The Power of Fruits and Veggies
6:36 PM - Posted by Amber Finch - 0 comments
Did you know you can enjoy eating healthy.. Believe it or not I actually like eating broccoli, beets, kale, even sauerkraut. Just like we can train our minds to learn more, we can teach our bodies to crave healthier foods. The reason is that once our bodies start receiving what is essential to make it function properly, it acknowledges this and begins to crave more.
I’m not here to tell you to stop eating junk food, I am here to teach you the importance of adding more healthier foods to your diet. Did you know that the American cancer society recommends 9-13 servings of fruits and veggies a day? Does anyone actually do this ? do you know why the cancer society says to do this? I would like to help you understand some basic concepts proven scientifically of the power behind eating plants.

Think about how intricate our bodies are designed. We all began from a single embryo, and now we an integrated body system of organs, tissues, cells and cell products all working synergistic ally together to help us live.

Every minute of every day we breath in oxygen and breath out carbon dioxide. It sounds simple, yet if we look how cells replenish it is astonishing how easily these cells can either function properly or they can get out of control. Cells are constantly diving and looking for another partner to attach with. These roaming cells are called free radicals.
When oxygen free radicals damage cromosones, cell lose their ability to control basic functions, than they will multiply out of control and this is the beginning of cancers and diseases. This also attributes to why we age.

Just as complex as our cells, plants are the only other living species that has a very similar cellular structure to our own. Plants can also be damaged by free radicals but, unlike us, nature has given plants the ability to produce natural compounds to defend themselves against the wild “free radical" molecules. These natural compounds are received from the sun and are called antioxidants. These Antioxidants attack those free radicals and keep them from getting out of control. And they can only be found in plants. When you eat plants, their antioxidants enter your bloodstream and protect you in the same way.

You’ve all heard of beta carotene, vitamin c, lycopene, vitamin e etc… these are all forms of antioxidants that can be found in fruits, veggies, legumes, beans and grains, anything that grows from the ground. all variety of plants contain a different nutrient or vitamin essential to our bodies.
This is why, its not only important to eat just an apple a day, but a variety of plants. There are hundreds of thousands of antioxidant nutrients in one a single apple. When vitamins are produced, they are extracted from the plants, and carry only a small portion of all those nutrients. Plus, when its extracted, it damages the cellular structure of the nutrients that are working together to form that complete essential vitamin that our cells need to replenish.
What happens is when an isolated viamin enters your body, the cells recognize it as a source of nutrients, BUT since it is only a portion of that nutrient, the cell will pull from other areas of your body to make it a complete structure it can use and recognize. So, it actually starts depleting minerals and vitamins from other parts of your body and in the long run makes your body deficient in other areas. This is why they are finally coming out with studies that vitamins do your body more harm than good and that you get better nutrients from eating the whole foods.

Take a look in your medicine cabinet and read the label, guaranteed it will say “supplement facts” this is because its not considered a whole food, it’s an isolated portion of a whole food, making it a supplement. The only product I have ever seen that reads “nutrient facts” is juice plus. And if you read the ingredients listed, all it says is parsley, kale spinach broccoli cabbage.. actually 17 organic fruits and veggies. Juice Plus is allowed to read “nutrient facts” because it is recognized as a whole food, and I just explained to you why whole foods are so essential to our bodies

I hope that you see now why the cancer society recommends 9-13 and it is to protect your health, your cells and even slow the aging process. So please try and add as many fruits, veggies, legumes, beans, grains to your diet as possible and try experimenting with new ones. You, too can begin to feed your body what it essentially needs and help protect your DNA from future damage.


Does it Cost more to Eat Healthy?
6:59 AM - Posted by Amber Finch - 0 comments



With this economic crisis, we are all a little more conscientious where our money is going. There seems to be this preconceived notion that eating healthfully costs more, but actually with the right tactic the monthly food bill should lessen. Making healthier choices causes the grocery bill to go down, because of redirected spending. Calculate the money spent on restaurants, fast food, vending machines, and even supplements/vitamins and redirect this on healthier, more fiber filling foods, your not only saving on the grocery bill, but investing in your families future health! Are you spending money on negative nutrition or investing in positive nutrition? Maybe a lb of organic grapes seems too expensive at 2.50, yet can spend 2.50 on a bag of Doritos. Cutting out eating bacon for breakfast, and you can afford berries on your oatmeal. We need to think about how much nutrition we’re getting for our money. Who would fill their gas tank with coolaid, in the same way, we need to fill our tanks with the correct fuel. The goal isn’t just to fill the tank with anything, but with fuel that makes it run better..

Comparing disease rates to various populations, the poorer the nation, the less degenerative conditions (disease and weight problems that are related to malnutrition). These people eat a diet consisting mostly of plant foods, fruits, veggies, legumes, nuts and seeds, and usually consume little if any processed and refined foods. Wealthy populations can afford “luxuries”- like steaks, fast food and packaged foods. Degenerative diseases are higher in the areas where people are spending more on foods that worse for you. We should definitely take a look and learn from this, by consuming more foods that are nutrient rich, and fiber filling, rather than spending on empty calories

Some great steps to take in this direction would be first to cut back on those packaged foods, do most of your shopping in the perimeter of the store. It’s good to plan ahead and make a list, and have some ideas of meals that you can prepare for the week. I always stock up on goods that I know can be used in a variety of meals, like beans, whole wheat grains, brown rice, bags of frozen veggies/ fruits and canned vegetables. Drink water instead of buying sugary drinks and sodas. Another great way to save money is to buy in bulk. For ex: lb of oats is 1.19 compared to the prepackaged ½ lb for 2.50. Beans, grains, these can all be bought cheaper by the lb. A great place that offers a huge selection of bulk bins is Winco. Costco is a great place to buy big family size bags of frozen vegetables, fruit, salad greens, vegetables and canned beans and they also carry a variety of free range and organic meats at a reasonable price. Trader Joes offers great healthy snacking alternatives such as trails mixes, dried fruit, cereals, breads, and “sweet and salty” replacements that can even trick the kids, and compared to a normal grocery store I have found Trader Joes to offer very competitive prices.
I do encourage a low consumption of meat diet, (10% or less of daily calories). By consuming smaller portions of animal foods less often, you can afford to improve the quality of animal foods you are buying, and this is another example of redirected spending. Quick ex: 1.99 lb, serve 8 ounces to 4 fam members, results in 3.98 per wk, average 15.92 per month. Organic costs twice as much- 3.98 lb, but consume it every other wk and portions are 4 ounces instead of 8, cost per month is 7.98, even though the food is organic and more expensive, you will be spending wiser and be protecting the fam from unneeded antibiotics, steroids and hormones and have money left to spend on other more nutritious fuel! Rethinking and redirecting our spending will not only help save money, but get more bang for the buck! And there will be money left to spend on a fun night out.


Nutrition for Athletes
6:57 AM - Posted by Amber Finch - 0 comments

Being active does not equate to being healthy. In fact, as an athlete we are putting our bodies under more stress and thus must become more aware of what we are fueling our bodies with. Nutritional misinformation can do as much harm to an athlete as good nutrition can help. Optimal nutrition is essential for peak performance.
Some key points to remember:
Plenty of water is essential. Of course you should always begin an event well hydrated, but its just as important to keep drinking during an event, it helps prevent cramping, fatigue and lower the body temperature.
Carbohydrates are what the body uses for energy during a workout. Since this is the body’s main energy source it should compromise about 70% of daily calories. Complex carbs or “healthy” carbs are found in fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes.
Fats also provide energy for the body, but fat is not as readily available as Carbs; it is used more during prolonged activities. This is why you must be aware of the fat intake amount; it also needs to be the correct kind of fat. I am not talking about chocolate cake and candy, but “essential” fatty acids. They are “essential” because our bodies need them to function but cannot make them on their own, they must be obtained from foods. They are good fats and come from Omega 3s and Omega 6s. These can be found in seeds, nuts, avocados, fatty fish like tuna and salmon, certain oils (safflower, sunflower) and select grains (flax, quinoa). So we definitely want to consume them, but in moderation.
Protein provides energy after carbohydrates and fat are burned, and any excess protein will be stored as fat, so protein (unlike common misconception) should be the smallest portion of an athletes diet, anyone’s diet really! High protein amounts throw off the body’s natural balance, and can cause many of the diseases and sicknesses occurring in our nation. Not only that, but as an athlete it restricts the body from properly burning the carbs and fats for fuel during a workout, which can also lead to dehydration.
Minerals and vitamins are essential to an athlete, as heavy exercise depletes the body’s supply of potassium, iron, calcium and sodium. But, another misconception is that we need to replenish these with supplements, this is a huge no-no, because that can cause excessive amounts of these vitamins and minerals in your body, which will actually do you more harm than good. The best sources of these are through foods, and if you are already eating plenty complex carbs, these will already be amply supplied to the body. For an athlete and the loss of specific minerals and vitamins through sweat, it is good to consume high potassium, high mineral foods such as bananas, potatoes and citrus fruits.
General pre-race guidelines to stick with are to avoid high sugar foods (they will cause an energy spike high and low) and high fat meals (fat takes longer to digest). Leave plenty of time for your body to digest a meal before a race and consume complex carbs which are easier for the body to break down. During a race, drink plenty of water and avoid sodas and high sugar replacement drinks, which will also cause a spike in energy. Following a race it is good to eat within half an hour in order for the body to properly recover and replenish the lost fuel that occurred during a race.
This is a diet that every athlete should try and maintain not just during race time but all the time. You can never make up in a few days, a week or months worth of bad food choices. And remember everyone’s body does respond a little differently, so it is good to pay attention to what does and does not work specifically for you pre and post race. So, choice wisely, train hard, have fun and win win win!!