So the poll is up. And you guys are telling me this:
Watch TV : 70%
Read: 30%
Talk with others: 40%
Nothing: 10%
Work/Study: 30%
Other: 10%
The percentages are high because you could vote for more than one item.
So why did I even ask this question? Because what you do while eating influences your eating habits a lot more than you think. I shall go through each category.
Watching TV
In my opinion, watching TV is an American tradition it seems, but an unhealthy activity while eating food. I'm sure some of you have heard that you eat more when you watch TV while eating. This is partly true. What happens is we get distracted by the TV and end up increasing or portions either because we are not paying attention to the amount of food eaten or to our body's "I am full" sensations. This can be deadly. So how to fight this? Simply turn off the TV. If that is not an option (Gotta watch my Packers play), portion out your food and put away the food source. For example, if you are eating some chips, place a handful into a bowl, close the bag up, and put that bag away into the pantry. It's funny how simple it is to go get seconds but we won't do it because of our TV show or our own laziness (I'm guilty too).
Reading
This is not as bad as TV in my opinion, but it reminds me of when my mom wouldn't let dad read at the dining table. It's a good practice because once again it distracts you away from the food. My recommendation is the same as the TV, put away the newspaper/book/magazine for 15 minutes, then once the main bits of food are gone (just a drink left or some nibbles) you can go back to the reading.
Talk with others
My favorite option! Not only does this require to be social, something that should be present for most meals, but everyone is focused and having fun. I know what you're thinking; I don't need to be focused to eat food. This is true, but you don't want to be distracted, so on some level you should be focused. Remember that whatever anyone says, people eat differently. So if your friends give you a hard time for eating too little/too much/weird food/etc. just remember that no one knows their own body better than them self.
Nothing
A pretty good option. Why? Because you have realized that food is important and doesn't take more than 15-20 min to cook and eat, unless you're thinking fancy. Maybe next time you can ask that cute neighbor to join you for your homemade lasagna. If there's something I've learned about food, it is that both men and women love when the opposite sex cooks for them.
Work/Study
This is understandable. We got to get work done. My only request here is that you don't let work take full priority around food times. In other words, go ahead and work while eating, but take the time and stop working while cooking in order to make yourself something great. Careful, don't get stains on that report.
So there you have it. Common activities while eating explained. Next time you catch yourself distracted, take charge and give food some real personal time...awwwww yeah...
Friday, September 30, 2011
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Cheaper To Eat Out? Try Again...
Read This Article:
http://community.nytimes.com/comments/www.nytimes.com/2011/09/25/opinion/sunday/is-junk-food-really-cheaper.html
Some very important points are made concerning eating out. Many believe that eating out is cheaper, faster, more convenient, and the only option.
An important question to ask yourself is, "Am I being lazy about what I eat?" With dollar menus and quick fixes at less than 5 minutes away, this becomes an easy go-to food source. It is unfortunate that we live in a country where there are more than 3 times the amount of restaurants and fast food joints than there are groceries.
And another thing, if you think that eating organic or through a farmer's market is the only way to be truly healthy, then you have set the bar way to high. All beliefs aside, you can be the healthiest on the block eating from generic brand groceries. And it will be cheaper to eat this way in the long run. Nice to hear that huh?
What this takes is a plan. If you are strapped for cash, look into your groceries for the long shelf life foods that are also nutritious (canned goods, beans, rice, pasta, frozen fruits and veggies). If you are not strapped for cash, spend the extra money on better food (whether it's farmer's market or a leaner cut of meat). In other words, choose quality of quantity.
I think this article can benefit everyone. Please read it. And check out the comments to the article! They opened my eyes to the comparisons of European ideals to our ideals. Get educated.
http://community.nytimes.com/comments/www.nytimes.com/2011/09/25/opinion/sunday/is-junk-food-really-cheaper.html
Some very important points are made concerning eating out. Many believe that eating out is cheaper, faster, more convenient, and the only option.
An important question to ask yourself is, "Am I being lazy about what I eat?" With dollar menus and quick fixes at less than 5 minutes away, this becomes an easy go-to food source. It is unfortunate that we live in a country where there are more than 3 times the amount of restaurants and fast food joints than there are groceries.
And another thing, if you think that eating organic or through a farmer's market is the only way to be truly healthy, then you have set the bar way to high. All beliefs aside, you can be the healthiest on the block eating from generic brand groceries. And it will be cheaper to eat this way in the long run. Nice to hear that huh?
What this takes is a plan. If you are strapped for cash, look into your groceries for the long shelf life foods that are also nutritious (canned goods, beans, rice, pasta, frozen fruits and veggies). If you are not strapped for cash, spend the extra money on better food (whether it's farmer's market or a leaner cut of meat). In other words, choose quality of quantity.
I think this article can benefit everyone. Please read it. And check out the comments to the article! They opened my eyes to the comparisons of European ideals to our ideals. Get educated.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Smaller Tastes Better
I want to build on the concept of eating smaller portions more often during the day. Doing this gives us more long lasting, sustainable energy. It's a great cure for feeling very up and down throughout the day due to big meals or long periods of no food.
Today while I was at the shopping center we got some food, and then continued to shop. After shopping, I decided a snack or a little something could hold me over. I looked up and saw the most beautiful ice cream, or gelato, in the world. Most would say, ice cream? Isn't that just fat and sugar? To me this isn't bad at all especially because of the portion of gelato I received.
So my theory goes like this: Make the food taste as good as you want. If that means real butter, heavy cream, cheese, oil, sugar, or whatever, then that is fine. My mother always taught me, if you don't like the taste, don't waste the calories. This is probably why I do not like frozen yogurt. I want my ice cream because it tastes delicious. I don't want a complete bowlful of half the ice cream carton because honestly, after two scoops of the stuff, I've gotten the taste, I've enjoyed myself, and now I'd like to stop feasting or enjoy another food or drink.
This can be hard to practice, especially if we are used to grabbing the huge portions or have eyes that are bigger than our stomachs (my problem). Also, a lot of the time products are sold in portions meant to be shared or bigger than for one person. This is difficult, but after tossing out old fashioned laziness, this can be fixed with a chip clip, plastic ziploc, or other canister method (I prefer the roll up and set on its side method).
So next time you are eating one of your guilty pleasures, after a couple bites stop and ask yourself, how much more do I need to eat here in order to be satisfied? You'll find yourself being able to portion food a lot better.
Using this thought targeted approach to eating should help athletes or anyone lose weight or curb their snacky habits. It also forces us to try new foods just to quench curiosity.
Today while I was at the shopping center we got some food, and then continued to shop. After shopping, I decided a snack or a little something could hold me over. I looked up and saw the most beautiful ice cream, or gelato, in the world. Most would say, ice cream? Isn't that just fat and sugar? To me this isn't bad at all especially because of the portion of gelato I received.
So my theory goes like this: Make the food taste as good as you want. If that means real butter, heavy cream, cheese, oil, sugar, or whatever, then that is fine. My mother always taught me, if you don't like the taste, don't waste the calories. This is probably why I do not like frozen yogurt. I want my ice cream because it tastes delicious. I don't want a complete bowlful of half the ice cream carton because honestly, after two scoops of the stuff, I've gotten the taste, I've enjoyed myself, and now I'd like to stop feasting or enjoy another food or drink.
This can be hard to practice, especially if we are used to grabbing the huge portions or have eyes that are bigger than our stomachs (my problem). Also, a lot of the time products are sold in portions meant to be shared or bigger than for one person. This is difficult, but after tossing out old fashioned laziness, this can be fixed with a chip clip, plastic ziploc, or other canister method (I prefer the roll up and set on its side method).
So next time you are eating one of your guilty pleasures, after a couple bites stop and ask yourself, how much more do I need to eat here in order to be satisfied? You'll find yourself being able to portion food a lot better.
Using this thought targeted approach to eating should help athletes or anyone lose weight or curb their snacky habits. It also forces us to try new foods just to quench curiosity.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Made it to Italy
Ciao! I made it to Italy this last Tuesday. I just wanted to update all my listeners and readers about the direction of my blog from here on out.
First, I plan to post pretty regularly on my blog. I've brought along some reading for myself in order to keep up to date on certain areas of sports nutrition. Some posts will be informative, while others will be fun (maybe some updates on how my trip is going).
Second, I would love to hear more from my listeners. I like to help out others. I believe that in the case of the athlete with a disability we must all look at our diet differently; I need to answer more specific questions and situations. I can do this more easily if I get questions through email, blog, or Facebook. Things I'd like to know is if you guys and gals like when I get on my soapbox and give an opinion, or if you all just want to be lectured and given recipes. Just let me know!
I am still getting my bearings here in Cantu, so forgive me if my posts are a little apart from each other. And as a thought for all of you concerning your diet, have any of you considered the quality of your groceries? Remember, what you are investing in is more than food; it's what builds your body.
First, I plan to post pretty regularly on my blog. I've brought along some reading for myself in order to keep up to date on certain areas of sports nutrition. Some posts will be informative, while others will be fun (maybe some updates on how my trip is going).
Second, I would love to hear more from my listeners. I like to help out others. I believe that in the case of the athlete with a disability we must all look at our diet differently; I need to answer more specific questions and situations. I can do this more easily if I get questions through email, blog, or Facebook. Things I'd like to know is if you guys and gals like when I get on my soapbox and give an opinion, or if you all just want to be lectured and given recipes. Just let me know!
I am still getting my bearings here in Cantu, so forgive me if my posts are a little apart from each other. And as a thought for all of you concerning your diet, have any of you considered the quality of your groceries? Remember, what you are investing in is more than food; it's what builds your body.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Another article with great protein snacks!
Just saw this article supported by Registered Dietitian Renee Cooper. It's got some really great combos for snacking!
Healthy eating: the power of the protein-carb combo
Use it!
Healthy eating: the power of the protein-carb combo
Use it!
Why I Like Eggs
I like eggs, and I'm sure a lot of you guys do too. But just because, I'm going to tell you why I think eggs are better than most.
First, eggs are tasty. You can cook eggs in so many ways and eat it in so many other ways. Want a sandwich? Add an egg. Want a burger? Add an egg! Salad, rice, soup? Add an egg! Because they are so simple its usually a staple in everyone's kitchen. Some might say, "but hold on, isn't there a lot of cholesterol in an egg?" Yes there is. Almost your full day's amount. But it's easy to make egg whites too! All you have to do is:
First, eggs are tasty. You can cook eggs in so many ways and eat it in so many other ways. Want a sandwich? Add an egg. Want a burger? Add an egg! Salad, rice, soup? Add an egg! Because they are so simple its usually a staple in everyone's kitchen. Some might say, "but hold on, isn't there a lot of cholesterol in an egg?" Yes there is. Almost your full day's amount. But it's easy to make egg whites too! All you have to do is:
- Crack the egg as close to the middle as possible. Don't let the insides out yet.
- Complete the break with one egg shell empty and one with the inside.
- Pass the egg back and forth over the pan until all you have left in the shells is the yolk.
- Throw away shells and yolk.
Now you have your egg whites super fast! Mind you they cook way faster than the whole egg.
Second, is the egg's nutritional background. For 70 Calories a piece, you get almost 7 grams of the highest quality proteins possible along with vitamins and minerals. They've got some fat, but only 1 gram of saturated fat. When you eliminate the yolk, you also eliminate the fat, cholesterol, at only the price of about half the protein value (and the calorie count goes down to 16!). Unfortunately, you lose almost all the vitamin and mineral profile except for sodium and potassium. My view on it is, if cholesterol is not a major concern for you (i.e. heart disease, high blood pressure, etc.) eat that yolk whether it is sunny side up or hard boiled. For a more precise chart go here. All these values promote a high recovery and muscle building breakfast. Crack two eggs and make some toast and you're looking at the easiest breakfast with minimal clean up and tasty value.
Third, is the price of eggs. Literally my favorite part. One egg will be less than 15 cents and every grocery store will have eggs. So that breakfast I mentioned before? Probably will cost you 50 cents in the end. On top of all of this, eggs last forever. I always go by the 3 week rule. Once I buy the eggs, they will last 3 weeks. They could probably last longer with proper refrigeration, but I play it safe. So what about cage free? organic? What I've found with these eggs, and you can see too by looking at the labels, is that they have an almost identical nutrient profile but taste way better. How do you tell the quality of the egg? After cracking, how tall is the yolk? That's how.
I'm hungry...I can only talk about food for so long without needing some myself. Questions below!
Friday, September 9, 2011
How to Break Those Habits
So, what habits do you have? Snack too much? Dine out too much? Not enough fruits and veggies? Too much alcohol? Nearly everybody has a habit they would like to kick, but most have no idea how to or lack the will power to do so.
I say it's not too hard to kick the habits. But you do need a couple of things:
I say it's not too hard to kick the habits. But you do need a couple of things:
- Attack Plan
- Motivation
- Help
So first, get an attack plan. Write out or just think about how you can accomplish a task. This could be buying more fruits and veggies when you go to the grocery store or trying 1 new recipe per week. Make sure to start slow. We aren't trying to kick habits cold turkey. It's a very difficult method to try. For example, if you want to try going vegetarian, try first having meat at only one meal per day. Then, transfer to being a pescatarian (eating only fish meat when eating meat). Then, from there you can decide to go full blown vegetarian or not. Another example would be to dining out not more than 5 times per week, then decrease that slowly by week until you are comfortable. As long as you are thinking this plan through and starting slow, your plan will work.
It's really hard to accomplish any task without motivation. So think of what motivates you to change your habits. This could be to improve health, gain/lose weight, compete at a higher level, reduce headaches, save money, etc. What's important here is finding out what's most important to you! A good trick to use if the habit is a real tough one is to tack a post it note in key places like the fridge, car, or other problem place that says your motivation. For example: writing "championship effort" on a note and tacking it right next to the fridge or pantry door will remind you to take the extra step to eat or drink healthy.
Finally, get help! It's proven that working together on a goal is much easier than tackling it alone. So use your teammates or roommates to either help you accomplish your goal or let them on the bus and you can both tackle the habit you both have. If they don't want in on the habit-breaking, then explain to them what you are trying to accomplish so that they know how to help you or not tease you with your goal. Remember! Don't force your new strategies on anyone else...that's not nice.
I believe that these three things can help anyone kick any habit. It's tough! But having an attack plan, motivation, and help will be the best method for accomplishing your new healthy life choice!
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Long Term Energy Bars
So some family friends just came into town and brought with them some absolutely delicious granola bars. I felt like the recipe needed to be shared, so this one is for you Mrs. Smith!
These granola bars are awesomely delicious and extremely easy to customize. I looked on the itnerwebs and found that they have a pretty good nutritional profile too! They have a great ratio of sugars (short term energy) and grains (long term energy) and if the right goodies are added in, such as protein sources like nuts, then these could also be great recovery bars! Here's the recipe:
These granola bars are awesomely delicious and extremely easy to customize. I looked on the itnerwebs and found that they have a pretty good nutritional profile too! They have a great ratio of sugars (short term energy) and grains (long term energy) and if the right goodies are added in, such as protein sources like nuts, then these could also be great recovery bars! Here's the recipe:
- 5 cups Rice Krispies
- 4 cups quick oats
- 1 1/3 cups brown sugar
- 2/3 cup corn syrup (or light corn syrup)
- 2/3 cup honey
- 16 oz peanut butter
- 2 cups of anything to add in
- Mix the Rice Krispies and the oats in a large bowl.
- Combine the brown sugar, corn syrup, and honey in a medium saucepan and bring just to a boil.
- Take the pot off the heat and add the peanut butter.
- Add the mixture to the Krispies and oats bowl and mix in your own 2 cups of anything.
- Mix everything together then press into a 9x13 pan.
There you have it! No cooking necessary (besides the boiling, but you can boil right?). This makes about 18 thick granola chunks, perfect for on the go or just as a snack. The best part is, they are real low in fat and can easily substitute a dessert because they are so tasty. My recommendations for the add ins would be almonds, chocolate, soy nuts, cranberries, raisins, or any pre-made blend of nuts and dried fruit. They keep at room temperature and all you have to do is cover them with tin foil or saran wrap. If I haven't convinced you yet to make these, here's the pic:
So let me know what you think, or if you have any questions or recommendations yourself just comment below!
Sunday, September 4, 2011
The Inappropriate BMI
I got a beef...with the BMI, or more commonly known as the Body Mass Index. (Shameless plug to vote on my poll to the left!)
The BMI is what is being used today to measure a person's health. The BMI is measured by a very simple equation:
mass (kg)/height^2 (m)
Basically, your weight over your height squared. How can this be a way to measure health? Let me explain. A Belgian mathematician by the name of Adolphe Quetelet created this equation as a way to measure growth for a population. This is fine by my standards. But, in 1972, the Journal of Chronic Diseases decided they need a way to measure the obesity problems they could see happening in Western cultures (that's us). As a population, not individually, they decided the BMI is a good measure for body fat percentage. This was adopted to the norm and was used. Unfortunately today, due to simplicity, the BMI is used on an individual scale for body fat percentage. See the problem? History lesson over.
So where do you lie? Here is a chart for BMI classifications:
<18.5 - Underweight
18.5 - 24.9 - Normal
25 - 30 - Overweight
30 - 35 - Obese Class 1
35 - 40 - Obese Class 2
etc. etc. etc.
Why am I telling all of you this? Because I think the BMI is the worst thing to consider when regarding health. There are 3 categories that specifically the BMI is terrible for: children, elderly, and athletes.The equation is so simple it does not build in for muscle, and muscle weighs more than fat! I dare you to calculate the BMI of any NFL star or NBA center. Clay Matthews, linebacker for the Green Bay Packers, has a BMI of almost 32! That would make him obese class 1. Just in case you don't know who this is or what he looks like, check this out. So instead of using the BMI to check out our healthiness as athletes, let's use something else. Try getting your fat percentage checked, which can be done by multiple devices. An impedance test will take 1 minute and give u a fair calculation of about how much fat you have.
My disclaimer here, is that the BMI can be great to diagnose weight problems when they do actually exist. I am not trying to throw it all out the window. I just don't want our population to get to fixed on having a bad BMI when in reality it is a terrible number representation.
So ultimately what I'm trying to say here is do not get tripped up by some doctor or website or equation is telling you. We are athletes and the BMI doesn't apply to us whether it is high or low (like it is for me, I'm missing part of my leg).
The BMI is what is being used today to measure a person's health. The BMI is measured by a very simple equation:
mass (kg)/height^2 (m)
Basically, your weight over your height squared. How can this be a way to measure health? Let me explain. A Belgian mathematician by the name of Adolphe Quetelet created this equation as a way to measure growth for a population. This is fine by my standards. But, in 1972, the Journal of Chronic Diseases decided they need a way to measure the obesity problems they could see happening in Western cultures (that's us). As a population, not individually, they decided the BMI is a good measure for body fat percentage. This was adopted to the norm and was used. Unfortunately today, due to simplicity, the BMI is used on an individual scale for body fat percentage. See the problem? History lesson over.
So where do you lie? Here is a chart for BMI classifications:
<18.5 - Underweight
18.5 - 24.9 - Normal
25 - 30 - Overweight
30 - 35 - Obese Class 1
35 - 40 - Obese Class 2
etc. etc. etc.
Why am I telling all of you this? Because I think the BMI is the worst thing to consider when regarding health. There are 3 categories that specifically the BMI is terrible for: children, elderly, and athletes.The equation is so simple it does not build in for muscle, and muscle weighs more than fat! I dare you to calculate the BMI of any NFL star or NBA center. Clay Matthews, linebacker for the Green Bay Packers, has a BMI of almost 32! That would make him obese class 1. Just in case you don't know who this is or what he looks like, check this out. So instead of using the BMI to check out our healthiness as athletes, let's use something else. Try getting your fat percentage checked, which can be done by multiple devices. An impedance test will take 1 minute and give u a fair calculation of about how much fat you have.
My disclaimer here, is that the BMI can be great to diagnose weight problems when they do actually exist. I am not trying to throw it all out the window. I just don't want our population to get to fixed on having a bad BMI when in reality it is a terrible number representation.
So ultimately what I'm trying to say here is do not get tripped up by some doctor or website or equation is telling you. We are athletes and the BMI doesn't apply to us whether it is high or low (like it is for me, I'm missing part of my leg).
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