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Archive for the ‘Nutrition’ Category
Thursday, April 19th, 2012
I recently asked holistic nutritionist Kitty Martone for tips on juicing and blending. What’s the difference, and is one better than the other? Check out Kitty’s expert advice and recommended brands:
Juicing & Blending are two different animals.
Blending is preferred because it’s the whole vegetable, fiber and all, plus minimal damage to the vegetable compared to being juiced. However, you can’t get as many minerals because you get full on all that fiber so fast.
Juicing is awesome for concentrated mineral uptake in large volume.
So I do 1 green smoothie (blended) in the morning and 2 to 3 quarts of veggie juice throughout the day (pre-juiced).
I have a Vitamix blender that you could probably run over with your car and it would still work – love it.
I also have an Omega Upright 350 Masticating juicer. It literally chews the vegetables up and there is less damage and it yields a bit more juice than the ones that spin like the Breville and the Jack LaLanne. These juicers ‘damage’ or oxidate the juice more by spinning the vegetables.
The best option is the Norwalk juicer. This presses the juice and is 100% not damaged. However, it’s really pricey and really high maintenance. That being said, I had a Jack LaLanne for 2 years and loved it.
For a person who’s just starting, I say just get the damn juice in you! But when you’re getting particular and good at it, then a masticating juicer is best. In my experience and preference. 
Thanks, Kitty!
Image: gadl
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Tuesday, March 6th, 2012
Remember that there is a difference between added sugars and naturally occurring carbohydrates.
It takes longer for the body to absorb natural carbohydrates and because they create a stronger sense of satiation, there is less risk that you will eat too much food. Therefore, an orange is more satisfying than an orange soda.
Here are the good carbs to keep in your diet:
- Whole Grains such as brown rice, oats, barley, whole grain bread and pasta
- Beans and Legumes such as chickpeas, black beans, edamame, and lentils
- Nuts and Seeds such as almonds, flaxseeds, walnuts, and pumpkin seeds
- Fruits and Vegetables of all kinds; spinach and berries are great choices
Related: The Truth About Carbs
Image: korosirego
Tags: carbohydrates, carbs
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Thursday, January 12th, 2012
The purpose of a detox is to cleanse the body of toxins that have accumulated in the body. While some dieters turn to fasting as a detox method, a safer, more nutritionally sound approach is based on ingesting natural fruit and vegetable juices. A well-balanced combination of fresh, raw juices is not only fat-free but also provides the body with concentrated vitamins, enzymes, and antioxidants. These help the body flush out toxins, leading to increased energy, vitality, and fat loss.
You can detox naturally by just eating fruits and vegetables for about a week and, of course, drinking tons of water.
Try this easy detox juice for breakfast:
4 carrots
1/2 cup fresh spinach
Handful flat leaf parsley
2-3 sticks celery
Juice all ingredients, putting celery through last. Mix with water to taste or drink neat, your preference.
Here are a few other good recipes:
• Apple Cucumber Juice
• Beet, Carrot, Apple, & Ginger Juice
• Green Juice
Image: gadl
Tags: detox, juice, juicing
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Tuesday, December 20th, 2011
Cold weather might not be the best motivator in terms of going out and exercising, but being stuck indoors is a great opportunity to get reacquainted with your kitchen and focus on healthy nutrition. Get ready to dig in to these nourishing winter foods…
Citrus Fruits
Seasonal citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruits, and tangerines brighten up winter days and contain vitamin C to boost the immune system during cold and flu season. Citrus fruits are also good sources of cancer-fighting phytochemicals like flavonoids. Eat them out of hand or add them to warming drinks like Natural Cough Control Tea and Warm Grapefruit Tea.
Root Vegetables
Carrots, parsnips, and turnips are the humble, yet comforting, vegetables of winter. Roasted, mashed, or puréed, these vegetables provide us with vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Think roots are boring? Try these recipes from Eating Well and you might very well change your mind.
Winter Squashes
Pumpkin, acorn squash, spaghetti squash … the whole spectrum of winter squashes is colorful, sweet, and full of antioxidants and vitamins A and C. You can learn more about the world of winter squashes and find some easy ways to prepare them over at Women’s Health.
Comfort Food
Let’s face it, we all want some comfort food this time of year. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be unhealthy! For nutritious, filling recipes, check out these Hearty Soups and Stews and 5 Healthy Muffin Recipes.
Do you have any favorite winter recipes to share?
Live Life Loud!
Want the tools to develop life-long health habits?
Check out my e-book, Your Life Force: Training for Strength & Harmony.
Image: Florian Schroiff
Tags: citrus fruits, comfort food, recipes, root vegetables, winter, winter squashes
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Thursday, December 15th, 2011
 I must admit I have a fetish for cupcakes. It might seem irrational that, in the same breath, I advertise healthy diet habits, saying you are what you eat (which would make me a cupcake – not too shabby!), and then I bring up my cupcake adoration! Perhaps I should explain my cupcake philosophy…
There is a delicate balance between being able to tickle your senses in all ways and living neither a restricted nor a decadent life. I believe I walk that fine line every day. I know you are probably laughing at the fact that I’m psychoanalyzing my Sunday joy, but wait, there is a point…
For my personal growth and exploration, I like to feel that I can enjoy things and say “yes” or “no” without feeling guilty or regretful. But only theorizing about this concept is not enough – it must be a well-known mind map. Put into action, it can involve a “no” to the request of a dear family member when I have overextended myself, or perhaps a humble stepping back when the ego has taken over.
When it comes to nutrition and fitness, I like to eat healthy and feed my body with the gifts of the earth. I also like the small instant gratification of eating the sugar and then being able to say “no more” and stop – without guilt. I enjoy moving and exercising. But I also need the balance of not keeping a rigid 7-day fitness schedule.
I believe creating a healthy balance keeps us in a place of learning to choose and make decisions based upon listening to ourselves, and not reacting with compulsive behaviors. Restricted, compulsive behaviors are imprisoning, taking away the freedom we are born with.
My cupcake might be your [fill in the blank] indulgence that you can learn to enjoy and then keep at bay. You can learn to do anything. It is your choice to begin, to change direction, to stop, and, most of all, to feel, smell, taste the journey you are taking.
So there – a whole philosophy in a cupcake. The looking forward to it. The allowing it to happen. The utter enjoyment of sharing it with friends. The giggles when going on and on about the fetish. And then yet another reason to do that fun fun workout class one more time…
Live Life Loud!
Image: clevercupcakes
Tags: balance, cupcakes, guilt, indulgences
Posted in Fitness, Nutrition | No Comments »
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