Archive for the ‘Nutrition!’ Category
Nov19
You’ve got to be kidding!
I’m not much of a TV watcher. Besides nightly re-runs of “King of Queens” and an occasional ever-perplexing episode of “Lost”, I really have no idea what’s going on out there in TV land. Truthfully, I’m really not interested. I want to experience my own life, not get caught up in someone else’s drama.
Last week however, the TV really did catch my attention. I was making my bed between Boot Camps (you know, as neat as my hubby is, in our 25 years of marriage, I think he’s made it twice) and turned on the TV to try to catch up on the news.
While putting my favorite terry-covered body pillow on the bed, I heard the most blatant deception I have ever experienced in a commercial:
“There is nothing wrong with High Fructose Corn Syrup. It comes from corn and can actually be good for you.”
I nearly tripped on a slipper and passed out.
No wonder we are all confused in America! We’re getting
bombarded on every side with conflicting information.
How about these claims:
1. “Cheerios can help lower your cholesterol”
You’ve got to be kidding. Eating processed grains can actually make your cholesterol rise! Cheerios only has 1 gram of soluble fiber per serving. Ditch the box! Eat the oatmeal, not the highy processed cereal made from oats. Yes, oatmeal is GREAT for you…but the kind God would recognize.
2. “Milk does a body good”
You’ve got to be kidding. Check this link out for some very interesting ideas on milk consumption.
The Milk Letter
Our bodies are not equipped to digest conventional milk. Many of us are intolerant and have no idea that many of our health issues are tied in with pasteurized milk consumption. Did you know that a calf will die after 30 days of drinking pasteurized milk?
If you have to drink milk, organic is a must and raw is a much better choice. My suggestion is to try Lite Almond Milk that has no sugar added.
Commercials are responsible for one thing: Selling us their product. Deception that is duping the public into believing that they’re living a healthy lifestyle is rampant. Sharpen your Baloney detector! Be an informed consumer.
Now, about that High Fructose Corn Syrup.
“There is nothing wrong with High Fructose Corn Syrup. It comes from corn and can actually be good for you.”
You’ve got to be kidding!
The latest stats say that new cases of diabetes have increased by 90% in the last 10 years. That means that diabetes or pre-diabetes will now strike 1 in every 4 Americans!
Scientists have clearly linked, time and time again, the use of HFCS to the epidemics (yes, epidemics) of obesity, diabetes and metabolic syndrome in America.
But despite all of the hard scientific evidence, the industry persists in claiming these findings are untrue. They feel that HFCS is the same as sugar.
Am I the only one, or does this remind you a bit of the tobacco companies fervent denial of the link between lung cancer and smoking?
Here’s a great video for you to put in your arsenal:
High Fructose Corn Syrup Deception
So, how much High Fructose Corn Syrup is in YOUR diet?
Start reading the labels of the products you have in your home right now. You’ll be shocked to see that it can be found in every type of processed, pre-packaged food that you can think of.
Trying to lose body fat? Check out this research done by Dr. Elizabeth Parks from the UT Southwestern Medical Center.
“Our study shows for the first time the surprising speed with which humans make body fat from fructose. Once you start the process of fat synthesis from fructose, it’s hard to slow it down. The bottom line of this study is that fructose very quickly gets made into fat in your body.”
Trying to improve your overall health? It’s really quite simple. To lose weight and decrease the risk of developing cancer, diabetes, heart disease and many other life-altering illnesses, drink pure water, (distilled is best….but not from the plastic jug), stop drinking soda and processed fruit juices and eat whole foods.
And by all means, refine your baloney detector!
Now, go shut the TV off, will ya?
Enjoying the journey,
Whitney Cabrera BSN, RN
Tags: boot camp, Florida, Lakeland Boot Camp, Lakeland Personal Trainer, Strategic Boot Camp, Strategic Wellness, Whitney Cabrera
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Jul17
I hope all of you are following our meal plan template to the “T”!
That’s what it’s for…a sure fire way to do what you say you want to do:
“Lose at least 10 pounds.”
Just follow the plan…all you have to do is make sure the food is in your home and then eat them!
You know, you should NEVER have any waste of the veggies you buy every week. If you haven’t tried the “go to” menu quick veggie soup, give it a try! It’s a really easy way to use up those veggies. And, if you haven’t put this together yet, you could drink that soup ANY time you want during the day and not sabotage your weight loss efforts. It’s only veggies and broth. Free foods 
The goal I have for you this week is to load your life with greens! I hope I’ve been getting this across to you all, but want to take a few minutes to focus on why.
Clearly science says the following through numerous studies:
Following the plan will help you:
“Achieve optimal weight, eliminate chronic health problems, dramatically
reduce disease risk, regain energy you may have lost years ago, and enjoy a
newfound positive attitude and outlook on life! ”
Now who doesn’t want all of that…and just by changing your eating habits to include more veggies!
At the end of our 8 weeks together, you will find the following daily regimen quite easy to incorporate, but you STILL have to plan for it. It won’t happen on it’s own.
1. 2 lbs. of vegetables, 50-70 percent raw, half of them above-ground greens
2. 3-5 raw fruits
3. 1/2 -1 cup whole grains (cooked and/or sprouted)
4. 1/2- 1 cup legumes (cooked and/or sprouted)
5. 3-6 Tbsp. of fats found in vegetables, nuts, seeds, and the highest-quality
oils that are antioxidant- and lignin-rich, with omega fats (3, 6, and 9)
and essential fatty acids
6. Moderate amounts of lean, free range or organic protein sources.
This list is simple and straight forward. But here’s the adventure: You get the opportunity to learn to make these lifestyle changes in the company of MANY other delightful personalities. It’s more than a lifestyle change towards optimal health; it is a move to an adventure for your taste buds!
You’re going to have an opportunity to adopt a whole new repertoire of main dishes, snacks, salads, breakfasts and even smoothies. You will also learn to develop a new set of skills that will
enhance your family’s wellness.
Start eating those salads and green smoothies! Get your 2 pounds of veggies in today!
Tomorrow’s workout will be based on the Bosu’! Nothing like a little balance training!
Come ready to work!
Bring a green smoothie!
You will be receiving your first “challenge” in our competition tomorrow. Hope you’ll be able to get it done!
Enjoying the journey,
Tags: boot camp, bootcamp, circuit training, Lakeland Boot Camp, Lakeland Personal Trainer, Nutrition, Strategic Boot Camp, Strategic Wellness
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Jul12
This article is written by John Berardi, one of my mentors, and leading brilliant minds in physiology and nutritional research. Enjoy!
“Exercise Without Diet
A few weeks back I shared with you an article called “When Exercise Doesn’t Work.” And in this article, I reviewed some fascinating new research demonstrating that, without a dietary intervention, exercise doesn’t have much of an impact on body composition.
Even to the tune of 6 hours per week…Even when it’s high intensity exercise….participants following an exercise plan, without being cognizant of their nutritional intake, only tend to lose an extra pound of fat vs. those folks who do nothing for the same 12-16 weeks.
Disheartening, I know. But oh so true. Especially when supported by this new information I’m going to share with you today.
More Support For the “No Diet Hypothesis”
Just yesterday, I received an interesting email from Dr Gary Homann, a faculty member at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, MO. (Some of you may recall that we collaborated with Dr Homann a few years back and came up with some interesting insights, spotlighted here: Long Haul Training). Gary, intrigued by my last article, shared with me the results from a very telling study he completed back in 2003. Here’s what he found.
Two hours a day and they still got fatter!
In Dr Homann’s study, 56 girls between the ages of 14 and 17 – all of whom were in a program run by the South Dakota Department of Corrections – volunteered to get involved in a 4-6 month wellness program. The idea was to have the girls exercise for about 14 hours per week (2 hours per day consisting of various activities such as hiking, running, circuit training, step aerobics and basketball) while following the USDA Food Guide, as it appeared in 2003.
At the beginning of the study and again at the end, a host of measures were recorded, including:
* A step test and timed mile for cardiovascular fitness
* Height, weight, body mass index (BMI), skinfolds (for % body fat), waist and hips circumference for body composition
* Shuttle run for agility
* Standing jump, sit-ups and bench press test for muscular strength and endurance
* And sit-and-reach and straddle tests for flexibility
So, what happened? Well, as expected, cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength and endurance, agility, and flexibility all improved. That’s great!
What’s not so great is that body composition measures worsened. Instead of losing body weight and fat, these girls, on average, gained 6lbs, increased their waist circumference by 1/2 and inch, increased their hip circumference by 3/4 of an inch, and increased their body fat by over 1/2 a percentage point.
Now, I don’t know about you. But this isn’t exactly what I’d expect to happen if I went on a 14 hour per week exercise binge!
Exercise + The Food Pyramid
As you’d imagine, I’m kinda disappointed to learn that it’s actually possible to gain body fat when exercising 2 hours per day, every single day. You’re probably disappointed too. However, what’s even more disappointing is the fact that it’s possible while actually following a nutrition plan!
Remember, participants in this study were following the recommendations of the USDA – you know, that famous food pyramid that everyone talks about. The one that dietitians across the land recommend that we follow. The one recommending 6-11 servings of breads, cereals, and pastas each day.
(Now, it is true that the USDA has since changed their recommendations – for the better. But can you blame me if I’m a little gun shy on backing their new recommendations? Especially after the checkered history of the last food pyramid?)
Questions
Now, you might have some questions about the study design…as I did when first reading it.
After all, maybe the girls didn’t follow the USDA plan to a “T”…
Or maybe they were going thru puberty at the time of the study and that explains the fat gain…
Or maybe being put in a detention center isn’t exactly conducive to fat loss in the first place.
Well, after speaking with Dr. Homann, I’m pretty confident that these factors can’t really explain away the fact that these girls exercised for 2 hours every single day, while following the USDA’s guidelines, and got fatter.
For starters, the girls were living in a detention center and they were provided all their meals. So there wasn’t much room to cheat.
Further, the girls were starting out quite over fat. Indeed, their average body fat was just over 30% to begin with. So they did have fat to lose. And their fat gain can’t be explained by simply “getting older” or “puberty”.
Let’s Bottom Line This
I could probably go on and on here…but I’ll spare you that. Instead, I’d like to simple say the following. The data are pouring in.And they paint a pretty clear picture. If you want to look better, feel better, and perform at the top of your game, you definitely have to exercise…(although 14 hours a week probably isn’t necessary).
But, even more importantly, you’ve got to look after your nutrition – specifically what you eat, how much you eat, and when you eat it. Indeed, without the right nutritional intake, you simply can’t expect inspiring, noticeable results. Heck, in some cases, you might even expect to get worse! So don’t leave your nutrition up to chance.”
I hope you enjoyed this article. This is what I do for fun Anyhow, in Strategic Boot Camp you are leaving nothing to chance. Your exercise, homework and nutrition have all been carefully planned to bring you the best results. All you need to do is follow it. 100% compliance is NOT necessary to obtain great results, but 90% is.
It’s going to be a great week! I can hardly wait to see all of the success tomorrow night at our 7:30 weigh in!
Tomorrow’s workout is called “Excuse Me!”
Probably due to all of the Burpees.
See you early or on time!
Enjoying the journey,
Whitney
Tags: Lakeland Boot Camp, Lakeland Personal Trainer, Nutritional Importance, Rapid Fat Loss, Sunscreen Dangers
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Jun29
The only word I could think of as I was indulging in my dinner this evening was the adjective, “BEAUTIFUL!”
One of my special personal training clients uses this word all the time, so Jeanie, I think you’re rubbing off on me! This healthy eating dish certainly fit the bill!
Marinated Tomato/Basil Salad
Fresh, organic cherry tomatoes
President’s Non-Fat Feta Cheese
15 leaves of FRESH, whole Sweet Basil, chopped fine. (Thanks Kellie)
1 T Flax Oil or Olive Oil
Dash of Celtic Sea or Himalayan Salt,
A Grind or two of fresh pepper.
Mix together and enjoy!
If you don’t have any, fresh Basil, don’t use the dried version. Plant your own or buy a plant already started at the farmer’s market or Publix and keep it in your window sill. It will last for weeks (if you water it )
Bon Appetite!
Tags: Beautiful Food!, healthy eating, Strategic Wellness, Tomato Basil Salad
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Jun21
I was laughing with my husband on the way to church this morning, wondering what the sermon topic would be for Father’s Day.
It seems that on Mother’s Day, we moms are highly esteemed and congratulated on being so self-sacrificing, stable,loving and long suffering. (I wonder how many other mothers join me in sitting there and remembering all of the times that we weren’t so much that way)
Fathers, on the other hand. on their special day, are generally are issued some sort of a challenge on how to do a better job at being a Dad; How to be more involved. How to take their leadership role in the home more seriously. How to love their wife more and therefore be a better dad. etc.
The teaching was on peace (We’re in the middle of a sermon series on the Fruit of the Spirit. ) Consequently, we came away from church with the message that peace doesn’t rely on our outward circumstances. It can be had in the midst of strife. As all you parents know, parenthood can be tumultuous at times!
Afterwards, my husband decided he didn’t want to go out to a restaurant to celebrate (we hate lines), but instead he opted to grill! The kids were so excited as this is the first time the grill has been out this summer! So, on Father’s Day, my husband worked and sweat over a hot grill while our children swam, anticipating the fabulous meal he was preparing.
The food was fantastic! It was beautiful! It was healthy! So, I decided to take a few pictures and send you all the “recipes” on how to create a Healthy Cookout!
(more…)
Tags: Father's Day, Florida, Healthy Grilling, Lakeland, recipe, Recipes, RN, Strategic Boot Camp, Whitney Cabrera BSN
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