A Hot Date with Ben & Jerry's

Yesterday I was flipping through the coupon booklets that come in the mail and noticed a Ben & Jerry's coupon for $1 off. Score! To make the deal even sweeter, Stop & Shop had it on sale s for $5! This was a deal I couldn't pass up!

I'm less likely to eat too much ice cream when its in the house. Backwards, I know. Whenever I go out to grab ice cream from a local place, I always want to waffle cone- which comes with a ton of ice cream. If I have it at home, I can usually keep myself to 1-2 scoops worth. This helps me keep the calories and the cost at bay (regular $2.99 for a pint vs. $4.50 for a waffle cone w/ 3 scoops).

I like Ben & Jerry's; as far as ice cream from the grocery store goes, I think they're the best. I like frozen yogurt and gelato, too-- but I'm most likely to reach for ice cream. I grabbed a Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and a Red Velvet Cake.

I was looking at the packaging during my taste-testing last night and was prompted to go to their site. They have a lot going on on there. I clicked through for a while and found myself in the "Issues We Care About." I was impressed. Here is what they have:

• Support GMO Labeling
• Climate Justice
• Marriage Equality
• Peace Building
• Get The Dough out of Politics
• Fairtrade
• rBGH

Each section has a short description of how they've dedicated themselves to each initiative. Definitely worth a look. In the end, ice cream is still ice cream and eating copious amounts of it would likely have a negative impact on your health. However, in my opinion, Ben & Jerry's is a brand I can reach for and feel good about. The ice cream tastes good, its juuust expensive enough that I need to make it last (and won't likely binge), and they have have a pretty sound business model.

What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
What other brands have you encountered that are socially conscious? 

Lazy or differently motivated?:: My issue with a popular motivational image

I've seen several versions of this photo floating around on my social media recently. Over the past few weeks, it has popped up on my Facebook feed, Instagram feed, and on the "photos you may like" area on my Instagram.

I take issue with this sentiment. I get that it is meant to be used as a form of motivation; but I find it to be rude, exclusive, and generally wrong. To top it off, 5 out of the 6 photos I've seen (all have slightly different images with the same quote) have a little Crossfit logo on it somewhere. Just another reason why I don't think Crossfit is for me.

I've read up on it a fair bit, and think that it could potentially be an ok way of exercising- depending heavily on your physical ability. It has taken a lot of flack over the past year or two; some of it warranted, and some not. I've read horror stories about injuries that shouldn't have happened because the "trainer" didn't know what he/she was talking about and pushed an individual too far beyond their physical capabilities. No bueno. However, I do know that there is now a more rigorous educational program for Crossfit trainers and the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)- a leader in the personal training education/certification field- has added a Crossfit option to their program list. Great steps in the right direction. I totally agree that exercise programs that offer a sense of community foster a much higher success rate than comparable solo programs. And it can be a great way of making friends.  Also, I have a few exercise science friends (ranging from kinesiology majors all the way up to physical therapists with their PhD) who really enjoy Crossfit. I trust that if health/physiology/body-movement professionals are ok with it, then it must be safe.

So what's my beef?

Crossfit is still in it's fad stage, and seems to perpetuate the thought that "if you're not doing Crossfit, you're exercising wrong." I understand that this is not the mentality of every Crossfitter, and they have the right to be proud of their progress and share it with the world however they like. BUT making me feel bad or lazy because I'm not "dedicated" is a dangerous line to walk.

Yes, there are a lot of Crossfitters that are walking the line between dedication and obsession- and they don't even know it. Let's look at the clinical definition of obsession: "Compulsive preoccupation with an idea or an unwanted feeling or emotion, often accompanied by symptoms of anxiety; or a compulsive, often unreasonable idea or emotion." When it comes to health and weight management, obsession is absolutely something people need to be aware of.

I do agree that, yeah, sometimes people who are lazy or unmotivated will try to chip away at people who have the life/motivation they wish they had-- and maybe "obsessed" is one of the digs they use. In this case, calling someone out on being obsessed, may actually be calling a spade a spade.

Especially when it comes to health-related fads like diets, exercise routines, and supplements; we need to keep an eye out for obsessive behavior. Sometimes, calling someone obsessed is a way of trying to break them down, but sometimes it is pointing out an actual issue that needs to be dealt with.

Let's look at one of the implied messages behind these words: if you're not doing it this way, you must be lazy. Ok, so that might be a little dramatic. Especially with the versions of this photo with the Crossfit logo, it makes me feel like the person posting feels that just because I lack the obvious motivation that Crossfitters have tapped into, then I must be lazy. I understand that is not likely how it was meant to be interpreted, but that was the first though that came to mind the first time I saw the image and phrase together.

I can't do high intensity cardio or lift heavy weights. I know my body and know my limits pretty well. With a deviated septum and bursitis-riddled joints, Crossfit will likely never be a good choice for me. I just can't get enough oxygen to my muscles to do that Crossfitters do. It's the same reason I'll probably never be able to run a marathon or be a great swimmer. These factors don't make me lazy. Just because I'm not as motivated, or am motivated differently, and may express some concern with the weirdly long hours someone is putting in at the (any) gym-- doesn't mean that I'm lazy.

I feel like there must be a kinder, more accurate way of calling yourself motivated without (accidentally) calling someone else lazy. It just doesn't feel like a nice thing to say, ya know?

Motivation comes in a lot of forms, and I am not motivated to try Crossfit. If someone were to invite me to a free "bring a non-believer to Crossfit" day- I would LOVE to go and see what it's about- but I am not about to hunt it down and join a gym.

What experiences have you had with Crossfit?
What am I misunderstanding here? Is there any information about Crossfit that I have gotten wrong?


(Image source: here)

Coffee Breaks

Essential to daily function, in my opinion, are frequent and well-timed "coffee breaks."

Not everyone drinks coffee, just like not everyone smokes cigarettes- but smokers take quick breaks all the time, so why shouldn't everyone else?!

On days where I'm seemingly chained to my desk, it is super important to squeeze in time to get away from the computer. I try to take small breaks throughout the day just to keep my brain from overloading. Mornings are usually for coffee and a snack, then lunch, and afternoons are for snack and social media. (See a theme here? I ❤️ food)

Some days, you need to add a little into that break routine to reward yourself. Today, I ditched the milk and overloaded my coffee with whipped cream. Living life on the edge over here! It's nothing overly special, but whatever-- its a nice change from the routine :) Small rewards like that are so vital.

What are your favorite "mental-health" indulgences?
Any interesting coffee flavor combos to share?

My Top 5 Friendship Songs

I recently returned from an awesome road trip to Canada to do another round of visits with my friends just over the border. As I was driving, I had my iPod on shuffle and it ordered a few songs in a row after which I thought, "Wow, those have some pretty good lines about friendship."

Of the top 5 I came up with, 3 are actually about friends and 2 have lines I consider pretty powerful ideas about what friendship means to me. So here we go!

(5) We Get On :: Kate Nash

The song is about a girl who really likes this guy and he just has no idea she even exists. She then sees him kissing another girl and has a meltdown. This is what her friends did for her:

And my friends were like whatever

You'll find someone better

His eyes were way too close together

And we never even liked him from the start

And now he's with that tart

And I heard she done some really nasty stuff

Down in the park with Michael

He said she's easy

And if your guy's with someone that's sleazy

Then he ain't worth your time
'Cause you deserve a real nice guy

If you're female, at some point in your life you've been talked off that ledge, so you know how valuable that chat can be.

(4) La La Lie :: Jack's Mannequin

I think I picked this song less because of the lyrics and more because of the memories and feelings it conjures. I first encountered it in university when I was a part of a few really tight-knit groups. Regardless, the few lines about friends, do pretty much hit the nail on the head:

I've got friends who

La La Lie

Will help me pull through

La La Lie

To the point, needs no explanation.

(3) Cher Lloyd & Becky G :: Oath

This song is just plain adorable. It's basically about trouble-making best friends. Not sure why Cher Lloyd decided to go the sexy route with the costuming, but whatever... its an up-beat song about girl friends.

I know I drive you crazy, mm, sometimes

I know I call you lazy, and that's most times

But you complete me, and that's no lie
You are my tuxedo, and I'm your bow tie

In my opinion, real friends can argue and call each other out.... thanks for pointing that out, Becky G.

(2) Song For a Friend :: Jason Mraz

Jason Mraz is brilliant and covers a wide spectrum of topics with his music. I particularly like this song because its like a love song, but for a friend. It can be argued that the song is really about loving yourself, which I think makes it an even stronger addition to the list. You can't really be a good friend until you learn how to love yourself. So, I think it works regardless.

As long as you got me

And I got you

You know we'll got a lot to go around

I'll be your friend

Your other brother

Another love to come and comfort you

And I'll keep reminding

If it's the only thing I ever do

I will always love
I will always love you

See, doesn't that give you the warm'n'fuzzies?!

(1) Fall Back Down :: Rancid

Not the most soothing of songs, but definitely lovey if you actually listen to the words. Its basically about a guy going through a tough time and knowing that he has his friends- and knows that even when biddies come and go- friends will remain a constant.

I'm very lucky to have my crew

They stood by me when she flew

I've been knocked out, beat down, black and blue

She's not the one coming back for you

She's not the one coming back for you

If I fall back down, you're gonna help me back up again

If I fall back down, you're gonna be my friend

I think the reason this tops my list because he says he knows he is lucky to have his friends. It's one thing to know that they'll be there... or to tell them that you love them.... but there is a real maturity in knowing that on top of all that-- that you're lucky to have them.

Very Honorable Mention =  Africa :: Toto

This one has a little less to do with the words and a lot more to do with the company kept while listening to/preforming this little diddy.

It's gonna take a lot to drag me away from you

Powerful words right there. I hope their new album has gems like this. Yes, you read that right.... a brand new Toto album!! I... can't even.

Food for Thought

Over the past few months, I've been asked about what kick-started my health and fitness interest (one person said obsession, but that word carries weird negative vibes). There really isn't one simple answer, as my interest in food and exercise has kind of always existed and it just ramped up a bit when I returned to the US last year.

I've always had the mind of an athlete.

Granted I was never a talented athlete, but I have always been the drive to be active. I participated in various organized sports teams and leagues from the time I was maybe 8 or 9 years old. I've had a lot of injuries (sprains and breaks), I have bursitis in several joints, I have a deviated septum (makes it difficult to get a full breath), and now I have vertigo. I have a lot of fitness barriers, but I'm determined to not let them get in the way. I do, however, need to be aware of my own limitations.

I don't want to get fat.

Simple and to the point. I know that carrying extra weight would affect my joint health and overall health. It would affect my self-esteem and ability to to remain active. It would affect the health of whatever potential children may be in my future. Just to be clear, when I say "fat" I mean more than a little overweight. Everyone fluctuates a little- and that's normal, but I have a goal of always staying within the "average" category for body weight: I don't want to be over and I don't want to be under.

I started watching food documentaries.
I've always loved to cook, so in my recipe research I would come across articles about healthy foods and how to tweak traditional recipes to boost the nutrition. That turned on my curiosity and I graduated to documentaries like Super Size Me, Food Inc., Food Fight, and my personal favorite: The Skinny On Obesity. Eventually, I got into shows like The Biggest Loser and Secret Eaters. As much as I love nutrition and fitness; I feel equally, if not more, curious about what makes people crave different foods and the science behind food addiction.


And probably the #1 factor:

Migraines.
For as long as I can remember, I've gotten headaches. It took me a long time to realize headaches weren't normal, and once it was brought to my attention that it "wasn't normal to complain of a headache three times in a week," I started thinking of what could be causing them. At first, I thought it was because of my vision problems, but my ophthalmologist cleared me. My primary care put me on Yaz and that really helped reduce the number of headache days, but they didn't entirely go away and the ones I did get were just as intense as before.

Over the past 6 or 7 years (since I've been on Yaz), I average maybe 1 headache per week and 1 migraine per month. Mind you, 1 headache can span multiple days-- usually averages somewhere between 10 and 36 hours-- my record is 6 days. When I arrived back in the US last April, my headaches were consistent but not too bad. Within a few weeks they were back and they were killer. I did some research and made 2 complete lists of food items that are known to cause headaches and items that are known to soothe headaches. Oddly enough, some items are on both lists- apparently if an item (like chocolate) is not a trigger for you, it may soothe your headache.

I went on an elimination diet and for 2-week increments I would cut out any foods that I suspected might be the culprit(s). There were only 4 or 5 foods that roused suspicion, but I eventually settled on nitrates (and likely other preservatives) being the culprit. I love sandwiches and Korea doesn't really do deli meat, so when I cam home I would eat a lot of sandwiches or chop the deli turkey and throw it in a salad. I also took note that a lot of canned food items have loads of nitrates (and preservatives). While I didn't completely cut out deli and other processed foods, I'm much more selective as to when and how much I allow myself.

Progress Report: Since figuring out my trigger, I've noticed a reduction in intensity and duration of my headaches. I absolutely still get them; I think it will just be a part of my life forever. However, knowing that I can control them a little bit better with what I eat is really inspiring.

Infected Memories: Photos with former friends

I'm about to get deep.

The other day, I was looking through some pictures I had stashed in a box in my room. It was a mixture of really old pictures from as far back as high school all the way up through some I had printed at Emart in Yeosu in 2013.

I felt nostalgic.
I felt happy.
I felt.... irritated?

I came across a picture of myself with someone who I am no longer friends with. It got me thinking. Why was this picture conjuring negative feelings? That was a fantastic day! I realize that the metaphorical "bad taste in my mouth," in regards t this person, had not yet subsided.

This got me thinking: Why am I allowing the negative feelings to creep in? Why has a good memory turned bad? 

This particular picture was from a party in 2007. It was a great party. We all had a great time. Of the four other people in the photo,: 1 faded away, 1 I keep up with via social media, but 2 of them.... It's hard to look at pictures with them and feel anything but annoyed. I had my feelings hurt in a major way by both of them- at the same time. However I felt about them while things were souring, and however I feel about them now... I shouldn't allow those feelings to infect the great memories we made together. It's not fair to me and its not fair to them.

I suppose that no matter how hard any relationship crashes and burns, you owe it to yourself and to the other person to remember the positive. (Granted, sometimes we end relationships with people because there is absolutely nothing positive about them-- and you owe them nothing.) It is NOT doing you any good to think back on good times with the "well, we had fun that day..... but that bitch spread nasty rumors.... so I need to tear up this picture."

I'm not advocating for blanket forgiveness- that is a far more personal process. I'm just making the conscious decision to never let myself to think back on fun times and feel anything but glad/lucky/happy for the memory. That twinge of sadness over the failed friendship will always exist- but I'll never again allow it to go any further than that before I refocus and remember the great day we had.

NNM Day 13 :: Travel Day

good

great

excellent!

Since I'll be on the road for the rest of National Nutrition Month, I'm not sure how often I'll be able to post. I may try my hand at some videos or highlights of what I'm eating while in Nicaragua. Whatever I miss while I'm away, I'll make up when I get back... blogging every day is hard!

So, for today let's talk about ways of approaching food/nutrition on days where you're travelling. In my opinion, these ideas can be implemented across every different kind of travel.

(+) If you're flying, do your research so you'll know if you'll be fed. Some flights offer meals, some offer free snacks, and some offer.... nothing.  If you're driving know if there are easy rest stops (some of the mini-marts I encountered on Rt 90 had produce available!). If you're on a train, look into what the snack car might have. Knowing before you go will help you plan accordingly.

(+) Bars. Keeping one or two in your bag could be a lifesaver. Instead of having to reach for a crappy-chippy-thing or idkwhatsinthis cookies, you'll have something that you're familiar with.

(+) Apples. They travel really well. I've never had my produce snacks confiscated. Apples in particular have the fiber to keep you satisfied and sugar if you're hangry and need a boost.

(+) Eat. Don't make the same mistake I did:: I have had several instances where I was too turned-off by my food options (airports, flight meals, and rest stops) that I didn't eat anything at all. No matter when or where you're travelling, you need to be on your A-game and "have your wits about you" (as my parents say!)... that is really hard to do when you're hungry and tired from low blood sugar.

(+) Stay hydrated. Common sense, I know. However, it can be really difficult to remember to get adequate water when you're on the go. It is especially important when flying-- something about flying is super dehydrating.

(+) Carry wet-wipes. Not exactly related to nutrition, but you're going to touch hundreds, if not thousands of surfaces when you travel. Your hands are going to be gross.

So from here on out, you may not hear from me every day... the formatting of posts will be terrible (yay phone writing!).... and topics may be a little abstract. Let's see what happens!

NNM Day 12 :: Beware of your (ground) Beef

BAD
Just beware.

Hamburgers are awesome. And meatballs. And turkey meatballs. And meatloaf. Where would we be without ground meat? We'd be hungry and/or bored with our meals. I watch a lot of Jamie Oliver videos, and a few years back, he had a show that followed him in his impassioned attempt to bring to light the imminent dangers of America's health crisis; particularly as it relates to school lunches.

In his show, he visited individual schools and tried to spark a little change. Each episode had a segment that had some pretty high shock value. This one, in particular, really grossed me out:

If you haven't watched it-- watch it. Watch it now. Go ahead... I'll wait.



Ok, good.

Let's review:

• After butchering, the leftover random pieces are (or should be) sent to a rendering plant to be turned into dog food.
• However, sometimes the leftover meaty bits are put in a centrifuge and separated from the bone/cartilage/gristle. 
• The tiny meat peaces are washed with ammonia and then ground.
• Up to 15% of the ammonia/meat mixture can be in your packaged ground beef (and I'm assuming this process is the same or similar for other animals).
• The USDA has determined the ammonia is not an ingredient, but rather a "process" (I call, bullshit on this one), so therefore does not need to be marked on the label.

Conclusion: Your ground meat can have ammonia and no one has to tell you. Think about all the ground meat products you consume: nuggets from a fast food chain, pre-made meatballs, packaged hamburg...

What I do (and this is part of the reason I am so obnoxious to shop with) is I figure out what is ground in the store and buy that. If I had the money to visit a butcher, I would do that... so for now, knowing that it is ground in store (and likely doesn't have the ammonia mixture) is good enough for me.

NNM Day 10 :: The "Fat Free" Myth

BAD

In the 1950's, Americans were told that fat is what was making us fat. Wrong-o. I mean, too much of anything isn't good, but saying that fat in our food is what is adding fat to our bodies is just poppycock. The fear of fat has set up an entire generation for failure in health ventures.

...ok maybe that's a little dramatic. But there was a long period of time where Americans were told that fat is the enemy and should be avoided at all costs. What was subbed in? Carbs! Lots and lots of carbs! And we all know that carbs are important to a healthy diet; but easy-to-cook, refined carbohydrates were apparently the answer to filling the satiety gap left by nixing the fat.

Before delving into the bad, lets take a look at the good:

Fat is cool!
(+) Fatty acids! Our bodies can make most of the fats it needs from our diet. There are a couple that our bodies can't make, so we need to get them from food.
(+) Brain and nerves. Apparently fat surrounds nerve cells so they can transmit messages between the brain and.... everywhere else. The brain needs some fat in it, too
(+) Fat helps combat cravings!
(+) Fat helps you feel full. It keeps food in the stomach longer, making you feel full longer.
(+) Some vitamins are fat-soluble (A, D, E, and K), which means that that fat needs to be present for these vitamins to be absorbed by the body. If there is not enough fat, your body can't pull the vitamins from your other foods :(

Let's get to it!

In our grocery stores today, we see products labeled as "low fat" or "fat free," and many of those products are the painful reminders of the fat-free movement of yore (aka the 50's). We see cookies labeled as "fat free" and our brain knows that can't be right. Well, brain.... high-five. While maybe (literal) fat has been removed, the manufacturer needed to add something in to compensate for taste. Sugar and salt are two big perpetrators of this phenomenon.

Do an experiment when you go to the grocery store next time: find a product that has an original as well as a fat free/reduced fat/low fat option. Take the two products and compare the labels. Check the calories, fat, sugar, and salt. I bet you'll be surprised. Want to be even more surprised? Take a look at the Daily Value column (labeled as DV%).


What's the big deal about replacing fat with sugar?
Good question. The answer is: because of the way it is metabolized. As I understand it, the simplest answer is: fat takes longer to digest because it is more complex. Excess sugar in our food is so frustrating and infuriating to me that I want to scream. You can read more about how our bodies handle sugar here.


Now, we know that fat is an important part of a healthy diet. It shouldn't be the most prevalent portion of our diet, but it needs to be there. Salt and added sugar on the other hand... are 2 things that we are told to be acutely aware of. I don't know about you, but if I'm going to choose the original version (on the rare occasion I do purchase crackery-chippy-cookie type things).

Dairy products should be examined, too! Apparently fat free half-and-half is a big perpetrator, but I'm not really sure since its not a product I purchase. I know that some yogurts are ok and some are.... very not. The best way to tell is flip the product over and take a look at the ingredient list. For example, I my yogurt is labeled as nonfat, but only has natural ingredients (pasteurized milk and active cultures).

NNM Day 9 :: Tracking Your Food

GOOD

While I don't advocate for counting every last calorie, there is merit to keeping tabs on your food intake.

Why?:
(+) Food = energy. Keeping track of how much and why type of energy you have to burn is generally a good idea. Think of how it would be if your car didn't have a gas gauge!
(+) Varying nutrient levels. There are so many different vitamins and minerals out there ! Taking notice of what you eat can keep you clued in on which nutrients you're getting plenty of... and which nutrients are being neglected.
(+) Helps with variety. I've noticed that since I've started keeping a food diary (I used the one attached to my FitBit), I'm much more able to see if I'm getting a good enough variety. For example, if I steam carrots for a morning smoothie, I'll stick to something green for lunch. Or if I have a banana with breakfast, I'll use an avocado in my post-gym smoothie.

How I handled it...

My wonderful Vitamin & Mineral
list lives in the kitchen!

It can be really difficult to know what foods have which nutrients, I found this great list broken down by nutrient and then had a list of foods that have each nutrient. I loved the list so much that I decided I needed to add it to the other basic nutrition info I keep taped inside my cupboards!

I copied and pasted it into a word document and then highlighted the foods that are extremely prevalent in my diet. Many of those foods ticked off several nutrient categories. For example, eggs are included in: Vitamin A, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, Folic Acid, and Biotin. Seeing many highlighted foods in a certain nutrient category tells me that I don't need to put forth any real effort to ensure I'm consuming adequate amounts of that nutrient.

According to my chart, I'm totally set with Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Magnesium, and Potassium. However, I don't regularly eat any of the foods in the Selenium category and I only regularly eat1 of the foods on the Zinc list. This means that I need to make an effort to incorporate other foods on those lists.

I recommend...
It is totally worth it to know what nutrients are in which foods. Copy this list, paste it into a word doc, make it pretty, and put it somewhere where you can easily take a peek when you're thinking about your food for the day! I went as far as laminating mine!

NNM Day 7 :: Nutrition Bars

GOOD(er than other options)
I iz gramr geenyus

Last time I mentioned those "nutritional" bars that some diet franchises sell to their subscribers. I was going to include the better choices in that post, but I had too much to say!

TGTABTAO!: Thank God There Are Bars That Are Okay!
In addition to the processed bars, there are now loads of other, better options. If you're a purist, go for the Larabars. The ingredient lists are astoundingly short. I always have one in my bag just in case. The Chocolate Chip Brownie bar is my go-to for when I have a mean chocolate craving. Sometimes I'll have 1/2 a bar after dinner and treat it like a dessert. The Apple Pie or Blueberry Muffin are my "every day" bars. Both awesome and both taste like what the wrapper claims they should taste like.

There are others that are alright. I just tried the thinkThin Cookies and Creme bar (pretty good). Like with a lot of bars, it doesn't taste exactly like what the wrapper says, but for 20g of protein and "no sugar" (they use sugar alcohols, which aren't healthy, but aren't that terrible, either).

The Strong & Kind bars are good, too. They use almonds to boost the protein and have a relatively low amount of sugar. I like the Roasted Jalapeno and Honey Smoked BBQ. One thing I like about these is that they're savory. A lot of the nutrition bars are sweet, and I'm more of a savory snack kinda gal.

I just want to emphasize that these bars shouldn't be used regularly as meal replacement options. I have maybe 1 or 2 each week when necessary. Sometimes I'm out during a meal time, so I'll have a bar to hold me over until I can get home and have some real food. And sometimes I'll have 1/2 a Larabar as a dessert to keep me from reaching for high-sugar desserts.

Sometimes you're in a rush, hungry, and without a snack. Flip over the bar and keep an eye on these criteria:
(+) Protein. You want something that is going to keep you satisfied.
(+) Sugar. This is super important. So many snack/nutrition bars have loads of sugar to compensate for taste. Remember that the daily intake of added sugar is about 37g for men and 25g for women. Think about what you've already eaten and what you plan to eat later. If that bar has 17g of sugar you're already well, WELL into your consumption for the day. If you've had a coffee with sugar or flavoring, then you're probably over. Glass of juice? Over. Bowl of cereal... maybe over.
(+) Calories. While I don't recommend letting this be the first thing you look at, and shouldn't necessarily be a deterrent, just take note. Larabars are usually in the 200cal range- which seems like a high number. Considering the ingredient list is short, and the protein/fiber/sugar numbers make me happy- I'm not bothered by it being 200 calories. If I was someone who watched their calorie intake more rigidly, it would just mean I would need to tweak my meals later in the day. NBD


SarahFit has a great blog post about her recommendations for protein bars: 7 Best Protein Bars to Buy at the Grocery Store

NNM Day 6 :: "Dieting"

BAD

Let's go with : Extremely wary of

Not all formal diets are bad. It would be wrong of me to lump them all together since they're so different. One thing that I'm a little suspicious of is that most "diets" have some kind of cost attached.

Diet Pills:
Beware! Many are really pricey and promise huge results really quickly. Why wouldn't I be suspicious?! Deep down, we all know that the only way to really achieve success is to control the food we're putting in. If they're claiming that you don't need to change the way you eat or your activity level... that should be a huge red flag.

I get that there are pills out there that are (a) prescribed by doctors as a weight loss aide, (b) pills over the counter that supposedly help boost metabolism, and (c) over the counter appetite suppressants. Those are maybe justifiable if you're really overweight and using them to kick start the loss AND pairing them with healthy diet and exercise changes. Maybe.

Weigh Loss Shakes:
Ew. I've tried them on a few occasions and they're yucky. I have a vague memory of trying them in high school, not that I was big or anything.... so I'm not sure why I did it. One thing about them is that they definitely leave something to be desired- and I, personally, wound up snacking hardcore. They taste like chalk. It's so much more delicious to throw some fruit/veggies/yogurt into a blender and make it at home. The combo of protein powder, yogurt, and strawberries (+ whatever else you want in there) is really filling. Make that and never look back.

Books/Fad Diets:
Meh... could be worse. I'm about 10 pages into the first Zone book, I know some people who more-or-less swear by the Zone, and I'm a little suspicious, but not overly concerned. For example, I hear a lot about the glycemic index of certain foods; but get a little suspicious that crackers are ok, but carrots are something to be cautious of. I don't care about the crackers going in, I'm more a interested in why there aren't more vegetables going down the hatch. Hence, the reason why I'm going to finish reading the book.

Same applies to other book-based diets: Atkins, South Beach. I'm inherently wary of anything that tells you to completely cut out any one kind of food. That is just not sustainable. It leads to secret snacking, which leads to shame, which leads to stress eating... No bueno.

"Nutrition" Bars:
Could be worse, but proceed with caution! A few things:
(a) Some of them are attached to a diet franchise like the Zone, Atkins, Slim Fast, etc... Let's stop and think about this for a second. This book/program you purchased is a company -- they want to sell you something -- they want to keep selling you something so their business can continue to survive and grow. With me? What motives does this multi billion dollar company have to help you get to your goals? NONE. Because if you succeed, you'll pull away and they'll lose your business. I'm not saying that there is full-blown sabotage here, but just let that sink in.
(b) WTF is in them?! Look at the ingredient list. I'm fine looking at labels and not understanding 1 or 2 ingredients, but flip over a "diet" bar and good luck reading that.
(c) Many claim to be fortified with vitamins and minerals. Ok, fine. But why are you so deficient in the natural forms of those nutrients that you need to get it from an overly processed bar?

Stay tuned for a post about the "good" nutrition bars!

Weight Watchers:
I think Weight Watchers is the least of the evils for sure. If someone wants to lose weight and get healthy, WW can be a fantastic starting point for them. Yes, they're a business and making money off you. However, they offer an invaluable support system of coaches and peers-- those can be huge when you're feeling vulnerable. Without overtly saying it, WW is sorta treating their program like an addiction program- and I think that's great. Food addiction is a real problem, and support from people who have broken their cycle of food abuse is a great example for those who want to make changes.

Now, I'm generally against frozen dinners and stringent calorie counting. You know you should be eating fresh foods and steering clear of too many overly processed foods. Using Weight Watchers to get yourself to a point where you think "Ok, I can do this" is great. At a point, I think that once certain confidence levels have been reached, maybe moving on from WW would be wise. You've got the tools and the confidence; you know you can do it and striking out on our own would just prove that point. Ya know? Eventually, you're going to need to give up paying for WW..... or you're going to go on vacation or move-- knowing how to handle your eating and practicing self-control, I believe are huge contributing factors in long-term success

There are a lot of other "diets" out there. Be very wary of what they're trying to sell you. Some have great principles behind them, but ultimately, they are a business and they want to sell you something. Take what you need from them, and then let your intuition take over from there. You know you should be eating cucumbers over chips and apples over muffins. You've got this! Change is uncomfortable, but absolutely doable and sustainable. 

Let's sum it up:
(1) Deep down, we all know what we should and should not be eating.
(2) The "diet" industry doesn't really have any investment in your success- they want to keep their business going. (Why don't you take the money you're investing in books, bars, and meetings and invest it in a local farmer?)
(3) Looking for quick results can't lead to anything good (addiction to diet pills, unhealthy eating patterns, nutritional imbalance, etc...)

NNM Day 5 :: Raisin Water

GOOD

This one is going to be a little obscure and very propaganda-y.

I love raisin water (aka heotgaecha)(aka Japanese raisin tea)(aka wtf are you drinking?!)

I was introduced to this product during my third year in Korea.... and I wish I had found it sooner. It comes in a few different forms. I was most familiar with the bottled form that was easy to grab in the local mini-marts. My friend Meg handed me one once and told me to drink it before I started drinking alcohol. Apparently, whatever was in this magical drink helped to stave off hangovers. Considering that after I turned 26 my hangovers got way worse, I figured anything was worth a try! Well... it worked! I woke up relatively hangover free. I couldn't believe it and from then on, I never consumed alcohol without first having some raisin water (that was the affectionate nickname given to the brew... mainly because the only English on the bottle says "oriental raisin water").

A little about raisin water:

It is a tea steeped from a plant called Hovenia dulcis, also known as oriental raisin tree, and it is found mainly in Korea and eastern China. When the fruit of the tree is dried, it tastes kinda like raisins- hence, the name. The bark and leaves are brewed to make tea, and that tea is what I used as my hangover cure. The tea is know as having a healing effect on the liver, and was actually approved by the Korean version of the FDA as a treatment for alcoholism.

For me, this stuff had something like an 80% success rate with keeping the hangover away (or at least significantly minimizing it). I drank it in proportion to the amount (and type) of alcohol I consumed during the evening. I always started the evening with a 500ml bottle, and would make judgement calls throughout the evening based on my consumption. I usually started and ended the night with a 500ml bottle. I think part of the reason it worked so well is that it kept me hydrated. After using it for so long, I became a little skeptical; wondering if it really worked as well as I thought it did.

...so I did 2 little experiments:

(1) One night out, I realized that I hadn't started out the night with my raisin water, so I figured I would just drink water in the same proportion that I usually drink the raisin water and see how I felt the next day. Terrible. I felt awful. Not as bad as I would have been if I hadn't been on top of my water consumption; but still... pretty sittay.

(2) I rarely eat fast food, and had noticed that I would get this weird hangover feeling whenever I did indulge in McD's or other fast food in Korea. I made a McD's date with a friend, but had a raisin water beforehand and ordered the same thing I usually ordered. Interestingly, I didn't get the weird....erm.... gurgley stomach thing that I had before AND the next day I didn't feel like a blob!

Results = success! It must do something in the liver area. I definitely believed it when Meg told me all about it, but was pretty excited that it held up to my experimentation. From then on, I drank it regularly even when alcohol wasn't involved-- just a general addition to my nutrition/health weekly routine.

When I got home, I was super bummed that I wouldn't have easy access to my wondertea. Luckily, I mailed home a few small boxes of the tea bags, so I was still able to enjoy it-- but I didn't want to run out too quickly, so I used it super conservatively. When I went to Canada over the summer, my friend Lisa took me to this amazing Asian superstore and they had it!! I was so excited that I bought 2 boxes! Now I have enough to last me for a long time! :)

I definitely recommend trying this product (especially if you're prone to hangovers or really affected by your occasional fast food indulgence).

NNM Day 4 :: Produce Predicament

BAD

We have all experienced that extremely guilty feeling related to searching through the fridge and finding a dead and decaying tomato or a bag of rubbery carrots. Removing them and putting them in the trash... is pretty painful.

There is a chain of events that lead to the tragic produce death. (1) You buy loads of fresh food because you want to eat (or want to start eating) right. (2) You get home and put it all away. (3) A few days go by and you've only used a few things.... and the lettuce is starting to look a little sad. (4) A few more days and a few salads later you notice the smell.... though you've used most of the lettuce, 1 of the 3 tomatoes and 1/2 a pepper you bought- the remaining items have gone off. (5) You feel sad. (6) You throw away the corpses. (7) Next time you shop, you either do the same thing over again and waste more food... or you decide to not buy fresh produce. 

#losing

Yes, I realize that maybe you've wised up for the second time around and you buy only what you know you can eat. For the sake of this article, lets pretend that's not the case.

How can we avoid wasting food?

There are a few ways to approach the produce predicament. 

(+) If you're someone who doesn't create their grocery list in strict accordance with your pre-planned weekly meals, choosing a few produce staples to keep in the house will be key. Pick a few things that you know you'll definitely eat or be able to realistically incorporate into your week.

(+) Know the life of your produce! Celery is pretty hearty and can last a few weeks, however lemons aren't so lucky. Knowing how ripe it is when you buy it, how to store it, and how long it can last will really help.

(+) Buy frozen! I keep a huge stock of frozen fruits for smoothies and yogurt. I have loads of frozen veggies, too. If something you bought fresh is about to go off, freeze it! I do that with onions all.the.time! I use them often enough that as soon as I buy them, I slice them into 2 or 3 different sizes (minced, diced, and sometimes thin strings) and put them straight into the freezer.

(+) When I was in Korea, I bought produce several times per week. I lived and worked near markets, so it was convenient to run out when I specifically needed something. It also staggered when things would go off. If you can, try to buy produce as you need it-- it is a little more time consuming, but you'll be sure to use it.

(+) Peeking into your fridge every once in a while to check the status of your fresh food will save you a lot of heartache. This morning I noticed I had a sad looking banana... I acted fast, chopped that sucker up, and froze it. Day... saved.

Things I always have on-hand:

romaine lettuce - bell peppers - tomatoes - onion - carrots - avocado - bananas - apples

Those are items I know I'll either use during the week or they last long enough that I can buy them and don't need to think about them for a little while. Except for bananas.... I eat those at a concerning rate.

NNM Day 3 :: Balancing Your Day

GOOD

Balancing your nutritional intake throughout the day and week can be really difficult. You plan out meals and snacks in your head, and then cravings hit or you go to the gym and are starving when you get home. This post is going to be a little more of an outline as to what I do to keep food intake as balanced as possible. Before you read any further, head on over to the National Nutrition Awareness site and take this cool Rate Your Plate quiz. It's short and easy and you can get a reality check/a better idea as to how you're doing on your daily nutrition journey.

First, if you've ready any of my previous health and wellness posts, you'll know my basic principles are:
(1) get the good stuff in so you'll have less room for the bad stuff
(2) get the good stuff in so you don't have to feel super guilty when you indulge in the bad stuff
(3) sugar (especially sugar-sweetened beverages) is my biggest frenemy ( I hate him so much, but he's seen me through some tough times, so I can still see him occasionally)

As a hobbyist (aka not someone certified in any kind of nutrition program), I only know the science that I research. However, one big thing I rely on is my intuition. We all have at least a basic knowledge of whether or not we should be consuming something.

Here we go:

(+) In the morning, I eat a lot of food. There are a few reasons why. I exercise regularly, and as I understand it when your muscles are well-developed, it takes more energy (calories- remember, a calorie is just the unit name for energy) to maintain them. This means that I burn more calories at rest than I would if I wasn't toned. Also, I've always felt like I have needed more food to feel satisfied than many of comparably-sized friends. Lastly, I workout about 90 minutes after I eat breakfast, so I need something that is going to keep me satisfied

(+) I snack constantly. Yes, I mentioned that I eat a big breakfast, but I usually have a small snack right before I head to the gym. For example, today it was 1/2 an apple: high in fiber to keep that sense of fullness and a little natural sugar for a small boost.

(+) I sneak veggies into my snacks and meals. Today, I couldn't decide between hummus or guac for my afternoon snack, both of which I usually enjoy with 2 Wasas cracker (pretty goo size, high-ish in fiber, and 40cals). So today since I hadn't included a veg in my breakfast or morning snack, I opted for 1 Wasa cracker and 1/6 of an orange bell pepper. I'll do something similar with my lunches if I'm behind on my veg intake.

(+) Smoothies are easy ways to sneak in good stuff. I frequently boil carrots until they're soft and blend them into my smoothies. I also use spinach and kale. Some people are also lacking in their dairy intake and smoothies are a great way to sneak a little dairy into your day. Look for any yogurt that has no added sugars or weird ingredients, and add a few spoonfuls to the smoothie.

(+) Plan ahead. If I'm going to be in the car or out and about through a meal or snack time, I bring something with me to snack on. I usually opt for a smoothie because they're easy to sip on while driving. Also, know your schedule: if you have an office party at night, then you may wind up eating something less-than-healthy. Make the beginning of your day light and nutritious so you won't feel like you need to obsessively edit your eating when you're with friends and colleagues!

(+) I make goals: 3-4 fruits, 4-6 vegetables, something dairy, something grainy, and something indulgent. I realize that is vastly oversimplifying it, but that is minimum consumption goal. For example, yesterday I had: 1 banana, 1 apple, appx 6-8oz lemon juice, 2/3c chopped peppers, a few slices of onion, 1/4 cauliflower, 1 tomato, mixed veg (in the form of homemade chili), lots of shredded mozzarella, 5oz yogurt, Wasa cracker, and 1 slice of cinnamon raisin Ezekiel bread. And ok.... wine. 8 ounces.

(+) I never skip a meal. Unless I'm sick or really busy, I never skip a meal. And even if I miss a meal, I will eat something to hold myself over. This was something I worried about with my students in Korea. They are borderline obsessed with being/staying thin-- I even heard from another teacher that said she has a student who claims she only eats 1 apple every day! Ya know what... this is interesting and important enough, that I'm going to make a whole post about it in the next few days.

(+) If I don't know what it is or what's in it, I no longer feel shame about asking or looking at the label. Ultimately, it's my body and I don't really care about looking like the freak who has to read all the yogurt labels before making a selection.

(+) I rotate tea and coffee. Some days I drink tea, and some drink coffee. Generally, if I'm going to the gym I'll have coffee 30 minutes before I leave. Otherwise, I sip on green tea all day. Both have some health benefits, and I like them equally, so I keep them both in the morning rotation.

National Nutrition Month

Hey! Did you know March is National Nutrition Month?! Neither did I until a few minutes ago. I'm going to try to post something new every day. I plan to alternate between the concepts related to both good and bad nutrition. Any posts labeled Good will focus on things with a positive impact, and Bad will highlight dangerous items or things you should be wary of.

Let's start off on a positive note!

GOOD

Here is an awesome tool I use if I'm curious about the nutritional content of food that doesn't necessarily come with a label.

Check it out!:: Nutrition Data

Now, it can be easy to get caught up on "omg bananas are so carby!" Don't let that dissuade you from munching on 'nanaers before a workout or adding them into you smoothies!

The types of carbs in foods from the earth (fruits, veg, gains in/near their natural state) work with your body instead of against it.

Preview of the Carrot Stacks article.

Another mistake is paying to much mind to the sugar. Yes, fruits and vegetables contain sugar. HOWEVER you would have to eat an insane amount of produce to equal the sugar in a lot of commonly enjoyed treats. I like to peruse sugarstacks.com when I need a quick reality check. They have this interesting post called Carrot Stacks.

So check out Nutrition Data and plug in some of your favorite foods to see just how good they really are for you!

Gym Playlist!

I have a gym-specific playlist that I always listen to when I'm working out. I'm always looking for new songs, especially with upbeat tempos or songs I can let my mind wander while listening to.

Since every workout is different, I occasionally skip over certain songs depending on what I'm doing. There are, however, a lot of songs that I will never skip because they're too awesome! Some are new and some are old, but all are epic!

Countdown-style: Top 15 gym-playlist songs I NEVER skip!

(15) Fire- Gavin Degraw
Cool video of intense roller derby chicks.
+"we are the champions /  setting it off again / oh we on fire /we on fire"
+"in this world / he who stops / won't get anything he wants / play like the top one percent / til nothing's left to be spent / we don't care / we won't stop / call your mothers / call the cops"
Playing hard? Giving it all? Um, heck YES!

(14) Dangerous- David Guetta feat. Sam Martin
Good bead, uptempo, great to run to.

(13) Sugar- Karmin
Something super..... I don't know. Its a great song to let my mind wander to.

(12) The Boys- Girls Generation (SNSD)
If you've seen the video, then the motivation to want legs like those girls is enough.
+"wanna know my secrets / but no I'll never tell / 'cause I got the magic touch / and I'm not tryin to fail / that's right / and I  / can't deny / I know I can fly"

(11) Never Gonna Wake Up (mashup)- Rick Astley / Avicii
I love Rick Astley, and paired with Avicii's fun beats AND the random guest cameo in the middle- this song is awesome for cardio time!

(10) Them Girls Be Like - Fifth Harmony
Just a cockybitch-type song.

(9) On a Mission - Katy B
I've loved this song for a while. It's about a girl at a club who just wants to drink and dance. It doesn't hurt that her name is Katy.

(8) Girl in a Country Song- Maddie & Tae
Just hilarious.

(7) Call Your Girlfriend- Robyn
I loved Robyn when she came out with "Show Me Love" in 1997-- and even got the cassette tape for Christmas that year. Loved her already, and let's be serious, we ALL have/had that guy who we were in love with and had a girlfriend. Gets my mind wandering off the knee-pain and on to the "could have been."

(6) GDFR- Flo Rida feat. Sage The Gemini & Lookas

Its goin down fo reallll. This song is like that beefcake over by the free weights = weird motivation to work hard. And it sounds good.

(5) Yellow Flicker Beat- Lorde
Its about hard times and people who were mean to you. Frustration is a great motivation for exercise. AND if you saw her AMA performance, I'm sure you're also wondering how she was able to breathe, sing, and bounce around on stage like that. The lung capacity on that girl must be insane!

(4) Elastic Heart- Sia
I love the video. I wasn't super sure what I was watching the first time I viewed it, but I never interpreted it as inappropriate. I think its a song about inner turmoil and frustration. And just a cool song that I have a hard time not singing along to whenever it comes on.

(3) Carry Out- Timbaland feat. Justin Timberlake
It's a song about hot bodies. Need I say more?

(2) Nobody to Love- Alex Newell
Alex Newell is a force and this song has a great beat. I always get a smile on my face when it comes up in the shuffle.

(1) i- Kendrick Lamar
This takes the top spot because there is a repeating lyric that describes why I work out.
+"the sky can fall down / the wind can cry now / the strong in me / I still smile / and I love myself"


*Phew* that was difficult! 10 ~ 15 are pretty close to joining the "skippable" songs on my playlist, but the top 5 are all pretty equal!


If you have any great songs, let me know!! I need more!

Sugar: The Epic Breakup

I set myself a 3-week goal. I figured that I could handle 3 weeks completely free of added sugars. They say it takes 21 days to form a habit, so that was what I was working on. The first few days absolutely sucked. While I didn't have to miss any dinner plans, I did have to skip out on the ice cream stops we would make afterwards. Days 4 through maybe 10 were rough, but I didn't have the same physical need; it was a little easier to say "no" if I was offered something sweet. I kept reminding myself that "when this is all over, I can reward myself with ice cream or a donut!" and I was really holding on to that thought throughout. By the end of week 3, I realized I didn't even really want the reward I had mentally promised myself!

For this 3 week period, I went without: ice cream, candy, soda in my cocktails (I don't really drink it any other time), juice, bread items, and pastries. I'm sure there were other smaller things I skipped out on, but those were the major items.

I did allow myself: a little honey for my coffee, crackers, 72% dark chocolate, and a proportionally-less amount of alcohol (2-4 drinks per week, versus the 5-7)

I noticed 3 MAJOR changes after the 3 sugarless weeks:

+ I had successfully "reprogrammed" the way my brain reacted to the sight of/thought of sweet treats,

+ I trusted myself more when I did reach for a treat.

+ The 'sweet level' of foods I had enjoyed prior to my sugar-free weeks was absolutely off the charts. This one was a surprise.

Top steps I took:

(1) I did research the week before. Knowing where the sneaky sugar hides is absolutely crucial.

(2) I read the labels of absolutely everything at the market.

(3) I started making smoothies. I used a lot of fruit and yogurt... this is also when I began adding vegetables into my concoctions.

(4) I was HIGHLY aware of the random simple carbohydrates I was consuming. I previously said I allowed myself crackers, but (on my first sugar hiatus) it was like 2 crackers as a snack once a day- if that. Rice (again, first time) was at an absolute minimum. Because I wanted to eat the school lunches from time to time, rice had to remain in my diet.

(5) I had to be a little bit of an asshole. I had 1 or 2 people the first time around that were really obnoxiously not supportive. If they wanted to get a sweet treat and I didn't, I would be taunted and asked "why don't you treat yourself?" At one point, I snapped back, "Well, because you know I'm doing this no sugar thing.... and I don't want (treat name)."

(6) I talked/blogged/instagrammed about it. I feel that it keeps me accountable. 

Road blocks and allowances:

My first sug-purge was in Korea where I didn't have full knowledge of what I was consuming- especially if I didn't make it myself. I know that there was sugar in marinades and sauces, and I kept that in the back of my mind. I did not let it dictate whether or not I ate the item, but if I suspected sugar was an ingredient, I consumed it sparingly.

In the U.S., I face the temptation of all the products I grew up on, but I have the ability to read the nutrition labels (there is only so much Korean I understood on the labels there!). I would say my biggest hurdle here is.... everything. I struggle with the product availability. 

Other things that helped me through the sugar-free time and tricks I employ now:

(1) Exercise. YES, exercise! I think it has to do with the endorphin rush putting me in a better head-space. Also feeling like "well, I did a great job at the gym today and I don't want to screw it up with that 2nd cookie." With keeping my food in check and regular activity, I see more positive results and don't want to screw it up. Its a great cycle to get into.

(2) I use extra dark chocolate to stave off my crazy chocolate cravings. It has the same chocolate-quality that I want, without all the extra sugar that keeps me feeling like I need "just one more bite."

(3) The two-bite trick. If its something particularly "bad" (and by "bad" I mean something I know I can't typically trust myself around), I take out 2ish bites worth. Eat the first, have a small glass of water, and then have the second. Usually, I'm satisfied after that.

(4) Keep your eye on the prize! I mentioned The Brownie Dessert in a previous post. There is one last piece waiting for me in the freezer. On a day that I manage to get all my fruits and veg, AND successfully avoid other added sugars, that frozen masterpiece will be mine. I budget the unhealthy foods in a few times each week so I never feel like I'm missing out on something I love.

(5) If I screw up, and I do screw up, and binge on craptastic food, I don't get too down on myself. I think that is really important. It's too easy to have one mishap and then think, "oh, I can't do this! " and then scrap it altogether. Don't worry. Even the healthiest of health nuts have the occasional pig-out or sweet treat (and if they say they don't..... they're lying and you need to find another health nut to follow.)

(6) Sweet and creative smoothies. I usually go for the SarahFit Green Monster Smoothie, my orange/mango/papaya/carrot smoothie, or chocolatey, after-dinner Craving Crusher smoothie.

(7) Absolutely avoiding added sugar before lunch. I find if I have even something as simple as cereal (most cereals  have sugar added) for breakfast, that tiny bit of sugar in the morning sets me up for cravings all day. That makes it more difficult to resist for the rest of the day.


It IS possible to reprogram your brain and taste buds. I wouldn't say it was if I hadn't done it myself. It takes a a little time, a medium amount of self control, and a lot of knowledge. If you set yourself up with the knowledge and the support beforehand, it is absolutely possible to alter your relationship with sugar. It works with other stuff too; but in my opinion, sugar is an addictive substance that isn't regulated and you didn't even know you were falling down its delicious rabbit hole.

How to shop: Katie style

I was recently asked three questions that go hand-in-hand: What are some ways to limit sugar intake? How do you approach grocery shopping and reading labels? Where did I have success/failure in my sugar-breakup? I'm going to split this up into 2 posts. This will focus on shopping and the next will be more about cutting down on sugar in general.

Let's start off with this cute, yet scary little intro:

An article similar to this video is what sparked my interest in sugar. And just as a disclaimer, I probably go over that recommended 25g added sugar maybe 2-4 times each week. However, I'm rarely over by much. Yesterday was Valentines Day, so there was a lot of chocolate and ice cream in my life. I set myself up really well in the beginning of the day, kind of knowing that I would take chocolate to the face later on in the day.... I had 1/3 of a Dove Silky Smooth Dark Chocolate bar and something my mom calls The Brownie Dessert (I'm going to highlight that in my next post, so sit tight and I'll link to it when its done!)

Let's get down to it!

The way I approached grocery shopping living alone in Korea and the way I approach it in the US are very different. In Korea, "guilty products" are much more obvious. If it looks bad, it probably is. There really isn't much food advertising in Korea, with the exception of print ads, so they aren't subject to the same inundation of propaganda and product-selling that we are in the US. I'm going to try to combine what I did and learned there, with how I now shop here.

1. Be aware of all sugar's aliases.
Sugar- just sugar- can have 56 different names! That is NOT including chemical sweeteners. Know your enemy! Ok, that's a little dramatic- sugar isn't the enemy.... more like the friend you know you should only see sometimes because the relationship is a wee bit toxic.

2. Shop the perimeter of the store first. 
Produce, meat, dairy, and health food sections should be first. Just be aware that just because a product is "organic" or "natural" doesn't mean it is low in sugar, and certainly doesn't indicate that it is good for you (it also doesn't preclude it from being a better option). Once you go into those middle aisles, you open yourself up to temptation. If you know you can't trust yourself, then stay away! Or, and this is what I usually do, make a list. Seems intuitive, I know, but if you're bee-lining for only the products you need, they you can sail right past the other stuff.

I usually like to buy ridiculous amounts of fresh produce. I aim for 5-6 helpings of veg, and 3-5 of fruit per day. Sometimes I struggle with it, but having the produce in the house and not wanting to let it go bad and have it be wasted money is real motivation to get the good stuff in!

What I buy in the middle: 
+ pretzels or Wasa crackers/water crackers (ideally, ONE crunchy-carby snack in the house at any given time)
+ spices and condiments. Ketchup (will always be a staple, but I am aware it is loaded with sugar), grated parm, grainy mustard, dressings (I a-l-w-a-y-s cut my dressings with water or Greek yogurt, lower the impact and stretches them so I don't need to buy them more often)
+ coffee and tea
+ 1 cereal. I'll go with something that tastes good with relatively low sugar. Right now I have the Post Cranberry Almond somethingorother, and I bought the same thing in Korea.
+ canned stuff. For me, canned or jarred items are rare, but sometimes I want chickpeas or olives or stewed tomatoes.
+ natural peanut butter and sometimes grape jelly. My name is Katie and I'm a PB&J addict.

3. How I read the label: 
Part 1: The nutrition table
I'm going to focus on the absolute basics. Sugar only. I know there is value to knowing how to read the calories, protein, sugar, and fiber together. However, today we're keeping it focused on sugar only.

First, I think about the product in my hand. What is it? What should be in it? Is it or does it have fruit or dairy? I'm really, really picky with yogurt. We know that sugar occurs naturally in dairy, but just how much it natural? You should absolutely watch this short video put out by CBS News:: The Skinny on Yogurt and Your Health. It tells us that for a 6oz serving of yogurt, there should be no more than 12g of sugar: that's the natural sugar. If you reach for the fruity yogurt, read the ingredient list (more on that in a bit)!

Things like juices, that claim to be made from 100% juice- I'm very suspicious of. I usually steer clear, but occasionally get the single-serving containers and make them last for a long time (I dilute my juice).

Part 2: The ingredients
I eat a lot of peanut butter. My favorite breakfast is steel cut oatmeal with peanut butter, banana, 1/2 scoop vanilla protein, and almond milk. And, as you read above, I love me some PB&J. Peanut butter is/was (I've noticed a difference in the labels of major brands recently) a huge culprit of the sneaky added sugars. You think "this doesn't taste sweet," but there is absolutely sugar in it. I shifted to the 1 or 2 ingredient brands. Peanut butter's ingredient list should read like this: peanuts, salt. Some brands are made without salt, but I prefer it with a little salt added.

It is super important to look at the ingredient list. Reading the list is pretty easy, the most prevalent ingredient is first and the least prevalent is last. Sometimes I pick something up and see that it has sugar on the list, and I'm ok with it- because it is so far down on the list. For example, my favorite yogurt is the Chobani passion fruit: 5.3 oz, 140 cal, 15g sugar, 11g protein. If you watched the yogurt video, you'll notice it is a little higher in calories with a little more sugar than is ideal. However, this product contains both dairy sugar AND fruit sugar. Reading the ingredient list, I noticed "evaporated cane juice" as an ingredient, and that is a sugar alias. Knowing how much sugar should be there based on the container size, knowing that there is a little fruit, seeing that the sugar is relatively low on the ingredient list; I conclude that this yogurt is an ok option for my shopping cart.

I also stick with products that I can read all the ingredients.

4. I'm wary of chemical sweeteners.
I steer clear. The truth is, they may be totally fine. Bu they haven't been around long enough for us to really know what the long-term effects are. The same can be said about a lot of things: birth control, laser eye surgery, reality tv... The logic flow of my brain has me thinking that if its a chemical, I don't want to ingest it. My body isn't deriving anything good from it, so why would I even bother? My intuition tells me that its something that should avoid, so I usually do. From time to time I'll have a few sips of a Coke Zero or when I'm out I'll order a Jack and Diet Coke, but its not something I'll ever buy to have in the house.

5. I raid the freezer section.
I make a lot of smoothies and I stock up on frozen fruit from the freezer section. I like to keep stocked on fruit and sometimes frozen veg. And frozen pizza; because sometimes, you just need a pizza.

Coming up next, I'll lay out how I cut my sugar intake!


Does anyone have any tips or tricks you use while shopping?

Why do I hate soda?

Just a little preamble: I usually try to keep things positive, however, I'm going to approach this post a little differently. You'll see disgust, fear, and (hopefully) some science. The food crisis in the US, all aspects, are devastating to me. I can't get through articles or documentaries... or even walk through the grocery store without feeling frustrated, sad, and sometimes I wind up on the verge of tears. I can't say why it has such a strong affect on me, but it does. Some may decide to take this as a criticism towards those who "choose" to partake of unhealthy substance, but be assured that is not my intent. My belief is that it is not, in fact, a choice that you are making, but rather a choice that is being made for you by biology and irresponsibility on the part of the "food" manufacturers and the government.

So... why do I hate soda?

Because it scares me. Soda itself isn't so scary, but the way its pushed on us and the way we rationalize allowing ourselves to consume it is the scary part. I use the tern "me" comfortably here, because there was a time where.... I just didn't know. Now, I have a hostile attitude towards sweetened beverages, and carry a deep worry for those who "abuse" these sweet poisons. I'm going to use soda as an umbrella term for all sugar-sweetened beverages, because its a shorter word and easier to type. :)

I'm going to cover some facts and some things that I personally find concerning. Let's start with the easier stuff and then work our way towards the science, shall we?

If you're thirsty and reaching for a soda, you're only further dehydrating yourself. 

So many soda ads suggest: if you're thirsty, why not grab a refreshing cola? No! If you're thirsty: drink something that will actually quench your thirst! When you use soda as a thirst-crusher, you're really only dehydrating yourself further. For one, soda can be a diuretic. Yes, this is true of anything with caffeine. I have, however, noticed (mind you this has been only a few people over the span of 2 or 3 years) that will drink a soda, and then another, and then another on an average day. The biggest issue I take with that trend is: when the hell are you drinking water?? A few ounces in the morning and at night aren't enough! I believe that if you mindfully increase your water consumption, then the physical need for soda will wither AND you won't have room in your tummy for the extra fluids

What the hell is phosphoric acid?
It has a few uses. Outside the food industry, it can be used as a rust remover. Ever heard of pouring cola on a rusty bike wheel to remove the rust? It works. Dirty penny? Works. I even used it to clean a toilet. No I'm not joking, and yes it worked well. 

Phosphoric acid is also used to combat nausea. It is even in a few anti-nausea otc medications. Ever wonder why mommy gave you cola to help your tummy when you were sick? Though I cannot find the original article where I learned this, but I read that one of the reasons phosphoric acid is used in soda is because our bodies would naturally try to reject the amount of sugar we're trying to consume in one serving of soda. I'm inclined to believe it because I once (looked it up after) consumed 26g of sugar in one sitting while mindlessly eating. The results were not pretty.

Sugar/sweetener is addictive.
I don't think I can accurately and concisely summarize what I have learned about the effects of sugar/food on the brain and dopamine levels, so here is a segment called Sugar- A sweet addiction from The Skinny on Obesity that helped me to understand the chemical responses to sugar and other favorite foods. Takeaway: Your brain reacts exactly the same way to sugar as it does to drugs, alcohol, and nicotine.

Did you know that sugar is the only substance on earth that is both carbohydrate and fat?
Yup. Technically sugar does not contain fat, however it does metabolize straight into fat. [EDIT: It was called to my attention that saying it metabolizes straight to fat is incorrect. Whoops! In an attempt to keep it simple, I accidentally over-simplified it. As I was writing the original edit, I realized it deserved too much info, and so it will be a separate post that can be read HERE.] Alcohol does the same thing, but when we drink alcohol, we are fully aware of what it is and the affect it can have on us.

People who count calories don't count the liquid calories.
I'm included in that category. Even if you're someone who keeps a food diary, its too easy to forget about the 12oz oj you had this morning, or the peach iced tea you bought with lunch, or the Crystal Lite you sipped on while watching The Bachelor. Just kidding on that last one; if you're drinking anything other than wine while watching The Bachelor, then you're doing it wrong.

Our government is not protecting us.
So many lobbyists with connections to big food companies. Unhealthy foods marketed directly to children. Food deserts. The truth is, that there is too much money to be made by putting out delicious and dangerous foods. Big food companies and medical professionals alike benefit from our crappy diets. Why isn't our government protecting us? Our own surgeon general had this to say.

"Often when I speak, the press wants to talk about the tragedy of the day. They want to talk about terrorism, they want to talk about weapons of mass destruction, they want to talk about emerging infections. I was at a press conference a couple of years ago, and no matter what the press conference was about the second question would always be something about a terrorist, something about a bomb, something about chemical warfare. So one reporter one day made a mistake in a room filled like this said to me, 'Surgeon General, what's the most pressing issue before you today?' and I said, 'Obesity.'The room was silent, none of them knew what to ask. They asked me, 'Why do you say that?' and I said to them, 'Because obesity is the terror within. It is destroying us, destroying our society from within. And unless we do something about it, the magnitude of the dilemma will dwarf 911 or any other terrorist event that you can point out to me.' So this is a terror from within, it's destroying us."  -Dr. Richard Henry Carmona (17th Surgeon General of the United States)

So many feels.
I know I don't know everything there is to know about soda, sugar, addictive substances, and the brain. I just know that my instinct is to steer clear. If I can't read the ingredients and it has an unnatural color, why would I think its a good idea to drink it? If I consumed everything that has a pleasing color and smells nice, I would have eaten several dozen candles by this point in my life.

I do occasionally have a sip of someone else's soda. If I'm feeling a little nauseous then I'll hint down some pop. My favorite drink is tequila and cola. Something about root beer goes so nicely with my occasional Chipotle burrito. I don't avoid it at all costs, but I have found that since I now know what is in soda, how it reacts inside my body, and the addicting quality it seems to have.... I know that it can only ever be a casual relationship. That goes for juice, too.