects Undergoing a Low Calorie Diet, talks about how the low calorie, high protein "formula diet" (I'm assuming they were on some kind of fortified liquid diet) did not bring up the micro nutrient levels in obese patients who were deficient in certain vitamins and minerals. There could be any number of reasons behind this. The article suggests that obese individuals need a higher amount of these vitamins and minerals. Could it be that they need real food and not just a shake? Could there be metabolic reactions taking place that requires them to need more vitamins or an absorption problem keeping them from getting them? Certain vitamins such as biotin, can be made by the bacteria in our gut. Could an imbalance in gut flora be a problem with this vitamin?
There seems to be different factors at work when it comes to getting all our nutrient such as eating food that is full of calories and little else, gut bacteria imbalances, obesity, diabetes, the list goes on and on.
Here are some foods that may not be part of your daily diet, that I suggest you start to incorporate:
Beets: A good source of fiber, vitamin C, folate, manganese, potassium and magnesium.
 |
| Parsley and green onions |
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Happy New Year
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| New Year's resolution: I want a new camera |
The number one resolution is weight loss. I think that is nonsense too. I know people want to and need to lose weight, but it just seems to me that other issues should be resolutions and then maybe weight loss will actually be able to happen. For example, instead of saying; "I want to lose weight", say," I will cut my processed food intake in half and I will eat more fresh, home- made food, by preparing my lunches for work or school on the weekend. I will get some activity every single day whether its just a simple walk on my lunch break or swimming laps while the kids have their swimming lessons". I think picking an action to commit to instead of the ever elusive"I must lose weight" mantra can be more helpful.
I do have some resolutions myself. I want to get my kids to eat healthier and eat less junk food. My 6 year old son's eating habits are driving me crazy. He is so picky and he refuses everything I make and is always scavenging the cupboards for any kind of packaged junk. My plan here is if we don't have anything for him to scavenge (I feel like I'm talking about a raccoon) then he will be hungry enough that he will eat the lunch and dinner that I made.
I've been slowly working up to this. He is now going after grapes and bananas when he wants to snack. An improvement, but yesterday I found that he raided the tostoda shells that were on top of the fridge. He still isn't eating much meat either. I don't want him to only eat bananas and grapes. The point is for him to actually get hungry so he will eat what is on his plate. I will have to work on getting lunch and dinner ready at a consistent time, basically before he starts scavenging. To get ready for the New Year, I took the kids to the store and asked them to pick out all the fruits and veggies that they want to eat. I realize my son has completely different taste from me. He likes the packaged ice burg lettuce salad kits (also known as fake salad). They don't even sell it in organic. What a sacrilege! I got it for him, because I thought baby steps. He wanted celery and carrots and broccoli. So, I did see this as progress. My 8 year old daughter, on the other hand, is so easy. She likes almost anything, except lamb and organ meats, which is a little annoying considering my Middle- Eastern cuisine.
I guess I am evolving. I am no longer 22 resolving weight loss. I am 31 and I want my kids to stop getting cavities that I attribute to a poor diet. Maybe I am becoming less of a narcissist in my old age (: The whole reducing the cavities is kinda based on how much I have to pay to fill them, so maybe not...
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