The Journey
Hi Everyone!
Ok, I did it again. I disappeared. But after thinking all the time of how I need to get on this and then getting really slapped on the hand today about not keeping up with my blog I am determined to get on here and share not only what is going on with Flexstar but the wonderful knowledge that is passed on to me by the wonderful people I am blessed to meet! So I am back and I am here to stay - so check back often!
I am always asked “give me a diet”. Before I go any further let me just say that I don’t want you to see this all as a DIET. I don’t like to just focus on the destination – it is a journey, a journey through life. Let’s make this fun and doable, a WAY OF LIFE. I like to follow the 80 / 20 Rule. 80 percent of the time I eat clean, 20 percent of the time I have the fun stuff I want! I believe you should “Eat to live, not live to eat!”. Does that make sense? Don’t say to yourself I can NEVER have that fun thing again. Right there you set yourself up for failure. That is how the human mind works. You can have those fun things – when you do enjoy them and then get back to the healthy stuff! I promise you that you will not only feel better and look better – you will realize that you have power over food not the other way around and this “way of life” will start to come so easy to you!
Ok, we have talked about the 20 percent of the fun time and got that down. NOW, let’s get the 80 percent of the “eating to live” part down. This does not have to be so hard, so stressful. We do have many easy choices out there – we just have to recognize them.
We need to eat meals that are comprised of protein, carbohydrates and fat – yes, fat, we need some fat! We need to identify what these three are first.
Proteins are the building blocks of muscle, enzymes, and some hormones. They are made up of amino acids and are essential for growth and repair in the body. A gram of protein contains four calories. Those from animal sources, chicken, fish, beef, turkey,… contain the essential amino acids. Those from vegetable sources, beans, peanuts,… contain some but not all of the essential amino acids. Proteins are broken up by the body to produce amino acids. These amino acids then serve as those building blocks to build muscle.
Carbohydrates are the fuel source for the body. The different types of carbohydrates include starches, sugars, and fibers. Carbohydrates contain four calories per gram. Every carbohydrate is broken down to glucose – the simplest sugar molecule found in the blood and used as the basic fuel for the body. But all carbs are not created equal and in fact they behave quite differently in our bodies. The glycemic index or GI describes the difference by ranking carbohydrates according to their effect on our blood glucose levels. Choosing low GI carbs – the ones that produce small fluctuations in our blood glucose and insulin levels leading to more of an even energy level and keeping you feeling fuller for longer between meals – is the secret to long term health reducing your risk of heart disease and diabetes and is the key to sustainable weight loss! GI’s 55 and under are considered low, 56 -69 are medium, and 70 and above are high. Examples of some good low GI carb choices are beans, oatmeal, yams, peas, cashew nuts, nonfat/no sugar added yogurt, bananas, peach, lentils whole wheat, oat bran,…. You can go online and check out more!
The fact is: we all need fats. Fats helps nutrient absorption, nerve transmission, maintaining cell membrane integrity, and fat is necessary in fat loss! Fats contain nine calories per gram. Fats are not created equal. Some fats promote our health positively while others increase our risks of heart disease. The key is to replace bad fats with good fats in our diet.
Monounsaturated fats (MUFAs) lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) while increasing HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol). Nuts including peanuts, walnuts, almonds and pistachios, avocado, canola and olive oil are high in MUFAs. MUFAs have also been found to help in weight loss, particularly body fat.
Polyunsaturated fats also lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. Seafood like salmon and fish oil, as well as corn, soy, safflower and sunflower oils are high in polyunsaturated fats. Omega 3 fatty acids belong to this group.
Saturated fats raise total blood cholesterol as well as LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol). Saturated fats are mainly found in animal products such as meat, dairy, eggs and seafood. Some plant foods are also high in saturated fats such as coconut oil, palm oil and palm kernel oil.
Trans fats are invented as scientists began to "hydrogenate" liquid oils so that they can withstand better in food production process and provide a better shelf life. As a result of hydrogenation, trans fatty acids are formed. Trans fatty acids are found in many commercially packaged foods, commercially fried food such as French Fries from some fast food chains, other packaged snacks such as microwaved popcorn as well as in vegetable shortening and hard stick margarine.
What can we do?
• avoid using cooking oils that are high in saturated fats and/or trans fats such as coconut oil, palm oil or vegetable shortening. Instead, use oils that are low in saturated fats and high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats such as canola oil, olive oil and flax seed oil.
• minimize using commercially packaged foods which are high in trans fats. Always read labels to look for trans-fat free alternatives.
• as saturated fats are found in animals products, use lower-fat version dairy such as 1% or skim milk instead of whole milk. Trim visible fats and skins from meat products.
Now let’s put together a starting point of tips that everyone should follow.
First everyone should eat a balanced breakfast no ore than one hour within waking. This will jumpstart the metabolism – the use of nutrients (calories,..) by the body. We want to increase your metabolic rate so you are a fat burning machine! Eating this breakfast can also help prevent cravings later on.
Ideally eating meals then every 3 hours – no longer than 4 – will help keep blood sugar levels at bay. When your blood sugar levels drop from not eating at all or not eating meals with protein, carbs and fat, you physically can crave sugar (it is not only in your mind!) setting yourself up for a roller coaster of a day and sabotaging your goals. So we want to try and get these meals in!
Make sure you are drinking water! Water is your body’s principal chemical component, making up, on average, 60 percent of your body weight. Every system in your body depends on water. Water flushes toxins and carries nutrients to your cells. Lack of water can lead to dehydration and even mild dehydration can drain your energy, make your tired and produce major cravings. Drinking water will also help us feel full when we are eating so we can avoid overeating! The “eight 8-ounce rule” is a good place to start – eight 8 ounce glasses of water a day. Exercising, the climate you live in, your health status,… increase the amount of water your body needs. We want to drink enough water to rarely feel thirsty! So drink up!
Getting enough rest and consistent sleep is also a factor in reaching our goals. Lack of sleep can cause major fatigue, cravings and increased levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Research has shown a close connection between high cortisol levels and serious health problems such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, depression and osteoporosis. Increased cortisol will sabotage your long-term weight control!
Make sure you are fueling your body properly before and after exercise. Exercise uses fuel so it is important to eat a small balanced snack before exercise to prepare your body and keep blood sugar stable. It is important then to refuel after exercise restoring your glycogen storage (carbohydrate energy which is reserved in muscles) with some complex carbs and aiding your muscle building with good protein (only a small window of opportunity after our strength training to get that necessary protein in to maximize muscle growth).
Now we can get more specific with meals and supplementation that is going to help you reach your goals and KEEP you there! Again, this is not a destination, it is a journey, a lifestyle!!!!!!
See you all tomorrow!
Have a wonderful night!
xo - june
Ok, I did it again. I disappeared. But after thinking all the time of how I need to get on this and then getting really slapped on the hand today about not keeping up with my blog I am determined to get on here and share not only what is going on with Flexstar but the wonderful knowledge that is passed on to me by the wonderful people I am blessed to meet! So I am back and I am here to stay - so check back often!
I am always asked “give me a diet”. Before I go any further let me just say that I don’t want you to see this all as a DIET. I don’t like to just focus on the destination – it is a journey, a journey through life. Let’s make this fun and doable, a WAY OF LIFE. I like to follow the 80 / 20 Rule. 80 percent of the time I eat clean, 20 percent of the time I have the fun stuff I want! I believe you should “Eat to live, not live to eat!”. Does that make sense? Don’t say to yourself I can NEVER have that fun thing again. Right there you set yourself up for failure. That is how the human mind works. You can have those fun things – when you do enjoy them and then get back to the healthy stuff! I promise you that you will not only feel better and look better – you will realize that you have power over food not the other way around and this “way of life” will start to come so easy to you!
Ok, we have talked about the 20 percent of the fun time and got that down. NOW, let’s get the 80 percent of the “eating to live” part down. This does not have to be so hard, so stressful. We do have many easy choices out there – we just have to recognize them.
We need to eat meals that are comprised of protein, carbohydrates and fat – yes, fat, we need some fat! We need to identify what these three are first.
Proteins are the building blocks of muscle, enzymes, and some hormones. They are made up of amino acids and are essential for growth and repair in the body. A gram of protein contains four calories. Those from animal sources, chicken, fish, beef, turkey,… contain the essential amino acids. Those from vegetable sources, beans, peanuts,… contain some but not all of the essential amino acids. Proteins are broken up by the body to produce amino acids. These amino acids then serve as those building blocks to build muscle.
Carbohydrates are the fuel source for the body. The different types of carbohydrates include starches, sugars, and fibers. Carbohydrates contain four calories per gram. Every carbohydrate is broken down to glucose – the simplest sugar molecule found in the blood and used as the basic fuel for the body. But all carbs are not created equal and in fact they behave quite differently in our bodies. The glycemic index or GI describes the difference by ranking carbohydrates according to their effect on our blood glucose levels. Choosing low GI carbs – the ones that produce small fluctuations in our blood glucose and insulin levels leading to more of an even energy level and keeping you feeling fuller for longer between meals – is the secret to long term health reducing your risk of heart disease and diabetes and is the key to sustainable weight loss! GI’s 55 and under are considered low, 56 -69 are medium, and 70 and above are high. Examples of some good low GI carb choices are beans, oatmeal, yams, peas, cashew nuts, nonfat/no sugar added yogurt, bananas, peach, lentils whole wheat, oat bran,…. You can go online and check out more!
The fact is: we all need fats. Fats helps nutrient absorption, nerve transmission, maintaining cell membrane integrity, and fat is necessary in fat loss! Fats contain nine calories per gram. Fats are not created equal. Some fats promote our health positively while others increase our risks of heart disease. The key is to replace bad fats with good fats in our diet.
Monounsaturated fats (MUFAs) lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) while increasing HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol). Nuts including peanuts, walnuts, almonds and pistachios, avocado, canola and olive oil are high in MUFAs. MUFAs have also been found to help in weight loss, particularly body fat.
Polyunsaturated fats also lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. Seafood like salmon and fish oil, as well as corn, soy, safflower and sunflower oils are high in polyunsaturated fats. Omega 3 fatty acids belong to this group.
Saturated fats raise total blood cholesterol as well as LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol). Saturated fats are mainly found in animal products such as meat, dairy, eggs and seafood. Some plant foods are also high in saturated fats such as coconut oil, palm oil and palm kernel oil.
Trans fats are invented as scientists began to "hydrogenate" liquid oils so that they can withstand better in food production process and provide a better shelf life. As a result of hydrogenation, trans fatty acids are formed. Trans fatty acids are found in many commercially packaged foods, commercially fried food such as French Fries from some fast food chains, other packaged snacks such as microwaved popcorn as well as in vegetable shortening and hard stick margarine.
What can we do?
• avoid using cooking oils that are high in saturated fats and/or trans fats such as coconut oil, palm oil or vegetable shortening. Instead, use oils that are low in saturated fats and high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats such as canola oil, olive oil and flax seed oil.
• minimize using commercially packaged foods which are high in trans fats. Always read labels to look for trans-fat free alternatives.
• as saturated fats are found in animals products, use lower-fat version dairy such as 1% or skim milk instead of whole milk. Trim visible fats and skins from meat products.
Now let’s put together a starting point of tips that everyone should follow.
First everyone should eat a balanced breakfast no ore than one hour within waking. This will jumpstart the metabolism – the use of nutrients (calories,..) by the body. We want to increase your metabolic rate so you are a fat burning machine! Eating this breakfast can also help prevent cravings later on.
Ideally eating meals then every 3 hours – no longer than 4 – will help keep blood sugar levels at bay. When your blood sugar levels drop from not eating at all or not eating meals with protein, carbs and fat, you physically can crave sugar (it is not only in your mind!) setting yourself up for a roller coaster of a day and sabotaging your goals. So we want to try and get these meals in!
Make sure you are drinking water! Water is your body’s principal chemical component, making up, on average, 60 percent of your body weight. Every system in your body depends on water. Water flushes toxins and carries nutrients to your cells. Lack of water can lead to dehydration and even mild dehydration can drain your energy, make your tired and produce major cravings. Drinking water will also help us feel full when we are eating so we can avoid overeating! The “eight 8-ounce rule” is a good place to start – eight 8 ounce glasses of water a day. Exercising, the climate you live in, your health status,… increase the amount of water your body needs. We want to drink enough water to rarely feel thirsty! So drink up!
Getting enough rest and consistent sleep is also a factor in reaching our goals. Lack of sleep can cause major fatigue, cravings and increased levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Research has shown a close connection between high cortisol levels and serious health problems such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, depression and osteoporosis. Increased cortisol will sabotage your long-term weight control!
Make sure you are fueling your body properly before and after exercise. Exercise uses fuel so it is important to eat a small balanced snack before exercise to prepare your body and keep blood sugar stable. It is important then to refuel after exercise restoring your glycogen storage (carbohydrate energy which is reserved in muscles) with some complex carbs and aiding your muscle building with good protein (only a small window of opportunity after our strength training to get that necessary protein in to maximize muscle growth).
Now we can get more specific with meals and supplementation that is going to help you reach your goals and KEEP you there! Again, this is not a destination, it is a journey, a lifestyle!!!!!!
See you all tomorrow!
Have a wonderful night!
xo - june
posted by FLEXSTAR NEW AGE at 8:20 PM
2 Comments:
Positively inspiring June!!! Read this at 10:30 am, realized I hadn't eaten since I got up at 7:00. Paused in the midst of reading to eat, then resumed reading. Realized I hadn't had any water, paused got glass of water, 1 down, 7 to go. Continued reading, realized I hadn't been to the gym yet.... Well you see! In all seriousness, you write beautifully, convey your message in easy to manage chunks and inspire people to action. Thank you for taking the time and energy to write this, I, for one, am very grateful! Now, off to the gym
You Rock, Susie! I have you to thank to getting me back on the wagon! It helps me to read my words! I need the inspiration, too! Going to get you your Xmas present!!!!
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