Simply put…Clean Eating is about moving toward a more natural way of eating. It’s not about counting calories or eliminating food groups. It is about eating more organically grown and locally sourced whole foods. It is about staying away from chemically laden foods such as processed or heavily refined foods; or meats laced with unusually high amounts of hormones and anti-biotics; or “GMO-ed” vegetables and fruits; or meat from animals kept in unsanitary confinement… I think you get the picture. Clean eating can be seen as eating food grown, harvested and raised as Mother Nature intended. So keep these things in mind…. --Spinach, the healthy food that it is, can quickly become unhealthy when it’s grown in soil treated with chemical fertilizer, or sprayed with pesticides or insecticides. --The meat from a cow who was raised on GMO corn and soy, might need more antibiotics, due to the wrong type of food the cow has eaten or how well she is treated. --The skim milk might be less calories, however can our bodies assimilate the fat soluble vitamins that are in the milk without the fat? Have the manufacturers’ taken things out or put things in, that go against the rules of Nature? Let’s start asking more questions! Let’s start being more aware! And let’s start voting with our forks! I don’t know about you, but I prefer quality over quantity when it comes to my food. Why does this matter to you? Because your health now matters!! So you want to be healthy? Stay healthy? Then keep this in mind….eating “clean” can help your get healthier and enable you to maintain great health! 3 tips on making this eating clean mentality your everyday normal….
What type of labels should I look for when shopping for clean meat? Animals raised in a humane and ethical way look for:
Get to know your local farmers. The certified and "approved labels" may not be on the packaging, but once you get to know the farmers through meeting them, or communicating with them via email or the telephone, you will be able to get a better idea of how they feed and treat their animals. Where to start? Go to local Farmers Markets and Stands when the season opens. Here are two local farmers that I know that deliver to a specified location weekly: Debra Loss at nbangusbeef@hotmail.com Reach out to Debra via this email and let her know that you would like to get on her list. McDonald Farm at www.pasturepride.com Contact them via their website. Copyright © 2015 *|Create Health with Ann Treacy|*, All rights reserved
0 Comments
DIET! DIET! DIET! This four letter word is everywhere, especially this time of year with all the New Year’s Resolutions. Diets are a lot like clothes, you have to try them on to see if they fit. A "diet" that works well for someone might not work well with you. So let me help you find the right diet. With the type of lifestyle you lead, the goals you are striving for and the health issues that you have encountered, you can narrow down the choices and tweak each diet to fit your exact needs. Keep in mind the way we do our life is the way we do food. If the diet is too restrictive, too complicated or just doesn't make sense, and your life is also very busy and complicated, then sticking to “the diet” might be difficult. So let’s keep things simple and find the right meal plan that works for you! The way we eat and the way we live our lives, are based on the choices we make. Often times we know which choices we should be making, however our habits and routines can keep us from choosing the right ones.
In order to make changes to our routines (or habits) and to make better choices, we have to make continual and gradual shifts. I think the best way to see to these “shifts” is to do some goal setting. However, I think even before setting our goals, we have to have a vision. Vision statements are important because they help establish the purpose for our goals. A vision statements should be stated in the present tense, as though the vision is already happening. They should be viewed on a daily basis, so we continually strive for our desires. It is important that the vision statement be written in our own voice. The more we connect our values and motivators to our written vision statement, the more successful we will be making it become our reality. Here’s what some sentences from a vision statement may sound like, “I am feeling more energetic and alert, and I am able to do my daily workout after work.” “I feel great. I have lost 20 lbs. and I am looking great in all my new clothes.” “I am more balanced with my emotions. I am feeling less anxious and stressed about work.” “I am getting plenty of sleep, and thus I am able to wake up refreshed.” “I am healthy and strong. I am no longer tempted to eat the foods that drain my energy.” “I am eating well and fitting in exercise 3 to 4 times a week. My cholesterol numbers are down and I don’t need to take medication.” “My work stuff is so organized that I am finding more time to hang with my kids.” “I have more time in the evenings to fully relax and do things that I really enjoy, like painting and reading.” Your vision statement should be about five to ten sentences long and it should be about the things that matter to you. Start to think about how you want your life to look like and be. Consider your health, your relationships, your career, your emotions, your interests and all the things that would help to make you healthy and happy. It’s time to start living your dream! I’m pretty sure we are all pretty familiar with the slogan “bet you can’t eat just one,” from Lay’s potato chip brand. Sadly they are right. They have concocted such an edible substance with so much science behind the validity of that slogan. They have added just the right amount of additives to keep you coming back for more. Matter a fact, as I write this blog…I have a craving for some right now. Ugh! As I am sure you are aware, these substances that try to make processed foods more like real food, aren’t very healthy for us. Many of the chemical additives accumulate in our fatty tissues, and if eaten every day, can result in a plethora of diseases and ill-health. It’s time to clean out our pantry! Ready, set, go….here’s your list. 1. Sodium Nitrite or Nitrate 2. BHA and BHT (Butylated Hyroxyanisole and Butlated Hydroxytoluene) 3. Propyl Gallate 4. MSG. This is disguise under many names, such as, natural flavorings, spices, seasoning, and hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP); to name just a few. 5. Hydrogenated or Partially Hydrogenated vegetable oils 6. Aspertame (Nutrasweet and Egual) 7. Acesulfame-K (Sunett and Sweet One) 8. Food Colorings (the ones with the numbers!) 9. Olestra 10. Potassium Bromate 11. High-Fructose Corn Syrup 12. Sodium Chloride (Table Salt) 13. Sulfites 14. Evaporated Cane Juice (raises blood sugar, leading to increase in fat) List courtesy of “The Gorgeously Green Diet,” by Sophie Uliano So copy and paste this list…then print it out, walk to your kitchen pantry, look at all the labels and start your detective work. Then repeat the steps for your refrigerator and your freezer. Or hire me and I will come do it for you. I will discuss alternatives to some of your…”I can’t throw these out, I love them” foods. I will also kindly remind you of all the detrimental effects that these chemicals have on our bodies, if you so desire to hear them. This might be hard at first, but keep in mind that this is not just a healthy diet change, it’s a “way of life” change as well. --Be well nourished and eat whole foods! Who needs anti-depressants when our neurotransmitters are functioning?
Serotonin...what's that? Most of the neurotransmitters in the brain and in the gut are formed by amino acids. Amino acids are found in proteins. A diet rich in amino acids is essential for helping to keep our moods stabilized. Nutritional approaches and lifestyle behavior modifications for treating emotional imbalances, such as anxiety and depression, are often as effective as medications, yet without the many side effects. Sugar, refined white flour, alcohol, some medications and stress all have a negative impact on how the neurotransmitters function in the brain and gut (our second brain). As the “ill-function” of the neurotransmitters increases, so does the craving for more sugar. As the dis-regulation of the receptor sites and the neurotransmitters get unregulated by the “empty” calories and stress, mood imbalances start to intensify and cravings continue to increase. It seems to be a vicious cycle. It is imperative that you eat a good, healthy diet, low in refined sugar, high in fiber and essential fatty acids. It is important to include good quality protein on a daily basis to help get the proper amino acids that are needed for all the neurotransmitters in the brain. Additional supplementation may be needed. Supplements such as 5-HTP, Sam-e, L-Tyrosine, GABA, L-Taurine, and L-Glutamine can help with the proper regulation of neurotransmitters. There are also herbs, certain vitamins and lifestyle behaviors that help with mood imbalances. It is best to work with a health practitioner when incorporating these supplements, herbs and lifestyle changes into your routine. It takes a holistic approach when healing one’s emotional imbalances, thus techniques to help reduce stress and to get adequate sleep, and incorporating a healthy, whole foods diet are imperative. We as a nation have badly develop a habit of relying on the big food manufacturers to tell us what to eat. For most of us, our daily diets are pretty SAD. We shop for convenience and are miss-guided through deception. They have us by our lack of time and our naivety. Since when do store-bought, processed cookies have tons of fiber in them? Since manufactures discovered that fiber is good for us, yet it can’t really come from processed foods, so they add a man-made version of it…which by the way, produces mischievous amounts of… gas. And thus, we see this sort of food as a “health” food and not what it truly is; a sugar-landed, weight producing-processed food.
So my question to you is, how does one get from being a SAD (Standard American Diet) eater to a whole foods, natural eater? I am hoping these 10 tips will help set you on the right path towards healthier eating habits. Here’s to your health! 1) Don’t drink your sugar. Do you want a fast acting, sure-fire way of dropping calories from your diet? Then nix the sugary drinks. Drink water instead. What, you don’t like plain water? Then try adding some lemon to it or a couple drops of essential oil to help make it taste to your liking. Try being creative with it, sip it throughout the day and watch your energy levels stay high! 2) Get enough rest. It’s almost a guarantee that you won’t eat healthy after a 3-4 hour night of rest. Our bodies usually need 7-8 hours. To me, not enough rest means a shoddy willpower mechanism. Your mind and your body will most likely be wanting to reach for a sugary pick me up, which will be harder to fight off when you are super tired. (Water can help a little bit with your tiredness). 3) Make use of your refrigerator. Way back… when they didn't have refrigeration, they used to have to ferment and can stuff, which is healthy in its own right, but now we have refrigeration! Processed foods do well on the shelves, but whole foods usually like it a little colder. The inside of my refrigerator has a lot of color, very little boxes, and ceramic dishes with convenient left overs. No more excuses as to why you can’t get in plenty of servings of fruits and vegetables! Your refrigerator should be filled with things that grew from Mother Nature. 4) Cook mindfully. Be present when you cook. Enjoy the process of knowing that you are creating something that will be nourishment for your body. Let all 5 senses get involved. A grateful attitude will bring joy to the act of cooking. 5) Eat mindfully. If you are stressed while you eat, your digestion will be off. If you are not paying attention, your mind and body will lose sight of what is being eaten, and either you will overeat or eat the wrong foods. Be fully present and fully enjoy the act of eating. Again, all 5 senses should be involved. 6) Square up your meals. Good fats, a little bit of protein, lots of vegetables and a portion of complex low-glycemic carbs. equals ideal weight, lots of energy, and better moods. O.K., there’s a little more to it than this. However, how may meals have you had gone by your chin with nothing green or no healthy fats on the plate? French fries, a cheeseburger and a coke can equal weight gain, no energy and rotten moods. What kind of foods are you choosing from each category? 7) 80/20 rule. 80% of your foods during the day should be wholesome and healthy. 20% gives you wiggle room for those fun foods. If you want to see weight drop off go for a 90/10 rule. These rules say…go ahead have that treat and don’t feel guilty. Just don’t have 5 or 6 unhealthy, naughty foods. 8) Be adventurous. Start exploring new foods. Get out of your comfort zone for a bit and try new healthy foods. Have you had any Jicama lately? Variety is key to a good diet. Same breakfast every morning…boring! And not as healthy as changing it up. Different foods means different nutrients. 9) Eat for nourishment. Every time you eat, it’s a chance to nourish your mind, body and soul. Would you put inferior gas into your car? Probably not. It won’t run very well. Same goes with you. The better you feed yourself, the better you’ll work. 10) Know that you are worth it. You know the effects of poor eating habits. You might be experiencing them now. It’s time to invest in yourself. Give your “self” the nourishing foods that you deserve. You are so worth it! Eating healthy takes a commitment, determination and a vision. Be determined to see all your health goals through! Happy eating! Do you ever wonder why diets don’t work?
You can’t turn on the TV, drive down the road or go to a party without being confronted with America’s hottest obsession: weight. Diets are a billion-dollar industry; companies spend millions and millions luring you to try the latest diet (low carb, high protein, low fat, no fat, you name it) with promises that this will (finally!) be the solution—your shortcut to a thinner body. Advertising efforts also deeply affect our children, who develop distorted body images and are often on diets as early as nine or 10 years of age. Our culture touts diet pills, celebrity workouts, convenience foods and trendy diets to help us achieve our desired weight, but these quick-fix solutions have backfired. America’s populace has reached its highest weight in history. About half of Americans are overweight; one-third are obese. Diets steer us away from our common sense and dip deeply into our pocketbooks while eliciting few, if any, lasting results. Why? I think the main reason is that we have steered ourselves away from eating real food. I am taking about the foods that come directly from the earth and meat that comes from animals that have eaten real foods, the foods that their bodies were meant to have. We are also sitting more...we are a "sitting" culture. We lack movement, especially the movement that brings us outside. Outside so we can get the fresh air that we so desperately need. Ok, we’re all eating whole foods right? Nothing out of a colorful box with an ingredients list that seems like it’s written in a foreign language, right?
So, how much do we eat from each whole foods category? The categories being: healthy fats, lean meats, dairy, complex carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables. If you have a hand to hold your fork, you have a great built-in device to measure out your portion sizes. Using your hand to measure out portions is extremely simple. Perhaps you have seen hand-size used for portion control before, I know I have. In fact, I have my own really simple version. Think of it as a calculator without the fancy additional buttons. Here’s my version: These are sizes per meal… The protein portion: No bigger than the palm of your hand. The healthy fats portion: ½ the length of your thumb. Dairy… this is where there is some overlap… Cheese-like dairy: No bigger than your whole thumb Yogurt-like dairy: Palm size (and please don’t go for the no-fat; too much sugar) Milk… sorry folks I just don’t recommend drinking it. I don’t know many people that can tolerate it, yet if you’re one of those people that can tolerate it… 1/2 cup (which kind of seems like palm size to me). Complex carbohydrates: Palm size. What are the complex carbohydrates you ask? Brown rice, whole wheat pasta, millet, squash, sweet potatoes, etc. Think things that grow in the ground, are dense and have very little water content. And remember, the more man has manipulated it, the more processed it is. Vegetables and Fruit: These can fill your whole hand with your fingers stretched out. I would opt for more vegetables than fruit, just because most fruit have a lot natural sugar. Fruit in its whole form is best. All the natural fiber that comes with whole fruit can help slow down the sugar rush. So each meal should consist of these sizes for each macronutrient. For example, for breakfast I had: 1 lightly fried egg (I love my yolk runny) 1 whole wheat piece of toast (with about two teaspoons of cream cheese and two teaspoons of fruit preserves) A large portion (about the size of my whole hand) of homemade kale chips and ½ an apple. Kale chips where baked with about two teaspoons of olive oil. I think this meal got all my portion sizes pretty much on target. So, if I can get all my macronutrients for lunch and dinner to fit into the palm of my hand, I’m golden. And, if I make time in my day to fit in at least 15 minutes of exercise, my healthy day is going well. Here’s to keeping your mind and body healthy! My head is spinning with this debate. I say learn to listen to your body.
First and foremost, if you are going to eat grains, learn how you should soak them before cooking them. This process helps your body to digest them better and lowers their phytic acid content. Sally Fallon and other well know authors in the nutrition community have put this to the test. Better yet, ferment them as you are soaking them. Sally tells you why and how, in her great book, “Nourishing Traditions.” In her book (page 452) you’ll learn why eating non-soaked and unfermented grains can lead to mineral deficiencies, bone loss and tummy troubles. If you are eating grains, as opposed to processed breads, you are one step closer to a whole foods diet. So learn the best ways to cook your grains, eat them as a side dish, and add plenty of vegetables to liven them up. Add some spices, olive oil and Himalayan salt…. now your cooking! Do you eat the same breakfast day in and day out?
It might be a good idea to change it up once in awhile. We have to make food choices 3 or more times a day. You may ask,”Why not keep things simple and eat the same thing every morning?” You might be saying, “Well at least I am eating breakfast, so what if it’s the same one?” More breakfast variety equals more nutrient variety. I am sure you have heard the saying, “eat the colors of the rainbow.” Well I am going to go one step further, by saying, eat plenty of colorful fruits and vegetables, as well as a variety of different whole grains, meats and healthy fats….for breakfast! Having a wide variety of healthy food increase the potential for more nutrients. We all require a broad variety of nutrients to function optimally, so why not start with the first meal of the day and add more variety!! Who knows, you might even discover which foods give you more energy throughout the day. For great breakfast ideas search the wide world web or visit my cooking without recipes section. |
It's a blog...I am a fanatic when it comes to uncovering the truths and the falsities to sound nutrition and good health. When we use a little common sense we can back up anything, yet there is always room for debate. Archives
January 2023
Categories
All
|