Even if you don’t have an extended break coming up, there is something about summer that practically demands you take advantage of the longer day and read at least a little. If you’re looking for something a little more substantial than a romance novel (did I mention that I saw Fabio a few weeks ago? He’s still around apparently!) these books are great. None of them are traditional diet or exercise instruction books, but they really made me think about health and fitness in a different way. Not to mention they were all great reads, academic coma-inducing text need not apply!
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barabara Kingsolver
Novelist Barabara Kingsolver recounts the year she and her family lived as locovores: consuming only things they could grow themselves or obtain from local farmers. The book also discusses industrial agriculture, the environment, and even includes some menus and recipes from the family’s year of local eating.
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Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Super Athletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall
I read this book last year as I was training for my first marathon, and really made me want to get out and run. McDougall sets out to learn the secrets of the Tarahumara, a isolated tribe in Mexico famous for their long distance running abilities, after being sidelined by yet another repetitive running injury. On his journey leading up to an epic 50 mile race through Copper Canyons, he dives into the world and characters of ultramathons and learns why everything he thought about running turns out to be wrong.
Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think by Brian Wansink
The average person will make over 200 food-related decisions everyday and not really think about most of them. Wansink examines how certain cues, such as portion size, brand name, price, and even lighting and color schemes affect your ability to regulate how much and what you eat. Learning about these “tricks” can allow up to set up eating situations in which you can automatically and mindlessly make the decisions you really want to make.
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Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain by John S. Ratey
Brains and brawn are not mutually exclusive. Through several fascinating case studies Ratey argues that exercise actually remodels how the brain functions and may be the cure for ailments as diverse as ADD, Alzheimer’s, and addiction.
Why Calories Count: From Science to Politics by Marion Nestle and Malden Nesheim
This book just came out last month and is next on my list. Here’s what the publisher has to say:
“Calories—too few or too many—are the source of health problems affecting billions of people in today’s globalized world. Although calories are essential to human health and survival, they cannot be seen, smelled, or tasted. They are also hard to understand. In Why Calories Count, Marion Nestle and Malden Nesheim explain in clear and accessible language what calories are and how they work, both biologically and politically.”
Summer is right around the corner, and the results from the Spring Shape Up are in! Dozens of women across Oahu participated in this year’s challenge, and I’m really proud of the hard work everyone put in. Ladies were running races for the first time, setting new personal records, fitting back into their smaller jeans, and improving their health. But there was one participant who really stood out, the winner of the Transformation Challenge: Mayumi Ogumoro!
Mayumi got involved in the challenge for a few reasons. She was at her heaviest weight ever; she had just received the frightening news from her physician that she was pre-diabetic; and she wanted to be a healthier, more active role model for her young son. She set a short term goal of losing about 25lbs during the three month challenge: a great start to her long term 80lb goal. Mayumi has lost about 30lbs so far during the course of the challenge, and she is well on her way to reaching her ultimate goal! She also got the great news last week that her blood sugar is now well within the normal healthy range!!
Initially, Mayumi did 2-3 strength training workouts a week with me. She also put in a lot of work on her own time: she started taking long, daily walks with her dog, and testing out all different types of exercise options available at her gym. Then her husband got involved, and the two of them became exercise partners as well as friendly competitors. The variety of her workouts, plus the extra support and accountability Mayumi was getting at home and and in her sessions kept her on track.
But she didn’t only focus on her activities. Mayumi made some really important changes to how and what she was eating. She swapped out heavily processed foods for a whole foods diet based on plants and lean meats. She even tried some new interpretations of her family’s favorite not-so-healthy BBQ staples, and to her surprise, they loved them!
I’m really amazed by all the hard work Mayumi has put into this transformation, and I can’t wait to see what she accomplishes in the next 12 weeks!
Do you need a little motivation? We all do! That’s why I’m running the Spring Shape Up Transformation Challenge! Earn the chance to win fabulous prizes by setting and working toward a fitness goal. For more information, click here.
Do you have four minutes for exercise? Of course you do! Check out my video for a quick, full body workout you can do basically anywhere in less time than it will take you to find a parking spot at the gym!
It can be really challenging to make good decisions when you are at the grocery store. It’s hard enough to choose between, virgin, extra virgin, or organic olive oils that are all basically the same, much less decipher the food marketing campaigns companies use to entice you. This is why I’m currently in LOVE with the Fooducate app. It takes out a lot of the detective work that comes along with making healthy choices. (And it’s free!)
You can either scan a bar code, enter it manually, or search for a product by name. Each product in the Fooducate data base is given a letter grade. The really cool part is that each entry gives you the product highlights (both good and bad) so you can easily find the facts about added sugars, trans fats, artificial colors, and misleading serving sizes that food manufacturers don’t necessarily want you to see. You’re also given a list of alternatives you can look for if the original product isn’t really as great as it seemed at first.
I’ve found this app to be especially useful when buying things like cereal and yogurt: products that are always touting their health benefits, maybe a little too loudly.
I’m brand new to this iPhone app thing, so I’d love some comments about any health and fitness apps you like to use!
If a food product is marketing itself as being healthy, it’s generally not. Think about it, do kale, brown rice, and chicken breast have multi-million dollar healthy eating advertisement campaigns behind them? No. But they are all great parts of a healthful diet. Here are some claims and labels you should watch out for:
Fat Free. This does not mean calorie-free, nor does it mean low calorie. In fact, sometimes the fat free version of a product has more calories than the original! Often times the fat has been replaced with added sugars (which can wreak havoc with your weight and blood sugar) and may even have toxic tran-fat replacing some of the naturally occurring fat.
Cholesterol Free. All animal products contain cholesterol, and eating dietary cholesterol has not been linked with high blood cholesterol levels in most people. So what if there’s no cholesterol? Read the ingredients label to see what else is in it.
No High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS). Great! But there may be tons of sugar in the form of sugar, honey, evaporated organic cane juice, brown rice syrup, maple syrup, dextrose, fructose, or one of the other numerous aliases sugar goes by. Your consumption of added sugars by any name should be limited. Check out the nutrition information!
Gluten Free. Gluten is a type of protein that is commonly found in wheat, barley, and rye.The only people who need to avoid gluten are those with celiac disease and those who have an intolerance to gluten For everyone else, the current explosion of gluten free bread, cracker, and pasta products are not necessary, and will not help with weight loss. Many of the products have significantly more calories than the original. Gluten free doesn’t mean low carb either: rice is gluten free. You would be better off focusing on whole grains and trying to avoid refined flour and products with added sugars instead of gluten.
Natural. This means nothing. There are absolutely no regulations and guidelines for labeling products as natural. At the grocery store, a box of cookies, corn fed beef chock full of hormones, and eggs from chickens dosed with antibiotics can all carry the title of natural.
Organic. There are specific guidelines farmers and producers have to follow in order to call something organic, but that label basically only insures that certain pesticides were not applied to the produce or product ingredients. It DOES NOT mean that it is low calorie, low fat, low sugar, or healthy or not. Use common sense. A organic cupcake is still a cupcake and should be treated as such!
Are there any labels or marketing claims that bother you? Have you purchased something based on the nutrition marketing only to find out you’d been tricked?
If you want to make 2012 a great year for your health and fitness here are 3 trends that are actually worth following:
Train for your specific goals. If you want to run a marathon, then train for a marathon. If you want to lose fat and achieve a sleek, muscular body, don’t train for a marathon!!! Women especially are famous for doing endless cardio sessions and then becoming frustrated when all their hard work doesn’t pay off with the improved physique, strength or endurance gains that they were looking for. Do your own research (using CREDIBLE sources) or consult with a professional on what your exercise and nutrition program should look like to get you where you want to be.
Integrate technology into your fitness plan. From using apps to record your daily food journals and track your activities, to using a heart rate monitor to better track your own personal caloric burn, data is where it’s AT! It is so much easier to know what you need to work on when you understand exactly what you’re doing. It is also much easier to hold yourself accountable for your actions, which can be scary. Don’t be afraid, be empowered!
Eat more seasonal and locally grown produce. You’ll be starting off great just by eating more produce! Only 14% of American adults eat the recommended minimum of 5 servings a fruits and vegetables every day. Food that is fresh is also more nutritious. As produce sits in storage or travels on trucks and container ships, the vitamins the food deteriorate. You’ll get the most beneficial food when its been recently picked OR flash frozen at its peak
Many people will have new exercise gear and accessorizes underneath their tree this Christmas, and I am no exception! Here are some of the fun fitness items I hope Santa brings me Christmas Eve!
This may be the weirdest thing on my list, but it is absolutely shocking to see just how much 5lbs of fat really is. I think I’ll have to incorporate it into my January boot camp workouts somehow…
I’m normally not one to endorse or recommend nutrition supplements, but sometimes a protein bar can be a great, convenient non-brainer snack. The problem is most bars that taste any good are jam packed with sugar and/or unpronounceable chemical compounds. I am currently in love with the Chocolate Brownie Bars. They taste amazing, have 20 grams of hunger fighting protein, and only 1 gram of sugar!
I have been really wary of these shoes for two reasons: I don’t think they are particularly ascetically pleasing and I have knee problems that require a bit of extra support in my regular running shoes. However, I need to upgrade to some real hiking shoes for the more adventurous Hawaii trails I plan to tackle this year. I also REALLY like the idea of traipsing through mud and splashing through waterfalls without having to deal with squishy socks.
I wish you health and happiness this Holiday Season! Please stay tuned for some exciting new developments in the New Year!
One of the most common reasons my boot campers and personal training clients say they have difficulty sticking to their nutrition plans that they don’t have time to cook. With just a little bit of planning, taking advantage of the evening or weekend afternoon when you do have some time spend in the kitchen, you can make several meals at once. I’m not talking about eating the same leftovers for days, either. In the video below, I’ll show you can get a main dish salad, a soup, and a quiche out of a couple trays of roasted beets and carrots. Please leave a comment if you have any big batch cooking tips to share!
Oat Flour Pie Crust
1 1/2 c oat flour, plus additional for work surface
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/3 c low-fat milk
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1. Preheat over to 375 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt and baking powder.
2. In a spouted bowl, whisk together milk, egg yolk, oil, and vinegar. Slowly pour ½ of the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix thoroughly and repeat with the remaining liquid. The mixture will be partially crumbly, but will stick together when squeezed.
3. Dump dough out onto a well-floured surface. Squeeze dough together into a singular mound and pat it down together into a disc.. Using a rolling pin, roll dough out until 12 inches in diameter. Transfer dough to 9 inch pie dish. Gently press dough into the edges of the dish and up the sides. Fold excess dough under and pinch, creating a roughly 1/2 inch rim. Using your fingers, or with the tines of a fork, crimp entire rim. Poke Dough all over with fork to create stream holes.
4) Transfer to over and bake 20 minutes, until edges and center are just golder. Remove dish from over and cool completely before using.
VARIATIONS: Substitute 1/4 cup of oat flour with 1/4 cup unsalted nuts of your choice, finely chopped or ground.
So if you didn’t follow all the advice out there to avoid sweet Halloween treats yesterday, you may be experiencing a severe sugar hangover this afternoon. This doesn’t have to be the kickoff to the season of wild, inhibited consumption that leaves you unable to fit into your clothes at New Year’s! When your body digests sugar, your brain releases endorphins that make you feel calm, relaxed, and happy. Your body will also release insulin, which causes your blood sugar to rise dramatically. After a few hours, your blood sugar will tank, leaving you craving more sugar. But you don’t have to be trapped in this cycle!
Get rid of leftover candy. If it’s not in your house, on your desk, or socked away in your car, you will be far less likely to eat it. Who cares if you paid for it? You are not a garbage disposal. Or better yet, have your family participate in the Halloween Candy Buy Back and send your candy to our troops overseas. Find a close drop off nationwide at www.http://www.halloweencandybuyback.com/.
Eat regularly. If you wait to long to eat, your body will crave the easiest, quickest way to get your blood sugar back up: sugar. At the same time, eating balanced meals consisting of protein, fats, and carbohydrates, instead of carbohydrates alone, will help keep you balanced and sugar cravings at bay.
Exercise! Physical activity releases the same feel-good endorphins and raises serotonin levels that sugar digestion does. Get up and get moving your sweet tooth kicks in: a brisk walk can be just as effective as a more intense workout. You’ll even burn some extra calories while you’re at it.
Do you have any strategies for getting back on track once you’ve had a sugar overload?
I went on a mini-trip to Kauai last weekend, and it was AWESOME! It was my first neighbor island trip, and I’m super excited to be going back in a few weeks to battle the hills in Poipu Beach for the Kauai Half Marathon. This time I had the chance to spend 4 days kayaking, hiking, snorkeling, and camping down the Na Pali coast.
I had only been kayaking once before, but the paddling wasn’t too bad, and the current and the wind did most of the work for us. The coast is absolutely beautiful, and is only accessible by boat or foot. We spent our days hiking; foraging for wild guava, lilikoi, and organges; checking out the reefs, and exploring waterfalls. I’ve never seen so many waterfalls clustered in such a small area!
Foarging for lilikoi (Hawaiian passionfruit)
While we were camping at Kalalau, someone caught an 80 pound ulua from the beach!!! Gene helped him fillet the fish, and the slice of sashimi I had right after they finished cleaning the fish was so unbelievably fresh and delicious.
Knee pain is one of the most common complaints I get from women who have just joined my boot camp, and it’s one of the biggest deterrents to exercise in general. While there are many reasons as to why this happens, poorly fitting footwear is one one the main reasons.
There are three main foot types: normal, under pronaters, and over pronaters, and it is very easy for you to figure out which type you are. The next time you take a shower, look at your wet footprint on the floor and compare it to the ones below:
If you under or over pronate you place more pressure on the inside or outside of your foot than your should when you walk or run. This in turn can cause pressure in your ankle, knee, or hip that shouldn’t be there and can cause slight to severe pain.
The best thing you can do to insure a proper shoe fit is go to a running store with a knowledgeable staff and have them fit you for a shoe. It will cost you a little more upfront, but you’ll save yourself a lot of pain and frustration. Once you find a shoe you like, stick with that model and make sure you replace it when it begins to wear out. Shoes usually last anywhere from 250-300 miles, so that can be anywhere from 3-12 months, depending on how active you are.
I under pronate, and last year I was getting a super sharp pain on the outside of my left knee when I ran for more than 3 miles. It was so intense that I could barely walk/hobble my way home after it struck. I went to a small specialty running store here in Honolulu where the sales rep really spent some time with me and made me try on what felt like every under pronater shoe in the store. I trained for and ran a marathon in those shoes without one little knee twinge! It was amazing! Your footwear really can make or break your training!
Everyone has certain not-so-healthy foods that they just love and cannot imagine living without. Some people are in to cakes, others muffins. I’m in to ice cream, and I’ve got it bad. There are two ways to deal with this. I can either figure out a substitute or hardly ever have any icy treats. I can’t really deal with the prospect of the latter so I figured out an alternative: my beloved Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker.
I love this thing, and it’s super easy for me to make low fat, creamy sorbets and ices with no added sugar. I usually just puree fruit in my blender and throw it in the Cuisinart for about 30 minutes and enjoy. I’ve also been experimenting with coconut milk for a richer frozen treat, and it is just as amazing as you think it is. Below is a recipe I whipped up yesterday afternoon. And be sure to check out the nutrition information: A half cup (and who REALLY eats that miniscule amount anyway) of premium ice cream like Ben and Jerry’s or Haagen Dazs can easily run up to 360 calories and 24 grams of fat!
Keep in mind, however, that this ice cream does contain calories and a bit of fat. So, as always, make sure to exercise portion control and moderation!
Coconut Ice Milk
Serves 2
1 cup light coconut milk
1 cup lowfat milk (or you could get adventurous. Several people have suggested almond milk might work well here)
3tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted
a pinch of salt
a splash of 100% fruit juice for sweetness. Pineapple, mango, or any tropical fruit will work well. Make sure it doesn’t contain any added sugars!
Combine the above ingredients in your ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Nutrition Information per serving: 190 calories, 13g fat, 11g carbs, 1g fiber, 6g protein.
Last week the USDA released it’s new food guide visual, My Plate, to much praise and enthusiasm. The overwhelming response from those in the health and fitness fields has been a resounding “it’s about time!” I have to agree.
The old food pyramid was confusing, and it encouraged the over consumption of refined carbohydrates. It was a great guide for how to fatten up livestock (feed them as much grain as possible!) but not a very effective tool for helping American mange their weight.
My Plate stresses the importance of eating produce: fruits and non starchy vegetables should account for half you plate. This is something I’ve been telling my clients for years. Lean proteins and whole grains or starchy vegetables should account for around a quarter of every meal.
The other trick to using MyPlate as a healthy eating guide is to examine the size of your plate. The average dinner plate in America is now 12 inches in diameter, compared to 10 inches in the 1970s. The larger your plate, the more food you’ll put on it, and the more you’ll eat! Just by switching out your enormous dinner plates for a more reasonably sized salad plate can cause to to eat 20-30% less food, no mental anguish or battle of will power required.
I don’t think that the USDA’s new visual aide will suddenly reverse the obesity problem in America, and it doesn’t address the more complicated questions of WHY people overeat, but I do think it’s a better starting point to talk about proper nutrition than the now thankfully defunct pyramid.
Stability balls are great for core training: they require your muscles to work much harder than they would on a stable surface, and in turn you get a better workout in a shorter amount of time. I also like them for my personal training clients who have lower back issues because the ball does not put the same type of pressure on the spine that mat work on the floor can. Stability balls come in several sizes, and you’ll want to choose which on to use based on your height. If you are under 5’7 you’ll generally want to use a 55cm ball. If you are over 6’2 you’ll want the 75cm ball. In between those heights a 65cm is usually best.
Check out this video for a short, but effective ab circuit:
Complete the circuit 2-4 times
8-15 ball passes
20-40 crunches or one leg crunches
20-20 mountain climbers on ball or maximum plank
Many, many people wish they could figure out a way to get in a good workout AND spend quality time with their young children. Apparently you can do both! This video is hilarious, but some of those moves look tough. Enjoy!
My upcoming Na Pali kayaking trip will keep me motivated to pay more attention to my upper body training for the next few weeks.
A few weeks ago in the middle of a particularly grueling training sessions, one of my clients looked an me and said, “ So this never really ends, right? I’m going to have to workout for the rest of my life if I want to be healthy.” Bluntly, yes. You cannot just do a program or go on a diet for a few weeks or even months and hope that will permanently take care that whole health and wellness thing. However, it is much less daunting if you don’t take such a long view and instead break the rest of your life into more manageable pieces, like the next few months, weeks, or even days.
Personally, I run in races to keep my training interesting. I finished my first marathon a few weeks ago, and while I’m not going to lie to you and tell you that it was the most amazing experience ever, it certainly kept me motivated to train in the six months leading up to the race. I’m still planning to run, but now I’m going to stick to shorter distances and work on my speed to change things up a little
Other people I know don’t like the racing scene so much, but they keep themselves motivated to exercise by planning trips hunt, hike, rock climb, kayak, ski, or go for day hikes. Some people just want to look their best for an event they have to attend in a few months; purely superficial reasons can be a great short term motivator too.
Just make sure that after you reach your goal, complete your race, or return from your trip that you celebrate your success and set a new goal. Health and fitness are a lifelong commitment, but that doesn’t mean it has to be monotonous!
What you choose to eat for breakfast has a huge impact on how the rest of your day will go. Are you going to set yourself up for a 10am blood sugar crash which will be repeated several times throughout the day, or will you choose something that will keep you full and balanced until your next meal or snack? Most standard breakfast options like cereals, pancakes, pastries, and flavored yogurts will set you up for the spike and crash option. Why? Because of all the sugar and refined flours (which behave like sugar in your body) that these desserts masquerading as meals contain.
To help you stay on track you should include a bit of protein and fat and choose whole grain options at every meal, not just breakfast. This mix will help keep you full and help you avoid the mid afternoon sugar snack attack. But what can you do if you still want something sweet? Fruit! But fruit alone will not fuel you until lunchtime; you’ll need to get creative.
I’ve made these savory-sweet quesadillas for breakfast a few times now and not only are they super tasty, with a subtle sweetness to them, but they are really satisfying as well. The original recipe I found called for mozzarella, but I chose goat cheese because it has a much stronger flavor, and I can get away with using a lot less of it without feeling like I’m depriving myself. I haven’t tried it yet, but I think apple-brie would also be a nice combo. A cup of Greek yogurt served alongside this would make for an extremely satiating meal.
Pear Goat Cheese Quesadillas
1 large high fiber tortilla
½ pear, sliced
1 ½ ounces goat cheese
1. Place cheese and pear slices on on half of the tortilla and fold in half.
2. Heat skillet on medium heat, then place folded tortilla in pan. Cook until lightly browned, pressing the quesadilla with a spatula to seal. Carefully flip and brown other side. Cut in half and serve immediately.
Nutritional Information per quesadilla: 244 calories, 11g fat, 24g carbs, 10g fiber, 13g protein.
Today I have an extra special treat for you; a guest post from Emily Patterson of Primrose Schools on what you can do to get your family more active. She has some great ideas to share, and I’d love to hear from you if you’ve tried any of these techniques! One way you can move as a family is at the Honolulu 5K for Kids on May 1. Don’t forget to register if you haven’t already; all the proceeds go towards funding physical education programs in Hawaii public schools.
Tips for Getting Your Family Active
Experts suggest that young children need to accumulate at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day. Unfortunately, many children are not nearly as active as they need to be. It is clear that along with poor diet, physical inactivity has contributed to the large increase in childhood obesity in the United States in the past 20 years. The following statistics are unsettling:
Between 16 and 33 percent of children and adolescents are obese nationwide.
(Source: American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry)
The percentage of obese or overweight children is at or above 30 percent in 30 states. (Source: Trust for America’s Health)
Research has shown that children who develop basic motor skills such as throwing, catching, kicking, are more likely to grow into healthy active adults. Whether the activity be at home with their parents or at their child care facility with their friends, studies have shown that daily physical activity helps children academically as well.
Dr. Stephen Sanders (director of the School of Physical Education and Exercise Science at the University of South Florida and member of the Primrose Schools Education Advisory Board), says that children do not necessarily learn physical skills on their own. He has found they need guidance and assistance from adults, challenging activities, and opportunities to practice and refine physical skills.
So, what can parents do to teach their children about the importance of being physically active and help them learn these necessary skills? Trying the tips below will help you and your family create a fun environment for physical activity and will contribute to everyone’s physical health.
Getting Your Family Active:
Be active with your children:Don’t just send your children outside to play–be a role model! Go outside with them and participate in games and other activities that require physical exertion!
Use sidewalk chalk to create your own four-square or hopscotch grids; blow bubbles then chase them around the yard to see who can catch them; go on a walk around the neighborhood or through a park as a family; play music and dance inside or outside; and when the weather is nice put on your bathing suits and run through the sprinklers.
Promote a feeling of success when you play with your child. If your child is not yet able to successfully throw and hit a target, encourage them to move a little closer so they can be successful. Skills are acquired incrementally. Children who do not experience success have a tendency to quit and not practice.
Acknowledge their efforts with specific comments. No matter what your child’s skill level is, be a supportive coach. They will benefit from your encouragement.
When children come into the world, physical activity is at the very center of their lives. They have a mission to learn to crawl, walk, run, throw, catch, and kick. If they are going to enjoy participating in physical activities now and as adults, they need to build on that foundation of success and enjoyment that begins in infancy. So, grab a ball, badminton racket, or jump rope and set aside time each day to play with your child!
This may be a bit TMI for some, but I cannot stand for any more women to suffer in silence and shame! After having yet ANOTHER conversation last week with a client who confided that they suffered from chronic constipation, it became painfully obvious to me that far too many ladies are literally full of crap! The statistics bear this out as well: about 20% of Americans are affected by chronic constipation and significantly larger percentage experience occasional difficulties. This backup can cause uncomfortable bloating, abdominal pain, and other rather unpleasant symptoms. Now, constipation CAN be a sign of a very serious medical problem, and you should see a doctor if you are really concerned about it. However, the reason it comes up with my clients so often is that it is usually related to diet.
Americans eat a very low-fiber, high fat, refined, and processed diet. Fiber, as I tell my AINA IS students, acts as the “body’s broom,” sweeping out all of the waste products left over after your body digests the food you eat. The American Dietetic Association recommends most adults consume 20-35 grams of fiber every day, but most people only get 5-14 grams. No wonder things aren’t moving! Inadequate hydration and activity, as well as stress, certain medications, and disruptions in routine (like travel) can also contribute to the problem.
But what if you are an active, well-balanced, hydrated, fiber consuming, and otherwise healthy person and you STILL have problems?
Chia seed.
Yes, the same seed that can sprout a glorious head of hair on a decorative Mr. T planter can also help you poop. A tablespoon at night may just be that miracle natural cure you’ve been looking for. Chia is extremely fibrous and is the richest plant source of heart healthy Omega 3. It’s also a great source of calcium and protein. You can sprinkle this tasteless seed over your oatmeal, stick in baked goods, take it straight up, or mix it with water. If you let the seeds stand in liquid for a few minute, they turn into a thick gel, which you can also slurp down if that doesn’t gross you out too much. Chia seeds can absorb up to 9 times it weight in liquid, making it ideal for endurance athletes who have hydration concerns. Most importantly to me however, is chia’s amazing ability to regulate the digestive system!
Have you ever used chia seeds as a nutritional supplement?
The average person will make over 200 food-related decisions everyday and not really think about most of them. Wansink examines how certain cues, such as portion size, brand name, price, and even lighting and color schemes affect your ability to regulate how much and what you eat. Learning about these “tricks” can allow up to set up eating situations in which you can automatically and mindlessly make the decisions you really want to make.
Brains and brawn are not mutually exclusive. Through several fascinating case studies Ratey argues that exercise actually remodels how the brain functions and may be the cure for ailments as diverse as ADD, Alzheimer’s, and addiction.
This video is hilarious, but some of those moves look tough. Enjoy!
