Monday, March 29, 2010

Healthy. It must be...

Healthy.  It must be healthy if... There are a lot of words or phrases that can complete the rest of this sentence.  Just because a food comes from a certain supermarket promoting whole foods or organic goodness does not mean that eating an abundance of sugarcoated candied nuts is a healthy choice.  A delicious one, maybe, but a healthy one, maybe not.

The same goes for cooking methods or food ingredients.  Fried foods scream "I'm fat! Eat me now!" Most foods prepared via the deep fryer or other lard application will have a higher calorie count than their non-fried counter parts.  However, the calorie count of foods labeled as "low fat" may also be a calorific shocker to body's level of blubber.  The reason for such high calories in low fat foods is due to the fact that removing fat from food products requires the fat to be replaced by other ingredients.  Quite typically, these ingredients are made from carbohydrates and proteins.  While not as calorie dense as fat, in order to make the food taste just as good, more of them are needed in the product and thus, the product is now equal to if not contains more in calories.  Shocker.

To help avoid the healthy versus non-healthy food dilemma, learn how to properly read the product packaging.  Beyond the nutrition panel found on every food product (food product referring to a manufactured product), there is a list of ingredients that tells exactly what the product is made of.  If an ingredient is not pronounceable, would you want it in your body? Well, that's up to you as you begin to define your own diet but at least now you some truth to what is healthy.  Just as health is personal, so are food and your food choices.

Healthy.  It might not be...


(Feel free to post comments with questions regarding nutrition labels and ingredients in food products)

Monday, March 22, 2010

Healthy Food Tip #2 - Guac Me!

In need of a quick and delicious snack... then search no more!!! Avocados are a great source of healthy for you fats that can help keep you not only feeling fuller for longer but also satisfy that snack craving.

Try this fresh Guacamole recipe for a spring pick me up! My own Fat & Skinny Guide Recipe!


Smash one avocado and spritz with a wedge of lime.  
Lightly sprinkle in garlic or onion salt, cracker pepper, and a bit of cumin to taste.  
Halve a 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes and mix with a fork.

Serve with whole wheat pita chips or your favorite baked chip brand.  Remember - veggies also make great dippers so try not to over do the chips or challenge yourself to just eat one chip and the rest with vegetables!

The trick to snacking and defining your diet is to eat something you and enjoy that is also good for you and satisfying! Otherwise, you may just end up searching for something else to eat after...

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Skinnyenvy.

Skinnyenvy. Yes, you are reading that correctly. Skinnyenvy is a combination of the words: skinny and envy. Everyone knows someone who embodies this newly formed word. They come up to make a comment about how skinny you've gotten or how much weight you lost. Of course, the main question that is really being asked is "how did you do it? how did you lose the weight?" Usually, said with such amazement and well, envy of your new skinnier self.

Annoying? Yes, skinnyenvy certainly can be (especially when it happens on a daily basis). Flattering? Well, the envier certainly thinks this weight loss is a remarkable feat. Sense of jealousy? Obviously, usually these are the type of people that have a dire need to lose almost to an obsession or simply are watching your dietary habits and the resulting spin cycle of weight loss - just to comment.

The best part of skinnyenvy is the resulting awkward conversation about how the poundage melted away. This conversation is usually weighted with trying this diet or that food fad and failing, only to gain more weight in the end and carried on by the skinnyenvier. The end is what seems to be an epiphany that they too will do what you do and be successful. The only problem - they are not you and therefore, it may not work unless they tailor it to meet their needs.

Skinnyenvy. Tailor your diet to a skinny self.

Monday, March 8, 2010

Starvation. The Myth.


Starvation.  Starvation is a diet myth.  Trust me – even a Hollywood starlet could not survive a starvation diet. Why is that you might ask?  Well, the answer might surprise you.   The human body is a miraculous thing that is not only adaptable but also has a mind of its own.   You might even venture to call this “mind” a brain that takes over even when your willpower cannot.

Bears can survive winter hibernation due to the fact that their body’s processes have slowed to a snore in order to make it through the winter without a single morsel of food.  Ever wonder why they are so grumpy when they wake up?  I think you would be too, if you hadn’t eaten in months.   The same is true for the human body but in a less of a hairy and grouchy extreme.   Starvation is similar to hibernation only in humans the body adapts by slowing the metabolism in order to conserve calories for future use.  It is an innate feature in all of us – whether we are aware of it or not.
 
(Bear-inspired German Chocolate Cake)

Starving oneself will only cause the body over time to come to a sluggish halt – leading to fatigue, hunger, and a bear-like grumpiness.  Yes, weight will initially be lost and rather quickly as it takes some time for the body to adapt to a starved state but slowly the weight loss will slow to a terrifying halt.   The damage is not only a mental confusion but can do more physical harm than being mauled by a bear itself.  When the body does not have enough calories to burn it starts using muscle and then fat reserves for quick energy.  The result – muscle loss.  And well muscle, muscle is the only metabolic tissue in your body and therefore, your metabolism dwindles to a drool.

Starvation.  A body slowing truth.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Bad, Bad Choice.


Bad, bad choice.  Don’t worry everyone does it, ya know? Makes a bad choice.  Yet, when it comes to making a bad choice regarding food it is a whole number bag of worms.  First, if you’re not alone when you’re eating, the people surrounding you are most likely looking at what you’re eating and rating it on some sort of scale.  There is the “delicious scale” rating the wow factor of how “delicious” the food would taste based upon the imagery in front of them.  Then there is the “good for you” scale.  This scale focuses on the overall healthiness of the food and how it could ultimately affect your weight or health.  The types of scales that exist are infinite and could be endless redefined depending on whom you ask.

The scale that sticks out in most “weight conscious” individuals is the “bad for you scale.”  It’s a brutal scale that every morsel of food that enters the mouth is weighed upon to determine its “badness.”  If the food has fat, well then it’s bad.  If it is mostly carbohydrates, put it on the diabetes scare bad scale. If the food fried, watch out the scale is tipping and just might never balance out again!  Pretty soon it is not worth eating at all because of the potential badness that makes weight watchers run in fear of an extra calorie leading to an extra pound. I mean really?

Let’s get real here – eating is worth every bite as long as it is enjoyable and contributes something to how you feel in positive light.  Negative feelings towards food can create a stressful environment, not just the one that is being physically lived in, but also, the body.  If someone is so worried about their bad choices, the body can be come a stressful zone and potentially this could lead to more bad choices and overeating.  A vicious cycle instead of a delicious cycle wins us over. 

May it be suggested that food be enjoyed for what it is?   And, when food choices are made, can they be acknowledged for what they are? If it is indeed a “bad choice” then make less of them or consume less of what is in front on the plate.  Don’t ignore it but be aware and arm yourself against a…

Bad, bad choice and don’t break the scale.