A Lesson in Labels

Labels can be deceiving, very deceiving.  The USDA's regulations are, well, not where they should be... let's leave it at that. (not opening up that can of worms tonight).  The phrase "you are what you eat"... means more than just the reflection of low-cal/low-fat food onto the external physique.  The abundance of chemicals and man-made 'crap' in 'food' is everywhere.  And, they are especially in low-fat/low-sugar foods.  Foods with these labels are processed so they taste like there is real fat or sugar in them... what do they use? Hydrogenated oils, saccharin, flavor enhancers such as MSG (monosodium glutamate), etc.  

So what's the problem with these additives? Well, I could go on and on... if you want a solid read... pick up Jillian Michael's "Master Your Metabolism".  Here's the issue in a nutshell; These additives are not recognized by your body as food. So what happens?  Your hormones, which regulate your metabolism, get thrown out of balance and sometimes stop working. (oh, and these additives can cause a multitude of diseases including cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, insulin resistance, and much more) What happens when your hormones are thrown out of balance and your metabolism is off kilter?  You have a really hard time maintaining an appropriate weight. These additives also strip your body of the nutrients you put in it... leaving you feeling fatigued and hungry. Would you water a plant with anything besides water? No. Why? It wouldn't recognize it.  Think of your body the same way.

Here's a list of what to look for:

Monosodium glutamate or ANY GLUTAMATES: These are flavor enhancers and what's worse? They are addictive... that's why you can't put down the Pringles. They are laced with flavor enhancers that make you keep eating.  Annoying, right? Why? They mess with brain chemistry and adversely affects hunger hormones and much more.  Glutamates are one of the worse (if not the worse) additives to put into your body. Glutamates also hide on labels as: autolyzed yeast, calcium caseinate, gelatin, glutamic acid, hydrolized corn gluten, hydrolyzed protein, monopotassium glutamate, natrium glutamate, sodium caseinate, textured protein, yeast extract, yeast food, yeast nutrient.

Sucralose 'aka' Splenda:  I eat raw sugar.  I do not eat fake sugar.  Sometimes I eat stevia because it comes from a plant extract.  Sugar has 15 calories in a tsp... that's it. Moderation is key.  So here's the deal with splenda: It's indigestible and is not naturally occurring, as they claim. And it's 'generally recognized as safe'.  What does that even mean?  Would you give your child or your dog food that is 'generally safe'?  Seriously.

The word or phrase "NATURAL" OR "ALL NATURAL":  Guess what? It means absolutely nothing in the US.  Depending on the manufacturer - it can be defined multiple different ways.  USDA Organic on the other hand... has strict USDA guidelines as to how it was grown, raised, etc. And, anything labeled 'natural' can have glutamates in them. Bad, bad, bad.

Partially hydrogenated oils or hydrogenated oils aka 'Trans Fats':  By now, there's been enough press on trans fats that most are familiar with why they are bad.  In a nutshell: They are added to foods to make them keep their shelf life longer.  Do you really want to eat a cookie that's been sitting on a shelf for 5 years? Imagine what that is doing to your insides. These fats increase your LDL (bad) cholesterol and decrease your HDL (good cholesterol.  Trans fats increase inflammation in the body and some research has found that they even make the liver stop responding to growth hormone and, in turn, metabolism.

What to do with all this information?  Just read your labels.  Any food item with the above listed ingredients will not be recognized by your body and can negatively affect your metabolism.  That's why there are SO MANY articles out there right now that promote not counting calories and just eating 'whole foods'.  Your body processes 'whole foods' and, in turn, positively affects metabolism.

Now, moderation is key.  As much as I try to avoid the above listed ingredients... I must admit that there are times (weekends) when I will have some bad foods. Nobody is perfect.  What I can tell you is that it would be hard to find them in my own apartment. 80% of the time - I am as healthy as possible.  That's my motto.  This post became much longer than originally expected so I'm going to skip 'moves of the week' today.  I hope this helps you all better navigate your labels.  Have an awesome week!

Patio Garden Salad

Ah, I love this time of year.  The warm weather, long days, outdoor activities, beaches, sunshine, etc.  This year, I decided to plant a vegetable garden on my patio (I also added some flowers for color :).  

I grew up with a gigantic vegetable garden in my family's back yard.  We always used lettuce from the garden to make salads.  I would help my mom water and had the special task of looking for the green horn worms to pull off the lettuce so they wouldn't eat it all.   They are the same exact color as the lettuce and tomato plants, so it was hard to find them!  Kept me busy for hours... haha 

I'd pick all different varieties of cherry tomatoes and eat them straight off the vine.  Then, late summer... we'd pick the biggest, ripest tomatoes and make the most delicious and juicy BLTs with real bacon on white bread with mayo.  Amazing.

My city apartments haven't provided me with the outdoor space needed to create a patio  or whiskey barrel garden... until this one.  A few weeks ago, I went down to Lambert's to pick up the starters... black seeded simpson lettuce, basil (love my caprese salads), rosemary, mint (for mojitos of course), italian flat leaf parsley (for everything), arugula, cilantro, tomatoes, and flowers.

Last week, I hadn't been food shopping in over a week but I really wanted a salad.  I sat staring at the fridge until I realized that my lettuce and basil were ready!  Below is the meal I threw together.  I always have a can of chickpeas in my cabinet... along with barilla protein plus pasta, and feta.  It came out delicious.  Here's the recipe (and it's vegetarian for those who are interested). It is also SUPER easy and QUICK.

Need:

- Lettuce from the garden (I use black seeded simpson)

- Feta

- Juice of one half lemon

- Extra Virgin Olive Oil

- Barilla Protein Plus Pasta

- Chickpeas

- Basil from the garden

- Salt, crushed red pepper, garlic, parmesan

How:

- Boil water with salt, once it starts boiling - add in pasta 

- At the same time, throw the chickpeas on a grill pan with o/o, crushed red pepper, and salt, remove once cooked through and put aside

While it cooks

- Rinse and drain lettuce and basil 

- Tear and arrange lettuce on plate, add tbs of feta, o/o, and lemon

- Dry the basil, roll and cut into thin little strips

- Once pasta is cooked... toss with chickpeas, o/o, squirt of lemon, 2 tsp of parmesan, crushed red pepper, (garlic if you have it), and basil (add the basil last)

Serve and enjoy!

I highly recommend starting a garden in the summer months. Even if you only have a few feet of outdoor space... you can use a few pots to grow basil and some lettuce.  If you don't want to start from seed, go ahead and pick up some that are already started.  Let me know if you have questions and enjoy! (oh and I randomly found a horn worm on my lettuce on my patio yesterday- brought me back.  I got rid of the little bugger!)

Left: Plant, Right: Bloom :)

Wash

Serve

Get Active

It's "Motivational Monday", making it the perfect day of the week for a little extra push to get active.  If you haven't become active yet, or, are stuck in a dull routine... now is the time to change it up, get moving, and stop making excuses.  Why? Summer is upon us, the days are longer, and the weather is gorgeous. Excuses like not having a gym membership, weights at home, or "TIME" isn't going to cut it this time of year. (I don't like excuses any time of year but this time of year, I have zero tolerance ;)

The sun is out bright and early and doesn't set until around 8pm.  Get outside, go for a run, walk or hike.  Find a local basketball court, track, or tennis court and make it fun!  Find a local beach or hiking trail and change up your running or walking routine.  Now is the time for no excuses and to make exercise a habit.

Moving on... here are my "moves of the week"! We've already talked about squats, burpees, lunges, push-ups, criss-cross, and planks! Add the following three moves and you'll have yourself a solid workout just in time for bathing suit season!

1. Star jumps - Start in a squatting position, touch the ground, then jump up and throw your legs and arms out ... like a star!  These are tough... do 8-15 depending on your level. (more if you can!)

2. Supermans - Start facing down on the floor.  Arms out straight in front of you, neck neutral, and legs together. Raise arms and legs up in the air.  This move works your erector spinae which is the opposing muscle to the abdominal and very important to work to keep your core strong and evenly balanced.  It also works glutes and hamstrings... giving a nice lift in the tush!  Do 12-20 depending on your fitness level.

3. 180 jumps - These are also tough but they are awesome.  Start in a squatting position and as you pop up, jump 180 degress and squat back down again... repeat. Do 10-30 depending on your fitness level.

Combining these 9 moves in the order that I've listed them is a great workout.  Depending on your fitness level, repeat the sequence 2-3 times (preferably after a run outside;).  I'll continue to add more moves as we progress into the summer. Let me know if I can better explain any of the moves or how to incorporate them into a workout and have a GREAT week!