Awakened Fitness

Want to make healthy changes in you and your family’s life, but don’t know where to start? Often when people try to make a positive lifestyle change, they make the mistake of making to many changes at once, and wind up biting off more than they can chew. Instead, implement changes one by one, replacing negative habits with positive ones. Here are 15 EASY (and even kid approved) changes you can make to your diet that will get you started in the right direction. The idea here is that most of these foods taste almost identical to their less-healthy counterparts. This list is by no means complete, and I don’t mean to favor any brand. It is simply a sampling of some easy changes we have made (and also what was in the pantry).

Annie Chun’s Brown Rice Pad Thai Noodles and Meuller’s 100% Whole Grain Spaghetti

Whether the European or the Asian variety, everyone loves pasta. But if you understand how little nutrition is in enriched (white) pasta, and that it turns to sugar as soon as you eat it, you’ll realize just how important it is to seek out the 100% whole grain variety whenever possible. Although I’ve pictured Mueller’s brand spaghetti here, there are actually a few different brands and varieties appearing in conventional supermarkets. I had to go to Whole Foods to get the Pad Thai noodles. Nice being able to feel good about eating pasta though!

Grass Fed Ground Beef

Too few people understand that grass fed cows are nutritionally superior to their corn fed cousins. When cows eat their natural diet of grass, their fat becomes rich in omega-3 fatty acids (the same that is present in salmon). For this reason, ground beef can become a nutrient rich source of both healthy fats and protein, instead of an artery clogger. What’s even better is that most conventional grocery stores are carrying grass fed ground beef these days. If not, ask your grocer to carry it. Hallelujah! There IS such a thing as a healthy hamburger!

Kerrygold Grass Fed Butter And Cheese

So if your excited to learn that beef can be healthy, what follows is even more life changing. The fat in the milk that comes from grass fed cows has a high omega-3 to omega-6 ratio just like the grass fed beef itself. This means that foods like butter, cream and cheese that were once off limits are now known to actually be very healthy in moderate amounts. Why you would think that stores would carry everything from grass fed cheese blocks to grass fed, stevia sweetened ice cream, grass fed products are still fairly uncommon, even at organic stores like Whole Foods. One exception to this is the Irish dairy brand Kerrygold. All of their products are made from 100% grass fed cows, and their butter and cheese can be found in conventional supermarkets, organic supermarkets, and even at BJs Wholesale. Think of the possibilities here people!

Organic Valley 100% Grass Fed Milk and Half and Half

Following the grass fed dairy theme brings us to our next easy food switch, grass fed milk and grass fed half and half. While conventional skim milk still has many health benefits, it tastes terrible and is lacking the omega-3 benefits of its grass fed cousin. You will probably have to go to an organic grocer to find the 100% grass fed variety, but any organic milk is grass fed at least a third of the cow’s life. So this is one time that organic is definitely worth the extra cost.

Store Brand Organic Old Fashioned Oatmeal

Oatmeal is without a doubt my favorite morning carbohydrate. I’m almost afraid to train without it. I get the old fashioned kind because you can add water, nuke it for two minutes, add some milk, stevia and raisins or berries, and I have breakfast ready in no time. Yes, the steel cut variety is a bit healthier, but is so time consuming that it is impractical for our family. Also the steel cut oats are a bit heavy for my tastes in early morning hours!

Stevia (Truvia brand)

Stevia is a zero calorie sweetener that is unique in that it is the only zero calorie sweetener that has truly natural origins. Stevia itself is a plant. They usually carry it in the Home Depot plant section, if you’re interested in tasting a leaf. It’s great to have around the house to sweeten tea, and has been used for this purpose for thousands of years in South America. While it is very sweet, there is also a slight bitter taste to the plant in its natural form. For better or for worse, scientists have learned to process the plant and isolate just the sweet molecule, Reb A. Commercial stevia products such as Truvia (Coca-cola) use only that part of the plant in their products. While the research on Reb A is promising, it’s important to understand that it is highly processed and may still alter taste preferences, so like everything, it can be overdone. It is a giant leap forward from using insulin spiking sugar though, so give it a try!

Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Safflower Oil, and Hain Safflower Mayonnaise

Hopefully you know by now that you should be using extra virgin olive oil as much as possible. If you’re not, you seriously need to make it a part of your everyday routine, as the benefits are too many to mention. Sometimes though, you don’t want the olive oil taste in a particular food (Chinese stir-fry come to mind). This is where safflower oil comes in handy. It fries and tastes just like vegetable oil, but has the benefit of being loaded with CLA, a much needed healthy fat. Unfortunately, safflower oil’s omega 3 to omega 6 ratio isn’t nearly as impressive, so stick to olive oil as much as possible. Also, give Hain’s Safflower mayonnaise a try for a truly old school mayonnaise taste, and a lot less guilt!

Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is an often misunderstood food. If you turn over a jar of it and take a look at the nutrition facts, it is shockingly high in saturated fat. Since they are usually a big nutrition no-no, many people mistakenly steer clear of this tasty super food. The fact is though that the saturated fat in coconut oil is made up of heart healthy medium chain triglycerides and have been shown to reduce cholesterol, improve thyroid function, and aid the body in burning abdominal fat. Studies show that two tablespoons of coconut oil a day will do the trick. I love frying up chicken in it for a wonderful Polynesian flavor, and have even been known to eat it with a spoon right out of the jar on occasion 🙂 If you like coconut oil, then you have to try Earth Balance Peanut Butter with Coconut Oil. It makes the best PBJ sandwich I’ve ever had!

Lacroix Sparkling Water

It’s no secret that both sugar sweetened and artaficially sweetened sodas are terrible for you. Several years ago, after I seriously reduced my soda drinking habits, I realized that it wasn’t the sugar I missed, but the refreshing burn of the carbonation in my throat! This may sound silly to some of you, but I know there are some of you that know exactly what I’m talking about! So when I found LaCroix Sparkling Water I thought I had hit the jackpot. Convenient, zero chemicals, in a can, and often a BOGO at my local supermarket. What else can you ask for? Unfortunately, when I was doing the research for this article I ran across the fact that there is BPA in the lining of the cans! It just goes to show how much effort is needed to stay knowledgeable about what you are putting in your body. Guess it is time to look into that Soda Stream thing. At least I won’t have to buy the flavor mixes…

Nature’s Own 100% Whole Grain Bread

Whether you love bread or hate it, there’s no question that whole grains are a heck of a lot better for you than enriched grains. It’s more fibrous, more nutritious, and slows down the process of bread turning to sugar when you eat it. Nature’s Own 100% Whole Grain Bread is available at conventional grocery stores, and tastes the same as regular bread. It is also sugar free, so there’s another reason to never eat enriched bread again!

Raw Almonds

Almonds. They’re good for you. Raw almonds are even better. Eat them. Almonds are the healthiest nut, and make an excellent between-meal snack. Give almond milk a try too. It doesn’t taste much like milk, but has a great taste in it’s own right. My kids love it in the vanilla flavor. Sure it’s added sugar, but you’ve got to start somewhere…

No Nitrates Added Deli Meat

Sodium Nitrate is a preservative that is added to most deli meats, sausages and bacon to preserve product shelf life. There is a lot of debate about whether or not it is bad for you, and food companies have responded with “no nitrates added” products. Instead these companies add celery juice, which is naturally loaded with sodium nitrate, to preserve their product. So in reality it isn’t “nitrate free” at all, just a more natural source of sodium nitrate, which I do prefer. However, it should be known that sodium nitrate is abundant in vegetables, so it can’t be that bad! However, I think there is great benefit in keeping foods as whole as possible, so give no nitrates added meats (Hormel brand pictured here) a try if you’re a big sandwich eater.

That’s it for now. Remember, all of these changes are so easy you won’t even notice a change in taste or convenience. Make several of these easy changes for a synergistic effect that your body will thank you for!

MyFitnessPal – King Of The Food Journal Apps

Posted on August 25, 2014 by acromartie

By: Alex Cromartie, CPT

Last week I wrote about how much I had learned by counting calories (even though I’m not trying to lose weight) after many years of avoiding the practice. In it, I mentioned that the key to my success was using the MyFitnessPal app on my iPhone. I’d like to go in to detail about that wonderful app today. Here goes…

MyFitnessPal is by no means a new app. It has been on the smartphone scene for a while and has extensive features. Between having a local library of your most commonly used “favorite” foods, having a handy bar-code scanner function, and allowing the user community to add their own food combinations to its online database, MyFitnessPal makes logging food items just about as easy as can be imagined. Sure you have to be consistent, but it is so easy that it is usually do-able while you’re eating (with the other hand of course)! In fact, the online database of foods is so extensive that, at least as of yet, I’ve never scanned (or text entered) a food item that it didn’t recognize. That is saying a lot, as I have been known to eat some pretty obscure foods. Add this to an amazingly complete macro and micronutrient breakdown, a newsfeed of your friends’ latest accomplishments, the ability to view their food journals, and then throw in an adequate workout tracker, and you have one heck of a food journal that can teach you volumes about your eating habits in addition to helping you lose body fat (or gain weight, if that is your goal).

Use an online calculator to find what your caloric maintenance level is (the number of calories you need to eat to neither gain nor lose weight), subtract 500 calories from your maintenance number, and you have a safe, muscle preserving calorie deficit that should allow you to lose one or two pounds of body fat consistently per week if you stick to it each day. When you plug that number into the app, it appears on your home screen as your daily goal, as does the amount of calories you have consumed thus far, the number of calories remaining in your day, and finally the calories burned during daily exercise activity. The workout tracker is the feature of the app that is the least complete. It has your basic exercise modalities built in, but you’ll have to create custom entries for anything beyond that. My biggest complaint with the app though is that it doesn’t factor in strength training into your daily calorie expenditure at all (only aerobic training). I understand that this is because it is a lot harder to account for strength training calorically. Many calories are burned AFTER the training session, and even then are very dependent on the effort, technique, and metabolism of the individual. Still, you would think they would come up with some sort of algorithm to estimate calories expended. But as of yet, MyFitnessPal only accounts for cardio exercises. Don’t let this turn you off to the app though if you’re into strength training. Yes, I wish they would do something to correct this, but there is still plenty of insight to be had here.

The insight comes when you view your nutritional statistics for the day, or for the week. MyFitnessPal has a complete breakdown of the macronutrient groups (proteins, carbs, and fats), and also of the micronutrient groups (vitamins and minerals). After a week of logging, you will be able to see if you are deficient in (or overdoing) any vitamins and minerals, and also see what your macro nutrient levels look like. 45 to 65 percent of your diet should be carbs (fruits, vegetables, and whole grains), 20 to 35 percent should be protein, and 20 to 35 percent of your diet should be healthy fats. Finally, make sure that those carbs aren’t made up of sugar-rich foods, or empty (not whole grain) carbs. Not the kind of carbs we’re talking about here. Try whole fruits, vegetables, and grains instead.

The feedback you get from MyFitnessPal is amazing. Even if you think you are doing everything right, you’ll probably find some room for improvement. I learned that although I eat primarily healthy fats, I eat way to much of them. And although a little extra fat may help with strength training, it certainly isn’t going to keep the waistline in check. Whats more, the newsfeed function of the app allows me to check in on my clients’ diets to see how their progress is going or simply send them an inspirational message. I really wish that in the next version though, the developers allow you to take a peek at other users macro and micro-nutrient breakdown. It would make this feature infinitely more useful.

So despite one or two features that could use a little improvement (the workout tracker and sharing friends macro and micro-nutrient breakdowns), MyFitnessPal may literally be the easiest way to record and analyze your diet in existence. Trust me, you will learn volumes about your habits, both the things you’re doing well and about areas that need improvement. Everyone should give this app a try for at least two weeks, and indefinitely if you are serious about your health. Stay strong.

I count calories, and I’m not affraid to admit it!

Posted on August 15, 2014 by acromartie

By: Alex Cromartie, CPT

I tried to avoid counting calories for a long, long time. Even after intensely studying the important role proper caloric intake plays in human health when obtaining my Personal Trainer certification, a part of me STILL didn’t want to admit that calorie counting was all that important. Since I began my fitness journey in 2008, I had always lived by the idea that if you eat nutritious whole foods, your body’s metabolism will stabilize, and your weight will normalize. And to some extent, this is very true. So many people today have become so dependent on processed foods in their diet that sometimes the simple act of cooking and eating unprocessed whole foods (combined with a regular exercise program) will do wonders for a person’s stamina, strength, and overall health. However, having excess body fat is a serious killer these days, and the quality of ones food alone isn’t the only thing a client wanting to lose body fat (or to gain lean mass) needs to worry about.

Calories count. A lot. Especially when trying to change body composition. Based on your age, sex, height, and weight, and activity level, figure out what your calorie maintenance level is(there are a ton of free calculators online). This is the number of calories your body needs each day to operate properly and perform tasks. Subtract 500 calories from this number, and you will have the number of calories you need to eat each day to safely lose one to two pounds each week. A word of caution here. A calorie deficit of more than 500 calories a day isn’t recommended unless you are very obese. Although excessive calorie deficits may appear to be effective at first, they will have devastating consequences in the long run and should be avoided unless supervised by a doctor.

At first, it may seem like a tedious task to record everything you eat, and yes, like most things worth doing, it does take some effort. Ask any successful bodybuilder, fitness model, or professional level athlete though whether or not they count calories, and the answer will undoubtedly be “Of course!” That’s because its their JOB to keep their bodies in shape, and there is no way to do so efficiently without a “road map”. It’s impossible for many athletes to maintain their optimum performance levels throughout the year, and so before its time to perform, they must orchestrate when their body will be in its peak condition by manipulating diet and training practices. You too can manipulate your body composition in any way you want, once you experience and become accustomed to what the proper caloric intake levels feel like. Unless you’ve trained yourself to recognize these (FYI – Whole foods give you a LOT more energy per calorie than sugary, processed foods. So they are a good place to start…)

So there you have it. I am officially on the calorie counting bandwagon. If you really want to change your body composition, it’s a mistake to ignore the hard numbers. I began doing the old calorie number crunch myself and with my clients several weeks ago. Without a doubt, doing so has filled in several missing pieces of the fitness puzzle for me already. In addition to providing a clear plan to get from point A to point B, the tracking has provided some incredible insight into nutritional habits as well when recorded in an app such as MyFitnessPal. In fact, I’m so thrilled with that app that it will be the subject of my next blog, coming soon to a news-feed near you. Look for it, and I’ll talk to you then. Stay strong!

Fifteen EASY Changes To Make In Your Diet

Aside

By Alex Cromartie, CPT

Annie Chun’s Brown Rice Pad Thai Noodles and Meuller’s 100% Whole Grain Spaghetti

Grass Fed Ground Beef

Kerrygold Grass Fed Butter And Cheese

Organic Valley 100% Grass Fed Milk and Half and Half

Store Brand Organic Old Fashioned Oatmeal

Stevia (Truvia brand)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Safflower Oil, and Hain Safflower Mayonnaise

Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

Lacroix Sparkling Water

Nature’s Own 100% Whole Grain Bread

Raw Almonds

No Nitrates Added Deli Meat

Fuel Your Body – Eating Healthy Part 4 of 4 – Foods To Avoid

Posted on March 4, 2014 by acromartie

Its not hard to find fault in today’s profit driven food system. On one hand, manufacturers are simply supplying a demand: inexpensive, tasty food that is available within seconds of being ordering or popped in the microwave oven. On the other, there is no question that food manufacturers are taking advantage of consumers that are purposely misled by deceitful marketing practices and kept addicted to unnaturally concentrated levels of sugar, empty carbs, and harmful fats. The bottom line is consumer awareness. Hopefully this last installment of “Fuel Your Body: Eating Healthy” will help you navigate some things to look out for.

Sugar – Other than inactivity, sugar is probably the single biggest health issue Americans are facing. The average American consumes around two to three pounds of it each week! In addition to adding thousands of useless calories to your diet, sugar inhibits the production of helpful growth hormone, disables the body’s immune system, and increases insulin production which causes an increase in body fat and increases the risk of diabetes. It is very addictive and is one of the major causes of degenerative disease, including cancer and cardiovascular disease. Highly refined sugars like sucrose (table sugar) and high-fructose corn syrup are into most processed foods.

Trans Fats (Partially Hydrogenated Oils – Around the 1050’s, scientists discovered that they could make vegetable oil into shortening by adding a hydrogen molecule to its chemical structure. If all of the hydrogen and oil is used in the process, the shortening is said to be “fully hydrogenated”. This isn’t a good thing, but it isn’t nearly as bad as “partially hydrogenated”.

Enriched Grain Products – Enriched grains are made by a process that removes the germ and bran from the grain, leaving only the endosperm. Unfortunately, the germ and bran contain about 90% of a grains nutritional value. This leaves you with empty carbs that go straight to your waistline. Common offenders include enriched (white) pasta, white rice, white bread, and most “whole wheat” breads. Remember the magic words are “whole grain”, not “12-grain”, “natural grains”, or “whole wheat”. These are meaningless terms used to make you think a product is healthy.

Fruit Juice – Of all the do’s and dont’s I’ve learned about nutrition, this is the one I most wish wasn’t true. I love juice, and not drinking it just doesn’t seem right! But unfortunately, the truth is that fruit juice just has to much sugar (fructose) in it to drink regularly. You get all the sugar, with none of the fiber that you get when eating a whole fruit. Go with the whole fruit instead. Your body, and your blood sugar with thank you.

MSG (mono-sodium glutamate) – MSG is the food industry’s dirty little secret. Ask any food scientist how to make a lab rat fat, and they will inform you that feeding them MSG is the fastest way to accomplish this. Yet companies put it in their food because it tastes good. What’s worse is that it often goes by one of many other names. Glutamate is a neuro-transmiter, and in large quantities it has been linked to headaches and neural disorders such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

Heavily Processed Foods – Today’s food processing techniques may increase shelf life, improve flavor, and make stock prices go up, but also have made nutritional values come down. Their cumulative effect on consumers have become very harmful, instead of aiding digestion and increasing nutritional content like traditional food processing methods do. Removing heavily processed foods from your diet will do wonders for your health. The only problem is that you will have to cook the food yourself! The truth is that every bit of processing food goes through removes some of its nutritional value. From preserving, to starch modification, and even the cooking process (hence the benefit of raw foods). Unfortunately though, most all of the prepackaged foods and restaurant foods that Americans eat are heavily processed. Look out for long, unpronounceable ingredient lists, modified food starch, monosodium glutamate, high fructose corn syrup, fully and especially partially hydrogenated oils (trans-fats), and more. And remember, if you didn’t cook it, assume that it is filled with garbage, because it usually is!

GMO Foods – Genetic modification is a process where plants (and now animals) are created though gene splicing. It has been controversial since it debuted. Before genetic modification was approved by the FDA, their own scientists warned that studies indicated serious health risks with GMO foods, including immune dysfunction, infertility, insulin disorders, and accelerated aging. They requested that further studies should be done before releasing GMOs, only to have their requests denied. The truth is that no one knows the effects of GMOs on a person’s long term health. But it is clear that GMO farming is destructive to the environment, and unsustainable in the long term.

White Potatoes – While white potatoes do contain some nutritional value (although not nearly as much as sweet potatoes), they are problematic in that unlike most vegetables, they are very high in carbohydrates and very low in fiber. The lack of fiber causes them to have a very high glycemic index, meaning that they turn to sugar very quickly after they are eaten. Unfortunately, this combination of high carbs and a high glycemic index makes for a real gut buster!

Soy (unless fermented) – Soy has been heavily promoted as a “health food” within the last few years. This is due in part to a push from the federal government, which is heavily invested in it. The food industry loves it because it is subsidized by the government, and they can make products cheaper by using it. But the truth is that if you look at the science, thousands of studies link it to digestive distress, immune system breakdown, thyroid dysfunction, cognitive issues, and infertility. Ninety percent of the soy Americans eat is genetically modified, and even organic soy contains anti-nutrients such as photo-estregens, saponins, soyatoxin, phytates, and more. Fermenting soy destroys these anti-nutrients though, so don’t be afraid of soy sauce, miso, tempeh, ect…

Artificial Sweeteners – Artificial sweeteners such as Aspartame, Saccharin, Sucralose and Aceslalfame-K are often made from toxic chemicals. They have been found to cause neurological disorders, head and stomach aches, Fibromyalgia, nausea, and more. Aspartame has a particularly notorious reputation, with a whopping 75% of all complaints in the FDA’s history being related to aspartame. Try stevia or agave nectar instead. They come from a natural plants, taste delicious, and won’t effect insulin levels.

Tell Publix Not To Put Artificial Trans Fats In Their Prepared Foods!

Posted on March 2, 2014 by acromartie

By Alex Cromartie, CPT

If you live in or are from the southeast, then you are almost certainly familiar with Publix Supermarkets. And if you are concerned at all about your health, then you have probably heard of, and know you should stay as far away from trans fats as possible. But what you probably don’t know is that Publix uses trans fats (partially-hydrogenated oils) in the prepared foods in their meat department! You know the stuff I’m talking about: the seasoned cube steak, the beef stuffed peppers, the meatloaf, the salmon pinwheels. Yep, you heard me right. There are trans-fats in the Publix prepared salmon!

Am I in the freaking Twilight Zone? How is it possible that I am better off eating at a McDonald’s then buying and cooking salmon from the grocery store? Don’t think I’m suggesting that you go eat at McDonald’s. I’m definitely not. But the truth is that they took trans fats out of their menu back in 2008 under pressure from the American Heart Association. Yes, trans fats are really that bad! Many believe it is the single worst “food” you can put in your body. Although the dangers of trans fats have been recognized for over a decade, companies often hide behind the fact that the slow moving FDA has yet to ban these types of fats (although it will be coming up for a vote soon).

I guess the reason I’m so frustrated with finding out there are trans fats in Publix’s prepared foods is that they are in foods that no one (myself included) would ever expect them in. Should I look for trans fats in my vitamins too? I can handle seeing it in an apple pie, or even in the fried chicken at the deli. But the salmon? Really? When I wrote to corporate concerning the matter, the response was that they give customers a choice. But are they really giving me a choice when I wouldn’t even suspect that that crap would be in the meat department in the first place? What’s worse is that the salmon pinwheels are in a glass case, so you can’t even read the ingredients until after the butcher has wrapped it up for you.

At this point, I can’t expect Publix to not carry packaged items with trans fats. That type of issue is up to the government to decide, and really isn’t in their power. But taking it out of the foods that THEY make IS. I would hope that if Publix cares about it’s customers in the way that I always thought they did, they would take this opportunity lead the charge in removing trans fats from their own prepared foods. Because as it stands now, Publix is sabotaging its many of its customers efforts to live a healthy lifestyle. So let them know it matters to you!

Help me get Publix’s attention! I have come to the opinion that we can’t wait for the government to make changes in our world. It seems that the real changes will be made through social media and blogs. Please, please, please share this post. Help me raise awareness about this great disservice Publix is doing its customers. Their region isn’t that large, and a few thousand Publix shoppers who are unhappy to hear about the reality of the situation will get their attention. Next, like my Facebook page called “Tell Publix NOT To Put Trans Fats In Their Prepared Foods”. Once membership gets in the thousands, we will approach them and see what they think!

Fuel Your Body – Eat Healthy Part 4 of 4 – Foods To Avoid

Posted on October 18, 2013 by acromartie

10 Scary Food Additives You Should Avoid (onegreenplanet.org)
Addictive Ingredients in Fast Food and their Effect on Your Body (onegreenplanet.org)
Know : Food Additives, How they are numbered and Few scariest additives! (propelsteps.wordpress.com)
Buyer Beware: Top 10 Food Frauds, Counterfeits and Contaminants (jewishterrorism.com)
Eat Healthy Part 3 of 4 – Carbohydrates (awakenedfitness.wordpress.com)
5 Worst American Food Additives (theepochtimes.com)

Eat Healthy Part 3 of 4 – Carbohydrates

Posted on October 16, 2013 by acromartie

In this third installment of the Fuel Your Body series we will cover another often misunderstood macronutrient group, carbohydrates.

Simply put, carbohydrates are your body’s primary source of energy. Simple carbohydrates include sugar, enriched wheat flour, white rice, and to an extent white potatoes. Simple carbs have very little nutritional value and after sending your insulin levels through the roof, they find a nice home fitting comfortably around your waist. Complex carbohydrates on the other hand are packed full of nutritional value and provide sustained energy because they digest in your body slowly. They include whole grain wheat, brown rice, sweet potatoes, green vegetables and more. It is true that too many carbohydrates can add unwanted pounds if consumed in excess and not used up as energy. However, it is much more important to be concerned with the quality of the carbohydrates you consume than the amount.

Vegetables – The health benefits of vegetables (especially the green leafy type) are no secret, despite the fact that most Americans only incorporate a fraction of the needed amount into their diet. What is not as widespread knowledge however, is the importance of eating fresh vegetables, and also the importance of eating them raw. I’m not suggesting that you eat raw vegetables exclusively, as this makes for a terrible stir-fry, but the cooking process robs food of important enzymes and phytonutrients. Eat as many green vegetables as you can. They are simple carbs, so they won’t be stored as fat. The canning process can rob vegetables of some of their nutrients, and can liners can increase BPA exposure. Frozen vegetables are often more nutritious than their fresh conventional counterparts because they are picked ripe and then frozen, as opposed to being picked in an ripened state and shipped around the world. Organic is great, but local foods can be more important for you to eat because they are picked ripe and get to your plate faster, thus retaining their vital nutrients.

Sweet Potato – Sweet potatoes are an excellent sustained energy source, and are light years ahead of their white potato cousins when it comes to nutritional value. They earn a place right next to chicken breast when it comes to muscle building foods. Also, because they turn to blood sugar slowly in your body, they won’t spike insulin levels, a major stumbling point in many people’s efforts to lose body fat.

Whole Grains – The term “whole grain” refers to a grain being left intact throughout the production process. Unlike the traditional milling process used for thousands of years, today’s enrichment process heats the grain and removes it’s germ and bran (90% of it’s total nutrition), leaving only the angiosperm. This is great for making inexpensive bright white dough, but has little to offer your body, other than empty carbohydrates that immediately turn to sugar after you eat them! The lack of nutritional value in enriched grains is so severe that farmers have reported bugs not being able to survive on enriched grains in silos! To make matters worse, almost all the wheat products Americans eat are enriched! Remember “whole grain” is the term you want to see on the package. Not “wheat”, “whole wheat”, “12-grain”, or any other names companies use to deceptively portray enriched empty carbohydrates as “healthy”. Whole grains are excellent sources of sustained energy. This is because your body converts the whole grain’s in-tact structure to sugar much slower than the enriched counterpart. Taking whole grains one step further up the nutrition spectrum are sprouted grain products. These are products (usually bread) that are made with grains that are not only whole, but have also begun to sprout. This give a big boost to their nutritional value, both in protein and fiber. Sprouted grain breads can be found in your local grocery store’s freezer section.

Oatmeal – Oatmeal is about as good a carbohydrate as you can find for breakfast. I can absolutely see a difference in the gym if I forget to eat it before I work out. Whole grain, heart healthy, and not bad tasting with some milk and three or four stevia packets. Eat them as hearty as you can stand ‘em. The steel cut variety can be tough to fit into your morning routine as it takes 30 minutes to cook, but the best for your body. If that’s unrealistic, go for the old fashioned variety. They only take about 2 and a half minutes in the microwave, and you can usually find a canister of the store brand organic for the same price as name brand conventional. Stick with the old fashioned type, as the instant type that comes in the packets is usually packed with unpleasant extras.

Quinoa – Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) is an amazing little seed that deserves some mention. Used like a grain, it has been used in Central America since the before the Incas. Cook and use it in the same way you do rice. Important to note is that quinoa is one of the few single vegetarian sources of all the essential amino acids. This is almost unheard of in the vegetarian world. Even better though is that my kids love the whole grain quinoa/wheat blend spaghetti noodles you can find in your supermarket’s organic pasta section.

Brown Rice – I know. We all like to eat white rice. But because it goes through the same enriching process that white flour does (having the germ and bran stripped away), the rice grain loses the majority of it’s nutritional value. Whole grain brown rice on the other hand is white rice with the entire grain in tact, and is a nutritional powerhouse that will provide excellent energy throughout the day. I’ll admit that it took me a little while for me to warm up to brown rice, but after a while you do. It is amazing how your tastes can change when your body begins to realize that a new, healthier food is benefiting it. I often don’t even notice a difference between the two anymore.

Stevia – Stevia is an all-natural no calorie sweetener that has a very low glycemic index, It’s natural because it comes from the Stevia plant. You can get the plant at your local hardware store and use its leaves to sweeten up drinks and dishes, or you can buy stevia in powder form. Truvia is my favorite brand of stevia because it is granulated like sugar. It is a lot easier than you might think to replace the sugar or artificial sweetener you use in your coffee and in cooking with stevia. And with the Truvia brand in particular being so similar to sugar, you just may not even know the difference. But believe me, your body will! Agave Nectar – Another natural sweetener that deserves mention is agave nectar. Agave is the same cactus that is fermented to make tequila. The nectar of the cactus has a sweet flavor, and is a great alternative to honey. It should be noted that although agave nectar is not a low calorie food, it is low on the glycemic index, which makes it a great alternative to sugar when trying to lose body fat or to promote general health.

Next time will be spending some time discussing foods to avoid. Stay strong!

What is a whole grain, really? (alannagregory.com)
Whole Grains (heatherparentice.wordpress.com)
Carbs! Which ones? How much? How often? (thenutritionfiles.wordpress.com)
Whole-grain vs multi-grain which is better? (healthandcare.in)
7 Days Full of Quinoa: Here’s How You Can Do it (onegreenplanet.org)

Fuel Your Body! – Eat Healthy Part 2 of 4

Posted on October 3, 2013 by acromartie

www,awakenedfitness.com

In this second installment of the Fuel Your Body! series we’ll talk a bit about the importance healthy fats, and highlight some of my favorites.

Of the three macronutrient groups (proteins, carbohydrates, and fats), I have to say that fats are my favorite to talk with people about. Not only do I enjoy the many looks of disbelief when I tell people that the absolutely need to incorporate healthy fats into every meal, but I’m also enjoy clearing up the many misconceptions people have about healthy fats. Here are some of my favorites.

Fats – Good fats (especially omega-3 fatty acids) are important for cell membrane health, muscle building, fat burning, skin health, mood and anxiety control, maintaining heart health, fighting hypertension, reducing joint pain, and are shown to be an effective immune booster (did I miss anything?). While they are higher in calories than carbs or proteins, they are incredibly important, and absolutely necessary for proper health. Eat them in moderation at every meal.

Avocado – Don’t be afraid of avocados! They are packed full of monounsaturated fats and LDL (good) cholesterol, and contain nearly 20 different vitamins. They are also made up of three quarters insoluble fiber, so the help a lot with proper digestion. A couple of avocado slices are a great addition to any meal if you realize you’ve forgotten to include a serving of healthy fats.

Nuts – Nuts are great for snacking. Make sure to get them raw at the grocery store as they are often roasted, which robs them of important phytonutrients. Go for the almonds or walnuts. Both are nutritional powerhouses. Almond milk makes for a great beverage too. Skip the flavored varieties and just add a little cinnamon (a superfood) for sweetness. Kids love it.

Olive Oil – Olive oil is king of the healthy oils. Unlike most oils, which are derived from nuts or seeds, olive oil comes from the fruit of the plant and thus contains more nutrients. It also has a perfect ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids (8 to 1). Olive oil and vinegar with a little sea salt and pepper is a tasty guilt-free alternative to processed salad dressing. Be sure to use the extra-virgin variety when eating olive oil raw (such as in a salad) for even more nutritional benefit.

Coconut Oil – Coconut oil used to be shunned by health enthusiasts because it is very high in saturated fat. But as the science of nutrition evolves, so too has our understanding of saturated fats. Coconut oil is made of mostly medium chain fatty acids, meaning that it is used quickly in the body, instead of being stored in it as fat. Add to this its antimicrobial, antibacterial, anti-fungal, and antioxidant disease fighting properties, and you have a serious nutritional powerhouse. To get the most nutritional benefit, eat it raw from a spoon! Or for a more tasty option, fry chicken in it for a wonderful flavor. Also great for baking.

Safflower Oil – If you’re frying or baking, and don’t want the distinct flavor of olive oil, try safflower oil instead. It is rich in omega six fatty acids, reduces cholesterol, and reduces blood sugar levels. In addition to being great for frying and baking, it is a healthy alternative to regular vegetable oil.

Cold Water Fish – Cold water fish are nature’s best source of omega-3 fatty acids. Salmon and Tuna are my favorite cold water fish, but mackerel, sardines, and anchovies are also good if to your taste. Make sure to buy wild salmon when it is in season. It is much more nutritious than farm raised, and has a much redder appearance. Avoid the soon to be FDA approved “Aqua-Advantage” brand salmon. It is actually a genetically modified salmon / eel hybrid appropriately nicknamed “Frankenfish” by critics. Yikes!

Grass Fed Beef And Dairy – Because the cows it comes from eat their natural diet (as opposed to the grains conventional beef eat), grass fed beef and dairy have a perfect omega-3 to omega-6 ratio, in addition to containing up to five times the amount of the powerful cancer fighting fat CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) than their grain fed counterparts.

Hemp Seed – Hemp seeds are a great source of protein and good fats. They are high in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, and have a complete essential amino acid profile (VERY important for vegetarians). People trying to limit caloric intake should note that they improve satiety. In other words, they make you feel full. Additionally, they are believed to control cholesterol, reduce inflammation, and improve circulation.

Next time we’ll cover the third macronutrient group, carbohydrates.

www,awakenedfitness.com

Good vs. Bad Fats: What’s the Difference? (epicahealth.com)
Health Benefits of Omega 3, 6 and 9! (glambitionbeautyandlifestyle.wordpress.com)
Balancing Omega-3 and Omega-6 (samiamwhatieat.com)
PolyUnsaturated Fatty Acid (eatandbehealthyblog.wordpress.com)

Fuel Your Body! – Eat Healthy Part 1 of 4

Posted on October 1, 2013 by acromartie

By Alex Cromartie CPT