Category Archives: Nutrition

But I’m Not Hungry!

I hear over and over again about how some of my clients don’t eat anything before coming into their early morning workouts. Not only do I hear about not eating before the workout, but I also hear all about how some of them don’t eat breakfast at all!

Of course I don’t get it at all since food is one of the first things on my mind when I get up in the morning, no matter what time it is. Why is it not on theirs? A lot of people say that they just don’t think about eating first thing….well, this is a habit that can be changed. Others think that they are going to lose weight by skipping breakfast. This is so not true! Not eating breakfast will actually slow your metabolism down, vs. speed it up and cause you to ultimately eat more during that day.

Why is it so important to eat breakfast, even if you don’t feel like it? Research says that those who skip breakfast eat as much as 80% more calories during the day! Is this you? I hope not! While you are sleeping, your body is using stored calories from either glycogen or fat to do its nightly repair work. The glycogen is stored in your muscles and liver.

Before a workout in the morning, if you don’t have a lot of time before you go to the gym, I suggest that you eat something light such as a piece of whole grain toast with almond butter, a few bites of yogurt with some fresh fruit and a sprinkle of nuts, or even part of a low glycemic bar or shake. Your body needs something to draw its energy from and when you get up in the morning since you are already at a deficit fuel. Eating low-glycemic carbohydrates (unprocessed, whole grains) with a little protein is ideal.

When you return home after working out, then you can finish feeding your body with a couple of eggs and whole grain toast with almond butter or uncured turkey bacon, or slow-cooked oatmeal with some fruit and nuts, a nutritious low-glycemic shake, or whatever you like to eat for breakfast that will give you the energy for your day. This is where a balanced meal including healthy fats, protein, and unprocessed carbs is important—-every day! Just think, if you start your day out this way, you won’t be making a direct deposit to those unwanted fat stores in the belly, thighs, or hips!

Eating breakfast daily is a step in the right direction towards a healthy start to your day! Research shows that eating breakfast is consistently important for people to lose weight and/or keep lost weight off for good!

What, Eat Whatever I Want?

 

You probably think I am crazy, a Personal Trainer and Nutrition Coach, telling you to eat whatever you want! This advice could certainly backfire on me and you could gain a bunch of weight and feel like hell. On the flip side, what if you have an understanding that food nourishes your body and your soul?

If you respect your body and have a healthy relationship with it, do you think that you would regularly choose McDonald’s burger, fries, and a shake for lunch over fresh arugula salad with avocado, cherry tomatoes, and leftover grilled salmon with a bite of dark chocolate for desert? The key is “regularly or frequently”.

If you are craving that burger, shake, and fries because that is what your family had on special occasions growing up when mom didn’t have to cook, then you might check in and ask yourself if that is the real reason that you want this junk food. Are you trying to feed your soul by indulging in something that has great childhood memories? Or are you indulging in it because you want to feel good and are avoiding something unpleasant in the present?

If you are looking for that feel-good trip down memory lane in having Grandma’s favorite coffee cake for desert, then, I say go for it! If you have a healthy relationship with your body and with the food that you feed it, then, you will enjoy the coffee cake at the time, but that will be it. You won’t trigger an avalanche of unhealthy food choices. However, if your relationship with your body and food is not so healthy, then look out! You will undoubtedly have negative feelings towards your body about making this choice as well as possibly unleashing a cascade of other unhealthy food choices.

All that I ask is that you consider your motivation for eating certain foods! Where you take it from there could be a huge discovery.

 

Let’s Get Moving!

I know that it can be really tough to motivate yourself to exercise sometimes. I am sitting at my desk writing this wondering where I am going to find the energy to go for a run. It is almost 5 p.m. and I still intend on getting out in the wind and rain for that elusive run! Why would I do that? I would get out there for two main reasons. First, I believe in commitment, especially commitment to myself! Second, I know from years of experience that I will be so glad that I did it and that once I am out there.

Excuses are just that…excuses. In the long run, excuses don’t help you accomplish your goals, do they? Believe me, as a Personal Trainer I hear lots of them. Recently I saw a dog that was hugely inspiring to me. He was a yellow lab with three good legs and one leg that stuck straight out to the side. It just sort of hung there flapping around as he ran and chased the tennis ball. His owner said that he was born that way and had no idea that he had only three good legs! Encountering that dog really made me think. Most of us don’t have any excuse not to get out and move our bodies on a regular basis!

Motivation to exercise is a hot topic in many exercise books, articles, and programs. Here are a few tips that I feel are super helpful:

• Schedule your exercise in your calendar.

  • Plan out your exercise week on Sunday (i.e. schedule in classes, appointments with trainer, runs/walks, etc.).

• Find an exercise buddy.

• Be realistic (don’t run/workout if you are sick with a fever).

• Be flexible, yet committed. If you have a run scheduled on Tuesday morning at 6 and it is pouring, blowing, and cold…have a backup plan.

• Change it up! Try Zumba instead of going for a walk/run or go to Yoga or Pilates instead of hitting the weight room. Head out to a different area for your bike ride, run, walk…explore somewhere new.

• Listen to good music on your IPod, an audio book, or even a podcast.

• Acknowledge your accomplishment when you are done!

 

Spring Cleaning

Looking outside my window right now, I am reminded of how spring is a time of renewal and nourishment. One result of this is that I feel inspired and motivated to do some spring cleaning. I plan on starting in the yard this weekend cleaning up the partially decayed leaves from the fall. I also plan on starting indoors by cleaning out my cupboards (in the kitchen and pantry).

While I have to admit, I eat pretty healthily and keep a lot of healthy foods in my cupboards, there are some things that need to go. I just tossed a jar of jelly beans that were at least 4 years old! After accusing my son of hoarding them, he said, “Mom, those have been in there forever, don’t you remember when we got them?”

For those of you who are making some changes in your eating habits, cleaning out your cupboards is a great place to start! First, toss all food that is stale or outdated. Yes, you likely have some. Then, take a look at what you want to replace with healthier choices. For example, toss the boxes of mac and cheese. In other words, toss the processed foods. Instead of “tossing” them, you might consider donating them to a food bank.

This process of spring cleaning is so crucial to your commitment to eating healthier and eliminating processed carbs from your diet. If you haven’t made this commitment to yourself, then we should talk! Out with the Cheerios, Quaker Oats, instant oatmeal, Mac and Cheese boxes, instant white rice, Wheat Thins, low-fat maple syrup, and pre-packaged cake and brownie mixes! In with steel cut oats, whole grain cereals, Quinoa, buckwheat pancake mix, Agave syrup, whole-grain crackers (like Mary’s Crackers), and fresh nuts like almonds. Having hummus and fresh veggies around is also a great idea.

The bottom line is that when you are hungry and open your cupboard looking for something to eat, you will grab whatever is available, especially if your blood sugar is low. Give yourself a head start on eating healthily and have foods available that are going to make you feel better, not worse an hour later when your blood sugar crashes!

 

 

 

How Sweet It Is

Many of us grew up with sweet treats being offered as rewards for good behavior by our parents, grandparents, and babysitters.  I can remember my grandma Clara bringing animal crackers and cracker jacks every Sunday to our house for us kids (and animal crackers for the dogs).  My other grandma always had a full bowl of candy in her den, which, of course, we devoured.

What is the fascination with sweets when we are children?  Do the seeds of sugar addiction get planted so young?

We know that sugar addiction is a major problem on our planet. It spans all ages from vulnerable young children to adolescents who have so much change going on in their lives, to millions and millions of adults.

How many of you have seen a child in public having a temper tantrum or really being a “brat” and wonder how the parents can stand it?  I would say that there is a good chance that those behavior problems have their roots in low blood sugar.  Why are those tantrums so acceptable and so much a part of raising kids?  Think about it, their little bodies need stable blood sugar just as much as the rest of us do!

With the rise of childhood diabetes today, it is paramount that we foster an interest in healthy eating and lifestyles for our children (I mean that collectively) so that they grow up with that knowledge imprinted in their minds and bodies. Knowledge is power, right?