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Showing posts with label gluten. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gluten. Show all posts
7.01.2013
Put your game face on and level up!
When I was a wee little one, i used to love to come home from school, get me some milk ‘n cookies and sit down to diligently do my homework right away!
....
False. I rushed home to play hours upon hours of NINTENDO. I was obsessed. With Super Mario Brothers in particular. There was something exhilarating about becoming an expert in various levels, knowing the lay of the land and anticipating every Goomba or Koopa Troopa that lurked in the shadows. I could care less about the Princess (sorry sister). So, then what was the point of it all?
LEVELING UP, BABY.
For me, it was all about the journey and optimizing my new found skills and awareness to take it to the next level. Was I going to beat the game my first time playing? Of course not. It took curiosity, persistence and learning new skills and tricks to get there.
For me, it was all about the journey and optimizing my new found skills and awareness to take it to the next level. Was I going to beat the game my first time playing? Of course not. It took curiosity, persistence and learning new skills and tricks to get there.
Are you seeing the metaphor here?
Much like in real life, it takes curiosity, persistence and experience to take things to the next level. This applies to our healthy habits too! Does one go from Taco Bell Queen to Green Juice Goddess in a single day? Nope. Moving along at our own unique pace will lead to the most sustainable changes. And even the smallest changes can lead to big differences - every move matters.
✓ Read the label
✓ Less ingredients, the better
✓ It’s ok to be confused. There’s a lot of misinformation out there - so ask! Ask the staff at the store, ask a friend who’s healthy or go the distance and seek support from a pro like a health coach or doctor.
Remember, too, that it’s OK to fall back sometimes - we all have our bad days. You are the CEO of your life - no one can fire you for eating that Domino’s pizza the other night. In fact, if you do choose to drop down a level and nosh on some junk, do it with gusto and acceptance. Enjoy every minute of it, then level back up because life is about the journey. Don’t forget to enjoy the ride.
If you’re ready to LEVEL UP your health game, then sign up for the Summer Sizzle Detox and join others who are on the path to feeling awesome in their skin this summer! Click HERE to get started.
Much like in real life, it takes curiosity, persistence and experience to take things to the next level. This applies to our healthy habits too! Does one go from Taco Bell Queen to Green Juice Goddess in a single day? Nope. Moving along at our own unique pace will lead to the most sustainable changes. And even the smallest changes can lead to big differences - every move matters.
That’s why I'm giving you some tips on leveling up in your health journey, no matter what level you’re on. Check out this lil' chart I put together to pinpoint wether you're a novice, gamer or pro in 4 areas I get asked about often, and see how you can level up (or down).
Juice
You wanna make sure you're getting real juice - as in 100% real juice. The best kinds are organic, non pasteurized and not from concentrate.
Wanna go pro? Fresh pressed is king, so make your own! The lower in sugar (= less fruit), the better.
Bread/Flour
Here's where "white" really is devil. Try to stay away from highly processed refined breads and flours. Can you squish that bread loaf into a ball easily? Then it's highly processed and not "real" food at this point. Go for organic whole grain varieties, which have more nutrients and fiber (and are tastier in my opinion).
Go pro: try sprouted grain breads! Brands like Food for Life and Manna can be found in the freezer section at your local health food store.
*If you're gluten sensitive, then stay away from glutenous grains all together - opt for gluten free flours like almond or brown rice*
Snack Bar
Are there a hundred ingredients you can't pronounce in that bar? Then ditch it. Again, organic is good but doesn't always mean better... with snack bars, you really want to watch out for the sugar content. Sadly, some organic snack bars are no better than a candy bar! I would try to save snack bars for "emergency" moments (like when traveling or when you can't access food easily) - not as a meal replacement or daily snack.
Pro tips: make sure your bar has a lower sugar count and is higher in protein. Try making your own - it's actually fun and you have control of what goes in it!
Cleaning Products
Man oh man, talk about toxicity. There are so many chemicals that go into cleaning products and they absolutely have an effect on our health! Definitely check out Environmental Working Group (EWG) and their guide to healthy cleaning. It takes the guess work out of choosing cleaning products and exposes the worst offenders.
Going pro: DIY is not trendy - it's smart! AND CHEAP. So try lowering your toxic load and cleaning expenses by making your own cleaning products. I get tons of great ideas from Pinterest (warning: TIME SUCK).
BONUS: Here are some general ground rules to follow that will help guide you in your health game:
✓ Read the label
✓ Less ingredients, the better
✓ It’s ok to be confused. There’s a lot of misinformation out there - so ask! Ask the staff at the store, ask a friend who’s healthy or go the distance and seek support from a pro like a health coach or doctor.
Remember, too, that it’s OK to fall back sometimes - we all have our bad days. You are the CEO of your life - no one can fire you for eating that Domino’s pizza the other night. In fact, if you do choose to drop down a level and nosh on some junk, do it with gusto and acceptance. Enjoy every minute of it, then level back up because life is about the journey. Don’t forget to enjoy the ride.
If you’re ready to LEVEL UP your health game, then sign up for the Summer Sizzle Detox and join others who are on the path to feeling awesome in their skin this summer! Click HERE to get started.
2.04.2013
Q&A: Is This lil' G causing Big Trouble?
Hey Player Players!
Now whether you were rooting for the 49ers or Ravens - or you were just partaking in Super Bowl madness for the beer, pizza and mini taquitos - you might be hurting from post-game stomach pains. There's a good chance that a lil' g-thang might be causing that rumbling in your tummy... which brings me to today's post:It's Q-to-the-A Time!
This week's question comes from Irma! She aks:
What’s with gluten? I know what it is, but is it
something that’s worth eliminating from my diet or can I just consume in
moderation?
Ah yes. Gluten. Lots of buzz and confusion
surrounding this little protein. To eat or not to eat it - that seems to be the
question on lots of people’s minds. Lemme try to shed some light on this sticky
topic...
Gluten (Latin for “glue”) is a protein that’s found
in wheat products as well as foods processed from other grains like barley,
rye, spelt, kamut, oat, triticale, semolina, pumpernickel and farro. Some people may be sensitive to gluten while
others can be severely allergic or intolerant. And some people have no problem
with it at all. But for those that do, symptoms can be
wide-ranging and varied.
For people who can’t properly digest gluten and
yet have been eating these grains for years, there’s a good chance that their
digestive system is damaged. Gluten can cause tears in the intestinal lining,
which then leads to malabsorption of nutrients like carbohydrates, fat,
protein, vitamins and minerals (er... das not good). This condition is called
Celiac Disease, an autoimmune disease that can manifest in different ways for
different people. Symptoms may range from diarrhea and constipation to chronic
fatigue and depression. You can test for Celiac disease through blood tests and
biopsy.
Keep in mind that while Celiac Disease is a
serious condition and should be not be taken lightly, it’s a fairly small
percentage of the population. There is, however, a large population of people
that are sensitive to gluten but aren’t full blown celiacs. These people
would also benefit greatly from a gluten-free diet.
If you’re reading this suspecting you have a
sensitivity or Celiac Disease and are all like
“GREAT. MY SYSTEM’S ALL JACKED
UP AND I’M DOOMED A LIFE OF MALABSORPTION AND NO PIZZA!?!”
... I’m here to tell
you that there IS life after gluten. Here are some tips to get you on track!
1. First of all, our bodies are awesome
self-healing machines - but they need the right support and environment to do
what they gotta do. That’s where a gluten free diet can help significantly.
When you take out the gluten from your diet, you’re giving your digestive
system a huge break to finally start healing and absorbing the nutrients that
you need!
2. Check out Gluten Free Diet by
Shelley Case and Wheat Belly by William
Davis to get the lowdown on
all things wheat ‘n gluten. They provide a wealth of info and insight, and will
def be great resources if you’re looking to cut the stuff out.
3. YOU HAVE OPTIONS. Lots of them. Besides foods
like vegetables, fruits, and meat (um, that covers a lot right there!), there’s
also rice, buckwheat, teff, amaranth, quinoa, and corn that you can put on your
safe list.
For a person who’s gluten intolerant, going
gluten free can be life changing.
Here are some awesome gluten free resources and
options to check out:
websites/blogs
www.celiac.com
www.glutenfreediet.ca
Gluten Intolerance Group
www.glutenfreepassport.com
Celiac Chicks
Whole Life Nutrition
products
Breads:
Food for Life
Whole Foods (the store) gluten free bakery
Organic corn tortillas
products
Breads:
Food for Life
Whole Foods (the store) gluten free bakery
Organic corn tortillas
Flours/mixes:
Bob’s Red Mill
Pasta:
Tinkyada (rice pasta - LOVE this brand)
Ancient Harvest
In my humble opinion, we could all use a little
less gluten in our diets. But remember, life is NOT about deprivation - so get
out there, explore and experiment! You just might find that a life sans gluten
is just the thing you’ve been needing.
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