Saturday, January 19, 2013

Thinking About Teeny Tiny Bikinis

After months of cold weather, hot tea, sweaters, and fireplaces, January has us thinking about swimsuits. Not because it's warm enough to go for a swim, but because most of us, myself included, made a resolution to look better this summer. Most of my posts are about nutrition, but that's only half the battle of a healthy lifestyle. Exercising is a necessary part of looking good in those short shorts on the beach. If you've made a resolution to lose weight and work out more this year, that is awesome. It's always great to want to be a better version of yourself, but just wanting to work out isn't going to give you results. You have to come up with a plan and stick to it.

The first step is to come up with a long term goal. My goal is to lose 30ish pounds. I'm going to see how I feel after 25 and decide if I want to keep losing or just maintain. It sounds like a lot, but just 2 years ago that's the weight I was, and I was totally happy with it. It started creeping up more at the beginning of last year, after a few too many nights out drinking all night and eating nachos at 6 in the morning. I'm not too focused on the number on the scale, but more about how I look, feel and how my clothes fit. I can't wait to get back into my favorite jeans.

Make sure you know your body, and you pick a goal that is reasonable and attainable. Losing 50 pounds in a month is not realistic. Being 100 pounds and 6 feet tall is also not reasonable. Pick something that will keep you healthy. A reasonable number to think about is 2-3 pounds a week. Losing more than that is not sustainable and probably means that you're losing weight in an unhealthy way. Just keep that in mind when you're deciding your big goal.

The next step is to consider why you want to achieve this goal. What's your motivation? It has to be more than"I want to look like a Victoria's Secret model in my swim suit." You need to find a deep desire to want to achieve your goal, so that you'll stick to your plan. Mine is two-fold. This summer I'm going to Hawaii!! I don't want my pictures from that trip to piss me off and make me lose focus on my awesome trip. So, maybe looking like a swimsuit model would be ok. But my bigger, better source of motivation is you. Anyone who's reading. How can I possibly give you advice on leading healthy lifestyles if I'm not doing so myself? If I want this to be my career and my passion, I have to make sure that I am living it all the time. I would love to be inspiring and motivating to you, and I can only do that if I'm happy and healthy in my own life.

After you've picked your big, main finale goal and your reason for wanting to achieve it, you should think of a couple mini goals and a reward for achieving them. Since I wanted to lose 30 pounds, I thought I should break that up into 5 little mini goals of 6 pounds each. You could also choose fitness goals like how long you can run without stopping, how much you've increased the weight you're lifting, or how flexible you're getting from yoga and pilates!

The harder part than picking your mini goals, is coming up with a way to reward yourself. I think that if you know there's a little reward coming if you just push yourself a little more, you'll be more willing to want to do it. It's much easier to think about losing 6 pounds than 30. Or running for 15 minutes without stopping rather than running a marathon. So breaking it up gives you an attainable step towards your more daunting aspirations. I wanted my rewards to encourage my goal and not fight it. So instead of choosing a reward like getting to eat a boatload of nachos, I chose rewards that would encourage me to work out.

My first reward was a new workout outfit. New clothes would encourage me to want to go to the gym and show them off. I always get so excited by new clothes and want to wear them right away. My second reward was a new yoga mat. This is gross, but the one I take to hot yoga gets super sweaty, and I wanted another one to use at home or for regular yoga classes at the gym. Also, this way, I can keep my hot one in the car and my new one at home in my little home gym I set up in my bedroom. I've already accomplished these first two (yay!!!). My third reward is the one I'm working towards now. Variety is the spice of life, so I am going to treat myself to a new workout. I'm thinking I'm going to buy a Groupon I've been eyeing for some crossfit classes. My friend that helped me come up with this plan really wants to take Barre classes, the ballet inspired workout. If this is a reward you choose, make sure it's something that you'll really look forward to. The next reward is a snowboarding trip! I'm excited because I've only been once, and I really want to go again. The final treat for myself is a bicycle. I am DYING to have a bike. I want one soooooooo bad. I'll ride it everywhere, I promise. I've been wanting it for a year now, so this is great motivation when I feel like laying on the couch eating chips and salsa.

The next thing you should do is set yourself up for success. Write down your goals and put them up somewhere you'll look at them everyday. I keep mine on my closet door, right next to my mirror. Right next to it, I put the schedule for the classes at my gym and yoga studio. Plus, I pack my gym bag and take put it in my car everyday, so I always have workout clothes to take to the gym whenever I'm done with my daily errands. I also set up a little gym in my room, so I have to walk by it everyday, and it makes it really hard to ignore a workout. I put my new yoga mat, a pull-up bar, my hand weights and my resistance bands all set up, so not having time to exercise is never an excuse.

Here's a plan I came up with to make sure I actually achieve my goals. Since I have a gym membership, a hot yoga membership, a beautiful running path in my neighborhood, countless workout DVDs, and plenty of workout equipment at my house, there is no excuse for me to not get a workout in every single day. My usual run takes me between 20 and 30 minutes (depending on how hard I'm working) so on really busy days, even that would be a little step towards a big goal. I'm aiming for 2 workouts a day, one in the morning or afternoon and then usually heading to the gym after work. Ultimately, I would be really happy with 10 workouts a week. This means that most days I would need 2 a day, but sometimes, life happens and it's not possible so a quick workout would be fine, as long as that's the exception and not a regular occurrence.

I have so many different things I can do so I'm not getting bored doing the same thing. I'm also trying not to wear myself out by pairing my workouts accordingly and giving each muscle group a day to rest. Most days, I'll do yoga in the afternoon, and then some cardio and weights at the gym at night. Or maybe a little jog with the dog in the morning and the gym at night. Or P90X and hot pilates. The possibilities are endless.

Again, it's really important to know your body. I love doing yoga. I love how I feel after, and I love how flexible I've gotten, and I love that it's a mind and body workout, and I love the environment, BUT I know that my body responds better and looks better when I'm doing a little cardio (about 20-30 minutes a day) and lifting weights. So to look and feel my best, I know that I should do both. Since I really love yoga (did I mention that) and I'm acquiring a new found love for the gym, this really is attainable for me. I also know that workout DVDs, while convenient in a pinch, are not right for me. I need accountability. I need to walk into the gym and start working out. Mostly because after you start working out for 10 minutes, it's a real bitch move to leave after that. But it's so easy to turn the TV off 10 minutes into a workout DVD.

Which brings me to my last thing! (Whoo finally, I know this has been a long one.) A sure fire way to stick to your goals and your plan, is to have some kind of accountability. Tell anyone who will listen and care about what you're going to do. Post it here, tell me, I'll listen! :) Tell your friends, or better yet, find a friend that wants to do it with you. Surrounding yourself with people who will motivate, and not criticize, is a huge help. If that doesn't work, there's an App for that. I use MyFitnessPal on my phone. You can track your workouts, your weight and your meals to keep yourself on track. It even sends you reminders to track it and gives you some feedback. I also get health tips sent to my phone. Telling people about my goals is really what works for me. I'm less likely to slip if I know people that people are encouraging me.

Hopefully this helps you all stay on track for your New Year's Resolutions. We'll all be looking much better on the beach this summer! Feel free to use this page to post your plans to get into shape and share your tips here. Everyone, including me, can benefit from other people's points of view. And always feel free to email me with any questions or comments at naturallyhealthyplease@yahoo.com Thanks everyone!!

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Sleeping to Dream

Not only does this post share a name with my absolute favorite Jason Mraz song, but it talks about one of my favorite activities. Sleep! I love to sleep. I'll be the first to admit that between work, social activities, working out, and life in general, I don't get as much sleep as I should. My work schedule is split so I have just enough time to get my 8 hours, but I've been going to the gym at odd hours lately (2 or 3 am, weird!) so by the time I get home and get into bed, I really only have time for 6 hours or so. I try to make up for it by ensuring that those 6 hours are quality sleep time. Working out a lot has helped by tiring me out so by the time I crawl under the covers, I'm exhausted. I also make sure there's nothing in my room to distract me, like the tv or the phone. Ending the night with a little ritual helps too. It gets your body into a routine and signals that it's bed time. A little afternoon nap helps me out too. :)

Getting enough sleep can help improve your memory, reduce inflammation, increase your attention span, lower stress, lose weight and even help you live longer! Plus, we all look a little ragged when we haven't slept properly. They don't call it beauty sleep for no reason! When you sleep, your body produces more skin, making you look healthier. Growth hormone also increases in activity while you sleep, building muscle and shaping our bodies. And really, everyone looks better without bags under their eyes.

There's a good reason sleeping in makes us so happy. Sleep is your body's time to repair itself and fix all the damage that we've done all day long. When you get enough sleep, your body's hormones are more balanced, your memory is improved, and you are able to think more clearly. Most of us have seen the effects of staying up too late and not feeling our best the next morning. It feels so much better to wake up feeling rested.

During flu season especially, it's important that you get enough sleep. There are many different kinds of cells that are involved in your immune system, and basically when you don't sleep enough, the number of these cells changes and it's easier for you to get sick. Also when we get sick, our bodies try to fight off whatever is making us feel like crap. That's why we get fevers, to try to kill the viruses or bacteria that is making us sick. When you sleep, your body gets better at regulating your temperature and your fevers. There are also links to sleep deprivation and heart disease and cancer.

Here's how sleeping more can make us skinnier. When your body is sleep deprived, it goes into a state of stress. Stress hormones are released, like cortisol and norepinephrine. These hormones cause your metabolic system to temporarily be put on hold while you deal with a problem. Cortisol especially can cause energy from food to be stored as fat, especially around your tummy! There are a ton of chemicals that affect our very complicated metabolic process. Two more important hormones are ghrelin and leptin. Leptin is released by fat cells and suppresses our appetite and increases our metabolism. Ghrelin is released by the stomach and makes us hungry and causes energy to be stored. When we are sleep deprived, leptin levels decrease and ghrelin levels increase, making us hungrier and slowing down our metabolism. People who are lacking sleep also tend to crave carbohydrate heavy and sugary snacks. Plus the more hours you are awake, the more energy your body needs to keep moving, causing you to eat more. So the more you sleep, the more you keep the chemical balance in your body, and the healthier you will be.

The best way to make sure you're getting quality sleep is to go to bed and wake up at about the same time everyday. I know it's not really realistic to think you can do this every single day, but it really does help! Here's how I keep my bedtime and morning rituals so I can make the most of my sleep. When I get home from the gym, I shower and get ready for bed and sip on some peppermint tea while I get my things ready for the morning. I know that I am always rushing in the morning, so the only way I know things will get ready is if I do them ahead of time. I pack a gym bag and get anything I need together for work or school. This has been a huge help in motivating me to actually make it to the gym and making sure I have no excuses to avoid it. The last thing I do, if something is bothering me, or stressing me out I'll write it down, or make a to-do list. Having it on paper calms me down and let's me focus on, well, nothing, so I sleep much better.

Mornings are not my strong suit. I never have been good at waking up on time. My morning ritual is a little frantic. A goal I have for myself this year is to stop pressing the snooze button. I press it way too much and then I'm left running around in a hurry, scrambling to get out of the door. I've been much better about it lately. I try to start every day with some hot water with lemon and ginger. It jumpstarts your metabolism, it's very alkalizing for your body, and it's good for your digestion. Then I make myself a healthy breakfast and take my vitamins, and since all my stuff is ready, I just have to get ready and run out the door. Somehow, this sounds a lot calmer than what actually happens.

We all have heard a million times that sleeping is good for us, and that we need more sleep. Just like eating healthy and exercising regularly, things that seem like a hassle now, will really pay off in the long run and help us to live longer, healthier lives. Goodnight everyone! This girl needs her beauty sleep :)

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Decoding a Nutrition Label

I started this post in November, but for some reason, I never posted it! Silly me. Anyway, this post is to help us decipher our confusing food labels, that are getting more misleading by the second.

Much to my dismay, Prop 37 in California did not pass. I was really hoping that this could have been a catalyst to inspire us all to be more truthful and informed about our food choices. Unfortunately, we have to sort through the misleading information ourselves now.

The reason I'm so upset is not for people like me who are OCD about their groceries, and probably not like you who care enough to still be reading. I'm upset because the vast majority of Americans are not informed. This law would have made it easier for people to understand what they are buying.

People are becoming much more concerned with their health and nutrition, but a lot of products and claims can be misleading. Some of my favorites include: "all natural," "low carb," and "gluten free." These labels trick you into thinking something is healthy, but really, they don't mean much.

Here's what you can do to buy the most healthy products available.

First of all, the easiest way to avoid chemicals and GMOs and other yucky stuff, is to buy organic produce. Nothing bad can get in there!! But let's be real, no one survives on kale alone. Everyone buys packaged products.

This gluten-free craze is one of the worst offenders. If you really do have celiac disease, and your body can't tolerate gluten, then these labels are important to you and do matter. However, most of the world is not gluten free and people think that when they see this label, it means they are eating something healthier, but gluten free versions of certain foods can be worse for you than regular versions. If you are not gluten intolerant, there is no reason to avoid gluten. Gluten is just wheat protein, so things that are made from wheat like bread and pasta have gluten, but they can be a part of your healthy diet (as long as you get the whole wheat kind and not the more processed versions). Food companies are now slapping the "gluten-free" label on everything. Even things that never contained gluten in the first place. This is leading consumers to pick things up that are probably not the healthiest choice, and think, "Oh this must be healthy, it's gluten-free!" If you really do have a gluten sensitivity, there are a lot of breads and grains made from brown rice or quinoa that would be an equally healthy option. Just make sure you're actually choosing a healthy item and not buying it just because it's gluten-free.

A few years ago, everyone got into this low-carb diet frenzy. If you look at what this entails, there is ABSOLUTELY NO WAY that this can be a healthy, sustainable diet. Carbs are the basis of the healthiest foods there are. Vegetables, fruit, whole grains: CARBS. This diet focused on a high fat, high protein diet. It encouraged eating lots of processed foods and a lot of meat and cheese, and basically that's it. Carbohydrates are not evil. They are actually the only source of fuel that your brain can process. This high-fat diet is also terrible for your heart and your kidneys. A healthy diet is full of vegetables and fruit and the fiber and vitamins in them. What's worse is when you take a food that normally has carbs in it, and you take them out, like they do in the processed foods they created for these diets, they actually have to replace them with artificial ingredients, usually artificial sweeteners (see my previous posts for the dangers of those bad boys), and added fat, sometimes trans fats. Honestly, I'll take good old carbs over processed, artificially sweetened, trans-fatty crap any day.

And here's where Prop 37 would have come in. The "all natural" label. Basically right now, if something says "all natural" it means absolutely nothing. It could come straight from the factory to the grocery store shelves never actually seeing the sun and still end up with an all natural label. The only things that can't be added to food for it to be considered all natural by the USDA and the FDA are artificial coloring and artificial flavors. However, most "natural" flavors, are not really very natural. This label also gives no indication of how the product was made before it was processed. For example, meat that was given antibiotics or that was feeding on GMO corn can be labeled all natural. Produce that was doused in chemical pesticides and sprayed with food wax can be labeled all natural. The only way to know if what you are eating is really natural, is to read the label and know your products. Check the labels for anything you can't pronounce. If you can't say it, they probably didn't grow it. Also, buying organic products eliminates a lot of these harmful ingredients.

Speaking of organic, there are some confusing terms when it comes to these labels too. "100% organic" means that all of the ingredients have been certified organic and all of the processing follows the USDA"s guidelines for preparing the food. "Organic" means that at least 95% of the ingredients are certified organic and the processing follows the USDA guidelines. "Made with organic ingredients" means that at least 70% of the ingredients are organic. Any amount less than 70% can only be listed on the ingredient label as organic.

I know this is really confusing, and I know it can be expensive to buy everything 100% organic, but there are a couple shortcuts. And remember that while it may seem expensive now, keeping your body healthy will save you money in the future. One of the shortcuts that will help you is to remember the "dirty dozen" and the "clean fifteen." If an item is on the dirty dozen list, you should always buy it organic. These products have shown to have the highest levels of chemical pesticides. The clean fifteen are items that have a relatively low risk of pesticides, and you can buy these conventionally.

Dirty Dozen: apples, celery, bell peppers, peaches, strawberries, nectarines, grapes, spinach, lettuce, cucumbers, blueberries, and potatoes.

There are also a few items of concern that should probably also be bought organic: beans and leafy greens.

Clean Fifteen: onions, sweet corn, pineapple, avocado, cabbage, sweet peas, asparagus, mangoes, eggplant, kiwi, cantaloupe, sweet potatoes, grapefruit, watermelon, mushrooms.

Although sweet corn is on the clean fifteen list, I would buy that, as well as soy products organic. These foods are the most genetically modified foods in the U.S. so if that's a concern for you, organic would be a better option.

I hope I've cleared things up, rather than making them more confusing. Hopefully sometime soon, there will be more accountability in regards to what food companies are telling us, but at the end of the day, they want to make money by selling their products. It's up to us to research and figure out exactly what we put into our bodies, and I hope this will help you all do that.




Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Resolutions

Ok, so I know I'm a week late, but I wanted to share with you my New Year's resolutions. Basically, my word of the year is organization. I started by organizing my desk at work, then my kitchen, then my purse, then my closet. Next is the car and garage. Also I'm never letting my laundry get so bad again. Every time I do laundry it takes like 8 loads to get everything done.

But this year, I'm going to make sure that I am prepared and organized so I can have a healthier and less stressful life. I'm not leaving any shoes in my car anymore (definitely a terrible habit). I think if I can be prepared and have things ready to go, that I will be able to do the things I want (and need) to do. I started by cooking and freezing a ton of healthy food (see my previous post!) that just needs a quick trip to the oven to have a healthy meal ready.

I also started packing a gym bag every night that I can take with me when I leave the house and be ready to go to the gym once I'm done at the office. This has actually been working pretty well. This way, I have no excuses to not work out everyday. Plus I keep the class schedules for my yoga studio on my phone all the time so I can see when the next class is.

My next task is to try and create a better morning routine so that my day starts off orderly and not in a frantic rush like it usually does. Hitting the snooze on my alarm over and over again is my worst habit. I HATE mornings. I got a ton of fruit and quick breakfast options this week, so healthy breakfast is quick. I should really figure out how to set the timer on the coffee pot. That would be awesome. Waking up to coffee might pull me out of bed.

It's always easier to maintain healthy habits rather than start from scratch, so I'm trying to get my house clean, my life organized, and my body healthy. This way, it's all about maintenance, rather than huge daunting projects (like the laundry).

I just hope that I can keep this going for more than a week or two. What is it, 23 days for something to become a habit? I can do it for 23 days, right? What are your healthy resolutions this year, and how are you keeping them? Do you guys have any advice for keeping resolutions? Let me know :)

Sunday, January 6, 2013

Vegan Lasagna!

I'm anticipating a very busy couple of weeks coming up. One of my New Year's Resolutions is to be better prepared. To never have to eat crappy food because I didn't plan ahead. Today, I went grocery shopping to make this an attainable goal. First I evaluated my food supplies and came up with a list of food I was going to make. Then I made a grocery list and set to it. I'm still feeling a little under the weather so I wanted to make some soup and some comfort food. I decided on vegetable soup, chili, lasagna, spicy sweet potatoes, and lentil loaf.  

I've never made vegan lasagna so this was a total experiment, and it was a good one!! It took a lot of research and some combining from a few different recipes (plus my own additions). It is pretty time consuming, but it makes a lot of food, and like I said, it freezes well so you can make a double batch and save some for later. It seems like a lot of steps, but they are all pretty easy. There are 4 parts to the lasagna: cream sauce, tofu ricotta, sauteed veggies, and the marinara sauce. Then you layer that together with some whole wheat noodles and bake it all together. Ridiculously good.

For the "cream sauce:"
1 cup raw almonds, soaked for 2 hours (the recipe I saw used cashews, but I couldn't find any at 2 grocery stores by my house! Cashews would probably create a smoother, creamier texture, but mine was just fine)
1 cup water
1/4 cup vegan butter
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste

In a blender, combine the almonds, water, yeast, vinegar, and spices. In a sauce pan, melt the butter and whisk in the flour. Pour in the almond mixture and heat over medium heat for about 5 minutes.

For the "ricotta:"
14 oz. firm tofu
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
3 cloves garlib, minced
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/2 tsp black pepper
16 oz. frozen spinach, thawed and drained

In a large bowl, combine the tofu and the garbanzo beans. Mash with a fork until it has the consistency of ricotta. Combine the remaining ingredients. 

For the marinara:
This makes wayyy more than you need, so you can save the rest for spaghetti.
1 medium white onion, chopped
2 zucchinis, chopped
1 lb. mushrooms, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
64 oz. crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup fresh basil
2 tbsp dried oregano
salt and pepper
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Sautee the veggies in the oil in a large pan over medium high heat until they are soft. Then add the tomatoes and the spices and cook for about 30 minutes. 

In a separate pan, sautee whatever veggies you like best to layer in your lasagna. I used 2 more zucchinis, some more mushrooms and some broccoli. 

To prepare your lasagna, boil 1 box of lasagna noodles (I actually only used about 2/3 of the box) and preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Oil a 9x13 inch glass pan. Put some of the cream sauce in the bottom of the pan. Top with a layer of noodles, a layer of tofu ricotta, a layer of sauteed veggies, and a layer of marinara. Repeat the layers and if you like, top with a sprinkle of Daiya mozzarella like I did. Bake for about 20 minutes. 


I don't remember where I got the basis for the recipes for the tofu ricotta or the cream sauce, but whoever it was, thank you!! It was seriously amazing.