Beet-en to Death (incase you missed it... a reminder of my infatuation with beets)

This past summer I posted a lot about beets. Prehaps too much. Some may even call it a bit of an obsession.....

Regarles, my interest in these stained red roots came mainly from the surge of attention the athletic community have given them in recent years. Essentially, if beets could make be a better athlete... thats a functional "Ergogenic" food and im all about it!

So, the real question. Was my summer of beet bonification nothing more than promoting another sensationalized "superfood" or can beets actually make the fast and strong faster and stronger!?

Presented with an opportunity to do some independent research at school this term, I set out to find the answer to my newly burning question.

As you may have expected, its not simply the beet but a specific compound found in beets (and other vegetables) that have launched them in to the fitness community spotlight. It turns out when we eat beets were also eating a whole bunch of nitrates which chemically "reduce" in the body during digestion and form nitrites which essentially produce whole bunch of nitric oxide or NO. The last of these is pretty much what fitness freaks and health professionals are so excited about.

Why?

Nitric Oxide is apparently a major key to physical health and performance.

Heres how: 

This graphic makes short of a fairly extensive and growing body of research outlining the multiple ways in which Nitrates from beets (and many other vegetables) effectively support athletic performance by producing Nitric Oxide when digested.

So yes, the science is there. Beets and other nitrate rich vegetables do stand to have a notable impact on physical performance by increasing nitric oxide production in the body.

But does that mean..

As you may have guessed, not quite. Beets (nitrate sources, that is) can stand to support top athletic performance but this means nothing if your not already supporting your performance with proper training, nutrition, and rest.

My recommendation? Train Hard. Eat Well. Sleep Enough. and then if your a sports nutrition nut like me....... Eat more beets!! (*about 2 cups of beet juice consumed by athletes daily has shown most effective results in studies)

What about you? Would you ever consider trying Beets as an ergogenic aid??  

Info-graphing Your Path to Successful New Year's Change.

School Life Vs. Home Life: A Tale of 2 Diets

Source

With the holiday season in full swing our busiest (and possibly most stressful) time of year often brings us back to our roots and the comfort of home sweet home. As a student, making the transition from living at school to spending time home for breaks literally seems like existing in two completely different worlds. Each place is so unique with different daily schedules, different company, responsibilities, and challenges. After returning to school from Thanksgiving break the impact that these key differences have on my diet and general wellbeing became starkly obvious. I found, among other things, that when eating at home I generally eat more balanced home-cooked meals where as at school I tend to reach more for “quick fix” carb-dense foods.

Our diets are undoubtedly influenced by our surroundings and while I always chalked up less favorable eating at school to restricted availably of certain foods, its clear that added stress of courses as well as peer-influence which normalizes the typical junk food laden “collage student diet” also play a big part in altering my appetite. In this way, actual and perceived nutrition is constantly affected by multiple aspects of our environment. These factors essentially determine the feasibility of healthy eating (or how possible it is for you to adhere to a certain eating pattern) as well as the likelihood of healthy eating (weather constant influences in an area generally support or test an ideal diet).

Acknowledging the ways in which different places can sway our eating habits is therefore a huge step in creating a strong, healthy lifestyle. By recognizing specific challenges an environment presents we can begin to make small adaptive changes to our behavior there. When healthy food is not provided at work, for example, we can plan on bringing a few meals from home. Some times we can best improve our diet by simply making healthy eating more natural and enjoyable wherever we find ourselves.

I know when I’m weighed down by stress and work at school even just taking a day to catch up on sleep and relax can often do away with an otherwise mounting craving for junk food and chocolate.

How do keep your diet strong in different locations?

Stick It! : Making Healthy Habits Survive the Test of Temptation and Time.

(Source)

It seems we all know people who are at the opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to health and fitness. There are the 3-gym trips a day, veggie-munching fitness freaks and the "I know I should.....but" population. The health fanatics are on the "highway"; always going, always conscious. In contrast, those who find excuses are stuck in the city gridlock; they start up a lot but they never get further than a block with a new healthy habit before braking.


So what puts some people on the highway and other in the city? And more importunity where is the entrance ramp?!?


Generally we answer this by putting the "highway" people on a pedestal: assuming they are just more iron-clad and driven by nature. This is simply not true. While there is some evidence that suggests self-regulating food (among other) choices is inherently easier for some people, chances are most people that are on the "highway" aren't there for the sole purpose of being the healthiest person they know. That is, they have a constant motivation for staying healthy that makes the idea of maintaining healthy lifestyle less of a chore. In fact, it becomes more like an enjoyable center of their life. This is what keeps the highway people consistently healthy; eating well and exercising has essentially become woven into their daily routines, hobbies, social groups, and jobs.

Finding and embracing health-related activities and interests is therefore essentially the on-ramp to a highway lifestyle. Luckily, that doesn't mean you need to start training for a marathon today, or ever for that matter! The key is to find something you genuinely ENJOY. That could be a recreational sport, some personal time spent walking each day, or perhaps even a weekly trip to the farmer's market. Whatever you find, so long as it gets you moving, eating well, and feeling good: own it! Take pride in your new habits and remember that this change isn't about surviving x-number of weeks in some detested boot camp workout program. It's about creating your own version of a happier, healthier lifestyle.

So what healthy activities do you enjoy most?

(for me it's simply spending a morning preparing some farm fresh samples of local food at the market!)

 

Love Beets !!

Admittedly, beets have become a bit of a new food obsession. Not only have they been linked to improved athletic performance by some recent research, when cooked right they actually taste great!

Although they may seem like a bit of an undertaking when you approach a dirt coated bunch lying in the market, I have finally found a somewhat manageable strategy for preparing your own beets on a "no time" type of schedule.

Step 1: Cut off the root like top and just a small portion of the bottom of the beets (the part that can have a long tail still growing like a carrot).
Step 2: Scrub your beets with a brush under running water.
Step 3: Wrap em up in tin foil and bake them at 375 degrees for about an hour or until they are tender all the way through.

And then you have deliciously sweet roasted beets wrapped conveniently in their own little foil pouch so you can save em in the fridge and pull them out as you need them (like when you want to throw together a quick salad with roasted beets, swiss chard, and tomatoes!) 




Have you tried cooking with beets? Whats your favorite way to serve em up !? 

Cherry Sunflower Muesli

Make It!! 

-Combine about 1 cup old fashion oats, 3/4 cup milk, 1/2 cup vanilla flavored yogurt, and 1/2 cup fresh or frozen cherries in cereal bowl.

- Cover and let soak overnight. 

-Top with a tablespoon of sunflower seeds and honey. 

- Enjoy!! 

Mue-WHAT!?

I love oatmeal. It offers more fiber, less sugar and better satiety than boxed breakfast cereal. Not to mention it's quite a bit cheaper to make in the long run and allows you to make a new variation everyday!

I also love hot weather. Swimming, suntan, shades, I really don't need to explain this one.

I do not, however, love hot oatmeal on a hot day.


Luckily, for or the summer months, there is no better solution than Muesli! (pronounced mew-slee) which is basically cold oats soaked with milk, yogurt, and your choice of flavorings. Best of all you make it the night before you plan on eating to let the oats soak up all that good stuff so its ready to go when ever your done with your morning swim, run, ride, coffee, or graceful roll out of bed.

Have you tried Muesli yet? What varieties have you dreamt up?

Delicious Grilled Vegetables

Quick, Tasty, Healthy Summer Side Dish! 

Do IT !! 

- Gather some Peppers, Zucchini, Onions, Brussels, and Parsnips. (plus any other veggies you love!)
- Toss em in some Oil, Salt, Pepper, and your choice of herbs or spices (I used a little Garlic, Paprika, and Parsley)
- Pop em on the grill in a grated pan or roast em off at about 345 degrees in the oven until tender!

What is Nutrition? : A New Experience, A New Outlook.

Source: blog.foodnetwork.com

            After spending the past few months interning at a collegiate level athletic training table I have seen an entirely unexpected side of sports nutrition. Until this point I have held certain ideals of what foods and styles of eating are nutritious or healthy. It’s not surprising, then, that I was quickly struck with the harsh reality that what college level athletes should eat and what they actually eat are often at opposite ends of my perceived nutritional spectrum. The first few days of my experience I watched in awe as dishes like mac and cheese and deep fried okra were passed to players amidst simplified signs providing generalized nutritional guidelines. How were we fueling athletic performance when every other bite for these players was so far from the “wholesome” and “clean” athletic dishes I had learned about and envisioned for so long? Why didn’t the menu consist more exclusively of items like baked seafood, steamed vegetables, and whole grains? In short, I was quickly met with the realization that players would simply never eat most of these foods voluntarily. Rather than push the athletes toward other (even worse) food choices, I learned our establishment simply worked to make food the athletes liked as best we could.

            As I spent week after week cringing at endless comfort foods flowing from our kitchen I began to grapple with the same persistent question: If the fare we produced at the training table seemingly threw nutrition to the wind what were the athletes getting out of their time here? Was it just another meal? Or was there some other real benefit I simply failed to see?

            My answer came not in a single moment of clarity as if with the lighting of a proverbial bulb, but rather gradually, throughout my experience as my perspective on the world of food and nutrition changed. Coming in to my internship I had a very narrow view of athletic cuisine: food was to be used nearly exclusively as fuel for performance. After all why risk missing any competitive benefit of eating the healthiest diet one can? With this mindset I must say I was quite disappointed to discover that the food I would be cooking for our athletes was far from my definition of “nutritious”. I began to look for a silver lining in our seemingly fundamentally flawed operation and took notice of the signs hanging throughout the dining room. Reading through them it dawned on me that while most of the information seemed commonsense and oversimplified to me, for someone that never studied in nutrition they could provide a very effective guide to the role of different foods and nutrients in an athlete’s body. I listened as players with plates full of barbeque ribs made a point to ask for vegetables because they “still needed a green level food [the color code for most nutritious] on their plate”. I began to see that while our small dining hall for college athletes wasn’t serving whole grains and lean seafood; we were providing something perhaps even more beneficial to our guests. Our athletes were learning, slowly but surely, the nutritional value of different foods and how they could affect their performance. I realized that fundamental concept of diet structure they learned here may especially help later in their career, as athletes need to become more vigil and protective of their bodies to keep up with increased training demands at an older age. Not only did the time in our small dining room help impart that basic understanding of nutrition upon our athletes, but also seemed to build a stronger sense of community between the teams. As they ate they laughed, shared, and worked on the part of a team that can’t be coached, they developed camaraderie.

As my time at my internship dwindled, I no longer saw fattening food being passed to indifferent athletes. Rather, I watched as these teams learned, ate, and built bonds beyond the playing field. From this I have certainly gained a new perspective and with it a new scope for this blog. Nutrition is personal, and therefore never good or bad, nutritious or un-nutritious definitively. Food, rather, is enjoyment, comfort, a tool for performance, and even a reward for a hard day’s work. As such, our diets can clearly affect us in many ways both physically and emotionally. It’s time we move forward from the strict lines of what’s “fattening” or not and toward a better understanding of the intimate interactions between food and our lives, health, and happiness.

Nutritional is personal; unique to our own goals and lifestyles. How does food impact your health and happiness? 

Healthy Holidays

Source: www.bettycrocker.com

There are endless articles out there this time of year offering all sorts of tips, tricks, and advice to us health conscious individuals during the holidays which can, of course, help us stay fit throughout the season.  The problem is, this influx of dieting motivation is almost always matched if not superseded by the annual flood of holiday treats.  It's without question that regardless of what we are reading, we will all be tempted as some point in the next few months. This is a time of year traditionally centered around indulgent comfort foods, and a rest after all. While there is nothing wrong with a break from your hard everyday work load (in many cases it is actually an essential part of any successful routine weather it be in the gym or on the job), the surplus of holiday goodies on the other hand can have a significant impact on your diet and subsequent energy during the season. It's important, then, to have a strategy to help us avoid overindulging and/or becoming somewhat lazy and sedentary as we make our way through December. Now this is a hard enough task on it's own not to mention our body's natural response to the cold winter months is to bulk and rest up. So how will you keep from slipping in to your hibernating bear mode this holiday season? Perhaps the best way to start is by laying down a plan to confront those trying situations we all experience this time of year.

Here is a simple 3 step plan that helps me navigate the holiday spread:
 

3 steps to keeping it healthy for the holidays

1. Pre-game: You know when the tempting food is coming, so be ready for it! Don't take off for your office or family christmas party famished and ready to eat anything in sight. Instead fill your day with healthy, sustaining foods. Some lean protein like egg whites in the morning fallowed by plenty of fruits and vegetables throughout the day should do the trick. Fiber from the produce you eat throughout the day should keep you satisfied longer and help you enjoy more sensible portions of your favorite holiday dishes later on. One study even showed that participants that ate a satisfying breakfast earlier on ate an average of 12.3% "healthier" throughout the rest of the day. (Massive Health Info-graph) 
2. Stick with one: When you first approach the spread of food start off by trying to fill your plate about half way with some kind of fruits or vegetables then fill the rest of your plate with little portions of everything else you want to try (this way you wont miss out and any great flavors of the season but you also wont be unbuttoning the top of your jeans when your finished eating either). Sit down with your plate and enjoy the food and company. Engage yourself in a conversation while taking your time to eat and try to stick with just your first plate. Chances are you will be much more focused on catching up than going to grab seconds of that sugar glazed ham.
3. Move on: At one point or another we all eat a few things we later regret or even just eat a bit too much all together. After a day of rest and indulgment don't beat yourself up! Hanging around thinking about that cake you ate last night isn't going to do anything for your health mentally or physically. Instead, get moving! Your body releases feel good chemicals called endorphins when you exercise which can help you move on from a disappointing day of eating as well as resist further cravings. Go for a walk, a run, or even head out sledding! Fallow it up with a healthy meal and you'll be back on your feet ready to bring it to the rest of the season.  

There are plenty of great ways out there to survive the holiday temptations and no single one works for everybody. Therefore, it's certainly best to try out as many as you can and decide what works best for you! What's your game plan this holiday season?

Sources:

"Massive Health Info-graph." Massive Health. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2012. <http://data.massivehealth.com/>.

Terrio, Samantha J. "Get through the Holidays without Gaining Weight." Team Beachbody- Newsletters. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2012. <http://www.teambeachbody.com/about/newsletters/-/nli/275>.

Cold Food that Fires You Up.

Garde Manger is a practice dealing with cold prepared dishes, appetizers, and salads for most restaurants and establishments. Despite the fancy name, you are essentially eating this style of food when ever you fix yourself a salad, reach in to a pickle jar, or even grab some cold cuts from the fridge. So how can this cuisine fire you up? The answer really has less to do with the food's temperature and more with it's preparation. Garde Manger style food is almost always cooked in one way of another making it much easier and more efficient to digest.

While we often shy away from quick digesting foods from a diet perspective, they can actually be extremely beneficial for us at times of increased physical activity.

That is, cooked foods:

• Are absorbed more quickly providing the quick, usable energy necessary before and after hard efforts.
• Are more easily digestible and therefore reduce the chances of cramping or stomach discomfort during a workout. 
• Can actually offer more nutrients due to the breakdown of absorption inhibiting fibers. (*in certain food items)
• When served cold (garde manger style) they offer a great, portable source of energy for travling athletes.

Classic French Garde Manger Technique and Presentation come together in this Asian Style Vegetarian platter designed for professional athletes. 

Garde Manger Special:

Fresh Oriental Platter

Smoked Tomato and Cod Pate

Baked cod pate with pieces of spiced, smoked tomato throughout.

Carrot Ginger Pure

This sweet, wholesome pure perfectly complements the cod’s subtle spice.

Pickled Beet and Brown Rice Salad.

Cubes of pickled beets on a seasoned bed of brown rice and sautéed mushrooms topped with an Asian vinaigrette.

California Smoked Tofu Canapé

Smoked tofu and salmon caviar cover a house-made avocado-topped sesame cracker.

*Please inform your server of any allergies as many of our dishes contain wheat, soy, seafood, eggs, and other know allergens.

Check out my full explanation of the ergonomic implications for Garde Manger style food here! 

Ergogenic Implications for Garde Manger

Agave Sweetened Quinoa with Banana and Dried Blueberries

What could be better than oatmeal or couscous for breakfast? How about a complete source of protein and a low-glycemic ancient grain all in one bowl?

Its easy too! 

1. Simply add dry pre-washed quinoa to a bowl with about double the amount of water (or basically any liquid) than quinoa.
2. Microwave for 6-8 min. stirring a few times in between until liquid is absorbed.
3. Stir in your choice of flavorings, sweeteners, or fruit and enjoy! 

Indie Growers Farm Trip

A Few Pictures from Today's Adventure to Indie Growers in Bristol RI with Johnson and Wales' Nutrition Society!

Among the many fresh greens and herbs we tasted was some very peppery late season arugula and purple mustard greens with a wasabi-like spice. After this trip I know there are certainly more exciting (and healthy) salads to be had than the mundane chicken caesar!  

Today's Breakfast Recipe in Progress: Couscous.

Couscous cooked with a cup of skim milk and blended with banana, peanut butter, and organic cacao.

The buttery, nutty flavor of couscous plays perfectly with banana and any kind of nut butter. Add any fruit you like and a touch of natural sweetener (if needed) for a creamy, refined, oatmeal alternative.

Working on this one! Look for a complete "Oatmeal Alternative" recipe soon!! 

The Fair Fare Dilemma.

Its about that time again, the start of a new school year fast approaching and seemingly just enough time to squeeze in a few last summer memories. For upstate New York that means it's fair time.

Source: http://www.lazylightning.org

Any healthy eater heading to a state fair or even a local carnival knows they are certainly gearing up for a day full of diet temptations. As the New York State Fair's own website puts it: "it's a feast for the eyes and heart burn for the stomach with every kind of food available from the donut burger to the long john donut hot dog dipped in maple syrup."(3) With so many diet crushing choices eating even reasonably healthy can certainly be a big challenge. Still with some basic knowledge of nutrition and a good dose of will power staying on track and satisfied at the fair is possible.

Meal choices at any fair or carnival are generally saturated with fried, butter drenched, or sugar soaked foods. So where exactly are the lesser of the evil fair foods? To find them try and stick to these few basic guidelines and remember, your not shopping at a Whole Foods Market so getting creative with what's offered is key.

• Know your options: Sure, when you first walk through the gates you may only see corn dogs and deep fried Oreos  but once you explore more of the grounds you very well may find fresh baked goods (some of which can be fairly wholesome) and perhaps even produce from local farms. 
• Go for grilled: Frying has it's own culture at state fairs as the crowds marvel at the never ending progression of fried foods including dishes like fried beer and even fried butter. Still, some vendors may offer grilled varieties of their food which are almost always healthier since frying can easily double a food's caloric content. For example a serving of fried chicken legs contains around 130 calories while grilling the same amount of chicken leaves the dish at 60 calories. (1) 
• When all else fails, go vegetarian for the day: Most of the street-food style meat served at a fair is doused with fat in one way or another. If you can't find anything even semi-lean look around for some vegetarian options. These are often easier to keep on the lighter side like ordering roasted corn on the cob unbuttered.
• Moderation, moderation, moderation: Often times your options at a fair or carnival are nearly equal in total calories. For example, a caramel apple may seem like a healthier option than a funnel cake, and while in some ways it is, all said and done they both contain around 300 calories (as do many similar dessert items). Consequently, more important than what you eat at the fair is how much you eat. Simply put: eat well before heading to the fair, enjoy a few of the delicacies there in moderation, and don't forget to bring along a few healthy snacks to make it through the day guilt and hunger-free! (2) 

What foods have you had at a fair or carnival that helped keep your diet on track?

Sources:
1) http://www.livestrong.com/article/470763-facts-on-why-baking-foods-is-better-than-deep-frying-foods/ 
2) http://www.healthcastle.com/carnival_foods.shtml
3) http://www.nysfair.org/your-fair-visit/fair-attractions-events/

World Health Infograph

Check out this infograph of the world's food choices. For better or for worse, how do you fit the mold?

http://data.massivehealth.com/#

Negative Calorie Foods

You may have heard of celery, grapefruit, or some other fruits and vegetables referred to as "negative calorie foods" meaning, essentially, more calories are used to digest these foods than are provided by eating them. Such items have been praised as diet super-foods because, after all, who doesn't like the idea of getting something for nothing? (especially when it comes to calories!) With all the buzz out there about these energy burning snacks I was surprised to find that there is virtually no validated research to back the claim that some foods require more energy to be broken down in the body than they provide.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Celery_cross_section.jpg

However, I did find that low-calorie whole foods do in fact require more energy to be digested than other highly processed calorie-dense foods.

The calories used to break down a food item is known as it's "Thermic Effect", i.e. "the amount of energy used by your body to digest, absorb, and dispose of the food you ingest."(1) The thermic effect of foods can vary anywhere from 3% of total calories for fats to about 20% for many vegetables and 30% for most proteins.(2) That is, eating 200 calories from fat only takes 6 calories to digest while digesting 200 calories from protein would require 60 calories. In this way some foods do have lower net calories once they are processed by your body. By making foods like fibrous fruits and vegetables as well as lean protein a part of your diet it's certainly possible to stay satisfied while reducing your overall caloric intake (an essential aspect of  successful dieting).

Image Source: http://www.easyvectors.com/browse/other/computer-user-outline-clip-art

So while it is possible that some foods burn more energy in digestion than they provide themselves, relying on such quick diet fixes is hardly ever the key to healthy living. As Monica Reinagel puts it in her book How to Win at Losing, 10 Diet Myth that Keep You from Succeeding: "digesting negative- calorie foods does not constitute an exercise program" as "a half hour spent on the treadmill or bike is going to burn a lot more calories than a half hour spent digesting celery."


Sources:

1. http://www.livestrong.com 
2. http://worldfitnessnetwork.com
3. http://theoatmeal.com/comics/ie
4. Reinagel, Monica. How to Win at Losing: 10 Diet Myths That Keep You from Succeeding. New York: St.Martin's Griffin, n.d. Print.     

My New Meal Plan Info-graphed!

Check out this info-graph of my new meal plan! If only plans like this were as easy to fallow as they are to read! You can "info-graph" your own plan at piktochart.com . 

On Organics

Source: http://www.jobswithfood.com/organicfoodjobs.cfm

We see it proudly sprawled across countless items at the grocery store, on restaurant menus, and even some dog foods. It's no surprise that organic foods have taken off as "the fastest growing sector of the American food marketplace" (1)  This label has become increasingly popular as more and more consumers seek organic products for higher quality and value as well as out of concern for the sustainability of our food system and environment.

So what exactly makes a product organic? In order to be USDA certified organic a food product must meet the fallowing criteria among several other regulations and standards.

- No chemical pesticides used
- No animal products exposed to antibiotics
- No use of genetically engineered grains
- No use of irradiation to sterilize foods (exposing food to low levels of radiation in order to kill microorganisms)

Needless to say it can be a real challenge for growers to meet all of these regulations. Weed control alone for an organic field is a whopping $1,000 compared to only $50 for a conventional field of the same size. The extra cost of creating an organic food is almost always passed directly to the consumer. That is, "organic products typically cost 10 to 40% more than similar conventionally produced products." (1) The cost difference in some cases is as small as about 20 cents per lb for some produce like organic bananas, however, other foods such as blueberries or carrots can be nearly twice as expensive for the organic variety(2). In local supermarkets organic milk can cost 4 dollars more than the regular kind. Depending on what foods you are purchasing in organic varieties you may find your budget filled up long before your shopping cart.

Regardless of the wide range of price differences for organics, adding extra expenses to your grocery shopping for the same amount of food is still a difficult task to manage. If your not able to go completely organic right off the bat but are interested in testing out or supporting the organic market, try starting with some of the less expensive organic produce to keep the difference lower at first. Another approach to is to purchase a few different organic products in place of the conventional ones each time you go shopping. This can help you get a better idea of what foods you feel are worth spending a little extra on for the organic version.

For those looking to support a healthier environment and a more stable food system in our country organics is truly a noble investment. Still, while some feel that organic foods are way more nutritious than conditionally produced ones, that may not always be the case. Several studies on the nutritional variance between organic and conventional foods have amounted to inconclusive results, some of which show a slightly higher concentration of certain vitamins and minerals in organics and others which draw no outstanding differences between the two varieties. (3) It is therefore important to remember that just because a food is labeled "organic" does not necessarily make it a healthy choice. Not all organic foods come from small farms and a few simple ingredients anymore. Rather, the modern organic market is supplied in part by "large food producers" and partially comprised of "processed foods" which are certainly not the building blocks of a nutritious diet. (3)

That being said, organics certainly have the potential to enhance the flavor of a vary healthy diet, especially those including plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Not to mention that switching to organic products also helps support a market that may someday improve the condition and quality of our country's   food production. So go try organics and see what you think!

Have you gone organic or tried any organic products? Do you think it's worth the higher price? What are some of your favorite organic foods?


Sources:

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_food
2. http://www.rodaleinstitute.org/Organic-Price-Report 
3. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1750-3841.2006.00196.x/full (Carl Winter & Sarah Davis for The Journal of Food Science)

Feelings for Food or Food for Feelings?

Lets say you just broke up with your significant other and are all geared up for a lonely night in. Chances are you have all the essentials: a couch, the TV, a sad movie, and most importantly about a gallon of ice cream or (insert other junk food here) traveling toward your face. This scene, all to familiar to many teenage girls (and most likely some guys as well), is a classic representation of the relationship between emotions and diet. Whats often written off with such humorous examples of emotional eating though, is the truth that the tie between feelings and food is a prominent aspect of our lives. Think about it, we all have generally scheduled times that we eat throughout the day, often with the same people. Even more important are the specific foods we eat for holidays and at certain times of the year. Now if you were to eat pasta for breakfast or omelets for thanksgiving things probably wouldn't seem right. Of course they wouldn't! We all invest feelings of comfort and nostalgia in different foods and so when we consume them they actually evoke certain emotions. This is what I call having feelings for food. That is, you feel a certain way about the food it's self even before you eat it. You know you like it's taste, and everything you have associated it with.

http://www.romanticlovepictures.com/love-pic-Love_food_art_photography.php

Food can also make us feel certain ways not only by how we value them, but because of the way they interact with the body when digested. While there are countless phytochemicals, pigments, and other compounds found in food that interact with the body, science is far from understanding the particulars of their complex effects. Perhaps one of the most researched and documented food substances is sugar. This simple form of carbohydrate has many adverse effects on the body and is most noted for it's link to obesity and type 2 diabetes. Sugar, however, is also a perfect example of the way certain foods can change our emotions once consumed. Consuming sugar stimulates the production of several chemicals in the body including endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine that promote relaxed or happy feelings . These and similar chemicals are surprisingly also known to be produced in the body's response to drugs such as heroin or morphine.(1) While sugar (or any food for that matter) doesn't even come close to the harmful effects of hard drugs it is still important to understand that in some circumstances they can exhibit addictive properties. It's not uncommon for us to seek out a feel good fix when we're feeling down. Like the heartbroken teen with ice cream, sugar can sometimes give us a little lift when we need it. It's for the same reason that people faced with extreme amounts of stress in their personal lives and work often fall on drugs and alcohol addition in order to ease their everyday hardships. When we eat foods because they give us a certain feeling despite our knowledge of their potentially negative effects, we are consuming food for feelings. That is, we are focussing on how we want to feel rather than how we want to nourish our bodies. 

The way we feel about what we eat and the way that food in turn makes us feel can be a hard concept to grasp. When we want to eat is is often difficult to tell if we are being effected by hunger (the need for nutrients) or appetite (craving a specific food or nutrient like sugar). When you have feelings for a food you know it's what you want to eat; you can think about it and know it fits your diet and the occasion. On the other hand eating food for feelings generally happens as more of an impulse. You disregard the nutritional and meaningful aspects and go for the most intense flavor and subsequent feeling you can find. Its not always easy to make "feeling for food" choices but in doing so it becomes much easier to lead a healthy, balanced life through a better regulated diet. The "feeling for food" approach is essentially a way of think about food choices before eating in order to eat better and do away with any after meal guilt. Some ways to start using this approach in your diet include planning out meals before hand, keeping constant foods in your daily intake such as eating a salad with lunch everyday, or even simply eating slower to give yourself time to think about what your consuming. Hey it can't hurt, next time you sit down for a meal ask yourself it you have feelings for the food your eating or if your eating it for a feeling instead.  

What foods do your feel best about?

Sources:

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar_addiction

Sleepy Foods

Source: http://www.bikinibodysecret.com

We have all been there, about to go to bed when suddenly hunger strikes. Many plans suggest finishing your last meal about 2 or 3 hours before you go to sleep each night and while this can be helpful when cutting out unneeded calories, if the food you consume right before bed is part of your regular daily intake (that is you just didn't have earlier in the day) there is no harm in having it before bed. The food you eat is still broken down in the body as it usually would be, but the majority of the energy from it just won't be used until the next day. So you need something to hold you over to the morning and you don't want to sabotage your diet… What foods are the best to have right before you sleep? 

What’s best for you to consume before heading to bed is largely dependent on your personal nutritional and fitness goals. As I mentioned, those aiming to lose weight generally try to have little or no food in the hours before sleeping so that any excess calories are not stored as fat during that dormant period. Likewise, people looking to gain muscle and strength often consume slow digesting proteins like casein at night giving their body a source of amino acids to rebuild muscle tissue with while they sleep. Protein is also a good choice because (like fat) it stays in the stomach for a longer period of time and can therefore help keep you satisfied throughout the night. Foods with a moderate amount of fiber can keep the stomach feeling full for a longer period of time as well yet too much before bed may cause discomfort while digesting and subsequently disrupt your sleep. (1) When selecting a nighttime snack it’s best to stick mostly to complex carbohydrates. While sugar may keep you awake and restless at night, complex and whole grain sources of carbohydrates can promote more sound sleep by boosting serotonin levels in the body (a neurotransmitter that regulates sleep). (1, 5) Dairy products can have a similar effect because they contain tryptophan, an amino acid thought to act as a sleep aid (why a warm glass of milk is a classic sleep remedy). (1, 4)

Some foods can actually help you sleep better, yet it is even more important to know which can disturb your rest. The number one thing to avoid around bedtime is caffeine. Caffeine is the world's most popular stimulant and can disrupt your sleep or even "lead to subsequent insomnia". (3) Similarly, experts warn "people use alcohol to help them fall asleep and to relax after a hard days work. [yet] Research has shown while it can indeed make you fall asleep faster the quality of sleep is drastically lessened by consuming your favorite alcoholic beverage before bed." (2) Finally stay away from "heavy meals and spicy foods before bedtime" both of which can cause discomfort while digesting and trying to sleep. (2)

In a nut shell there are two ways that food can help us sleep. Some foods like dairy products and complex carbohydrates contain chemical compounds that promote relaxation. Other foods like protein and fiber digest slowly and can help us stay satisfied throughout the night. Putting these two ideas together it’s easy to find healthy, sleep promoting foods for your late night snack. For example greek yogurt and cottage cheese are both dairy foods that also provide a great source of protein. You can easily throw in some complex carbohydrates and fiber as well by adding a granola-based cereal to either one. 


What’s your favorite “sleepy food” to have before bed?   

Sources:

1. http://cloverleaf.hubpages.com/hub/8-Foods-to-Eat-Before-Bedtime

2. http://www.fitcurrent.com/All-Fitness-Articles/All-Health-and-Fitness-Articles/20-Things-you-Must-Know-for-A-Good-Nights-Sleep.html#ixzz1nsO1sj00

3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caffeine

4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tryptophan

5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serotonin