Fit-spiration of the day

My five year-old ran 1 mile this morning with the Mileage Club at his elementary school.

As you probably know, he's a vegetarian who has never eaten meat.  He also eats very few processed foods (if any).

Who says you need meat to be healthy??

Just had to brag.  That is all.

Week 3: Lazyman Triathlon

I'm back online!

With the help of Tom Lanham of PC Medic, I have a new hard drive on my computer.  Apparently, 1 out of every 10 hard drives crash within the first few years.  It seems criminal to me that they don't last longer, but oh well.

Tom did a great job, fixing it within a few days.  The repair price was reasonable and he even delivered it back early to my house before I had to pick up my son from Kindergarten.  I highly recommend his services if you are in Central Nebraska. His number is (308) 999-0300.

I'm also now in the middle of week 3 of the YMCA of the Prairie's Lazyman Triathlon. 

Since my new swim cap and goggles came in the mail today, I did my first day in the pool.  I haven't really swam since college, so I had no idea how much swimming I could do in an hour.  After a few laps, everything I learned about swimming at Union College came back to me.  I remembered all of those mornings I would swim before classes, trying to get the PE credits done.  After 45 min. in the pool, I had completed 24 laps and still felt great!

To complete the triathlon, I have 6 weeks (Aug. 8 to Sept. 16) to

1. Swim 2.4 miles (84.5 laps)

The YMCA pool. We have a really nice Y in town!

2. Bike 112 miles
3. Run 26.2 miles

As of today I have:

1. Swam 24 laps
2. Biked 57.3 miles
3. Ran 17.75 miles

In the next 3 1/2 weeks, I need to

1. Swim 60.5 laps
2. Bike 54.7 miles
3. Run 8.45 miles

I really want that T-Shirt!

Have you ever done a triathlon or other exercise challenge?  This is my second.  The first was Hold It For the Holidays a few years ago, when I joined the challenge to not gain weight over Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years.  I actually lost weight during the challege!

I'm doing my best to get a Friday Vegetarian Potluck post done this week! Come back and share your favorite recipe and see what others bring!

 

 

Thanks for hosting the link up, Jill!

Foods I Fixed Last Week

Since I decided to go vegan a few weeks ago, I am trying out all kinds of new recipes.  I will eventually start to make my own up, but right now I'm still learning!

Here are some of the foods I fixed last week.

Chocolate Chip Blondies.  This are so good!  You won't find any eggs or butter in them, but you will find lots of fiber and protein.

Fudge Daddies.  Vegan fudge brownies.  Lowfat and low in sugar, they have protein and whole grain.  I've made them twice in the past week and regret nothing.

Quinoa.  Naturally high in fiber and protein, I am in love with this grain.  My husband is also crazy for it.  We have been fixing it up in exchange for rice.  When I come up with a recipe for it, I will let you know. : )

Kale Chips.  Low in calories and high in nutrients, these make a great afternoon snack when I'm craving something salty.  Did you know kale can lower your risk for 5 different types of cancer?

Protein shakes.  Although there is plenty of protein in a varied, vegan diet, I am giving myself extra protein with homemade protein shakes.  I'm breastfeeding my 16 lb. 6 month old son.

Breakfast cookies.  Made with no added fat, sugar, or artificial sweeteners, these tasty cookies are full of fiber and protein.  They are great for breakfast-on-the-go!

Loaded oatmeal.  When I have time to make breakfast for my husband, I'm making him loaded oatmeal with 2-3 types of fruit, nuts, and flaxseed.  It gives him energy and nutrition to take on his day.

Salads.  We try to eat a salad with viniagrette dressing for either lunch or supper.  Nuts, fresh veggies, and even a little dried fruit make a yummy, satisfying salad.

Beans.  We are eating beans in everything from dessert (you can't taste them) to main dishes to salads.  They are high in fiber and protein.

Fruit.  I have 3 cups of fruit each day for a snack.  I'm noshing on a big bowl of slightly frozen fruit nearly every day. 

Fruit Smoothies. When want a quick, nutrient-rich snack, I blend up a fruit smoothie.  Filled with antioxidants and naturally occuring vitamins, fruit smoothies are my favorite snack-to-go.

I will let you know when I come up with some yummy recipes to share with you!

I am almost finished with my first eBook, a collection of fruit smoothie and protein shake recipes.  I will share it for FREE with my subscribers!



 

Las Vegans

As I was dealing with personal stuff last week, I decided to make a big change in my life:  I decided to go vegan again.

It started like this.

My husband started watching Forks Over Knives on Netflix and I joined him.



I knew about Forks Over Knives for a long time, that it was about a diet free of animal products.  I still didn't watch it though.  I thought it was going to show me slaughterhouses, chicken confinements, etc.  I've seen those videos.  I wasn't eating much meat, almost exclusively fish or chicken.

Instead, the video was about how meat and dairy cause cancer and heart disease.  I already knew about how animal products contribute to heart disease, cholesterol, diabetes, and obesity.  I thought I was making healthy choices by choosing "lean meats" and eating less dairy.

Growing up in a church that places importance on diet and health, I heard that meat caused cancer.  I assumed it was because of the hormones, antibiotics, etc.  I didn't realize it was because of the animal protein itself.

Forks Over Knives inspired me to

• trash the little processed food left in my house
• stop eating dairy and preparing food with it
• stop eating eggs
• stop eating chicken and fish (I already stopped buying beef)
• make fruits and veggies 75% of all the food I eat
• order from the organic food co-op in town

So now my husband and I are eating a plant-based, vegan diet.  I eat lots of frozen fruit and salads.  I now plan my meals around vegetables, instead of meat or a dairy.  Since I'm breastfeeding, I still drink two soy protein shakes a day, to make sure I get the protein to make milk for my child.  I don't want to take any chances.

I feel great.  I've lost 5 lbs. and started going to the gym again.

I will keep you updated!

Elena

Eliminate Fructose and Never Judge a Food by Its Package

By now, you have watched the video about fructose (or at least you read my blog posts about it).  You are probably as horrified as I am about the weight gain, high blood pressure, and metabolic disorders fructose causes.  You have decided, like me, to eliminate it from your diet and your family's diet.

So where to begin?

Food manufacturers put corn syrup in everything! 

In fact, Americans are consuming more fructose than ever before.  Look at the increase in the past century.

Companies put corn syrup in everything to make low-quality food taste better.  During the low-fat craze of the 1980s, companies started adding fructose when they removed the fat.  Fructose also plays a trick on our tongues: it hides the sodium that is added to food to increase the shelf-life.

What are the easiest ways to remove fructose from your diet?

1.  Stop drinking pop and "sports" drinks.

At nofizzusa.org, you can find a great list of studies which show the dangers of pop and "sports" drinks.  The site also has resources for how to break your soda habit.

Also, if you drink 1 pop a day, you can lose 15 lbs. in a year by giving up pop.

2.  Stop drinking juice.

Juice is fruit that has been stripped of fiber, leaving only the sugar and a little flavoring.  It works the same way as pop, adding pounds of fat to children and adults.

3.  Don't eat processed food.

Most processed food has fructose (corn syrup or sugar) added to it, along with fat to preserve the food.  Eat fresh foods and decipher the ingredients on packaging.  This is what I mean.

I scanned a box of cereal bars that I bought

a few months ago.

I got them for my husband's breakfasts-on-the-go

and for snacks for him.

First thoughts:

• On the package, they look great.  They are "Low Fat" fruit and grain bars.
• They are "Made with Whole Grain & Real Fruit Fruit Filling."
• The whole strawberries and whole wheat on the package look really healthy, right?

Let's look at the ingredients.

• The first two ingredients are high fructose corn syrup and corn syrup.  Then, comes water, strawberry puree concentrate, and sugar. 
• Why are there three different types of fructose in the filling? Because by law, food manufacturers have to list ingredients in greatest-to-least order.  There is more high fructose corn syrup than any other ingredient.  They use different types of fructose to move the strawberry puree up higher in the ingredient list, even though there is more fructose than anything else.
• The same goes for the ingredents in the "cereal" part.  It also has three different kinds of fructose.
• DO THE MATH.  Divide the sugars by the "fruit and grain" bar size . 

12g / 37g = .324

or

32.4%

The "wholesome" "low fat" "Fruit & Grain Bar" is 32.4% sugars! 

I am embarrassed that I bought this to give my husband a "healthy" breakfast!

I'm certainly NOT buying these again for anyone in my family.

I hope this little bit of education helps you, too!

• Watch the whole video about fructose here. 
• The slides are from Dr. Lustig's presentation.  You can find all of them here.
• Tomorrow is Follow Friday!

Sugar and Corn Syrup Make Us Fat; Fat Helps Us Lose Weight

Last week, I suffered from chronic headaches.  They felt like caffeine withdrawl headaches, but I hadn't been drinking caffeine. After an internet search, I realized they were from too much sugar.  I had been eating massive amounts of sugar for a week.

During my search about sugar addiction, I found this video.

And it blew my mind.

First of all, the speaker is a pediatric endocrinologist at the University of California, San Francisco.  His name is Robert Lustig M.D.  He isn't a health guru or natural foodist or wanna be nutritionist; he is a expert, a medical doctor at a recognized research hospital.

I learned a lot. 

In case you don't want to watch the full 90 min. video  or you just want a recap, I'm going to summarize key points during January.  I hope it will help you achieve better health and lose weight (if that is your goal).

I started following these principles over the past few days and I have already lost 3 lbs.

Fructose makes us fat.  Specifically, corn syrup makes us fat. Fat does not make us fat.

The myth that fat makes us fat has been around for about 30 years.  In the mid 1980s, the government came out with recommendations that we eat less fat.  The low-fat diet was born.  Americans stopped eating so much fat and corn syrup was substituted into our foods.  Lowfat snacks were introduced, like Snackwells.  Americans should have become thinner, but the opposite happened.

Instead, Americans became fatter.

Why?

Fructose prevents us from becoming satitated.  The more corn syrup we eat or drink, the hungrier we are.  When we consume fructose, it doesn't stop our hunger hormone, ghrelin from being produced.  Fructose also keeps our bodies from making leptin, the hormone which tells us we have had enough to eat.

Fructose stops our bodies' ability to tell us when we are full and lets our brains tell us we are still hungry.

Even worse, the more fructose we eat or drink, the more likely we are to develop type 2 diabetes, a metabolic syndrome.  Fructose increases blood pressure and creates fat deposits in the liver and the rest of the body.  Watch the entire video for more information.

Is sugar healthier than fructose?  No.  Sugar (sucrose) is made up of glucose and fructose. 

(Whole fruits are healthy, but contain fructose. They work differently in the body and  I will tell you how next week.)

Healthy fats, on the other hand, can actually help you lose weight. 

You read that correctly.  Healthy fats can help you lose weight.

Of course, I'm not talking about saturated fats (fat in meat) or transfats (hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated fats).  Transfats are especially dangerous to health and promote weight gain.

Monounsaturated fats found in nuts, avocados, flaxseed, and olive oil have a fatty acid which decreases appetite. 

Oleic acid is transformed into OEA by cells in the upper region of the small intestine. OEA then finds its way to nerve endings that carry the hunger-curbing message to the brain. There, it activates a brain circuit that increases feelings of fullness. In previous studies, Piomelli found that increasing OEA levels can reduce appetite, produce weight loss and lower blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels. --Science Daily

One of the most important things you can do to improve your health and lose weight is to eliminate sugar and high fructose corn syrup from your diet.

The second is to replace saturated and hydrogenated fats with healthy fats.


Later this week, I will share how to lose 15 lbs. this year by removing one item from your diet and reveal how companies hide the amount of sugar in a product.







WELLNESS: Snack of the week--Edamame



[www.sixwise.com]



My new favorite snack is edamame. 

I got hooked on it when I was introduced to sushi, where steamed edamame pods often are served as an appetizer.  

 

I can sit and eat edamame all day!  There is debate about how healthy soy is, but it is something that I choose to eat in moderation.

Like any other food, the highly processed forms of soy (think fillers in processed foods) seem to be the types that are unhealthy, while soy foods in the most natural state such as edamame, seem to be beneficial to wellness. [vegfamily.org] 

First of all, how in the world is it pronounced?  "Ay-duh-MAH-may" is the correct translation, which is the term used by the Japanese.  It translates to mean "beans on branches" because the pods grow on shrubby plants.  Edamame has been a vegan protein source in China for more than 2,200 years.

I steam frozen shelled edamame on the stove and add just a little salt.  YUMMY!

Do you eat soy?  Why or why not?

What types of soy do you enjoy?

What types of soy do you avoid?

JOURNAL: Scariest part about Halloween?? Sugar addiction! EEK!

[flickr.com]

Last week the evidence surrounded my laptop: clear, crackling wrappers of Sweet Tarts.  They taste almost identical to Smarties, another vice from elementary school.  They are sugary sour goodness!

 

Although I attempt to keep Halloween candy out of our house by teaching my son to hand sweets out to other trick-or-treaters instead of going door-to-door, I fell into temptation at Target and bought two bags of sours.

 

A week later, I could feel the enamel wearing off of my teeth and the extra acid in my stomach.  The Sweet Tarts and Nerds were gone and so was my resolve to avoid refined sugar.  I felt awful and managed to put on a pound or two just from the candy.

 

In brief, why sugar is so harmful:

• Sugar depresses the immune system
• Sugar can decrease growth hormones (think premature aging)
• Sugar can raise triglycerides and cholesterol
• Sugar (glucose) feeds cancer tumors
• Sugar makes blood thick and sticky, making it difficult to flow through capilaries
• Sugar increases candida in the body (yeast feeds off of sugar)
• Sugar triggers weight gain
• Sugar causes fatigue and hyperactivity; the rollercoaster effect wears a person out

Did I mention that it is extremely ADDICTIVE!

 

Here is what I'm learning about quitting sugar on The Way:

1. If I eat refined starches, sugars, or even fruits, I end up craving sugar the rest of the day. 
2. Making sure I get enough vegetarian protein, helps me stay full between meals and keeps me from feeling hungry after meals.
3. Sugar-fat-salt combinations are the most addictive! 
4. Sugar has a lot of aliases.  Watch out for:



•Agave nectar

•Brown sugar

•Cane crystals
•Cane sugar

•Corn sweetener

•Corn syrup

[stock.xchange]

•Crystalline fructose

•Dextrose
•Evaporated cane juice

•Fructose 

•Fruit juice concentrates
•Glucose
•High-fructose corn syrup

•Honey

•Invert sugar
•Lactose
•Maltose
•Malt syrup

•Molasses 

•Raw sugar

•Sucrose 

•Sugar

•Syrup

 

After I have been off sugar for a few weeks, I'm going to gradually re-introduce fruits back into my diet. 

 

What I would like to know about you:

 

Have you had problems with sugar addiction?  What was your food of choice?  How did you kick the habit or are you still struggling with it?

WELLNESS: Back at the Y today

Since we started delivering the Omaha World Herald at 4:00am, it has been REALLY difficult for me to get to the Y in the mornings.  When I joined the Y two years ago, I was very dedicated to arriving at 10:00am each weekday morning, dropping my son off at Child Watch, and working out for a full 1 1/2 hours before Child Watch closed. 

Today because my husband did the route on his own (THANK YOU!), I was able to sleep for seven hours uninterrupted.  YAY!  I finally made it to the Y!

I started my day with coffee like I do every morning, which on a good day is my breakfast, too.  When I eat at the beginning of my day, I start out kind of lethargic, dragging myself through the morning.  If I can hold off until lunch time, I have more energy which lasts the entire day.  I also have learned that I have more energy to run, exercise, etc., when I don't eat before the gym.  I think this is because I don't have to digest food at the same time as I exercise.

My Y workout today:

*10 min walking, 10 min running on the treadmill
*20 min on the wave machine (kind of like cross country skiing and a step machine)
*15 min lifting weights (arms today)
*5 min of quick yoga stretching (triangle pose, downward facing dog pose, extended side angle pose, big toe pose)

Whew!  I feel great!

What do you do to workout?  How do you feel afterward?  Do you enjoy exercise or do it because you feel like you have to?

JOURNAL: Pampering and DE PLAGUE! DE PLAGUE!

[photoxpress]

On Friday, my husband gave me one of the best gifts I've ever been given: a spa afternoon with my best friend, Kathryn!  We received a 2 1/2 hour massage and facial at A Healthy Choice Massage and Day Spa in Lincoln, NE.  AAH!  I was amazing!  Neither of us had a massage or a facial before and we were each awed by how great we felt afterward!  We both lost all sense of time and felt extremely renewed by the experience. 

Another thing that surprised me about the massage and facial is they made me want to care for my whole body.  I wanted to drink smoothies, eat greens, and really care for the inside of my body as well as the outside.  Usually I eat all kinds of junk food and fast food when traveling, but instead I stopped at Super Target (wow, another first and I'm in love!), picked up a large container of organic spinach and some fat-free basalmic vinagrette (with all recognizable ingredients), a few bananas, and a bottled vegan smoothie (not raw, but better than french fries and a soda!).  I felt so good when I got home instead of bloated, tired, and sick from all the greasy, processed food I usually eat when on the road.

I think that it was Divine Inspiration that also steered me toward these foods.  When I got home, my son's cold had turned into the flu.  My husband also started getting sick a few hours later and at one time I thought I may have to take him to the ER because he passed out a later had what appeared to be a small seizure.  I received a text message from Kathryn and she had the flu.  After a call to my parents (who we spent Saturday afternoon with), I learned my mom was also ill.  Uh oh. Since I was the only one in my family to see Kathryn, apparently I was the one spreading it, though I felt great!

Determined not to get sick like the others, I ate raw fruits and greens and drank as many smoothies as I could.  I completely avoided dairy and meat.  I also insisted that our roommate, 19 year-old Clay, drink smoothies and eat raw fruit before eating anything else (he's an omnivore and eats like a typical teenage boy). 

Although I had lots of muscle aches, fatigue, and a headache yesterday, I still haven't thrown up or had diarrhea, both violent symptoms of this strain of flu.  My three year-old has vomited about five times over the past four days, but his illness seems mild compared to that of the others.  I believe this is due to his vegan diet with lots of fruits and little processed food. 

I hope you can use your diet to prevent illness too!

Have you ever noticed how you stay healthier based on the food you eat?

Have you had a massage or a professional facial?  Are you addicted to them like I am now?

Elle

Lowering Blood Pressure Part 2: Supplements

This is the second in my two part series about lowering blood pressure.  For  Lowering Blood Pressure Part 1: Foods, click here.


High blood pressure or hypertension, is the most common cardiovascular disease.  Approximately 73 million Americans have high blood pressure, which increases the risk of heart disease and stroke.  Hypertension risk factors include obesity, excessive alcohol consumption, smoking, and heredity. While hypertension is defined as a reading of 140/90, people with 120/80 are considered pre-hypertensive and are at high risk of developing high blood pressure. [webmd] 

[everystockphoto.com]

Supplements that may help lower high blood pressure:
  
1. Coenzyme Q10

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a compound found naturally in the energy-producing center of the cell known as the mitochondria. CoQ10 is involved in making an important molecule known as adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP serves as the cell's major energy source and drives a number of biological processes, including muscle contraction and the production of protein. CoQ10 also works as an antioxidant...

Several clinical studies involving small numbers of people suggest that CoQ10 may lower blood pressure. However, it may take 4 - 12 weeks before you will see any beneficial effects. In fact, after reviewing 12 clinical studies, researchers concluded that CoQ10 has the potential to lower systolic blood pressure by up to 17 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure by 10 mm Hg, without significant side effects. [University of Maryland]

 2. Omega-3 Fish Oil

Dietary sources of omega-3 fatty acids include fish oil and certain plant/nut oils. Fish oil contains both docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), while some nuts (English walnuts) and vegetable oils (canola, soybean, flaxseed/linseed, olive) contain alpha-linolenic acid (ALA).
There is evidence from multiple studies supporting intake of recommended amounts of DHA and EPA in the form of dietary fish or fish oil supplements lowers triglycerides, reduces the risk of death, heart attack, dangerous abnormal heart rhythms, and strokes in people with known cardiovascular disease, slows the buildup of atherosclerotic plaques ("hardening of the arteries"), and lowers blood pressure slightly. However, high doses may have harmful effects, such as an increased risk of bleeding. Although similar benefits are proposed for alpha-linolenic acid, scientific evidence is less compelling, and beneficial effects may be less pronounced. [Mayo Clinic]

3. Lycopene

Clinical research conducted at Ben-Gurion University, Israel shows that lycopene complex, a tomato extract, reduces blood pressure in patients with mild to moderate hypertension. Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant found in red produce such as tomatoes and tomato products, watermelon, and pink grapefruit.
At the end of the 8-week study period, participants' systolic blood pressure dropped to an average of 134 mm Hg from an average of 144 mm Hg, while diastolic pressure dropped to about 83 mm Hg from an average of about 87 mm Hg. [Rejuvenation Science]

 Prevention.com also listed magnesium supplements, melatonin, and soy milk as reducers of blood pressure.

Buy your supplements from Puritan's Pride and SAVE MONEY and support this blog!  Puritan's Pride has been the exclusive supplier of my vitamins and supplements for over four years and it is my privilege to promote their products. 

Biggest Sale of the Year - Buy 1 Get 2 Free at Puritan's Pride Vitamins! Valid: 6.23.10 - 9.30.10

Please consult your health practitioner before beginning any supplements or changing your medication regimen.  I am a health enthusiast, not an expert.

Lowering Blood Pressure Part 1: Foods

Some things are great to inherit: money, Great-Grandma's wedding ring, blond hair.  There are other things I  don't like that were passed on to me by my family like Type 2 Diabetes risk, myopia, and low-enamel on my teeth.  Hypertension or high blood pressure is one of those inherited conditions my husband wasn't spared. Someone in his family called me last night wanting to know what can be done about hypertension through diet and supplements.  This is the first of two posts on the subject. 

Let's start with foods that should be avoided: 


1.  Vegetables canned in salt
2.  Smoked or cured meats
3.  Buttermilk, cheese, and cheese spreads
4.  Instant or processed foods, packaged meals, regular canned soups
5.  Condiments with added sodium (check labels)
6.  White sugar 
7.  Table salt

[everystockphoto.com]

Now that we have eliminated the foods that raise blood pressure, what foods can we eat to lower blood pressure?

1.  Spinach and green leafy vegetables (sources of calcium and magnesium), unsalted nuts (especially sunflower seeds), beans (black, white, navy, lima, pinto, kidney) (due to magnesium and potassium)
2.  Baked white potato, banana, soybeans (again, due to potassium.  DO NOT TAKE POTASSIUM SUPPLEMENTS UNLESS PRESCRIBED BY YOUR DOCTOR.  Potassium supplements can cause life-threatening complications with blood pressure.)
3.  Dark chocolate (nitric oxide relaxes blood vessels and increases blood flow)
4.  Fiber (gel-forming soluble fiber)
5.  Vegetables and spices (celery, garlic, onion, tomato, broccoli, carrot, saffron, and assorted spices)
6.  Avocados (oleic acid lowers cholesterol and contains potassium and folate which benefit heart health)
*7.  Skim milk (due to calcium and vitamin D, which can be found in some non-dairy milks. Skim milk is the least effective of the foods listed above.)
*Vitamin D is also produced by sunlight, which is DAIRY-FREE!  

"If you're fair skinned, experts say going outside in the [spring, summer, and fall]  for 10 minutes in the midday sun—in shorts and a tank top with no sunscreen—will give you enough radiation to produce about 10,000 international units of the vitamin."  [usnews.com]

There are two ways to lower blood pressure by diet.  First, stop eating heavily processed and salted foods, dairy, meats, and sugar.  Second, eat more vegetables (especially green leafy vegetables), nuts, bananas, beans, and avocados.  These are both fundamentals of a vegan raw food diet.

Sources:  
[thebloodpressurecenter.com]
[methodsofhealing.com]
[healthcentral.com]
[msnbc]
[harvardmedicalschool]

Though my husband inherited high blood pressure, I inherited low blood pressure.  What health conditions did you inherit through your family?  How do you treat them?