I’m Eating WHAT?!?!

I regularly post articles about the scary chemicals in processed “food.” That phrase really is ironic, isn’t it? The word “processed” is the past tense of process which is defined as “to convert (an agricultural commodity) into marketable form by a special series of steps…“ According to Dictionary.com, “food” is defined as “any nourishing substance that is eaten, drunk, or otherwise taken into the body to sustain life, provide energy, promote growth, etc.”
The key word in the definition of process is, marketable. How could chemicals like CANTHAXANTHIN, POTASSIUM BROMATE or ASTAXANTHIN be marketed? They can’t, so manufacturers use words like “wholesome, low fat, healthy and sugar-free” along with brightly colored packaging to entice people to purchase their chemical-laden products. In case you are not familiar with the additives listed above, let me introduce you! Our friends as Phys.org created a more detailed list that you can visit here.

CANTHAXANTHIN is a pigment added to egg yolks to make them more visually appealing. Tests have shown that large amounts of this chemical can cause retinal damage
POTASSIUM BROMATE increases volume in white flour, breads and rolls. Most bromate rapidly breaks down to an innocuous form, but it’s known to cause cancer in animals _ and even small amounts in bread can create a risk for humans. California requires a cancer warning on the product label if potassium bromate is an ingredient.
ASTAXANTHIN – Almost 90-percent of salmon sold in supermarkets today come from farms. The diet of farmed salmon doesn’t include crustaceans, which contains a natural astaxanthin that causes pink flesh in wild salmon. As a result, producers add astaxanthin to farm-salmon diets for that fresh-from-the-water appearance. Astaxanthin is manufactured from coal tar.

Nothing like loading up your cart with some nice omega-3’s and topping it off with a bit of coal tar!

So what do we do? To begin, educate yourself! How often do you pick up a box or package off the supermarket shelf and throw it in the basket without even taking a look at the nutrition label or ingredients? I have been guilty of making a purchase simply based on the photo on the package knowing full well the photo isn’t even real food. It is a perfectly molded art project designed to draw my attention away from the actual package contents. Take a look at this quick video to see how they make chemicals look so tasty!

Read labels! This is key when making healthy choices for your family. While it will take some time to completely eliminate chemicals from your diet, this will get you started. A great tip is that if you can’t pronounce it, don’t eat it!

Another great tip is to stay in the outside perimeter of the grocery store isles. Most of the processed foods are located in the center isles. The perimeter is where you find dairy, produce and meat.

Start with small, attainable goals like reading labels and eliminating processed foods from one meal per day or from school lunches. You control what your children eat, so packing their lunch is key! School menus are atrocious! Check out this video of a talk by chef Jamie Oliver. He has made a campaign to educate children (and parents) about food and reform the school lunch programs in western culture.

Try cooking classes as a family. Many grocery store chains and local civic centers offer free or inexpensive cooking classes. Getting the kids involved will make the process smoother because they will have an opportunity to experience the food before they eat it! This also applies to getting the family involved in the grocery shopping. If the kids get to help choose the ingredients, they will be more likely to try new things.

Check out 100 Days of Real Food for some terrific resources to get you started on your journey to a real food lifestyle!

Applying all or some of these tips will help you begin your journey to a healthier lifestyle for your and your family!
If you have already begun, share some ideas to help others in the comment section below. You never know who you may inspire!

Cheers!

You Were Made to Crave…God

February 2, I started leading the second semester of Made to Crave by Lysa TerKeurst. I am so blessed to have a wonderful group of ladies in my class! This book teaches us how to satisfy our deepest desires with God, not food. I wanted to share some of the email I sent them this morning in the hopes I can encourage you to seek God over the other unhealthy temptations of this world! If you are struggling with weight loss or food addiction, please take a look at this book.

This morning, this verse was on my Bible app:

Luke 12:29-31 NKJV
“And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind.  For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. 
But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.

I thought this was so fitting for our study; Lysa spoke about being empowered with our food choices, not deprived. Luke tells us not to worry about what we will eat or drink or to be anxious. God knows our needs; when we seek HIM and the rest will fall into place.

I found that so reassuring!

I pray you are all enjoying the reading this week. A couple of points that have stood out to me are:

Page 52 – Be Persistent

Paul doesn’t ask for wisdom one time. Paul asks over and over.

I once heard an un-biblical pastor say “Once you pray for something let it go and give it to God. Don’t keep asking over and over again.”

What a lie he told from the pulpit that day! God commands us to come to Him for everything.

Jessie showed us in Philippians 4:5-6 where it read “Be anxious for nothing , but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests

Be made know to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Just because we “give it to God” does not mean the struggle ends. He doesn’t want us to worry about it because worry takes our minds of His work in our lives. He does want us to lean on Him and come to Him when we are not strong.

That does not show lack of faith! It shows excellent faith because we continuously show God we trust Him with everything.

Pages 52-53 – Embrace a True Identity

I was made to be set free, holy, new, loved, and confident. Because of this , I can’t allow myself to partake in anything that negates my true identity.

At the beginning of the week, I sent you the verses of WHO YOU ARE IN CHRIST. Please print this list and carry it with you and meditate on it. The world will tell you lies to break you and to make you feel less-than.

God made you in HIS image, so you are perfect. Please don’t misconstrue that with a free pass to be unhealthy. We are beautiful at any size, but we are also commanded to take care of these temples God has created!

This journey will set you on that path. You will learn how to use your relationship with Christ to make better choices for you to live a long and healthy life serving Him!

Page 61

Food isn’t sinful. But when food is what Satan holds up in front of us and says, “You’ll never be free from this battle. You will always bounce from feeling deprived when you’re dieting to feeling guilty when your splurging. Victory isn’t possible. You aren’t capable of self-control with food,” we must see that its inappropriate consummation can be his lure to draw our heart into a place of defeat. For others it will be sex outside marriage, the inappropriate consumption of alcohol, illegal drugs, or some other physical means.

Wow! That hit me like a ton of bricks. Thank goodness we are free in Christ! Can you imagine what it is like for people who do not know the Lord to tackle these lusts of the flesh?

1 Peter 5:8 says “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking who he may devour.”

Is Sodium Sabotaging Your Weight Loss Efforts?

When I was completing the final assignment for my Nutrition and Wellness Consultant certification, I had to do an actual consult on a client and submit a report. My dad was in town so he volunteered to be my guinea pig. I had him complete a food log for about a week and then we sat down to go over his numbers. My biggest concern was his sodium level. He didn’t eat out much except for a weekly trip to Chick-fil-a and lunch at a local restaurant a couple of times per week. He didn’t realize it but during those meals he had been consuming almost three times the recommended daily amount of sodium!

This is very common as most people don’t log their food and they certainly don’t study nutritional guides at restaurants they frequent. How would they know? Don’t be fooled into thinking dining out is the only problem. Even at-home cooks can rack up the sodium levels with canned and processed foods. Have you every looked at a can of diced tomatoes? I pulled the nutritional information from myfitnesspal. I use this website daily and also use it with all of my clients to have them track their food intake and exercise. I am not bashing Hunt’s brand tomatoes, in fact, I use them all the time in my recipes. I just want you to see the sodium levels in one can. In my chili recipe, I always use two cans. On top of that I add canned beans which are also packed with sodium. I use these examples because while I know what I am putting in my recipe, most people don’t and that is causing a host of health issues that could be avoided.

Back to my dad; over the course of one year he took my recommendations and cut his sodium to 1500 mg or less per day (leaning more toward 1000 mg). At the end of that year, he had lost 25 pounds and was taken off both of his high-blood pressure medications by his doctor. By cutting back on his sodium intake, his diet also improved because he cut out processed foods and most restaurant meals. While it seems like an extreme measure, the effects were well worth any minor inconvenience.

According to the American Heart Association, most people consume about 3400 mg of sodium per day. That is twice the recommended daily intake! Here are their “Salty Six” foods:

So What Can You Do?

1. Do your homework.

The labels are there to help you understand what you are consuming. Read them! Most restaurants are required to post nutritional information in the store but if they don’t you can usually find it on their website. We have stopped eating at certain restaurants because there are simply no healthy options concerning sodium. Beware of menus advertising “low fat” or “low calorie.” Two major offenders I have found are Applebee’s and Panera who both offer “healthy” options and proudly post meals under 600 calories. However, most of those meals are loaded with unhealthy sodium.

2. Limit or avoid packaged or frozen meals, canned vegetables and jarred sauces.

Most frozen dinners (plain vegetables excluded) use sauces and seasonings high in sodium. If you like the convenience of canned vegetables, rinse them well to remove some of the sodium. There are many low-sodium canned vegetable alternatives available. Of course, fresh vegetables are always your most nutritious option!

3. Find salt alternatives.

Spices and herbs can be a great alternative to salt when flavoring dishes and meals. Mrs. Dash offers a wide variety of salt-free options.

4. If you have to use salt, use it sparingly.

If you have a recipe that calls for salt, try cutting it in half or leave it out altogether and allow the person eating the meal to add it at the table if necessary. Remember to pay attention to how much your salt shaker dispenses. Try shaking it in your hand before you put it on your food.

5. Exercise and drink plenty of water.

Your activity level plays a role in determining how your body eliminates excess sodium. If you are sedentary or a light exerciser, you excrete most of it through your urine, but if you are active and exercise vigorously, much of it is purged through your sweat. The average person loses about 1/2 teaspoon of salt through sweat for each hour of exercise. Depending on the intensity and air temperature, some people lose twice that much. If you have taken in too much salt and are trying to dilute it by drinking water, go for a jog or spend an hour at the gym to help your body purge some of the excess salt.
When you consume too much salt, your body tries to dilute it by holding on to as much water as it can. You may notice a bloated feeling when this happens. To help your body dilute the excess salt and decrease bloating, drink water.

Limiting sodium can be a big change at first, so start small. You will see big changes before you know it!

Cheers!

Source: “How to Counteract Too Much Salt Intake.” Healthy Eating. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Dec. 2014.

Jenn – 1: Laziness – 0

This morning, my alarm went off at 5:20 just like it does every morning I go to the gym. I rolled out of bed around 5:30, made sure my husband was awake and started getting ready. I was actually ready a little early this morning which was exciting. I hopped in my car and off I went. As I got about 2 miles from my house I realized it was Wednesday. I didn’t schedule myself for class today, I scheduled it for Thursday. Somehow I got my days mixed up. I sat at the stop sign with a decision to make; turn around and go home and crawl back in my cozy bed or keep driving and go to class. I am embarrassed to admit that I really had to think about it for a minute or two! I am happy to report, I made it to class and my body is thanking me!

Most nutrition and fitness decisions come down to that one moment: Work out or sleep in? Eat and apple or a brownie? Take the stairs or the elevator? There are countless times throughout the day where we are given a choice to be healthy or not. The key is to choose the healthy options more times than the unhealthy. The more you do it, the easier it gets and eventually you will not even have to think about it.

Use the holiday season as your personal training program! This time of year is the most difficult time of year to maintain a healthy regimen. If you can do it now, the rest of the year will be a breeze!

Cheers!

Motivational Monday – Summer Slim-Down Challenge Week One!

Today marks the beginning of the Summer Slim-Down Challenge! I am very excited! Over the next six weeks, there are 45 people participating in the journey to a healthy lifestyle! This is a self-guided program so there are no meals plans or grocery lists. You set your own goals and we will be there to make sure you meet them!

If you would like to join us, there is no cost. Please visit the event page on Facebook! I will be posting all the recipes I make over the next six weeks and I also put together some helpful tips to get you started. All of this info can be found on my website http://www.iveynutritionandwellness.com/Challenge.

This event is designed to not only help people get a jump start on weight loss but more importantly set the foundation to live a healthy lifestyle! We all know diets are temporary and while the initial weight loss is exciting, many times the programs involve eating habits that are not manageable over the long-term.

I want to break you out of that diet trap and bring about an educated, practical lifestyle change! I am looking forward to seeing the positive changes in everyone’s lives as we embark on this journey. I will be participating in the challenge as well! Over the last year I put weight back on that I thought I had lost forever. My goal is to lose 8 pounds over the next six weeks! I know that I will have to work hard, but I also know the end result is worth every drop of sweat in the gym and every passed-up cookie!

Your partner in health,

Jenn

 

 

Summer Slim-Down Challenge!

Summer Slim-Down Challenge
June 2-July 14

Get ready for the summer by shedding those unwanted pounds and making a lifestyle change you can implement permanently!

Join me on a six-week journey as we share recipes, motivate one another and share success stories.

You can find recipes and other helpful information on my website www.iveynutritionandwellness.com/challenge.

The Facebook event page will also serve as the hub for important information throughout the six weeks.
There is no cost to participate; simply join the event and get ready to start your journey to a healthy lifestyle!

Confessions of a Nutrition Consultant

If you ever read the gossip magazines, they have that feature “Stars, They Are Just Like Us!” and they show them doing everyday things like getting groceries, getting gas or washing their car. I always laugh at that because celebrities are humans just like us even though they may have luxuries we will never know.
As a nutrition consultant, I often have friends and family members make comments when I am with them asking for permission or forgiveness for what they are eating. In the interest of full disclosure, I am not a health food fanatic. I love to eat healthy and try to do so as often as possible, but there are days when I just want to splurge!

Last night was a perfect example. My father is in town so we went out to eat for BBQ and then we came home and my dad and I dove into the gelato. I am happy to report, I did not eat the whole pint, but I did eat 3/4’s. I felt pretty guilty but I went to the gym this morning to ease that guilt 🙂
My point is, don’t apologize for your food choices. If you eat a healthy diet regularly and splurge every once in awhile, no big deal. The earth will not spin off its axis or open up and swallow you if you polish off a pint of Haagen Dazs. Just start over the next day and commit to trying harder!

Happy Friday!!!

Victory Over Temptation

As a nutrition and wellness consultant, everyone assumes that I always want to eat well and it comes easily to me. That is partially true; I love healthy foods and I can eat veggies and fruit until they come out of my ears. Every now and then I get cravings that are so overwhelming that I could eat an entire carrot cake if given the opportunity (and I have). Last night was one of those nights. I stopped by the grocery store to pick up a couple of items for dinner this week. I walked through the store with my list in my head. I strolled through the frozen food section to peruse the ice cream because I have been craving Haagen Dazs Peanut Butter Chocolate for months. As I looked through the frosted glass doors, there it was. A harmless little pint of ice cream….ok, not completely harmless. At 340 calories and 23 grams of fat per serving (1/2 cup), I could do some serious damage in a very short amount of time. Ultimately, it was the price that turned me off ($5.89). I could get two half-gallon cartons for that price! So I moved on down the aisle and scanned the less expensive options. Unfortunately, many of those brands contain a ton of chemicals that I cannot pronounce. So much for that idea!

I made my way to dairy section scurrying past the tasty cakes and doughnut display. I picked up my ricotta, which is why I had stopped to begin with and headed toward the front of the store. Trap #2 in the bakery reared its ugly head…one lonely slice of carrot cake. It was sitting there begging me to take it home. After all, I would split it with my husband and it is on sale! I weighed the options in my head; how long will I have to run to burn this off? Is it worth it? Do you need it? I put the carrot cake back. As I turned around, cream cheese brownies were staring me in the face. Mmmmmm….brownies….Just. Say. No.

As I walked out of the store with only the items I planned to purchase, I had a smile on my face. Victory!

Do you have a similar story to share?

Motivational Monday – What is your motivation?

The foods we eat can have a profound effect on all areas of our lives.

What is your motivation for a healthier lifestyle?

This is Your Life!

In the 1950’s there was a popular TV show called “This is Your Life” hosted by Ralph Edwards. Guests were invited on the show under false pretenses and were surprised by a narrative of their life story with a special guest from their past.

 

Do you ever stop, take a look around and say “this is my life?” (note the intentional question mark); or perhaps your statement involves an exclamation mark? Over the last year, I have used both a question mark and an exclamation mark when reviewing my life. Introspection is important to determine the path we are on and the path on which we intend to be. The Holiday season tends to be the most popular time for introspection. What changes will you make in the new year? New career? A baby? Weight loss? It feels as if the world is our oyster as the new year approaches. Take some time in the upcoming weeks to journal about 2013 and decide what areas of your life can use improvement and/or the areas where you excelled! You may be surprised at the results.

After all, THIS is YOUR life!