Life Lately

Happy Saturday everyone! I am so glad it is finally the weekend. I am currently icing my ankle as it has been randomly swollen all week. I had pain and tingling in it at the beginning of the week but worked out through the pain, then Thursday I noticed that it was seriously swollen! So I am icing and elevating and hoping it's nothing serious!

I thought I'd share my latest eats with you all and how life has been lately. In one word, life has been BUSY! I feel like every second of my week and weekends are accounted for. Thank God all my plans are fun with some lovely people, but I am actually looking forward to during the day today! Work has been keeping me busy too...always learning something new and slowly getting more and more comfortable! At least I have been able to keep up with my workouts and healthy eating through it all!

My latest pre-workout meals have been either toast with peanut butter, or some kind of baked good creation. This week, I used Nature's Own Honey Wheat bread to put my peanut butter on.

I also baked some banana oat bread (recipe already posted!) with some added flaxseed (about 2 tablespoons) and an extra banana. This bread came out amazing!

My workouts have been about 40-45 minutes long as I do not have much time in the AM before work! However, I am NOT an evening worker-outer, and will definitely blow off my workout the minute I get home from work. So I love getting my workout done in the morning because it fills me with a sense of accomplishment, as well as energy to sustain me throughout the day! I've been doing 30-40 minute bike workouts with some toning work at the end. Short and sweet!

Post workouts have been tricky. Some mornings, I have time to make a nice meal after my workout. This week, I made oatmeal with half a scoop of protein powder, flaxseed, almond milk, bananas, and nuts! Oh and of course, tons of cinnamon!

I also had some leftover beans in the fridge one morning and sautéed some kale and ate that with half an avocado. Seems more like a lunch, but it tasted great as breakfast too!

And some mornings, I just grab a quest bar and go. I love these bars because they are full of protein and fiber and really act well as a post-workout meal when I am short on time!

Lunches have been delicioussss this week. I packed tuna earlier on in the week, and had some trouble getting excited about it. Usually I love tuna, but I wasn't feeling it this week. I decided that I MUST pack foods I am excited to eat! Especially at work when that 30 minute lunch break is something I really look forward to! So, my mom and I made a Seven Bean soup recipe we got from our William's Sonoma soups cookbook. It's basically sautéing onions, garlic, bell peppers, and whatever veggies you have, adding however many types of beans you want, a can of diced or crushed tomatoes, and some broth. And viola! You've got a nice and healthy chili to take with you all week to work!

I also made a salad with tons of greens, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, black beans, and avocado. Let's just say I've been on a bean and avocado kick lately :) such a great combo!

Well, that's it for my update. I hope this post gives you some meal ideas for your busy week to come! Use this weekend for some serious meal planning and prepping to ensure healthy choices all week long! Enjoy the weekend everyone!

You Tube Workouts!

Good morning everyone! Thank God this week is almost over...yay for Thursday!!! It's been a long and exhausting week for me, but God is good and has helped me pull through! I got sick again last weekend, so I did a lot of lounging around, drinking tea, and watching 24 with my parents and fiancé (ummm that show is addictive, so beware)! I finally feel like myself this morning, with just a few sniffles here and there! I have been wanting to take care of my sleep a little more lately, so I decided to sleep an extra hour instead of going to the gym, and do a 25 minute Jillian Michaels workout that I found on YouTube. If you google "Jillian Michaels kickboxing," it will be the first video that pops up!

This workout is only 25 minutes long, so I thought it would be a light workout day for me. Boyyyyyy was I wrong!! This workout was so intense! I was dripping within the first 5 minutes during the warm-up! There is no equipment necessary either, so this workout was so easy to get motivated for. I just got out of bed, spent some time with Jesus :) then turned on my computer and worked out! She has a ton of other workouts too, ranging from cardio to strength training to yoga. Some are a little longer, or you could even do the shorter ones twice through if you are looking for a longer workout! I am so excited I tried this workout and will definitely be doing this one again, as well as trying her other ones. Check out the calorie burn in only 25 minutes!

After my shower and getting ready for work, I made a nice big breakfast to give me good energy for the day. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a queen, and dinner like a pauper, right? :)

I had two slices of Nature's Own Honey Wheat toast with some natural peanut butter, a scrambled egg, and some awesome strawberries we bought off the street a few days ago! Honestly, those are the best and sweetest kind! That's all for me, gotta head to work! I hope you all have a great Thursday!

Confidence and Goal Setting

Motivation is a mysterious thing. I'm pretty sure we have all had moments of being hyper-motivated as well as downright lazy. We start out a day, week, or month, with plan and goals we want to achieve. However, sometimes we don't quite make the cut. I think it is very important to assess your goals and confidence in your abilities to achieve these goals. Planning is key, but where some people miss out is the confidence aspect, or what we in the nutrition/behavioral science field call "self-efficacy." Self-efficacy is the belief that you are actually capable of achieving what you set out to achieve. How can we increase self-efficacy and, in turn, increase our motivation and chances of achieving our goals? Well, read my rambles below to find out what I think!

"What you get by achieving your goals is as important as what you become by achieving them." -Thoreau

I've always been a big goal setter/planner. Ever since I was in elementary school, I would make lists, plans, and schedules as to how I was to attack the day, whether my goal was to reach a certain page in the book I was reading or reaching milestones in a 20-page research paper. I would put myself on a study schedule and would follow it to the letter. However, when I would fail at a goal, it would really lower my confidence in my ability to achieve other goals. It would be like a domino effect. There is a saying I heard once that has stuck with me: "one good decision leads to another." Well, this is true about bad decisions as well! The more bad decisions we make, the less confidence we have in our ability to make good decisions, and the harder it becomes to make these good decisions. What is really hard though, is when you really DO want the goal that you set out to begin with, but you seem to be on a conveyer belt, staring at your destination getting smaller and smaller as you move backwards and father away. I've been there, as I'm sure you all have too!

Self-efficacy is a concept taught to be key to achieving your goals, whether your goals are in health, nutrition, or any other aspect of your life. As a Christian, I have comfort in the fact that my confidence is from the Lord. My ability to achieve my goals is because "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." (Phil. 4:13). What a relief and joy that is! But what God has also impressed upon my heart is to think about why I want to achieve the goals that I have. We may want to lose weight, be a certain size, get a certain job, or save a certain amount of money. But we won't successfully achieve any of those things without the WHY behind it. I believe the WHY of your goal is the first step towards self-efficacy, or God-efficacy as I would like to call it. That is definitely something I just made up, but I think I'll stick to it! God-efficacy is the belief that GOD will help me and strengthen me to achieve my goals. The WHY for these goals must be centered on how these goals will draw me closer to God and make me more able to do the work He has called me to do.

Back to the Thoreau quote, I believe that the journey to achieving our goals must draw us into a closer relationship with God and pull us into His love and purpose for our lives. For example, if our goal is to get a higher paying job, we must evaluate why we want this job. If it is just because of the higher pay, that is not necessarily a bad thing, but how will we use this bigger blessing? Will we spend it on material possessions, or use it to help the people around us who need it? Or, if our goal is weight loss and health, will we flaunt our new body and become vain and cocky when achieving this goal? Or will we use this weight loss and health journey as a lesson in self-control and reliance on God, allowing Him to help us make healthier choices that will make us more energetic and effective in our relationships, families, and church communities? It's definitely something to think about...

I encourage you all to think about and evaluate your goals. Once we focus on the WHY behind our goals and realize that the journey is just as important as achieving the goal, we are more likely to find success in all that we attempt to achieve. The journey is part of the process, and finding our strength in God and His perfect efficacy is a way to surrender our goals and desires to Him and allow Him to work in us to achieve whatever we do unto His glory!

My Version of Fast Food

Wow, hello everyone! I've definitely been neglecting my little blog here! Things have been so busy and I have been so tired after work that I have not had any time to put in to my blog! Hopefully things get better....but I have a quick little tip to share today so I thought I'd finally get to writing! I don't know about any of you, but when I am tired and hungry after work, I rarely want to come home, cook an entire meal, and eat an hour later. I have also been careful with how much money I spend eating out as well. Last night, my boyfriend and I were in a rush for dinner in order to make it to church on time. We were hungry but didn't want to pick up anything through a drive thru, or spend $40 on a dinner for two people! We decided to grab a rotisserie chicken, sweet potato, avocado, and some tomatoes for dinner. We already had some veggies and hummus at my place we used that as well! I cleaned up the chicken while he microwaved the sweet potato. It turned out to be such a filling, delicious, and healthy meal! We couldn't stop talking about how tasty everything was! So next time you want to grab a burger and fries for a quick dinner, don't forget about this chicken idea that is just as fast as a drive thru but way healthier and more satisfying! Happy Saturday everyone!

Back to the Basics

Happy Monday everyone! I hope everyone has started this week off with a bang! I thought I'd share my eats of the day with you all as some inspiration to show that sometimes, simple really is better! These past few weeks have been filled with ups, downs, stresses, events, good food, and good times for me. However, I woke up today thinking "I neeeeeed some simple, easy, clean foods back in my life!" So I decided to just plan my meals out and make them as simple, fresh, and easy as possible. And let me tell you, it felt great! Going back to the basics of having lean protein, fresh veggies and fruits, and healthy fats helps you appreciate these delicious and nutrient-dense foods in their natural form, and reminds you of how satisfying and satiating they can actually be! So here is my day! :) I woke up and had a banana before my workout this morning. I am finally get back into working out after being sick for 2 weeks! I did the bike with some toning work afterwards for my arms!

After my workout, I made a quick veggie scramble before heading off to work.

For my day at work, I packed berries, salad with grilled chicken that I prepped last night, veggies, and nuts. These meals/snacks were so simple and were all from fresh, real foods. They kept me full and energized all day long!

After work, I met my parents at one of my favorite restaurants...Lemonade! I got their Pineapple chicken salad and Thai veggie salad. These salads are both so light and delicious and are filled with more of those fresh veggies!

Whoever says vegetables don't fill you up has definitely never...well...eaten vegetables! Veggies are so filling because of their high water and fiber content. Plus they require lots of chewing, forcing you to eat slower and enjoy your food. This helps your body take time to digest, and helps your brain send those helpful "I am full so you can stop eating" signals. In addition to the nutritional benefits of vegetables (fiber, vitamins, minerals, etc), they are also great for volume eaters, like myself! I'd rather have a whole big bowl of something than a teeny tiny slice of anything else. That is why I love to fill my plate with lots of fresh, non-starchy veggies that are crunchy, fun to eat, and that fill me up! One of the best things I've ever done for my health is try to incorporate vegetables into at least 75% of my meals for the day, whether that is in scrambles, stir-fries, salads, snacks, soups, etc. Also, pairing high-quality proteins such as eggs, chicken, turkey, beef, or fish, with your vegetables is the best way to help you stay full and energized all day long, without compromising your healthy eating goals!

Whenever you are stressed out about meal planning or just need to snap out of some old habits creeping back up, just go back to your basics. Grab a protein, surround it with tons of veggies, and add some healthy fats to the mix. Simple, easy, healthy, and delicious!

Healthy Priorities

I am currently writing this with no voice. I mean that...NO VOICE. Nada...I can barely whisper. It's been an interesting past few days to say the least, and past few weeks for me as well. There has been so much going on for me, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. It's been a lot to process, but I am loving the many things God has been teaching and showing me through this journey here on earth! This past weekend, I got very very sick. I basically came down with a fever on Valentine's day (so so sad!) and was in bed with a  cold/flu for most of the weekend. Then, when I finally started feeling better yesterday, a horrid cough came over me and my voice decided to go on a little vacation and leave me behind. So here I am, voiceless, hacking a lung, and kind of frustrated that I can't talk. I'm hoping that some tea, rest, and silence will get this out of my system! I haven't been able to work out since Friday which is KIND OF irritating me, but I know I have to stick it out and rest up for this sickness to leave and hopefully never come back.

A number of weeks ago, I wrote a post entitled "Labeling Life," which is a very honest look at how our brains deal with the "diet labels" we put on ourselves. Ever since writing that post, I feel like God has been doing SUCH a work in my heart in regards to what I eat and why I eat the way that I do. I have felt such freedom in choosing foods that are healthy and work for me, even if they don't fit into a particular "diet philosophy" or mold. I've also come to realize that I can agree with a certain diet mentality, but not have to follow it 100% of the time. As one of my very close friends Michelle over at www.littlekarim.com says at the end of each of her posts, "what works for me, works for me." I think this is SO true! 

Let me back up a bit. There are SO many diet books out there, right? I mean just go to any bookstore (or Amazon) and you will be overwhelmed at the amount of nutrition literature there is available to the general public. Which can tend to be confusing! There are books ranging from vegan, paleo, vegetarian, low-carb, high fat, and so on, and each of them have great attributes. However, following any one of those diets religiously, for the sake of following a set of rules, is not the healthiest thing to do for your body or mind. Your body needs a variety of foods, and so does your brain for that matter. Food is here to fuel us, but also to bring us enjoyment. When we over restrict foods, our brains tend to want those foods so much more.

When I first started my journey with gluten-free and paleo eating, I was seeking a diet philosophy that I could get sold on, 100%. I wanted a clear cut set of rules that could guide me and dictate my food choices. I wanted justification for why I ate the way that I ate. However, throughout this whole journey, which has been almost 2 years now, I've realized that diet is not about following rules, labels, or philosophies. It is about finding what works for you. Which is why I have decided to not follow any one diet mentality, making this a "Labeling Life part 2" type of post I guess! :)

As a dietitian, people think that I have it all together in regards to my food ideas and philosophies. However, I am here to tell you that I do NOT have it together. In fact, it's even harder for us dietitians sometimes! We have all this knowledge bouncing around in our heads: contradictory research, objective and subjective findings, and personal experience that all get confused in our brains. It is hard not to be conscious of the foods you are eating when you know so much about them. It is almost as if you "know too much," which can be overwhelming! I've realized that life has to be SO much more than just minimalistic views on food. Fruit is not just sugar. Grains are not just fiber. Protein is not just fat. Food is beautiful and made up of so many intricate components. There are good sides and bad sides to each food group. There are healthy proteins, and not so healthy proteins, healthy grains, not so healthy grains, healthy fats, and not so healthy fats, etc etc. We can choose the healthy foods we want to eat instead of restricting almost every food group while trying to have the "purest" and "cleanest" diet ever. This is just not possible...and life is about so much more! One verse that God keeps bringing to my mind is Romans 14:17, which states:

"For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit."

I want to be healthy for the Lord. I want to glorify Him and honor the body He has given me. I want to be healthy so I can be effective to do the SO MUCH MORE that God has in store for me! I want to eat nutritious foods, but I want to be filled with righteousness, peace, and joy in the LORD, not in the rules that I follow. Being healthy should never be the end result, because our bodies are so temporary. We should strive to be healthy to glorify God, to learn the art of self-discipline in this very overindulgent world we live in, and be well equipped, energetic, and healthy to bear much fruit for the Lord.

I am so excited for this freedom in health that God has been showing me, and I know I still have so much to learn. We should make healthy choices to glorify God, not to follow some set of rules or ideology that start taking a life of their own, turning into over-restriction! I hope this post resonates with some of you out there, and I hope that my honesty and openness helps you reflect on why you have your health goals and where your priorities are in regards to why you want to be healthy! Having goals and making plans and health-conscious food choices are important, but let us never lose sight of what matters in life and WHY we want to be healthy!

The Magic of Avocados!

Wow, it has been such a crazy and busy week! I feel like I have barely had time to breathe with my work schedule and evening activities. Since I don't work until 11am today, I figured it would be the perfect time to post about a topic I have been wanting to post about for a while! This will be an review on two articles all about the greatness of avocados! Avocados have become so popular lately, so I thought I'd do some research on the specific health benefits researchers have associated with the consumption of this fruit! Yes, even though avocados are high in healthy fats (which we will get into later), they are actually botanically a fruit. Their widespread health benefits, and their effect on overall health, will be the focus of this review.

The two articles I read are entitled: "A randomized 3x3 crossover study to evaluate the effect of Hass avocado intake on post-ingestive satiety, glucose and insulin levels, and subsequent energy intake in overweight adults."

and...

"Avocado consumption is associated with better diet quality and nutrient intake, and lower metabolic syndrome risk in US adults: results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2001-2008."

Here are the citations!

Wien, M., Haddad, E., Oda, K., & Sabaté, J. (2013). A randomized 3x3 crossover study to evaluate the effect of Hass avocado intake on post-ingestive satiety, glucose and insulin levels, and subsequent energy intake in overweight adults. Nutrition journal, 12(1), 155.

III, V. L. F., Dreher, M., & Davenport, A. J. (2013). Avocado consumption is associated with better diet quality and nutrient intake, and lower metabolic syndrome risk in US adults: results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2001-2008.

Review:

I was actually really excited when I found these articles because the first one was written by many of my former graduate school professors at Loma Linda University! This article focused on the satiety effects of avocados. Satiety is the feeling of fullness we experience after a meal. Some foods promote satiety, while others do not, and actually promote the opposite: overeating! Obviously, if we want to eat healthy amounts of foods, we want to pick foods that promote satiety and keep us full until our next meal. This study also measured the glucose and insulin effects of avocado, as well as its impact on over energy intake. All of these factors were measured in overweight individuals. What the researchers found is that, by adding half of an avocado to your lunch meal, meal satisfaction significantly increased by 23%, while the desire to eat or snack again over the course of 5 hours post lunch decreased significantly by 28%. When avocado was included in the meal (replacing the avocado for another food item), satiety increased significantly by 26%, while the desire to eat over the course of 5 hours post lunch decreased significantly by 40%. Eating the avocado portion at lunch also produced a more favorable blood glucose and insulin response compared to those who did not include or add avocado to their lunch meals. This study shows that eating even half of an avocado with your lunch, or replacing part of your lunch with this food, increases your satisfaction with your meal, and will keep you full for a LONG while afterwards! This is good news for you afternoon snackers out there, who are ready for some crackers or chips just a couple hours after lunch! Even though the avocado adds calories (about 115 calories in half of an avocado), the quality of and satisfaction with your lunch increases, leaving you full and energetic long after your lunch meal.

Which brings me to my second article, which measured the diet quality and nutrient intake of avocado consumers, as well as participants' overall risk of metabolic syndrome. Compared to non-avocado consumers, this study found that diet quality was significantly higher in those who consumed avocados. These people had an increased intake of micronutrients from fruits and vegetables, and a decreased intake of foods with added sugars. Those who ate avocados had a higher total fat, fiber, vitamin E, magnesium, potassium, and vitamin K intake. They also tended to consume less carbohydrates, and have a  lower body weight, BMI, and waist circumference than those who did not consume avocados. Yet another reason to include these delicious fruits in your diet! Even though those who ate avocados had a higher fat intake, they actually weighed less. These people also had a lower risk of developing metabolic syndrome, which includes a myriad of health problems including poor blood glucose control, high triglycerides, low protective HDL cholesterol, high blood pressure, and a large waist circumference. In addition to all of these health benefits, avocados are also high in monounsaturated fatty acids (or MUFAs), which have cardiovascular benefits and prevent the oxidation of small LDL particles. Oxidized LDL is a huge contributor to heart disease, which is the main reason why avocados promote heart health as well.

My opinion:

Wow, how much more of a reason do we need to eat avocados? Not only do they taste creamy and delicious, they also provide a large host of health benefits. They are good for our bodies and our brains. Promoting satiety helps us focus on other things because, as we all know, when we are hungry, food is all we can think about! The satiety promoting factors in avocados are a great reason to include them in your breakfasts, lunches, or dinners. They are also good for our health and protective against heart disease. I recommend having 1/2-1 avocado per day, depending on your activity level and overall size. I also suggest replacing your usual nutrient poor foods, such as bread, rice, or pasta, with avocados, which are much more nutrient dense and have higher satiety signals and fullness cues than our other refined carbohydrate choices! Some ways to include avocados are with your eggs in the morning, with salads at lunch, or by making some guacamole to dip veggies in at dinner! So enjoy some avocado today and I hope you all have a great Wednesday!

Redefining the Snack!

I love snacking and have always been a snacker! When I was younger, I would look forward to my afternoon snacks, which would usually consist of goldfish crackers while watching "Little House on the Prarie." (Loved that show!) Throughout the recent years, I have found that my nostalgic love of snacking still rings strong and true. I would much rather snack throughout the day than have 3 square meals a day. But, since most snack foods tend to be processed, high in salt and sugar, and not the healthiest of options, snacking has gotten a bad reputation. The action of snacking also stimulates us to eat more by triggering that mindless "put food in mouth, repeat, repeat, repeat" action, which makes it easy to ignore our satiety signals (aka your brain screaming "I am full so stop feeding me!!!") Makes you almost feel like a crazy cooke monster, huh??

I read an interesting article this week entitled "Half of eating occasions are snacks." Here is the link below!

http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Markets/The-end-of-the-meal-as-we-know-it-Half-of-eating-occasions-now-snacks-says-Hartman

A new report by the Hartman group states that more and more people are eating on the go, snacking, and replacing traditional meals with more snack foods. The authors stated that people are eating "on a whim" and "according to cravings," making them more likely to go through the drive thru, stop at a grocery store, or pick up a yummy baked good from the local bakery on their way home from work, school, or any function. The report also stated that half the time, people eat alone, which means that smaller portions are even more necessary. The report states that these snacks have become replaced meals, and some people are even starting to snack at home when they are too tired to make a full course, nutritionally balanced meal.

My opinion:

I am a healthy eater, but also love to snack. I completely understand the need to eat something on your way home, or the feeling of being too exhausted to cook a full meal after a long day at work. But, there are some healthy ways to prevent a snack attack that leads to an all day eating fest! Planning and prepping your meals and snacks are the key to establishing healthy meal and snacking patterns, leading to a happier and healthier life! Check a few posts back if you need some meal planning ideas, and keep reading for some snacking tips!

Since I get off work at 5:45pm, have a 45-50 minute commute home, I know that I will get hungry on my drive. I always make sure to either pack a quest bar or some nuts for my drive home.

The combination of nuts with either veggies or fruit is also very satisfying and filling!

In my experience, the key to being a healthy snacker is to PLAN your snacks. Most people plan meals, but simply leave the snacks up the chance. This usually leads to overeating snack foods such as chips, popcorn, candy, etc. The reason why these foods are SO easy to overeat is that they are full of sugar and very devoid of nutrition, which leads to these foods having addictive qualities. Think about it, have you ever eaten 4 plates of steak or grilled chicken? Your body just screams NO and physically doesn't let you because of all the nutrition and protein in these foods. But, have you ever polished off 4 baskets of chips and salsa without even thinking about it?? Be honest, because even I can answer that question with a  resounding YES! As delicious as some of these snack foods are, they have no internal mechanisms that make us say STOP EATING. Most snack foods do not contain adequate protein to keep us full and do what snacks are intended to do: keep us full enough till our next meal. Which is why, I recommend, redefining the snack!

1.) MINI-MEALS: A snack should really be more of a mini-meal. Think of your snack as a protein, veggies, and some healthy fats. If you have a hard-boiled egg, carrots, and a 1/4 cup of hummus, nuts, or guacamole, I guarantee that you will feel satisfied and full, without feeling the need to have a second, third, or fourth portion of this "snack" or mini-meal. Another idea is 2 oz grilled chicken, some snap peas or mini bell peppers, and a string cheese. This meal would fill you up without stuffing you up, and will keep your energy levels steady for a few hours instead of leaving you hungry and wanting more.

2.) QUICK STOP PROTEIN: When it comes to stopping on the way home for a snack, most people turn to Starbucks, fast food joints, or ice cream parlors. However, in the same amount of time it takes for you to pull into one of these food establishments, it would take the same amount of time to stop at a nearby grocery store with a prepared foods section and pick up a rotisserie chicken. Chicken has good protein, is a fast snack option that you can leave in your fridge at work, and can even be taken home to your family for a quick dinner. Just whip up a salad or some steamed veggies (keep a few bags of frozen veggies on hand for emergencies such as these!) and you've got yourself a nice protein+veggies meal! You can even boil cook up some sweet potatoes or some brown rice as a carbohydrate side as well.

The more our world changes and gets busier, the more our daily habits change as well. As this article has shown, the "traditional" meal is taking a back seat to snacking and eating on the go. Even though we all have busy schedules, don't let health and nutrition take a back seat as well! Use some of these tips, or create your own protein, veggie, and healthy fat meals that will help you stay full and resist the need for salty or sugary snacks. By packing each meal with as many nutrient-dense foods as possible, you will leave your body and brain satisfied and going strong throughout the day, preventing the overeating and mindless snacking that so often occurs when you let yourself go hungry! So go ahead, redefine your snacks, and see how much better your moods, energy, and overall health will be!

Time Crunch Workouts!

Happy Weekend everyone!!! I hope you all are having a wonderful Saturday morning. It felt good to sleep in for me until 6:30am this morning! I am usually up and at 'em by 4:45/5am, so it was a treat to wake up and realize I had slept till 6:30! I went to the gym this morning and was able to workout for a little longer than usual, which got me thinking about how hard it has been to fit in my usual long workouts into my new work schedule. As many of you know, I just started my first real job in mid-January! I am working for WIC, which is a supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children! I am in love with this job and feel so blessed by the Lord for this opportunity to work with, and serve the most amazing people! I have always been an early riser, so waking up early to get my workouts in before heading to work has not been too challenging. However, I have not been able to get in those long workouts that I was accustomed to before starting my job. I used to workout for about 60-90 minutes daily because a.) I loved it! and b.) I had allllllll the time in the world! :) Clearly, this is not the case anymore! Since I am definitely not an evening worker-outer, I have developed some strategies and tricks in order to get the most workout-bang for my time-buck these past couple of weeks. Here are some tricks if you are in a time crunch and looking to still get a great workout in the AM!

1.) Tone it Up workouts!

I love Tone it Up (TIU) workouts! They are usually between 10-20 minutes long and work all your major muscle groups. The trainers, Karena and Katrina, use strength training and toning moves that work multiple muscle groups at once, so you get both a cardio and toning workout! Check out their website (www.toneitup.com) for a complete list of their workouts! You can also search them on YouTube!

2.) Resistance, resistance, resistance!

I have learned that duration is not everything when it comes to working out! I could go on the elliptical for 60 minutes and barely break a sweat, or 30 minutes and be drenched by the end of my workout! It all depends on what resistance setting I have used. I have done my elliptical HIIT workout (check previous posts!) multiple times the past 2 weeks and always come out feeling like I did a major hour-long workout! I am drenched and my heart rate goes way up, which is the mark of any great workout! Play around with the resistance and crossramp settings on your machine and try 2-3 minute intervals of raising and lowering the resistance to keep your heart pumping and those calories burning!

3.) Toning large muscle groups

My third trick is to tone the largest muscle groups in the least amount of time. I usually try to work on my shoulders, back, chest, or legs EVERY day since the moves for these body parts usually get my heart rate going. I also include some biceps, triceps, and abs as supplemental exercises, but I always make sure to get those major muscle groups done! I do shoulder presses, which raises your heart rate since any movement lifting your arms above your head helps get your heart pumping. I do the chest press machine at the gym, as well as lat pulldowns and lat rows, which leave your back looking and feeling great! I also do deadlifts at least 3 times a week. I have worked up to a 30 lb bar (I started at 5 lb dumbbells...take that for progress!) and am loving the results. I also try to do the leg press machine or squats and lunges, depending on how my knee is doing (still nursing that injury...)!

In a typical workweek, my workouts usually last about 35-45 minutes every morning, depending on my schedule how much time I have before I have to get ready for work. Below are some examples of what my workouts have consisted of the past couple of weeks:

1.) TIU workouts: I absolutely love the new "love your total body 2 workout" which is 20 minutes long. I also do some of their more focused 10-minute workouts, which work specific muscle groups. I usually do these TIU workouts if I am staying home to exercise instead of heading to the gym!

2.) Bike for 30 minutes, chest press, deadlifts, biceps, triceps, abs

3.) Elliptical HIIT for 20-30 minutes, shoulder press, shoulder raise, lat row, leg press

4.) Bike 15 minutes, elliptical HIIT 20 minutes, lat pulldown, squats, lunges, abs

I hope this post gives you some ideas on ways that you can maximize your workout time with a busy schedule! Any workout is better than no workout, so even if you lift some weights in your bedroom for 15 minutes before getting ready for work, that counts and positively impacts your health! Planning out your workouts also ensures that you get them done in the morning so you feel energized throughout the day and don't have to worry about fitting them in at night! So get up and get moving people! And if you need some added motivation, here you go! :)

Article Review: Picking Your Battles with Meat

The article I am writing about today discusses the dangers of processed meats.  Processed meats are usually a staple in most people's diets, whether the person is careless about his or her health, or an extremely health conscious individual. Every now and then, we all need a little convenience in our lives! However, this article does a great job of clearly outlining the different dangers associated with a high consumption of processed meats, while making the public aware of some healthier alternatives. This article is entitled "Processing of meats and cardiovascular risk: time to focus on preservatives." Here is the citation before I forget!

Micha, Renata, et al. "Processing of meats and cardiovascular risk: time to focus on preservatives." BMC medicine 11.1 (2013): 136.

The purpose of this article was to explain why deli meats have been associated with adverse health effects, as well as to provide ways to enjoy meats in healthy and less harmful ways. The article begins by expressing how the consumption of red meat has been considered to be a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease because of saturated fat and cholesterol. However, recent findings suggest that the saturated fat and cholesterol of red meat do not provide sufficient evidence to prove a causative effect between red meat and cardiovascular disease. The authors state that a more rounded view must be taken on this topic.

The authors proceed to summarize various studies that have proven that unprocessed red meat does not have a significant association with cardiovascular risk. The consumption of unprocessed poultry (chicken, turkey) was slightly associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. Another study reviewed in this article, conducted in 2010, found that unprocessed red meat and coronary heart disease had no significant association; however, there was a significant association between processed meat intake and coronary heart disease. The most notable differences between processed and unprocessed meats are sodium and nitrates. These preservatives are added to most deli meats and are thought to be the cause of these adverse associations between processed meats and cardiovascular disease. The authors conclude that these "low-fat" deli meats should not be advertised as "healthy" and that dietary recommendations should not just be "fat-based" but overall "nutrient" based, promoting fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, and fish, while recommending the avoidance of processed meats and other high-sodium and refined foods.

My opinion:

Okay, so basically, preservatives are bad, fresh meats are good, class dismissed. But, I feel that there is a very important concept to note and always remember when dealing with these scientific discoveries. Associations do not necessarily mean causation. What I mean by this is that one factor can be associated with another. For example, an association is that people who have a lighter in their pockets have a high association with smoking. But, the fact that these people have lighters in their pockets is not the only reason why they are smoking; it is not the cause of them smoking. The cause is most likely because of addiction, habits, etc, and not just because they happen to have a lighter in their pocket. The authors in this study note that some of the studies they reviewed did not adjust for certain "outside forces" that may have impacted their participants. Many people who eat a high amount of processed meats have higher rates of smoking, drinking, having inactive lifestyles, and have poor eating habits in general. These outside forces, or "confounding factors" can impact the findings of these studies and make the outcomes somewhat fuzzy and unclear. We don't know if the adverse effects are just from the processed meat consumption, lack of exercise, lack of whole foods, or because these people happen to smoke and drink. That is why it is always important to read scientific studies with a watchful eye.

Now, while I firmly believe that these preservatives and additives are harmful and should be avoided, I understand that real life happens. Sometimes, in our healthy eating journeys, we have to make allowances for certain convenience items. In a perfect world, we would all have time to cook our meats from fresh, grass fed, antibiotic free sources, bake our own breads from the wheat we have grown ourselves, and eat fresh (not frozen) fruits and vegetables all day long. Unfortunately, our world is not perfect, and sometimes even the most health-conscious individuals must take the easy route to get nutritious foods in our diets without having to start from square one. For me, this is where deli meats come in. When I need a quick protein source but know I won't have time to cook some meat, I usually grab a case of deli turkey from Trader Joe's. Thankfully, they have a nitrate free option, which makes me feel a little less guilty about my once in a while protein choices!! But, I also understand that these choices are not always available, and that is okay. If you can avoid these types of foods most of the time, the rare instances where you may have high sodium, nitrate-filled meats won't cause as many problems as having them consistently every day for weeks or months at a time. My recommendation would be to always try to cook fresh meat, poultry, and fish, but not fear the occasional need for some convenience "healthy" food options. If you are going to eat processed meat, I recommend getting a nitrate-free and low-sodium version whenever possible. 

I hope this article was educational and interesting for you all! Have a wonderful Thursday evening!