Have a request from a friend! A lot of people have no idea what the words pro-biotics and digestive enzymes even entail. Let me explain a bit!
Pro-biotics is a fancy term for the bacteria in your gut. (wait...what???) Yes, there is a ton of bacteria in your intestines and it serves an extremely important job. These bacteria help in breaking down the food that you throw into your body through processes like fermentation. These bacteria keep you healthy by beating up toxin producing bacteria and regular by aiding the digestive process. A little fun fact? There are more bacteria in your gut than there are cells in your body. Mind blown. If you are ever having symptoms such as diarrhea, gastroenteritis, inflammation, irritable bowl, or colitis, pro-biotics could seriously help you.
The most common pro-biotic is yogurt. If you look on the yogurt you are buying, you can find a section of the container that says which kinds of live cultures are in your food. These are the good guy bacteria! Don't be afraid that your yogurt is "alive;" it's just trying to help! Another thing to think about concerning pro-biotics is pre-biotics. This is simply food for the pro-biotics. The best way to explain how pre-biotics work is that it is a non-digestible food/pill that can increase the amount of good bacteria in the gut to improve your health like mentioned before. I know pre-biotics come in pill form and also that you can find natural forms of prebiotics too such as chicory root and garlic.
Along the same lines is the digestive enzymes. This is a little more easier to explain. These will be additives in the form of the enzymes responsible for breaking down components of your diet. For example, the human body is not technically built to process as much dairy as our diet wants us to eat. The enzyme lactase responsible for breaking down the dairy sugar lactose is present on a smaller level in the human body. Another fun fact! This is why many are lactose intolerant and up to 80% of the Asian population is lactose intolerant (dairy is not as big in their diet causing the body to not adapt to drinking/eating more dairy)! Whoa! The simple way to fix this is to introduce more enzymes to the body to assist in the metabolism of the foods. For me, when I am having a dairy crazy day, or if my stomach is feeling gassy, I will try a lactase enzyme supplement just to calm things down a bit.
I hope this answers your question!
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Monday, April 23, 2012
Go Multivitamin
Hiyo!
I know a lot of people think about whether or not they should take a multivitamin. There seems to pros (more micronutrients, better health possibly) and cons (cost, effectiveness). I'll just real quick give you my thoughts on multivitamins.
Multivitamins come in many different shapes, varieties, and costs. For the most part they try to do the same thing. They take a broken down or artificially made micronutrient (vitamins and minerals) and put it in pill form in order for you to get a daily dose that you want. Seems pretty convenient to me. Your body will metabolize the pill and get to the good stuff and your body can use it.
Multivitamins are not, for the most part, natural. What I mean is, there is such thing as normal food and with these normal foods we get all the micronutrients found in multivitamins. Our bodies are used to digesting apples and tomatoes and bread and eggs, etc. The body can find a super source of the small stuff to be a little challenging or not as "clean." Therefore, to me, if you can get all the micronutrients you want from normal foods, this is a much better and healthier way of doing so.
Which multivitamin you want to take is up to you. I do recommend that if you have health concerns always (ALWAYS) ask a doctor to make sure it's right. The last thing you want to be doing is making some part of your body sicker trying to be healthier. I think the two biggest body parts to be concerned with are the liver and kidneys, so if these are areas of concern, consult your doc!!
Taking a multivitamin is much more beneficial right after eating a meal. Why? Because it will digest more normally with the food thus giving you a better efficiency with the pill. It's like you're tricking your body into thinking it came from the food!
Lastly, multivitamins are not the answer. Taking a multivitamin does not cure you. If you think that you can stick to an awful diet but add a multivitamin, this is like eating fast food for every meal just because you have a banana in the morning. First things for all healthy individuals is to watch what you are eating.
So take a multivitamin and see how you like it! It should be hard to notice much change, but it also shouldn't hurt!
I know a lot of people think about whether or not they should take a multivitamin. There seems to pros (more micronutrients, better health possibly) and cons (cost, effectiveness). I'll just real quick give you my thoughts on multivitamins.
Multivitamins come in many different shapes, varieties, and costs. For the most part they try to do the same thing. They take a broken down or artificially made micronutrient (vitamins and minerals) and put it in pill form in order for you to get a daily dose that you want. Seems pretty convenient to me. Your body will metabolize the pill and get to the good stuff and your body can use it.
Multivitamins are not, for the most part, natural. What I mean is, there is such thing as normal food and with these normal foods we get all the micronutrients found in multivitamins. Our bodies are used to digesting apples and tomatoes and bread and eggs, etc. The body can find a super source of the small stuff to be a little challenging or not as "clean." Therefore, to me, if you can get all the micronutrients you want from normal foods, this is a much better and healthier way of doing so.
Which multivitamin you want to take is up to you. I do recommend that if you have health concerns always (ALWAYS) ask a doctor to make sure it's right. The last thing you want to be doing is making some part of your body sicker trying to be healthier. I think the two biggest body parts to be concerned with are the liver and kidneys, so if these are areas of concern, consult your doc!!
Taking a multivitamin is much more beneficial right after eating a meal. Why? Because it will digest more normally with the food thus giving you a better efficiency with the pill. It's like you're tricking your body into thinking it came from the food!
Lastly, multivitamins are not the answer. Taking a multivitamin does not cure you. If you think that you can stick to an awful diet but add a multivitamin, this is like eating fast food for every meal just because you have a banana in the morning. First things for all healthy individuals is to watch what you are eating.
So take a multivitamin and see how you like it! It should be hard to notice much change, but it also shouldn't hurt!
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
5 Realistic Quick-Solvers
I've got a lot of ideas usually, and today I want to share some more with you. Here are 5 easy lifestyle changes in order to fix your diet!
1. Giant portions
1. Giant portions
- Don't just try and get smaller portioned foods, buy smaller plates and bowls and cups! My family practices this by using small plates for meals. When there is literally not enough space to put more food - that maybe you don't need - this cuts down on how much you are eating. Using smaller bowls leads to less ice cream for dessert. We have used salsa bowls (you know the tiny little guys) just enough to throw one big scoop in for desserts. Fill up one plate, and don't go back!
- Did you know by simply watching TV or your computer while eating is distracting enough to over consume foods and snacks? Our body doesn't pay attention to the food we are eating, it pays attention to that ridiculous dunk Blake Griffin just made...again...Turn off the TV and put away the computer for 10 min and finish your food! This way you can tell how full you are or will be much easier.
- There are many things to do to help curb this like a fiberful snack or maybe some meditation, but here's a tip I like to use when I need to wait for a nice meal: cold water. That's right. The temperature of the water being colder gives your stomach the impression that it is more full in comparison to warm water. This is probably because the body now must heat up the water because you put it in there. Carry around and drink lots of cold water!
- This one is a little more difficult. And because this is quick-fixes, all I want to say is eat breakfast. Simply by eating breakfast you are not only putting more food in your body, but also starting your metabolism sooner. This helps break down those fats and metabolize foods for energy and muscle much easier through out the day. Side note: a muffin is not breakfast, a bowl of cereal is getting closer, and scrambled eggs with onions and peppers, toast, and a fruit smoothie is AMAZING. Go for a bigger, more developed breakfast (aka cook something, mix something, don't just unwrap something).
- Tummy hurts after you eat a lot? Have to lay down in order to survive after meals? You may be eating too fast. Plus this can cram a lot of unnecessary calories down the drain. A new tip I learned this week: eat with chop sticks. Crazy right? But it literally forces you to eat slower, unless you are AWESOME with chopsticks. It can take your stomach up to 20 min to realize how full it is. Just knowing this is smart. An idea to use would be always to eat like you are waiting for your favorite dessert (mom's apple pie!) but then don't eat dessert. haha!
Friday, April 13, 2012
My Fried Rice
Yeah, I'm willing to give away my super secret fried rice recipe for you guys. Because I love you.
It's actually really simple and I don't have a recipe. It's a perfect example of how fun and easy it is to cook without using a recipe too. Here we go!
First of all before anything else, make some rice. You probably want to get some nice Jasmine rice or if you are looking for more fiber in your diet, go for a brown rice. Cook this rice according to the package and then you can either set it aside or refrigerate it. I always make this fried rice after I make a ton of rice the night before for dinner. Leftover cold rice = yummy fried rice. Make as much as you want. I try to make my fried rice half rice, half other stuff.
Alright, here we go. CHOOSE SOME VEGGIES. My favorites are mushrooms, onions, peas, and carrots. Honestly, you can choose any of your favorites. Peppers? Sure. Crunchy celery? Why not. Weird eggplant? What aren't you getting, that's fine. Dice them up real small or to whatever size you want or like in your rice. How much should you chop up? Depends on how much you are making but I'd say buying extra won't hurt you. You can always use extras for salads and sandwiches and snacks.
Now, determine your most dense veggies. These are first (for me it's always carrots). Throw them into the GIANT pan or wok with a lil' bit of oil, preferably vegetable oil and fry 'em on a medium heat. By now you should realize I'm not giving you any exact measurements, because that's not how this works. Look at the pan. Is there enough oil to cover the veggies without making them swim in it? Ok, you are good. Gradually add more of your veggies according to density as they cook down and soften. My order goes carrots, onion, mushrooms, frozen peas. You can drizzle more oil as you go if it needs. Should be a little shiny, but not too shiny. Salt and pepper if you so please.
Now, get an egg in there! Fry up some scrambled eggs in a separate pan and chop the crap out of them. Keep this off to the side. I usually do 2 or 3 eggs for that protein boost.
Here's my favorite part. COMBINE ALL THE THINGS. Literally throw as much rice as you want in with your vegetable mix and then throw the eggs in with it. Start mixing and cook this over a nice medium/low heat. As this is happening add in any seasonings you like. I always choose soy sauce and sesame seed oil to give it an awesome Asian flavor. Sesame seed oil only needs a little bit to pack a lot of flavor so be careful. The way this part works: add and stir...taste...add and stir some more...DONE.
There you go. My fried rice. It makes a great leftover but can also be a full vegetarian meal. Add leftover meat to it if you want, no problem. This will be high in protein, carbohydrate, and vegetables. A great main dish or side. Enjoy!
Ingredient list:
It's actually really simple and I don't have a recipe. It's a perfect example of how fun and easy it is to cook without using a recipe too. Here we go!
First of all before anything else, make some rice. You probably want to get some nice Jasmine rice or if you are looking for more fiber in your diet, go for a brown rice. Cook this rice according to the package and then you can either set it aside or refrigerate it. I always make this fried rice after I make a ton of rice the night before for dinner. Leftover cold rice = yummy fried rice. Make as much as you want. I try to make my fried rice half rice, half other stuff.
Alright, here we go. CHOOSE SOME VEGGIES. My favorites are mushrooms, onions, peas, and carrots. Honestly, you can choose any of your favorites. Peppers? Sure. Crunchy celery? Why not. Weird eggplant? What aren't you getting, that's fine. Dice them up real small or to whatever size you want or like in your rice. How much should you chop up? Depends on how much you are making but I'd say buying extra won't hurt you. You can always use extras for salads and sandwiches and snacks.
Now, determine your most dense veggies. These are first (for me it's always carrots). Throw them into the GIANT pan or wok with a lil' bit of oil, preferably vegetable oil and fry 'em on a medium heat. By now you should realize I'm not giving you any exact measurements, because that's not how this works. Look at the pan. Is there enough oil to cover the veggies without making them swim in it? Ok, you are good. Gradually add more of your veggies according to density as they cook down and soften. My order goes carrots, onion, mushrooms, frozen peas. You can drizzle more oil as you go if it needs. Should be a little shiny, but not too shiny. Salt and pepper if you so please.
Now, get an egg in there! Fry up some scrambled eggs in a separate pan and chop the crap out of them. Keep this off to the side. I usually do 2 or 3 eggs for that protein boost.
Here's my favorite part. COMBINE ALL THE THINGS. Literally throw as much rice as you want in with your vegetable mix and then throw the eggs in with it. Start mixing and cook this over a nice medium/low heat. As this is happening add in any seasonings you like. I always choose soy sauce and sesame seed oil to give it an awesome Asian flavor. Sesame seed oil only needs a little bit to pack a lot of flavor so be careful. The way this part works: add and stir...taste...add and stir some more...DONE.
There you go. My fried rice. It makes a great leftover but can also be a full vegetarian meal. Add leftover meat to it if you want, no problem. This will be high in protein, carbohydrate, and vegetables. A great main dish or side. Enjoy!
Ingredient list:
- white or brown rice, cooked
- vegetables of choice (carrots, onions, mushrooms, and peas for me)
- eggs (2-3)
- vegetable oil
- soy sauce
- sesame seed oil
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Beer!
So I just got back from Germany. And I want to talk about BEER. Yeah, you heard me.
Simply because beer is an alcohol, it likes to be frowned upon, especially for athletes. "We can't afford to have alcohol in our diets!" most would say. The thing about that is, not only can you have alcohol, but it can be beneficial to you as well.
First of all, beer, especially regular beer, is a high calorie drink with lots of carbs in it. Because of this, beer can be perfect to have after practices or games. Now, I wouldn't suggest it anytime before the late afternoon, but beer can be drunk after night training. If you are one of the people that likes to hang out with your teammates after events, beer can be the best option for you to grab simply because of its carbohydrate content.
Second, beer relaxes the body. Now hold on before everyone gets upset with me. For me, after practice sometimes I am so worked up that my stomach just does not want to tackle a huge meal or anything substantial. This is unfortunate because I need to replenish my body. It's drained! The alcoholic content of beer is pretty small, so having a can or bottle before eating can be exactly what the body needs to loosen up and prepare for food. Now I can eat more great food and get my calorie needs for the future.
Did you know drinking beer (or alcoholic beverages) regularly can be good for your health? The recommended servings per day is 2 for men and 1 for women. I didn't make up the rules ladies, it has to do with the amount of water men can hold compared to women. One serving is a 12 oz beer, 5 oz of wine, or a shot of liquor (1.5 oz of 80 proof). There have been studies that show regular intake is associated with lowered chances of heart disease and cancer.
Now, because it is beer, there are some things to look out for. Here they are real quick. If you drink a ton of beer, you are getting a TON of calories with not enough nutritional value (vitamins, minerals, protein, etc.). This can lead to a beer belly. Also drinking too many can lead to stupid accidents; we've all been there. Beer can and will dehydrate you if you don't watch out. My suggestion is to drink a glass of water in between beers if you really want to make sure. Another way is to drink a lot of water when all the beers are done or the next morning.
Here's a fun little fact too: dark beers, like Guiness, are even better for you! They have higher antioxidant counts because of the brewing process! Plus, Guiness is lower in calories than most other regular beers. Had to plug those facts; can you guess what one of my favorite beers is?
Prost! Chin chin! Cheers! Enjoy your drinks and keep it healthy!
Simply because beer is an alcohol, it likes to be frowned upon, especially for athletes. "We can't afford to have alcohol in our diets!" most would say. The thing about that is, not only can you have alcohol, but it can be beneficial to you as well.
First of all, beer, especially regular beer, is a high calorie drink with lots of carbs in it. Because of this, beer can be perfect to have after practices or games. Now, I wouldn't suggest it anytime before the late afternoon, but beer can be drunk after night training. If you are one of the people that likes to hang out with your teammates after events, beer can be the best option for you to grab simply because of its carbohydrate content.
Second, beer relaxes the body. Now hold on before everyone gets upset with me. For me, after practice sometimes I am so worked up that my stomach just does not want to tackle a huge meal or anything substantial. This is unfortunate because I need to replenish my body. It's drained! The alcoholic content of beer is pretty small, so having a can or bottle before eating can be exactly what the body needs to loosen up and prepare for food. Now I can eat more great food and get my calorie needs for the future.
Did you know drinking beer (or alcoholic beverages) regularly can be good for your health? The recommended servings per day is 2 for men and 1 for women. I didn't make up the rules ladies, it has to do with the amount of water men can hold compared to women. One serving is a 12 oz beer, 5 oz of wine, or a shot of liquor (1.5 oz of 80 proof). There have been studies that show regular intake is associated with lowered chances of heart disease and cancer.
Now, because it is beer, there are some things to look out for. Here they are real quick. If you drink a ton of beer, you are getting a TON of calories with not enough nutritional value (vitamins, minerals, protein, etc.). This can lead to a beer belly. Also drinking too many can lead to stupid accidents; we've all been there. Beer can and will dehydrate you if you don't watch out. My suggestion is to drink a glass of water in between beers if you really want to make sure. Another way is to drink a lot of water when all the beers are done or the next morning.
Here's a fun little fact too: dark beers, like Guiness, are even better for you! They have higher antioxidant counts because of the brewing process! Plus, Guiness is lower in calories than most other regular beers. Had to plug those facts; can you guess what one of my favorite beers is?
Prost! Chin chin! Cheers! Enjoy your drinks and keep it healthy!
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Dieting is Fun? Try This Gaming App!
Hey everyone! Quick post here before I jet off to Germany.
My friend has been working on this new app that is FREE at this website:
http://slimkicker.com/
Check it out! It takes your diet and gives you points for eating good foods like choosing milk over soda! It will keep track of your points and you can be rewarded over time! Plus, others that are playing will be right there with you to encourage you!
By tracking your diet you can not only see what you've eaten in the past, but make better choices knowing that you will have to write it down! It may seem tedious, but with our smart phone generation that we live in, it is literally a click away to track your entire day's diet.
This is one of the freshest ideas on tracking your own diet I've seen. Making anything into a game works for me! I'm way too competitive! So whip out your smartphones, download this app FOR FREE, and give it a try!
My friend has been working on this new app that is FREE at this website:
http://slimkicker.com/
Check it out! It takes your diet and gives you points for eating good foods like choosing milk over soda! It will keep track of your points and you can be rewarded over time! Plus, others that are playing will be right there with you to encourage you!
By tracking your diet you can not only see what you've eaten in the past, but make better choices knowing that you will have to write it down! It may seem tedious, but with our smart phone generation that we live in, it is literally a click away to track your entire day's diet.
This is one of the freshest ideas on tracking your own diet I've seen. Making anything into a game works for me! I'm way too competitive! So whip out your smartphones, download this app FOR FREE, and give it a try!
Monday, April 2, 2012
Chicken over Beef
There's a lot of product out there boasting how it is better for you simply because it is made with turkey or chicken instead of beef (hot dogs, lunch meats, ground meats, sausages, bacon, etc). The best way to really put it is that there are some positives and some negatives to switching up the meats.
Let's start positive. Yes, chicken is lower in fat...usually. A boneless skinless chicken breast can be very lean but still contain a ton of protein like you want to have from meat. Same goes for turkey. With these new products that are mixing or switching the meat content, you are going to find a ton of salt, preservatives, and sometimes even fat. So, if you are to look at your labels and nutrition and ingredients on each food you want to buy, you can choose the best option. It can be a great step in finding ways to lower calories in your diet (from lower fat content, depending).
Now, here's what I'd like to say: it's not like you can just say, "oh I'm eating chicken now, so it must be better for me." Wrong. Depending on how you are eating the poultry, it could be worse for you than eating a steak or hamburger patty. The skin on poultry is always high in saturated fats and cholesterol. (remove it!) The legs, wings, and thighs of the poultry will have higher fat content than the rest of the bird. (limit this!) Something that makes me confused when thinking about this concept is turkey bacon...why? I can tell you it does not taste nearly as good and the price will certainly be higher. On top of that, it's still not a great option for you and your diet. It's still bacon! In all honesty, if you are really concerned about high fat, high calories, or high weight gain in your diet, anything with the word bacon in it probably should be removed. In my mind (and I'm not trying to lose or gain any weight here) I limit myself to one or two slices of normal, delicious, crispy bacon, or I try and treat it more like a dessert than a meat.
Remember this: you can find equally healthy (if not more healthy) cuts of pork tenderloins, pork roasts, flank steaks, and strip steaks. The red meats can provide things that the white meats cannot too such as a more biologically available iron source (heme iron). What's nice about red meats is you can usually see how much fat is in the meat. Just look at how much white is intertwined in the meat. Of course this can take away from the tenderness, but there are methods you can find to still cook your meat very tender.
So vary it up! Get chicken, beef, pork, turkey, ostrich, duck, buffalo, blah, blah, blah, you're still reading this? Go eat!
Let's start positive. Yes, chicken is lower in fat...usually. A boneless skinless chicken breast can be very lean but still contain a ton of protein like you want to have from meat. Same goes for turkey. With these new products that are mixing or switching the meat content, you are going to find a ton of salt, preservatives, and sometimes even fat. So, if you are to look at your labels and nutrition and ingredients on each food you want to buy, you can choose the best option. It can be a great step in finding ways to lower calories in your diet (from lower fat content, depending).
Now, here's what I'd like to say: it's not like you can just say, "oh I'm eating chicken now, so it must be better for me." Wrong. Depending on how you are eating the poultry, it could be worse for you than eating a steak or hamburger patty. The skin on poultry is always high in saturated fats and cholesterol. (remove it!) The legs, wings, and thighs of the poultry will have higher fat content than the rest of the bird. (limit this!) Something that makes me confused when thinking about this concept is turkey bacon...why? I can tell you it does not taste nearly as good and the price will certainly be higher. On top of that, it's still not a great option for you and your diet. It's still bacon! In all honesty, if you are really concerned about high fat, high calories, or high weight gain in your diet, anything with the word bacon in it probably should be removed. In my mind (and I'm not trying to lose or gain any weight here) I limit myself to one or two slices of normal, delicious, crispy bacon, or I try and treat it more like a dessert than a meat.
Remember this: you can find equally healthy (if not more healthy) cuts of pork tenderloins, pork roasts, flank steaks, and strip steaks. The red meats can provide things that the white meats cannot too such as a more biologically available iron source (heme iron). What's nice about red meats is you can usually see how much fat is in the meat. Just look at how much white is intertwined in the meat. Of course this can take away from the tenderness, but there are methods you can find to still cook your meat very tender.
So vary it up! Get chicken, beef, pork, turkey, ostrich, duck, buffalo, blah, blah, blah, you're still reading this? Go eat!
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