As a society we live in a world that demands certain boundaries regarding our right to live safe and healthy lives.  We have laws and rules in place to uphold these boundaries and become outraged if someone steps outside of these.  We live by rules to keep us safe and our children and families safe... I can't imagine a mother allowing someone to put her child in a car without being properly secured and last time I checked playing in traffic was still a no go.  We can't steal a BMW because we are bored with our Mazda and we can't physically harm someone who has wronged us.  There are serious repercussions if you want to walk this road.
We condemn world leaders who abuse their country men and we watch in horror when natural disasters turn into man made disasters.  I think we would all agree that to live in a world free of Nuclear energy is something that needs to be seriously explored.  We are currently waging war against leaders who would happily see the uprising against them squashed and could care less about the blood that is spilled to achieve this.

So someone please tell me WHY??? 

WHY do we still sit and argue that we can eat whatever we want, when we want, abuse our bodies and live with total indulgence in terms of food when it is a PROVEN FACT that unhealthy foods and poor nutrition contribute to serious illness including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, strokes, osteoporosis, birth defects etc????

It's NOT OK for others to inflict pain, suffering, disease or death on us but we can choose this for ourselves and for our families?  When are we going to realize that boundaries and rules around food are NOT optional and that those of us grounded in a healthy lifestyle take these boundaries seriously?  How I choose to live my life does not guarantee me longevity or a life free of disease but just like playing in traffic I think I will take my chances and abstain.   Sure I may jaywalk from time to time, just like I may have an incredibly decedent bowl of vanilla ice cream drizzled with caramel occasionally, but I am OK with the boundaries that my lifestyle requires on a daily basis.  Perhaps if more people shared my vision and lived with more nutritional boundaries the billions of dollars that are spent yearly on health care could be put to other uses.... I know I can think of a few places this money could be put to good use.

I will step off my soap box now but leave you with this quote that I hope inspires you to think more about setting some of your own nutritional boundaries and embracing a healthier lifestyle.

"Make time for health now or be forced to make time for illness later".

Now ... go eat some vegetables!

-L

OH Nuts!

Nuts we all love them but these tasty little gems need a little light shed on them so let me flick the switch for all of you.

Nutritionally speaking we get many great qualities from nuts.  They are rich in monounsaturated fat and have a pretty neutral effect on health.  They don't really hurt us nor have they been proven to drastically improve our health.  They don't increase our blood cholesterol levels but nor do they really decrease them (this excludes walnuts which are actually a rich source of Omega 3 fatty acids which have been proven to decrease these cholesterol levels).  Nuts fall into the category of Omega 6 fatty acids and our diets tend to be quite prevalent in this type of Omega's.  Please note I am generalizing here and each nut has a very unique nutritional make up but this is just to give you some basic understanding.
60% or more of the calories in nuts come from fats so WHY do we continue to look at them as being predominately a protein?  Yes, there is protein in nuts and significant amounts in some, however, if your goal is weight loss, looking great and feeling great then its time to take a hard look at these high calorie delights.

Would you consider oatmeal a protein?  Most of us understand that this is a carbohydrate and are completely unaware of the protein content.  Did you know that spinach also contains protein?  Partial proteins are residual in MOST foods we eat, but when I look at foods I categorize a macro nutrient based on the question "what (protein, carbs or fat) is providing the greatest % of calories".  This is how I enable clients to place boundaries on foods while still being able to choose and enjoy them at their discretion without fear of weight gain or overeating.

Nuts are good for us... great, we all know and understand this, but if you are turning to these to fuel your protein needs and you are not a vegetarian put down the bag of almonds and step away.  There is a time and a place to utilize this compact caloric source but when weight loss is the goal you MUST be mindful of them and ALL your fats, good, bad and ugly.

Treat them as a fat, all be it a good fat,  but give them the respect they deserve.  Eat them and enjoy but moderation here is key.  They must be consumed in their raw unprocessed state (sorry roasted and salted isn't going to cut it). 

8 almonds will give you 5 grams of fat (or 45 calories from fat) BUT only 2 grams of protein (or 8 calories).
In the battle of you VS a bathing suit ready bottom you can see how from a calorie stand point these really add up quickly.

Remember calories from fat are 9 per gram and calories from protein are only 4.  Again, unless you are vegetarian, stick to getting your protein from true sources (animal or soy based) and keep your fats present in your meal plan but strictly measured and under control. 

Over the next few weeks I will be talking more about fats and making sure you understand the power they have to help you achieve great results or how quickly they can unravel all your hard work.

-L

This is not a fitness related post but more of a celebration and to honor all the clients, friends (and maybe even myself) who are nearing or crossing into the land of the 40's.  Its a great time to be a woman and personally life seems to keep getting better the more years I walk through it....

Andy Rooney was onto something with this commentary.  Enjoy the read!


Women over 40

As I grow in age, I value women who are over 40 most of all. Here are just a few reasons why........

A woman over 40 will never wake you in the middle of the night to ask,"What are you thinking?" She doesn't care what you think.
If a woman over 40 doesn't want to watch the game, she doesn't sit around whining about it. She does something she wants to do. And, it's usually something more interesting.

Women over 40 are dignified. They seldom have a screaming match with you at the opera or in the middle of an expensive restaurant. Of course, if you deserve it, they won't hesitate to shoot you, if they think they can get away with it.

Older women are generous with praise, often undeserved. They know what it's like to be unappreciated.

Women get psychic as they age. You never have to confess your sins to a woman over 40.

Once you get past a wrinkle or two, a woman over 40 is far sexier than her younger counterpart.

Older women are forthright and honest. They'll tell you right off if you are a jerk or if you are acting like one! You don't ever have to wonder where you stand with her.

Yes, we praise women over 40 for a multitude of reasons. Unfortunately, it's not reciprocal. For every stunning, smart, well-coiffed hot woman of 40 , there is a bald, paunchy relic in yellow pants making a fool of himself with some 22-year-old waitress. Ladies, I apologize.

For all those men who say, "Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free". Here's an update for you: Nowadays 80 percent of women are against marriage, why? Because women realize it's not worth buying an entire Pig, just to get a little sausage.

-L