I just got back from the grocery store picking up items for my attempt at Chinese food tonight and I wanted to share some insight on how to make any recipe Eat Clean friendly.
While perusing my cookbooks last night, I noticed that several of the recipes called for white or brown sugar, to balance the bitter or sour ingredients. At first I was a bit unsure of what to do. I certainly did not want to add process/refined sugar to my meals but I also did not want to end up with bitter food. So, a quick google search later and I turned up some Eat Clean approved all-natural sugar substitutes. I ended up with Sucanat for the brown sugar replacement and Stevia for the white sugar. Problem solved!
Or so I thought.
Chinese food requires a number of different sauces and oils, including soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sesame oil. If you thought all soy sauces were created equal than guess again! I checked the ingredients of a bottle of Kikkoman low sodium soy sauce and I could not believe the amount of random (aka not clean) stuff in there. Things like lactic acid and sodium benzoate. No wonder Kikkoman tastes nothing like the soy sauce you get in little packets from a Chinese takeout place. I scoured the shelves and found a cleaner soy sauce. This one, also reduced sodium, only had water, soybeans, wheat, salt, and alcohol (for freshness) in it. No weird sounding words in there and there's less sodium per serving as well!
I did the same thing for each sauce or oil I bought. I looked at the different brands until I found one that had the most natural and unrefined ingredients. For example, I chose unrefined sesame oil with one ingredient: sesame oil! I had to do the same thing last week when shopping for bbq sauce for my pork chops. Almost every brand had high fructose corn syrup as the second ingredient. It took about 10 minutes (there were a lot of brands to look through) before I found one without HFCS and it was delicious! The only items today that I could not find a cleaner options were the wonton and egg roll wrappers. They only had one brand of those in the freezer isle and both items contained refined flour rather than whole grain. Bummer. I think next time I'll see if I can find an Asian specialty store to look for wrappers with higher quality ingredients. But everything else is clean eating approved so it will be a much healthier meal than if I had gone to the local takeout joint.
Moral of the story: read ingredient lists! Always check the ingredient list on anything packaged food you buy and look for brands or items that have both the fewest overall ingredients and all natural foods (no weird additives, chemicals, or preservatives). If an ingredient looks like it came out of a science lab, put the box down and walk away!
One last note about meat. I know people have widely varying views on meat, whether or not you should eat it and if so what kinds. For me, I try to stick with lean cuts of chicken most of the time and lean beef on occasion. Sometimes I'll sub ground turkey for ground beef in pasta dishes. It just depends. So today, I'm changing the beef and broccoli dish to chicken and broccoli and using ground chicken in my wontons. I opted to leave meat out of the egg rolls (although they aren't vegetarian since they have oyster sauce in them).
I hope that helps you feel more confident when making recipes healthier. If you have any tips to do the same, please feel free to leave them in the comments section.
Stay healthy!
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
The Role of Supplements
Many people have been misinformed about the role of supplements in losing weight. I guess this isn't terribly surprising given the high number of "miracle pill" commercials on TV. I mean really, makers of these products expect us to believe that you can simple shake some weird stuff onto your favorite ice cream and lose weight. Seriously? If it were that easy to get in shape, we wouldn't be facing our current obesity crisis. Because of the popularity of these "quick-fix" pills, potions, and fad diets, many people are confused about what supplementation is, what it really does, and how to do it properly. I'm by no means any sort of expert, but I do know all of those commercials are bogus and not worth anyone's time or hard earned money.
What supplementation is NOT:
Any sort of supplement, it doesn't matter what kind, canNOT erase the effects of eating garbage food. You simply cannot "out supplement" your food intake in the same way you can't "out workout" a bad diet (I'm using diet here to refer to the food you eat, not in the "I'm on a diet" meaning).
Supplements will NOT create the lean muscle mass you're after. Even illegal doping only works if you're already killing it in the gym. You cannot simply pop a pill (or however it's administered) and expect to get in awesome shape sitting on the couch all day. Now, I certainly do not endorse taking or doing anything illegal. I'm just making a point that you cannot pop an OTC supplement and expect to get ripped watching TV.
Finally, these pills are not going to give you a healthy, slim, toned body. Sure, some of them may make you lose weight, but be prepared for nasty side effects (anal leakage, anyone?). And that "new" body you get? You may be smaller but you'll just be a smaller version of your former self, not a fitter one, nor a better shaped one. Just smaller.
Have I convinced you that there isn't a miracle pill yet? I hope so, because there truly isn't one.
So, why bother with supplementation at all?
Taking supplements does what the name implies. It "supplements" and fills in any gaps in your nutritional intake. When you work out and cut calories, it becomes extremely hard to consume the proper amount of all the essential vitamins and minerals (along with pre- and probiotics, antioxidants, digestive enzymes, etc.). It is even harder today when the quality of even our healthy food isn't what it was 20, 30, or 40 years ago. This is where supplements enter the picture. Taking the right supplements can help make sure you get all those essential nutrients to be healthy and give you the energy to get through your workouts (and day-to-day life!).
Can you get healthy and fit without supplements? Sure! If you have the time and energy to prepare meals that will allow you to get all the nutrients you need (and I'm talking micronutrients, not just the macronutrients you're probably familiar with: carbs, fat, and protein) then you have no need to supplement. However, if you're busy, don't have time to cook, or simply don't like certain types of food, it may be worth it to invest in some good quality supplements to fill in the gaps.
My supplement regimen:
Again, I don't claim to be an expert and you should definitely check with your doc to make sure any supplement you add won't negatively interfere with any medications you're on (and especially if you're pregnant or nursing), but this is what I personally choose to take:
A general Multivitamin/Multi-mineral: I take a basic multivitamin every morning with breakfast. This is something I grew up doing (I started as a kid with the Flinstones chewables!) and continue to do to this day. I feel like this covers me and fills in most any gap in nutritional intake.
Calcium supplement: Also with breakfast, I have a calcium supplement. I take these for a couple reasons. First, I don't drink milk (although newer research says milk is completely unnecessary for adults) and I don't eat a ton of veggies so I want to ensure I get enough calcium. The second reason I make sure to take this daily is because of a former Prilosec regimen. A number of years ago I was diagnosed with chronic acid reflux and was put on a twice a day dose of Prilosec. One of the side effects of taking that much of that medication is that it can pull calcium out of your bones. Not good! Luckily, my acid reflux is gone and I no longer have to take that mediation, but I want to make sure I'm taking plenty of calcium to make up for the years I did have to take it.
Omega 3/Fish Oil supplement: Omega 3s are very important for your brain and heart health and can be found in fatty cuts of fish. Unfortunately, I think fish is gross and am lucky if I eat it more than four times a year! Since I know I don't eat enough Omega 3s, I add a daily supplement, also taken with breakfast.
Tropical Shakeology: This is the last supplement I take, although I see it more of a small meal than a supplement but I guess it counts. Shakeology is a product developed and sold by Beachbody. I blend this powered mix with water, ice, and frozen fruit to create a powerful post-workout snack. The amount of nutrition found in this shake is staggering and contains whole foods that were ground into powders. That way, you aren't getting just the "good component" of the food. You get the whole plant so it is easier for your body to absorb and utilize. The science behind this shake is honestly more than I understand, but I do know that it provides the nutrition of a whole days worth of fruits and veggies (along with weird grasses, roots, and all sorts of things) so I make sure I get my daily glass! I choose to have my shakes within an hour of finishing my workout. That way, my body is primed to absorb all that fantastic nutrition. This shake might render my multivitamin unnecessary, but I don't mind taking both.
And that's it! The rest of the day I fill up on clean foods and stay away from the processed junk as much as possible. You may decide to take the different or additional supplements than what I listed here. That's totally up to you and your doctor. This is just what works for me given my health history and the types of foods I eat.
Stay healthy!
PS:
In case you're interested in more of the science behind Shakeology and want to know all the ingredients in it you can click here. And for the record, I drink the (vegan) Tropical Strawberry flavor. Yum!
Monday, July 30, 2012
Cleaning Up My Favorite Takeout!
I love takeout food, especially from Asian type restaurants. I used to order Chinese food at least once a week. I got Indian food far less often but only because the only restaurant nearby is 20 minutes away and does not deliver. While working in Ithaca this summer, my students introduced me to Thai food and all I can say is YUM! I love all of these types of food (at least the kind you find at your local US restaurant) but now that I'm changing my lifestyle to be more health conscious, I can no longer justify ordering take out once or twice a week (partially because in addition to getting healthy, I'm also committed to saving money).
I was ok giving up takeout but not ok giving up these delicious cuisines. So, I bought some cookbooks! I found the blog hookedonheat last week and fell in love with the authors no-nonsense, simple approach to cooking Indian food. So, a little googling later and I found the Knack series of cookbooks (the blog author wrote the Indian food one) and ordered three of them: Indian, Thai, and Chinese cooking.
I'm really excited to try these recipes! Some of the recipes the authors give you suggestions about how to make them healthier and others I will use my own knowledge of clean eating to "clean" them up to my health standards (such as baking foods rather than frying).
Tomorrow I will test out the Chinese cooking book to recreate my favorite takeout meal. I will make low-sodium wonton soup, baked (instead of fried) egg rolls, and chicken and broccoli with brown rice. I will also be sure to make those proper portions instead of takeout portions and save the leftovers for meals later in the week (and freeze anything I won't eat this week). I'm very excited to try my hand at clean Chinese food and will share my results with you tomorrow!
Stay tuned!
I was ok giving up takeout but not ok giving up these delicious cuisines. So, I bought some cookbooks! I found the blog hookedonheat last week and fell in love with the authors no-nonsense, simple approach to cooking Indian food. So, a little googling later and I found the Knack series of cookbooks (the blog author wrote the Indian food one) and ordered three of them: Indian, Thai, and Chinese cooking.
I'm really excited to try these recipes! Some of the recipes the authors give you suggestions about how to make them healthier and others I will use my own knowledge of clean eating to "clean" them up to my health standards (such as baking foods rather than frying).
Tomorrow I will test out the Chinese cooking book to recreate my favorite takeout meal. I will make low-sodium wonton soup, baked (instead of fried) egg rolls, and chicken and broccoli with brown rice. I will also be sure to make those proper portions instead of takeout portions and save the leftovers for meals later in the week (and freeze anything I won't eat this week). I'm very excited to try my hand at clean Chinese food and will share my results with you tomorrow!
Stay tuned!
Small Goal Change
I originally intended to wait six weeks before checking my progress (via the scale, tape measure, and pictures). However, I decided to switch that up to align with the phases of my workout regimen. Therefore, I will assess my progress after four weeks of working instead of six. The reason for this is that after 4 weeks, the workout program changes to include harder and longer workouts. When you change up your strength training routine, your body is likely to hold onto extra water (and therefore excess weight on the scale) in the first week or two while your body adjusts to the new load. To avoid seeing this weight gain reflected in the scale, I will weigh-in before each of these shifts in the program (typically every four weeks for most Beachbody programs that I do).
All that said, my new weigh-in day is August 19, 2012 and my goal is to lose 6-10 pounds. I will post my progress here that day (number of pounds and/or inches lost). Stay tuned!
*Note: The reason I can expect to lose that much weight in one month's time is because I have so much weight to lose (over 75 pounds). As I get closer to my goal weight, the number of pounds I lose in any given month will be lower and my goals will reflect that (for example, when I'm within 20 pounds of my goal I'll hope to lose 2-5 pounds per month rather than 6-10).
All that said, my new weigh-in day is August 19, 2012 and my goal is to lose 6-10 pounds. I will post my progress here that day (number of pounds and/or inches lost). Stay tuned!
*Note: The reason I can expect to lose that much weight in one month's time is because I have so much weight to lose (over 75 pounds). As I get closer to my goal weight, the number of pounds I lose in any given month will be lower and my goals will reflect that (for example, when I'm within 20 pounds of my goal I'll hope to lose 2-5 pounds per month rather than 6-10).
Replacing Bad Habits with Good Ones!
Now that I'm into my second week of eating clean and working out, I noticed that the last couple of nights I've found myself snacking on the couch while I watched TV with the boyfriend. Hmm, that's no good! I noticed that this also correlated with a shift from eating at the table back to eating on the couch (which is what the bf prefers). I realized that eating my normal meals in front of the TV had created a habit of eating on the couch, causing me to want to snack later at night when I parked myself on the couch.
I'm committed to changing my lifestyle to lose a significant amount of excess fat and get in great shape and I cannot do that if I'm munching on pretzels and Nutella while I watch cooking shows! But breaking a habit can be difficult. So, what's a smart gal like me to do? Why replace the bad habit with a good one of course! I am moving all of my meals back to the dining room table. The habit of eating only at the table should curve the late night snack cravings since my body/mind will no longer associate the couch with food. Simple as that! (Well, in theory anyway; I'll report on the outcome of this habit switch after a few days or weeks.)
We are the sum of our daily habits, whether for good or bad. Working out and eating healthy can become a healthy habit that creates a lean and fit body. Similarly, being sedentary and eating junk food can also be a habit, but that leads to weight gain and health problems. We get to choose which habits we follow. Stay focused for a month on creating those habits and after 30 days you won't even have to think about it anymore. You'll just do it! Don't believe me? When was the last time you accidently left for work without brushing your teeth? I bet it's been a long long time, if ever. And why is that? Because brushing our teeth is a daily habit, just like fitness and eating healthy should be (and will be for me!).
As I continue to identify the habits to change to make healthier, I'll let you know. For now, I leave you with my meals for the past four days:
Stay healthy!
I'm committed to changing my lifestyle to lose a significant amount of excess fat and get in great shape and I cannot do that if I'm munching on pretzels and Nutella while I watch cooking shows! But breaking a habit can be difficult. So, what's a smart gal like me to do? Why replace the bad habit with a good one of course! I am moving all of my meals back to the dining room table. The habit of eating only at the table should curve the late night snack cravings since my body/mind will no longer associate the couch with food. Simple as that! (Well, in theory anyway; I'll report on the outcome of this habit switch after a few days or weeks.)
We are the sum of our daily habits, whether for good or bad. Working out and eating healthy can become a healthy habit that creates a lean and fit body. Similarly, being sedentary and eating junk food can also be a habit, but that leads to weight gain and health problems. We get to choose which habits we follow. Stay focused for a month on creating those habits and after 30 days you won't even have to think about it anymore. You'll just do it! Don't believe me? When was the last time you accidently left for work without brushing your teeth? I bet it's been a long long time, if ever. And why is that? Because brushing our teeth is a daily habit, just like fitness and eating healthy should be (and will be for me!).
As I continue to identify the habits to change to make healthier, I'll let you know. For now, I leave you with my meals for the past four days:
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| Left over day 7/26/12 |
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| Food 7/27/12. I snacked on lots of popcorn after dinner :( |
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| Meals for 7/28. I visited my grandma and said no to ice cream! |
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| On 7/29 I failed at an attempt at chicken curry leading to the yogurt dinner and nutella dessert. |
Stay healthy!
Friday, July 27, 2012
A Cure for the "Blahs"
Since I'm on vacation for the next couple weeks, I slept in fairly late this morning (around 10 AM) and found myself feeling rather "blah" by noon. I had no energy and no motivation to do anything. It was a miserable feeling. But I decided to go ahead and get my cardio done. Five minutes into the warm-up, I started feeling better, and by the time I was done, I was on top of the world! Apparently, nothing blasts through the blues like a good dose of fun cardio. The best news is that I've felt good all day since my workout. I'll try to keep this in mind next time I've feeling "meh," since this is a lifestyle change, not a temporary bandaid.
Healthy food + kicking cardio = a happy me
Healthy food + kicking cardio = a happy me
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Time Saving Leftovers
I have a really hard time cooking for one. I live with my boyfriend but he does not eat 2/3 of what I cook anyway, so I basically cook for myself most of the time. This actually works to my advantage in the form of leftovers. Today I had leftovers for both lunch and dinner, leaving extra time to do food prep for tomorrow, specifically hard boil a dozen eggs for breakfasts and marinade pork for tomorrow's dinner.
I really enjoyed all my food today and I'm looking forward to some grilled pork and fresh corn on the cob tomorrow. Yum! When classes resume in the fall, planned leftovers are going to be my savior, especially on Mondays when I have 13 hour days of work and class. My nutritional guru, Tosca Reno (author of the Eat Clean Diet series), is a big advocate of planned leftovers and I think she's on to something. Not only do you get to taste something delicious more than once, but you do not have to cook every day, which is great when you are a busy grad student like me.
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| Today's meals (7/26/12) |
I really enjoyed all my food today and I'm looking forward to some grilled pork and fresh corn on the cob tomorrow. Yum! When classes resume in the fall, planned leftovers are going to be my savior, especially on Mondays when I have 13 hour days of work and class. My nutritional guru, Tosca Reno (author of the Eat Clean Diet series), is a big advocate of planned leftovers and I think she's on to something. Not only do you get to taste something delicious more than once, but you do not have to cook every day, which is great when you are a busy grad student like me.
Immediate Benefits of Good Nutrition
I've been eating clean and working out since Sunday (today makes day five) and I've already experienced a number of benefits of this new lifestyle.
First, I have so much energy! People who know me will say that I used to be constantly tired. After a few short days of fueling my body with good nutrition, I am a cleaning machine at home! My apartment looks beautiful and I even reorganized my entire closet. Eating every three hours (and eating high quality nutritious foods) keeps my energy up and even. No sugar crashes for me anymore!
I already increased the weights I can lift. After just three weight lifting sessions, I'm ready to increase my weights on a couple exercises. Awesome!
My skin has never been very clear but I've noticed it getting clearer and brighter the last few days. I haven't changed my skin care routine so the only thing is different is the quality of food I'm putting into my body.
I'm not going to step on the scale again until I've gone through six weeks of healthy eating and working out. My goal for that day (September 2, 2012) is to have lost 10-15 pounds and to regain the fitness I lost when I stopped working out spring semester.
First, I have so much energy! People who know me will say that I used to be constantly tired. After a few short days of fueling my body with good nutrition, I am a cleaning machine at home! My apartment looks beautiful and I even reorganized my entire closet. Eating every three hours (and eating high quality nutritious foods) keeps my energy up and even. No sugar crashes for me anymore!
I already increased the weights I can lift. After just three weight lifting sessions, I'm ready to increase my weights on a couple exercises. Awesome!
My skin has never been very clear but I've noticed it getting clearer and brighter the last few days. I haven't changed my skin care routine so the only thing is different is the quality of food I'm putting into my body.
I'm not going to step on the scale again until I've gone through six weeks of healthy eating and working out. My goal for that day (September 2, 2012) is to have lost 10-15 pounds and to regain the fitness I lost when I stopped working out spring semester.
How I'm Getting Fit
So, I promised in my last post to share what fitness and nutrition plan I'm following to get healthy and shed the excess 70+ pounds I'm carrying.
Nutrition
For my nutrition, I'm following the principles of "eating clean" a la "The Eat Clean Diet" by Tosca Reno. Basically that means I avoid processed junk and focus my meals around lean proteins, complex carbs, and healthy fats. I eat five properly portioned meals a day, spaced out every 2.5 - 3 hours. Like I've said before, I believe you can eat healthy and still enjoy your meals. Below are collages of my daily meals since Sunday:
As you can see, each day includes five delicious and healthy meals. I will note that I only eat one of the yolks with the eggs I have for breakfast and toss the rest. The pink shake is a blend of Tropical Shakeology (which includes a whole days worth of fruits and veggie nutrition) with some fresh strawberries to enhance the flavor. Shakeology is an important part of healthy eating because it is jam packed with so much amazing nutrition. You can google it for more detailed information. I also have hidden veggies in the spaghetti and the homemade soup. I puréed steamed broccoli and added that to my meat sauce and I puréed a steam bag of mixed veggies for my soup. That way, I get my veggies without having to chew them!
Workouts
My workout routine will combine weight training, intense cardio, and flexibility work. I hate the gym so I am using DVD workout programs from Beachbody. I created a hybrid schedule of Les Mills Pump (weight training) and TurboFire (cardio) doing each three days per week. To work on my flexibility and mobility, I am adding Tai Cheng (a combo of Tai Chi and mobility training/stretching) in the evenings.
In addition to the formal workouts, I will do what I can to add extra movement to my day. Cleaning the apartment, parking further away at the store, playing tennis or frisbee with the bf, etc. Because this is a lifestyle change, and not some temporary diet, it's important to make being active just a daily part of life in a way that is sustainable year after year, decade after decade!
Rest!
I am a firm believer in the importance of getting a solid 8 hours of sleep each night. The last five years of college and grad school I have made sleeping enough a priority and I know I benefit from that commitment. So even when school starts up again at the end of August, I will make sure I give myself enough time to sleep each night.
And that's it! That's my recipe for success!
The Stranger in the Mirror
When I was a little girl, my favorite Disney movie was Mulan. I loved everything about that movie, including the music. (Note: I still love Disney music listen to it at least once a month or so!) I loved that Mulan was not afraid to break gender barriers and do what needed to be done to save the day. No waiting for prince charming for this gal! But I digress, one of the earlier songs is this movie, "Reflection," has always resonated strongly with me (and is the reason for the Mulan reference in the first place). The lyrics of the chorus are particularly salient to me at this point in my life:
"Who is that girl I see / Staring straight / Back at me?
Why is my reflection someone / I don't know?
. . . When will my reflection show / Who I am inside?"
I have always felt like a fit girl trapped in a fat body. As I packed on the pounds in college and my first year of graduate school, the reflection in the mirror became a complete stranger. Who is that girl?! She does not look like the person I see when I picture myself. So, taking a cue from my childhood hero, Mulan, I decided to do whatever it takes to make the girl in the mirror reflect the woman I am inside.
So, this past Sunday (July 22, 2012), I began a journey to change my lifestyle to reflect the healthy and fit person I know I can be. I braved the scale and the tape measurer (not pretty!) and started a comprehensive fitness and healthy eating plan (more on this in a future post). By the time I complete my Master of Science in Higher Education (May 11, 2013), my outer self will reflect who I am on the inside. I can't wait to finally see the real me!
"Who is that girl I see / Staring straight / Back at me?
Why is my reflection someone / I don't know?
. . . When will my reflection show / Who I am inside?"
I have always felt like a fit girl trapped in a fat body. As I packed on the pounds in college and my first year of graduate school, the reflection in the mirror became a complete stranger. Who is that girl?! She does not look like the person I see when I picture myself. So, taking a cue from my childhood hero, Mulan, I decided to do whatever it takes to make the girl in the mirror reflect the woman I am inside.
So, this past Sunday (July 22, 2012), I began a journey to change my lifestyle to reflect the healthy and fit person I know I can be. I braved the scale and the tape measurer (not pretty!) and started a comprehensive fitness and healthy eating plan (more on this in a future post). By the time I complete my Master of Science in Higher Education (May 11, 2013), my outer self will reflect who I am on the inside. I can't wait to finally see the real me!
What you'll find here
I intend to post about anything relevant to the process of changing my body and my lifestyle.
I will include a couple of updates about my Invisalign treatment. I'm currently on tray 7 of 10 to close a large gap between my front teeth, so I'll post a couple updates here and there, but since I'm almost done, this will be a small minority of my posts.
I will share my daily food collages so you can see what and how much I'm eating. I believe eating healthy can also be enjoyable and delicious and that will be reflected in my food choices. As I test new recipes and try sneaky ways to "hide" vegetables in my food, I'll share my triumphs and misfires.
Finally, you can expect to see updates on how my workouts are going. That can be anything from increasing the weights I'm lifting or switching from low impact to high impact in my cardio workouts. I'll share my mini goals along the way and celebrate when I reach them!
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