Day 31- HCG Diet

New diets are always popping up, which makes it hard to know which one will actually work and which one isn't worth the money or effort. From the Atkins diet to the tapeworm diet, we are constantly hearing about the "new magic weight loss" scheme that is all the rage.

The newest diet that has been making the headlines lately is the HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) diet. Not only does the diet sound too good to be true, but it has also received a lot of negative media attention as well. Regardless, I have seen it in action and I have to admit that it works. Although I agree that the diet works, this doesn't mean that I condone the diet or think that anyone should go on it. I'm just here to give you some facts so that if you choose to, you can make your own informed decision.

HCG is a hormone that is produced in a pregnant woman. The HCG hormone is the reason that a pregnancy stick changes to pregnant or shows a smiley face, since the hormone is only made during pregnancy and is released in the urine when a women is pregnant. The purpose of the HCG hormone during pregnancy is to guarantee that a fetus receives the calories and nutrients that it needs to grow regardless of the woman's caloric intake. If a woman doesn't consume the nutrients needed for fetal growth, HCG will release storages of fat from her body to use as fuel for the fetus. HCG is only present in the body during the first part of pregnancy and will slowly taper off after the 14th week.

The HCG hormone was discovered to reduce excess weight in the 1950's by Dr. A.T.W Simeons. When Dr. Simeons started treating boys with underdeveloped gonads with the hormone and noticed that they were loosing excess weight with out any hunger pangs.

How Does the Diet Work?:

The diet is broken into 3 stages:

• Loading
• Burning
• Maintenance

There are several forms of the HCG hormone going around right now. Originally in order to receive the hormone it had to be prescribed by a doctor and they would give you injections of the hormone. HCG is now offered online in a homeopathic version; which is warned to be a placebo and that it does not actually contain any of the HCG hormone (although this is the form that I have known people to use and have see work). The diet lasts no more than 40 days and no shorter than 23 days. The reason for the strict time frame is that any less than 23 days the greater the risk for gaining the weight back and any longer than 40 days is thought to be ineffective because the body develops immunity to the effects of the hormone. The diet can be done several times, but the individual must take a six-week break after the 40 days.

Along with taking the HCG hormone you must reduce you daily caloric intake to 500 calories per day. The belief behind the effects of this hormone is that when eating so few calories HCG will trigger you body to release stored fat that will sustain the dieter. So whereas if you or I were to reduce our caloric intake to 500 calories per day, most likely we would feel like we were starving ourselves. The HCG hormone supposedly eliminates the feeling of hunger when on such a restricted diet. The diet begins first with 2-3 days of gorging; eating everything and anything that you want or see; this is called the loading phase. This is done so that your body will begin to adapt to the effects of the HCG hormone.

People on the diet have been said to loose 1/2 - 1 pound a day. With an average total weight loss of 35-40 pounds. Another appeal of the HCG diet is that it is said to burn the fat from unwanted areas, such as stomach, thighs, and butt. Once excess fat has been used up the diet must be stopped since it only works when there is excess fat to burn.

The HCG diet consists mainly of protein, vegetables, and some fruit. Carbohydrates, sugar and fat need to be severally reduced and alcohol is forbidden. Make-up, perfume and moisturizers are also discouraged. Since you are only consuming 500 calories, exercise should be very minimal.

Once the 40 days have been completed the maintenance phase must be done. During this phase HCG is stopped, calories are increased, but restriction of carbohydrates and fats should remain.

There are several arguments with the HCG diet, one being that anyone eating only 500 calories a day will loose weight. The difference that advocators of the HCG diet point out is that when the hormone is used along with the diet there are no hunger pangs. It is also suggested that many of the HCG products out there are only placebos and provide no added benefit for dieters. This statement might also be true, but science for years have shown that placebos work when it comes to mind over matter.

HCG has not yet been approved by the FDA as a weight loss supplement, but has been approved as a fertility drug. This should be considered for any women on the hormone, since the chances of becoming pregnant are increased when on the hormone.

My thoughts on the HCG diet?

I have always been an advocate for eating right and exercising and am always skeptical about the "new magic" weight loss rage. I also am weary about the side effects that may occur from messing with the body's natural hormones. Giving men a hormone that is only present during pregnancy, seems too unnatural for me. But still I can't discredit the results that I have seen through my peers that have chosen to partake in the HCG diet. Through a restricted diet hopefully it can teach people about portion control and heathy eating habits. I also believe that many people will not learn anything through this diet and will once again adopt their unhealthy eating habits, thus regaining much of the weight that they lost.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's blog where several of my friends and I begin our "Drop it like its Hot" exercise/diet plan just in time for summer.

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP

PS. If you are interested in learning more about the diet, I found a great blog that provides recipes and answers to all kinds of questions: www.hcg411.info

Day 30- Breakfast Recipe

Start off the morning right with a mushroom and egg frita:



Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups of fresh spinach
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup diced red bell peppers
• 1/5 cup diced onions
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 3/4 cup chopped portbello mushrooms
• 1/2 cup finely shopped scallions
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• sea salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. In a large bowl, whisk together all ingredients until well mixed. Coat baking dish with butter and fill with the spinach mixture.
3. Bake for 30 minutes, or until browned and set. Let cool for 20 minutes, cut in wedges and serve.

Day 29- Food Bars

My friend requested that I write a blog on food bars. She is about to graduate from her master's program, working at least 3 jobs, applying for jobs for once she has graduated, trying to create a social life for herself in an unfamiliar city, and trying to stay healthy. Needless to say she has a lot on her plate (but no time to eat it)! With that said some times it can be hard to not skip meals, or eat healthy when time isn't always on your side. For that reason she is looking for a healthy food bar that she can grab on the go, and have it fuel her body and keep her energized until her next meal.

The problem is that there are so many bars out there, so how can you tell which ones are not just junk? Well, to be honest the majority of the bars out there are pretty much just junk! Filled with way to much sugar, processed ingredients, and unhealthy fats. So I decided to take a trip to Whole Foods so that I could research some of the bars that they were advertising.

First of all if you remember I'm gluten free right now, and so is a decent population of health minded individuals, so when you eliminate all the bars that contain gluten or oats only a few remain. Another problem is the overwhelming amount of bars that contain soy, which I also try to avoid. So once I eliminated all the bars that contain gluten, oats, corn, and soy I was left with about 5 brands of bars. The downfall with the bars that made the cut? The protein content in them is not very much; so as a meal replacement it might be lacking in that department.

The bars that made the cut?
Larabar:

One of my favorite flavors in this bar is the cashew cookie and the ingredients consist of: cashews and dates. The bar is gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, non-GMO, Vegan, and kosher. The bar contains 230 calories per bar, but only 6 grams of protein.


Raw Revolution:

My favorite flavor in this bar is the chocolate & coconut and the ingredients consist of: cashew, agave nectar, date, coconut, cocoa powder, processed with alkali, almond, sprouted flax seed. The ingredients are 82.2% organic, raw, kosher, vegan, free of preservatives, refined sweetners, gluten, soy, wheat, peanuts, and all animal products. The bars are also made in a gluten, peanut, and animal product free facility. A bar contains 280 calories and 8 grams of protein.

Nutrition Facts Serv. Size: 62 g, Servings: 1, Amount Per Serving: Calories 280, Fat Cal. 170, Total Fat 19g (29%DV), Sat. Fat 6g (31%DV), Trans Fat 0g, Cholest. 0mg (0%DV), Sodium 10mg (0%DV), Total carb. 28g (9%DV), Fiber 5g (20%DV), Sugars 15g, Protein 8g, Vitamin A (0%DV), Vitamin C (8%DV), Calcium (6%DV), Iron (20%DV). Percent Daily Values (DV) are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Pure Organic:

This is a new bar that I found on my journey at Whole Foods, which I have not tried yet, but I bought the wild blueberry flavor. The ingredients that are in the wild blueberry pure organic bar are: organic dates, organic cashews, organic walnuts, organic rice protein concentrate, organic wild blueberries (organic wild blueberries, organic apple juice concentrate, organic sunflower oil), organic agave nectar, organic almonds, organic lemon juice concentrate, and organic blueberry flavor. The bummer about this bar? It is produced in a facility that processes soy, milk, egg, wheat, peanuts, and tree nuts. This bar contains 190 calories and 6 grams of protein.

Perfect Food Bar:

The Perfect Food Bar can be found in the refrigerated section at health food stores. All the bars are made gluten-free, soy-free, non GMO, are high in Omega-3 fatty acids, contains no refined sugar, and are made with over 20 nutrient dense organic whole foods. The ingredients found in the Peanut Butter bar are:

Ingredients: organic peanut butter, organic honey, nonfat milk powder, organic rice protein, dried whole egg powder, organic flax seed oil, organic sunflower seed oil, organic olive oil, organic pumpkin seed oil, dried whole food powders (organic flax seed, organic rose-hip, organic orange, organic lemon, organic papaya, organic tomato, organic apple, cherry, red bell pepper, organic alfalfa, organic celery, organic kelp, organic dulse, organic carrot, organic spinach).

This bar contains 306 calories, and 18 grams of protein; not bad!

Designs for Health:

There is another company that I love as well, which unfortunately you can not purchase in a store; only online. The company is called Designs for Health (I have no ties or affiliation with this company) and they make several great nutritional bars. All their bars are gluten, soy, and corn free and they contain no hydrogenated fats or oils and no simple sugars. They have a bar called the PaleoBar-DF, which is designed as a dairy free anabolic energy bar; made with rice protein, almond butter, and coconut oil. This bar also has the ingredient, L-carnitine; which is included to increase fat burning and energy storage in the body.

Product Contains: Total Fat 7g, Saturated Fat 3 g, Trans Fat 0 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Sodium 105 mg, Total Carb. 29 g, Fiber 5 g, Sugars 2 g, Sugar Alcohol 14 g, Protein 7 g, Vitamin A 0%, Vitamin C 0%, Calcium 2%, Iron 6%. INGREDIENTS: Maltitol Syrup, Rice Protein Concentrate, Erythritol, Almond Butter, Unsweetened Chocolate, Glycerine, Digestion Resistant Fiber (Fibersol 2), Crisped Rice (Rice Flour, Rice Bran, Rosemary Extract), Gum Arabic, Coconut Oil, Cocoa Powder (processed with alkali), Natural Peanut Butter, Creatine Magnapower® Magnesium Creatine Chelate, Natural Flavor, RiceX Stabilized Rice Bran, Peanuts, L-Carnitine, Sea Salt.

They also have bars to stabilize sugar cravings, that support the immune system, that include omega-3 fatty acids, phosphatidyl choline and L-Glutamine, that are high in antioxidants, and more.

There are probably a few more bars out there that aren't bad either; such as the ProBar, which includes organic, whole food ingredients, but also includes oats; which if you are like me you have to avoid. These bars do offer 9 grams of protein per bar. Or the Kind Bar, which is gluten and dairy free, but has soy in the list of ingredients. These bars contain about 7 grams of protein per bar.

The best recommendation is to eat whole foods, but life gets busy and instead of reaching for a bag of potato chips or snickers bar; these are a way better alternative.

Hope this will take a little stress off you back, Corie!

Pura Vida!
Alica Ryan, NTP

Day 28- Our Best Man's Transformation

The best man in our wedding has recently gone through a major transformation and has lost over 35 pounds. I would love to share with everyone the before and after pictures, so that we can all celebrate with him! Through playing rugby, pilates, and running he has been able to shed a few of the extra pounds.

Congratulations Froman! You are looking good!

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP

Day 27- Sunday Recipe

Here is my Sunday recipe:

Beef Noodle Soup with Bok Choy:

Serves: 4

Prep time 15 minutes

Cook time 35 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 (8oz) Grass Fed Beef Sirloin Steak
• 4 oz Uncooked rice noodles
• 1 1/3 cup onion, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 piece fresh ginger, thinly sliced
• 4 cups organic beef broth
• 2 cups water
• 2 bundles of baby bok choy
• 1 cup snow peas
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 2 small jalapenos, sliced
• 1/3 cup cilantro leaves
• 1/2 lemon
• Sea salt and pepper to taste

1. Thinly slice beef

2. Cook onion, garlic, meat, and ginger in pan for about 5 minutes

3. Add the beef broth and water to a pot; bring to a boil

4. Add bok choy, bean sprouts and peas to the broth; cook until peas have softened and bok choy has wilted

5. Add onion mixture, jalapeno, and cilantro

6. Serve topped with cilantro and a squeeze of lemon

Hope you enjoy!!

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP

Day 26- Some Essential Fatty Acids

We were told that eating vegetables oil, switching to margarine, avoiding red meat, eating low fat would make us healthy. We believed when they told us that cholesterol found in eggs, meat, saturated tropical oils would lead to weight gain and cardiovascular issues. What they didn't tell us was how imbalanced our diets had become in the ratio of essential fatty acids that are crucial for us to obtain through our diet. How the foods that they encouraged us to eat are much higher in the essential omega-6 fatty acids, and low or empty of essential omega-3 fatty acids.

So what are essential fatty acids (EFAs) and why are they so important?

Essential fatty acids are polyunsaturated fats; the two most common being linoleic acid or Omega-6 and linolenic acid or Omega-3. Our bodies can not make these fatty acids, which is why they are called essential, since we must obtain them from the foods that we eat. Polyunsaturated fatty acids are always liquid, even when refrigerated, and can become rancid easily; which is why you never want to heat these fats.

Omega-6 fatty acids and Omega-3 fatty acids:

Linolenic acids can be converted into Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) and arachidonic acid. Linolenic acids can be converted into EPA and DHA which out of all the EFAs has the biggest effect on the brain). Omega 3 & 6 fatty acids both are precursors for eicosanoids, which include proglandins, thromboxames, and leukotrienes and help to maintain cell regulation. Eicosanoids are involved in processes such as inflammation, immunoregulation, regulation of blood flow, synaptic transmission, and more.

Foods that contain a high source of Omega-6 can be found in:

• Vegetable Oils such as, corn and soy oil
• Sunflower oil
• Processed foods

Foods that contain a high source of Omega-3 can be found in:

• Flax seed oil
• Fatty fish (which is also high in EPA and DHA)

The problem that arises in the modern american diet is that we are consuming much more Omega-6s and very little Omega-3s. If we were to take a look at prehistoric times we would see a diet that consisted of a 1:1 ratio of omega-6 to omega-3. Today's ratio is now more like 25:1; while chronic disease has also been on the rise. One of the problems with consuming such a high ratio of omega-6 is that it may prevent omega-3 from converting into EPA and DHA. Some scientists believe that this imbalance in omega-6 and omega-3 is a major reason for the high incidence of heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and premature aging. Another issue that arises is that people with pain, inflammation, or insulin resistance will have a difficult time converting omega-3s into EPA and DHA as well.

Our goal is to increase the intake of Omega-3s by including a fish oil supplement in your diet or by eating more fish and lowering your intake of Omega-6s. Including a source of fatty fish in your diet will provide you the lower chain fatty acids (EPA and DHA) when your body can't convert or use omega-3s.

Increasing your intake of Omega-3 fatty acids in your diet can have a positive effect on:

• Cardiovascular health
• Blood Pressure
• Cholesterol
• Insulin receptor sensitivity
• Inflammation
• Brain health
• Bone health
• Digestion
• Immune health
• And more!

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP

Day 25- What makes a workout good?

What makes a workout a good workout? Most people might gauge a workout by how sore their muscles are the next day; concluding that if they aren't sore they didn't work out hard enough. This is not the case; no soreness does not equate to a poor workout.

So why then do we get sore sometimes after a workout?
Soreness (sometimes called delayed onset muscles soreness or DOMS) is normal, especially when you are first starting to work out, if you have changed around your exercise routine, tried new activities, or increased your weights during your workout.

Soreness was originally believed to be caused by a build up of lactic acid in the muscles, but it is now know that lactic acid is removed from the muscles 30-60 minutes after a workout, which wouldn't explain why we feel sore 1-3 days after. Lactic acid is produced by the body due to the high demand from the muscles for oxygen, lactic acid is the reason we feel a "burn" during a workout. The understanding now is that muscle cells convert glucose or glycogen to lactic acid. The lactic acid is taken up and used as a fuel by mitochondria, the energy factories in muscle cells.

If it isn't lactic acid that makes us feel sore, what is it?
Although research is still being done to find out more, most now show that the cause of muscle soreness is due to micro-tears in your muscle fibers. As mentioned above, new exercises, heavier weights, or any activity that your body is not accustomed to can cause damage to the muscle fiber; causing them to become inflamed and you to feel sore.

When you work out hard, but aren't sore afterward are you still getting a good workout?
Yes! Your body has now just adapted to this activity, weight, or routine. Not feeling sore the days after a workout doesn't mean your workout was ineffective or unproductive; as far as effectiveness, muscle soreness doesn't always mean much.

If soreness isn't always the way to measure effectiveness, how can you know if your workout was productive?

• Weight- make sure that when weightlifting you are using a weight heavy enough that you can only complete the desired amount of reps. Using weight that is too light and doesn't fatigue your muscle isn't going to give you as good of an outcome.
  
• Mix up your routine- Don't bore your muscles and your mind by doing the same routines every week. Mixing up your routine will help to avoid hitting a plateau and will prevent boredom when exercising.
  
• Work all your muscle groups- you don't have to work all your muscle groups in one workout, but during the week mix up the muscles that you target.
  
• Work up a sweat- sweat is a sign that you are revving up your body's metabolism and pushing your body.
• Challenge yourself- Instead of doing the same exercises, challenge yourself and get creative. Doing bicep curls? Stand on one foot to force yourself to balance and use your core.
• Feel good and energized- If after your workout you spirits are lifted, and you feel energized then you had a good workout.

Bottom line muscles get sore; at least at the beginning, but eventually the soreness begins to dissipate. Once you become more accustomed to working out you may rarely feel your muscles getting sore. This isn't a sign that what you are doing is not effective it just means that your body has adjusted and can respond better to the activities that you throw at it. So if you are just starting to get into working out, stay in there! You will soon experience this love, hate relationship that we call DOMS, and eventually one day maybe overcome it (at least to a degree).

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP

Day 24-Night Owl

Your alarm goes off and instead of turning over to stretch and getting out of bed, you turn over and hit the snooze button for the 3rd time this morning. Or if you are like me, you hit the snooze button at least 3 times, but you also reset your alarm at least once; thinking to yourself that you can just skip blow drying your hair today because you would rather have the 10 minutes more of sleep.

My new years resolution for 2011 was to become a morning person; that resolution didn't even make it a day. So what gives? Why does my body feel like it needs those 10 extra minutes every morning instead of just getting up like it should be doing? Instead of snoozing in the morning I could have taken my dog for a run or to the park, I could have wrote my blog, I could have made my lunch, I could have read the paper, I could have gone to work on time, there are many other productive things that I could have done, but none seem more important than resetting my alarm. Not only do many people struggle like I do with the alarm clock, but they also rely on caffeine to get themselves going and to be able to function in the morning.

Then we have the opposite side of the spectrum; the morning people. The people that set their alarm the night before and jump out of bed as soon as their alarm goes off for the first time in the morning, and certainly don't need caffeine in the morning to function.

Picture website

So what makes someone a morning person and someone a snoozer?

The body has a natural clock built into it; letting you know when it's time to go to sleep and when it's time to wake up, this is called the circadian rhythm. The normal pattern of the circadian rhythm can be see with cortisol being high in the morning and low in the evening; this rhythm is controlled by the hypothalamus in the brain. The opposite is happening with the hormone Melatonin, which is high at night and low in the morning. Melatonin is controlled by the retina in the eye which can sense light and dark; light inhibits the pineal gland to release melatonin, while dark permits the pineal gland to release melatonin.

Cortisol levels should be the highest in the morning because during sleep the body is going through a natural fasting state. During this fasting state the body requires the adrenal glands to release cortisol in order to break down the storage form of glucose in the body. On average the body will use up 2/3 of its glycogen (which is the stored form of glucose) levels after a typical nights sleep. Even though you are sleeping it doesn't mean that your body doesn't need a constant supply of glucose. As you wake up there is less of a demand for cortisol release since the body doesn't demand as much glucose from gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis.

The symptoms related to abnormal sleep patterns such as, trouble falling asleep, waking up in the middle of the night, and having a difficult time getting out of bed can be due to an abnormal release of cortisol by the adrenals in the circadian rhythm. Usually the issues are adrenal hyperfunction, which is when cortisol peaks in the evening when it should be low, or adrenal hypofunction, which is when cortisol levels are low in the morning when they should be high.

Lifestyle choices such as, night shifts or early morning commutes can affect the natural circadian rhythm of the body. The people that had these two different lifestyle choices where found to have different body clocks that controlled sleep-wake patterns by adjusting the body temperature and the hormones melatonin and cortisol. Researchers have named morning people "larks" and night people "night owls," and think that these preferences could actually be a genetic trait; although the theory has not yet been proven.

There are several causes for adrenal dysfunction such as blood sugar imbalances, medications, and stress. There are also many other things that adrenal dysfunction can effect such as, thyroid defects, GI issues, liver detoxification dysfunction, brain function, weight gain, and cardiovascular issues; to name a few.

So how can you make sure that your adrenals are working properly?

• Avoid adrenal stimulators- caffeine, allergic foods, highly processed foods, sugar, chemicals, alcohol, nicotine, etc
• Manage blood sugar- eating a protein breakfast soon after waking, eating more small meals throughout the day instead of just 3 large meals, not skipping meals, and including a quality protein source at each meal
• Exercise- make sure you are not overtraining. Aerobic exercises are crucial for maintaining proper adrenal function.
• Relax- take time for yourself to de-stress; however works best for you.
• Sleep- get at least 7 hours of good, uninterrupted sleep each night

Let's see if fixing the underlying physiological issues in our body can help us to retire our snooze button.

Goodnight, ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzz

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP

Day 23- My Running Advice

The last week of blogs definitely has been a lot about running; I think it is safe to say that I have running on the mind. I, myself have been trying to train for an upcoming relay race that I am participating in, called the Ragnar Relay (will share more about this race in a different blog). I also seem to be surrounded by people lately that have either been making great progress when it comes to their own personal goals with running or are beginning to run for the first time.

There are things that I have learned over the years from running that I feel will help me to continue being able to run for many more years. In the past I have always shared these tips with other runners, but now having a blog, I didn't want to just share these tips with everyone; I first wanted to do a little research on the subject to see if I was even on the right page. The information that I found didn't prove that what I have been saying is correct, exactly, but I feel that the responses that I found supported my recommendations enough to possibly provide help for other runners out there.

Knees always seem to be one of the biggest issues for people when running. In fact, one half to three quarters of all running injuries are related to overuse and involve the knees. I have been fortunate enough to have never encountered any injuries and I want to say that it is due to the fact that over the years I have taken a few steps to ensure this doesn't happen (I say this while knocking on wood). So here are a few basic pointers that have worked for me and have kept my knees injury free over the years.

First of all, shoes, of course proper fitting shoes are very important, but more so replacing your shoes on a regular basis. Shoes should be replaced at least every 300-400 miles. Running on shoes that have been worn too far down can start to put to0 much pressure on your joints, causing shin splints and/or knee problems. I tend to need to buy new shoes about every 6 months and although I love to shop (especially for shoes) shopping for running shoes is not on my top ten list of things I like to do. I can usually start to tell when I have waited too long to buy new shoes when I feel added pressure in both my shins and knees.

Weight lighting; I looked into the research regarding weight lifting and whether it benefits runners or not, and the results were mixed. So for this recommendation I am going off my personal experience. I have noticed that when I have a balanced workout routine that includes weight lifting and running, I feel no pain in my knees or shins. I believe that including workouts such as squats and lunges in my normal routine helps to strengthen the muscles in the leg that don't normally get worked just by running alone. The muscles that are strengthened by these extra exercises help the muscles that support the knee and will help to provide more balanced muscles in the legs.

Running in the sand, is also one of my suggestions for runners that are having problems with their knees. Depending on how intense you want your workout to be depends on whether you run in dry or damp sand. Starting out, I suggest sticking to the damp sand and building up to the dryer sand. Running in sand forces your body to work harder to stabilize you; meanwhile working your feet, calves, and the muscles supporting your knees. The sand also takes away a lot of the impact of running, so it is easier on your body than it would be running on pavement. Another bonus is that you burn on average 1.6 more calories per mile running on sand than you would on pavement.

Stretching, is probably my least favorite activity to do, which I guess is why I have a hard time touching my toes. The worse part is, I understand the importance of stretching after I run, I just don't like to take the time to do it. One cause of a knee injury can be due to tight muscles; especially hamstrings. Making a point to stretch and even foam roll after a run will help to reduce the tightness that muscles take on after a run. For some good foam roller exercises after a workout check out this website: http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-241-285--11556-0,00.html .

Hope this helps!

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP

Day 22- Rock Climbing

It's been about 6 years since I have really had the opportunity to spend some time in an indoor rock climbing gym. So now that my dad has recently gotten into climbing back home, I thought it would be a great chance to go and actually have someone that could belay me, and also a way to attempt to get my husband interested in the sport as well.

Rock climbing is an amazing workout; working both your upper body and once you get better more of your lower body as well. Usually the first to fatigue is either your grip strength or your forearms. As I write this blog the following morning, I already feel how sore my back is.

I started getting into rock climbing when my swimming teacher in college, convinced me to take his rock climbing class for the following quarter. As someone that is extremely frightened of heights, I was pretty hesitant about signing up for a sport where you are suspended in the air by a rope, but he seemed pretty convinced that I would be fine; so I signed up for the class.

I instantly fell in love with rock climbing; the intense workout that you experience, as well as the mental strategy that you have to work through in order to follow the path to the top. I still every once in awhile would be reminded of my fear of heights; body would shake and I would start to hyperventilate, but the feeling would pass as quickly as it came.

The gym that we went to is in Huntington Beach, called CimbX. It's a smaller gym than I am use to but there are plenty of different levels of routes to choose from. I think we all found a route or two that was able to outmatch us and we had to either give up our cheat our way to the top. There were two routes in particular where I was defeated, but that only gives me more motivation to go back soon so that I can defeat the ones they call red chili, and bumps, hold, and bruises.

Belay on!

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP

Day 21- Food for a Rainy Day

A bowl of warm chili, a cozy blanket, and a couple of good movies; that's how I spent the stormy Sunday.

Here is the recipe I threw together

2 cans kidney beans

1 can white kidney beans

2 cans black beans

2 lb. ground organic beef

2 cans diced fire roasted tomatoes

1 can tomato sauce

2 cups corn

1 small yellow squash diced

2 jalapenos, sliced

2 cloves garlic

oregano

cayenne pepper

Chili powder

(sorry pictures of chili never look so amazing)

Just put it all in the crock pot and cook for about 3-4 hours. Normally, I would suggest that when making chili to not use canned beans. If you are planning ahead buy the beans and soak them over night, this will help to remove the enzyme inhibitors that are found in beans. Plus, you won't get the additives that can come along in the can. If you didn't plan far enough ahead, then just make sure that you rinse off the beans before putting them in the chili.

Serve and enjoy on a stormy day!

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP

Day 20- A Snail's Pace

I took my dad to a running store yesterday called, A Snail's Pace and was so impressed with the service and knowledge of the employees that I wanted to give them a shout out.

My dad injured his knee about 2 years ago while climbing and it has been bothering him off and on every since. A brief little history about my dad; he is a mountaineer. Climbing mountains, building igloos, rock climbing, kayaking, and running circles around me is just a normal day for him. Every since he injured his knee, he hasn't been running, and I was missing my running partner when he was in town. So we decided to head to A Snail's Pace so they could help him find a pair of running shoes that will properly support his running style and protect his knee.

The guy that helped us (wish I could remember his name) knew so much helpful information about all the different styles of running shoes and the support design of the soles. He analyzed the wear on the pair of my dad's old running shoes, watched the way he ran, and asked educated questions about what my dad was looking for.

All the consideration and detail that he put into picking the right shoe for my dad was amazing, and they aren't even working on commission, so there is never any pressure to buy anything.

If you are on the market for a new pair of running shoes, I would highly recommend A Snail's Pace. I know I will be going there for my next pair.

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP

Day 19- Daydreamer

"The interpretation of dreams is the royal road to a knowledge of the unconscious activities of the mind." -Sigmund Freud

My dad is in town to visit for the next few days, and with him always comes a few of his newest science-based magazines, his favorite being the "New Scientist." One of the articles in the latest edition was written about new research regarding dreams. The article looks into how we interpret dreams today which is different than the original statement made by Freud.

The article states that, "We now know that this peculiar form of consciousness is crucial to making us who we are. Dreams help us to consolidate our memories, make sense of our myriad experiences and keep our emotions in check."

Studies at Harvard Medical School where done by giving a group of people a problem to solve. What they found was the people that had non-REM sleep about the problem ended up performing better on it. They concluded that we don't just simply replay events while we dream, we are also processing these events, consolidating the memories, and then integrating the information for future use.

It has been know since the 1960s that dreams don't only occur during REM sleep, but in non-REM sleep as well; although the the content of these dreams are different. The author states in the article, "Non- REM dreams tend to be sparse and more thought-like, often without the complexity, length and vivid hallucinatory quality of REM dreams."

Daydreams may also fall into the same idea as REM dreams in that they may improve our ability to extract meaning from information and to have creative insights. Implying that it may even be true that we don't have to sleep to process memories and that daydreaming might not just be a diluted version of sleep dreaming as was once thought.

The conclusion of the article is basically that instead of the previous thought that dreams are the window to the secret you, instead they may be helping to create who you are. Dreams allow you to replay events with the absence of the hormonal rush that accompanied the actual event. Traumatic events that are replayed in dreams may eventually become less traumatizing and less emotional in our memories (this does not hold true to people with post-traumatic stress). Nightmares may actually be preparing the mind and body for these events in our waking life.

The more research that is done on dreams doesn't necessarily mean that they are taking away the magic and secrecy of dreams, but instead they may just be exploring deeper to what makes us "us." Our dreams will always be ours, research is just helping us to realize how amazing these dreams really are.

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP

Credit due to NewScientist, March 12-18, 2011, author Emma Young, "The I in Dreaming."

Day 18- Marathons

I began writing my blog to help myself break down my own personal barriers; allowing these daily entries to build confidence in myself. Today's blog is dedicated to a very close friend that is about to break down one of her own personal barriers; the LA City Marathon, this Sunday.

She has inspired me in many ways over the last few years with her drive and determination, and this weekend she will be checking another accomplishment off her list. So, in her honor she has asked me to dedicate a blog to nutrition for runners.

I, myself have not yet ran a marathon; although it is on my list to do (and has been for the last 7 years!). So this blog is a combination of what I have found on running websites and my own experience with running in general. I have been running quite consistently for probably the last 14 years and have been doing it for that long out of pure enjoyment for the activity. Running to me has become therapeutic - allowing me to clear my mind, de-stress, and enjoy a beautiful day, all while getting great exercise.

A big question that people ask before a big race is, "what do I eat?" Since a lot of people are running for health reasons; usually with the ultimate goal being to shed a few pounds, they want to eat as little as possible. But when it comes to distance running, especially 26 miles, you also have to remember to fuel the body to avoid hitting that "wall." I am a big believer that there is no diet plan that will fit all, so my goal is to provide you with some helpful guidelines, and then it will be your job to tweak it to fit you.

First of all, I want to address the whole carbo-loading phenomena; eating a high-protein diet starting 7 days before your race in order to deplete glycogen stores, and then switching over to a high carbohydrate diet about the last 3 days before the race to build up the glycogen stores. The theory behind this is that it is thought to stimulate the body to store more glycogen then normal, so that during the race you will have more energy stores to use up. I have never tried this theory, but from the negative feedback I read it can cause your body to store more water, which can cause the runner to feel more stiff and weighted down.

I would recommend eating a more balanced diet of proteins, fats, and complex carbohydrates the week before the race. The body uses carbohydrates for quick energy, while fats and proteins will help to spread out the energy longer for the race. If you still want to have that bowl of pasta before your race, adding a piece of protein such as, a chicken breast, or piece of fish will help the body break down the carbohydrates slower. Protein has often been overlooked in runners, but they are the building blocks for muscles, so you need to make sure to include enough in your pre and post training diet.

Play around with different meals and food while training for the marathon so that you can see what foods give you more energy and what foods weigh you down.

The day of the race is the same, from what I have read, most excepts are saying the same thing - a high carbohydrate meal before the race. I have taken 2 different approaches before a half marathon; the first I ate what the experts suggested and had oatmeal before my race. The problem with me is that when I eat oatmeal I soon feel very full, and then I'm hungry again soon after. The second approach that I tried, and ended up having much better results with, was to eat a meal that included protein. If you want to try this, make sure that you don't eat a protein that is going to weigh you down and sit in your stomach like a rock. What I ate was a sourdough muffin topped with almond butter. It provided just the right amount of protein, fat, and carbohydrates that I didn't feel hungry any time soon, and it didn't take forever to digest.

I also want to suggest eating the most during the first part of your race to avoid coming upon mile 20 and hitting the wall. During races they will have stations handing out "power gels" make sure to take advantage of these so that you are giving the body a steady supply of energy while you deplete it.

Staying hydrated is also a must during such an intense run, but make sure that you aren't just drinking water. You are loosing a lot of electrolytes through your sweat during the race, so it's important to replenish these. Sports drinks (although not a huge fan) contain electrolytes, as does my favorite choice; coconut water. If you can find something during the race that will provide electrolytes that will help, but if not, make sure that after the race you make this a priority.

There was also a great article I came across on the benefits of eating green foods for runners. The article stated that the chlorophyll helped runners by increasing their oxygen uptake, V02 max, and energizing the body. Since green vegetables are also slightly alkaline in nature, it helps to buffer the acidity in the body which can improve your running ability.

Post race meal should include both protein and carbohydrates to rebuild the muscles and energy stores. Trail mixes, protein shakes, fruit with nut butter are some examples of good post marathon options.

Again, you will have to find out what best works for your body and digestion. These were some suggestions, but I don't claim to me an expert. The biggest advice before your race is to not eat anything that you aren't use to. Stick to foods that you are familiar with, and hopefully that you have noticed to energize you and without causing bloating or weighing you down.

Lorena, you will rock the LA marathon! I am so proud of you!

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP

Day 17- Happy St. Patrick's Day

Since I am now officially married under the Irish family name, "Ryan," I figured that an Irish blog was in order for St. Patrick's day. When people think of St. Patrick's day, the pictures that will come to their head, will most likely be of a pint of Guinness, a shot of Jameson, and a bowl of corned beef and cabbage. So as your resident nutritional blogger, I though that I would talk about the health benefits of the dark Irish beer, Guinness.
Back in the 20's the slogan for Guinness was, "Guinness, is good for you." Although, this slogan was not implying that it was actually nutritious for you; it developed based on a marketing research campaign, where they were told by people that they felt good after a pint of Guinness.

As I researched more about this slogan, I found that there actually might be some sort of validly to this slogan.
In a study done at the University of Wisconsin, experts tested the health benefits of Guinness by giving it to dogs who had narrowed arteries similar to those in heart disease. Their tests showed that the dogs that were fed Guinness had reduced clotting activity in the blood. They also tested dogs using just a lager beer, and saw no improvement, as they had with Guinness. The benefits found in this study could be due to the antioxidant levels found in this beverage. The conclusions to these studies show that Guinness may work as well as a low dose Aspirin in preventing clots.

According to the BBC news:

• In England, post-operative patients used to be given Guinness, as were blood donors, based on the belief that it was high in iron.
• Pregnant women and nursing mothers were at one stage advised to drink Guinness- the present advice is against this.

Another plus for this beer is the calorie content; in a 12oz glass there is only 125 calories, which compared to Bud light's 110 calories, Coors light's 104 calories, and Michelob Ultra's 95 calories isn't bad for the iconic beer of Ireland.

Guinness does not make medical claims for their beer, but I thought in the name of St. Patrick, why not give us a reason to celebrate without all the guilt. Or if you are like my Hawaiirish husband; you might just be sticking to the Primos.

Pura Vida!
Alica Ryan, NTP

Day 16- Cholesterol, Just a little misunderstood

Let me just start by saying this: low cholesterol scares me more than high cholesterol does (in most cases). My purpose in this blog is to try to clear up some of the confusion on cholesterol.

First let's take a look at the role of cholesterol and why we need it in our body.

• Cholesterol is a precursor for many hormones including hormones that help us manage stress and protect the body against heart disease and cancer, as well as our sex hormones, androgen, testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone.
• Cholesterol is a precursor for Vitamin D
• Cholesterol helps to make bile salts, which are important in the break down of dietary fats
• Cholesterol helps to maintain the proper function of serotonin receptors in the brain
• Babies and children need cholesterol during growth for proper development of the brain and nervous system
• Cholesterol helps to maintain the health of the intestinal wall
• Cholesterol is found in almost every cell of your body - keeping cells firm

Cholesterol has received such a bad rap over the last 20 years; blaming foods such as, eggs and saturated fats for the rise in Cardiac health issues. In turn people have turned to low fat or vegetarian diets and cholesterol lowering medications. If you were to look into the science behind what these lifestyle choices can do to your health you might be saying the same thing that I said in the beginning.

Look at the the physiology behind how the body works and uses cholesterol. The liver is responsible for producing about 75% of the cholesterol in our body; the rest coming from our diets. Scientific studies have demonstrated that cholesterol from food has no effect on the level of our blood cholesterol, since the body produces cholesterol as needed. The more cholesterol that we consume in our diets the less the body will make. So why do some people have high cholesterol? This may be due to things such as, genetics, blood sugar dysregulation, thyroid dysfunction, or GI dysfunction.

Cholesterol can be broken down into several types:

• LDL- Low Density Lipoprotein
• HDL- High Density Lipoprotein
• VLDL-Very Low Density Lipoprotein
  
• Triglycerides- levels are seen to rise from eating too many grains and sugar, being physically inactive, smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol excessively and being overweight.
  

Looking solely on these numbers actually might not tell you much regarding your risk of cardiac disease. Other factors that should be considered are: C- reactive protein (CRP), Homocysteine, and Fibrinogen. Homocysteine- is a top marker for looking at cardiac risk since it has been shown to be correlated with buildup of plaque and the tendency to form clots.

Since cholesterol is a fat, it doesn't mix with the blood very well, so it requires a protein to shuttle it to where it needs to go in the body, this is where they get their name Lipoprotein. It's very common to hear LDL called "bad cholesterol" and HDL called "good cholesterol," but Ron Rosedale, MD explains this concept differently: "LDL and HDL are lipoproteins - fats combined with proteins. There is only one cholesterol. There is no such thing as "good" or "bad" cholesterol. "

So why has Cholesterol received such a bad name? The buzzword is "Inflammation." Inflammation causes thickening of the blood and constricting of the blood vessels, so this combined with the plaque that builds up in damaged arteries can lead to cardiac issues. Cholesterol is needed in the body to repair damaged cells, so when damage occurs the liver is triggered to create more cholesterol which is released and shuttled as the LDL-cholesterol into the blood stream to go fix the damage. Once the damage has been repaired cholesterol is brought back to the liver as HDL- cholesterol. What conventional medicine sees is that there is cholesterol in the bloodstream, but they don't stop to understand the underlying causes on why cholesterol is in the bloodstream, which can be due to the inflammation. The cholesterol is there to do a job; help your body to heal and repair.

Another role of cholesterol is that it acts as an antioxidant in the body to deal with free radical damage. Any wound in the body contains plenty of free radicals because the immune cells use these highly reactive molecules for destroying microbes and toxins. Excess free radicals have to be neutralized, and cholesterol is one of the natural substances that can accomplish this function.

When cholesterol does become a problem in the body, is when it has become oxidized or damaged; this can be seen to cause injury to the arterial walls and further buildup of plaque in the arteries. Cholesterol becomes oxidized when it is exposed to heat; so oils that have been refined or hydrogenated contain oxidized cholesterol. A study at Albany Medical College showed that, "pure unadulterated cholesterol is not harmful to the arteries and cannot initiate or promote heart disease."

Why does low cholesterol scare me?
First of all if the body is releasing more cholesterol, to me it doesn't seem wise to reduce the cholesterol, but instead to reduce the reason that cholesterol is needed. Get to the root of the problem, such as what is causing excess inflammation in the body?

Symptoms related to low cholesterol:

• Higher risk of having depression
• More likely to display violent behavior
• Infertility
• Vitamin D deficiency
• Fat soluble vitamins deficiencies
• More prone to infections

In an article written by Dr. Mercola, he makes a statement about where the baseline for healthy levels of cholesterol come from. Apparently eight of the nine doctors on the panel that developed the new cholesterol guidelines had been making money from the drug companies that manufacture statin cholesterol-lowering drugs.

Currently, the recommend cholesterol is below 200, but will soon be lowered down to 150. If you were to look at the top selling prescription drugs in the US, you will see Lipitor and Zocor as the number 1 and number 2 selling drugs; both cholesterol-lowering medications.

What are the dangers of cholesterol-lowering medications?
Cholesterol-lowering medications work by inhibiting an enzyme in the liver that is needed to make cholesterol. In doing so they can cause:

• Depletion of the enzyme CoQ10- which can lead to fatigue, muscle weakness, or soreness
• Muscle pain and weakness
• Memory loss
• Depression
• Liver Issues
• Tissue breakdown

Let me clarify something here; statin drugs can be beneficial for people with genetically high cholesterol. This condition is called Hyperlipoproteinemia, and there are several forms, which can be determined by a simple lipid electrophoresis blood panel. The scary thing about these conditions is that with one of them, Type IV, it is not advised to use statin drugs because the benefits do not justify the overall risk, but these tests are hardly ever checked. Instead everyone with high cholesterol is automatically placed on a statin drug.

The important take home note here is that eating fats and cholesterol is not going to lead us straight to cardiac issues; it is the types of fats that we are consuming and the lifestyle that we choose to live. It's discouraging to me that cholesterol has taken the blame for these issues and that people are not taking the time to research the validity behind these claims before they agree to be put on statin drugs. If you are someone that is on statin drugs and choose to remain on them, then at least make sure that you are supplementing with CoQ10 and antioxidants to help reduce the effects on the body.


Pura Vida!
Alica Ryan, NTP

Day 15- March is Nutrition Awareness Month

Happy Nutritional Awareness Month!

For National Nutrition Month in 2007, the American Dietetic Association said that the most effective long-term way to achieve a healthful lifestyle is to be 100% Fad Free. I couldn't agree more so I want to reuse this saying for Nutritional Awareness month 2011!

Fads come and go, hence why they are a fad, and although you may see short term changes, most don't have long-term results. A diet that restricts your favorite foods, or that leaves you still hungry and unsatisfied, really doesn't provide the motivation that is needed to continue the diet for a long period of time.

What are some steps that we can take to create a long-term healthy lifestyle?

• Find a balance between food and exercise- the old saying "calories in and calories out." If you eat whatever you want, sit at a desk for work, drive in traffic to get home, and then get home and sit on the couch; of course you are going to gain weight! You need to find your balance. Exercise not only will help you burn calories, but it will also improve your mood, which may in turn create a better self image due to the increased serotonin.
• Drink more water- skip the sugar-laden energy drinks and sodas. Water is the simplest way to boost energy and fight fatigue.
  
• Aim to eat "real foods"- Although convenience is so nice, opt for real fruits and vegetables instead of packaged foods. Skipping the convenience may also help to keep you wallet full as well.
• Skip anything marked "low-fat" or "non-fat" these foods include much more additives and sugars than you should be eating. Instead learn more about the healthy fats that you should be including in your diet.
• Plan ahead- taking healthy snacks along with you during the day and on trips will minimize the need to eat fast food or other unhealthy alternatives.
  
• Include good protein with each meal- Proteins will help to keep you full longer, stabilize your blood sugar, and give you the energy you need for a longer period of time.
• Eat smaller meals more frequently- don't wait until you are starving to eat. Try to eat every 2-3 hours; not only will this keep your blood sugar more stabilized but it will also help you avoid bad food choices when you are starving.

Cheers, to a month full of healthy nutritional choices and changes! May 2011 be empty of Fad Diets and may you always be healthy and happy!

Pura Vida!
Alica Ryan, NTP

Day 14- My Running Partner

This week marks 4 years since we have had our dog Kaya in our lives. We adopted Kaya from the Baldwin Park shelter, which is one of the worst shelters that I have ever seen. When we got Kaya, she would flinch every time we raised our arms, she would freeze at the door when we would try to take her outside, and she preferred to sleep in her crate than on a dog bed or our bed. Taking her for runs was also interesting; she had two modes- sprinting or laying down and not budging off the sidewalk.

Well, it didn't take very long before Kaya realized that she was part of our family; she soon forgot some of her timidness and became comfortable around us. Now today she doesn't leave my side, she sleeps curled up in my stomach, sits on my lap whenever I'm on the couch, and has become the best running partner that I have ever had. She can run up to 10 miles with me; usually leading the pace for us, and still once in awhile sprinting for no reason other than to exhaust me. She also motivates me to run more than I would be able to do without her; who can resist puppy eyes when they are staring at your running shoes?

I've never had a pet that has been such a big part of my family. She still has some issues that she holds onto - she doesn't care for men in uniform, and gets scared when Devin shouts during a sports game. But she has also developed several hilarious personality traits- like moving our shoes around the house while we are gone (she doesn't chew them). We end up finding our shoes in the window sills, on the balcony, in the bed, etc. Or every time I take her to dog beach she immediately runs to the water so that she can just lay in the waves. Or the noise that she makes when she yawns on weekend mornings to let us know that we need to wake up because she is bored.



I not sure what Kaya went through in her first 4 months of life, but she was definitely traumatized. It makes me happy to know that she was able to be rescued.

If you are interested in adopting a dog check out the website: www.animalshelter.org
Adopting an animal from the shelter is really easy to do now, the websites allow you to view the pets that they have up for adoption so that you can search for your perfect new family member from the comfort of your own home.

I'm so happy that we have Kaya in our lives, she has been the perfect addition to our small family!

Pura Vida!
Alica Ryan, NTP

Day 13- My Sunday Salad

What a great Sunday; brunch with wonderful friends, our 15 seconds of fame on MTV, a run with my dog - Kaya, a movie with my hubby, and my favorite salad for dinner.

Brunch was at one of our favorite local spots, Rockin Crepes, which offers delicious crepes, fondue, paninis, and a variety of old-school board games. The only problem was, was that I couldn't eat any of it! So, although I enjoyed the company, I left with my tummy still empty (darn this gluten-free diet). To make up for my missed breakfast crepe and my favorite banana and nutella crepe, I decided to make the best of it by making my favorite salad and sharing it on this blog for all those that are interested.

So here is my version of the Chop Chop salad:

• Spinach
• Lettuce
• 2 Cans of garbanzo beans, rinsed
• 2 Cans black olives, rinsed
• Cherry tomatoes
• Mushrooms
• Provolone Cheese
• Turkey meat (nitrate free)
• Peppercinis
• Olive oil
• Balsamic Vinegar

Instructions:

• Chop all the ingredients

This is my standard version of the chop chop salad, but the great thing about it is that you can really add just about anything that you like. Other options can be chicken instead of turkey, sundried tomatoes, carrots, feta cheese (or any other type of cheese), cucumbers, pinenuts, sweet peppers, etc.

Helpful hint: if you would like to make this salad last a little bit longer, add dressing with each serving instead of in the whole mixture.

Hope you all enjoy!

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP

Day 12- Movies in the Park

I received this email from a fellow Nutritionist and wanted to pass it along to anyone that is interested in an educational night in the park.

Food for Thought: Food, Films and Picnics at the Orange County Great Park.

Meet up with friends and family and join us for a new film series that promises not only thought-provoking entertainment but also an evening of picnicking outdoors. Get inspired by award-winning documentary films, and dialogue with nationally recognized speakers. Bring your own picnic dinner or buy something tasty from a gourmet food truck, the newest food experience sweeping the nation. Local food trucks, championing sustainability and fresh food, will be available before the films and talk.

Programs will be held at the Great Park’s Farm & Food Lab. The films will be held outdoors on the lawn. Lecture will provide seating under tent.

Admission is free. Location is near the Sand Canyon exit for the 5 Freeway. For directions or more information please visit www.ocgp.org or call 949-724-7420.

Film Series:

Thursday Evenings – Picnics begin at 6:30 p.m., Film at Dusk

“King Corn”

Thursday, April 21

In this Peabody Award winner, two college friends start a wild journey to learn where their food comes from and they plant and grow an acre corn farm in a local community in Iowa. With humor, beauty and insight, the film explores their path to understanding the broader food production system and farming in America. 88 minutes. Guest speaker: Director Aaron Woolf.

“Food, Inc.”

Thursday, May 19

This Academy Award Nominee film reveals surprising and shocking truths about what we eat, how it’s produced, and who we have become as a nation. The film interviews forward thinkers such as Michael Pollan (In Defense of Food) and Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation) to stimulate a deeper understanding of where we are with our food system and how it impacts us as people. 94 minutes

“DIRT! The Movie”

Thursday, June 9

This recent documentary brings to life the science, history, art and philosophy of our most precious living national resource, all within a global perspective. The movie captures the wonder of dirt and the realization that “in taking care of living breathing dirt we are taking care of ourselves.” 90 minutes.

Bring friends, your own picnic, or buy from a local Food Truck and enjoy this outdoor film series. For more information see www.ocgp.org

Pura Vida!

Alica Fowler, NTP

Day 11- Not So Lean Cuisine

I was at the gym and overheard someone claiming to their trainer that they ate healthy, and by healthy they said that they ate Lean Cuisine. I'm no scientist, but I'm pretty certain that Lean Cuisine isn't even really food. So for the sake of this blog, I decided to purchase a Lean Cuisine in the name of science and figure out what exactly this foreign substance actually is. So I purchased Butternut Squash Ravioli (yum), which had an added bonus since it was part of their "spa cuisine."

Here is a list of the ingredients in this box:

• Blanched Butternut Squash Ravioli (Enriched Durum Flour (Durum Wheat Flour, Niacin, Ferrous Sulfate, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Water, Butternut Squash, Ricotta Cheese (Whey, Milk, Vinegar, Stabilizer {Modified Cornstarch, Guar Gum, Carrageenan}, Salt), Onions, Egg, Parmesan Cheese (Cultured Milk, Salt, Enzymes), Butternut Squash Powder (Butternut Squash, Maltodextrin, Corn Flour, Cornstarch, Soy Lecithin), Brown Sugar, Modified Cornstarch, Garlic Powder, Salt, Spice), Skim Milk, Snap Peas, Carrots, Water, Yellow Carrots, Peas, Red Peppers, 2% Or Less Of Walnuts, Modified Cornstarch, Salted Milkfat Blend (Concentrated Milkfat, Salt), Soybean Oil, Sea Salt, Vegetable Base (Sauteed Vegetables (Carrots, Onions, Celery), Sugar, Maltodextrin, Canola Oil, Cornstarch, Water, Natural Flavors, Concentrated Carrot Juice, Carrot Extract), Yeast Extract, Mushroom Flavor (Maltodextrin, Modified Cornstarch, Flavoring, Mushrooms, Safflower Oil, Potato Maltodextrin, Ascorbic Acid, Caramel Color, Citric Acid, Glucose), Spices, Xanthan Gum, Dehydrated Onions.

Contains: WALNUT, MILK, EGG, SOY, WHEAT INGREDIENTS

This small box contains over 40 ingredients (I lost count after the 5th listing of salt). Most of these ingredients are preservatives that are included to prevent spoilage. Ferrous sulfate- was used to make ink back in the day and Carrageenan may be a trustworthy topical microbicide for sexually transmitted diseases. Sodium is included in the meal in the amount of 590 mg, which is 25% of the daily value!!! There are also 11g of sugars in the healthy spa meal and only 10g of protein.

The package describes this meal as- a creamy sauce with walnuts, snap peas, and carrots. Although, walnuts, snap peas and carrots don't even show up in the list until you get down to the 5th and 6th line.

I may eat more that the average female, but I don't even think that this size meal would satisfy anyone's hunger. The small box in my hand contains 270 calories, yet if I were to eat this meal, I would be looking for something else to eat right after. No wonder why it's called "lean cuisine," they are trying to starve you! I know that I'm not the only one that feels that way, because I have seen the look on people's faces after they have eaten their boxed meal; that longing for something more.

On a completely different subject, that I won't get into today; you microwave this meal in it's plastic packaging!

Like I said, "I'm not a scientist, but I'm pretty sure this isn't even food."

I'm positive that with a few extra minutes and a little bit more shopping, everyone, no matter how hectic your life is, can make a tastier more nutritious meal that is still low in calories. It's amazing what a refrigerator full of fresh vegetables and organic meats can make. Here's a word of advice: if the food in question has ingredients that you can not pronounce or has more than 10 ingredients (and that's still a lot) choose something else.

Well I hope my science experiment will help you "think outside the box."

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP