Understanding the Nutrition Facts Label

Hey Guys! Sorry for the little blog hiatus. It's been such a busy couple of weeks. I'm back at it though, and hopefully will be able to write ahead enough to leave you with some blog posts while I take a little maternity leave. That's the plan, we'll see if it actually happens or not... fingers crossed. 

I wanted to talk a little about the food label. Pretty sure we've all seen one and probably have a good idea of how to use it, but it never hurts to refresh.... and there's probably a number or item on there that some of us really aren't familiar with. So, here goes nothin...

                               

1. Serving Size: The first thing you should look at is the serving size and servings per container. If you skip over this part you might be consuming more calories a day than you think you are. On this particular label the serving size is 1 cup, but there's 2 servings for the whole container. That means if you eat the whole box in one sitting you need to multiply all the values like calories, fat, protein, etc. by two. Got it? Good. 

2. Calories: We are probably all pretty good at checking the calories, but do you really know what that number means? We'll talk about this more later, but food labels are based on a 2000 Calorie diet. A quick guide for calories is 40 or less is considered low, 41-100 is considered moderate, and 400 or more is considered high. In the case of this label, this food item is in the moderate category. However, you might notice that almost half of those calories come from fat, so even though the calories are in the moderate range... it doesn't mean that this is the healthiest choice. 

3. Saturated Fat, Cholesterol, and Sodium: These are the bad boys you want to limit. It's recommended that you get as little as possible of these nutrients. We'll talk about what the % Daily Value (% DV) means here in just a minute. 

4. Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin, C, Calcium, and Iron: These are the things you want to make sure you're getting enough of. They'll help protect you against things like heart disease and osteoporosis. 

5. The Footnote: This is where you'll find the statement that the food label is based on a 2000 Calorie diet. It's also where you'll find the suggested amounts of what you should be getting in a day. It might not be on every food label, but when it is it will always be the same.

6. % Daily Value: So, I've mentioned a few times that the food label is based on a 2000 Calorie diet. So, these percentages are based on that 2000 Calories. However, even if you don't eat 2000 Calories a day you can still use these percentages to help you know if what you're eating is high or low in these things. Like the picture says, 5% or less is considered low (which is what you want for those nutrients we said you should limit) and 20% or more is considered high. 

Hope this little post helps you out! 

Leslie 

8 Foods You Think Are Healthy, But Aren't

Let's talk about marketing for a second. These marketing people really are geniuses. They know exactly what to say to make an item way more attractive to us, it's almost like magic. I remember when the gluten free trend became big Chex started advertising their cereal as gluten free.... news flash, it was always gluten free because it's corn based. That was just never an important fact to people before they thought gluten made them fat. 

It's really easy to see why people can get so confused as to what actually is healthy and what's not. Here's a list of foods that are commonly considered healthy..... but really they aren't. Thanks clever marketing. 

1. "Fat-Free" items: First of all, fat-free does not mean calorie free. Sometimes we tend to over-indulge because the label says there's no fat... but you're still getting calories. Secondly, when you remove fat from an item that naturally has fat you have to replace it with something. Usually it's replaced with sugar, thickeners, and/or salt. Finally, fat is good for you! Your diet should consist of 25-30% fat. 

2. Nut Butters: Okay, let me explain this one. Have you ever looked at the ingredients list on a peanut butter jar? You're thinking it should say peanuts and maybe some salt, right? Well, if you get the right kind then that's what you'll find... but your skippy and JIF are full of lots of crap. Stick to nut butters that have one or two ingredients and you'll be in the clear. 

3. Flavored Yogurt: This is a big one. Those little flavored greek yogurts that have become popular? Yea, they're junk. Full of sugar which means carbs... and the protein content is laughable. Did you know a cup of plain greek yogurt has about 23 grams of protein and 9 carbs.... if you buy the flavored kind you'll find 9 grams of protein and 23 grams of carbs. My suggestion? Buy the plain greek yogurt and add your own fruit and sweeten it with a touch of raw honey. 

4. Smoothies: This one kills me you guys. Every time someone posts a freaking 32oz smoothie from Jamba Juice thinking they're being healthy I die a little inside. Their SMALL Strawberry Surf Rider smoothie packs 320 calories and 78 carbs. What. The. Heck. And I don't mean to just pick on Jamba Juice, you can add the Starbucks smoothies and anywhere else to that list. Unless you're making your own and adding some serious greens and a tiny bit of fruit, don't do it. 

5. Sports Drinks: Another one of my favs. Here's the thing... serious athletes need sports drinks. When you're sweating beyond belief you're losing electrolytes and those need to be replaced. However, it kills me when I see people run two miles and down a gatorade. Your sports drinks have calories, and they probably have more calories than you just burned on your run... so you kind of end up shooting yourself in the foot. You really don't need to replace electrolytes unless your workout is longer than 60 minutes. Once you hit that 60 minute mark you can alternate between a sports drink and water. 

6. Granola: Eat this and you'll be consuming a whole bunch of trans fat and sugar. Yea, that's right... this stuff is jam packed with it. However, there are some healthy options out there... check your ingredient list, if you see sugar as the first two ingredients, just say no. 

7. Wheat Bread: Yes, you read that right. Here's where more of that tricky marketing comes in. You have to read ingredients (if you haven't noticed that's been a common theme with the entire list). If it says bleached or unbleached enriched wheat flour you're not getting a whole grain, which means you may as well be eating white bread. Look for something that has 100% whole grain wheat listed in the ingredients.  

8. Agave Syrup: This one might be surprising. This bad boy acts functionally and nutritionally pretty much just like high fructose corn syrup. It's highly processed and definitely not the best choice. Stick to raw honey, raw sugar, or natural stevia. 

That's it guys. Reading your food labels is probably the most important thing you can do for your health. Look at the ingredients, take notice to what you're putting into your body. The fewer the ingredients, the better. The more natural, the better. 

Until next time,

Leslie 

Toddler Nutrition

Hello parents of toddlers! So, I write this blog with a little bit of caution. Obviously I know what to do professionally but.... I myself don't have a toddler yet. What I plan on doing with this post is giving you the tools you need to set up a healthy diet for your child and some tips and tricks for picky eaters. Even though I don't have a toddler of my own yet, I have used these techniques on kids and they've worked. If you go through this post and still feel like nothing you're doing is working feel free to email you and I can help coach you through some other ideas. 

Lets start with a couple of really good resources you can use. MyPlate is a great site that's full of meal plans, recipes, and health related info for everyone from preschoolers to adults, click here to check out their site. Another really great website is Kids Eat Right. This is a joint initiative with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND). They definitely know what they're talking about and it's a great site to go for when you're not sure what to do in the kitchen for any of your kids from babies to teens, click here to visit their site. 

So what should a toddler's diet look like? Every day your toddler should eat veggies, fruits, whole grains, proteins, and dairy products. If you're vegan and avoid dairy that's okay... just look for other foods that are high in calcium (like broccoli or kale) so you can help those bones grow nice and strong. When it comes to your fruits and veggies choose a variety of colors, you can even try to have some fun with it by making a game of saying the names of the colors and of the foods. 

Kids should learn to listen to their bodies' signals. Forcing your kids to finish all their food could teach them to overeat. Instead, give them small servings of a few different foods. If they finish, they can always ask for more. Starting with small servings and not forcing your kids to finish could help them a lot later in life. Speaking of starting good habits now, encourage them to drink water. Make water the first choice at meal times... if your child refuses to drink water add a little juice to give it some flavor. You can even freeze juice in ice cube trays and add the cubes to the water. Just remember, overall it's best to limit juice to 4-6 ounces a day. 

Eating healthy is key for the right kind of growth and development. However, there's a thin line that you have to be careful with.... forbidding sweets and treats might make them more attractive to your child.  I'm totally a toddler in this regards, the second I tell myself I can't have something it's all I want. The best thing to do is to not purchase junk food on a regular basis and limit your trips to fast food restaurants. I'm not saying never... but I am saying not often. On that note, try not to use food as a reward (this one is hard, I know). Use praise, hugs, special activities, stickers or quality time instead. I promise you this is a pattern that is hard to break later in life. It's better to just not start it at all. 

Now lets shift our attention to picky eaters. Most toddlers are picky eaters, it's just a fact of life. I think it's a stage where they're really trying to push every boundary and give their parents a few more gray hairs. Stay strong!! The Academy of Pediatrics conducted a study of toddlers. The study found that the average toddler might need to see a new food on their plate TEN times before they will eat it! TEN TIMES. Don't give up. Encourage them to try new foods, but don't force them. I've found that sometimes kids just need to play with their food a little first, then eventually they'll put it in their mouths. This works best when there's no pressure involved. For example, give them a piece of banana and let them hold it in their hands and squish it and do whatever their little toddler heart desires with it. If they end up putting it in their mouth, great! If not, that's okay. Try again another day. Sometimes it's a texture thing... try softening, or partially mashing things that they're refusing to eat. Other times it can be a temperature thing... sometimes very young children just prefer things (even milk) at room temperature. A change in texture or temperature might change their minds. 

Here's some basic guidelines for picky eaters...

Include Them: Children are more likely to eat something they've helped made. Take them shopping with you and teach them how to find and select foods. Try using the color game I mentioned earlier. 

Let Them Make Choices Too: Offer a choice between two healthy items and let them decide which one they want to eat. Simple choices can help your toddler feel in control (fun, little trick huh?)

Set Goals: Start off with the small and simple goal of one bite. 

Don't Give Up!: It takes the average toddler 10 times of being offered something before they'll try it. 

Offer Praise: For a picky eater, even one bite should be celebrated. 

Be Patient: Some kids just need a little more time with new foods and that is 100% okay. 

Hopefully you found this helpful. I feel like I'll have to read this blog once my baby hits the toddler age and see how crazy all of it sounds. If you have more in-depth questions about your child's diet or need other suggestions please, please, please... email me! I'd be more than happy to help out. 

Until next time!

Leslie 

Migraines

We've probably all had a really terrible headache or migraine at some point in our lives. They're the worst. I don't personally suffer from migraines on a regular basis, but I feel terrible for people that do. That pain is just crippling and sometimes nothing seems to help. 

I have some good news and some bad news when it comes to migraines. I'll start with the bad news: Migraine attacks can be triggered by a range of factors. What does that mean? It means that figuring out what's causing the migraines or headaches in the first place can be a bit tricky. It could be anything from food, drops in blood sugar, medications, odors, dehydration, allergies, stress, tension, and even changes in sleep patterns. The good news is I can help at least in the food, dehydration and maybe even sleep departments. 

First of all lets determine the difference between a migraine and a headache. A migraine is defined clinically as an episodic intense, throbbing head pain that lasts form 4 to 72 hours. It is usually on one side of the head and becomes worse with exertion. Along with the throbbing head pain you might experience nausea and it's usually associated with visual disturbances or unusual smell perception. All of that basically means it freaking hurts, lasts a long time and light and smells can make it worse. Headaches are really just defined as continuous pain in the head. They still hurt, but there's probably no comparison to the pain you feel if you're experiencing a migraine. 

So nutritionally what can you do to help and prevent them? First step, look at your water intake. Not just the amount, but the timing of it too. Wondering how much water you should be taking in on a daily basis? A good place to start is half of your body weight in ounces. For example, if you weigh 140 pounds you should drink 70 ounces of water a day. Working out or excessive sweating would cause you to need more, so keep that in mind. And the timing part of it... Try to drink your water pretty evenly throughout the day. It won't do too much good to drink 70 ounces at once. Spread it out and you might see your headaches and migraines disappear. 

So you've looked at your water intake, what's next? Before we get into the food part lets talk about sleep. The lack of sleep can trigger a migraine or a headache. Do your best to get good, consistent sleep every night. Another trigger can be tension and stress, so if you find yourself stressed out try eating little and often and drink that water! Do something relaxing and try to ease your stress as best as you can. 

Finally the food part. If you've looked at all the other angles and are sure you're getting enough water and sleep it could be that something you're eating is triggering those pesky migraines. Start by seeing if you can notice any correlation between the foods you eat and the incidence of headaches. A good place to start is looking at stimulants like sugar, tea, coffee and chocolate. Starting a food journal might help. On the days you get a bad headache write down everything you ate and over time you'll be able to see if there's any kind of pattern. If you think something in particular is causing it try completely eliminating that food from your diet for two weeks, then reintroducing it and see what happens with your headaches. If they go away and come back, that's a pretty good indicator that's a trigger food for you. If they never went away in the first place then you can be pretty sure that it wasn't causing them. The thing about trigger foods is that they're different for everyone. What causes headaches for you might not cause a headache for others so doing an elimination diet is really the only way to pinpoint what your triggers might be. 

What can you do when a migraine hits? Try a dose of vitamin B3 in the niacin form. Start with 100mg and if you don't see improvement try 200mg. Vitamin B3 is a vasodilator (meaning it dilates your blood vessels) and can be super helpful in stopping a migraine in it's early stages. Supplementing with Magnesium has also been shown effective in treatment. A good place to start is making sure you're taking a good multivitamin every day. 

Hopefully this helps you find some relief. 

Thanks for reading!

Leslie 

Making a Habit

Hi everyone! Hope you're having a great week!! I've been thinking a lot about habits lately. Maybe it's the fact that I'm about to partake in motherhood and it seems like routine and habits are going to be a crucial part of that for me. Needless to say, it's lit a fire under my butt to really start getting with the program in my personal and professional  life. 

Dictionary.com defines a habit as a settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up. Whoa, that last part really cuts deep for me. There's a lot of things that I would love to pretend are a habit... but honestly, there's probably few positive or healthy things that I would find hard to give up. Personally, I believe habits are the key to a healthy and happy life. Even the most spontaneous person has to admit to liking some sort of routine in their life. 

I've noticed how different habits have started forming in my life and am seriously learning to appreciate them. For example... nothing makes you realize how much of a slob you are until you marry the world's biggest neat freak. Seriously, my husband makes our bed EVERY SINGLE DAY. Clutter annoys the crap out of him... me, I can live with it. But, in order to keep the peace at my house I realized I better get in the habit of cleaning up after myself. So, I started a daily chore chart. Yep, that's right... I'm like a five year old. But guess what, my house looks great. You can come over unexpectedly and it will be clean. I quickly realized that taking 30 minutes every day to clean something saves hours of frustration and headache when we're having company annnnnnnnd my husband is a much happier person when our house is organized. I'm hoping since this has become a habit that after the baby arrives it will continue... I'll let you know how that goes haha.

Here's what I've learned: if you want to see results you better make it a habit. Anyone can workout and eat healthy for two weeks... but that's probably not going to give you the bikini bod you've always wanted. Point being, when I decided nutrition was going to be my career path I made a commitment to start working out and eating better on a regular basis. I'd say over the years those things have become a habit. I don't always like doing them, but I notice how out of whack I feel when I don't do them. I think that's what making something a habit truly is... you notice when you don't do it. Something doesn't feel quite right. 

So, how do you make a habit? How hard can it be?! Truth is, it takes some work in beginning. Here's some tricks that really worked for me:

• Commit to 30 days: Consistency is key!
• Remind Yourself: Write it down! Sticky notes, planners, or the calendar in your phone should be your best friend
• Get Accountability: If you want to make the gym a habit, get a gym buddy. Want to make healthy eating a habit? Tell your roommate or significant other to help keep you accountable
• Remove the Guilt: Don't expect yourself to be perfect. All good things take time, if you fall off the horse... just get right back on and keep moving forward. 
• Set up Goals & Rewards: Writing down your goals is so underrated! Write them down, stick them on your fridge where you'll see them every day and reward yourself when you meet them! 

Ready for the challenge? Find one thing that you can make a habit in the next 30 days. That's it... just one tiny, little thing. When your thirty days are up let us know how it went! Heck, you can let us know before the 30 days what you're doing if you need the accountability. It doesn't have to be nutrition related, start wherever you want.... just start!

Good luck my fellow habit makers! 

Leslie 

Meal Planning

Hey everyone! Hope you're having a great week. I decided this week was worthy of talking about meal planning. Maybe it's not the most fun topic, but in my opinion it's probably one of the most important keys to a healthy diet. I know… you don't have time to meal plan, right? Well, honestly… you don't have time to NOT meal plan. Seriously, if you sit down for 10-15 minutes once a week and plan out your eating it saves you tons of time in the end, and probably tons of calories too. Your sanity and your waistline will thank you. 

I'm going to give you the bare bone basics here. If you really wanted to, you could take it and run with it. Meal planning can be as complex or as simple as you want. Whatever fits your lifestyle works just fine… just as long as you're planning something. 

Here's what my meal planning looks like: I go grocery shopping usually on Tuesdays (why that day? well… giving away my secret might backfire, but I find that it's the least crowded day). Before heading to the store I gather my shopping list. I've tried to get my husband and I into the habit of adding to the list when we use the last of something. It makes it a lot easier on me to not have to scan the fridge, pantry and bathroom to see what we are out of.  

With my list in hand I hit the cookbooks/pinterest/internet and decide on some recipes for dinners. We typically plan for 5-6 dinners at home a week and I try to pick recipes where I already have some of the ingredients at hand. Once I've picked out what we are having for dinner I add what I need to the list and turn my thoughts to lunch and snacks. Once all of that is figured out I head out. This really only takes about 10-15 minutes. I'm super nerdy and I carry a day planner at all times. I usually add the name of the recipe to each day on my calendar that I plan on making it so I don't forget. 

Once my grocery shopping is complete I do a little meal prepping with my groceries. I clean my produce, pre-cook some chicken breasts, and try to cook some quinoa or rice that I can stick in some tuperware in the fridge. Why do I do all this? For one, it makes packing lunch for my husband a breeze. Secondly, on those days where I'm just too tired to cook… I already have half of the work done for me. It leaves me with no excuse to go and pick up something quick and unhealthy. 

See? It's painless! It takes a little bit of getting into a routine, but once you get it down you'll be so glad you started. If you think planning 5-6 dinners is a little too overwhelming, start with 3-4. You could even make a little extra and plan on having some leftovers. Another incentive to add… it makes my grocery shopping trips way quicker. I can go straight to the aisles I need and ignore the ones I don't. I've become a pro at navigating my grocery store. One day I'm going to bring a bicycle horn so I can honk at the people who stop their carts in the middle of the aisles trying to slow me down. So, 10-15 minutes upfront to save you lots of time, energy and calories later?! Maybe I'm silly, but I totally think it's worth it. 

Feel free to email me with questions about my process or where I find recipe ideas. Also, feel free to chime in with the ideas and tips that have worked for you! 

Until next time,

Leslie 

Protein Powder Basics

Recently in meeting with clients I've been asked a lot about protein powders and how to choose a good one. As a woman navigating the aisles of a health food store where some guy with huge muscles is trying to hit on you and up-sale you a billion things, I totally get the struggle. It's kind of like buying a car, better to do some research and know what you're looking at before you take the salesman's word for it. 

First of all, lets talk about why you might even want to consider including protein powders into your every day menu planning. Gym rats looooove their protein powders if you haven't noticed. Why is that? Well, protein is important when it comes to muscle recovery after a workout. Not only that, it helps maintain and promote healthy weight, build your immune system, and even plays a role in hormone production. Click here to read a previous post with all the basics on protein. 

Here's an important key to protein powders: They should be enhancing your protein experience, not taking away from it. What I mean by that is that the bulk of your daily protein intake should come from whole food sources (lean meats, dairy products, nuts, beans, etc). Protein powder should be a supplement to your intake. It's a good on-the-go way to add a little more protein without adding extra fat or carbs. 

If you go to the store, you'll find a million different powders and kinds of powders and then even more complex versions of each powder. It honestly gets really confusing. So what do you really need to know to make a good decision?  First rule of thumb, not all powders are created equal. There's a couple of different ways these powders are divided…. 

Animal Source vs. Vegetable Source: Hopefully the difference between these two is glaringly obvious. One comes from animals, the other from plants. Animal sources include milk proteins like whey and casein or egg white protein. Veggie sources include things like soy, rice, pea and even hemp.

Concentrate vs. Isolate: Concentrated means the non-protein parts have been removed. That means you'll get a powder that's 70-85% pure protein. Isolation removes even more of the non-protein parts, leaving you with a powder that is up to 95% pure. In both cases the rest of the protein is comprised of carbs and fat. What would make you choose one over the other? Well, for one… price. Isolates are a little more expensive because they require more processing. However, they do have more protein per serving. It just depends on what your goals are. My recommendation? For the average gym goer a concentrate will work just fine. 

Complete vs. Incomplete: If you read the post in the link earlier in this post you know the difference between complete and incomplete proteins. The really short version is that complete proteins contain all of the essential amino acids and incomplete proteins do not. 

So now that we know the basic categories lets dive into some of the more popular types. Also, now is a good time to mention that you'll also see a couple different types of flavors or sweeteners used within each category. They range from no flavors or sweeteners, artificial flavors and sweeteners, natural flavors and sweeteners, or a combo of the last two. 

Whey Protein

Whey is the watery part of milk that remains in the cheese making process. You'll have no problem finding this type of protein at any store. It's quickly absorbed by the body which makes it great for post-workout recovery. It's fairly inexpensive and it's a complete protein. The downside is that you'll find lactose in it… which can mean lots of gas for some of you lactose intolerant readers. The other downside is that some of the really yummy flavors it comes in also means artificial sweeteners and chemicals. 

Casein Protein

Casein is the main protein present in milk. It's benefits are similar to whey protein... except that you digest it slower. That being said, it's not ideal for a post-workout supplement. A couple of downsides is that it's more expensive than whey powders and can have a lot of artificial ingredients to make it taste better. 

Egg Protein

Egg protein comes from wet noodles. Just kidding… making sure you're still paying attention. Egg protein comes from eggs, specifically the egg whites. It's a complete protein that's rich in vitamins and minerals. However, this protein is one of the most expensive ones on the market. Also, if you're allergic to eggs, this isn't the supplement for you. 

Soy Protein

Protein from soy beans may help with your immune system and even bone health. It's also one of the few plant based proteins that is considered complete. It's a great choice if you're on a more plant based diet. The downside is that a lot of soy is genetically modified… this may or may not bother you. I'll leave it up to you to decide. 

Rice Protein

Not only does rice protein powder have protein, but it also includes a good source of complex carbs, B vitamins and even fiber. Downside is that it's not a complete protein… but if you're looking for a good hypoallergenic option, this could be the powder for you. 

Pea Protein

Pea protein has become a rising star in the protein world. It's hypoallergenic, vegan friendly and has few additives or artificial ingredients. It's a great choice for those looking for a protein powder closest to the whole food source. The downside is that it's not a complete protein. 

Hemp Protein

This superfood has a great mix of essential fatty acids (aka aids in brain function) and a great fiber content. It's also a complete protein, hypoallergenic, and vegan friendly. Sounds great, right? There is a downside (womp, womp) it's often the most expensive protein powder you can buy. 

As you can see, the protein powder world is pretty vast. Hopefully now you feel a little better equipped to navigate those aisles… you may even teach those health store workers a thing or two. Another thing to keep in mind is you get what you pay for. Low cost proteins usually mean artificial ingredients and inexpensive blends. If you suffer from bloat or a tummy ache after drinking your protein powder, it may not be the type of protein… it could be that your tummy has more expensive taste and that cheap protein blend isn't cutting it.   

Have more questions about protein and powders? E-mail me, I'm happy to help you out!

Thanks for reading!

Leslie 

Gluten Free?

Okay, I'm about to embark on some tricky territory here. I feel like this whole gluten free thing has just really gotten out of hand and it's time to give you guys some food for thought.

I want to start off by saying two things: 1) If you have celiac or an intolerance diagnosed by your doctor and it's medically necessary for you to avoid gluten, then you can pretty much disregard this post. Keep avoiding the gluten like your doctor has instructed you and 2) celiac disease and gluten intolerances are definitely NOT the same thing. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease where your intestines literally start to attack themselves every time you eat gluten. It's not fun, and even using a knife that has touched gluten can cause someone with this disease to get sick. If you think you have celiac it's not okay to self diagnose. You need to go to a doctor and get checked out. It's not smart to go gluten free before getting tested for celiac because your doctor needs to see if your body produces antibodies from the gluten you eat and look for intestinal damage. So, please… go get checked out if you think you have this BEFORE you start avoiding gluten. Even if you think you have an intolerance, you really should talk to your doctor. Don't try to self diagnose. 

So, I knew the second Miley Cyrus showed up on social media 10-15 pounds thinner claiming giving up gluten was the secret that we were going to see a huge surplus in the gluten free trend. Of course this wrecking ball licking son of a gun knows what she's talking about, right?! Kidding. But seriously, avoiding gluten has become SO trendy and cool. I know, I know… you suffer from gas, bloat, and other intestinal issues, right? I'm no doctor, but I will say that in my profession when people have gas, bloat and intestinal issues it is by far the HARDEST thing to try to pinpoint the cause. I would love to tell you that gluten is to blame, it would make my life so much easier… but the truth is even stress and things completely unrelated to your diet can cause intestinal issues. 

I was in the avoiding gluten boat once. I was sure that it was the cause of all my gut problems. No way was it the miscarriage I suffered, the stress of my demanding internship, balancing out being a wife and a student, studying for the most important exam of my life… nope, definitely the gluten. Wellp, I'll be the first to admit it, I was wrong. Since then I'm happy to say that I figured out how to take better care of my body (gluten included) and my intestinal issues have become a thing of the past. Now, I'm not saying that every intestinal issue isn't gluten… I'm just saying maybe you should dig a little deeper before you start blaming it all on gluten and cutting it out of your life like a scorned lover. 

In my opinion, gluten has gotten a bad wrap. It's become known as "that one thing that makes you fat" and people think by avoiding gluten they'll lose weight. Yes, there is gluten in cake, pasta, bread and cookies so if you cut those out you may see some weight loss… but you could get the same effect just by cutting down on them. However, those gluten free brownies and cookies you've been eating…. hate to break it to you, but they're probably packing more sugar and fat in them than the real things. Gluten acts like glue and helps hold your food together. When gluten is removed they add fat and sugar to help the food maintain its shape. Is your mind blown?! Mine was. 

Now let me persuade you with some science. There have been multiple studies going on looking at gluten free diets and it's affects on gut bacteria. A 2012 review in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) showed that a gluten free diet has no benefit and can even harm gut health in people without celiac disease or an intolerance. They're not the only ones to say that either. There was a 2009 study done in which the British Journal of Nutrition reported the same thing. There's other studies showing yet again, the same thing. On top of that, missing out on gluten can mean that you're also missing out on fiber, B Vitamins, and even iron. There's still research that needs to be done before there's really anything set in stone on this issue… but I'm just pointing out that just because Dr. Oz says something is great, doesn't mean you have to believe him. Other doctors are disagreeing with him… it's okay for you to do the same. 

Lets recap. I'm not saying gluten free is bad for everyone… but I'm definitely saying it's not necessary for everyone either. I guess really what I'm saying is that if you want to lose weight there's a healthy way to do it, with gluten included (providing you don't have to avoid gluten for medical reasons). I'm also saying that if you're having gut issues maybe you need to take a look at your stress levels, your sleeping patterns, supplements you're taking, and overall lifestyle. Start there, don't start with the gluten. If you have questions or you think you might truly have an intolerance, email me! I'll be happy to help you through the next steps on figuring all of that out. 

Don't be mad at me guys. I don't want to crush your gluten free dreams… I just want to give you some things to think about. 

Until next time!

Leslie 

2014 Health Food Trends - Freekeh

Okay, last trendy blog post. Also, sorry that I have been so inconsistent with writing. I would like to say that I'll get better about it… but by the time I'm better about it I have a feeling the baby will be born and I'll be back to being bad at it. So, bear with me readers! Thanks for your support and your loyalty. 

So, we've talked about cauliflower and teff and now we are going to add freekeh to the list. Freekeh is a grain that goes through a roasting process in order to be made. It basically was discovered on accident thousands of years ago. There was a fire in a crop of green wheat and someone got creative and decided to rub the chaff off, cooked it and decided that it tasted pretty dang good. This is the point in the story where I wonder why I can never come up with great ideas like this and make a fortune. 

Unlike our little friend teff, freekeh is made from wheat… so sorry gluten free buddies, this grain isn't for you. The gluten gets a little denatured through the whole roasting and rubbing process so some people with sensitivities don't notice side effects, but if you have celiac this isn't a grain you'll want to add to your diet. I haven't had the pleasure of trying freekeh myself, but it's said to have a smokey flavor and nutty, chewy texture… when it's cooked it looks like rice or oatmeal. 

Here's the real great news with this stuff… it has up to three times the amount of protein and fiber as your regular ol' brown rice and has less calories than quinoa. It's cooking time is really similar to rice, so it would be an easy substitute in your cooking. It also has a low glycemic index, which probably doesn't mean much to you unless you have diabetes… but that basically means that it doesn't cause crazy spikes and drops in your blood sugar when you eat it, and if you're not sure… that's a good thing. 

Because it's similar to quinoa and rice you can use it in all the same dishes you would use either of those in. Soups, salads, chili, stuffed peppers, in tacos, as a simple side dish… the possibilities are pretty endless. You might not see this stuff at your regular grocery store… yet, but in the mean time I know that you can find it at Whole Foods and Sprouts. Try it out and email us and let us know what you think! 

Happy reading, and happy eating!

Leslie 

2014 Health Food Trends - Teff

I was watching television the other day and on the talk show I was watching they mentioned teff and freekah… guess these people that decided these were going to be a big thing were on to something. 

Teff. I'm guessing only a handful of you have heard of it prior to reading my little blog here. Honestly, the first time I read about it I had to google it too. So what the heck is it?! It's a little, tiny whole grain that's a staple in North Africa. Ethiopians have been cooking with it for thousands of years, I think it's safe to say that us Americans are a little late to the game. 

Teff is the smallest grain in the world. I haven't tried it myself yet, but it's said to have a mild, nutty flavor. I can't confirm or deny that. I do know that with the rising popularity it will be a little on the expensive side… keeping up with the Jones' nutrition style, if you will. 

Here's some good ol' nutrition facts for those of you wondering why you might want to try this out: 1/4 cup has around 180 calories, 1 gram of fat, 37 grams of carbohydrate, 4 grams of fiber, and 7 grams of fiber. Here's where things get interesting though, teff has more calcium than any other grain. A cup of cooked teff offers around 123mg of calcium… which is about the same as in a half cup of cooked spinach. Not only will you find calcium in this little guy, but you'll also find that it's full of vitamin C, something that's not usually found in grains. 

Paying attention? Good. Teff is high in resistant starch. I won't bore you with a scientific explanation on that, but I'll tell you that it means that it can help in blood sugar management, weight control, and colon health. That's good news for those of you with diabetes or colon issues. Diagnosed with Celiac? well here's some good news for you too… teff is gluten free. 

Now for the important part, how do you make and eat teff? This tiny grain is extremely versatile. You can add it to stews, prepare it as a hot breakfast type cereal, polenta, add it to veggie burgers, cakes, cookies, breads, and other baked goods. What I'm saying is, there's not much you can't do with it. 

Next post I'll talk about freekah. Really, I just like saying the name freekah. Until then, happy reading! 

Leslie

2014 Health Food Trends - Cauliflower

As promised, I'm going to do a couple of posts on some upcoming trends that have been named as the next up and coming things for 2014. You'll totally be able to impress your friends with your nerdy nutrition knowledge when they bring up things like teff and freekah. I don't really know who decides these things are going to be cool every year… but they're pretty spot on. Last year it was quinoa and kale, which have become a staple in a lot of households, but honestly before last year how many people really cooked with quinoa on a regular basis or had even heard of it for that matter?! Anyways, now you'll be ahead of the game, you're welcome.

They're saying cauliflower is going to be the hot new "it" item in the veggie world. Sure, cauliflower isn't new to most, but I think people honestly have no idea just how good this little guy is for you. I remember having to eat it at the dinner table when I was little. It was one of those veggies that I had to choke down or else I wouldn't get dessert. Now, I love the stuff. Hopefully by the end of this post you will too.

It's kind of an ugly looking vegetable, isn't it?! Cauliflower is a cruciferous vegetable…. that always makes me think of crucifix which then makes me think of the word horcrux for some weird reason (shout out to my HP nerds!). Anyways, it's the same family as broccoli and cabbage, it's a great source of vitamin C and full of lots of other antioxidants, another little tid-bit you might not have known. These things are all great, but one of the coolest parts (yes, i realize that even using cauliflower and cool in the same sentence makes me a total nerd) I think about cauliflower are it's anti-inflammatory properties. This little veggie has high amounts of vitamin K and Omega 3s - these aid in decreasing inflammation. That's good news for those of you that suffer from things like arthritis and diabetes. Regular consumption of this bad boy just might aid in relieving some of your symptoms. Pretty neat, huh?!

Cauliflower also is a great source of your B vitamins, manganese, and phosphorous. B vitamins are essential for growth, development and a ton of other bodily functions. Manganese is another antioxidant and phosphorous is important in the creation of RNA, DNA, and ATP (ATP is the energy your body uses to do anything). Last but not least, cauliflower is a good source of fiber… which means it cleans our your digestive system and gets rid of unnecessary substances (aka it will make you poop).

So… now you know why should eat it, but what about how? I mean, you could go the boring route and just steam it and eat it, but I can almost guarantee that means you won't be eating much of it. The good news is people have gotten really creative with their cauliflower game. I've seen it roasted, curried, made into soup, added to pasta dishes, and a personal favorite… mashed and used in place of mashed potatoes. If you google cauliflower recipes right now I guarantee you'll find a whole bunch that you'll want to try. Cauliflower is no longer boring. So, get ahead of the trend and impress your friends with your cauliflower skills at your next dinner party.

Next post we'll talk about teff... I wish I could track how many of you are going to google what that is now haha.

Thanks for reading!

Leslie

Shopping Organic

Hi Everyone! Sorry for being so absent lately. I hope everyone had a great holiday! I am so excited for 2014. I love the fresh start that comes every January. This year I'm resolving to be kinder to my body, more present with my loved ones, and working my booty off with our new business. I feel like I'm having two babies this year… my business baby and my real baby.

Before I jump into the post I just want to give a little update on our business, Creating a New Norm. I am beyond excited for everything that we are rolling out. Already we have had some great clients and opportunities present themselves for 2014. Our website is taking a little longer than planned to get up… but hey, Rome wasn't built in a day, right?! Hopefully, we will have it up in the next week or two, until then you can follow our business page on Facebook for updates.

So, with the new year comes resolutions. While I was grocery shopping today I noticed waaaaaaaay more people in the produce section than normal, I'm guessing those resolutions had something to do with it. When people find out I'm a dietitian I get asked some pretty common questions. One of them is about buying organic. I decided to do a little post on just that.

 Obviously, organic everything would be ideal… but holy crap is it expensive. Is there a solution? Well, I suppose you could grow your own produce. I personally can't do this option, I've killed seriously almost every plant I've ever owned. Probably a more practical solution (at least for those of us who are green thumb challenged) is knowing what the Dirty Dozen and the Clean Fifteen are.
Some of you may have heard of these things before, but on the chance that it might be something that some of you have no idea about I decided it would be a good secret to let you in on.

The Clean Fifteen are items that have little to no pesticide residue and are safe to consume in the non organic form. Meaning you don't really need to buy the organic versions, meaning cash in your pocket. The Dirty Dozen are pretty much the opposite. The conventionally grown (read: non organic) items in this group test for AT LEAST 47 different chemicals. Ewwww, that seriously grosses me out. These are the items that you need to be buying organic. Here's the lists below:

If you want more information on the produce you're consuming feel free to visit www.foodnews.org. There you'll find tons of info about all the produce you consume. There's also information on what produce may be GMO, something some of you also might be interested in. 

This is obviously a shorter post. I really just wanted to take some time really quick to encourage you guys to stick with the goals you made for the year and maybe try to add some more fruits and veggies to your diet… the kind without the pesticides. Going organic is definitely beneficial, but can be painful to your bank account. Hopefully this list helps you find some sort of balance. 

Just to give you a little preview of my next post, I plan on talking about some foods that experts are saying are going to be hot health food items in 2014 (I don't really know who these experts are and how they decide what foods are going to be a hot commodity every year, but good for them). 

Until next time, happy reading!

Leslie

Fad Diets

2014 is a week and a half away. You know what that means… hundreds of thousands of people will be jumping on the diet bandwagon.

I love New Years, something about feeling like you get a fresh start really resonates with me. I always tell myself that this year will be my year. I always have resolutions… I don't always follow them, but I always have them. I always have some sort of health or fitness goal in the mix, probably like most of you. So, in the spirit of shedding those holiday pounds I decided to talk about fad diets.

We've all heard the term Fad Diet, but what exactly is it? I'm sure some of you can guess the master cleanse and Atkins diets are on those lists… but what about the south beach diet and blood type diet? What makes a fad diet a fad diet? I'm glad you asked.

Fad diets make really bold promises. Things like, "you'll lose 20 pounds in 2 weeks" and "all you have to do is eat grapefruits all day every day and you'll find yourself at the epitome of health". Hopefully your bullshit meter is going off when you read these things… if not let me help…. your bullshit meter should be going off when you read these things. Any diet that promises rapid weight loss, requires that you eliminate or severely restrict entire food groups (cough, cough carbs), need to eat foods in specific combinations or tell you that you don't need to exercise should raise some kind of suspicion with you.

On a quick side note… I want to mention that one of the latest fad diets is the tube feed diet. Yep, that's right, perfectly healthy people are choosing to have tube feeds installed to lose weight. Isn't it just easier to make healthy choices?! I mean seriously, that is probably one of the craziest diet trends I have ever heard.

I want to bring up a couple of points. How many of us have said "ok, this is the year, I'm going on a diet, I'm losing 20 pounds and I'm never eating an unhealthy thing again ever in my life". Maybe not that extreme, but I'm pretty sure most of us have decided to go on some kind of diet or restrict some kind of something from our diet. How long did you last? Here's the thing with these fad diets. They're not fun and they're not as easy as they want you to think they are. Sure you might lose 10 pounds like that with the master cleanse, but is it worth not being able to go anywhere for 10 days because you are pretty much living on the toilet? And while I'm at it, if you were able to do some of these fad diets and lose some weight… how long were you able to keep the weight off before you gained it back? In my experience, most people who lose 20 pounds on a fad diet end up gaining 30 pounds as soon as they are off of it.

Rapid weight loss scares me. When you lose weight that quickly you're not really losing body fat, you're losing muscle, bone, and water. When you gain weight back, you gain fat. What that means is you could have someone who isn't that overweight but is at 40-50% body fat because they have been a victim of rapid weight loss for years. All weight loss is not created equal.

So, what does healthy weight loss look like? If you want to lose weight and KEEP that weight off then you should be shooting for 1/2-1 pound per week. You didn't gain that extra 15 pounds over night and you shouldn't plan on losing it overnight either. If you want results that are going to stick then you need to can the fad diets and start making choices that will be way more sustainable. Telling yourself that you will never ever have another bite of carbs again is ridiculous. Sorry to burst your bubble, but the chances of you actually sticking to that are slim to none. And, if you're anything like me, the second I tell myself I can't have something, it's all I can think about. So maybe, instead of completely cutting things out we need to make the decision to pick healthier things more often than the not healthier things.  Hello balance!

How can you set yourself up for success in 2014? First off, it's going to take some planning. Trust me, taking 20 minutes to plan your menu out every week will save you thousands of unwanted calories in the end. Before I go grocery shopping I sit down, decide what meals I'm going to make that week and get all the necessary supplies. That way, if I'm having a busy day I don't have to come home and try to figure something out, which ultimately means I'm probably going to just go out and get myself something unhealthy. Meal planning should be your best friend.

Secondly, you need accountability! It's easy to slip up when you're the only one keeping track of yourself. When you have to report to someone else, it's a whole different ballgame. This goes for working out too. And you might have guessed this, but you have to work out. It doesn't have to be anything crazy, you could even just go for daily walks… but some kind of physical activity is a must. It's the key for good health and weight management. You should shoot for 30-60 minutes most days of the week.

Finally, you need to love yourself. Cheesy, I know… but so true. If we don't start loving ourselves where we are at and celebrating our small victories, then it won't matter if you hit your goal, you'll still find something to be unhappy with. I used to struggle so much with this. I would look in the mirror and only see the things I didn't like. I'm not really sure what happened, but one day I changed my outlook and it changed my life. I still have areas that need some work, sure. But, I love myself where I'm at. I'm actually proud of my body. If we start focusing on the good, it's crazy how things really start to fall into place. So, even though this is totally nerdy… next time you look in the mirror tell yourself three things that you love about yourself physically. Hopefully, those three things will turn into five things and so on and so on.

Thanks for reading!

Leslie

The Most Important Meal of the Day

The first thing that came to mind when I decided to talk about breakfast was Arrested Development where Michael asks George Michael "what do we always say is the most important thing?" and George Michael answers "breakfast". If you haven't seen an episode of Arrested Development then I'm not really sure what you're doing with your life. It's true though, I think we have all heard at some point in our life that breakfast is the most important meal (maybe not thing).

I have always been a breakfast eater. It's my favorite. I would be so cranky if I didn't shove my face with food and coffee in the morning, so if you know me, you should be glad that I take the time to eat it. I never realized that people really don't eat breakfast until I was in school. When we were learning counseling techniques we were taught to ask questions about eating patterns, things like "how many times a week do you eat breakfast?"…. uhhhh what? It was so weird to me that the answer wouldn't be seven times a week. So I would ask friends, and I found that I was the breakfast eating minority. The number one most common excuse? I DON'T HAVE TIME. Well friends, I'm here to tell you 1) yes, you do have time and 2) why you should make the time.

Lets address this issue of time. Okay, so I know that I'm a self employed person with oodles of time on her hands so I decided to survey some friends and see how far fetched the idea of having time for breakfast is. One friend is a nurse who works at the butt crack of dawn. You know what she said? She eats breakfast every single day. Even when she has to be at work at 7am, which includes a not so convenient commute. Another friend I asked is a mom of three kids, all different ages. You know what she said? She also eats breakfast every single day. So here's my thoughts, If someone who gets up at ungodly hour and someone who has three other mouths to feed besides her own can make and eat breakfast every day, why can't the rest of us?! Just a thought.

So, I decided to time myself making breakfast today. I made eggs, which consisted of one whole egg and 1/4 cup of egg whites, goat cheese, toast with earth balance and fruit spread, and of course… coffee. I usually add an avocado… but I need to make a trip to the grocery store (something I loathe and always manage to put off until I have absolutely no food in my house). Here's how long that meal took me:

Yep, that's right. 4 minutes and 35 seconds. That includes making my coffee and bringing everything to the table. If I had cut up an avocado I suppose you could add another 15 seconds or so… but still, a hot breakfast in under five minutes. I think we all have time for that. 

This brings me to my next point. Why is breakfast so important?! Well, for starters… you just went a good 8 hours or so without eating anything. Eating breakfast jump starts your metabolism for the day. You know what that means….. weight loss, or weight management! Say what?! Yep, eating breakfast is one of the easiest things you can do to aid in your battle/journey with your weight. Second of all, did you know eating breakfast affects your brain function? Studies show that kids that eat breakfast result in better academic performance, achievement test scores, and attendance (Rampersaud et al., 2005). So if it does that for kids, I'm pretty sure we can assume that the same benefits apply for us adults. Better performance at work, more focus, better attendance…. all from eating breakfast, I'm thinking I even see a raise in your future. 

So, now you know that you DO have time and why you should be eating breakfast. Lets work out the logistics. Planning is the key. If your mornings are a whirlwind the best thing you can do is plan the night before. Decide what you are going to make and set your alarm 10 minutes earlier than normal. Here are some ideas for quick breakfasts:

Smoothies

Overnight Oats

Fritatas

Homemade Yogurt Parfait

Lets talk about these. Smoothies, overnight oats, and yogurt parfaits are a super easy breakfast you can take to go. For smoothies, measure out your fruit the night before and put it in a baggy… all you have to do is dump that baby with the other ingredients in your blender (see my previous post about smoothies here, for tips and tricks). Overnight oats have become really popular. They are SO easy! If you want to take them to go use a mason jar, just put your oats and milk in and whatever you want to use to flavor them and let them sit in your fridge overnight. In the morning grab them and go. There are tons of recipes online you can search. Yogurt parfaits, another thing you can make the night before in a mason jar. Some greek yogurt, dried fruit, nuts, granola, oats, whatever you want… and you have a yummy, complete breakfast. Fritatas are something you can make while you're getting ready. Wake up start your breakfast, throw it in the oven and finish getting presentable while it cooks. Easy Peasy. 

Of course, there's lots of other things you can make for breakfast, I'm just tossing out some ideas. I like mixing carbs and protein and trying to add something green, hence the avocados with my eggs. If you're vegetarian and don't do eggs, go for a tofu scramble, add some salsa, spices and veggies and you have yourself a tasty meal! Bottom line: eat something. Even if you eat a granola bar and piece of fruit… it's better than nothing. You will be surprised how much better you feel throughout the day. Your energy level will be higher, you'll probably even see some pep in your step. 

I'm going to end this post on a serious note. Please don't be offended by what I'm about to say… if it does make you angry, or you find yourself offended think about WHY you're mad before you start yelling at me. I think mostly what it comes down to is us not making time for ourselves. Being healthy isn't that hard, making breakfast isn't that hard. I think we are just a society of people that are really good at putting ourselves last and making tons of excuses. Being healthy is a choice. It's not always convenient or easy… but it's important. Sometimes we just have to decide to stop making excuses and just do what's best for ourselves. I can't really think of anyone that is really, truly too busy to eat or too busy to take care of themselves. If you think that's you, maaaaaaybe it's time to reprioritize a few things. 

Til next time y'all!

Leslie

All My Pregnant Ladies...

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! I've been feeling extra lazy and haven't been able to make myself get back on the blog train… but here I am, finally! I've been asked by a few people to do a pregnancy post. I know pretty much every book you pick up on pregnancy has advice on food and what not, so I'm going to summarize that and talk a little about my own experience. Obviously every pregnancy is different for every woman, so when you read this keep that in mind.

For all you non-pregnant folk you still might want to read, I mean lets be honest, I'm pretty funny. Plus you might want to see what you have the possibility of getting yourself into. Here goes nothing.

First of all can we talk about how scary google is when you become pregnant. Do NOT try to google symptoms for any weird thing, it will ultimately just tell you that you and your baby are dying. When I had food poisoning I made that mistake, never again! The woman's body is so miraculous. Seriously. You spend 10 months (pregnancy is 40 weeks, I never understood why they say 9 months) growing a human and sharing your body and spit out a tiny little person. The fact that healthy babies are born every day is seriously a miracle because I promise once you're pregnant you will start reading about the million things that could go wrong during the whole process.

There's several conditions that you can develop during pregnancy that can make it more challenging. Hopefully if you're pregnant and reading this you don't have one of those conditions (gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, etc.). I'm going to be focusing more on pregnancies without these added conditions. The basics still apply to you, but there's extra stuff that goes along with a diagnoses of any of these. If you have one of these and have questions, please contact me.

You know what one of my biggest pet peeves is so far? People who say "you're eating for two now" Uhhhhh okay, but that second person weighs like an ounce… don't think that justifies a second double double. You definitely need extra calories while you're pregnant…. but…. in your first trimester your calorie intake really doesn't need to increase. Once you hit that second trimester you should increase by 340-360 calories a day and 452-472 calories a day in your third trimester. That's it. That's really not that much if you think about it. I think a lot of ladies have this figured out. Pregnancy hits and you start caring a little more what you're putting into your body because now you're not just feeding yourself, you're feeding your baby. Just remember, that second person you're feeding isn't a teenage boy.

So what about these crazy cravings? You know what, I let myself indulge sometimes. I mean, if I decided to eat every little thing that sounded good then I'm pretty sure I would have already gained 40 pounds. I try to stay balanced, but if all I can think about it is ice cream for an entire day, then I'm going to let myself have ice cream. This week I've been wanting mashed potatoes, so I made my own. I figure that way I can control the amount of salt and fat and stuff that goes into it way better than I could if I hit the KFC drive thru. This tactic works with all kinds of food. Make your own!

Lets talk about protein needs. In a previous post I told you that protein is a big part of building tissue. Well, if you're growing a human you need to build tissue. In the first half of pregnancy your needs stay the same (that's 0.8 g/kg of body weight). Once you hit that halfway point you should increse your needs to 71 grams a day. Not sure what foods are proteins, or want to know the best protein sources? Check out my previous blog on protein.

Prenatal vitamins. Every doctor's visit they ask me if I'm still taking my prenatals. In the beginning I had the hardest time with them because they made me sick. I had to try a couple different brands before I found one that worked for me. Make sure you get the kind that has DHA in them, or a separate fish oil supplement. That's important for the brain development, and hey… who doesn't want to raise the genius that's going to cure cancer? Bring on the DHA baby. Bottom line, take them. Every. Single. Day. Set an alarm, take them in the morning or night, whatever, just take them. There are too many scary things that can happen if you're vitamin deficient while you're pregnant. I won't list them, just take my word for it.

I've always been a water drinker. That was an easy thing for me to get on board with when I got pregnant. If you're not a water drinker, you better learn how to be. Try the sparkling or flavored kind. You can even find receipes to infuse your water and make your own flavors. Whatever you have to do, just drink your water. I keep a water bottle on me at all times. Drink when you're not thirsty. Get used to the fact that you will have to pee more than you've ever peed in your entire life. Since I've been pregnant I swear the thing we go through the most is toilet paper.

Now for everyone's favorite subject: working out. I had about one tiny week of morning sickness. You know what helped? Working out. When I don't sleep good you know what helps? Working out. When I'm fatigued beyond all belief you know what helps? Working out. Seeing a pattern yet? I'm very fortunate and have probably the most amazing trainer in the history of trainers. He kicks my pregnant booty three times a week. There are days when I don't want to peel myself off of my couch, but I know that my labor and my overall pregnancy will only benefit from one little hour of working out per day. It probably helps that I pay him to make me. If you need accountability you can pay me to make you workout… if that doesn't sound appealing to you then find an accountability partner. Find a friend that will promise to ask you every week if you've been working out, and be honest.

If you weren't an avid worker outer before getting pregnant that's ok! You can still workout. Talk to your doctor and find out what they recommend. And if you were an avid worker outer and aren't sure what's okay and not okay to do now that you have a baby on board, try prenatal workout dvds or googling prenatal workout routines. Just do something. Get off your tired booty and go for a walk even. I promise being active will be nothing but positive for you and the baby. I know it's hard, I'm living it. You just have to make yourself. You can do it. I have faith in you.

I thought about listing all the foods that are good for you when you're pregnant… but honestly they're all the same foods that are good for you when you're not pregnant. My best advice? Use your brain. You know what's healthy and what's not. Try to choose the healthy stuff more than the not healthy stuff. If you aren't sure about something or you have questions, email or message me, I'll point you in the right direction.

I know this blog is probably a lot of common sense… but hopefully it's a good reminder for you soon to be momma's! Til next time!

Leslie

fatty mc faterson.

I remember when i was little snackwells was a huge thing. they were the no-fat or low-fat snack. it's funny, the different trends that surface and resurface in nutrition... back then, fat was the enemy. fast forward 15-20 years and i think peoples relationship with fat has come a long way, but there's definitely still some room to grow.

So probably by now you're used to me telling you how each of the things i've chosen to write about are things our bodies really, truly need. fat is no different. Dietary fat is essential for the digestion, absorption, and transport of the fat-soluble vitamins and phytochemicals such as carotenoids and lycopenes. It depresses gastric secretions, slows gastric emptying and facilitates digestion. basically all that boils down to… you need it. (Side Note: your fat-soluble vitamins are A, E, D and K)

Another topic related to fat that might have heard of are fatty acids. Again, the name refers to its chemical structure… which isn't really that important for you to know. what you do need to know is that they are important sources of fuel because when the body metabolizes them they yield large quantities of ATP (ATP=the energy your cells need to do anything). 

So lets talk about the different kinds of fat. the not so nice fats are your saturated and trans fats. saturated fats come mainly from animal food sources. this is your cheese, fat on a steak, full fat dairy products (think solid at room temperature). These fats can raise your LDL in your cholesterol, which is bad. There's also a potential that they can aid in developing type 2 diabetes. trans fats are mostly synthetically made through food processing. When looking at the ingredients list you'll see things like "partially hydrogenated palm oil". These fats can also increase your LDL (bad cholesterol) and decrease your HDL (good cholesterol). 

Now for the good stuff. monounsaturated fats (MUFAs) and polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs). Studies show that a diet rich in MUFAs and PUFAs can improve your blood cholesterol and fight against heart disease and may even aid in preventing type 2 diabetes. foods made up of these fats are liquid at room temperature, such as olive oil. you'll also find them in things like avocado, nuts, and even some fish and poultry. 

as you can see, there's some really good choices when it comes to putting fat in your diet. fat should be 20-35% of your diet every day. i'll say that again in case you didn't get it the first time… fat should be 20-35% of your diet every day. So while i'm all for egg white omelets and no dressing on salads, and all that good stuff… but maybe, just maybe, we are depriving ourselves of something our bodies really need in our strive to be healthy. 

I'm definitely not saying to go crazy in this category. but i am saying maybe it's okay to add a full egg to your omelet. maybe it's okay to make your own salad dressing with some olive oil, and it's definitely okay to add avocado to anything and everything. when it comes to dairy, stick to the low-fat options. You could go no fat too… i just think the low fat stuff tastes better. if you guys haven't figured it out yet i'm trying to teach you that it's all about balance. there's no tricks or gimmicks to being healthy. depriving yourself and not giving any wiggle room in your diet…. in my experience those are the types of things that cause us to give up on being healthy. i find that with my diet when i restrict something… it's the very thing i later end up binging on. And if you think your diet is really healthy and you workout all the time and don't see any results… maybe it's time to start digging a little deeper into what you eat. 

on the flip side, there are some of us that have no problem indulging in dietary fat… aka fast food, ice cream, etc. word of caution my friends… you could be setting yourself up for some serious health issues. do i love in-n-out? heck yes i do. Do i eat it every week?… sadly, no. i let myself indulge, but in my day-to-day diet i really try to be aware of what i'm putting in my body. and that's really the bottom line here… balance. hopefully i've given you some food for thought here. questions? you know the drill, email me, message me, text me, call me, we'll chat. 

Leslie