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Whole Grain Goodness

November 22, 2010 By 2 Comments

I am on the mailing list of www.realage.com, so I receive their daily emails which have various tips about healthy eating and tend to highlight recent studies that say that a certain herb, food, or drink does something good for your body.  This particular article they sent talks about choosing the right grains to get rid of belly fat and keep your waist trimmer.  Here is the full article.

I don’t think this is revolutionary information, but every reminder about eating naturally helps.  To me, it’s common sense that you would want to choose whole grains (i.e grains in their natural form, so no goodness has been stripped out of them.)  But, it’s easy to get out of the habit just because there are so many tempting choices of breads or crackers made from refined grains (especially in America.)

I am a firm believer in being able to lose weight naturally, without diet pills and without fancy diet systems.  I try to base most of my posts on this site around that core belief.   So, the fact that this Real Age article mentions that switching from eating refined grains to whole grains can instantly help you lose weight really fits with my attitude toward weight loss.

Look at the Ingredients

So, how do you choose something made from whole grains?  If you’re buying something like bread or crackers, you want to look at the ingredients and find first of all something with very few ingredients.  For example, the rye bread that I like has about 3 or 4 ingredients, the first one being whole rye.   You also want to look for words like ‘unrefined’ or ‘whole’ and make sure the grains are in the first couple of ingredients listed on the package.

Just in case you weren’t already aware of this, ingredients are listed in order by how much of that particular ingredient was used to make the product.  So, the first ingredient listed should be the primary item used to make the food.

Another quick check you can do is to look at how much fiber is in the product you’re buying.  If it’s less than about 3g per serving, it probably isn’t a whole grain.  When grains are processed, some of the fiber is stripped out.

Some of the most common whole grains are barley, buckwheat (which despite it’s name, is wheat and gluten free), brown rice (gluten-free), millet (gluten-free), oats, and whole wheat.

If you’re buying any of these things, you shouldn’t have to check the labels, but I would suggest doing it anyway if you’re not familiar with the particular brand you’re buying.  Whatever you buy, it should just be 100% millet, or 100% barley – essentially 100% of whatever grain you’re purchasing.  Nothing needs to be added to these.

Macrobiotics and Grains

I know some of you already know this, but I’m going to start a macrobiotic counseling course soon.  The reason I mention this is because a macrobiotic diet is based around eating whole grains and vegetables.  As I learn more about macrobiotics, I’m sure you’ll see plenty more posts about whole grains and what they do for you – just a little warning :)

You can see an earlier post I did, which gives a very quick introduction to macrobiotics.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my American readers.  Enjoy!

To your health,

Kimberly

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Veggies Galore

November 18, 2010 By Leave a Comment

According to Parade Magazine (which, by the way, I love being able to read every Sunday now that I’m back in San Diego!), one of the food fads of this year is the focus on vegetable-based dishes, even by top chefs.  People are getting creative with new and interesting vegetables (red celery, anyone?) and making those vegetables the main ‘act’ in a meal, rather than meat.

I probably don’t dine at fine restaurants enough to say whether I see this trend happening, but I like the sounds of it.

Certainly in the last six years, while I’ve been in the UK, a lot more vegetarian and even vegan restaurants have popped up in my hometown.   And the idea of having one day a week where you eat no meat (Meatless Mondays), has caught on somewhat.  There actually is a non-profit initiative called Meatless Monday.   Their website has a host of great information and recipes.

I love that this is happening.  Even if you’re a meat eater, through and through, and you say there is no chance of giving up meat, you almost certainly could use more vegetables in your diet.  Get creative.  Try a vegetable you’ve never bought before.

Parade magazine also said that the popularity of hummus, which is made from chickpeas, in the US has increased 1500% in the last ten years.  That is a pretty hefty change.  The reason I mention this fact is that chickpeas count as a serving of vegetables.  So, a lot of people are probably increasing their vegetable intake without even knowing it.

If you’re trying to lose weight naturally, get healthier, or just maintain your health, the trends of today are trying to support you.  Dining out is not going away.   I wouldn’t even want it to go away – it is fun!  But, at least when you do dine out, you are more likely to have a choice of dishes loaded with vegetables.  I know there are many other trends that take you in the opposite direction regarding your health (i.e. fat city, diabetes, heart disease), but if you stick to the healthy choices most of the time, you’re in business.  It’s up to you.

To your health,

Kimberly

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50 Fattiest Foods in America

October 26, 2010 By 2 Comments

Hi everyone,

I just saw an article listing one really fatty dish from each of the 50 states in America.  I actually feel a little bit sick now, after seeing all the pictures.

Check it out for yourself here: http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20393387_1,00.html, but I warn you, if you are eating right now, you might want to wait until you’ve digested your food.  Honestly, I can’t believe that anybody actually eats this stuff.  There are 1 or 2 foods that look somewhat appetizing, but mostly they just look repulsive.

This reminds me just how meat-crazy America is.  There is enough bacon to kill someone in some of the dishes!  And come on…what is the story with Georgia’s Luther Burger. A burger, cheese, bacon, between donuts?  Yuck.

All of the foods shown in this article are definitely things to avoid if you’re trying to eat healthy, lose weight naturally, and be the energetic, happy person you’d like to be.

To your health,

Kimberly

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Cooking for weight-loss

September 14, 2010 By Leave a Comment

This is a New York minute post today (i.e. quick.)

I just read this short article talking about Jamie Oliver’s hints for cooking for natural weight loss.

Check it out here:  http://www.eatsmartagesmart.com/jamie-oliver-shares-tips-cooking/

I agree that people’s inability to cook, or lack of interest in cooking, contributes massively to the obesity issues the world is facing.  Of course, there are plenty of other things that contribute…like how much junk food there is available…but cooking is an important element if you’re trying to lose weight naturally.

To your health,

Kimberly

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Macrobiotic Cooking Class

September 13, 2010 By 1 Comment

Over the weekend, I attended a macrobiotic cooking class with a couple of friends.  It was absolutely incredible!  I didn’t know much about macrobiotics, other than I thought it was pretty much a vegan diet and based on all natural foods.

Here is what I got from it:

Macrobiotics essentially means “full life”.  It is based on the principle of eating natural foods based on the climate you live in and the seasons.  It consists of a lot of whole grains, vegetables (the usual day to day stuff), and sea vegetables. Fish is included in meals in certain seasons, but other than that it is pretty much vegetarian.  It is also dairy free and I think it should be egg free as well.  Macrobiotics also looks at yin and yang, or foods that are expansive or contracting, respectively.

Something I had never really thought about is how foods affect your body in the different seasons.  For example, in colder weather, you want to eat things that thicken the blood, like green leafy vegetables (high in vitamin K).  Then in warmer weather, you want to thin the blood.  Eating foods high in vitamin E is one way to do this.

A macrobiotic lifestyle includes macrobiotic eating and other things, including meditation, yoga, healing, and other things.  It is said to be the best way to live a disease-free life and stay youthful.  It should help people lose weight naturally, and maintain it.

I learned so much more, but those were the basics!  I’ll share a couple of the recipes with you this week.  We got to try all of the 7 things that we made, but here is one of my favorites.

Mashed Millet

1 cup millet

1 onion (diced)

1/3 medium cauliflower (cut in florettes)

1 bay leaf

pinch sea salt

1 tbsp oil

few drops shoyu sauce (like soy sauce)

fresh parsley

What to do

1. Heat a cooking pot.  Add oil and onions.  Gently saute for 10 minutes.

2. Add a few drops shoyu and the bay leaf.

3. Add 3 cups water, cauliflower, pinch of sea salt and washed and drained millet.

4. Cover and bring to a boil.  Reduce flame and simmer gently for 25-30 minutes.

5. Mash millet and vegetables to a smooth consistency.  Garnish with fresh parsley.

This is a perfect alternative to mashed potato, but healthier!  Millet is very alkalising, and as modern day diets are very acidic, this is important.  Millet is great for the spleen and stomach.  Why not try this at your next dinner party and see what people think?

To your health,

Kimberly

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What Detox do Celebrities Follow?

May 21, 2010 By 2 Comments

According to an article in The Times newspaper on 18 May 2010, these are the detox diets that celebrities use:

Naomi Campbell:  Master Cleanse Diet, which is a drink made up of maple syrup, lemon juice, hot water and cayenne pepper.  This is all she drinks for 10-14 days.  No solid food!  She claims to do this three times a year.

Gwyneth Paltrow:  Two liquid meals a day and one solid one in between for three weeks.  An example daily menu is a breakfast smoothie, carrot and ginger salad, and then broccoli soup.  Gwyneth says she does this twice a year.

Katie Price (Jordan): A seven day plan in which breakfast and lunch consists of vegetable and fruit juices.  Supplement those with wheatgrass and spirulina.  Dinner is then fish or meat with vegetables.

Kate Moss:  A diet based on drinking white tea and honey.  Essentially she eats small, healthy meals (example – oatmeal, sushi, and a balanced dinner) and each one is followed by white tea with honey.

Jennifer Aniston – A baby food diet.  (Yup – baby food!)  She eats mashed up food throughout the day (up to 14 servings) and then eats a normal dinner.

Are they any good?

Of all of the detox diets listed above, I would only try Kate Moss’ and Jennifer Aniston’s.  To be honest, I think they all sound a bit wacky, but with these two, at least you can still get a somewhat balanced level of nutrients.  You can still get plenty of vitamins, minerals, some healthy carbs, and then you’d have to get some healthy fats and protein in your one “normal” meal each day.

All of the diets sound very calorie restrictive.  I guess the idea is to lose weight quickly and cleanse the system, but these are all pretty extreme.  If you feel the need to try any type of really restrictive detox, just don’t do it for more than 5-7 days.

If you want to do a healthier detox and lose weight naturally and feel great, I suggest cutting out all refined carbs, sugar, artificial sweeteners, preservatives, and any processed foods.  This will kick start you to creating a healthier lifestyle for you and your family.

One other Important Point!

In the article, each of the women commented on using these detoxes to get ready for either a red carpet appearance, a new film, a photo shoot, or some other media event.   What does this tell us?

Clearly even these women don’t always feel “red carpet ready.”  They are real people who have to go through serious preparation to look the way they do in the pictures we see of them.  So, if you’re one of those people that strives to look like these women, keep this in mind.  Are you ready to eat baby food?  Or maple syrup concoctions?

Good thing you don’t have to!

To your health,

Kimberly

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GoWear Fit Armband – by BodyMedia

May 17, 2010 By 2 Comments

I recently wrote an article about a new fitness gadget I bought and how it was helping me be more conscious of my nutritional intake.  Well, I said in that article that I would be writing a more formal review of the product, so here goes:

The GoWear Fit armband (or Ki Fit in the UK) is a piece of fitness technology which is designed to help you achieve your fitness and nutrition goals.  It is designed to help you lose weight naturally and healthily..and more quickly than you would without it.

How it Works

Essentially (in Kimberly terms – not scientific at all!) there are some sensors on the inside of the armband which track what is going on inside your body.  You then synchronize the armband with your computer (the software is free with the purchase of the armband) and you can extract all kinds of information from it.

The technology shows you how many calories you’ve burned, how many steps you’ve taken, how much physical activity you’ve done (both moderate and vigorous), how well you slept (assuming you wore the armband during the night), and other things.

It also has a nutrition area where you input everything you’ve consumed throughout the day.  There is a database you can access that already has hundreds of foods/dishes loaded in, or you can add your own food, drinks, and recipes.  It makes it as simple as possible to input all the information you need!  Once all your food is recorded for the day, a nice pie graph and other summary information is presented to you.

My Opinion

Overall, the product is very easy to use.  The information that the software presents to you is very clear and easy to understand.  I think it’s a great tool to supplement whatever else you’re doing to get fit and lose weight.   It’s the fact that you feel “accountable” to it that really makes you be more disciplined with your eating and fitness regime.  I’m happy with my purchase!

A couple of things I would change

1) I would make it even slimmer.  It is already pretty slim, but in my opinion, the slimmer the better!  It is hard to wear it with any shirts that art tight against the skin, but it works with most other things.

2) I would make it so that users can input vitamin/mineral supplements that I take.  As it tracks the vitamins/minerals in the foods I’m consuming, it would be nice to be able to add my own supplements too.  (I haven’t actually asked the Support guys at BodyMedia about this, so maybe there’s a way, but I can’t see it.)

See below for my You Tube review if you want to see the technology itself.  You can also link to the product site through the video or have a look at the product here.

To your health,

Kimberly

Filed Under: Fitness Tagged With: , , , ,

More Benefits of Water

April 5, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Here is another article confirming the benefits of drinking plenty of water.  In my opinion, if you’re drinking enough water throughout the day, you won’t need to drink water just before your meals, but that is what this article is recommending.  Either way, if you’re trying to lose weight naturally, water has got to play a part in your plan!

To your health,

Kimberly

Article Source: www.realage.com

Lose Weight Faster with This Premeal Habit

Kick your slim-down efforts into high gear by starting each meal with about 16 ounces of water.

In a study of dieters, those who started each meal with a tall glass of water dropped more weight over 12 weeks — and shed it more quickly — compared with the dieters who skipped the water and just dug in.

A Wet Way to Lose More
In fact, the water drinkers lost about 4 1/2 more pounds than the control group. And they dropped the weight about 44 percent faster. So if you’re feeling a little panicked about the teeny tiny bit of time you have left to drop your winter weight before swimsuit season, think about what you drink. In this particular study, the drink-water-lose-more benefit varied by age — it wasn’t a factor for younger adults. But plenty of other research has suggested that drinking more water in general could boost weight loss efforts. 

A Matter of Age
Why the boost for water drinkers? It’s possible that being properly hydrated curbed their hunger, helping them eat less at each meal. And their water habits may have caused them to cut back on high-calorie, fructose-laden drinks. A third possible mechanism? The water drinkers were asked to track their daily water intake, which may have led to more careful monitoring of calorie intake, too. 

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Why to drink Water (not Coke)

April 3, 2010 By 1 Comment

I got this great email this morning, so I’m sharing it with everyone.  I don’t know the original source of the information so can’t substantiate the facts, but I still think it is interesting. Enjoy!

Water

  1. 75 percent of Americans are chronically dehydrated.
  2. In 37 percent of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger.
  3. Even MILD dehydration will slow down one’s metabolism as much as 3%.
  4. One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100 percent of the dieters studied in a University of Washington study.
  5. Lack of water is the Number 1 trigger of daytime fatigue.
  6. Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80 percent of sufferers.
  7. A mere 2 percent drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on a computer screen or on a printed page.
  8. Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45 percent, it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79 percent, and one is 50 percent less likely to develop bladder cancer.

Coke

  1. In many states in the USA, highway patrol cars carry two gallons of Coke in the trunk to remove blood from the highway after a car accident.
  2. You can put a T-bone steak in a bowl of Coke and it will be gone in two days.
  3. To clean a toilet:  Pour a can of Coca-Cola into the toilet bowl and let the “Real Thing” sit for one hour, then flush it clean.  The citric acid in Coke removes stains from vitreous china.
  4. To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers:  Rub the bumper with a rumpled-up piece of aluminum foil that has been dipped in Coke.
  5. To clean corrosion from car battery terminals:  Pour a can of Coke over the terminals to bubble away the corrosion.
  6. To loosen a rusted bolt:  Applying a cloth soaked in Coke to the rusted bolt for several minutes.
  7. To bake a moist ham:  Empty a can of Coke into the baking pan, wrap the ham in aluminum foil, and bake.  Thirty minutes before the ham is finished, remove the foil, allowing the drippings to mix with the Coke for a sumptuous brown gravy.
  8. To remove grease from clothes:  Empty a can of Coke into a load of greasy clothes, add detergent, and run it through a regular cycle.  The Coke will help loosen grease stains.
  9. Coke will clean road haze from your windshield.

Other information

  1. The active ingredient in Coke is phosphoric acid, which has a pH of 2.8.  Phosphoric acid will dissolve a nail in about 4 days.  It also leaches calcium from bones and is a major contributor to the rising increase in osteoporosis.
  2. To carry Coca-Cola syrup (the concentrate), a commercial trucker must use the hazardous material cards reserved for highly corrosive materials.
  3. For about 20 years, the distributors of Coke have been using it to clean the engines of their trucks.

So, what are you going to choose? If you’re trying to lose weight naturally, keep fit, and just have better general health, water should certainly be a part of your plan each and every day.

To your health,

Kimberly

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Is Being Overweight a Mental Illness?

March 29, 2010 By 2 Comments

I heard a discussion on Radio 4 last Friday. It was talking about how many people (in the UK specifically) are overweight now and what the trend looks like going forward. In fact, they read one statistic which said that by 2050, something like 60% of men, 40% of women and 25% of children will be obese. Those are huge numbers!

In case you are not familiar with the definition of obese, it usually refers to a person’s BMI (body mass index.) If a person has a BMI of 30 or higher, then they fit into the “obese” category. Having a BMI of 30 means a person is roughly 30 pounds above a “normal weight”.

Referring back to the statistic that the radio program stated, I actually think their numbers could happen a lot sooner than 2050. They probably are already close to that in the US!

Anyway, getting to the point of this post…the program also posed the question about whether or not being overweight is a “mental illness”. They had one person representing each side of the argument, but I have to say I was shocked that this question even came up!

I think being overweight and trying to lose weight is definitely a huge problem and can be one of the hardest things for people to do, but I can’t imagine how it can be classed as a mental illness.

Cravings play a huge part in people overeating, which I guess could possibly fall into an addiction category, but again, I think a mental illness categorisation is just a step too far! We have to stop blaming something…anything…everything and making excuses for our weight problems. Even if you have been overeating, eating the wrong things, overweight, dieting, or trying to lose those last 10 pounds for years, it is still in your control!

I am an example of this. I went through a few years of eating really bad foods, hiding food from my roommates and friends, essentially lying to myself about why I couldn’t lose weight. I dealt with CRAZY sugar and carb cravings, sometimes feeling like I was going to have a breakdown if I couldn’t get that “treat” that I needed.

But, I’ve gotten away from that in a totally natural way. I didn’t have a mental illness, I just had really bad habits that were forcing me into a vicious cycle of craving the exact things that I was trying to avoid.

I’m not saying it is easy to change your habits and start losing weight, but everyone can do it! It is not a mental illness. Don’t fall into that belief, or you will be even further away from achieving your goals.

To your health,
Kimberly

P.S. If you’re interested in a way to kick start your own weight loss or just be a healthier person, download my Free Weight Loss Report that is shown in the top right corner. And feel free to contact me with questions or comments.

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