A Series of Analogies

Hello again! I hope everyone enjoyed their feasts and took the opportunity to indulge in the tips from my last post while pigging out! I definitely did. So Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families:) Today I want to talk about something that's as backwards as baseball caps in the 90's: not eating breakfast. It's like using jumper cables every time you start your car. It's like filling the bathtub with individual pots of water. Like carrying sacks of pennies instead of bills. Um, no thanks, right? If you had a choice, why would you do that? Both options get the job done, but one is clearly more efficient. Well, when you don't eat breakfast, it's sort of like picking the harder one - the longer route. Your body has to do all kinds of rearranging to feed itself, and the damage it causes is not worth it. This one small step is actually the biggest leap you can take in becoming healthier.

My best friend asked me the other day, "Sarah," she said, "Why am I not hungry in the morning if I don't binge on snacks late at night... but if I do eat late, I wake up starving?" It does seem like the opposite should be true, but it's actually your body playing tricks on you. When it's been 10+ hours since a meal the body starts to think you're starving. So it shuts off the receptors in the brain that trigger hunger sensations and goes about using other resources for energy to function. A lot of times people think excess fat with be used for fuel and you'll lose weight from not eating breakfast. Negative. The real place your body targets first for food? Your muscles! Yep. Your body eats it own muscles. And without going into too much detail I'll say your muscles are a huge factor in having a good, high metabolism. So when my sweet best friend doesn't feel hungry, it's because her body has already gone into starvation mode. **  

Anyway, this is one of the only times you should eat even if you don't feel hungry. It's also the perfect time to not feel guilty for having that extra whatever, because your body needs it and it's got all day to burn those extra calories off. Chances are, if you eat a big breakfast you won't go crazy at lunch when normally your hunger pangs have come back and made you ravenous from going without. Remember to still eat good stuff though! Eggs, anything whole grain, turkey bacon/sausage (flavored with something - it tastes, well, not savory), grapefruit, nuts, yogurt, granola, etc.... and not empty, sugary calories. But seriously, something is better than nothing here. And yes, you can make the time! My favorite morning treat is whole grain toast, two slices, one with honey and raisins, and the other with either peanut butter or red pepper hummus. So let me encourage you to find a favorite of your own:) Keep your body running smooth, take this small step, eat breakfast! More later...

~ Sar

** Don't believe me about the muscles thing? Here's a couple articles that go more in-depth on the process. Don't worry, they're reader-friendly!

http://www.articlesbase.com/nutrition-articles/what-happens-when-you-starve-yourself-874862.html

http://www.articlesbase.com/weight-loss-articles/what-does-my-body-do-in-starvation-mode-646848.html

Hey, it's ok

 Hello! Happy weekend everyone! Today was the first Saturday I haven't had to work in months... Hooray for that. I can't tell you how much better the weekend is when it doesn't include the early shift on Saturday. I'm sure many of you already know the pleasure or can sympathize -- and for those of you who did have to work, yuck, sorry. But it's going to be Sunday now! For me that means a family brunch feast followed by a solid afternoon nap. For you it might mean a feast in front of the tv for the game. Go Bears! Or some kind of activity where you eat with less inhibitions than you would during the week. Everyone needs a break, right? I couldn't agree more. It's no fun to be completely health-obsessed every single day just like it's no fun to work every single day. So while no permission will be given to jump off the deep end, I'll gladly share with you my tips to indulge without derailing.

First understand the relationship between different aspects of your diet. For example, 'weekend' food is probably going to be a.) high in fat b.) high in salt c.) high in sugar or d.) all of the above. That's alright, we're going to pretend like there was no other option and you had to eat it. To balance the fat, eat fiber. Fiber. Soluble fiber attaches itself to excess fat and escorts it out of your body via... well, poop. It doesn't work like a magic eraser, but it will help get rid of some stuff your body won't use for fuel. So if you can't turn down that extra chicken wing doused in sauce or that pizza slice, also leave some room for an apple, a couple pieces of broccoli, those almonds, or my favorite - a FiberOne bar for desert**.

Second, if what you ate is high in salt, well, you'll be just like the rest of us. Americans have very high-sodium diets because of all the preservatives in our foods and our affinity for fast food. So chances are you went over the suggested daily value of salt without even trying. Whoops! To help with that, eat potassium. Potassium and salt are inverses, which means they can balance each other if one gets out of hand. Foods like bananas, potatoes, oranges, and orange juice are all great sources of potassium -- you're basically set with any fruit. Double bonus since most also have fiber.

Sugar, unfortunately, is still just something to minimize. You can't really offset it because your body needs so little of it even in it's most natural form. And although there are many negative side effects for too much sugar, I won't bring down your weekend by listing them. I'll just say that it does eventually turn to fat, and we already talked about how to help with that. Fiber. I also want to say that of course a somewhat consistent exercise routine will allow more wiggle room with calories... Now if that doesn't motivate you to get your body moving I don't know what will! And there's no substitute for a good exercise routine, but on the days you let your body rest you can still help maintain balance. Anyway I hope you make the most out of your Sunday and can put some of these tips to good use! More later...

~Sar



**Disclaimer: seriously, if you eat a FiberOne bar, you'll be on the pot in the next 3 hours

Show Your Palate Who's Boss

Hi everyone: ) Hope all is well! You know this blog is something I get real pumped to write, and because of that I've been sharing it with basically whoever I talk to. I can't help it. So at work yesterday I excitedly told Matt, my coworker, to check it out. He also lives a fairly health-conscious lifestyle so I was anxious to hear his thoughts. First words out of his mouth? "Nice, but you forgot to mention almonds have no taste."  

Ha. Thanks Matt. You need to know him to appreciate the love through his bluntness. But after I thought about it for a second I realized he's right! Sort of... A lot, a LOT of "healthy" food has absolutely no taste. But some of the reason we consider it to be that way is because of how we've trained our tongues to interpret flavor. Yes. You may hear someone who primarily drinks diet soda and then switches to regular say, "Oh my gosh, this is too sweet for me now!" Or be surprised at the sight of a kid eating anchovies, jalepenos, wasabi peas, etc. But it all has to do with our mouth's habits. Of course something like almonds are going to taste plain when compared to something like a bunch of buffalo chicken wings! However the point here is to consider that once you've decided to eat healthier, it may just take a little bit for your palate to re-adjust to what's actually good for it. Especially if what you're used to is artificially flavored, fat/grease-ridden, or high in salt. Cut yourself a break though if at first you hate healthy food. You have to start somewhere and maybe I can help. 

One of the first things I would suggest is to make your investments in a good spice rack instead of buying things pre-flavored. You will not only save money because spices last longer and can be used more universally, but you will also save your body from hidden preservatives, excess sugar, and salt. Your body doesn't really know what to do with too much of that stuff anyway and ultimately either bloats you or turns to fat! So spend some time roaming the spice aisle at the store and try whatever sounds delicious. I really like Ms. Dash's  line of seasoning blends because they're salt-free, but don't compromise flavor - it's amazing! Here are some healthy "tasteless" things I spice up to satisfy my palate:

• Corn kernels popped on the stove seasoned with Ms. Dash Southwest Chipotle seasoning -- great substitute for mesquite bbq potato chips! 
• Plain oatmeal flavored with cinnamon, raisins, and brown sugar -- exactly like pre-flavored version except I control the sugar

Just a couple to start, but really anything bland and healthy can be made more flavorful. We eat for nourishment, but we also eat to enjoy! So please take the idea of healthy food as a work in progress and reason to experiment. With time your palate will align to nutritional flavors and it will be a no-brainer to make choices that seem like sacrifices now:) That's all I got, more later...  

~ Sar

Make it Count

    Hello again! Today I want to talk about making the food we eat count. First I should say that I have the privilege of a very generous one half hour lunch break at work... : )  So a LOT of times I'm eating in transit. Probably a pretty common scenario. And ok, yes, sometimes I just go to the drive-thru, fine, but we'll talk about healthy options for that on another post. Usually though, I run home and throw something together in five minutes. However it's pretty tough to put together a meal in that amount of time that's nutritional AND filling without sacrificing a ton of calories. But you gotta do what you can, and there are some things you can do! One great tip? Shaved almonds!

Almonds I swear are like taking a vitamin that also has protein. They're already packed with all kinds of minerals, antioxidants, low in saturated fat, but have the good type of mono- and polyunsaturated fats your body craves to fill you up. They also have a surprising amount of calcium which is important to us women and lactose-intolerants. But the reason I like the shaved ones is because I sprinkle them on everything... my absolute favorite is on peanut butter and jam/fruit spread/honey sandwiches! It gives it such a different flavor and the crunch to me is the best part. It instantly takes the sandwich from a mediocre time-filler until the next meal to something that gives your body enough fuel and nutrients to help stave off hunger pangs that can cause over-eating come dinner. The protein and good fats break down real slow and allow for a steady flow of energy. So put them on your shopping list! The bag above is 10 oz for approx. $4, and has lasted me about a month so far. They come in flavored varieties, but I just get the plain because everything else has so much salt.  They're delicious  in cereal, on toast, salads, soups, with pretty much whatever you eat, and just by themselves!

If we can pack little bits of nutrition like almonds into our quick meals the impact will spread throughout the day and make a real difference in the way our body fuels itself:) Enjoy! More later...
~Sar

Helloooo Bloggers!

   So this is my first ever blog! Very excited:) I'm doing it because first, and most importantly, I love food! And I wanted to start something that documents how I keep my body fueled effectively with a busy schedule and on a college-girl's budget. There's a lot of great blogs out there that talk about healthy eating, new diets, food tips, etc, and I'm often intrigued or inspired by them. However the trend seems to include a lot of do-it-yourself baking and obscure or exotic ingredients which can be both pricey and time consuming to actually get into your body. So while I'll try to have as many fun, palate-pleasing tips as possible, everything I talk about will be stuff you can find easily wherever you shop and pretty simple to assemble.

What else... oh. I'm not a professional in the field of nutrition. At least, not yet! I graduated in 2009 with a degree in psychology, but fell much more in love with my nutrition class during the last semester. Just my luck! So in January I'll be back at school taking the few extra classes I need to apply for grad school and get my masters in food and nutrition. Also very excited about that:) It will be cool to see how my food  knowledge grows through the process.

I should add that I'm lactose intolerant! That means a lot of the food I talk about will be dairy free -- which automatically makes the saturated fat content really low. But seriously though, I miss dairy lol. It's something that developed over the last year, and  you don't realize how much stuff includes dairy (ahem, Pringles!) until it makes you sick lol. Anyhow that sums things up. I'm pretty pumped to start this new project and bring you along with me:) Thanks for reading, more later.

~ Sar