Monday, September 27, 2010

Fit Food Tip #2

This one should actually be called "FIT DRINK" or something of that nature...




A FEW POINTS ABOUT

*Many forms of metabolism are going on in your body, but when it comes to the metabolism of fat, the kidneys and liver work together.  When you are dehydrated, your kidneys' productivity is extremely limited, basically leaving your liver the only worker left to do a 3 man job.  Not only is this hard on your organs in general, it also results in extra fat stored.

*"How do I know if I'm dehydrated?" Everyone's heard the old "8 glasses a day" standby.  It could be a little more, or a little less, depending on the individual in question.  The true test?  Your urine.  Yep.  Let's call it the "tee-tee test."  Ultimately, you want it to be clear.  If it is, you know you are supplying your body with it's necessary amounts of water.  The more yellow or strong-smelling your urine is, the more dehydrated you are.  Check it out next time you...uh, have the opportunity?

*"But every time
I try to drink more water, I just find myself running to the bathroom every 5 minutes!" This is frustrating, and you may see it as a sign your body doesn't need any more water.  However, what's actually happening is your body is coming out of ''survival mode."  The human body recognizes extended dehydration and compensates by storing water.  When your body senses that you are giving it the water it needs, it begins to release that stored water from your ankles, legs, stomach, wherever it's storehouses are.  If you continue a regular water regimen, you will notice that the "elimination" of these stores will slow down, and your trips to the restroom will return to normal.  Just hang in there!

*"But water is just so....flavorless! Bleh
." With all of our processed foods and sugary drinks, our taste buds have become partial to sodas and juice and pretty much anything else besides water. This becomes an issue anytime someone begins to eat and drink more healthfully.  It takes some time to get used to the "new" foods and drinks, but it will happen.  If you pay attention, your body will begin to crave these fuels, as opposed to the empty calories it's been being fed for the longest time.  Again, just hang in there!  Your body will thank you for it!

*Another trick? Buy yourself a cool water bottle you love. There's a thousand and one new styles of water bottles coming out every day - it may sound childish, but if you like your bottle, you'll like drinking out of it and will tend to grab a swig more often.

THE LOW DOWN ON SODA:

*Increased soda consumption can lead to osteoporosis.  It contains phosphorous, which leaches calcium from your bones.

*Most contain caffeine.  Caffeine is a diuretic and diuretics dehydrate your body at the expense of your muscles and organs, which need water to function properly.

*Diet sodas...They aren't any better.  They contain aspartame, saccrine
, and other man-made ingredients which are HORRIBLE for your body.  The effects are too many to list on this e-mail, but just please, please know that "diet" doesn't mean "okay."  Laboratory-produced foods and ingredients are often unrecognizable by the body, wreaking havoc on our systems. 

*Another side note on artificial sweeteners:  They are actually hundreds of times sweeter than sugar.  So, while you might be technically not taking in sugar with your soda or other "sugar-free" product, your body is still receiving stimulus that triggers sweet cravings, leaving you to battle the sugar trap once again later in the day.

WHAT ABOUT VITAMIN WATERS, JUICES, AND OTHER "HEALTHY DRINKS?'

These may be the "healthier" alternative, that doesn't make them a free-for-all drink.  Juices contain A LOT of sugar - while it is a natural sugar from fruits, it is still very concentrated and is very easy to overindulge in, leading to extra pounds.  As for vitamin waters...read the labels...you definitely
don't want anything that contains high fructose corn syrup, as that just goes straight to fat storage...remember, your body doesn't even know what to do with it.  Other than that, just keep your eye on ingredients and sugar content...it really depends on the drink.  Some are just kool-aid style with vitamins dumped in...that doesn't make them healthy though.  If you dumped some vitamin C in a bucket of mop water, it wouldn't make that mop water good for you to drink, would it?

ENERGY DRINKS?

Oh, dear...we're not even going there!
Melissa (Matt's wife, and according to some, the funnier one)

Fit Food Tip #1


Who doesn't hate diets? All the "Don't eat this, or this, or this, or this...." and the "Let me check my book...."  Ugh. 
Seeing results?  Um, yes, please!  How much more fun is it when you squeeze in that next size smaller jeans at Old Navy?

Diet plans like Atkins, South Beach, etc. can produce results, but what if you don't have time to worry about if your food fits into a specific "diet plan?"  Or maybe you just don't feel comfortable with strict, extremely specific guidelines that send you running for a book to see what you can or can't eat on a particular day.

Here's a few EASY tips to get us on our way to smaller butts and healthy guts :

*focus on eating whole foods - IF IT HAS A MOTHER OR CAME FROM THE EARTH, IT'S GOOD FOR YA!  Processed foods are full of unnatural fillers and preservatives - many our bodies don't even recognize and can't process - no thanks!

*STICK TO THE OUTER EDGES OF THE GROCERY STORE - think produce, meat, dairy - all on the perimeter of the store.  The aisles are where the processed foods lie.

*eat foods that will go bad relatively soon...FRESH FOODS...if something can sit in the pantry for 3 years and still be good? yeah, probably not awesome for your bod
.

*READ NUTRITION
LABELS/INGREDIENT LISTS - "fat free" often means "added sugar or salt" to make up for lack of flavor (besides, fat free foods are often processed anyway)

...speaking of processed foods, and ingredient lists, here are a few things your body probably hates and you want to steer
clear of:

* partially hydrogenated fats/trans fats
* high fructose corn syrup
* artificial sweeteners and colorings (they suggest SMALL amounts of real sugar, or the herb Stevia
if you want a noncaloric sweetener)
* sugar alcohols (anything that ends in -ol
: sorbitol, xylitol...)
* excess sodium
* refined (white) flour
* preservatives, colorings and additives

ok, ok, enough "do this" and "do that's
" for today....

BOTTOM LINE: Eat wholly and you'll get healthy.

and maybe give these recipes a shot:

http://www.food.com/recipe/whole-wheat-pancakes-66448
Substitute applesauce for oil (even amounts) and they'll be even healthier!
http://www.food.com/recipe/amazing-chicken-tortilla-soup-108231
Time to bust out the Thermos!
Sounds kind of fancy-pants for a Tuesday night, but maybe for a weekend dinner with friends?