Tag Archives: sugar

I like Coke

Posted on May 10, 2013 | Leave a comment

 

Options...your choice

Options…your choice

The CEO of Coca Cola showed up in my news feed yesterday, in media clip/interview. Coca Cola has started a campaign to help fight the war on obesity and Muhtar Kent was getting grilled.  The interviewers asked some great, needed and tough questions.

Here is my thought:  This may surprise you a bit.

Well done Coca Cola!

  • There is a problem (actually epidemic)
  • You are in part responsible
  • You are part of the problem
  • You are trying to help be a part of the solution.

Now I know a ton of you are in shock for me supporting Coca Cola but here is my rationale.

Sugary drinks are not the entire problem.  Yes, their mas availability, relatively cheap cost and marketing have made the problem greater, but the real problem is  people who have no self-control or couldn’t be bothered to be informed or educated.

Pop for my Canadians friends / Cola or Soda for my Americans … is not making the world fat. Bad judgement and lack of willpower is making the world fat.

By saying Coca Cola or any other brand is making people fat, it is the same as saying forks are making people fat. Forks don’t make people fat.  It’s what you put on your fork that makes you fat!

Coca Cola and a lot of other big brands offer nutritional informational on the packaging, they are donating money to active lifestyle programs and are changing their marketing to be more responsible….I say good job!

This is a societal issue not a sugary drink issue.  Use some common sense people. Old school…calories in vs calories out. It is a lot easier to suck back a lot of calories than it is to expend those calories BUT THAT IS THE CHOICE YOU MAKE!!! You do the time for the crime. If you drink it you need to start moving.

There is enough information and education out there to make an informed decision. If you are claiming that you had no idea drinking a 2L bottle of Coke would cause you to gain weight, you are lyin!  If you start your day with the super size bucket of soda at Burger King to wash down your 2,000 calorie trough slop, then you deserve what you end up like.  It’s a choice.  They didn’t make you choose them, that’s on and in you.

Coca Cola and so many other brands offer choices and options. They offer low-calorie or no calorie or less sugar and even portion controlled sizes. Again, YOU HAVE OPTIONS. If you have no self-control or bad judgement, that is on you not on Coke (or Pepsi—self admitted fan of Pepsi Max)

I know all of you natural peeps are freaking out right now and ready to start typing me a nasty reply or email. Yes, these drinks are full of chemicals, fillers, additives  bah blah blah. YOU HAVE THE CHOICE NOT TO DRINK THEM.

Photo credit: The Big Gulp

Photo credit: The Big Gulp

This issue is about the food industry as a whole not just one product or brand. If you are fat and you want to change that then your options are fewer.  If you are unhealthy and you want to be healthy, your options are less.  If you are in fantastic shape, healthy and fit then you have a lot of options…you just have to exercise self-control (pun intended).

Everyone has to go on their own health journey and yes I actually commend Coca Cola for being proactive, spending the money on wellness programs and trying to connect communities to education & information.

Coca Cola is making the effort…what are you doing to make an effort to better health?

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Whhhhaaaaaaat….cookie Wednesday??

Posted on September 19, 2012 | Leave a comment

Isn’t the middle of the week a great time to think of new things to try?  How about a few recipes with little twists on the sweetness…YUMMY without the impact on the TUMMY.

Sugar Free Cookies

  • 3 ripe bananas
  • 2 cups of old-fashioned oats
  • 1/2 cup natural pb or almond butter
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Preheat over to 350

  • Mash bananas then add in remaining ingredients
  • Drop spoon size amounts onto baking sheet
  • bake 12-15min
  • *47 calories per cookie

Chocolate Protein Brownies

  • 1/4 cup coconut oil
  • 1/4 cup applesauce, unsweetened
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup splenda or stevia
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • ½ cup cocoa powder
  • ½ cup chocolate boot camp protein powder
  • 1/4 tsp. salt

Directions:

  1. Mix coconut oil, applesauce, eggs and vanilla
  2. Mix in dry ingredients
  3. Cook at 350 degrees for 20 minutes in oiled 9″ pan

PB Banana Oat Squares

  • 1 1/2 cups of old-fashioned or quick cooking oats
  • 1/4 cup of vanilla boot camp protein powder
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 1/2 cup natural pb
  • 1 mashed banana
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten

Directions

  1. Mix oats, protein powder, baking powder, salt, cinnamon. Add in the vanilla, egg, almond milk–mix all of the ingredients together.
  2. Mix in the pb and mashed banana.
  3. Pour the mixture into a pan and bake for 20min at 350

Cut into squares and enjoy.

Apple Spice Cookies

  • 1 cup of almond or coconut flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 cup oats
  • 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tsp allspice (or pumpkin pie spice)
  • 1 1/2 cup unswetened apple sauce
  • 1 cup of raisins(optional)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat over to 375

  1. Mix dry ingredients, then stir in remaining ingredients
  2. Drop teaspoons of batter onto cookie sheet(don’t worry if it is runny)
  3. Bake 10-12min

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Are you eating this poison? You might be surprised.

Posted on March 2, 2012 | Leave a comment

Think there are short cuts to losing weight??  Magazines, tv ads, infomercials, are always telling us that they have a short cut.  Ummmm no…sorry.  There are NO short cuts.

If you are looking for ways to cut corners so you can lose fat fast then you will be very disappointed and bigger, probably with other health risks. You can’t and let’s be honest, you know that.

The real deal is that you HAVE to move and by move that doesn’t mean just stroll on a treadmill or walk the dog. You have to move, and challenge your muscles.
You have to eat REAL food. There are some amazing foods out there that will help you lose weight, and give you energy; drumroll please…

…lean sources of protein, veggies, fruit, ( green face ).

Yes, I know a bunch of you just rolled your eyes.  Exciting!!  Yeah!! Well, it all depends on how you look at it.  I don’t think its exciting carrying extra weight, stressing over the clothes that don’t fit, or being so tired that you can’t do anything.  To me, that’s not exciting, but to many people out there it must be!

I think its pretty exciting that I have energy to burn and that I am not riding a blood sugar roller coaster.  I eat for energy. I think that real, healthy food is cool!

Your food should be what gives you energy.  Your food should be as close to the way nature intended it to be made as possible (although I do love seedless watermelons and I know that isn’t how nature intended it).  You are the result of what you put in your body in many ways.  Put crap in long enough, you look and feel like crap.   On that note, here is something else to think about…

I’ve talked about this before but it’s so worth repeating; be careful of hidden dangers in your “food”.

High Fructose Corn Syrup (HCFS) is basically a sweetener that is produced from uneatable corn.

This ***poison*** is completely horrible for you and the worse part is …

(wait for it)

…high Fructose corn syrup is in almost every processed food you eat and the foods you feed your kids!

High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is processed very differently in the body than other sugars and thus has different effects.  Recent research has shown that high fructose corn syrup leads to:

  • Abnormal increases in body fat (especially in the abdomen)
  • Directly linked to increased incidence of diabetes
  • Consumption directly correlated with increased obesity rates
  • And like I said, it is found in almost everything (see the list below).  I avoid this stuff like the plague.

I eat real food (non processed)  that contains ZERO HFCS.
High Fructose Corn Syrup = BELLY FAT
Here is a list of food with high levels of HFCS:

Jelly: Smucker’s, Welch’s, many others
Syrup: Aunt Jemima Original Syrup, other fake syrups
Pop: Coke, Pepsi, Mountain Dew, 7Up, Dr. Pepper
Power Drinks: Gatorade, Powerade
Juice: Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice Cocktail, Minute Maid Products, Most “fruit drinks”
Barbeque Sauces
Bread (nearly all high-volume brands)
Ketchup
Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup
Salad Dressing
Ice Cream (any cheap store brand)
Frozen and refrigerated products aimed at kids:
Popsicles
ice cream treats
juice boxes
Candy
M&Ms
Caramels
Twizzlers
Lollipops
Hard candies
Gummy Bears
GumBalls
Jelly Beans

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Do you let yor kids eat this?

Posted on February 24, 2012 | 2 Comments

For me food is food. Actual, real food.  I admit, I am a supporter of “Green face” eating. Green face means that your food is grown or it has a face.  Don’t get hung up on the face part.

Lean sources of protein and an array of veggies.

That is the opposite of faux food.  That is the “food” that is all manufactured food.  It’s been created food.  It comes in many wonderful colours, has wonderful sounding names and generally has an incredible marketing budget behind it so that you’ll be more likely to buy it based on “pretty”.

One of the faux foods that tops my list is cereal. If there is a cartoon on the box, it is a red alert not to eat it!!

Food manufacturers are trying to lure parents in by saying that these sugary concoctions to start your day are “better” because they are now made with whole grains. Ummm, not really.  The great thing about labeling laws is that  you can say things (over inflate) that only need to be part true.  In that sugary bowl of mess, you might get 1 gram of fiber. Having an apple will get you a minimum of 4 grams of fiber.

Not so lucky are ya

Lucky Charms are on my hit list today. If you are feeding this “cereal” to your kids, you will be “lucky” if they don’t end up with a weight problem.
Let’s keep this real shall we.

It’s a bowl of candy you are serving to your kids. Brightly coloured marshmallows–that’s candy.

You jack your kids blood sugar sky-high first thing in the morning, so they crash at school.  Then they start looking for another hit of sugar to keep the high going #addict.

So, let’s go over what are in these brightly coloured sugar bombs. Yellow dye #5 & 6.  That sounds yummy…yellow dye. Studies have indicated that Yellow 5&6 as potential causes of behavioural problems and hyperactivity. Add that to the spike in blood sugar and it’s no wonder why ADHD is being misdiagnosed.

Here’s another tasty ingredient that is in your not so lucky charms.  Trisodium Phospate. This delish add-in is found in many toilet bowl cleaners….oh yes, toilet cleaner!  Maybe appropriate if your child has a potty mouth, but…

Now I know a lot of people will be calling me a fear monger……the truth hurts. If you want to stay in denial, well, so be it.  But, these manufactured foods are toxic and dangerous and consumption year after year will add up.

If you are investing money into your children’s future with academics, sports, RESP’s, then why, WHY, would you knowingly feed them garbage?

Take the time to make food, good food.  Healthy eating habits will last a life-time…do everything you can to make it a long life.

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Parenting 1 – 0 – Dumb

Posted on July 19, 2011 | 4 Comments

So, I’m in my favourite city in the world at a conference.  I’m lucky enough that my family was able to come with me so in the evening the other night we go to one of the best restaurants in the area.

Now this restaurant isn’t the best because it has the finest cuts of meat, or savory side dishes.  It doesn’t have an extensive wine list or even desserts that would make Betty Crocker jealous.  This restaurant is one of the best because it has a simple philosophy.  Goodness from the garden to you.

You walk in and are greeted by a 55 foot long salad and vegetable bar.  Four salads that are made like Crunchy Island Pineapple or Spinach and then an array of different greens, vegetables, dressings, oils, toppings, then more cold salads like tuna, or broccoli.

The next choice on the menu is one of six home-made soups with all fresh ingredients like the vegetable medley, turkey and lentil chili, cauliflower or chicken noodle with thumb size chunks of chicken in an almost clear broth!

Baked sweet potatoes, fresh fruit, cottage cheese, a couple of hand-made pasta choices to top it all off.  It is nothing short of spectacular for anyone looking for wholesome goodness, fresh food and no preservatives, additives, artificial colouring or flavours.

And the price…LOL…feeding a family of five for under 40 bucks!!

But, the real reason why I am telling you this is because the other night when we were there a family of four sat near us with two young children who were less than ‘well behaved’.  You might call them freakin’ horrible!!

Mom and dad seemed a little oblivious to their little devils.  And what did our star parents choose to satisfy their arc angels in training while surrounded by the finest God and farmers have to offer?? Mc Friggin Donalds!! That’s right two Miserable Meals for the Brother’s Grimm.

Now I’m not about to begin to tell someone how to parent, or tell a restaurant that maybe they shouldn’t allow someone to bring another restaurants meals in their building.  (I was going to say competition, but that’s like saying I’m competition for Michael Phipps in swimming.)

I wanted to grab the parents and shake them and say, “What are you doing bringing that crap in here and why would you feed it to your children when there is a buffet of incredible colours, flavours and tastes just waiting to be consumed?”

I’m so happy that my children will eat so many different vegetables.  No, it’s not their first choice to grab a broccoli tree, green pepper ring or a carrot stick, but I know that I can take them to a restaurant like this and they will eat well, fill up and not complain that there isn’t anything to eat.

We let them know from a very early age that vegetables were a big part of their diet and they in turn have responded by including four or five varieties in their top ten foods to eat at any given time.

This isn’t the first time that we have seen this kind of thing from parents in restaurants, at least this set didn’t pull out the dvd player to entrance the little darlings, and I know it won’t be the last.

But it makes me wonder, does the over prepared, processed and stabilized ‘food’ that some children consume have any parallels to their behaviour?  OK, truth is it doesn’t make me wonder at all…I know it has a lot to do with it.  Parents that allow their children to drink pop at breakfast, eat sugar for lunch and follow it all up with a healthy fixin of crap for supper are bound to have children that may require a little extra room.

That isn’t to say that children that are fed perfect diets won’t be highly active and bouncing off the walls from time to time, but it’s a whole different type of energy that’s causing that jolt.

Don’t be that parent.  Give your children every possible advantage as their young bodies grow and mature.  Give them great food choices that nourish and build.  Be that parent.

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Patios, pools, bbq’s and Boot Camp – Yay Summer!!

Posted on June 27, 2011 | 3 Comments

Summer time is here! Officially by the calendar and by the end of this week also by the fact that our children will be home with us full time!

At the end of summer when you are packing school bags and lunches again and you are thinking back at the months that just passed, what will you be thinking of?

BBQ’s, parties, get-togethers, special drinks, lounging by the pool, hectic days followed by relaxing weekend getaways.

Will you be happy with the decisions you made for your health and your families health or will you have a tinge of regret because you know you ignored your health?

Summer is a time when you can let yourself go and easily forget that a treat here, an over-indulgence there, an end of the day cocktail or a feast with friends can all have a major impact on your weight.

Now I’m not going to tell you not to do any of those things.  I am going to tell you that moderation is a good thing and with a couple of simple things to add to your routine, you can face the fall looking and feeling better than you are today.

1.)  Boot Camp – do yourself a big favour and join our boot camp.  Like minded people all in the quest of a great workout to help offset the summer sizzle.  Outside, using time tested and proven methods of great exercise without costly memberships, stale indoor air, or waiting for machines.

2.)  Water – it’s not just for swimming.  Drinking water is great for hydrating you but also for clearing our toxins and making your body feel better.  It helps to fill you up so that you won’t go back to the food trough as often and it will help your body regulate temperature and aid in burning off fat.

3.)  Say no to alcohol. Gasp!! I know that for some people that is like a death blow, but the truth is alcohol is sugar. Sugar is instant energy for your body but, if you don’t need it, sugar becomes instant fat.  It also messes with your blood sugar and causes all sorts of long-term health problems.

4.)  Walk – forget the car. Need to make a quick trip to the store? Take the shoe leather express and enjoy the great outdoors.  It might not seem like much but it will go a long way to burning off calories.

5.)  Look Better Naked…hold the bun:  When ordering any sandwich on the menu, ask your server to “hold the bun”. Eliminating excess starches in your diet forces your body to burn more unwanted body fat for fuel 24-7. The result- leaner legs, a tighter butt, and a flatter tummy!

6.)  Upgrade Your Salad to Burn More Calories: Anytime you eat, your metabolism increases as you burn calories from the digestion, absorption, and storing of nutrients from food. This is called the thermic effect of feeding. Furthermore, research shows that the thermic effect of protein is roughly double that of fat or carbohydrates. So, boost your metabolism by adding lean proteins sources such as chicken, steak, salmon, or shrimp to any of your favorite salads.

7.)  Go Green to Be Lean: To make any entrée a belly fat-burning treat, replace any starch-based sides like fries or bread with sautéed, grilled or steamed vegetables. Orrrrrrrrr, choose green vegetables like broccoli, spinach, green beans, or asparagus as much as possible since they have the highest amount of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants for optimal health. Green veggies are loaded with fiber and help fill you up faster and keep you fuller between meals.

8.)  Boot Camp – hmmm, sound familiar? That’s because you can get some incredible results from spending a few hours a week joining other people who are looking for a quick and efficient way to lose unwanted pounds, tone their muscles and have a great time doing it!

 

 

 

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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.

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If Charlie Sheen is passing drug tests, his crack must be #SUGAR!

Posted on March 25, 2011 | 1 Comment

Does this sound familiar?  About two o’clock in the afternoon, you get this feeling that you need a little something.  A pick me up…an energy boost of some sort.

So you go looking around until you find what you are craving.  I’m wiling to bet that what ever it is you find to hit the spot and give you what you were looking for is nothing more than SUGAR.  Chocolate? Yup sugar.  Potato chips? Yup sugar.  Cake, sweets, treats…sugar, sugar, sugar.

So you break down, answer that craving so you can allow yourself to get over the mood swings, cravings, lack of concentration and help you get on with you day.

Almost immediately you feel better and you can get on with your day.

About 30-45 minutes after the sugar rush, you wind up with residual low blood sugar….your blood sugar levels hit bottom. You Crash!

So, you turn back to, “a little something more.”  It worked the first time…it’ll work again.  Pretty soon, you’re hooked.  You’re a sugar junkie.  You start hiding your problem.  Sugary candies in your purse.  A little treat in your desk.  Dessert every night after dinner.  What used to be a wholesome breakfast has turned into a cinnamon bun or toaster pastry.  You hide what you’re doing from your friends and family until the day comes that someone takes you by the are and says the magic words; “You have a problem.”

The roller coaster that started all this was the rapid drop in blood glucose levels that starve the brain of its primary fuel then the sudden boost you get from your ‘hit’. Your hormonal roller coaster comes with incredible highs and brutal lows.

Simple sugars, refined carbohydrates, alcohol…they all do this to you.

The only logical way to stop the cravings is to get off the ride!

There are a couple of reasons this is going on:

1. Sugar Cravings exist out of Habit - You must have satisfied this craving in the past – following a meal with something sweet. Then suddenly it becomes a part of your mindset. After every meal must come dessert. The good news is ALL Habits are learned, so this habit cam be unlearned as the result of practice and repetition.

2. Sugar Cravings exist because you EAT Sugar - What?  If you eat simple, refined carbohydrates or high sugar foods everyday, your body will remain in “crave” mode.

“It’s a vicious cycle. I eat because I’m unhappy and I’m unhappy because I’m fat.”  Sorry, favorite movie quote, I couldn’t resist.

Eating simple sugars causes a spike in your blood sugar for these foods are quickly absorbed into the blood stream.

This in turn gives you the temporary sugar high ~ it feels good…however, your body does not like this imbalance and a series of hormonal responses take place.

Science Time….

** Insulin Increases. Your body produces an increased amount of the Insulin  (a storage hormone). Insulin’s job is to remove excess sugar from the bloodstream and store it in the muscles and in the liver.

** Glucagon Goes Away. In order to facilitate this rush of insulin, glucagon – a release hormone…responsible for releasing More Fat…good right? NOT when you eat too much sugar. This helpful fat loss hormone is diminished.

Take away message here:

So you’re trying to lose weight but because of your craving, you effectively have shut off a hormone that is incredible at helping you lose that fat…..hello???!!!

There are a lot of ways to overcome sugar cravings, but the most effective way is to stop eating the crap, then to purge your system.  Best way to do that is to start your day right with a high protein breakfast and drink lots of water.

Examples of good protein choices for breakfast.

Hard-boiled eggs, Greek Yogurt, Protein shake (Yes, mine is the best), Turkey breast, Canadian bacon, Omelets.  (add some veggies like peppers, asparagus or tomato and you are starting your day in rockin’ way!)

Giving up the sugar will have you #winning and put you into a position to handle the #fastball.  Sorry, I couldn’t resist.

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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

 

 


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Confessions of an addict

Posted on February 17, 2011 | 18 Comments

There was a lot of great feedback from my last blog post.  Thank you for that.  Who knew that me talking about my stretch marks would interest anyone!

Fitness is my passion.  I love that a body can change.  I love that you can get noticeably stronger within a week of being diligent with exercise; that is a big deal people!!!  Re-read that!  You can get noticeably stronger within a week of being diligent with exercise.

I love being a part of everyone’s journey.  I love, I mean I LOVE seeing someone start boot camp who hasn’t worked out in a while and within weeks is churning out push-ups.  People that could only walk when they started are running in a short period of time.  I love that I get to be a part of that.  I get to be a part of that transformation.

ADDICTION: When one cookie is never enough

My journey in health is an ongoing one.  Here is something that I have never talked about….I am an addict.

I didn’t get to 225lbs as a teenager because of some medical condition….I ate my way there. When I got pregnant the first time,  I ate my way to a 60lb weight gain…and then repeated that (and then some) when I was pregnant with the twins.

My addiction?  Food.  I have a food addiction.  There I said it, in print.  I’ve tried to be cute about it.  I have called myself a “foodie” or “food expert”.  Oh yeah, expert.  If you do enough of anything, you can call yourself and expert and I ate enough of everything and anything!

Here is the thing with a food addiction; you can’t get away from it.  You need food to survive.  Drugs, alcohol, and other addictions, (even the creepy ones from that show Addiction on TLC-which by the way I am oddly fascinated by) can be taken out of your life and you live.  You can’t do that with food.  Take food away and the result is really dramatic, death.   So everyday, and I mean everyday, it’s a challenge for me to make good decisions.  I know what to do and I do it but boy some days I do struggle.  When I say, I know how you feel, I really do.  I battle my addiction hourly.

I don’t keep junky food in the house, because I will eat it.  Recovering crack addicts don’t leave crack on the counter, stretch analogy I know, but junk food is my crack.  Think of it this way, food is everywhere.  I have to go grocery shopping a few times a week.  I go a list in hand, focused on the goal;  To get in and get out with what is on the list.

Think about Costco…..oh lord….Costco, how I love you but once I walk in I have to go into a trance like state.  If it’s not the nice ladies offering food samples at every friggin’ isle, then it’s that bakery making their ginormous muffins. (*shaking my fists*, dang you Costco and those ginormous muffins).

If you are a crack addict, you have to go looking for crack.  It is not readily available, it is not in your office (hopefully). People don’t bring it to your house (again, I hope they don’t).

Food is everywhere and so many things are focused around it.  Weddings, birthdays, new job, new house, baby, newly pregnant and on and on.  And just when you think you’ve celebrated everything possible with food, people look for more ways to celebrate things with food.  Ever been invited to a pre-kindergarten graduation party??

“HELLO!”, food addict here, could we find a way to celebrate around something that doesn’t scream at me?  How about a nice buffet table of, I don’t know…floral arrangements?  All the self-talk I have to do to get thru some of these “celebrations” is tough.

The question I get a lot is “what do you eat?”  If not that question, it is the statement “I bet all you eat is vegetables”.

Listen, you put a red velvet cupcake within arms length of me, watch out….I can have that sucker inhaled in seconds when my willpower is at a zero.

Some foods are my kryptonite, scratch that…one thing is my kryptonite….sugar……sugar brings me to my knees….cold sweats, internal negotiating, justifications, the shakes…..it is quite exhausting.

One thing that helps me, is knowing (and remembering) how absolutely crappy it felt to be 225.  I hated everything, and how every time I squeezed into size 18/20 pants it destroyed a little piece of me.

All the candy or red velvet cake in the world will never be worth going back to being bigger, or the feelings that brought about.

If you take away anything from this, take this……I have more energy and I am happy because I am at a healthy weight.

I also think about my family.  I LOVE my husband and my kids more than anything…and I don’t want my health or my addiction to affect my life with them. I want to live a long life.

So if you are struggling with your weight and you justify having that cake, the extra glass of wine or the fries…your body will never change.   You will always be tired and have lower energy then you could otherwise have.  You will always be looking for that next diet, magic pill, potion or lotion.  It’s really that simple.

If I can do it, you can do it too, believe that!!

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