Calorie This, Calorie That...blah blah blah

If you’ve been following the Gain Great Health blog in sequence (as recommended), you will note that I have yet to mention any precise figures of what and how much you should be eating.  Some hold the false misconception that eating a healthy diet means scrutinizing each and every calorie, gram of fat, and carbohydrate that you put into your body.  This is certainly NOT the case.  Instead, focus on the quality of the foods you’re eating (along with cooking these foods in a tasty way) and you'll be well on your way to eating a healthful diet.  

My ‘Beef’ with Beef: Part 2

Adding fire to the flame, conventionally-reared cows are given antibiotics and synthetic hormones.  Cows are highly susceptible to disease and infection not only because they’re confined in feedlots (does this sound familiar; feedlots on a farm-cubicles in an office...), but also because they’re fed a diet for which they are ill-adapted.  Instead of fixing the root of the problem (profitability trumps all), antibiotics are used to combat these bovine diseases.  

My ‘Beef’ with Beef: Part 1

Up until now, I haven’t mentioned much about meat.  But, hear me out for my beef with beef.  As a pescatarian, I don’t eat beef (or poultry, other red meat, or other meat products), but surely loved a juicy Burger King whopper back in the day.  My personal lifestyle choice is in no way an affirmation of the way life should be lived, but for me, it’s the healthiest choice at the moment.  If I was in the position to afford grass-fed beef at $6.99/lb (my overwhelming student-loan debt is not as permitting for this kind of lifestyle), I would certainly eat beef in moderation.  But follow along for my story and my rationale...  

All the Time, Sometime, Almost Never

After reading a few of my posts, I can see how some may mistakenly consider me a food Nazi.  To argue otherwise, I enjoyed my favorite desserts (yes that's plural) on my previous trip to NYC and a few bites of my co-worker's Lay’s Hot & Spicy Barbecue flavored potato chips last week.  Judging from my typical lunch of lentils and brown rice, my co-worker assumed that I don’t eat chips, so he didn’t bother offering. However, I hadn’t had potato chips in over 6 months, so to his surprise, I was due for a few bites!  I further described the beginning days of my not-so-healthy, vegetarian lifestyle during high school filled with French fries and snacks such as potato chips.  

All Sugars Are Not (Created) Equal: Part 2

It’s really a matter of what else you are (or aren’t) getting with the sugars you consume and who it’s created by when considering which carbohydrate-containing foods you decide to put into your system.  I interjected the word “created” above, because it’s a good rule of thumb to think of the ultimate creator of the foods that we consume.  How close is the product that you’re consuming to its original form in nature?  Is it made from whole wheat flour made from ground up grains, is it a fruit picked straight from the tree, is it a grain ground up and bleached to make white flour and made into something else even further, or as with most of the food-like substances of today, is it a host of substances and chemicals further manipulated by man. 

All Sugars Are Not Equal: Part 1

I saw it all too often during my days as a personal fitness coach.  The avid Weight Watchers participant who sat across the table from me adamant about not eating bananas because they were worth three points instead of one.  (I was certainly relieved when Weight Watchers changed their system for a majority of fruit and vegetables to be free, no point foods.) My clients would often argue that they preferred to save their points for other foods, such as (artificial-, and chemically-laden) Weight Watchers bars or not-as-healthy dinners.  Blindly only considering the demonized nutrient of the moment, these well-intentioned weight loss enthusiasts would overlook the potassium, vitamin C, B-6, and resistant starches (indigestible starches that are found in more green bananas) that also reside within bananas.

One More Reason to Get Moving

We know that exercise does a body good (certainly more so than drinking milk!). But even more evidence is being discovered--irisin being the most recent. Named after the greek messenger goddess Iris, this hormone is debuting as a critical communicator between the two different types of fat cells.

Many More Reasons to Get Moving: Part 2

Although the role of exercise in preventing various cancers is not clear, researchers have suspected the maintenance of a healthy body weight to contribute.  This reference to a healthy body weight relates more to the amount of fat (white fat to be exact, more on that later) that’s in the body as opposed to your actual weight.  It's now well-known that fat releases a host of hormones and what are known as cytokines.  In fact, in some circles, fat tissue is considered an endocrine organ, similar to your adrenal glands and reproductive organs.  Cancer development may be related to the release of these cytokines and hormones in excessive amounts.  Exercising and cutting back on the amount of white fat stored in the body therefore leads to the reduction in these circulating compounds.  

Many More Reasons to Get Moving: Part 1

It’s 4:30 pm and the countdown has begun until quitting time (only 60 min to go, 59 min, 58 min...).  For many, the idea of going to a gym or taking a brisk walk after work is the last thing on their mind after a long day.  Although physical activity has been engineered out of most of our lives, this does not disregard the fact that movement has historically been used for our productivity and survival (how else would we be getting our food!?).  It’s well-known that physical activity is beneficial for our health as seen by a host of studies showing a reduction in risk of disease with more exercise.

Food for the Soul: Service to Others

Today, Americans celebrate the national holiday dedicated to the life and accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (well some may be catching up on sleep instead).  Most known for his work as a pioneering civil right’s leader and advocate for justice and peace, Dr. King also championed for overcoming poverty and education inequities for all people.  "Life's most persistent and urgent question is: 'What are you doing for others?'" King once proclaimed. In line with this, President Bill Clinton established the King holiday as a national day of service in 1994, and dedicated it “a day on, not a day off.”  So the question lies in what are you doing to serve others in honor of Dr. King and beyond?  

Slipping Through the Cracks: GRAS 201

GRAS substances range from something as widely used as sodium and caffeine to more obscure chemicals such as theobromine and polyglutamic acid.  GRAS designations have been made since the 1950‘s and those reports from the late 50’s through the 80’s are based on data and research from these periods.  As you can imagine, research technology has advanced leaps and bounds since then.  What the research said back then and what it might say today is an interesting (and alarming) notion.  For example, the GRAS report for phosphate-containing compounds (see here) dates back to 1975.

Slipping Through the Cracks: GRAS 101

Up to this point, I‘ve made a few references to the Food and Drug Administration’s designation of some chemicals in our foods as “Generally Recognized As Safe” (GRAS).  Since 1998, the FDA reports that 410 substances have been determined to be GRAS, and this doesn’t include those submitted between 1958 and 1998. With this in mind and the host of GRAS substances used in processed foods, most of these food-like substances could easily be thought of “as generally safe to eat!”

Going, Going, Going--Healthy Eating in a Hectic Life

Beep, beep, beep.  7:00 am--work, check; 3:00 pm--class, check; 5:00 pm--internship, check; 12:00 am pillow, check.  Looking back at my life in NYC, I wonder how I did it all AND managed to follow a healthy lifestyle (well, working at a gym certainly helped!).  If your routine sounds similar, and perhaps even carpooling and soccer practice for the kids sprinkled in, you’re probably eagerly reading this in hopes to add healthier eating habits to your hectic lifestyle.

  
Eating healthy on the go is a common concern for the average person in a society that values productivity in the workplace over productivity in the kitchen.  Meanwhile, the foods that are more readily available when on the go are often those that we should limit.  Sodas, sugary beverages, chips, candy bars, you name it and it mostly should be avoided.

Below are tips for healthier eating on the go.  Note how I added -ier instead of healthy, because the healthfulness of food certainly lies on a continuum.  Obviously, grabbing a Kashi granola bar in a pinch is better than a bag of Lay’s potato chips, but the reality is that a piece of fruit with trail mix surely beats out the Kashi “food-like substance.”

A New Year, Another SMALL Goal

In theory, the beginning of a new year is a great time to start a diet overhaul, begin a new exercise regiment, and set new goals toward personal growth.  I hate to put a damper on your New Year’s optimism, but the reality is that most of these goals fall to the way side by mid-March (and for some, as early as January 15!).  Look at the enrollment and attrition data from any gym, fitness facility, or weight loss program and the statistics will paint this reality for you.    

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.

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?

Health NOT Weight

Although some of you are using the Gain Great Health site as a tool on your journeys to weight loss, I have resisted the discussion of weight for the past month and a half for a distinct reason.   As mentioned on the About page, focusing on gaining great health will pave the way to your body’s natural, biologically determined size.  Besides, it’s not where you want to get that matters, but how you will realistically get there and stay there!  Likewise, whether you are trying to nip your weight gain in the bud or (to extend the analogy) trim an overgrown pasture, the eating patterns, physical activity regiments, mindsets, and determination are similar in nature.