Here are some quick restaurant tips! I got these from The Zone website, which I'd like to get more serious about following (portion wise). I eat very much "in the zone", but the next step would be actually measuring food, something that I fear! That might be an upcoming goal which you guys might hold me accountable for :)
I have another tip at the bottom that I got from a boot camper! Enjoy!
ZONE TIPS:
1. Never eat the rolls. If you’re going to eat carbohydrates, save it for dessert.
2 Always choose a low-fat protein entrée and ask to replace any starches or grains with extra vegetables.
3. While waiting for dinner, have a glass of water.
4. If the low-fat protein you order is significantly greater than the size of your palm, take the excess home.
5. Determine whether the carbohydrates on your plate are favorable or unfavorable. If you’re eating favorable carbohydrates, have double the volume of carbohydrates compared to the protein portion.
6. If dining out is not complete without dessert, then don’t eat any carbohydrates during the meal. Order whatever you want for dessert, but eat only half.
Here's an idea that has been on one of the logs: An awesome way to make "tuna salad" or "egg salad" is to mash it together with low fat cottage cheese! What a great idea! Ditch the chemical laden mayo, etc. Chop some onion, celery, add a bit of salt and pepper, grab some salad greens and put it in a wrap!
There ya' have it!
Monday, January 26, 2009
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
More Tips For You!
A MASSIVE thank you again for the food shelf donations this week! I will bring them to Second Harvest in Maplewood on Friday!
I want to touch on the food logs as well. Overall, they improved from the first week. I will list some points that come to mind as I looked them over. If you feel like I'm singling your food log out, don't worry, I'm probably not. There are similarities between many of them!
TEN SUGGESTIONS:
1. Many people eat 'whole wheat' bread/toast. Consider the quality of it though. Read the ingredients list. I eat Ezikiel sprouted grain bread. However, it's super expensive right now. So I've gotten in the habit of eating wraps. I LOVE Smart & Delicious Tortilla Wraps from Fresh and Natural on Hwy. 96. Easy to wrap stuff up in, don't fall apart. Low carb, high fiber. YUM!
2. I'm not a fan of milk. Substitute rice milk, or almond milk into protein shakes for a try. Go to www.realmilk.org for more info on milk and where to find raw milk in the state. Not easy to drive to a farm...so ditch it all together.
3. Some of you are Lean Cuisine eaters. Let them get freezer burn in your fridge. Read the ingredients list and you'll probably see why. Just a hunch!
4. Canned soups are an easy way to get a quick lunch in or whatever. However, consider the quality of the type you buy. Progresso, Campbells, etc. will most likely have a lot of additives (high fructose corn syrup, MSG, etc). Best to get the good stuff at a co-op or in the natural food aisle of a conventional store.
5. Easy way to get fiber/good oils, add ground flax or low fat coconut milk to your protein shakes.
6. Read the ingredients on yogurt. Most conventional types will have high fructose corn syrup in them. Also, skip the "fruit on the bottom" types all together, or skim the top of the yogurt and leave the all-too-sugary bottom. Look for live/active cultures on your yogurts.
7. Meat. Meat is not just any old meat. Highly processed salami, ham, pepperoni, bacon or whatever is toxic. Take consideration of the quality. Best to go grass fed or pastured because the animals are not eating corn based feed (which is horrible) for them and for YOU. Also, if you are going to eat that type of meat, make sure they don't have NITRATES in them. That causes cancer.
8. Many of you are oatmeal lovers (stick to the real oats). Oatmeal is healthy for you, however, stick to a smaller servings and add in protein to your breakfasts. Remember, protein should be your "go to" first thing in the morning or right after your workouts. Don't just eat oatmeal alone.
9. An AWESOME substitute for the fizzy-ness of soda is Kambucha drinks. You can find Kambucha at Fresh and Natural in the produce section. I think it's super yummy and it quenches your thirst. Sweet/tart and full of good stuff for your immune system and gut.
10. If some of you sleep restlessly, take a look at what you eat before bed. If you have a tendency to eat ice cream, cereal, crackers, and other forms of high glycemic/high sugar stuff...that spikes your blood sugar overnight and often wakes people up unnecessarily!
Here is the link to find natural food stores in whatever area you live: www.localharvest.org
Cheers to your body!
Kate
I want to touch on the food logs as well. Overall, they improved from the first week. I will list some points that come to mind as I looked them over. If you feel like I'm singling your food log out, don't worry, I'm probably not. There are similarities between many of them!
TEN SUGGESTIONS:
1. Many people eat 'whole wheat' bread/toast. Consider the quality of it though. Read the ingredients list. I eat Ezikiel sprouted grain bread. However, it's super expensive right now. So I've gotten in the habit of eating wraps. I LOVE Smart & Delicious Tortilla Wraps from Fresh and Natural on Hwy. 96. Easy to wrap stuff up in, don't fall apart. Low carb, high fiber. YUM!
2. I'm not a fan of milk. Substitute rice milk, or almond milk into protein shakes for a try. Go to www.realmilk.org for more info on milk and where to find raw milk in the state. Not easy to drive to a farm...so ditch it all together.
3. Some of you are Lean Cuisine eaters. Let them get freezer burn in your fridge. Read the ingredients list and you'll probably see why. Just a hunch!
4. Canned soups are an easy way to get a quick lunch in or whatever. However, consider the quality of the type you buy. Progresso, Campbells, etc. will most likely have a lot of additives (high fructose corn syrup, MSG, etc). Best to get the good stuff at a co-op or in the natural food aisle of a conventional store.
5. Easy way to get fiber/good oils, add ground flax or low fat coconut milk to your protein shakes.
6. Read the ingredients on yogurt. Most conventional types will have high fructose corn syrup in them. Also, skip the "fruit on the bottom" types all together, or skim the top of the yogurt and leave the all-too-sugary bottom. Look for live/active cultures on your yogurts.
7. Meat. Meat is not just any old meat. Highly processed salami, ham, pepperoni, bacon or whatever is toxic. Take consideration of the quality. Best to go grass fed or pastured because the animals are not eating corn based feed (which is horrible) for them and for YOU. Also, if you are going to eat that type of meat, make sure they don't have NITRATES in them. That causes cancer.
8. Many of you are oatmeal lovers (stick to the real oats). Oatmeal is healthy for you, however, stick to a smaller servings and add in protein to your breakfasts. Remember, protein should be your "go to" first thing in the morning or right after your workouts. Don't just eat oatmeal alone.
9. An AWESOME substitute for the fizzy-ness of soda is Kambucha drinks. You can find Kambucha at Fresh and Natural in the produce section. I think it's super yummy and it quenches your thirst. Sweet/tart and full of good stuff for your immune system and gut.
10. If some of you sleep restlessly, take a look at what you eat before bed. If you have a tendency to eat ice cream, cereal, crackers, and other forms of high glycemic/high sugar stuff...that spikes your blood sugar overnight and often wakes people up unnecessarily!
Here is the link to find natural food stores in whatever area you live: www.localharvest.org
Cheers to your body!
Kate
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Gut Science 101
Since starting the food logs, it has shed a big light on why some of you may be hitting plateaus, feel drained or feel like you're not gaining muscle (which fuels fat loss and performance). I'm glad that I am able to look them over and it has brought a whole new dimension to things!
This is a very simplified explanation of the cascade of events that occurs in your gut when you eat certain foods. What you eat is directly related to hormone regulation, which is crucial for blood sugar stabilization, curbing cravings, telling you when you're satisfied and changing the composition of your body.
Here goes!
When you eat PROTEIN: Your body releases GLUCAGON which regulates blood sugar levels and builds muscle mass.
When you eat crappy CARBS: Your body releases INSULIN, which is a fat storage hormone. When you have too much INSULIN released, it prevents your body from utilizing fat as its main energy source.
When you eat GOOD FATS: You stay hormone neutral. This is a prime energy source and provides satiety and feeling content.
Also, when you eat too little, your body conserves fat and calories in an attempt to "save itself" from starvation. It also sabotages your metabolism. It's reverse of what you'd think.
I'm keeping it simple, but I hope I got you thinking!
Remember, the hierarchy of food intake for your average day:
Lean protein
Veggies
Nuts, seeds, avocado, olives, olive oil, coconut oil, organic dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa) etc.
Some fruit
Little Starch
No refined sugar
Hope everyone had a great weekend!
This is a very simplified explanation of the cascade of events that occurs in your gut when you eat certain foods. What you eat is directly related to hormone regulation, which is crucial for blood sugar stabilization, curbing cravings, telling you when you're satisfied and changing the composition of your body.
Here goes!
When you eat PROTEIN: Your body releases GLUCAGON which regulates blood sugar levels and builds muscle mass.
When you eat crappy CARBS: Your body releases INSULIN, which is a fat storage hormone. When you have too much INSULIN released, it prevents your body from utilizing fat as its main energy source.
When you eat GOOD FATS: You stay hormone neutral. This is a prime energy source and provides satiety and feeling content.
Also, when you eat too little, your body conserves fat and calories in an attempt to "save itself" from starvation. It also sabotages your metabolism. It's reverse of what you'd think.
I'm keeping it simple, but I hope I got you thinking!
Remember, the hierarchy of food intake for your average day:
Lean protein
Veggies
Nuts, seeds, avocado, olives, olive oil, coconut oil, organic dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa) etc.
Some fruit
Little Starch
No refined sugar
Hope everyone had a great weekend!
Chow Time
To build off of the previous post, I thought I'd get really transparent with you all and write up what I typically eat every day. I don't count calories, I eat a lot of fat and protein.
Keep in mind that some things change based on my mood/seasons, but it will give you an overview of what I'm stressing as it pertains to food choices and achieving your goals.
Also, keep in mind that I eat A LOT of calories, so depending on how active you are and how much muscle mass you have on your body....your food intake will be different accordingly.
This is just to illustrate the HUGE point that not only must you NOT starve yourself and go fat-free/low-calorie....but also that the quality of your food either hinders weight loss and muscle gain or promotes it. It also is crucial for recovery and general energy levels.
Let's say it's a typical boot camp day where I have to get up super early:
4:30 am: 2 low-carb tortilla wraps around banana/organic peanut butter, coffee
7:30am: 3 eggs, slices of cheese wrapped in a low-carb tortilla and wrapped, apple
Late morning: handful of almonds, raisins, some organic dark chocolate, maybe a yogurt and ground flax seed, etc.
Lunch: 2 tortillas with kidney beans, sliced red onion, avocado, salsa, cheese, another apple or something, more dark chocolate!
Mid afternoon: cottage cheese and mandarin oranges, more nuts, maybe rice crackers and hummus, etc.
Dinner: some type of protein, steamed or sauteed veggies, brown rice or brown rice pasta, olive oil, salads, homemade soups when I have time to make a pot, etc.
Night snack: apple and peanut butter, maybe a bowl of oatmeal with berries and flax seed and protein powder, etc.
Here is an article in regards to this topic from one of our boot-campers that I thought I'd share. Take it from Oprah!
http://www.weightandwellness.com/real_scoop.html
I hope this helps those that are struggling with their daily eating patterns! Remember that your cells are made from what you eat. If that's Diet Coke and Ritz crackers, then your body is trying to build muscle with Diet Coke and Ritz crackers. It's not possible!
To Your Health Y'all!
Kate
Keep in mind that some things change based on my mood/seasons, but it will give you an overview of what I'm stressing as it pertains to food choices and achieving your goals.
Also, keep in mind that I eat A LOT of calories, so depending on how active you are and how much muscle mass you have on your body....your food intake will be different accordingly.
This is just to illustrate the HUGE point that not only must you NOT starve yourself and go fat-free/low-calorie....but also that the quality of your food either hinders weight loss and muscle gain or promotes it. It also is crucial for recovery and general energy levels.
Let's say it's a typical boot camp day where I have to get up super early:
4:30 am: 2 low-carb tortilla wraps around banana/organic peanut butter, coffee
7:30am: 3 eggs, slices of cheese wrapped in a low-carb tortilla and wrapped, apple
Late morning: handful of almonds, raisins, some organic dark chocolate, maybe a yogurt and ground flax seed, etc.
Lunch: 2 tortillas with kidney beans, sliced red onion, avocado, salsa, cheese, another apple or something, more dark chocolate!
Mid afternoon: cottage cheese and mandarin oranges, more nuts, maybe rice crackers and hummus, etc.
Dinner: some type of protein, steamed or sauteed veggies, brown rice or brown rice pasta, olive oil, salads, homemade soups when I have time to make a pot, etc.
Night snack: apple and peanut butter, maybe a bowl of oatmeal with berries and flax seed and protein powder, etc.
Here is an article in regards to this topic from one of our boot-campers that I thought I'd share. Take it from Oprah!
http://www.weightandwellness.com/real_scoop.html
I hope this helps those that are struggling with their daily eating patterns! Remember that your cells are made from what you eat. If that's Diet Coke and Ritz crackers, then your body is trying to build muscle with Diet Coke and Ritz crackers. It's not possible!
To Your Health Y'all!
Kate
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
First Week of Food Logs
Well, I have to say that looking over these food logs was more difficult than anticipated! I am determined to rip you from the grips of the typical American fare. I see that some of you have become victims already. Save yourself!
NUTRITION is the absolute foundation of yourself. If you were to picture the Great Pyramids....nutrition would be the broadest and most expansive base to them on the absolute bottom, even broader than exercise itself. In the end, it doesn't matter how much you might be busting your ass while working out, you will hit a plateau where the results you fully want to achieve will be a struggle to reach.
Here is the hierarchy of what you should eat for optimal body composition and performance:
1. Lean meats
2. Vegetables
3. Nuts, seeds, olive oil, avocados, dark chocolate (the good stuff), olives, coconut oil, etc. (GOOD FATS)
4. Some fruit
5. Little starch
6. No refined sugar
That's it. In a nutshell. It's really not complicated. It means having those things available in your house. It means not spending your money on things that are wasteful from a nutritional standpoint. It means not eating the Mac and Cheese that your kids eat. The next step is to get kids to eat something other than Mac and Cheese. That's another issue. All it is, is habit.
Here are the common themes that I saw from the food logs, (most but not all):
1. Way too many carbs (poor and "so-called" healthy)...especially at breakfast
2. Too little protein
3. Too little good fats
Some food logs showed those trying to go too fat free. That's a recipe for disaster and weight gain. Ditch the artificial fat free crap, imitation this and low calorie that. It does the opposite of what it claims to do. Use real butter, olive oil, real eggs, etc. The other crap is just chemicals. Just read the back of any conventional low-fat salad dressing or whatever. Toss it.
Also, protein and good fats are the catalyst for quick muscle recovery and healthy joint function. They are vital to you.
Use the above "hierarchy of food" list as your top guide for every-day living. Do we all want a Starbucks mocha every now and then? Of course. Do you like your mom's special pumpkin bread? Yes. You get what I mean.
Keep learning, keep shifting habits one at a time, keep on keepin' on!
Next blog will be a quick teaching on why your body stores fat when eating certain carbs.....
To Your Health Y'all!
Kate
NUTRITION is the absolute foundation of yourself. If you were to picture the Great Pyramids....nutrition would be the broadest and most expansive base to them on the absolute bottom, even broader than exercise itself. In the end, it doesn't matter how much you might be busting your ass while working out, you will hit a plateau where the results you fully want to achieve will be a struggle to reach.
Here is the hierarchy of what you should eat for optimal body composition and performance:
1. Lean meats
2. Vegetables
3. Nuts, seeds, olive oil, avocados, dark chocolate (the good stuff), olives, coconut oil, etc. (GOOD FATS)
4. Some fruit
5. Little starch
6. No refined sugar
That's it. In a nutshell. It's really not complicated. It means having those things available in your house. It means not spending your money on things that are wasteful from a nutritional standpoint. It means not eating the Mac and Cheese that your kids eat. The next step is to get kids to eat something other than Mac and Cheese. That's another issue. All it is, is habit.
Here are the common themes that I saw from the food logs, (most but not all):
1. Way too many carbs (poor and "so-called" healthy)...especially at breakfast
2. Too little protein
3. Too little good fats
Some food logs showed those trying to go too fat free. That's a recipe for disaster and weight gain. Ditch the artificial fat free crap, imitation this and low calorie that. It does the opposite of what it claims to do. Use real butter, olive oil, real eggs, etc. The other crap is just chemicals. Just read the back of any conventional low-fat salad dressing or whatever. Toss it.
Also, protein and good fats are the catalyst for quick muscle recovery and healthy joint function. They are vital to you.
Use the above "hierarchy of food" list as your top guide for every-day living. Do we all want a Starbucks mocha every now and then? Of course. Do you like your mom's special pumpkin bread? Yes. You get what I mean.
Keep learning, keep shifting habits one at a time, keep on keepin' on!
Next blog will be a quick teaching on why your body stores fat when eating certain carbs.....
To Your Health Y'all!
Kate
Saturday, January 10, 2009
First Week of Boot Camp
First off, I want to congratulate all the new recruits for getting through their first week of boot camp! You may have been thinking, "What the hell did I get myself into?", "Who is this freak woman making me feel like my heart is going to explode?" and "Why am I crawling on the floor?"
That's right, you won't find people doing the stuff you are doing at a typical gym. I'm proud of your efforts and your courage to jump right in!
For those of you who have been around and can now claim yourselves as "semi-professionals" at this, you may have realized that there has been a slow evolution over time as to the types of movements you guys are doing. For the most part, the exercises you are doing get the most "bang for your buck" because they are full body, full exertion and they offer full puking capacity. Just kidding, but really, I'm not.
Remember that you have to freedom to make this as challenging as you want. That is where you get your results from! Let alone, what you pull from your kitchen cupboards and put in your mouth. This past Monday, I briefly mentioned to the night class the 23/1 rule. I get you for 1 hour...and you have 23 hours to make decisions on your own! That is where the food logs come into play. Hopefully, you can take advantage of that and slowly make the lifestyle changes necessary to reach your goals!
The Basics:
1. First, go for FOOD QUALITY
2. Second, go for FOOD QUANTITY
Quit eating crap. Quit eating the things that make you bloated, constipated, give you headaches, make you feel sluggish....and give you a TOTAL LIFE BUZZ KILL.
Treat your body like a temple. What else do you have to walk around?
Quick Tips:
1. Ditch the cereal habit.
2. Mashed cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes. (Some of you know this tip already, but it was new to me.....I'm gonna try it!)
3. If you have an alcoholic drink, go for red wine. No, not 4 glasses.
Now, go take life on. Be strong to live stong.
Kate
www.TheAthleteLab.com
That's right, you won't find people doing the stuff you are doing at a typical gym. I'm proud of your efforts and your courage to jump right in!
For those of you who have been around and can now claim yourselves as "semi-professionals" at this, you may have realized that there has been a slow evolution over time as to the types of movements you guys are doing. For the most part, the exercises you are doing get the most "bang for your buck" because they are full body, full exertion and they offer full puking capacity. Just kidding, but really, I'm not.
Remember that you have to freedom to make this as challenging as you want. That is where you get your results from! Let alone, what you pull from your kitchen cupboards and put in your mouth. This past Monday, I briefly mentioned to the night class the 23/1 rule. I get you for 1 hour...and you have 23 hours to make decisions on your own! That is where the food logs come into play. Hopefully, you can take advantage of that and slowly make the lifestyle changes necessary to reach your goals!
The Basics:
1. First, go for FOOD QUALITY
2. Second, go for FOOD QUANTITY
Quit eating crap. Quit eating the things that make you bloated, constipated, give you headaches, make you feel sluggish....and give you a TOTAL LIFE BUZZ KILL.
Treat your body like a temple. What else do you have to walk around?
Quick Tips:
1. Ditch the cereal habit.
2. Mashed cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes. (Some of you know this tip already, but it was new to me.....I'm gonna try it!)
3. If you have an alcoholic drink, go for red wine. No, not 4 glasses.
Now, go take life on. Be strong to live stong.
Kate
www.TheAthleteLab.com
She Could Kick All Our.....
One of our very own recruits wrote me an email several weeks ago explaining to me all the comments that her co-workers were saying to her about participating in The Athlete Lab Boot Camps.
"You shouldn't be doing that at your age."
"Your going to hurt yourself."
"It's not good for you."
Secretly, she thought that they were just jealous that she could kick all their asses. Quite frankly, it's great that she's going to be able to get herself off the toilet when she's 85 with good squat form. No offense to anyone, but it's the truth.
So, I thought I'd add a video to show you that you can do whatever you put your mind to. You can put whatever limitations you want on yourself or you can choose to KICK THINGS IN HIGH GEAR for life.
The video is a great review showing correct form....but there's also a 70 year old woman putting us in our place! WOOT WOOT!
http://media.crossfit.com/cf-video/CrossFit_FrontSquats.mov
Now, time to De-Sissify.
Kate.
www.TheAthleteLab.com
"You shouldn't be doing that at your age."
"Your going to hurt yourself."
"It's not good for you."
Secretly, she thought that they were just jealous that she could kick all their asses. Quite frankly, it's great that she's going to be able to get herself off the toilet when she's 85 with good squat form. No offense to anyone, but it's the truth.
So, I thought I'd add a video to show you that you can do whatever you put your mind to. You can put whatever limitations you want on yourself or you can choose to KICK THINGS IN HIGH GEAR for life.
The video is a great review showing correct form....but there's also a 70 year old woman putting us in our place! WOOT WOOT!
http://media.crossfit.com/cf-video/CrossFit_FrontSquats.mov
Now, time to De-Sissify.
Kate.
www.TheAthleteLab.com
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