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Since I started teaching a nutrition course for the organization I volunteer at, it has opened my eyes to how little the average person knows about what food companies are allowed to put in our food and the claims they’re allowed to put on food labels. The participants of the class have been so shocked and put off by all of it, and this blog touches on some ingredients that are allowed in this country but banned in other countries.
There is a long list of foods, additives, hormones, genetically engineered ingredients, etc. that are allowed in the United States even though they are banned in several other countries. I won’t include that entire list, but here are some of the main culprits that showed up on multiple lists during my search. Farm-raised salmon: Fed astaxanthin to make up for insufficient diet. This chemical has not been approved for human consumption. Hawaiian papaya: Has been genetically engineered to reduce virus in plants. Genetic engineering can cause intestinal damage, multiple-organ damage, tumors, birth defects, and premature death Food dyes (Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Red 40): Can cause hyperactivity in children. Can increase allergy and cancer risks. Arsenic-laced chicken and water: Can trigger cancer and heart disease Brominated vegetable oil (BVO) found in soft drinks and bread/Potassium bromate in bread: Overexposure has been linked to memory loss and nerve disorders (no conclusive studies). Can lead to iodine deficiency, skin rashes, acne, loss of appetite, fatigue, and cardiac arrhythmias. Also used as a flame retardant/Linked to kidney and nervous system damage, thyroid and GI problems, and cancer Azodicarbonamide (ADA) found in cereal and bread: Potential carcinogen linked to disease. Also found in yoga mats. Olestra found in low-fat chips and other foods: Linked to gastrointestinal disease in children and severe diarrhea in adults. Increases appetite and weight gain. Malabsorption of vitamins A, D, E, and K (fat-soluble vitamins) Synthetic growth hormones rBGH and rBST in milk and beef: Health problems and birth defects in cows. Products from hormone-receiving cows do not have to be labeled as such. Increase risk for colorectal, prostate, and breast cancer. The only way to avoid consuming these hormones is to look for “rBGH free” or “no rBGH” Ractopamine-tainted meat: Levels in meat not tested in US. Known to affect cardiovascular system and may be responsible for hyperactivity, chromosomal changes, and behavioral changes Carcinogenic preservatives (BHA and BHT) found in cereal, mixed nuts, gum, butter spread, meat, dehydrated potatoes, beer, and others: May cause cancer (BHA), triggering of allergies (BHA), hyperactivity (BHA), and organ system toxicity (BHT) Even protein powder is at risk for containing harmful ingredients. My best friend recently sent me a link to the results of a recent study which tested popular protein powders for heavy metals and toxins. It was found that protein powders made from plant proteins contained higher levels of heavy metals, pesticides, and BPA than those made from whey and egg. Those made with plant protein contained twice as much lead and “measurably higher” amounts of other toxins. For more information about this study, please follow the “Consumer Reports” link at the bottom of the page. While more is being done to ban harmful chemicals, GMOs (genetically modified organisms), hormones, dyes, and preservatives in our food (and beauty/skin care products), this country has a LONG way to go. If this angers you as much as it does me, it might be worth your time to research ways in which you can help get these harmful materials banned from food and beauty products in this country (petitions, donating funds, etc.). It is important to do your research on the foods you’re consuming and the products you’re using. ALWAYS read food labels, and buy local and organic when possible. Think positive, stay active, and smile. -A https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/07/10/banned-foods.aspx http://www.businessinsider.com/foods-illegal-outside-us-2017-3 https://www.consumerreports.org/dietary-supplements/heavy-metals-in-protein-supplements/ http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20599288,00.html#healthy-or-just-hype--1
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Today’s blog focuses on a question I get all the time: when I start exercising, should I jump in with two feet so I see results faster, or should I start out slowly? On January 29 of this year, I wrote a blog (Don’t set Yourself up for Failure: Why Baby Steps are Important for Change) that focused on the importance of taking baby steps when implementing changes in your life, and this blog follows along with those suggestions. As with any other habit in your life you’re wishing to change, you will see the most success by taking baby steps and taking the change slowly.
It is important to be realistic when setting exercise goals for yourself. Starting small with a goal you KNOW you can achieve will keep you from getting discouraged and will allow you to progress without becoming overwhelmed. Setting obtainable goals will also help you work on consistency – if you’re miserable during your exercise and feel like you’re going to fail, you’ll want to stop exercising before it becomes a habit. Once you’ve been exercising consistently and exercise becomes a habit, you won’t even think twice about heading to the gym (or hitting the pavement for a brisk walk)! Taking small steps when beginning an exercise routine will help you determine an appropriate starting level and will help keep you from getting injured. If you start out with too much, not only will you likely become discouraged and want to give up, you run the risk of seriously injuring yourself. If you’re injured, you obviously won’t physically be able to exercise, and you probably won’t want to exercise ever again. Even some muscle soreness may discourage continuing your exercise routine. If you’re thinking of starting to exercise, including both aerobic (exercises that increase your breathing and heart rate) and anaerobic exercises (resistance training) will provide you with the most benefits. I suggest finding some sort of physical activity you enjoy doing. This might be playing basketball or dancing or perhaps something more traditional like jogging or walking. Lifting weights, doing Pilates, or taking a class that uses resistance bands might be enjoyable forms of anaerobic exercise. Exercise provides a multitude of benefits – besides losing weight, reducing stress, having more energy, and feeling better overall, exercise has many health benefits. Exercise can reverse some forms of heart disease, may help prevent some forms of cancer, helps ease arthritis pain, and helps lesson symptoms of depression. Whatever kind(s) of exercise you enjoy and decide to incorporate into your routine, just remember to ALWAYS START SLOWLY. It takes time to form any new habit, and the same goes for exercise. Before beginning any form of exercise, always consult with your doctor. Think positive, stay active, and smile. -A https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/fitness-beginners-guide#1 https://www.precisionnutrition.com/minimal-exercise We all deal with stressors every day of our lives, and how we deal with that stress can greatly affect our health. Often times we turn to high-sugar and high-fat foods as a temporary relief. After we indulge we may feel guilty and maybe even more stressed than we were to begin with!
While short term stress can actually decrease appetite, stress over long periods of time has the opposite effect. Persistent stress causes the adrenal glands to produce more cortisol than they should, and cortisol increases appetite. While the adrenal glands are working overtime, other functions of the body such as digestion, liver metabolism, cell repair, immune function, and reproduction are slowed. Due to increased cortisol and insulin levels, the body craves easily digestible foods – sugar and fat, and once those foods enter the body, the brain is triggered to release endorphins which make us feel good. We quickly learn that when we eat certain foods (or really any food at all), we will feel better (at least for a short time) after we eat – thus the viscous cycle begins. Continuing to eat a diet consisting of high in fat and sugar leads to weight gain over time, and this is why “stress makes us fat.” Learning what your stressors are, identifying how you deal with stress now, and learning how to better handle your stress are key steps to breaking the cycle. Once you have identified your triggers and patterns of stress eating, you can begin to implement changes in your life – either by eliminating stressors or relieving your stress in healthy ways. We’ve probably all heard that exercise can help relieve stress, and it’s true! Exercise also causes our brain to release feel-good endorphins – the same feel-good endorphins released when we eat. Low-intensity exercise in particular will help lower cortisol levels; some low-intensity exercises include yoga, Pilates, tai chi, and walking at a slow to moderate pace. Although high-intensity exercise temporarily increases cortisol levels, exercises like jogging/running, biking, and Zumba can also help reduce stress overall. Other ideas to help manage stress include meditation, massages or other spa treatments, reading, listening to music, or even an at-home spa treatment like a bubble bath. Sitting quietly and letting your mind wander can be stress relievers, as long as you’re not letting your mind wander to your stressors. Household chores like dusting, vacuuming, and hand washing dishes may also help you destress with the added bonus of having a clean house! Once you’ve found an activity or exercise, or a few, that you enjoy, and incorporate them into your daily routine. When you notice you are feeling stressed or feeling compelled to stress eat, choose one of these activities or exercises to do instead. Not only will this help alleviate stress, but it will likely keep you from gaining unnecessary weight and will possibly help you lose some weight! Think positive, stay active, and smile. -A https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/why-stress-causes-people-to-overeat https://www.precisionnutrition.com/overstressed-and-overeating http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2013/eating.aspx https://www.precisionnutrition.com/getting-control-stress How many of us have to rush to eat at least one meal a day? Maybe you have to rush through all of them or at least you feel like you have to. We’ve probably all had to scarf down a meal at some point in our lives, and even though we likely know it’s not good, we still continue to do it – whether we feel like we have to or because it’s just what we’re used to.
I have no idea why or how I became one of those people who shovels her food into her mouth in record time, but I’m one of those people. I have been for as long as I can remember, and even my mom will tell you that as soon as I was born, I was screaming because hungry. I don’t really remember much about meal time before I started school, but in elementary school, we had minimal time to eat lunch before we were shoved out the door for recess. I imagine this is where I learned to scarf down my meals, but I can’t be certain. Eating quickly can cause a lot of issues for us, and one of those issues is overeating. Because it takes about 20 minutes for our stomach to relay to our brain that we’re full, it is quite easy to overeat if we’re not taking our time eating a meal. When we eat too quickly, not only are we likely to overeat, but our bodies can’t digest food as well as they would if we ate slowly. This can lead to digestive system discomfort and malabsorption of nutrients. If we are able to slow down when we eat, we will feel more relaxed and satisfied and will be able to properly digest our meals without discomfort. There are a few tips to eating slowly that I like to share with clients. Setting aside time to sit down and enjoy your food can help you feel less rushed, and if you already do this, add five to 10 minutes to the time you already allot for meals. Sitting down while you eat, rather than eating on the go or multitasking, puts your focus on your food. This will not only allow you to enjoy how your food tastes, but it will promote slower eating. Holding your utensil in your non-dominant hand and removing distractions such as TV, cellphones, and newspapers or magazines may also be beneficial to eating more slowly. Between each bite it can be helpful to take time to put your fork down, take a drink, or say something to whomever you’re eating with (without food in your mouth). I have found setting down my fork (or spoon) and taking a drink between bites to be the most effective methods for slowing down my eating. Forming new habits takes time and practice, so whatever method(s) you choose to help you eat more slowly, be consistent. At first it will take a lot of conscious effort, but once you’ve been practicing these habits for a while, they will become second nature, and voila – you’ll be eating slower in no time! Think positive, stay active, and smile. -A https://my.precisionnutrition.com/student#/106389/card/34191735 This post is completely different from my other blog posts. Although I won’t be providing any tips or advice, I am providing a peek into my life and some recent, exciting opportunities I’ve been provided with in my business!
A couple of months ago, a friend from the gym I exercise at approached me with an opportunity to be involved in a retreat being held for women who are victims of human trafficking. She asked if I’d be interested in giving a nutrition presentation during the retreat. This was the first opportunity of its kind I’d been presented with since starting my own business, so of course I said yes! I was so grateful to have been given this opportunity to share what I am passionate about, and I also felt very humbled and blessed to be able to work with such a wonderful organization and the women the organization is helping. Going into the retreat, I didn’t really know what to expect. It was filled with exercising, worship, testimonies, survivor stories, prayer, and a touch of nutrition. I only attended a few hours of the retreat, but it was amazing and quite humbling. I felt like my presentation paled in comparison to the stories some of the other women were sharing, but I knew one of the goals of the retreat was to introduce these women to different areas of health and how to go about living healthy lifestyles. After the retreat, I was asked if I would be interested in leading an eight week nutrition course for this organization. Inside I was screaming, “YES! ABSOLUTELY! OH MY GOSH, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!” What an honor to have been asked to participate in the retreat, but to then be asked to come back to lead a nutrition course?! I was floored to have been offered such an amazing opportunity. Of course I told them I was interested and provided them with a brief outline of what the course might look like. They liked what they saw, and I teach my first class this Wednesday, February 7th! It is a wild mix of emotions that I am feeling; I’m nervous and excited and thankful and hopeful. I am hoping this course will engage the women at the organization and will encourage them to continue to make progress. I have always said that if any classes, presentations, blogs, etc. I do can help even just one person, I will feel like it was successful, but I’m hoping this course will help all of these women, even if they only attend one of the eight classes. I’ve completed the presentation and activity for the first class, and once I’m finished with this post, its back to working on the next seven! Thank you for taking the time to read this post and catching up with what’s happening in my business life – next week’s blog will be back to normal! Think positive, stay active, and smile. -A At some point in our lives, we’ve all wanted to make some sort of a change – cook more meals at home, exercise more, spend less time on our phones, be more productive at work, lose weight, etc. – and for most people, myself included, making a big change in your life doesn’t come easily. It can be quite daunting, and oftentimes intimidation gets the best of us, and we decide to quit before we even get started or soon after starting. This often happens because we have set our goals too high and are trying to take on a challenge that is too large to manage.
While there is nothing wrong with setting a long-term goal, setting short-term goals based on your long-term goal will help you from becoming discouraged and will provide you with the feeling of success. Perhaps you want to lose 30 pounds; rather than trying to lose 30 pounds in a month, it may be helpful to make this a long-term goal of losing 30 pounds in a year. Short-term goals may be to lose a half a pound to one pound per week or three to two to four pounds per month. Involving a friend can also help you successfully reach your goals. Maybe you have a friend, family member, or coworker who also wants to lose weight (or has a similar goal to the one you’ve set of yourself). Partnering with that person will provide you both with a support system and accountability. Supportive family and friends can be there to listen to your frustrations and encourage you when you’re feeling discouraged. Going hand in hand with surrounding yourself with supportive people, it is important to avoid being around (at least temporarily) those who may sabotage your success or will encourage bad habits. Avoiding triggers is another key to success when making a positive lifestyle change. Maybe you’re like me and have a hard time staying away from unhealthy snacks if you have them in the house, or maybe you tend to overeat when you drink alcohol. Whatever your trigger may be, it is important to avoid them in order to reach your goal(s). Taking baby steps may seem like we’re taking it slow – maybe even painfully slow – but it typically keeps us from failing and feeling worse about ourselves. Success through achieving short-term goals gives us encouragement to keep reaching toward our long-term goal. If we surround ourselves with positive individuals, people to hold us accountable, and remove triggers for unwanted behavior, we will be able to reach our long-term goal more easily and will be well on our way to a healthy lifestyle change! Think positive, stay active, and smile. -A http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/lifestyle-changes.aspx https://www.precisionnutrition.com/how-to-change-behaviour This blog post is closely related my post last week, Blood Type Diets – Fact or Fiction?, as I will be discussing eating for your body type and when to eat what. As I stated last week, Precision Nutrition has defined three body types, and most people can identify more with one of those types over the other two. Those three body types are ectomorphs (think long-distance runners), endomorphs (think linemen on a football team), and mesomorphs (think gymnasts and wrestlers). There are a lot of factors that play into advising someone what to eat and when to eat it, but determining your body type will help, and it is the first step I use when someone turns to me for advice. So while last week’s blog focus was on what macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, fats) to eat for your body type, this blog post will focus on WHEN to eat those macronutrients and how important (or unimportant) nutrient timing is.
Nutrient timing (eating certain macros at certain times before, during, and after a workout) has been widely touted as a way to get as many benefits as possible from your workouts and from your food. While nutrient timing is important for professional athletes, body builders, and marathon runners, it may not be as important for everyone as was once believed. This is the opposite of what many specialists believed to be true in the past, but their initial studies often did not look at the long term. While eating for your body type may be beneficial, the timing of meals and snacks probably doesn’t make a HUGE difference for most people. What is most important is to make sure you are eating a healthy balance of macronutrients before and after a workout. The quality and quantity of your meals are likely much more important than the timing of when you’re consuming carbs, fats, and protein. For all body types, it is recommended to eat a normal meal that provides protein, carbohydrates, and fats 1-2 hours both before and after a workout. In general women should include one portion of protein (two portions for men) and one portion of vegetables (two portions for men) at every meal, and they should include one portion of carbohydrates (two portions for men) and one portion of healthy fats (two portions for men) at most meals. As mentioned in last week’s post, ectomorphs are advised to eat carbohydrates at every meal while mesomorphs and endomorphs are advised to consume their carbs with their meals following exercise. Drinking water before, during, and after workouts is just as important as making sure to eat balanced meals. For more information on this, check out my blog post Staying Hydrated during the Winter Months from December 4, 2017. Rather than stressing out about when – and when not – to eat carbs, protein, and fats, focus on getting protein and veggies at every meal, and make sure the foods you’re eating are fresh, whole, and high-quality. Think positive, stay active, and smile. -A https://www.precisionnutrition.com/workout-nutrition-explained https://www.precisionnutrition.com/nutrient-timing https://www.precisionnutrition.com/all-about-nutrient-timing https://www.precisionnutrition.com/all-about-body-type-eating We all know there are TONS of diets out there – keto, low fat, macro counting, low carb, and the list goes on and on. One question I’ve been getting lately is: do blood type diets really work? The idea of the blood type diet comes from Peter D’Adamo, and rather than being a diet that eliminates or cuts back on a certain macronutrient (fat, protein, carbohydrate), individuals are advised to eliminate certain foods based on their blood results. Supposedly by eliminating these foods, a person will digest food more efficiently, will lose weight, and will have more energy and less disease.
D’Adamo has created specific diets for all four blood types: O, A, B, and AB. These diets do not take into consideration food allergies such as gluten or lactose intolerance. The diets also don’t allow much room for personal food preferences; if you’re type O and a vegetarian, you won’t be happy, as D’Adamo encourages those with type O blood to eat a diet high in lean meat, poultry, and fish. The opposite is true for those with type A blood – they are advised to avoid meat all together. The diet for those with AB blood is similar to that of those with type A in that they are advised to avoid meat other than seafood and to focus on green vegetables. There has not been tons of testing done on blood type diets, but the studies that have been done have concluded that there is no evidence that this type of diet is valid. This means that following the diet specific to your blood type will not guarantee any health benefits nor is it guaranteed to keep you from developing disease or illness. While following the diet for your blood type likely won’t hurt you (as long as you keep any allergies you may have in mind), it probably won’t provide the benefits it claims to. What might be a better alternative to following the blood type diet is to eat for your body type. Although this type of eating doesn’t directly take food allergies into account either, it allows individuals to eat foods based on their preferences and any allergies they may have. Precision Nutrition defines three body types: ectomorphs, endomorphs, and mesomorphs. Although not everyone falls 100% into one of these categories, people can typically relate to one of these body types more so than the other two. Ectomorphs are described as individuals with a small stature and thin limbs (think long-distance runners) and do well with diets higher in carbohydrates, a moderate amount of protein, and lower amounts of fat. It is advised that these individuals eat carbohydrates at every meal and to include a large serving of carbs after exercise as well as including vegetables and fruits at every meal. Endomorphs are characterized as having a larger bone structure and more body mass –linemen on a football team fall into this category. Endomorphs benefit from a diet high in fat and protein with fewer carbohydrates. Endomorphs should eat almost all of their carbohydrates only after exercise as well as including vegetables and fruits at every meal. Mesomorphs are fall between these two as they have a medium bone structure and are athletically built with lean body mass (gymnasts and wrestlers), and mesomorphs do best with a fairly equally balanced diet of carbohydrates, fats, and protein. Carbohydrates should be consumed mainly after exercise but may also be included in moderation during meals throughout the day as well as including vegetables and fruits at every meal. Unfortunately there is not one diet we can all follow that will prevent us from gaining weight, guarantee weight loss, or prevent illness – even diets that are specific to our blood type, body type, etc., cannot guarantee this. If you do choose to follow a diet that is specific to your needs, make sure you do your research, and always consult with your doctor and/or a dietitian before making any drastic changes in your eating habits. Think positive, stay active, and smile. -A https://www.webmd.com/diet/a-z/blood-type-diet http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/98/1/99.long https://www.precisionnutrition.com/all-about-body-type-eating Traditionally when a person goes on a diet or is trying to get in shape, they focus on weight – how much weight they’ve lost, or gained. While losing weight does indicate some success, it can’t be the sole measure of being fit, as there are several other ways of measuring success when trying to become healthier.
What I hope you take away from this blog is that your weight is not an indication of your overall health, and you should not get hung up on the number you see on the scale. While it is important to be aware of your weight, and while it can help show progress of changes you’ve made in your life, it isn’t the only factor that shows progress. Set small goals for yourself – increasing the amount of time you can walk by one minute every week, eating two servings of vegetables at every meal, drinking the appropriate amount of water for your body and activity level – and focus more on how much happier you feel and how much more energy you have than what that darn scale says! Think positive, stay active, and smile. -A https://www.precisionnutrition.com/ways-to-know-if-your-nutrition-plan-is-working http://www.thisisinsider.com/how-to-measure-health-2017-9 Happy New Year! I hope you all had a good holiday season and are staying warm in these frigid temps (assuming you’re basically anywhere in the U.S. other than Miami or Hawaii, where it’s about 75 degrees warmer than it is here in Greenwood, IN)!
This blog post is a little different from my usual blog posts, but it’s full of important information. I’m sure most of you have seen advertisements or social media posts about the latest exercise programs and weight loss trends and supplements. While these products and programs may be helpful in the short term, they are not designed to provide most people with lasting tools to maintain a healthy lifestyle. With the in-home exercise videos and equipment, supplements, and shakes, these programs are also designed to be money makers for the coaches and consultants of the programs and products. I am not saying these programs are not worth checking out - they could very possibly be quite beneficial for some individuals. What I am saying is that they are NOT. LONG. TERM. They do not teach life-long skills, and like all other diet fads in the past and those to come in the future, they are not feasible for providing a long-lasting solution. I say this because I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to drink a meal replacement shake or take a handful of supplements every day for the rest of my life. I want to eat real food that tastes good and satisfies me, and that is what Precision Nutrition teaches nutrition coaching clients to do. Precision Nutrition (PN) has been “coaching clients and certifying professionals since 2005.” Over the past ten plus years, Precision Nutrition has become more well known around the world, and the creators of PN have worked and continue to work with big names including Nike, Titleist, and the Cleveland Browns, just to name a few, and have been featured in Time magazine and The New York Times. Precision Nutrition provides the opportunity for professionals to further their nutrition education through Level 1 and Level 2 certifications. Through these certifications professionals learn the best ways to “coach their clients on eating and living better,” and at this point in time, they’ve helped nearly 50,000 professionals learn the skills to become better coaches. Not only does PN provide coaches with nutrition information, but they teach the psychology behind proven coaching methods. Health professionals who have completed certifications have access to ProCoach, Precision Nutrition’s online nutrition coaching and in-home exercise software. ProCoach nutrition coaching is a year-long program designed to provide clients with the most effective skills and tools to adopt and maintain a healthy lifestyle. There is no need for supplements or shakes with Precision Nutrition – PN clients are taught how to include real food in every meal, every day. Sometimes clients become frustrated with the slow-paced nature this program because they want to lose weight and notice changes immediately. ProCoach is designed to be “slow” for a reason, and although this program is not a quick fix, if clients are motivated and are truly ready for a lifestyle change, sticking with it for the full year will be worth the effort. Not only do clients typically lose weight and inches, they learn a skill set to handle stressors that life throws at them while maintaining healthy eating and exercise habits. Through learning time and stress management skills, helpful shopping and cooking tools, and many, many more skills and tools that will last a lifetime, clients become all around healthier individuals and sometimes even become PN certified coaches themselves! I hope you’ve enjoyed learning more about what I offer through Precision Nutrition, and if you are interested in learning more about becoming a PN coach or a ProCoach nutrition coaching client, I am more than happy to answer questions and provide more information! You can email me at [email protected], or if you know me well, you can Facebook message or text me. Think positive, stay active, and smile. -A https://www.precisionnutrition.com/ #wellness #nutrition #nutritioncoaching #precisionnutrition #werresnutrition #healthyeating #healthyliving #healthylifestyle #eatrealfood |
Allison WerresWife, nutrition coach, dog mom Archives
May 2018
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