Tag Archives: alcohol

Are artificial sweeteners OK??

Posted on March 20, 2012 | 5 Comments

Are artificial sweeteners OK??

This is a question I get all the time.

Now I know everyone has his or her own opinion on this subject.

My pop loving peeps will say that sweeteners are ok and others will scream from the mountaintops that you will get brain tumors.

I have heard it all; Artificial sweeteners will give you cancer, Multiple Sclerosis, tumors, brain bleeds, ADD, ADHD and the list goes on and on.

The targets of this controversy go by the names of Aspartame, Saccharin, Sucralose.  If you can’t remember the names, you’ll probably know them by these…yellow, pink and blue packets.

Fact or Fiction: Artificial Sweeteners Cause Cancer

Fiction: In the simplest of explanations, there is no evidence that sweeteners cause cancer in people.

Fact or Fiction: Artificial Sweeteners Cause Neurological Damage

Fiction: There is no evidence that sweeteners cause neurological damage. So, I can no longer blame my adult attention deficit disorder on my artificial sweetener consumption, I will say that there is some information coming out that supports the possibility of chemical dependency-food addiction.

Fact or Fiction: Carrie uses Artificial Sweeteners

Fact: I drink Crystal Light and similar products, and I do have the occasional diet pop. For me, if I get a sugar craving, I might have a diet pop. It works for me and I would rather do that then go and inhale a chocolate bar.

I also colour my hair, wear makeup, breath polluted air and have been known to drink tap water which are all highly toxic.  So I’m rolling the dice.

What I recommend is simple.  Always choose real over fake.  Have tea or water as your primary beverages. Don’t be a pop junkie.

What I find funny is that people get all up in arms about artificial sweeteners but have no problem sucking back a bottle of wine. What’s even funnier is the justification I hear from those said wine drinkers.  Uhmmm, I’m pretty sure that your liver is taking a good beating trying to process that alcohol which is sugar.  So not only are you working on your addiction you’re also putting your body through toxic spill internally.  Oh yeah, that’s nice!!

Drink responsibly people.

→ 5 Comments

Posted in Nutrition

Tagged , , , , , ,

Sugar free, really?

Posted on May 16, 2011 | 7 Comments

When we talk about sugar, the white crystals that are sweet and sticky are normally what comes to mind.  Most of the sugar we think of comes from either the cane or beet.  Those white crystals are the result of some pretty deep processing and ‘cleaning’.  Brown sugar crystals or “raw” sugar is what the white stuff looks like before it gets ‘cleaned’. Hmm how do they take the dark ‘dirty’ look out of that sugar.  I know what I use to get my families socks white…

Some of the other names that sugar goes by are:

  • Agave
  • Barley malt
  • Corn syrup
  • Dextran
  • Dextrose
  • Ethyl maltol
  • Fructose
  • Galactose
  • Glucose
  • High-fructose corn syrup
  • Honey
  • Lactose
  • Maltodextrin
  • Maltose
  • Maple syrup
  • Molasses
  • Panocha
  • Refiner’s syrup
  • Rice syrup
  • Sorbitol
  • Sorghum syrup
  • Sucrose

LOL

You probably recognize some of those.  They are usually plastered all over the labels of foods that say things like, “Sugar Free”, “Low in sugar”, “Now with less sugar.”

So, before you decide something is über healthy because it says sugar-free, give your head a shake and the label a look.

Sugar in its purest form is a carbohydrate.  A simple one, so too much of it in your body gets converted from energy to fat which is stored energy.  I remember when I was a “big girl” I had a lot of “stored energy”. Mostly because I loved anything that had sugar in it.  Sweets, candy, cakes, pop.  All contain lots of sugar which is great for sweetening foods, not so great for helping you maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Another incredible source of sugar (and by incredible I mean incredibly bad)…alcohol!  In terms of simple…its pretty much the simplest sugar.  Your body breaks alcohol down with ease.  So much so, it shoves it immediately into the bloodstream and then into the cells for stored energy (aka FAT).

Be careful when you reach for the “sugar free”.  Most foods that you buy in a store that are pre packaged and processed will contain multiple layers of sugar.

Even recipes that are promoted as sugar-free will often have ingredients that replace the word sugar with some other form of sweetener.  Molasses, syrups, fruit juices and then all the words that end in ‘ose’.

So many foods that come to us naturally have sugar in them that nature put there.  Fruits and grains are pretty much the most common ones.  So, why not put fresh berries on the foods you want to sweeten up?

Finally, if there is one thing you take away from this, I want it to be this.  High fructose corn syrup…avoid this like the plague!! I know it is all around us and that it is present in so many foods, but, avoid it.  It’s cheap to make and does nothing good for you, in fact it does the exact opposite.

There is something else to watch for. Companies that have relied on cheaper chemical sweeteners to carry their bottom lines have been moving away from chemicals to all natural sugars…even they have realized health is more important than money.  Something all of maybe need to look at…go retro!

I personally believe this is one sucker that will be made illegal some day.  There is no physical goodness that comes from HFCS.

→ 7 Comments

Posted in Nutrition

Tagged , ,

Focus Friday

Posted on April 15, 2011 | 9 Comments

Why is it the when the weekend comes a lot of people fall jump off the wagon?  Some people throw the rules out the window in terms of their good food and exercise goals.

“I’ve done so great all week, I’m going to treat myself.  Just a little something special.  A few drinks with friends, maybe some dessert. I owe it to myself.”

That mentality is NOT #WINNING (Hey what can I say, Charlie’s in town). That is an attitude destined for failure.

The truth is the damage you decide to do on the weekend often sets you back so far that you end up working all week hard just to get back on track.  At best you battle those extra calories just to break even.  You don’t get ahead.  You waste positive results gained from Monday to Friday just to blow it up on Saturday and Sunday.  Then they wonder why the scale isn’t moving.  Frustration sets in, self-doubt creeps up and then…the towel is thrown in and they give?

Sound familiar? Am I talking about you?  Well, remember; I’ve been there, I’ve done that, I’ve felt the same way.  So, I offer you this advice from experience.

Decide!

  • Decide right now as you are reading this that you are going to take charge of your health.
  • Decide that you will not go on a food bender
  • Decide that you will grocery shop for healthy food
  • Decide that on Sunday you will make a few meals for the week ahead
  • Decide to exercise
  • Decide to treat your body with respect (eating junk is totally disrespectful. You might as well eat dog food-most fast food is dog food grade meat–think about that for a sec)
  • Decide that your health is your foundation. Without your foundation you have nothing to support you.
  • Decide to be a role model for your children / family
  • Decide and commit to your goal
  • Decide that food cannot fill some emotional gap

Focus

  • Focus on yourself
  • Focus on what will make you healthier
  • Focus on what will help you get to your goal
  • Focus on your goal
  • Focus on people who will support and encourage you, not those that want to take you down and tempt you with food so you can be miserable like them.  Yeah, I said it, you know who you are.
  • Focus on getting endless energy

Get fired up about your life!

It is after all what you make it.  You can be sad that your clothes don’t fit or you can be focused on getting to your ideal size and making them fit!

If you know anything about me, you know I am cheering for you right now (wooooooohoooooo).  I want you to be healthy.  I want you to be happy.  I want you to get excited about life. I want you to be the healthiest and BEST you possible!

Decide and focus!

Let me know if you need a few more wooooooohoooooo’s to keep you going!!!

→ 9 Comments

Posted in Inspiration

Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Why do you drink?

Posted on February 25, 2011 | Leave a comment

A funny thing happened today that got me thinking about, how do I say this…CRAP SCIENCE!

I overheard two ladies discussing the profound benefit of alcohol.  My ears perked up when one of them blurted out (ok, so I didn’t overhear it, they were on the other side of the room), “I was told by my doctor that a couple of glasses of red wine are good for you!” This was naturally followed up with an excited squeal of joy and a resounding, “I have heard that too!”

I wanted to laugh out loud but instead I actually snorted. (So much for being nonchalant).

Sure, there are studies that support the argument that red wine and many other forms of alcoholic beverages have some health benefits.  There are also studies that support the counter argument that any benefits alcohol may provide you are lost with the damage alcohol can cause.

I’m not here to tell you whether you should or shouldn’t drink, (unless you’re a client of mine then I’ll kick your butt.)

What I am here to tell you is simple…alcohol in any form is sugar.  If you are having a challenge with your weight.  If you have made a commitment to yourself to lose weight, improve your health or you have any number of sugar related issues (diabetes for example), alcohol can not be part of your lifestyle.  I don’t care if it’s in moderation, for cardio vascular benefits, for the flavonoids or the chance it may lower cholesterol.

Well, I have a few shocking pieces of research to offer you too.  Exercise lowers bad cholesterol levels and improves cardio-vascular performance.  Exercise makes you naturally sexy…alcohol, artificial sexy.

There are many foods that are flavonoid rich…

Blueberries,Blackberries,  Strawberries,  Raspberries,  Plums,  Prunes,  Dark cherries (Morello and others), Oranges, Tangerines, Pink grapefruits, Apples, Pears, Kiwi, Watermelon, Kale, Garlic (raw), Watercress, Parsley (Italian or curly), Spinach, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Beets, Red peppers (raw), Carrots, Tomatoes (ripe), Squash, Cucumber (field), Chocolate (70 percent)

My research hasn’t been paid for by alcohol beverage producers either, so you can pretty much consider it honest and unbiased.

This may be a little harsh, and I am sure some people who read this will be thinking something along the lines of, “Crazy girl”, but debating the benefits of alcohol for your health is a cheap excuse.  A cheap excuse that is a lot like people who are looking for the magic pill, potion or next big fad.

You want health benefits? MOVE

You want extra special big words in your nutrition plan? EAT HEALTHY FOODS

You want to argue the exhilarating benefits of alcohol? Here are some to help you out…

Arthritis, Cancer, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Heart Disease, Hyperglycermia, Hypoglycemia, Kidney Disease, Liver Disease, Malnutrition, Nervous Disorders, Obesity, Psychological disturbances…and my favourite…it AGES YOU prematurely.

Have a great weekend everyone.  Make great choices for your health and if you decide you want to drink, please do so responsibly.

 

Your choice

 

 


→ Leave a comment

Posted in Exercise, Nutrition

Tagged , , , , , ,

I’m doing everything right…but I’m not seeing results!!

Posted on December 9, 2010 | 2 Comments

This is one topic that I discuss daily with my clients and friends.

The call or email usually starting with something like, “I don’t know what is going on. I am doing everything perfect and I am not losing weight”

The reality is that can’t be true.

Once I ask a few simple questions the answer is always crystal clear.

What did you have for breakfast?  Nothing.

What did you have for lunch?  Fast food because that’s what everyone at work had.

OK, and you had 3 or 4 chocolates because it’s Christmas and they were there( or short bread or whatever seasonal treat it is).

What did you have for dinner?  You had salad with chicken.  Very good, but the 8pm cookies or chips or other crappy snack…you fill in the blanks.

What did you do on the weekend?  Great time with friends is wonderful, but really, you thought the alcohol you drank was going to get you to your goals when I’ve told you that alcohol is pure sugar???

I am not asking or telling you to be perfect with your eating habits.  I am asking that you actually try and most importantly be honest with yourself.

You can’t wing it.  You need a plan.  You need goals and you need to respect those goals.  You can’t tell me you’ve been doing everything perfectly and when we look at what perfect is…well, it’s not.

It’s simple when you lay it all out for yourself.

When you go grocery shopping, don’t buy junk.  Don’t buy junk and tell yourself that your kids or other family members “need it”.  They need what you need.  Healthy foods!!

Pack your lunch and snacks with healthy choices that help you towards your goals.

Plan what you will have for dinners.  This goes back to the first point of grocery shopping, buy the food you need to make healthy meals….taa daaa!!

This time of year there are lots of sugary, high fat foods around.  You don’t need it and you wont die if you don’t eat it…..read that again…it’s ok to pass on the crap that doesn’t help you.

If fat loss is your goal, then eating foods that are not supportive is simply not an option.

It doesn’t have to be complicated, so stop making it that way and stop with the excuses why you need to have 4 shortbread cookies! The second one tastes the same as the first.

I don’t care if it is the holidays and I don’t care if your friend baked it.  I also don’t care if it is your fav-our-ite kind of chocolate.

If you actually want to get beyond this point in your life you have to stop making excuses!

What I care about is your success and helping you get where you want to be!!

 

→ 2 Comments

Posted in Nutrition

Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Quit your “Wine”-ing

Posted on April 19, 2010 | 6 Comments

Here is a regular statement that I hear from my new clients. My new clients, because the my seasoned clients don’t make this mistake twice.

“Hey Carrie, I’m not losing any weight.  I don’t understand why.  I exercise, I watch what I eat and I get lots of sleep.”

Hmmm, lets see which question I ask next.

1.) Did you cheat on your nutrition plan?

2.) Are you over doing the cardio?

3.) How much did you have to drink this week?

And the answer is?  That’s right…door number three!!

“But it was only a couple glasses of wine (bottles of beer, cocktails)” Choose your poison.

So. let the education begin.

Wine (or any alcohol for that matter) wipes out your fat burning workout.

Not only does alcohol add unneeded calories, but it also inhibits your ability to burn fat. Alcohol is metabolized in the liver and converted into a substance called acetate. When we consume alcohol, our acetate levels rise and our bodies then burn acetate as fuel instead of burning the fat we are trying to lose. So alcohol not only adds empty calories, but also hampers the normal fat-burning processes.

Think about it like a car.  A car engine typically uses only one source of fuel. Don’t even start on me about Hybrids…this is my soapbox!  Your body, on the other hand, draws from a number of different energy sources, such as carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. To a certain extent, the source of fuel your body uses is dictated by its availability.

In other words, your body tends to use whatever you feed it, but most importantly what it can use the easiest. Consequently, when acetate levels rise, your body simply burns more acetate, and less fat. In essence, acetate pushes fat to the back of the queue. Why? Another name for acetate in a round about way is SUGAR!

So here’s what happens to fat metabolism after the odd “drink or two”. (Add 3 or 4 for honesty sake)

  • A small portion of the alcohol is converted into fat.
  • Your liver then converts most of the alcohol into acetate.
  • The acetate is then released into your bloodstream, and replaces fat as a source of fuel.

So, in summary.  The reason you don’t seem to be losing any weight is because you are sabotaging your efforts.  Alcohol is sugar. Sugar is instant energy.  Instant energy keeps your body from using fat stores for energy. When you don’t use fat stores, you don’t lose weight.

Good work!!  I hope the alcohol was worth it…now what shall we do to help kick start that fat burning system again…how about suicide sprints followed by push ups and topped off with bur-pies!! Woo hoot!!



→ 6 Comments

Posted in Exercise, Nutrition

Tagged , , , ,