Get 'em Fresh!

If you are into local flavor and supporting your community, check out what's "in" for the season.
Fall is officially here, and just like the entrails of your closet and dresser drawers, your palate needs a change.
To get the freshest of the fresh, check out your local farmer's market. Believe it or not, it can make for a fun Saturday morning.

WHAT"S IN

apples
beets
collards
greens
herbs
honey
kale
lettuce
mushrooms
pecans
pumpkins
radicchio
radishes
scallions
spinach
sweet potatoes
swiss chard
turnips
turnip greens
winter squash

I know... I know...you've already seen some of your local favs at Whole Foods or another store, and if you are like me, you'd rather be robbed than knowingly shovel out....hmmm SIX DOLLARS for a HALF GALLON OF MILK or FIVE DOLLARS for a SMALL BAG of SPINACH!!!!!!! Prices are a little different especially without your " Kroger Plus Card", but when just buying one or two items for a recipe, you won't break the bank, and your palate will be of great thanks!

READ THIS: Personal Trainer Says: Most People are Wasting Their Time Working Out

This article is a great follow up to my Fast, Faster, Fastest running post. It discusses the importance of varying exercise routines, incorporating resistance training, and performing short bursts of high intensity intervals, such as Sprints!

By Darin L. Steen and Dr. Mercola

Ok, so you are fed up with the extra pounds you’re carrying around and you are on a mission to lose weight. Perhaps you’re working out with weights, jogging, and you’re even cutting out desserts. You’re drinking less soda and more water. You have totally dedicated yourself to a more fit, better “you”.
And yet, when you get on the scale three weeks into your new lifestyle, the scale has barely budged. You get discouraged and stop exercising consistently. Before you know it, you’ve reverted back to your old habits again.
Sound familiar?
This is an all too common story...
What I have witnessed from over 18,000 personal training sessions over the last 8 years, is that most people are wasting their time when they work out. They’re simply not exercising effectively to reap optimal results.
The four most common mistakes I see people make are:

1. Using the least effective type of exercise: regular cardio
2. Too much cardio and not enough resistance training
3. Doing too many sets per exercise
4. Lifting a weight too fast

Mistake # 1 – Using the Least Effective Type of Regular Cardio

It’s not easy to leave old habits behind and start doing things differently, like eating according to your Nutritional Type and exercising multiple times per week.
Exercising is one of the best things that you can do for your health. Sadly, more than half of American adults don’t get the recommended amount of exercise. One out of four people in the U.S. don’t even exercise at all.
Lack of time is the most common reason why people say they don’t exercise. But I have great news for you – you might never use this excuse again!
If you walk into any gym, you’ll see most people crowding the aerobics equipment and using the treadmill or elliptical machine for an hour or so. But a growing body of research suggests that you can perform a significantly SHORTER workout, at a greater intensity, and get BETTER results than the usual, time-consuming training routines.
So let me introduce you to Dr. Mercola’s comprehensive exercise program, Peak Fitness Technique, and its key component, Peak 8 exercises.

How to Perform Peak 8 Exercises

The term Peak 8 exercises refer to exercises that are done one to three times a week in which you raise your heart rate up to, or beyond, your calculated maximum heart rate (220-your age) for 20 to 30 seconds, followed by a 90-second recovery period.
Dr. Mercola recommends using a recumbent bicycle for the Peak 8 exercise, but you can also use an elliptical machine, a treadmill, or run outdoors. However, unless you’re an athlete, we advise against sprinting outdoors the first time you try the Peak 8 exercise due to the potential risk of injury.
Here’s a summary of how to do it:

1. Like any other exercise, warm up for three to five minutes.
2. After warming up, go all out, as hard as you can, for 30 seconds.
3. Recover for 90 seconds.
4. Start with two or three repetitions but work your way up to seven more times for a total of eight repetitions.
5. Cool down for a few minutes afterwards by cutting down your intensity by 50 to 80 percent.

The key element is to reach maximum intensity. To properly perform the exercise, you need to get very close to, if not exceed, your calculated maximum heart rate (MHR) by the last interval.
Everyone’s MHR is different and is determined by age, physical activity level, as well as any medical conditions which may be present. Your maximum heart rate is a measure of the upper limit of work that your cardiovascular system can handle. A simple and quick way to estimate your MHR is to take 220 minus your age.
When executing Peak 8, which is a very vigorous exercise, you will want to strive to work out to at least 70 to 80% of that MHR, and hopefully reach your MHR for the last few repetitions.
Keep in mind you’ll need a heart rate monitor because it is nearly impossible to accurately measure your heart rate manually when it is above 150. And there’s a huge difference between a heart rate of 170 and 174, or 160 and 164 if you are over 50.
Once you reach your maximum heart rate, you may feel a bit nauseous and light headed and, of course, VERY short of breath. But your body will recover quite rapidly and in about 30-60 seconds, you will start to feel much better.
The first repetition is usually pretty easy as your starting heart rate is low and you can do the entire 30 seconds without much physical stress.
Unless you work out regularly, you will likely need to work your way up to eight cycles, hence the term Peak 8. You can start with two to four and gradually increase the number of repetitions.
Ideally, you should get to eight cycles because the benefits really start to kick in around repetitions seven and eight.
Since the recovery time is only 90 seconds, your heart rate gradually continues to climb after every repetition. Hopefully, by the time you finish your last repetition, it is at or above your MHR.
Remember to cool down for a few minutes after your 8th repetition. When you're done, you will feel tired, but more than likely you will feel great!
If you have a history of heart disease or other health concerns, please get clearance from your health care professional before starting a Peak 8 exercise session. Most people of average fitness will be able to do the Peak 8 exercise, however; it is only a matter of how long it will take you to build up to the full eight reps.

The Outstanding Health Benefits of Peak 8 Exercises

Peak 8 exercises will save you a tremendous amount of time because you’ll be able to cut your hour- or longer cardio workout down to a total of 20 minutes or so, and that’s including your warm-up, recovery time, and cool down.
The actual sprinting portion of the exercises only takes four minutes!
Once you regularly do Peak 8 exercises about twice a week and are following well-rounded workout routine, incorporating stretching, core work and strength training, along with consuming the right fuel for your body, you’ll notice that you have:

• Lower body fat
• Improved muscle tone
• Firmer skin and less wrinkles
• Have more energy and sexual desire
• Enhanced athletic speed and performance
• Achieved your fitness goals much faster

Peak 8 exercises may also help fight the signs of aging by naturally stimulating the release of human growth hormone (HGH), which is KEY for strength, health, and longevity. The higher your levels of HGH, the healthier and stronger you're going to be.
However, as you reach your 30s, you enter a phase called somatopause, wherein your HGH levels start decreasing dramatically. This is part of what drives the aging process. If you lead a sedentary lifestyle and don’t exercise, your HGH levels will drop even further.
Thankfully, peak fitness exercises can naturally raise your growth hormone levels.
How does this type of exercise achieve this?
Well, you have three different types of muscle fibers: slow, fast, and super-fast. Most people, including many athletes such as marathon runners, only train using their slow muscle fibers, which is what you do when you do traditional aerobic cardio and strength training. This has the unfortunate effect of causing the super-fast fibers to decrease.
Performing high-intensity burst cardio like Peak 8 exercises, however, engages your super-fast or white muscle fibers, which are 10 times faster than slow fibers.
Engaging your super-fast muscle fibers is the key to producing HGH!
The longer your body produces high levels of HGH, the longer you can preserve robust health and strength.
If you do Peak Fitness workouts twice a week and eat according to your nutritional type (Dr. Mercola now offers the entire online nutritional typing test for free!), then you will naturally increase your production of growth hormone.

Mistake # 2 -- Too Much Cardio and Not Enough Resistance Training

The second mistake that the majority of people make with their workout is again related to their choice of conventional, hour-long cardio. About 70 percent of gym members typically use cardio machines while 30 percent (or less) lift weights.
This is understandable, considering that it is easier to walk on a treadmill than pick to up dumbbells and barbells, and do the exercises correctly. Many people are intimidated by lifting weights, so they stick to what is most comfortable and familiar: cardio.
It’s important to realize that cardio can help you lose fat – especially the high intensity Peak 8 type cardio -- but cannot change your body shape.
For example, if you start out with a pear shaped body, you will still be pear shaped after losing weight through cardio.
On the other hand, when your fitness / fat loss program is well-rounded with Peak 8, resistance training, conventional cardio, and core exercises along with a sound nutrition program, you have the ability to actually sculpt your physique.
You can increase the size of smaller body parts, and reduce larger body parts.
Plus, when you build muscle with weight lifting, you become stronger, burn more calories 24 hours per day, build bone density, and give yourself a much better chance at aging gracefully.

Mistake #3 – Too Many Sets per Exercise

Most people believe that they need to do 4 or 5 sets of weight lifting per exercise. This is simply not true. All you need is 2 or 3 sets at most.
One of the main keys to stimulating your body to lose fat and gain muscle through lifting is “intensity”. It is very important that the last three repetitions of your sets are very intense. They should be the ones you never thought you could do.
These last few intense reps, done safely, are the only ones that will cause enough micro tears in your muscles to force your body to repair them, now slightly bigger and stronger.
When you know that you only are going to do two sets, it is easier to gear up and pick up the intensity to a higher level. So make your weight lifting workout short, but intense – like your cardio!
Sixty minutes is plenty long enough, as long as you have a specific plan, and only rest 1-2 minutes between sets.

Mistake # 4 -- Lifting the Weight Too Fast

Many people think that the more weight they lift and the more repetitions they perform the better. We call it the “how much do you bench” mentality. When you have this mindset, you tend to just throw the weight around with reckless abandon. Worse, with this mindset, a lot of the tension of the weights goes to your bones, ligaments, joints, and tendons.
This can easily lead to an injury.
Your goal should be to make a light weight feel heavy by making slow, controlled movements. This way you have the ability to squeeze the target muscle during the contraction.
Try using a 3-1-3 tempo on your lifts.
That is a 3 second positive, a 1 second isometric squeeze in the contracted position, and then a 3 second negative. You may have to lessen your weights, but I promise you that you will increase your ability to focus on the intended muscle groups.
In general, perform two sets of three different exercises per body part.
If you work out with the proper intensity, you only need to exercise each body part once per week. Two to three one-hour workouts of resistance training per week is all that is needed to entice your body to gain muscle and lose fat.
Working out longer or more often per week will not make you reach your goals faster.
Remember, your body does not increase muscle mass while you work out. You are actually tearing the muscles down during exercise.
Your body mass increases while your body is at rest.

The Importance of a Well-Rounded Exercise Program

To truly optimize your overall health; from shedding excess pounds and gaining muscle, to improving your posture, physique, strength and agility, to increasing your HGH levels naturally, to living a longer healthier life, we recommend you fashion a well-rounded exercise program that incorporate all of the following five types of exercises:

1. Peak 8 anaerobic exercises. For even more information about Peak 8 (including the personal testimonial with before and after photos) and how to maximize your HGH production, please see this link.
2. Aerobic exercises: Jogging, using an elliptical machine, and walking fast are all examples of aerobic exercise. Although standard aerobic exercises can't compete with Peak 8 exercises for promoting growth hormone or fat burning, simply getting your heart pumping will improve blood flow and increase the release of endorphins, which act as natural pain killers.
   
   Aerobic exercises will also activate your immune system, and help increase your stamina over time, both of which are important for optimal health.
3. Strength Training: Remember, as I explained above, you only need 1 to 3 sets, maintaining slow, controlled movements while focusing on squeezing your target muscle, and upping the intensity on your last three repetitions of each set.
4. Core Exercises: Your body has 29 core muscles located mostly in your back, abdomen and pelvis. This group of muscles provides the foundation for movement throughout your entire body, and strengthening them can help protect and support your back, make your spine and body less prone to injury and help you gain greater balance and stability.
   
   Exercise programs like Pilates and yoga are great options for strengthening your core muscles, as are specific core exercises you can learn from a personal trainer.
5. Stretching: Active isolated stretches (AIS) developed by Aaron Mattes, is one very effective option. With AIS, you hold each stretch for only two seconds, which works with your body's natural physiological makeup to improve circulation and increase the elasticity of muscle joints. This technique also allows your body to repair itself and prepare for daily activity.

Fast, faster, fastest.... So you want to run

Every fall, I find myself having a new appreciation and love for the outdoors. Perhaps it's the coolness in the air, the leaves changing colors... or just the shift in wardrobe that excites me. For whatever reason it is, I want to run. I sign up (or show up) for local weekend races and I begin incorporating running back into my routine(frankly, I can't stand running when the heat index is 105+).

The ability to run well or fast was not a card I was dealt at birth. There are those that do possess this gift, and I will confess, I secretly hate them....just kidding...not really...whatev!  Anyway, running has and still is a challenge for me. One of my biggest struggles has been pace/speed. For years I could not understand why I couldn't get faster. So I ran more, I ran longer, and I ran farther. Surely the more I ran, the faster I would get. NO change. I maintained the same pace time no matter what. It was probably three or four years ago, that I actually realized what I needed to do to speed up my pace. 

Here is the key:
In order to become faster, you must lengthen your stride. By covering more space with each stride, you will get from point A to point B faster...OK, so how?
                                                  

SPRINT. 

YES, SPRINT.

When sprinting, the knee is pulled up by the hip flexor and the foot is extended out with a much greater range of motion than in the typical 'jog'. By pulling the knee up higher and extending the foot out farther, your stride is lengthened. Boom! Done! Right?

Sprints should be incorporated regularly. Instead of doing the same thing over and over, swap your regular running day with a sprint day. The benefit of doing so: A shorter workout! Warm up for ten or so minutes. Choose whether you are going to sprint for time or distance. For example: (assuming you are outside enjoying fall at it's finest) You may want to count to 20 or 30 in your head as you sprint, or choose a sign, mailbox, tree, or car in the distance, and sprint to it. Don't even think of slowing down until you pass it! Give yourself some recovery time. Depending on your level of fitness you may rest for 10 seconds to a whole minute between each sprint. (Try to get 10 - 20 sprints in) The great thing about sprints....You can finish in 10-15 minutes. That's right. Consider it a quickie! This is a type of  high intensity interval training, and when it comes to sprinting, speed is the goal, not endurance. 

DON'T SKIP STRETCHING!

You want a longer stride, Right?

Then stretch!

(Examples: Quad Stretch, Hamstring Stretch, Hip flexor stretch, IT band stretch)

You may find yourself sore after a Sprint day. That's because you've used these muscles differently and extended them to their max!



 

I Know the Suspense is Killing You

Sorry for the hiatus...life has been a little crazy.... thanks to Sgt. Pepper and other mishaps. I am in the process of finalizing some postings that have been in the works.

Here's what's coming:

Think before you EAT

Andi Score What?

Fast Faster Fastest! So You Wanna Run?

Color Me

Products to Avoid

Ways to Avoid High Fructose Corn Syrup

Read food labels. This is the easiest and most sure-fire way to know if there is high fructose corn syrup in your food. High fructose corn syrup can be found in cereals, yogurts, and even in products which aren't sweet, such as sliced bread and processed meats like sausage and ham.

Check labels on sodas, juices, mixes, etc. Beverages containing high fructose corn syrup have high levels of reactive carbonyls which are linked with cell and tissue damage that leads to diabetes.....Avoid canned or bottled beverages. Soft drinks, sports drinks, lemonade, iced tea, and almost every sweet drink you can think of contains high fructose corn syrup.

Avoid fast food. Fast food often contains high fructose corn syrup. Look up ingredients online. You'll be surprised!!

Understand what "natural" or "organic" means on labels with regard to HFCS. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn't regulate the use of the word "natural". Foods and beverages can be labeled as "natural" even though they contain high fructose corn syrup, because fructose is a naturally occurring sugar. The word "organic" is heavily regulated, and basically, only foods labeled as 100% organic can be assumed to be HFCS-free.
For example: Conventional Peanut Butter and Ketchup often contain (not only hydrogenated oils in the case of PB) Corn Syrup/HFCS. Choose Organic in this case.

Check the Passover section of your supermarket. Some soda companies produce a sugar/sucrose-based version of their products around Passover for Jewish people who are restricted by custom from eating corn during this time. Coca-Cola produces a version of Coke without corn syrup that can be identified by a yellow cap and is considered by some to taste better than Coke Zero, which is also free of corn syrup but contains artificial sweeteners, not sugar. (more to come on Sugar consumption and artificial sweeteners)

Lower your sweetener consumption altogether. It's been suggested that the supposed link between high fructose corn syrup and obesity is not ALL due to the high fructose corn syrup itself, but to the increasing consumption of sweeteners in general, especially soft drinks.
In fact, where the fructose (sugars) comes from doesn't seem to matter. I will discuss this in an upcoming post.

The USDA recommends that a person with a 2000 calorie, balanced diet should consume no more than 32 g (8 tsp) of added sugar per day. Here are some sweet foods and the percentage of the daily recommended amount of sweeteners they provide:

typical cup of fruit yogurt - 70%

cup of regular ice cream - 60%

12-ounce Pepsi - 103%

Hostess Lemon Fruit Pie - 115%

serving of Kellogg's Marshmallow Blasted Fruit Loops - 40%

quarter-cup of pancake syrup - 103%

Cinnabon - 123%

large McDonald's Shake - 120%

large Mr. Misty Slush at Dairy Queen - 280%

Burger King's Cini-minis with icing - 95%

Buy fresh produce and learn to cook it. The real problem is too much refined and processed food, not any one particular ingredient.

Note: information found in Wikihow: How to avoid High Fructose Corn Syrup, The Maker's Diet, and What Would Jesus Eat

The Revamp...Still "Babysteppin"

Throughout my journey of 'getting back to basics', I have learned so much! Some things I didn't know at all, and some things I already knew, but was neglecting and ignoring change.

"Ignorance is bliss," Right??

Wrong!

The first baby step of this journey was to remove all products containing hydrogenated oils from my house. This step was unique in that it was a goodbye to products I considered as 'healthy friends', and a hello to products I had never thought of as 'trustworthy friends.' I am happy to report, that I not only have confidence that I made the right decision when in comes to making new and healthy 'friends,' but it is also has saved me money! I know longer am buying the coffee creamer, cool whip, butter spray, fat free no sugar added snack mixes, etc, etc, etc. Instead, I am using milk and real butter, and am being more creative with my sweet tooth with 'real food' products. So in this case, I saved! Case closed!

The next step of this process has been to severely limit sugars from my kitchen. If you know me at all, you know that I love sweets. I actually don't keep a lot in the house for this very reason. That's probably why I go in search of candies and ice creams at my friends' and family's homes, and why I will eat two (maybe even three) plus desserts on holidays! I'm a true sugar addict!

The suspect I have chosen to look into however is not sugar

High fructose corn syrup is commonly used in place of sugar in processed foods in the USA because it is cheaper, not better. American subsidies and tariffs have resulted in corn being a much more economical sweetener than sugar--a trend that is not seen in other parts of the world. The average American eats an astounding 41.5 lbs of high fructose corn syrup per year. Scientists have found that pancreatic tumors feed and replicate faster on High Fructose Corn Syrup! This is reason enough not to eat it. And if you need to be convinced more, consider the growing number of Type II diabetics and obese children, as well as adults in the US.  It's becoming the norm...Remember the Supersize and Biggie tidbit mentioned in a previous blog. Growing waistbands and sizing of virtually everything are standard.

Challenge:

Like before, check labels in your pantry and refrigerator for Corn syrup and High Fructose Corn Syrup...You will be surprised.

Let me know what you find!

Note: information found in Wikihow: How to avoid High Fructose Corn Syrup, The Maker's Diet, and What Would Jesus Eat

Apple-Yogurt Parfaits

I am so sick and tired of oatmeal for breakfast!

This Apple-Yogurt Parfait serves as a great start for the day or a sweet afternoon snack!

Apples are my favorite! They are loaded with fiber, natural sweetness, and are crispy. Nonfat Plain Greek yogurt is a staple in my house. You should make it one in yours as well. It is low in sugar and packed with protein. (I use it on sandwiches and with salsa, instead of sour cream) Flaxseeds are a good sources of fiber and Omega-3s. I sometimes skip the raisins all together or substitute them for raw walnuts.


BEWARE!!! Don't be fooled by fast food parfaits. Morning stops like McDonald's and Starbucks offer parfaits that are loaded with unnecessary fat and sugar hidden in the yogurt and so called healthy granola!

Ingredients (serves 4)

3 Honeycrisp or fuji apples, diced
3 cups nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup ground flaxseeds
1/4 cup agave nectar or honey ...might not even need this much
3/4 cup golden raisins
optional: dash of Cinnamon for each (my favorite addition to everything)


Preparation

1. Set out 4 large wine or parfait glasses. In each, layer 1/4 apple, 1/4 cup yogurt, 2 teaspoons ground flaxseeds, 1 teaspoon agave nectar and 1 tablespoon raisins. Repeat all layers twice in each glass.

Get F.I.T.T.

Is your body at a standstill?

Are you working out and eating well, but are stumped as why you aren’t getting the results you want?

You are not alone.

Plateauing is a common affect when the body becomes comfortable, and quite frankly, bored, with the same routine. Muscle confusion is the principle of changing your routines to keep your body guessing. Once the body is accustomed to a routine, it needs something new or different thrown into the mix to keep it guessing, and working hard. Sounds kind of like a relationship! And just like a relationship, you gotta spice things up!

Here’s how to get off the plateau, confuse your muscles, and get the results you want.
Apply the F.I.T.T formula. First you will need to use it to self-evaluate your current routine. Then you will use it to make changes to keep your body guessing.

Frequency: Number of sessions per day/week
Intensity: How hard one works
Time/Duration: The length of the exercise
Type/ Mode: The specific exercise (walking, running, weight training, etc.)

Change one or two of the components in your present routine, stick with it for a few weeks (or more depending on how your body reacts), and then reevaluate. For example, change up your cardio. Try some of the intervals mentioned on my fitness page., or go to a different class. The worst thing you can do is continue moving in the same plane, on the same track, doing the same thing over and over.  For resistance training: I

f you are used to grabbing the same dumbbells and doing the same exercises, change it! Get heavier weights. Perhaps do chest presses on an incline rather than horizontally, slow everything down to really concentrate on the muscles being worked, or add an extra move or pulse at the top of a bicep curl. Crank up the weight on the machines, and go for the burn. Remember, no matter what, your muscles should be fatigued in the last 2-3 reps. It doesn’t matter if you are doing 8-10, 12-15, or 20-30 repetitions. Make it burn!

There are so many ways you can adjust your workouts to confuse your muscles. The combinations are truly endless!

Once you make some changes, stick with it for a while. You might try it for two, three, or even six weeks before changing things up again. And don’t forget; it is supposed to be difficult. You may sweat more, suffer from a bit of soreness, or be a little uncomfortable in your new routine. GOOD! That’s how it should be, and that’s how you will know it its working.
 
by K.Dixon

 

Sorry Folks....Size Does Matter

    I'm not sure if you have the same problem as me, but my kitchen cabinets look like this ALL the time!

And, no Mother, it's not because I didn't close them all the way!

While looking into portion control and serving sizes, I found that dinner plates on average are 2 inches bigger than the ones our parents and grandparents grew up using. No wonder all of those Lean Cuisines look so tiny. When it comes to eating out, it's a no brainer that plate and portion sizes are ridiculous. They come out on a platter that could feed a family of four, yet we gobble it up like its our last meal!

Remember in the 80s and 90s when the over-sized chairs came out (my father had two of them in his living room and I thought they were soooo cool), Wendy's made everything BIGGIE, and McDonald's went Supersize! It seemed great at the time, but in reality, it has destroyed us. What was once considered over exaggerated and enormous, is now the standard.

Take a look at the dinner plate with the deck of cards on it. That minuscule looking deck, which is smaller than my iPhone,  represents a serving of meat. The plate swallows it!

The next time you eat out or load your plate up, think not only about the size of your plate, but the size of your portions as well. Use your phone as a reference!

TIP* Use a salad plate for meals rather than a dinner plate. It is actually much closer in size to the dinner plates of the past.

The Revamp...But in Baby steps

For the past two months I have been digging deep within to revamp the way I eat, think, and take care of myself. I have for the majority of my life been health conscious, food conscious,  body conscious, self conscious, fitness conscious, calorie conscious, fat conscious, weight conscious, and so on. Most of my days have been spent counting calories, points, fat grams, carbs, and proteins, as well as figuring how I would burn those little critters off (I suppose I should have been an accountant).  What a waste! Seeing food for what it is and ditching the calculator so to speak has been an interesting trek thus far, and I look forward to what is to come.

Step 1
Within the first month of this journey, I decided to abolish all products in my kitchen that contained hydrogenated oil. It didn't matter if it was 'partially' or 'fully', soy or vegetable; if the ingredients read 'hydrogenated' , it went to the trash...

...OK, so I had to have a farewell spoonful of some of them, but they went in the trash after that. I promise!

Sugar free, 70 calories, low fat...What more could I ask for! These 'yummy' treats were found in the Health food section of my local grocery store; In the diabetic section to be exact!...Never mind that Hydrogenated fats have been linked to diabetes in scientific studies.

Ingredient #3 Partially Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil. Once I started rummaging around in the pantry, this product was given a verdict of guilty.

As mentioned in the title, I am taking baby steps. This first step has been enlightening, tricky at times, and freeing. I challenge everyone to take a look inside their pantry and refrigerator to see what lurks inside their food.

more to come, and step two of my journey is underway...

READ THE FINE PRINT

Hydrogenated Oil = Trans Fats = Stay Away

What Are Hydrogenated Fats
Hydrogenated oils/fats are made by injecting liquid fat (animal or vegetable source oils) with hydrogen gas to make them solid and more stable at room temperature. In general, the more solid the oil is, the more hydrogenated it is. This allows the oil to have a longer shelf life than in its natural state.Where Are They

Where Are They?
Hydrogenated fats are hidden in hundreds of products we consume every single day. Coffee creamers, baked goods, breads, so called 'health foods', 'fat free' foods, whipped toppings like Cool Whip (boohoo!!), margarine, butter sprays, and Crisco are just some of the common culprits.

Why the Fuss?
The production process of these oils converts them into indigestible trans-fatty acids which everyone knows nowadays as BAD fats. Trans fatty acids work to increase LDL, or "bad" cholesterol, and they also decrease HDL cholesterol, which is "good" cholesterol. This means that the fats in hydrogenated oil are far more dangerous than even saturated fats, which medical professionals have already determined to be harmful. The consumption of hydrogenated oil has been linked with diabetes, cancer, coronary disease, immune system dysfunction, low-birth-weight babies, weight gain, and obesity in a wide number of scientific studies. All medical professionals agree that people should limit their consumption of hydrogenated oil to avoid exposure to trans fats, and just because a product says zero trans fats, check the ingredients.

What Now?
The unstable fatty acids in oils such as olive oil are unsaturated fats, which have been determined to be healthier for consumers, acting to reduce cholesterol in some cases. As it turns out, its best to keep it real.
Olive oil, nuts, avocados, and dairy fats are a much healthier choice.

Is Coffee Creamer a Silent Killer?

This is in interesting article that covers a lot of info. Check it out!

http://nutrition.suite101.com/article.cfm/is-your-coffee-creamer-silently-killing-you

And So it Begins

                                                                               

So this is all very new to me, but I have decided to embark on   a journey... A blogging journey about what it really means to be healthy, eat well, pass on processed food, and see if it can be done without killing me financially.  I could say 'This all started when I was a little girl. At some point in my childhood, I didn't feel good enough, pretty enough, thin enough, blah, blah, blah, so I dieted, exercised, blah, blah, blah." Who Cares!!! I am certain the majority of people, and women especially have the same story. The fact is, I am a responsible mature adult, and it really doesn't matter how I felt when I was a kid!

In actuality, the thought of 'getting real' with food started about three and a half years ago when I was making my morning coffee. My husband, Tony, who happens to love greasy fatty burgers, fries, and milkshakes, made a comment to me about how "terrible" it was that I was pouring powder creamer in my coffee. "How is THIS unhealthy?" I asked, "It has 10 calories per serving and is FAT-FREE!" He followed up with the very dry response, "You're basically drinking plastic." Thus began the conversation of partially hydrogenated oil and how harmful it is to our bodies. You might ask... Did I stop using the powder creamers? Heck no! I loved that stuff. But the wheels in my head started to turn.

Three and a half years later, only because recently, I have had some time to think about it, I have decided it must come to an end.

...more to come