Showing posts with label nutrition. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nutrition. Show all posts
6/29/10
Try It Out Tuesday - Avocados
With the 4th of July holiday coming up, and cook outs and celebrations sure to ensue, I decided that this week we would focus our Try It Out Tuesday on Avocados. Avocados were long thought of as a food that you should eat only "occasionally" because of the relatively high fat content, but upon closer inspect recently have become listed as a super food because of the heart healthy benefits and antioxidants that they contain (in addition to their fat being the "healthy kind.")
All About Avocados
According to the research that I read in preparation for writing up this Try It Out Tuesday, avocados can sometimes because called the "alligator pear" because of the shape of the fruit and it's thick, leathery skin. I've never personally heard them called that, but some of you may be more familiar with the terminology.
Avocados are grown all over the world, from South America to the islands of the South Pacific. They are grown on trees, and when fully grown they can weigh somewhere between 8 ounces and 3 pounds (!!). Once picked, they take about 6-9 days to ripen, after which time they have a very soft, buttery texture and richness.
Nutritional Benefits
Aside from the olive, avocados have the highest monounsaturated fat content of any fruit at 20%. They also contain smaller amounts of saturated fats and polyunsaturated fats. They contain three times the potassium content of a banana, as well as vitamin A, C, some Bs, folic acid, calcium, iron, magnesium, and phosphorus. Avocados have been shown to reduce the risk of prostate, oral, and breast cancers. In addition, they also have more lutein than any other commonly consumed fruit, which is key in fighting age related macular degeneration (which is the leading cause of age related blindness). Avocados also contain key ingredients which help with heart health, stroke prevention, and lowering your cholesterol. Finally, some research has shown that nutrients are better absorbed when eaten with avocados (although you could presume this would also apply to other foods that are high in monounsaturated fats). In one study, people that ate avocados in their salads absorbed five times the amount of carotenoids (compounds that protect against chronic diseases) than people who did not pair their salad with avocados.
Ways to Incorporate Avocados
My favorite: guacamole! Other suggestions include:
- Avocado Frappe
- Coconut-Avocado Ice Cream
- Mexican Baked Fish
- Quesadillas
- Avocado, Tomato, and Mango Salsa
- Cobb Salad
- Absolutely Amazing Ahi
- Cobb Sandwich
Or you could do what was common when I was traveling in South America, and just slice it up and eat it by itself! Yum!
I can't wait to try out some new avocado recipes, and maybe even be generous and bring them to a 4th of July celebration to share the healthy deliciousness! I would love for you all to share your favorite avocado recipes or uses, so leave a link or recipe in the comments section and I will be sure to check it out! Have fun adding avocados to your diet this week!
This post is part of
6/25/10
Why is it so hard to lose the last 5 pounds?
This is the last question in a series of "5 key questions about weight loss" from Time magazine. You can read the previous ones listed below:
- Why does it get hard to lose weight as you age?
- What kind of exercise is best for me?
- Why doesn't exercise help you lose weight?
- Do diet sodas make you gain weight?
The last question in the 5 key questions is "Why is it so hard to lose those last 5 to 10 pounds?"
Time's answer is that the bigger you are, the more calories you burn. Therefore, with the more weight you lose, the fewer calories you are burning and the more you have to work to burn the calories.
That answer is true, for sure, but there is more to the story. In my opinion, there are a few combined reasons why those last few pounds are hard to lose.
First off, you do burn fewer calories as you get smaller. You burn less through living, and also less in your activities. For example, if I am 5'4 and weigh 140lbs, my basal metabolic rate would be around 1452. This means that even if I were to stay in bed all day long and mope about, I would burn 1452 calories throughout the day just by being alive. Things like hair and nail growth, breathing, heart beating, etc, all take calories in order to function, so I would burn 1452. Now if I were that same 5'4 female, but I lost weight and now weigh 115, my BMR would be around 1343. Even though my body still needs to do all the things that it did before, because it is smaller now it burns less energy through these processes. So that approximately 110 calories per day won't be a deal breaker, but equates to around one pound a month that you were losing before that you aren't losing now.
The second part of this is that your calories burned during exercise change as you lose weight. Just like your body expends less energy by simply living, it also expends less energy through exercise, because you aren't moving as much weight. For example, a 155 pound person running 5.2 mph (11.5 minute miles) for an hour would burn around 633 calories. That same person, once they lost some weight and got down to 130 pounds would burn around 530 calories doing the exact same exercise at the same speed. Again, this 100 calorie difference isn't going to be a make or break difference, but if you combine these two ideas, you are burning 200 calories less per day, which would have been a pound of weight loss every 17-18 days that you aren't having now.
The third part of this equation is that people often try to lose the last 5-10 pounds by starving off, which is not only unhealthy, but also not effective. If you are a fan of Jillian Michaels and read her books or listen to her podcasts at all, you'll know this information already, but bear with me. For someone that is drastically overweight, your body wants to get rid of the excess weight. Therefore, if you are overweight and cut down to 1200 calories per day and exercise, you'll lose weight because your body will dive into the fat stores that you have and burn them for energy. On the other hand, if you are near your healthy weight for your body, your body doesn't want to get rid of that extra fat. There hasn't always been a grocery store every mile, so our bodies have evolved to store fat for a little extra energy when food is scarcer. With a few extra pounds on you, your body is happy because it has a little safety net. So if you start to starve yourself in order to get rid of those last few pounds, your body is really going to think food is scarce, and hold onto those fat stores like there is no tomorrow. Physiologically speaking, we don't need muscle in the same vital way that we need fat, so if your body fears that it is starving it will begin to burn up your expendable muscle tissue, and hold onto the fat to keep you functioning.
All that being said to point out that as you approach the last 5-10 pound realm, you need to eat! I've heard Jillian Michaels say multiple times that to lose those last few pounds the best thing to do is to eat around your BMR level (you can calculate that here) and make the calorie deficit through exercise alone so that you won't end up starving your body.
The final part of the 5-10 pound equation is setting realistic goals. Sometimes, people have trouble losing those last 5-10 pounds because they have set their goals at an unrealistic number for their height, build, or age (here is a chart that shows a range for each height). If your goal is unrealistic, you are going to feel like a constant failure as you struggle to starve yourself thinner (see #3 above). Often times, I've heard people say that as you approach your goal weight, it is better to weigh yourself less and focus more on your body composition and how you feel/look in your clothes. It can get very discouraging and unhealthy to focus so much on a number, so just try to see how you are feeling and if you really even need to lose those last few pounds.
I hope you have enjoyed my take on Time's answers to the 5 key questions about weight loss. Leave me a comment if you have any more questions, as I would love to answer them! I know this site is mostly about healthy life choices relating to food, but often times weight loss does go hand in hand with working toward a healthy lifestyle, so I wanted to touch on that aspect as well.
6/23/10
Diet Sodas and Weight Gain
You can find the answers to the previous questions at Why does it get harder to lose weight as I get older, Which kind of exercise is best for me, and Why doesn't exercise help you lose weight?
The fourth question in the time series is "Can Diet Sodas actually make you gain weight?"
Ah, the age old (or at least as long as aspartame has been around) question. I'm going to temporarily ignore the fact that Diet Soda is up there as one of the last "real foods" that you can eat. We all know that Diet Soda is not good for you, so instead I am going to focus merely on the weight loss aspect of this, since that is the theme of the key questions. You can read more about my feelings on artificial sweeteners at Work On It Wednesday - Artificial Sweeteners.
Time's answer to this question is pretty good. Basically the gist of it is that artificial sweeteners do two things - 1) make you desensitized to sweetness, since the artificial sweeteners is about 100 times sweeter than natural sweeteners, and 2) make you crave more sweet foods, since you are not getting the calories that your body expects from the artificial sweeteners.
In 2005 the University of Texas at San Antonio conducted a study that suggested that there is a 41% increase in the risk of being overweight for each can or bottle of diet soft drinks that a person consumes each day. That is crazy! That means for someone that drinks one can a day of Diet Coke (which is a fairly low amount in the world of Diet Coke drinkers), your risk increases by 41%, but for a person that drinks two Diet Cokes a day, the risk goes up by 82%! On the other hand, regular soft drinkers' risk for obesity was hovering around 30% per can they drink per day.
According to Dr. Katz of the Oprah show, animal research that has been done on artificial sweeteners suggest that eating sweet foods causes your body to expect a rush in calories (energy). Since artificial sweeteners do not contain those calories, the brain begins to lose the ability to judge how much you have eaten overall, and thus you begin to overeat and gain weight (this study was done on rats).
Another aspect of the whole debate is that often times people who are drinking Diet Cokes are also eating other unhealthy foods - like diet cookies, low fat, processed, junk. All of these foods contain similar artificial and "replacement" ingredients, so your body is not getting the satisfaction of the calories and nutrients it needs. Like we talked about in "Why I am reducing my grain consumption..." eating these processed (often times very high in carbohydrate) foods can leave you with cyclical cravings which make you always want more. Pair that with the fact that often times processed sweets are much sweeter than the sweet foods found in nature (compare a twinkie to an apple), and you can see how all of the processed foods, including but not limited to diet sodas, can cause your body to be desensitized to the sweetness and begin to expect more. This, going hand in hand with the other information, can definitely cause overeating in a desire to satiate those sweet cravings.
I personally have found all of these things to be true. When I drink more diet soda, I have worse sugar cravings. I also have worse cravings for diet sodas during times that I crave more unhealthy foods, so it does become a cycle. I truly believe in the addictive power of diet sodas. Not only do I love the caffeine (which you can still get from healthier choices, like organic coffee), but something about the sweetness is very hard for me to turn down. The biggest factors that I think of when I am trying to resist the urge of a Diet Coke is that I drink less water when we have Cokes in the house, since I am replacing my water sipping with Coke sipping, and also that I do have terribly, unbelievably strong sweet cravings when I drink it. Overall, I don't have a huge sweet tooth, but when I eat artificial sweeteners, it ignites in me a sweet tooth that is powerfully strong. This begins a cycle of carb cravings, which leave me feeling awful. So as I've heard many trainers and dietitians say, when you are thinking of indulging in something (a brownie sundae, skipping a work out, a diet coke, or whatever), think of the long term effect. For me, the long term effect is feeling sluggish, lethargic, and constantly dealing with cravings for at least a day, sometimes two, so the Diet Coke is not usually worth it.
6/22/10
Try It Out Tuesday - Leafy Green Vegetables
Update: Last week's Try It Out Tuesday - Peppers was a great success! I got some really wonderful feedback from readers about the different ways that they try and use peppers in their everyday lives, like Audrey who said that her family basically loves peppers in everything! Personally, we ran out of peppers fairly early on in the week because we added them to so many different foods (and didn't buy any more because of trying to stick to my grocery budget) but overall I feel like we have some great suggestions on ways to use peppers in the future, and we've developed a taste for hot peppers which we didn't previously know that we liked!
This week's Try It Out Tuesday will focus in on leafy green vegetables. I picked leafy green vegetables because I went to the farmer's market in my town last weekend, and this is mostly what they had. Since I live in a colder climate, they are just now started to get the root vegetables and greens in season (can you believe the farmer's market just opened last weekend!?) I'm excited to be able to try something that is undeniably good for us, and also in season and thus cheaper too!
All About Greens
Leafy green vegetables make up a broad category, and include some real nutritional powerhouses. Greens can be used in a variety of different ways, and often times are very easily substituted for other, less nutrient dense, foods (like substituting spinach in a salad instead of iceberg lettuce, which is mostly water). Greens are definitely something you should consider buying organically grown - spinach and kale make the list of the dirty dozen most contaminated conventionally grown foods, and thedailygreen.com also groups them together as "leafy greens" and says that they are "frequently contaminated with what are considered the most potent pesticides used on foods (51 of them)." Definitely keep that in mind as you buy them, and do what you can within the budget that you have.
Nutritional Benefits
Dark leafy greens are, calorie for calorie, one of the most concentrated sources of vitamins and phytonutrients that you can find. They are also low in fat, high in fiber, iron, and calcium, and contain such good-for-you things as folic acid, vitamin K, vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, lutein, and beta-carotene.
One article I read claimed that vitamin K was probably the standout nutrient of all that dark leafy greens contain. This is because the greens contain so much of it, and it can help with a variety of physical ailments. One cup of cooked greens provides up to nine times the daily amount of vitamin K that you need, and even a couple of cups of salad greens can usually provide as much as you need. Vitamin K contributes to the regulation of blood clotting, may help to prevent cardiovascular problems, diabetes, and osteoporosis, and may help to protect against inflammatory diseases.
Additionally, since leafy greens contain so much lutein and zeaxanthin, they can help to reduce the onset of eye related diseases, such as macular degeneration (the leading cause of age related blindness) and cataracts. Some studies also hint at a connection between these two carotenoids and a reduction in certain types of cancer, such as lung and breast (and other nutrients in greens also help to protect against colon, stomach, ovarian, and skin cancer), and a reduction in heart disease and strokes.
To sum it up, green leafy vegetables really don't have any drawbacks, and can help protect you against so many diseases that they are definitely worth your while to try out!
Ways to Incorporate Greens
I'm going to go out on a limb this week and really give some new greens a shot. There are so many types, ranging from the pretty common (spinach, collards) to the not-so-common (kohlrabi, bok choy).
Here are some ideas on ways to incorporate them to your diet:
- Replace salad greens with spinach or even romaine lettuce
- Add them to an omelet (are you seeing a reoccurring trend here!?)
- Chop very find (or puree in a blender) to add in things like sauces, dressings, etc.
- Chard and Feta Tart
- Collard Greens and Black Eye Pea Soup
- Kale and Potato Hash
- Creamed Spinach
- Baby Bok Choy with Cashews
- Broccoli Rabe with onions
- Mustard Greens
This will be a challenge for me, as we normally only eat spinach on a regular basis, but I am excited to dive into some new, exciting, and most of all, healthy foods! How are you going to incorporate greens into your diet, or how do you already? I would love to hear your suggestions!
This post is a member of:
Kelly the Kitchen Kop's Real Food Wednesday
Food Renegade's Fight Back Friday
6/17/10
Why Doesn't Exercise Help You Lose Weight?
Time magazine had an article back in March about weight loss and exercise. The article was answering "5 key questions about weight loss," and had some interesting ideas that I wanted to share with you all. I know that typically on Just Add Lauren, I talk mostly about eating real, whole foods. However, this is because the diet journey that I am moving on is more a process for me than the fitness one. I have always been athletic and active, and now is no exception. I definitely do not want to give the impression that I do not work out, because I work out on average about 4 hours a week, sometimes more depending on how motivated I am. I say this not to make anyone feel guilty or to praise myself, but just to simply state that I think that a well rounded, healthy lifestyle incorporates real foods and some form of exercise. For me, the real food aspect of it is a bit more difficult than the fitness aspect, so that is why I write mostly about that.
Moving on…
I’m going to be working through these questions one by one in a series of posts, so look for my take on the rest of the questions that were asked in the coming days.
The first question that was asked in the Time article was “Why doesn’t exercise help you to lose weight?”
Time responded by saying that often times when a person works out, they tend to compensate for the calories they burn during a workout by eating more. In addition, people can often “reward” themselves for being active by eating a treat. They also said that people that work out can replace the fat they have on their bodies with muscle, which is more dense than fat and therefore can cause them to stay the same weight or even gain weight.
I agree with aspects of this answer. I think there can be certain people who will eat more because they know that they have worked out, and so they reward themselves with a good dessert or snack. For many people, though, I know that exercise just makes them hungrier. When I run, I find that I am absolutely famished about 45 minutes after I am finished running. The best way to combat this hunger is to eat something after your workout, but before that wave of starvation hits you. My advice would be to eat something with a combination of carbs and protein. I like a few (like 8-10) almonds, a slice of fruit, or eggs (or a mixture of more than one of these). Also good would be a slice of bread with nut butter, or a fruit with nut butter. I would definitely not reward yourself with something sweet after a workout, since this will cause the series of ups and downs that I talked about in Why I'm Reducing My Grain Consumption, and 5 Reasons Why You Should Too.
The other part of this that I wanted to talk about was the whole “muscle weighs more than fat” argument. Seriously, I am so tired of hearing this argument. First off, muscle does not weigh more than fat. One pound of muscle weighs the exact same one pound as one pound of fat. Muscle is simply denser – meaning that for the same amount of space that it is taking up, muscle will weigh more. However, usually people have to very consciously and purposefully try to gain muscle. It doesn’t usually just happen – especially to someone who is cutting calories and trying to lose weight. I am a member of the weight loss site, Sparkpeople, and I often visit their message boards. I will see people write on there that they have worked out for two weeks, and have gained 5 pounds. Others will respond “it is probably muscle, since muscle weighs more than fat.” Argh! You all know that I’m a huge Jillian Michaels fan. I listen to her podcasts while I run, she said one time on a podcast that over the course of a season of the Biggest Loser, she has had contestant put on about 11 pounds of muscle. That is over the course of 4-5 months, and working out about 8-10 hours a day with a world-class trainer, and eating very carefully! Water weight does fluctuate wildly (especially in women) and can cause temporary weight gain, but chances are if you have put on some weight recently, it is either a) you are eating too many calories for the amount that you are burning or b) you are retaining water, which can be blamed on a variety of different factors.
Ok, end rant about the muscle weighing more than fat issue, and getting back to the original question.
Exercise can make you not lose weight for all the reasons listed above, and beginning an exercise program definitely makes you muscles retain water for a period of time. If you are just starting out on an exercise regime, give it at least a month, maybe closer to 6-8 weeks before you get discouraged or say that you aren’t seeing any progress. Although exercise all by itself will not be the magic bullet in making you lose weight, it is certainly part of a well rounded lifestyle and is extremely important in things such as mood lifting, helps you sleep better, lowers your risk of some diseases, etc. You should not see exercise as the key to being able to eat whatever you want, whenever you want, but you definitely should see it as one part of an overall healthy lifestyle.
Exercise can make you not lose weight for all the reasons listed above, and beginning an exercise program definitely makes you muscles retain water for a period of time. If you are just starting out on an exercise regime, give it at least a month, maybe closer to 6-8 weeks before you get discouraged or say that you aren’t seeing any progress. Although exercise all by itself will not be the magic bullet in making you lose weight, it is certainly part of a well rounded lifestyle and is extremely important in things such as mood lifting, helps you sleep better, lowers your risk of some diseases, etc. You should not see exercise as the key to being able to eat whatever you want, whenever you want, but you definitely should see it as one part of an overall healthy lifestyle.
6/15/10
New Standards for Organic Milk
Basically, the rules go into effect June 17 (this coming Thursday) are the goal of them is to standardize organic milk production and make it a little clearer to the consumer exactly what you are paying for. Already, to be labeled organic milk, the milk must come from cows that were not fed genetically modified seeds, food that was treated with pesticides, or food that was treated with chemical fertilizers. In addition "organic" cows can not be given any hormones or antibiotics.
The new rules aim to close the little loophole that allows milk producers to basically raise their organic cows in the same way that conventional cows are raised, minus the changes that I listed above. The new rules state that "organic milk" cows have to be in the pasture during the entire grazing season, and have to have 30% of their total diet come from grazing. In addition, farmers in regions with fairly temperate weather, such as the Southeast and California, are expected to have their cows out in the pasture for much longer than the mandatory 120 days.
The benefits of milk from grass fed cows is fairly substantial in my book. Some studies suggest that milk from grass fed cows has up to 60% more omega 3 fatty acids than conventional milk. This would be of particular interest to me, since I do not eat seafood, and am always looking for ways to up my omega 3 levels.
The biggest source of my mixed feelings about the new organic milk standards comes from the ways that some of the aspects of it are worded. I like that they put a minimum standard - at least 30% of their food must be from grazing, and they should be in the pasture for a minimum of 120 days. However, I worry a bit about things such as "access to pasture." One article I read said that livestock is exempt from the new standards during the finishing phase (no more than 120 days) but must have "access to pasture" during that time. From everything I've read about animals such as "free range" chickens, having access to pasture really doesn't mean a thing. Like I said though, the minimum standards don't seem to be as arbitrarily worded to me, which gives me hope. I would love to know that not only are we drinking organic milk, but that it is actually milk that was made in the way that cows are supposed to live, at least for 120 days of their lives.
What do you think? Do the new standards make you want to buy more organic milk, or does it not really affect your decision about whether or not to purchase organic?
Sources:
LA Times Article
NPR article
Try It Out Tuesday - Peppers
This week's Try It Out Tuesday focuses around peppers - red, yellow, green, hot, and sweet! Peppers, kind of like members of the allium family, can be added to a variety of dishes to spice up the taste, add a little color, or just contribute a new, subtle flavor.
Growing up, I never ate many peppers, so adding them to my diet has been a conscious effort for me. I have friends who have chopped peppers in every salad they eat, but I just rarely think about adding them. I don't love them, I don't hate them. I really feel pretty neutral all around about them, so I think they will be a fairly easy Try It Out Tuesday, since it really just is a matter of being aware of adding them to my diet.
All About Peppers
There are two basic kinds of peppers: bell and chili. Bell Peppers are the large, roundish ones that come in green, red, yellow, and orange. For the most part, they have a pretty mild taste (green peppers are the least mild) and they add a bit of crunch to a dish without drastically changing the flavor. They can be added to things like sauces, casseroles, and even omelets to add a little something extra (and can be cut very very small so that your children/spouse hardly notices, if they aren't that into peppers).
Chili peppers can not be so easily disguised, mostly because they so drastically change the flavor of whatever you are cooking. Chili peppers are great in Mexican or other spicy foods, and the flavors meld well in dishes like fajitas and jerk chicken.
Nutritional Benefits
Bell peppers are a great source of vitamins A, C, and K, and Potassium. Red peppers also contain lycopene, which is a chemical that can help reduce the risk of multiple types of cancers, including prostate and cervical cancers. Orange peppers are the most dense food source of a compound called zeaxanthin, which is known to protect against eye problems such as cataracts and macular degeneration.
The more ripe the pepper is, the sweeter it tastes and the more nutrient dense it is. For example, red bell peppers are the ripest, so they are the sweetest tasting, and the most nutritious for you. Green bell peppers are the least ripe, and thus they have a more bitter flavor and are less nutrient packed.
Chili peppers contain vitamin A, fiber, potassium, folic acid, and iron. In addition, chili peppers are filled with capsaicin, which is an ingredient known for elevating endorphin levels, improving mood, and even reducing the feeling of pain. Capsaicin in your body causes your blood vessels to widen, which helps to elevate your body temperature, thereby increasing your metabolism. This can (along with other diet changes) help you along a weight loss path, and can help to reduce your overall body fat.
Studies have also shown that people who consumed a hot pepper with their meal had a lower insulin level at the end of the meal than people who did not consume any hot peppers. This could be indicative of other health benefits of hot peppers, and would certainly be important to all of us, but especially those with insulin resistance and diabetes.
Way to Incorporate Peppers
- Fajitas (cut up some bell and hot peppers along with your onions, drizzle some olive oil over them, cook them up and serve with chicken and tortillas.
- Shish Kabobs (or what we called shish kabobs in my house - basically skewers with chicken, peppers, and onions grilled until done)
- Add them to salads - great source of raw peppers
- Spice up some spaghetti sauce - you could even puree them in the blender until smooth to add to the sauce
- Add to casseroles - particularly Mexican or spicy casseroles
I think peppers are pretty easy to incorporate, so I am excited to hear about how you add them to your diet. I'm planning on adding them to omelets in the mornings, salads at lunch, and having a few meals that really feature them for dinner this week. I would love to hear your ideas!
This post is part of Food Renegade's Fight Back Friday
This post is part of Food Renegade's Fight Back Friday
6/11/10
Why I'm Reducing My Grain Consumption, and 5 Reasons You Should Too
I've recently been really working on reducing my grain consumption. I'm not talking an Atkins style diet here, which encourages you to drastically reduce all carbohydrates, including fruit (blasphemy! I am obsessed with fruit!) I'm just talking about cutting out grains - refined carbohydrates, and carbs that are unnecessary in my everyday life. Now if I really ate the way that I wanted to (as of a few weeks ago), I would probably have a bagel with butter for breakfast, a salad for lunch, and pasta for dinner. That would be my dream menu. However, I recently started reading an eye-opening book by Dr. Diana Schwartzbein called The Schwartzbein Principle. This isn't a book review, but I would definitely recommend the book to anyone who wanted to get a little bit different perspective on what one person (a doctor, nonetheless) thinks about the mess with our eating habits in the United States. Another great thing about the book is that although it was written in 1999, she was ahead of her time in terms of recommend organic foods, anti-biotic and hormone free meat, etc (basically she wasn't one that jumped on the bandwagon of whole foods and real eating. Not saying thats a bad thing, since this is a new transition for me, but I do appreciate research that she talks about that was done before the last few years).
Anyway, moving on to the reasons that I want to reduce grains in my life, and I feel are compelling reasons for just about anyone that wants to live a fuller, more energetic lifestyle.
1) Anything you can get from grains, you can get from other foods. Simply put, grains don't really add anything to your diet that you can't get from fruit, vegetables, seeds and nuts, meat, and dairy, which you are probably eating anyway. If you're reading Just Add Lauren and are fairly aware of what you are eating and what kinds of food choices you are making, most likely you aren't going to miss out on any of the trace nutrients found in grains. There are benefits to whole grains such as fiber, B vitamins, and iron, but again these are nutrients that you can get from other sources. In addition, carbohydrates can be a great source of quick energy, but you can get that same quick energy from carbohydrates such as fruit, while still reducing your grain consumption.
2) Carbs make you crave more carbs - This was the biggest thing I learned from the Schwartzbein Principle book. Basically what happens is that when you eat carbs, your brain releases a quick burst of "feel good" chemicals (serotonin). So after you eat these carbs, you temporarily feel great. However, just like any kind of addict or temporary burst, the burst of serotonin subsides, leaving you wanting more. The only want to really fix that, is to eat more carbs again. Thus begins the cycle of carb cravings. I've found from my own experience though, that unlike other additions, this one can be a fairly simple cycle to break. I basically wake up in the morning and eat something with protein and little carbs, like an omelet. From there, I don't even start the cycle of carb cravings for the day. If I happen to wake up and eat a bagel, the whole day is a series of cravings. I think the key is to start the day off right.
3) Grains aren't good for your digestion. I recently went to a gastroenterologist for my particular digestion problems. This has been an ongoing issue now with me for over a year, and I thought for a while it was due to stress (given that my husband was in Afghanistan at the time, I felt like stress was a pretty safe assumption). However, now it has been four months since my husband returned from overseas, and my stomach issues haven't gotten any better. The way that the doctor explained it to me was that carbohydrates (grains) are broken down in your intestines, and in the process they release gas. Your body doesn't really have the ability to digest that gas, so instead it just builds up in your stomach, thereby creating a series of problems such as bloating, gas, stomach cramps, etc. This can be somewhat helped by taking (or eating more) probiotics, but also can be greatly reduced simply by cutting down on your grain consumption (I'm speaking from experience there. The nurse told me to take probiotic pills, but I decided to work on my diet and see how it went, and I've had phenomenal results).
4) Grains aren't good for your insulin levels - Just like the cycle of carb cravings because of serotonin levels, carbs also make your insulin levels go back and forth pretty wildly. Insulin is responsible for telling your body when to absorb glucose from the blood stream, so when there is a rapid influx of glucose from simple carbohydrates like white flour, processed cookies, crackers, and breads, it signals to your body to release lots of insulin. Eventually this can lead to insulin resistance, which can then lead to obesity, diabetes, and heart problems. For so long, a high carbohydrate, low-fat diet was all the rage in terms of weight loss and fighting the obesity epidemic, but I would really urge you to read The Schwartzbein Principle for a vastly different, informative opinion about why that shouldn't be the case.
5) Poorly prepared grains aren't really good for anything - Recently a practice called "soaking grains" has become slightly more mainstream, and can definitely be of help with some of the above problems, including digestive issues with grains. If you are going to continue to eat grains, I would highly recommend that you move towards soaking your grains and eating whole, natural, unrefined grains. Basically from my understanding (I am definitely not an expert on this part) all grains have something in them called phytic acid in them which combines with iron, calcium, copper, zinc, and magnesium in your body and blocks their absorption. The way around this is to soak your grains in something that is lacto-fermented such as lemon juice, vinegar, whey, kefir, etc. I'm just now branching into the idea of soaking my grains, but I will definitely have more on the subject in the future. For now, suffice to say that un-soaked grains really aren't great for you, and in my opinion it would be better to stay away from them (for all the reasons above, not just this one) than to eat them when they haven't been properly prepared.
So that's my story! It has been about three weeks now that I have been avoiding most grains (not completely, but my consumption has been drastically reduced) and I'm happy to say that I am feeling much better, and have really experienced no negative side effects of not eating grains. I'm not saying that I've cut out all the grains in my diet, and I am not trying to be really over the top about it. Mostly I am making a very conscious effort to eat grains in total moderation, and when I do eat them, to do it in ways that are more beneficial (or at least not harmful) to my body, such as eating soaked grains and whole grains. I have found that I don't crave grains as much though, and they don't taste as good when I do eat them. I'm also feeling more energetic and having less stomach problems. As an extremely positive side note, I've also noticed that my weight has stabilized more than normal. Since I am not having so many carbohydrate cravings, I've been able to eat less and eat more healthily, so that when I do indulge in a sweet or dessert it isn't as big of a deal. I must say though, my dessert cravings have also been reduced. All in all, I see it as a win-win situation!
Have you had personal experience reducing your grains? How has it worked for you? Any particular recipes you'd like to share along those lines? I want to hear your story, now that you've heard mine!
This post is part of Food Renegade's Fight Back Friday
6/10/10
Fundamentals eCourse!
I wanted to share this all with you, because it is something that I am doing myself and am very excited about. God's Natural, Organic, Whole Foods, Grown Locally In Season (GNOWFGLINS) is hosting an online e-course dedicated to the fundamentals of preparing, cooking, and baking whole foods.
Basically, Wardeh (the blogger on Gnowfglins) has had an e-course for a while, but she recently opened it up to everyone, and asks that you simply pay what you can when you can. The enrollment doesn't close, so you can sign up anytime and have access to the classes. By signing up you get a lifetime membership to the Fundamentals eCourse, and also access to future classes. She also has a member FAQ, and community forums for people once they sign up.
I think it is an awesome e-course (I'm most excited about the water kefir and sourdough bread lessons), and I also think it is even more awesome that she has opened it up to everyone and asks only that you pay when you are able. I only hope that people don't take advantage of this, because I think Wardeh has wonderful intentions, and I also know that she's spent a lot of time preparing the courses and and does deserve to be compensated for her time, energy, and wealth of knowledge.
I hope that some of you can join me in the lessons, and also support Wardeh in her efforts!
6/8/10
Try It Out Tuesday - Dairy
Sorry for the late post - life is hectic these days!
Update on last week's Try It Out Tuesday - Eggs - I felt like last week went really well in terms of adding eggs to my diet. I actually started making the effort to make eggs for breakfast almost every day, which really helped me get them in for the day. I would say this has been my most successful Try It Out Tuesday so far, as I really made a conscious effort to add something to my diet that I do not normally enjoy all that much. I've found ways that I do like to eat eggs to - particularly with some organic raw milk cheddar cheese (which I actually found at my local Commissary of all places!)
This week for Try It Out Tuesday, I'm working on incorporating dairy into my life a little more. To start off what we're going to talk about, I want to throw it out there that I am lactose intolerant. I've heard from other bloggers that you can actually combat lactose intolerance by drinking raw milk, but for now we do not have access to a farmer for me to try that out, so I am not drinking any milk directly (we are moving to farm country in August though, and I've already lined up the farmer's I'm going to check out to get my fresh items!) If you do like to drink milk, I would definitely check out Kelly the Kitchen Kop's information about the benefits of raw milk. Again, I haven't done this research myself and I don't currently drink milk, but Kelly has a wealth of knowledge about topics along these lines, and I trust that she has done some pretty thorough research! You can also, as always, check out the Weston A Price Foundation for more information about raw milk.
If you do like to drink milk but don't have access to raw milk (or don't feel comfortable with raw milk) Kelly the Kitchen Kop also has a great post ranking the kinds of milk in her personal order of preference. Basically one thing she says to keep in mind is that often times in the grocery store organic milk undergoes a process called ultra-high pasteurization (and the label will say this on it) whereby the milk is pasteurized at an even higher temperature than normal milk. I noticed this when I first started buying organic milk for my husband - the date on the milk carton would say about two months out. We wondered aloud how that was possible, until I came across Kelly's post that explained it all to me. Now we look for organic milk that is regular pasteurized, not ultra-pasteurized (I can usually find them in the grocery store right next to each other, you just have to read the labels!)
Alright - so, how am I going to incorporate dairy into my life when I don't personally drink milk? Well, the answer comes from a few different items. First off, I love cheese. Since I recently found this source of organic, raw milk cheese in my store, I'm ecstatic that I can add more cheese into my diet and not feel guilty because of the hormones, antibiotics, etc that are always present in conventional products. In the interest of full disclosure though, I must say that the raw milk cheese is about double what the regular cheese is. So although I do love it, I'll have to be limiting my consumption just for money reasons.
My other favorite source of dairy is yogurt - particularly greek yogurt. You can find all different kinds of options in almost every grocery store, but my particularly favorites are Fage and Oikos. I haven't quite moved to making my own yogurt yet, although I may try it out this week since it is, after all, Try It Out Tuesday. Making my own yogurt would allow me to completely control the nutritional content of the yogurt, in addition to being able to be sure that I am adding only healthy, whole ingredients.
There are so many benefits to dairy it is hard to go through them all, but I'll give you an overview. Grass fed dairy (by far the best kind of dairy, if you have access to it) has been shown in studies to be higher in conjugated linoleic acids, or CLAs. CLAs help to improve body composition if you are trying to tone up or lose weight, and in fact dairy in general has been shown to help you lose weight if you are on a diet, so keep that in mind if that is a part of your goals. As an added benefit, in addition to the protein content of many dairy products which help to keep you full, dairy also contains levels of zinc, which work to help your body maintain its levels of leptin (which keeps your appetite down). In addition, dairy is high in calcium and vitamin D, which can combat issues ranging from high blood pressure, osteoporosis, and even help to lower your risk of cancer.
All in all, dairy can be really beneficial to your health and wellness. I've heard of people temporarily going dairy free to help combat allergies and such, but if you don't have any of these health problems, dairy products can be a great way to add more protein into your diet (along with those eggs!) along with a variety of vitamins and minerals. Dairy is great if you are trying to lose weight, or if you are just trying to live a little bit healthier life.
How are you planning on adding more dairy into your diet? How about making some homemade ice cream, drinking a glass of milk per day, or adding cheese into things that you normally eat (like salads, omelets, and even on a sandwich!) As always, I would love to hear your thoughts!
6/7/10
Freezer Cooking Thus Far
Homemade Sausage (NT recipe)
Crescent Chicken Squares
Pork Tenderloin w/sauce
So far I've gotten through the Pizza Dough, Crescent Chicken Squares, and Pork Tenderloin. I recently learned the great tips with freezer cooking that you can cut up your meat the way that you want it to be, and then mix up the marinade and freeze the marinade in a bag with the meat. That way, when you are ready to eat, you just move the bag from the freezer to the fridge, and it will thaw overnight, soak up the marinade, and be ready to go by the next day! In my cooking today I also made a batch of Chocolate Chip Cookies and froze the dough, so that when my hubby inevitably asks for more cookies, I'll have some on hand (although I'm still planning on limiting them, as per my ways to reduce my grocery bills from last week). I also mixed up the dough for the tortillas, but it is supposed to sit overnight so it is currently in the freezer. I thawed out the meat I got for the sausage, so I'm planning on making that and the breakfast burritos (as well as frying the tortillas -that is the random ball of dough that is sitting uncovered in the picture) tomorrow after I get home.
My meal plan for the next two week includes the following meals:
- Breakfast Burritos
- Spice Rubbed Chuck Roast
- Chicken Fajitas w/homemade tortillas
- Sausage and Tomato Casserole (already in the freezer)
- Spiced Chicken Breasts (from Nourishing Traditions!)
- Marinated Sirloin Steak
- Crescent Chicken Squares made w/pizza dough (I do not follow this recipe super closely, but that is the main idea)
- Falafel with Dip
- Saucy Sirloin Steak
- Pork Tenderloin with Sauce
- Spaghetti with Parmesan and Bacon
I also want to point out (and thank Stephanie!) that because of the freezer and pantry inventory I took, I only spent $138.95 this week at the grocery store, which even included some extra meat that I wasn't planning on buying but was marked down to reduced (which I always buy if it is a cut we like, so I grabbed it right up!) Since it is already June 7 and this was my first grocery shopping trip of the month, I'd say I'm doing pretty well sticking to my budget thus far! I am also very excited that I have some room in my budget to head on over to the farmer's market next weekend for opening weekend and check it out!
Did you participate in freezer cooking? How'd it go? What did you make, and do you think it was a good use of time for you to make things ahead of time? I'm excited to hear about your experiences!
6/6/10
Nourishing Traditions
Yesterday, I purchased my very own, brand spankin' new copy of Nourishing Traditions, and I just wanted to share with you all how excited I am to begin reading it and implementing the recipes from it. I didn't even want to wait to order a used copy online (which would have ended up to only be about $3 cheaper, so I am glad I didn't) since I was doing my meal planning yesterday and wanted to have those resources available to me as I planned out the coming weeks meals!
For those of you who haven't heard of Nourishing Traditions, it is written by Sally Fallon, who is the founding president of the Weston A Price Foundation which works towards disseminating the research of Dr Weston Price, who traveled the world studying isolated, primitive cultures and their diets. Dr Price concluded from his research that health issues that plagued industrialized societies of the time (this was in the 1930s) like dental problems, tooth cavities, degenerative diseases, muscle fatigue, and allergies were not found in cultures that were sustained by indigenous diets. Though it sounded as though the members of those societies were somehow immune to these problems, Dr Price also found that when a "westernized" diet (including refined sugar, refined flours, and processed foods) was introduced into their culture, within one generation they began to suffer from the same illnesses as those industrialized nations.
So back to Nourishing Traditions - as I tried to explain to my husband, who did not understand why I was so unbelievably excited to have found it in the bookstore (this was the third time I have looked in a local bookstore, and the first time I've been able to get my hands on a copy) Nourishing Traditions is basically the hand book for all things related to the "real food" movement and how to get started on making those important changes in your life. I have only read the introduction so far, and I am already inspired to stretch myself a little more and make more changes. I seriously can't wait to really get into the meat of the book, and I will definitely let you know my review of it once I'm done!
Have you read Nourishing Traditions or has it guided you in your food transformation journey? I would love to hear your thoughts about it. Also on that note, is anyone here a member of their local Weston A Price Foundation chapter? I recently got in touch with mine, and although their event this weekend didn't work out for me scheduling wise, I am excited to participate in upcoming events!
6/5/10
Cleaning Out the Freezer - Round 2
I tackled my chest freezer this morning, and in all honesty it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be! It took me hardly any time at all, although I must admit I skipped the step of actually cleaning it, because I wanted to go ahead and get to meal planning (and it isn't really that dirty).
Here is my before picture:
If you can't tell, everything is just piled on top of each other. Have I mentioned I hate chest freezers? It is so hard to organize them, especially the more full they are! Lucky for me, we've been working on cleaning out and eating the food in the freezer for a while (and not buying more when we go to the store) so there wasn't as much in there as I thought. You see that box of butter on the left hand side? The box is empty. How embarrassing is that? I also found an empty plastic bag (like a grocery bag) in there. Weird.
Here is my after picture. It's from a different angle, obviously, but I was trying to show that I have the meat on one side, the veggies on the other side, and the random processed food that we need to get rid of asap in the basket on top. I do really love those Yoplait smoothies, but I'm beginning to delve into the world of homemade smoothies, and get away from them (because if you look at the ingredient list, although it should just be fruit and yogurt balls, it has about a million ingredients, and I am not ok with that. Smoothies should be a simple food!)
So now that I have my freezer and pantry inventoried, I know everything that I have in the house to work with. I'm so excited about having done this, because I found some foods that I really can use this week (particularly meats), which will save us from having to buy them this grocery trip. I also found the things that I had prepared before as "easy dinner meals" like my sausage and pepper casserole mix, so I'll be using that in my meal plan and it will be one meal this week that will be super easy! Yay for not having to go to work and come home to cook for hours on end!
Have you been following Stephanie's series? If not, there is plenty of time to join in! Since I do work now, I'm doing my meal planning today, and grocery shopping and freezer cooking tomorrow, so I will be a little ahead of the ball game by the end of the weekend, but Stephanie has great tips and wonderful ideas for your freezer cooking. Also I would love to hear your favorite freezer recipe. Leave me a link or leave the recipe in the comments, and I will try it out sometime! I love collecting new recipes to try!
6/3/10
Cook More Real Food - Cleaning Out the Freezer
I started off by taking everything out of my freezer. I tried to work pretty quickly, since coolness is a factor here, and my house is hot (we don't have A/C). I don't want things to start thawing out, so I speedily took everything out and put it on the floor.
After that, I took this opportunity to wipe down the inside of the freezer and really get a good cleaning in. This needed to happen very badly, so I was excited for the chance!
Once everything was cleaned out, I wrote down everything that I have in my freezer on my handy-dandy freezer inventory list which you can print off here for free! I found all kinds of things I didn't know where in there, like some spaghetti sauce for a casserole that is one of our favorites, and three more containers of homemade freezer jam! I even recorded the liquor that we store in the freezer, even though it never gets used....but I didn't want to throw it away in case we have a party or something where it would come in handy! I chose to write down the items in my freezer in two separate columns - one for individual items, like pie crust and butter, and the other for freezer meals, like my sauce that I just have to add pasta to, and the breakfast burritos.
I then put everything back in, in a somewhat orderly fashion. I also have a chest freezer, so I took the opportunity to reorganize things and put some things into the chest freezer instead of the side by side, which I really like to reserve for things we use on a daily basis, like the breakfast burritos my husband brings to work.
I didn't get a chance at that time to reorganize the chest freezer, so I am probably going to have a "cleaning out the freezer round 2" this weekend. The chest freezer is a bit more work, since it kind of just piles everything on top of each other (if you are in the market for a freezer, I would not recommend a chest freezer! Although I love the space, it is a pain to organize. I would love a stand up one!) So anyway, there is my progress! I recorded everything on my inventory list, which I am going to file away in the homemaking binder that I am creating.
Are you following along with Stephanie's Cook More Real Food series? I hope you are joining me! I am very excited about the upcoming steps (including the Meal Planning one, which I am already behind on!) I can't wait to do my freezer cooking and really dive in!
6/1/10
Try It Out Tuesday - Eggs
We all have heard varying opinions about eggs - they raise your cholesterol, or maybe they lower it, back and forth. Common research these days believes that the cholesterol found in real foods such as eggs (as opposed to processed foods or powdered eggs) doesn't have a correlation with the "bad" cholesterol in the blood. I'm certainly not a doctor, so if you have concerns about this or other medical issues please talk to your specific doctor.
For the week's Try It Out Tuesday though, we will be trying to incorporate more eggs into our diets. Eggs have a variety of ways that they are good for you, from being a great, cheap source of protein, to having individual amino acids that your body needs.
Egg Benefits
Eggs contain the amino acid tyrosine, which helps to reduce your appetite and supports the ability of your thyroid, pituitary, and adrenal glands to function properly. They also contain leucine, which is another amino acid, responsible for helping the body to produce human growth hormone, regulate blood sugar levels (very important!) and grow muscles in your body, which helps your overall system to work better. Eggs also contain choline, selenium, B vitamins, vitamin A, vitamin E, and lutein, which help with mental function, memory, preventing birth defects if you are pregnant, cell growth, healthy skin, preventing free radical damage, and preventing macular degeneration.
Where to Buy
The best eggs to eat would ideally be from a farmer that you know, who you know allows his animals to wander around in the yard and eat whatever bugs and everything else they find. Conventional eggs found in the grocery stores usually come from chickens that are fed grains - mostly corn. Since we already have such an overabundance of corn in our diets, this isn't really another source where we need to get more Omega 6 (which is found in corn and corn products, and we have way too much of in our American diets). If you know of a farm or farmer's market where you can get fresh, local eggs, this would be a great option, and have even more nutritional benefits including higher levels of vitamins A and E, more beta carotene, and more Omega 3 fatty acids. In addition to all the nutritional benefits, you would also be supporting a local farmer, which is great for your regional economy.
If you cannot find a local farmer the next best bet would be to buy organic eggs at the grocery store. Organic eggs come from chickens that are fed organic feed, which may very well still be corn but at least it isn't genetically modified, pesticide laden corn. In addition, chickens that lay organic eggs are not given any antibiotics, which is in start contrast to conventional chickens who are often bathed in antibiotics to ward off diseases. For me, this is a big selling point, as I don't want any additional antibiotics in my food or my body that I don't personally need to take care of an ailment. Since they are not given antibiotics, often times (though not always) organic chickens have more room to roam and are treated more humanely than conventional chickens. Overall, if you don't have a local farmer who supplies you eggs, organic eggs from the supermarket can be a good alternative.
Ideas for Incorporating
There are literally an endless number of possibilities for incorporating eggs into your diet, but here are a few of my favorites.
- Breakfast Omelets - a great way to begin your day, keeps your full for hours, and provides a well rounded breakfast
- Hard Boiled Eggs for a snack
- Quiche
- Egg, Tomato, Mozzarella, and Basil Breakfast Sandwich
- Italian Vegetable Casserole
- Egg Custard Pie
- Flan
Get creative! There are so many easy ways to use eggs, from french toast to hard boiled eggs, that you can incorporate them so easily into your diet. Just this morning for breakfast I had three scrambled eggs with some sauteed onions in them (see another week's Try It Out Tuesday for onion benefits). I look forward to hearing about how all of you added eggs to your diet, and would love it if you would leave me your favorite eggs recipes. Remember that every comment you leave (up to 4) adds another entry in the giveaway! See the giveaway rules for details.
Happy Egg eating!
5/27/10
Pantry Inventory
Recently, a wonderful website called Keeper of the Home started a series about Cooking More Real Food. It is a two week or so series that focuses on ways that we can organize our lives, and in the process make the time to cook more real, whole foods. The first step in the series started Tuesday, and involved taking inventory of your pantry so that you can know what foods you already have available to you. I wanted to share my progress with you all, so you could get a glimpse into my life (/pantry).
- The first step in the process was to set aside some time to really go through your pantry. I would say it took me around an hour to an hour and a half to get everything taken out and then put back in again.
- Next, I cleaned out my entire pantry and dumped everything on the floor. You know what I see in this picture? Lots of room for improvement. I see myself as someone who eats pretty well, but after cleaning out my pantry I realize that we have a lot of junk. Please don't judge me for the large pack of diet cokes. We've really been working on cutting out artificial sweeteners (and had done a great job!) and then cokes went on sale, and we're going camping this weekend, and everything just fell apart! I will add though, that we've been drinking these cokes for the past two days or so, and both me and my husband have had terrible stomach aches. He's not convinced they are related, but I am! This will be our last pack of Diet Cokes for a while.
- Next up, I printed off an inventory sheet so that I could write down everything that is in my pantry. I tried to divide it up into categories so that things would be easier to find on my list when I'm using it later, but it is still a little messy. I did find some things in there that I didn't even know I had (like a full box of trash bags, organic almond milk, and an extra bag of whole wheat flour!) I also tried to combine things that I had more than one of if it fit. I combined two opened jars of peanut butter, extra containers of salt, refilled my brown sugar bucket, etc.
- Finally, I put everything back on my pantry shelves. Keeper of the Home also added the step of wiping everything down in the pantry, like the shelves. As you can see from my pantry, I have wire shelves so they don't really get messy. I did have some spilled honey on the floor, which I cleaned up and wiped out the corners, which can get kind of messy. Basically take the opportunity to clean it up before you put everything back in. Here's my after picture. I only wish I had taken a before picture so you could really see the improvement, but I'm happy with the outcome.
- After that, put the inventory list on the inside of your pantry door so that you can mark things off as you use them. I actually am in the process of making a "household" notebook, so that is where mine will be going. In order for the inventory to really be useful though, you have to mark things off as they are used to keep it current, so put it somewhere that you'll remember where it is and use it! I often put things on my grocery list and pick them up, only to find that I already had some at the house, so I'm hoping that this pantry inventory will help me to avoid that and thus cut down on the amount of things I am buying.
I am very excited for the next few steps in Keeper of the Home's Cook More Real Food series, so stay tuned for my documentation of my changes! The biggest lesson that I learned from this first step was that I have a lot of room for improvement in the kinds of foods that I buy, and I am very open to learning more and continually bettering my shopping and cooking habits! I think part of my problem is getting rid of some of the foods that I have that aren't good for us (like cake mixes and sugary cereal). Most of these things were bought while I was still playing the "grocery game" and I just can't seem to bring myself to get rid of them for some reason. We have literally had boxes of cereal since October that we haven't even opened, and yet for some reason I can't let them go! I'm really going to work on consuming/throwing away the foods that we have that don't move us in the direction of being healthy, so this pantry inventory was a great first step to see what I am working with!
5/20/10
Salt Cravings
For a few weeks now, I have been trying (<---key term) to watch my sodium intake. Believe me, this is harder than it seems. I love salt. I eat salt on everything - eggs, pasta, even bagels (I like my butter saltier) and fruit (it's a Southern thing?) I could eat salt by itself. If I have one true food love, this would be it. As the Time article states - salt is like cocaine for you mouth - it makes everything your mouth encounters seem vivid and fun. I completely agree with this statement.
The other day, though, I stumbled upon an article about the downfalls of salt, and how we as a nation are eating way too much of it (along with everything else). Time Magazine states that most people are consuming on average a teaspoon and a half of sodium per day - more than double the 1500mg we actually need. However, they also say that only 11% of the salt that we consume comes from adding salt to our foods at the dinner table - the rest is already added in processed and packaged foods. FitSugar says that most people really don't grasp how high the added sodium is in our packaged or restaurant food - for example two slices of pepperoni pizza contains about 1365mg of salt - almost your entire day's worth!
The FitSugar article goes on to state that excess sodium in your diet has been linked to an increase in blood pressure, which can put you at risk for heart problems and stroke. In addition, salt adds work for your kidneys, which can increase your risk of kidney disease and stomach cancer. Clearly, too much salt in our diet has grave consequences, and is something that should be looked at and possibly worked on (although I am not agreeing that we should ban salt or force places to reduce their sodium as the Time article discusses. I am more stating that as individuals perhaps we should be responsible for monitoring our own salt intake).
So this article begged the question for me - if I don't eat as much processed foods as the "typical" American, am I okay to add salt to my food? Thinking that the measurement that they were comparing this abundance of salt to was a teaspoon and a half, I'm not sure that I'm actually better off adding it since I tend to overdo it so much. However, perhaps I should approach it different and try to just "cut back" instead of cutting salt out completely. Since I really don't eat processed or packaged food very often, I know that I am not getting that added sodium. So maybe I am still allowed to add my salt....(please?!)
Do you have a salt weakness? What are your tips on trying to cut back? Do you have a great substitute for adding salt that you want to share? Please do! I want to hear your feedback!
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