Step Into Nutrition (SIN)

Step Into Nutrition

Healthy eating is soooooooo easy!!

Why do people resist?  So much energy is spent on resisting.
 

That sugar rush is powerful, but it sends you into a roller-coaster physically and often emotionally. Maybe it's time to stop resisting the good food recommendations and just accept it, eat well and discover what I love to blog about.  Food glorious food!  It is truly a part of finding your inner peace and it is equally addicting.

"We don't like what we don't understand - In fact it scares us!"
   - quote from the Disney movie "Beauty and the Beast" from the song the villagers chant as they pursue Beast during a night march.  I've always appreciated these insightful lyrics.

We all have our beasts (or demons).  What does that have to do with food?  It has everything to do with our choices.  Do we let our fears dominate our choices?  Or do we dare to step into something new, despite the consequences?  And for nutrition, consequences of good nutrition = clarity, joy, peace and health.  If you are scared of these things, then you are shutting out your true potential.

Keep it simple and start with a few guidelines:

• Drink water
• Breathe deeply and frequently
• Make a salad every day
• Keep snacks natural: an avocado, an apple, carrots sticks, edamame 
• Attitude of Gratitude 
• Eat a total intake of 50% raw fruits and veggies
• Make one new recipe a week from a vegetarian cookbook
• Laugh daily

Yes,  the non-food guidelines are just as essential.  They make it all worthwhile.
You cannot really criticize this post until you've applied it for a week.  Chances are you will discover more than just good food.

Food is a gift that you give to yourself.  Discover its power and start a new adventure!

~ Rose

Sea Salt

"If it tastes good it must be bad for you!"

Do you ever feel guilty about eating delicious food?  Time and again we are warned about the dangers of food.  We are told that just about every food is bad for us - especially salt. 

The problem is that many people depend on prepared foods for nourishment.  These are laden with sodium - an effective preservative.  Microwave meals, fast foods, canned soups, canned vegetables and sodas are full of sodium.  When consumed in this way, the sodium contributes to hardened arteries, which contributes to high blood pressure and heart disease.  

Us perfectionists out there think that this means every dash of salt is a nail in the coffin, right?  Why are we so hard on ourselves??  Be your own conscience - don't be ruled by the latest studies.  Odds are a new study will contradict those findings in a year or so anyway.  Are they the voice in your ear, serving up your meal with a side of guilt?


How about stepping back from the fray and looking at your life, your food and your attitude.  Does stress drive you to eat without awareness?  Is your food >50% processed?  Do you enjoy your food or assume it will be your demise?  The reality is that you are in control.  So, be aware and be happy. Ask yourself - is 50% or more of my food from a box or can?  If so, then you need to make changes and the media is justified in their attempts at guilting you!!

Are you making your own meals from natural foods >50% of the time?  Then you are on a great track for a lovely balanced life!  And use sea salt to flavor your meals.  It tastes great and carries many additional helpful nutrients as well.

I personally love to add salt to my food.  But I also prefer natural foods.  I choose sea salt.  In fact, that processed white stuff called sodium chloride is not in my home at all.  Sorry Morton girl, but I do not find the bleaching and anti-clumping chemicals as desirable add-ins. 
  

Sea Salt

 Sea salt.  

It carries minerals as well as salt. Minerals are co-factors that are required for digestion and enzyme pathways throughout the body. By using sea salt we assist our body in digestion and detoxification.  We can trust nature and embrace it's flavors.  You will find sea salt superior in taste as well.

Salt is crucial to our survival.  Our bodies need it to maintain fluid balance.  Our cells need it to stay hydrated and communicate with other cells.  Salt is elemental to us all.

 My favorite green beans are fresh from the garden with butter and a dash of sea salt.  Yum.

Let me know how it goes!

~ Rose

Balance

I tipped over during yoga the other day.
I didn't get enough sleep last night.
I didn't get it all done.
I need to do more.
I ate too much.
I drank too much.
I'm tired.

All of these statements generate a visceral sense of regret and sludge.  Blech.

So it was a pleasure for me today to feel that all-too-elusive peace that comes with Balance.  Ahhhh.

As with all well earned things, it took time to create it.  Months.  Wait - in fact, I think this took me several years.   And the great part is that food was the key to unlocking it.

About 7 years ago I found myself in a job that exhausted me.  But I loved it!  I worked hard, made friends, and helped people - what's there not to love??  But I began the slow descent into blob-dom.  There was always a reason to skip exercise (like sleeping) and to eat at my favorite Mexican Cantina (along with a margarita or two...).

So how did I change it?
I had to carve out space for me - and so I chose to enroll in a nutritional degree program.  I could pour myself into a curriculum that was fun.  It was my gift to myself.   It inspired me to stay true to healthy eating, juicing, cleansing and reading.  It was my haven.  I became healthier and revitalized.

When you begin to feel that higher vibration of true health, you begin to seek joy in all areas of life.  Even though I loved my work, the small negatives had begun to pile up and the management had turned sour.  It took a new job to drive home the realization of how essential it is to be valued, appreciated and supported.  This is the true nourishment we all seek.

I would not have moved away from that old job if I had not trusted my choices in food.  Food and nutrition helped put me on the right path.  It was food itself that allowed me to feel that higher vibration and increased awareness that led to a new job, and to the balance I'm feeling today.  So I began to increase my intake of raw foods, and try to avoid processed foods.

When we eat foods in their natural state, we are assimilating their energies. 
It is not possible to eat a piece of fresh fruit or a raw vegetable and feel bloated or sluggish.  So it is very important to eat as much raw foods as possible.  You will simply have more energy and feel lighter.  (I am not referring to raw meats or fish at all - only fruits, veggies and grains!) Cooking food destroys their enzymes and degrades their vibrational level.  These raw healthier foods also improve your physical state and clear your mind of fogginess. 


Great stress doesn't happen overnight, and returning to Balance also takes time.  Making a major change in my diet caused me to breathe a little deeper, eat little better and exercise a little more.  I found that I had the awareness and the strength to make life changes that supported my path.  I became my own best advocate and started saying "No" to commitments and situations.  It was not always a smooth transition, and some times I found  the people around me were less than willing to accept my new choices.  Leaving toxic relationships opened doors to fresh clean ones!  These relationships reflected the higher vibration and happiness I felt inside. 

Today!

I made one more job change that moved me away from bedside nursing.  I am now a kidney transplant coordinator.  Most of my hours are M-F.  Once again, I am taken aback by the impact a clear choice can make.  My work schedule is now standardized.  I am finally in sync with my family.  We eat dinner together and go to church together.  Attending evening events at school no longer requires herculean efforts to switch shifts.  I can be present in ways denied to me before, and I am content for now.

Today I will remember.  Unshakable calm.  
I've been eating fruits, veggies and minimal sweets.  4 days a week I am conditioning my muscles, heart and lungs.  Sweating feels good.  Today I had a delicious protein powder berry smoothie post work out.  I made a tofu green curry stir fry for dinner that rocked.  Yes, I had made important changes, but when I consistently made healthy unprocessed nutritional food, I was able to transform to a higher level of joy. 

What a great day!  My life is flowing peacefully.

I wish you much peace and good food!

I got enough sleep last night.
I didn't get it all done.
But that's okay
I ate enough.
I'm not tired.
I still tip over in yoga...
I feel at peace

                                                                                      ~ Rose

Injury Got You Down?

Most athletes at one point in their journey must deal with an injury.

What is the best advice here?
First of all, listen to your coach - they know the you the best and have helped many athletes through injuries before.  They have a lot of insight and often a "rehab" program that will directly address that specific situation.  Naturally they will recommend an x-ray or other tests that are needed to assess the extent of the problem.

I am thankful for my daughter's coach who consistently listens, evaluates and decides what is needed.  She often brings in an expert who specializes in sports injuries for additional advice.  So for the recent high ankle sprain that we are dealing with, I feel like my girl is in the right hands.  :)

Secondly, for the parent it is important to not Panic, not Pamper and not Protect.
          Panic: Let cooler heads prevail.  Believe me, I get this one...I kind of lose it when one of my kids starts to bleed.  As a nurse I can handle lots of un-pleasantries, so it seems that I would be the best resource for an injury - well - as long as its not MY kid!  I am somewhat embarrassed to say that when one of my kids gets hurt, I sort of run around in circles not knowing what to do.  My husband learned this early and just steps in for me - thank God.  Now I also have a calm coaching staff to handle the initial situation, then they talk to me, and I try to act cool, but inside I'm a wreck.

           Pamper:  One of the tough parts is to trust in the healing process.  Our bodies are designed to heal.  We get a scrape and it scabs over and heals without any help from us.  Yes, we should keep it clean, but the rest of the healing is directed by the wisdom of the body.  AND you also need to stay active - it is not wise to stay away from exercise completely - for a number of reasons:

1.  We lose up to 2% of muscle strength every day on bed rest, and as much as 10% decrease in blood volume!  That's a hell of a lot to lose for the athlete who worked so hard to become strong.  Stay active.
2.  Exercise releases hormones that keep you balanced emotionally and physically.  Any sudden change in exercise will have a negative effect on hormonal balance.  Hormones regulate all our organs and are essential to maintaining balance.
3. Weight bear on the injured area as soon as allowed by your doctor.  (I tend to be more independent and let my body decide when it can tolerate it.)  With crutches my daughter could not weight bear, but with a special boot that cushions and cradles the foot she is walking already. 

          Protect:  What do I mean, not protect?  The faster the athlete is up and moving in a normal fashion, the faster they will heal.  My daughter: Even with the swelling and bruising, she will be out of that boot faster than if she hobbled around on crutches forever.  If you've ever been in the hospital you know that the nurses will push you to get up and out of bed the day after surgery.   It has been proven that prolonged inactivity slows the recovery and also sets you up for complications.  For athletes it is no different - so get it moving as soon as possible!  Re-establishing a normal range of motion is very important.  If this is done during the healing process, you will have optimal function.  Consider the example of a person who neglects this to the point of not performing range of motion.  The joint can form a contracture, which is scar tissue build-up that forms across the joint which prevents normal flexion/ extension - this would be devastating for an athlete.  ROM exercises prevent contractures from even forming.  If you over-protect you will end up with more complications, less range of motion and much weaker than you need to be.

Thirdly, there are steps we can take to support this healing process.  Food.  (C'mon - you know I was going there!)

Healing foods:
1. Fresh vegetable:  A raw veggie is packed with enzymes.  These enzymes assist with all cellular functions and play a big role in reducing inflammation.  When you cook a food over ----- degrees, it destroys these beneficial enzymes.  So bring on the carrot sticks, pea pods, red peppers and romaine salad!  For kids it is best to allow a fun dip, like hummus or even Ranch dressing to sell those veggies.
2. Fresh fruit:  Use these as snack (pair it with a protein like nuts)  All fruit have enzymes; pineapple is notable for its powerful anti-inflammatory properties.  Buy it and learn to cut it!  See my blog: http://nutritionbyrose.blogspot.com/2011/11/nutrition-is-more-than-numbers-game.html
3.  Fish:  The oil in fish is another highly beneficial anti-inflammatory.
4.  Protein:  You will need extra protein in your diet to heal tissues.  Protein provides the building materials for tissues.  Snack on nuts, hard boiled eggs, even slices of deli meat!  4-5 protein meals a day is optimal.

Foods that inhibit healing:
1.  Sugar.  Processed Sugar triggers inflammation.  The injury has caused enough inflammation for the immune system, so stay away from sweets unless they are natural fruits, and then combine them with protein.
2.  Soda.  Nutritionally worthless.   AND it creates electrolyte imbalances.  So what?  You need electrolytes like sodium, potassium and magnesium to keep your body running, sweating and balanced.  Learn to love fresh vegetable juice instead.  (It is better than canned vegetable juices because to sell it requires many steps which render it worthless.  A canned juice must be pasteurized which  means it is heated to hundreds of degrees, and then preserved with sodium and extra additives so it will not spoil.  Gross.)
3.  Dairy!  What?  It is high in protein and calcium.  How can that NOT be good??  Dairy is okay as an addition, not a main course.  Dairy is mucus-forming.  Mucus clogs up the lymph system, your sinuses and interferes with removal of toxins.  Seek other proteins first, and if you must, just have a bit of dairy for flavor.  That's right, save the grilled cheese and ice-cream for another day.
4.  Hot dogs.  High in nitrates, these are harmful to the heart and blood.  They are also packed with so many additives, that is is more apt to call them Mystery-Meat dogs.

There is one final aspect to injuries that I want to address.  That is the mental attitude of the athlete.  If they learn to get attention for small injuries, then they will tend to be injury-prone.  Everyone likes attention, and reinforcing the injury scenario with lots of fuss is doing them a disservice.  Best to be matter of fact, then move on with praise for good effort and focusing on what is going well with practice.  They will learn to accept injury as a temporary nuisance.  Keep that positive feedback flowing for what you want to see.  Think 10:1  People/ athletes respond to this ratio.  So if you mention the injury 10 times more often than any other aspect of the sport, they will learn to focus on the injury.  If you give praise 10 times more often than anything else, they will learn to focus on the good effort and seek the praise.

Once again, this has been fun!  I hope it is helpful to you.
See you again soon!

Let me know how it goes!

~ Rose

Get Comfortable in Your Kitchen!

Are You comfortable in your kitchen?!

I am full of ideas for you to create a better relationship with food.  But the very first step is to get you in that kitchen!!  Some of you hardly have time to prepare meals because of work, kids, and life in general (I'm in this category).  This is the #1 obstacle to changing dietary habits.

So what you need is 4 basics.  I'm sure you have them.

• Cutting board
• Knives 
• A good stainless steel skillet
• 10 minutes

Here is a great quick meal - faster than heating up something from a box.
1) Cook some noodles.  Any kind.  A box of linguine or shells or egg noodles.  Whatever you fancy.
Or even better, make a box of couscous.  (Boil water, add some olive oil, take it off the heat and toss in your couscous.  Easiest pasta EVER.)

2) Cut up 1/4 onion, a clove of garlic and toss them into some olive oil in a skillet (medium heat)
Take your favorite veggies (may I suggest pea pods, carrots, red bell pepper and pineapple?) and cut them in whatever shape you want.  Use canned pineapple. Now add them to your onions. Drizzle on honey, soy sauce and add a dash of herbs - like basil and/or coriander!  Stir for a few minutes until heated through and serve over pasta.

3) Optional protein add-in: Add a handful of almonds or walnuts to the stir fry and after putting it over the pasta, top with shredded cheddar

So, does this even compare with a microwave??  NOOO!

What are you waiting for?  Get in your kitchen and do this.  It will take 15 minutes. (Whoops I meant 10!) Definitely worth it.  And in less time than you spend waiting for the microwave, you have a fresh and lovely stir fry.  Who knew?  You're a chef!

Let me know how it goes!

~ Rose

Whey-ing in on Protein Powders

Good morning!

"What kind of protein powder do you use?"

We seem to be universally sold on the idea of protein as an intelligent supplement.  Protein powder provides us with all the materials needed for repair and rebuilding of our muscles. These powders can be added easily to water or juice or smoothies for a post-workout power-up.

Why We Need Protein; A Quick Review:
Protein repairs and rebuilds tissues.  When we exercise we are pushing our body's ability to perform.  Our bodies respond by tearing down muscle fiber and rebuilding a stronger muscle. Athletes will need more protein because they rebuilding muscle tissue constantly.  The young athlete has an even higher demand because they need protein for growth and training.

 

How much does the average Joe need? Avg Joe is a 154 pound man
First: Convert weight in pounds to kilograms by dividing by 2.2
Second: Multiply by 0.8 which is how much protein the average person needs per kg

• ex: 154pounds/ 2.2kg/pound = 70kg
• 70kg x 0.8gm/kg = 57.6gm = 58 grams of protein/day

Athletes can require upwards of 1.7gm of protein per kg.
This is double the requirement for average Joe.


So let's take a real world example.  A gymnast puts in 20+ hours per week at the gym.  She weighs 105 pounds.  Using the above formula, her daily protein requirement is 81.  We must acknowledge that this athlete will have an extremely high activity level, so protein requirements will be at least 10gm more. Her need is 91gms

Typical daily intake:
8 oz milk + CIB (carnation instant bfast)            15gm
Muffin                                                                 6
4 oz chicken wrap                                              29
Apple                                                                   0
4oz kielbasa                                                       15
4oz BBQ Chicken                                              18
Rice and veggies                                                3
Ice cream                                                            7
_________________________________________    TOTAL PROTEIN = 93gm


Consider that lunch will usually have a lower amount of protein, closer to 10gm.  There are many days were she dose not eat the pre-workout kielbasa, instead opting for  a bagel or just fruit.
So the total protein range can fluctuate by 30grams easily.

Over-All Goals for calories:
Protein 22%
Fat 18%
Carbohydrates 60%

Her protein intake is only 19%, And WOW - look at the fat consumption!  36% of her total calorie intake - when it should be closer to 18%.  Carbs are 45%.  Why is the fat content so high?  Because most proteins in their natural form contain fat.  Why?  Fat assists the body absorb and digest protein.  But at this level, we need to consider ways to reduce that fat content.  Below is a list of protein alternatives that are lower in fat than most meat and dairy options

Natural foods that are packed with protein, and also low fat:

• Lentil soup 1 cup = 7.8gm Protein + 1.5gm Fat     Ratio 5:1
• Tofu, firm 4oz = 8.4gm Protein + 2.2gm Fat     Ratio 4:1
• 2 oz cooked Salmon = 13.3gm Protein + 2.4gms Fat     Ratio 5:1
• Cottage cheese 2% = 15.5gm Protein + 2.2gm Fat      Ratio 6:1
• 4oz boiled chicken breast = 16.8gm Protein + 4.4gm Fat     Ratio 4:1
•  
• 4oz Tilapia = 29.7gm Protein + 3.0gm Fat     Ratio 10:1
• Wild Rice 1 cup = 6.5gm Protein + 0.6gm Fat     Ratio 11:1
• 
  
• Tuna 1/2 cup canned = 18.7gm Protein  + 0.6gm Fat     Ratio 31:1
• Hard boiled egg, whites only = 7.2gm Protein + 0.1gm Fat     Ratio  72:1

Protein powder is a quick source of protein without the fat (typically 20 grams  Protein per scoop) so it is easy to see why it is popular with athletes; a low fat/high protein boost to their daily regimen.

"So which protein powder to buy?  Whey or Casein or Soy???"

Casein:

• Casein releases its proteins and peptides over a longer period of time.
• Casein is a more natural form and friendlier to digestion.
• Casein is less expensive.  
• Casein is a dairy product

Whey:

• Whey allows the anabolic window (muscle building/repair) to remain open longer.
• Whey has more branched chain amino acids which is the preferred mechanism for energy delivery 
• Whey is a dairy product

Soy:

• Soy is a complete protein - one of the few meatless complete proteins
• Soy is estrogen-ic which can aide in balancing hormones for menopausal women 
• Soy is friendlier to the environment to produce; takes less land, less water and less fuel

"I'm lactose intolerant!  Neither whey or casein will work for me.  What now?"

Intolerance is just that - you can only tolerate a small amount.  Usually a small amount of lactose can be present in your diet.  If you are looking for a protein powder, find one with less than 0.1 grams of lactose per tbsp.  Whey isolate should fit this bill.  You can also turn to soy protein which has no lactose in it.

"Is too much protein a bad thing?" 

Anyone with kidney disease needs to be careful with protein supplementation.  Why? Kidneys excrete urea, which is a byproduct of protein metabolism, and excess dietary protein will stress the already impaired kidney function.

Cheaper Alternatives to protein powder:

Tuna, cottage cheese and milk powder are all much cheaper forms of protein and offer similar amino acid profiles as protein powder.


Finally I have returned to blog!!  I hope you enjoyed this post!  
And as usual...

Let me know how it goes!

~Rose

I quit coffee

Coffee L*O*V*E

Stomach P-A-I-N

I finally had to admit that my morning coffee was wreaking havoc on my digestion.  Even with a beautiful breakfast of fruit and oatmeal to soften its bite, I could no longer ignore my discomfort.  Along with stomach pain I had increasing anxiety, shakiness followed by mid-day exhaustion and puffy eyelids.  Hey, I'm over 40, but I don't have to look it!

I enjoy work - it is good for the soul.  But I was looking and feeling out of balance.  I was TIRED.  So naturally it was time to take action!  My adrenals need a better back-up and I know my kidneys will thank me too.


3 days off work will give me the start I need.
Day 1: Drinking lots of water, took aspirin and keeping busy.  My head is a pulsating melon in the evening.

Day 2: Drinking lots of water, took aspirin and stopped moving.  Movement means the rubber-band around my head gets tighter.  Just tired - wow - realizing how exhausted I must have been.  Coffee was masking my exhaustion.  Hard to stay focused on any task.  Walking around squinting.  Drank some wine at night more for the relaxing buzz than anything else.  Probably foolish because of the dehydrating effect, but at that point I was looking for relief.

Day 3: Moo-ing on chips.  I must need salt. My head is hinting at clarity.

Other observations:

Hot water with lemon zest is a very satisfying hot substitute.  This got me through a conference where there was a spread of sweets and a fantastic (though untested) coffee bar.

One of my biggest temptations to succumb to coffee's lure came at an unexpected moment.  I was waiting for my daughter at an orthodontist office one morning.  It was a long 2 hour appointment, and in the waiting room was a stand with fresh coffee.  oooohh.  That's not fair.  I had anticipated temptation at work and at my favorite local coffee shop, but not here, not now.  Innocuous.  At this point it was a mental test but I managed to not cave in thanks to good conversation with a friend! 

Co-workers were the least supportive.  When I declined a coffee run it was met with "I could never do that!"  and "Really??  Let me know if you change your mind!"  After a week though, pretty much everyone gets over it and you move on.  Explanations involving physical discomfort are the most accepted.  Only true friends will understand the other (and just as compelling) explanation of the search for balance.

About 10 days into my plan I found that I was drinking a lot of water, but not producing much.  It was a shift in my entire system to rehydrate properly.  I can feel this all over - wow. 

My puffy eyelids are improving - not that it was bad or really noticeable to begin with, but how many parents do you see without bags under and over their eyes?  This is a sign of kidney stress. We need to learn to read our bodies.  It is amazing what it will tell you if you listen.

Now I am caffeine free.  Pain-free.  I no longer have much anxiety or shakiness, and my mid-day exhaustion has diminished dramatically!  I am one happy camper now.  Herbal teas are wonderful, and orange zest with a cinnamon stick works great too!

There is always a solution.

This would not be complete without sharing that I have made other changes prior to this step that contributed to my success.  I changed jobs to improve my work/life balance.  I now work 4 days a week, I exercise regularly, the family is eating better more wholesome food and we have more time together.  These changes all generate good hormones and a restful attitude.  Giving up the coffee is now icing on the cake.  I don't ever want to rely on "Rocket Fuel" again.

Thanks for listening.  This has been quite the self-serving blog, but perhaps it will inspire you to work to find balance in your life.

Until next time,

Let me know how it goes!

~Rose