Fifteen EASY Changes To Make In Your Diet

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By Alex Cromartie, CPT

http://www.awakenedfitness.com

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!

http://www.awakenedfitness.com

 

 

 

 

 

Fifteen EASY Changes To Make In Your Diet

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Image

By Alex Cromartie, CPT

http://www.awakenedfitness.com

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!

http://www.awakenedfitness.com

 

 

 

 

 

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

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www.awakenedfitness.com

By Alex Cromartie, CPT

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.

www.awakenedfitness.com

Fuel Your Body! – Eat Healthy Part 1 of 4

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By Alex Cromartie CPT

www.awakenedfitness.com

Because I’m not a licensed nutritionist, I don’t create specific diets with my clients. However, I can give nutrition guidelines. In this four part series, I’ll clue you in on some of the best foods for your body, and some that you should be avoiding. Today we’ll cover some of my favorite proteins, followed by healthy fats, then carbohydrates, and finally foods you should avoid. Make note that you should be eating from all three of the macronutrient groups (proteins, carbohydrates, and yes, fats) at every meal. That ratio though depends a lot on the individual. This is by no means a complete list. Please feel free to add to it or comment.

Proteins – Protein aids muscle recovery. The proteins here are for non-vegetarian/vegans. Healthy protein intake is certainly possible with those diets, but because most vegetarian sources of protein don’t contain a complete amino acid profile, getting complete proteins can be difficult without animal sources, and you really need to know what you’re doing to go this route successfully.

Eggs – The standard against which all other proteins are measured (really). They get a bad rap, which is unfortunate because they contain a lot of HDL (good) cholesterol. Its true that you should limit your consumption of yolks to 2 a day, but you can go to town on the egg whites. I drink them right out of the carton Go for the free-range eggs or organic. Although the USDA will tell you otherwise, a large study in Oregon found them to be much more nutritious. Seems healthier chickens make healthier eggs.

Chicken Breast – Yes it gets old, but eat it anyway. Everyday! I grill up a bunch at the beginning of the week so I’ll have it ready when Mr. Hungry comes. Make sure that it isn’t packed in a “sodium solution”. This is saltwater added as a preservative, and for size. Some experts estimate that Americans get up to 40% of their sodium intake though meat packed with this solution.

Grass-fed Beef – Grass-fed beef has the same omega-3 to omega-6 ratio as salmon. That means that grass-fed beef fat is actually good for you! Although cuts of meat can be hard to find in conventional supermarkets, a lot do carry grass-fed ground beef, which because you want the fat in it, is just as good!

Yogurt and Cottage Cheese – Not everyone does well with dairy. But if you do, it’s good to know that because they have a lot of slow digesting protein called casein, yogurt and especially cottage cheese are excellent before bedtime. Go for the Greek yogurt, its got double the protein.

Salmon – Salmon is excellent source of protein, and of incredibly healthy omega-3 rich fats. The wild salmon is much more nutritious than the farm raised. I love it grilled. Be careful though, the FDA recently approved the world’s first commercially available animal for consumption! It is a terrifying hybrid of salmon and eel, and is called “Aqua Advantage Salmon” Yuck! Can you believe that our government is allowing companies to sell these Franken-Fish as food?

Whey Protein Shakes – Although not a food, I had to throw these in there because they are absolutely the best thing you can have after a workout. This is because whey is absorbed extremely quickly into your muscles and helps you recover within the “anabolic window”, a 45-minute period after your workout when your muscles most need protein.

That’s it for today. Next time we’ll cover some of my favorite healthy fats.

www.awakenedfitness.com