Mind What You Munch.

All too frequently we consume food and beverages comprised of a thousand different ingredients we've never heard of. Have you ever read a food label and seen monosodium glutamate? or recombinant bovine growth hormone? even artificial food colouring. Instead of ushering these sorts of things into our tummies, we should be running (I'm serious), RUNNING in the opposite direction.

Make sure you are aware of what you're putting into your body. Our bodies function on the fuel we provide for ourselves. I know you've all heard it before but... you are what you eat. Not only that, but whenever you pick up a box of neon-colored cereal at the supermarket you are contributing to an unhealthy trend, encouraging the production of such products. Consider yourself a sponsor of whatever you choose to put in your shopping trolley or keep in your kitchen pantry.

But alas, I am not writing this blog post to beat you over the head with information you've likely already heard. I want to introduce you to a fantastic webpage I discovered. You can search for any food item or ingredient and the program will compute a plethora of information concerning your ingredient. You can uncover all of the nutrition facts: calories, fat, sugar, protein, etc. per serving; the glycemic index load; inflammation factor; the proportion of fats, carbs and protein per serving; a breakdown of vitamins and minerals and even how little or much it will contribute to weight loss and overall health.

All of this information can be found here: http://nutritiondata.self.com.
Check out a few of the charts and graphs for SPINACH:

Map  

4.55.0Fullness FactorND Rating

NutritionData's         
Opinion

Weight loss:
Optimum health:
Weight gain:

The good: This food is low in Saturated Fat, and very low in Cholesterol. It is also a good source of Niacin and Zinc, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Protein, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Vitamin K, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Copper and Manganese.

Know what you EAT!!

Caloric Ratio Pyramid 

56%	14%	30%
Carbs	Fats	Protein

0

78
mildly anti-inflammatory

Dr. Oz says...

Let me introduce you to Dr. Mehmet Oz. Okay, let's face it, unless you've been living under a rock you already know exactly who this man is. He's a pretty big deal. Even Oprah says so. I've done some research and he seems to be the real deal. He's not selling us crazy health schemes, but rather, abides by the principle of moderation. Let's face it, not everyone with a PHD or MD makes reasonable claims regarding diet and fitness. Sigh, if only common sense were more common. 

That being said, here are Dr. Oz's Top 10 Health & Fitness Tips Of All Time:

1. Get Strong, Not Skinny. Forget starving yourself to fit into those skinny jeans. Instead, Dr. Oz recommends focusing on acquiring 10,000 steps a day (approximately 5 miles) to stay slim and healthy.  I'm not entirely sure when looking frail became all-the-rage, but the trend is shifting (hip hip, hooray!!). Strong is the new Skinny. 

2. Cut Out The White Stuff. You've heard me say this a thousand times. No white sugar, No white flour. But seriously guys, it works!! White bread, pasta, pastries, etc. are all just refined carbohydrates with little nutritional value. Eliminating these nutritional no-no's is one of the fastest ways to shed weight and promote optimum health. 

3. Bring on the Broccoli. Your mom wasn't lying, it IS extremely good for you. Broccoli cleanses the liver and is a cancer fighting cruciferous veggie. 

4. Get Your Daily Dose of D. This is a hot topic for me. As a skin cancer survivor, I want to encourage you to get your vitamin D - which aids with calcium absorption and improves immunity, whilst still remembering to protect your skin with sunblock. Daily vitamin D quotas are met within 15-20 minutes of sun exposure, anything more and you should apply some SPF. 

5. Drink More Water. This is an easy one and yet so many of us fail to stay adequately hydrated. Water is the BEST energy drink available. Ditch soda, sugary coffee drinks and all other 'beverages' and still to nature's remedy - H20. Often times thirst is disguised as hunger, so keeping a water bottle within reach may help you to snack less often too!! 

6. Trade Supplements for Tea. Having just returned from England, Americans are seriously out-of-touch with the magic that is tea. Tea boosts your metabolism and has many cancer-fighting antioxidants, not to mention it keeps you hydrated (see #5). Try sipping on unsweetened tea throughout your day. If you need a little sweetness, add a drop of honey. 

7. Focus on Nutrients, Not Calories. IMPORTANT! IMPORTANT! IMPORTANT! The oversimplified equation of weight loss is, Calories IN < Calories OUT. However, your body is hungry for nutrients, meaning that if you eat fewer calories than you're burning but aren't fuelling adequately with vitamins, protein and nutrients, your brain is going to keep signalling that you're hungry. High-fiber, nutrient-rich vegetables, fruit, whole grains and lean meats are what you want to reach for. Foods associated with the most weight gain include: french fries, potato chips, sugary drinks, refined grains, sweets and meat. Foods associated with shedding pounds were yogurt, whole grains, nuts, fruit and vegetables. But...you knew that already, right!?

8. Delay Dessert. What!? Did she just say the 'D' word. While I don't personally recommend making dessert a daily practice, treating yourself makes healthy eating seem more manageable, thereby encouraging you to continue mindful munching. Dr. Oz suggests waiting 2 hours after a meal to indulge in a sweet treat, so as not to hinder the digestion of nutrients. His recommendation? Dark chocolate (but just a little). 

9. Sleep More to Slim Down. Why would anyone argue with this? Sleep deprivation encourages premature ageing and prevents weight loss. Do you need any more incentive to make it an early night? Aim for a solid 7 hours of shut-eye and you'll increase your efforts for success!!!

10. Make Breakfast Mandatory. and no, your four cups of coffee don't count. Skipping the first meal of the day can increase your risk for obesity by FOUR!! After going the night without eating,  your body needs some fuel upon waking. If you don't eat your metabolism slows down as a response to famine. Not eating breakfast results in consuming more calories later in the day. So scramble a few eggs, whip up some oatmeal or grab a yogurt and fruit. 

You can find the full slide show here

Nutrition tips for ANY age:

I was recently introduced to a brilliant little blog written by a gal and guy, Mark and Angel. They discuss all sorts of goodies, like '15 Ways To Live, Not Merely Exist' and '20 Things Life Is Too Short To Tolerate'. It's fabulous and you can get lost in their posts for hours.

Here is one of my personal favourites: '9 Timeless Nutrition Tips For Any Age'

1. Limit junk food or don’t eat it at all. – Replace junk food with healthy snacks. Think of food as nutrition, not entertainment or emotional fodder.

2. Go on a healthy food shopping spree. – Buy items that are healthy and appealing.  Fill your cupboards, pantry and fridge with healthy foods so you will not feel like your kitchen is empty.

3. Limit eating out. – Restaurant food has high amounts of sodium, sugar and fat.  Spend more time with family or friends cooking together, or enjoy cooking for yourself.

4. Visit a farmer’s market. – Most of the produce will be freshly picked, and taste heavenly compared to the refrigerated and thawed produce we get at grocery stores. 

5. Cut out the white stuff. – Sugar has zero nutrition.  Cut out high fructose corn syrup and artificial sweeteners, too.  Sugar is linked to the growing obesity epidemic in the US and the rising rates of diabetes.  It is also linked to heart disease, which remains the number one killer of people in the US.  Use natural sweeteners in baking like raw honey, dates or molasses, which retains high amounts of nutrients.

6. Exercise.  – No level of nutrition can make up the difference for lack of exercise.  Walking counts, as does taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Aim for 10,000 steps per day!

7. Eat at a table. – If we eat while we’re working, or while watching TV or driving, we eat mindlessly, and as a result eat a lot more than we would if we were eating at a table, paying attention to what we’re doing. 

8. Eat smaller portions by buying smaller plates. –  According to Brian Wansink, author ofMindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think, in a study focused on size illusions, “People with a large bowl and a three-ounce scoop dished out 57 percent more ice cream than those given a smaller bowl and smaller scoop.”

9. Cut out ‘beverages’ and drink water. – Water is free, whereas most beverages come with a price – a health price and a financial price.  One popular 12-ounce soda boasts a whopping 150 calories, and it offers no nutrition.  

These are super smart suggestions! Pick one or two and make them habits. Start small and manageable. Remember DIETS and FADS always fail. LIFESTYLE CHOICES are forever. 

Bob Harpers tip of the day:

Today's Daily Tip

The average person should only have 2,000 milligrams of sodium a day, yet one teaspoon (a little pile about the size of quarter) of table salt has 2,400 milligrams of sodium. Logic should tell you that even without adding salt to your meals you get all of the salt you need daily. So take the salt shaker off of your table because you don’t need it!

Prevent OverEATING:

Fitness Magazine has a suuuuuper great article to help us avoid overeating. Try implementing a few of these rules and regulations to keep yourself from reaching for those 'goodies' that add to your waistline.

1. Eat the real stuff. go for a little bit of the REAL stuff instead of loading up on diet foods. chances are you won't be satisfied with the substitute.
2. Nix the hands-off policy. treat yourself with a cheat day. don't stress yourself out by trying to live by the rules 100% of the time.
3. Beat cravings. train your tastebuds to crave healthy substitutes, forgetting about those sugary salty calorie bombs. cravings don't usually last for longer than 20 minutes. distract yourself with a task and make a healthy snack instead.
4. Ask yourself questions. are you really hungry? is this a physical need or an emotional one?
5. Eat slowly. give our brain time to register your fullness.
6. Know your portions. pick up measuring cups and small tuperware containers to help control the size of your snacks and meals. you can have too much of a good thing.
7. Step away from the package. don't eat out of the bag. or the bowl. grab a serving size and put the package back in the pantry.
8. Don't eat in front of the TV. try to keep noshing to the kitchen. focus on your food. otherwise you become distracted and don't realise how much you consume.
9. Close the kitchen. after dinner, move your activities to another area of the home to eliminate late night snacking.
10. Think mint. peppermint helps signal fullness to your brain. so brush your teeth or have a cup of peppermint tea after dinner.

find the full article here.
What do you think? Do you practice any of these? Will you give some a try?

non-dairy MILK alternatives:

I thought this was such a super article discussing the non-dairy milk alternatives. Read on:

(figures are based on an 8oz serving, unless otherwise specified)

1. SOY: rich in protein, magnesium and C, 60 calories, 2g of fat (0.5g saturated) and 5g of sugar 

2. HAZELNUT: rich in protein and E, 110 calories, 3.5g of fat (0g saturated) and 14g of sugar

3. HEMP: rich in omegas, amino acids, and protein, 60 calories, 5g of fat (0.5g saturated) and 0g of        sugar

4. ALMOND: rich in flavonoids and E, 60 calories, 2.5g of fat (0g saturated) and 7g of sugar

5. RICE: typically enriched with calcium, B12, A and D, 45 calories, 2g of fat (0g saturated) and 0g of sugar

Almost all of these alternatives contain as much calcium as cows milk. Make sure to do your research before switching permanently. 

cauliflower pizza crust. yes, cauliflower!!

I was recently speaking with a friend who requested this recipe:

sometimes you just crave a good slice of pizza, you know!? well, for someone like me who is allergic to wheat and dairy (and who also doesn't subscribe to all of the gluten-free, dairy-free replacements that taste like cardboard), I found a healthy recipe so you and yours can all share a pizza night without the guilt...and tons of unnecessary calories. three cheers!!!

I made this recipe with some mates in England this past year and it was actually much better than expected. the crust is made out of - CAULIFLOWER - go figure. I've included two recipes below. the first, is made without cheese. I topped mine with mashed avocado and cherry tomatoes while my girlfriends topped theirs with cheese, cheese, pepperoni, mushrooms and more cheese. ha! so just because you make a healthy crust doesn't mean the rest of the pizza is healthy. it's all about personal choice, but the options are endless. here's the cauliflower crust recipe (sans cheese).

...and for those of you who aren't sensitive to dairy (or who aren't willing to give up cheese just yet), here's the cauliflower crust recipe (made with cheese).

so have at it! this is a super fun meal to make with the family or a group of friends. let me know what toppings you choose and if you like it. Friday nights just sound better when there's a movie and pizza involved, don't you agree!?