The (In)Convenient Fruit

It’s hard to peel, my fingers will smell, I don’t have a trash can, I can’t afford organic, it costs too much, it goes bad. Excuses, excuses--there will certainly always be those to find now won’t there! As I listened to my friend round off his excuses and the common difficulties of eating fruit, I sarcastically responded with “Ah, the inconveniences of life, tsk tsk.” Putting things into perspective, my friend so eloquently responded, “not more inconvenient than ill health.”   “Yes, he sees the light,” I think to myself.  Sure a bit of venting about our obstacles helps in the moment, but life circumstances are not convenient and plain and simple, we need to get over these obstacles and JUST DO IT.  Taking action, in this case, surely beats the alternative.  Below are responses to some common inconveniences of fruit.

'Tis the Season...

Although it seems like a month-long hiatus from Gain Great Health, my (almost) week-long absence has been filled with a very important aspect of the season...spending quality time with the people I care about (and not a computer!).  Instead of rushing home to upload my next blog entry, I have engaged in meaningful conversations and spent valued moments with my close family members and friends.  The media often focuses on the seemingly more exciting aspects of the season such as eating and shopping, and I couldn’t even help but feed into this with my previous “Beat the Holiday Bulge” entry!  But the reality is that 25% off deals and the decadent holiday treats (or avoidance of them), are merely secondary to the true meaning of the season.  If you are Christian, you’re (or should be) celebrating the birth of Jesus; if you are Jewish, you’re supposedly commemorating the re-dedication of the holy temple in Jerusalem; if you celebrate Kwanzaa, you are reconnecting to your African roots and recognizing the struggles of American American people; and if you’re a Santa and Rudolph celebrator, well....you either have kids (and fail to provide explanations) or are rehashing unfulfilled childhood moments.  And the New Year is meant to be celebrated as we enter a new year of possibilities.

An Optimal Start: Breakfast is Key!

Food is meant to provide us with energy and nourishment, hence it’s essential to start your day with a well-balanced, hearty breakfast.  If you don’t know where to begin your gradual diet and lifestyle make-over, this important meal should be the first place to look!  Not only will eating breakfast nip your hunger in the bud, but it can also improve your mind clarity and concentration.  Aiming for a balance between protein, healthy fats, and complex grains instead of hyper-concentrations of sugar is key.  This may mean passing on the banana nut muffin or the decadent butter croissant if you frequent Starbucks or Dunkin’ Donuts. 

 
People often argue that they’re not hungry when they wake up in the morning.  In this case, a banana in a pinch is certainly better than nothing at all, but it feeds into the potential cycle of overeating.  By skipping breakfast and waiting until noon or so to eat, we are famished by the time we get home, which leads to going overboard at night.  This evening overload of food contributes to the skip-breakfast cycle by leaving us satiated when we wake.

Beans, Beans, Good for Your Heart...

“Beans, beans, good for your heart, the more you eat them, the more you....”  Beans get a bad rap for the inconvenient, and at times, embarrassing flatulence that they may cause.  Aside from gas, which can be curbed by soaking the beans and drinking plenty of water, beans are great additions to your diet and can pave the way to great health.  (See more on water here.)  

Beans are actually a part of the legume family, which also includes peas and lentils. These bean-like foods carry similar health attributes and are likewise recommended for a healthy diet. Below are just a few of the benefits of beans and other legumes.  

• Lower cholesterol levels
• Improve blood glucose control
• Reduce risk of many cancers
• Lower blood pressure
• Regulate functions of the colon
• Prevent and cure constipation and other bowel problems

Beat the Holiday Bulge

It’s that lovely time of year again (at least for most)--the time to celebrate and spend quality time with family and friends.   Whether or not you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa, most of us are surely engulfed in the holiday spirit.  "Party here, party there, party everywhere" often means more food and drinks.  But the holiday spirit doesn’t have to be accompanied by a few extra pounds, because end of the year festivities don’t have to sabotage a healthy diet!   Below are a few tips to navigate the holiday season.  Not all of them will be realistic for you, because you know you best, but go with what works!

What's Lurking in Our Food? BPA 101

BPA aka Bisphenol A has re-appeared in the media due to a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Harvard researchers found significant levels of BPA in participants who consumed canned soups over freshly prepared soups.  Some of you may recall the previous uproar about BPA and its use in the production of plastic baby bottles and other infant products.  Unfortunately, this chemical is still used throughout a majority of the U.S. despite pressure from the American Medical Association. Eleven U.S. states have taken heed to these warnings by banning (or are in the process of banning) the use of BPA in infant feeding containers.  Earlier this summer China banned the chemical from baby bottles, joining Canada, the European Union, and the United Arab Emirates.

But why should we be concerned?

BMI: Body Mass Index

So, the doctor tells my cousin that he needs to lose 110 lbs to get within the “normal” BMI range and that his blood cholesterol levels put him at risk for a heart attack.   Encouraging, isn’t it?  My biggest pet peeve is the bed side manner of physicians who spend very little time with their patients.  More likely than not, not enough time is spent discussing the importance of diet, physical activity, and lifestyle factors that influence body weight.  In addition to this discouraging approach, doctors often use the BMI scale, which is inherently a faulty indicator of health.