Day 344- Cleaning Out the Kitchen

We made New Year's resolutions over a month ago, but how many of us were able to stick to those resolutions? If you are one of the many people that are still struggling to make healthier changes for 2012 maybe it is time to start by cleaning out your kitchen. That old saying, "out with the old, in with the new" is exactly what is needed to kick start healthy eating in your home. I have compiled 10 tips on how to stock your kitchen for success!

1. Remove anything that contains hydrogenated oils, or that contains the word hydrogenated on the label; such as margarine or shortening. These items contain trans fat and have been shown to cause cardiovascular issues, diabetes, and possibly even cancer.
2. Canned foods should be avoided. A much better choice is fresh or even frozen vegetables. Cans contain BPA that can leach into the foods. BPA may affect neural development in fetuses, and have been linked to endocrine disorders, heart disease, and cancer. Canned foods are also higher in sodium and sulfites, which are used as preservatives. About one in every 100 people are allergic to sulfites, and the reactions can be quite severe.
3. Avoid products that contain more than 5 ingredients or that list ingredients that you can not pronounce or understand. Visit my post on deciphering food labels for more tips on what to avoid. Also disregard health claims made on products- all gluten-free products are not healthy. Deep- fried potato chips may be made gluten-free, but that doesn't mean that they are something that you should keep in your pantry. Remember ingredients are listed in order of what is most prominent to the least. So if sugar and salt are at the top of the list, that means they are the most prominent in that item. Look for labels that have what you are eating at the top of the ingredient list, without all the extra flavorings and additives.
4. Stock your cupboards with healthier alternatives. If you are a baker, there are many alternatives to white flour that will still taste delicious, but won't have quite the same affect on the blood sugar. Eliminate the harmful "white" products from your kitchen, such as white flour, white bread, and white rice, these items raise your blood sugar and can lead to blood sugar dysregulation. Substitute instead with items such as brown rice, almond, or coconut flour. If you aren't gluten-free sprouted grain bread is a good choice when it comes to a bread option.
5. Stock up with lots of fresh organic fruits and vegetables. For tips on how to store your fresh produce and reduce waste, read my blog, I'll Eat That, by guest blogger Amanda Buhl on how to reduce waste and get the most our of your produce. Take the advice from author Michael Pollan, "if it was grown on a plant, not made in a plant, then you can keep in your kitchen."
6. Reduce sugars and avoid artificial sweeteners such as sucralose, splenda, high-fructose corn syrup, etc. Read my blog on sucralose to learn how this chemical affects the body. These artificial sugars are foreign substances to the body and thus the body does not know how to process them. These substances can eventually lead to blood sugar disorders and obesity.
7. Keep only good healthy oils in the kitchen. Some staples to include are coconut oil, olive oil, nut oils, and grapeseed oil. Remove vegetable oils, soy oil, and canola oil. You want to make sure you pay attention to the individual oil's smoke point to avoid the oil from going rancid during cooking. It is also good to keep only a small amount of oils out, while keeping most of them refrigerated and in dark containers for a longer shelf life.
8. Stock your freezer with premade soup stocks and food dishes that you can heat up for days that time is not on your side. This will help to reduce impulse grocery shopping or take-out food.
9. Enjoy spices! Eating healthy does not have to mean bland food. Stock up of a variety of yummy exotic spices, as well as good quality sea salt.
10. Have good snacks on hand. We all get the munchies, so make sure that there are healthy foods easily available to you when you want to nibble. Nuts and seeds on hand are a great idea. Visit my blog, This is Nuts, to learn about soaking nuts.

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP

Day 343- Addicted to Exercise?

Even too much of a good thing can be bad right? Exercising is healthy, but what happens when you become addicted to exercise? Not only can over exercising put a lot of physical stress on your body, but the feeling of addiction can put a lot of physiological stress on your body as well. Stress; whether it is physically or physiological can have major consequences on the body. Stress can have an affect on pretty much every function of the body. From blood sugar dysregulation, thyroid imbalance, cardiovascular health, or hormonal imbalances. While many people become obsessed with working out, you need to ask yourself, "why are you working out?" "What are you trying to accomplish?"

We put unobtainable expectations on ourselves and may end up hurting ourselves trying to reach those expectations.

Huffington Post explains what addiction to exercise may look like:

To help diagnose addiction, researchers break it down into six warning signs:

1. Tolerance. Is that five-mile run no longer challenging? How about those 20 burpees? Having to increase exercise to extreme amounts to feel accomplished may be a sign of addiction. There is a difference between an increased level of fitness and over-exercising.
2. Withdrawal. Does skipping the gym lead to feeling anxious, moody or make it hard to fall asleep at night? Taking a break from working out shouldn't be stressful, so take note if a day off actually creates excessive restlessness.
3. Lack of control. Feeling the need to run a daily marathon? Taking a break and putting away the weights shouldn't be a problem, so be aware if it becomes impossible to stay away from the gym.
4. Intention. Today's workout plan said 50 minutes of yoga, so why tack on an extra hour of running? Going well beyond the workout plan can be a sign of addiction, especially if it becomes a consistent problem.
5. Time. Can't make the dinner date because of an extended workout? Late to work because that post-workout stretching session went a little too long? Another exercise addiction red flag is when working out takes away from relationships and obligations.
6. Continuance. Still hitting the gym even if excessive exercise is sparking emotional and physical distress? Continuing to push through workouts even though we know it's harmful to our physical and mental health is an addiction warning sign.

Although the signs may be clear, there is limited literature on exercise addiction treatment. Yet researchers suggest abstaining from exercise entirely is not the way to beat addiction. Instead, working out in moderation or trying a new form of exercise may help control the amount of exercise performed. Try swapping swimming for running, or yoga for a day of heavy lifting.

Bottom line is, exercise is not bad, unless you constantly overdue it. Make sure you take rest days, which are equally as important as the days you work out. This will give your body time to recover and in the long run will help you to reach your fitness goals.

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP

Day 342- Workout of the Week

• Burpee with Plank Row (hold dumbbells, do weighted row when in plank position), 20x
• Wall sits, 1 minute
• Mountain climbers, 40x each side
• Triceps Dips, 15x
• One legged wall sit, 30 sec each leg
• Plank hold with hip twists, 1 minute
• Shoulder press with weighted bar or dumbbells, 15x
• Sumo Squat with lateral arm raises, 15x

Repeat each exercise 3 times through

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP

Day 341- Healthy Super Bowl Snacks

The big day is tomorrow, Super Bowl Sunday!!! Which for most parties means lots of chips, unhealthy dips, fried chicken, pizza, sweets, and lots of beer. If you want to still enjoy the game, but maybe take it a little easier on your body, I have put together a list of ideas for healthier game day snacks.

Healthy Game Day Snacks:

• Kale Chips
• Grass-fed beef hamburgers wrapped in Lettuce
• Cucumbers with Ranch Greek Yogurt Dip
• Salmon or Tuna Poke
• Roasted Tomato Hummus with Veggies
• Chicken Lettuce Wraps
• Root Vegetable chips
• Chili
• Shrimp Skewers with Mango Salsa
• Nut Butter dip with Cut Apples
• Homemade Trail Mix
• Apple-gate sausages
• Baked Sweet Potato Fries
• Trader Joes Gluten- Free Meatballs
• Baba Ghanoush with rice crackers
• Homemade Guacamole with veggies or rice crackers

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP

Go Patriots! (I have to say that since I'm in Boston right now)

340- Local Grass Fed Meat

Struggling to find good healthy meat that hasn't been treated with hormones or antibiotics? I was recently told about a great website where you can get good quality meat shipped to you for a decent price. You can visit the website Eat Wild where you can find beef, goat, bison, chicken, dairy, pork, lamb, etc. The website gives you the option of local farms where you can pick up your own meat, or where you can have farms ship the meat directly to you. Doesn't get better than that right?

Here is one of the farms that will ship to California residents:

"Albaugh’s Frosty Acres raises purebred Shorthorn cattle. All our animals are synthetic hormone and antibiotic free.

Our cattle are unique in that we can date their lineage back to the 1820s via the American Shorthorn Association. The Shorthorn, because of its ability to efficiently convert forage and its proven marbling and early finishing characteristics, is the ideal breed for the production of choice, gourmet, grass-fed beef.

We believe you will find our grassfed beef to be of the finest and highest quality you will find anywhere. All of our cattle are raised on native grass and forage, breath clean, fresh mountain air, and drink from crystal clear streams and springs from the surrounding Cascade Mountain Range. Our beef is aged three weeks, cut, vacuum sealed, then flash-frozen before being shipped to you.

We invite you to browse our website and learn more about us, our heritage and history, and about the cattle we believe will provide you with the finest eating experience anywhere.

We sell USDA approved whole, halves and quarter beefs."

To find a farm near you or for more information on grass-fed meat, visit Eat Wild.

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP

Day 339- Does the Gardasil Vaccine Cause More Damage than it Helps?

Vaccines that are released under accelerated approval always frighten me. Accelerated approval means that the vaccine has not gone under extensive testing, and that the testing will be mostly done once it has been released to the public. Side effects and consequences of the vaccine are many times unknown when first released.

Thus is the case with the Gardasil vaccine that is pushed upon girls as young as 9 years old.

Natural News Wrote:

"According to a recently published, industry-sponsored study conducted on 12,852 young women, HPV vaccination was found to reduce HPV-16 infections a mere 0.6% in vaccinated women versus unvaccinated women. At the same time, other high-risk (carcinogenic) HPV infections were diagnosed in vaccinated women 2.6% to 6.2% more frequently than in the unvaccinated women. The increased rate of infections caused by carcinogenic HPV types other than those targeted by Gardasil in vaccinated women is 4 to 10 times higher than the reduction in HPV 16/18 infections.

These statistics are not exactly encouraging when it comes to demonstrating efficacy for Gardasil. In fact, quite the opposite - these figures seem to indicate that women who receive Gardasil may indeed increase their risk of developing cervical cancer from high-risk HPV types that are not targeted by the vaccine."

The documentary, "One More Girl," was created by two brothers whose sister had experienced several serious side-effects after her first injection of the Gardasil vaccine.

"Her adverse reaction demanded further investigation which led to the startling discovery that thousands of young girls were having serious reactions to the vaccine, including death. At last count, there have been 89 confirmed deaths as a result of Gardasil.

These girls’ reactions to the vaccine range from muscle pain, weakness, seizures, strokes, autoimmune problems, paralysis, tremors, heart issues, and the list goes on and on. Furthermore, it is estimated that only 1-10% of vaccine related side-effects are reported.

Treating these girls is a challenge. Doctors don‘t know how to treat them and are reluctant to do so without establishing the cause of their symptoms.

Haunted by the tragic stories of thousands of girls injured by Gardasil, we began in-depth research to verify a correlation between the vaccine and the girls’ medical conditions. We wanted to know more about the HPV that causes cervical cancer, the vaccine created to prevent it, and Merck Pharmaceutical Company, which developed the HPV vaccine Gardasil."

A few years ago I went to a conference to listen to Dr. Sherri Tenpenny talk about vaccines. I was blown away during the discussion on the Gardasil vaccine and was able to take away these few points. The Gardasil vaccine was created to protect against only a few strands of the HPV virus, while the truth is that there are many strands. While the vaccine targets weaker strands of the virus, it does nothing against the stronger strands of HPV - the ones that are shown to cause cervical cancer or the ones that are the most prevalent in the United States.

To me the vaccine and the possible symptoms associated with the vaccine do not prove to be worth the risk. I don't think I'm the only one that feels this way, as there was a letter sent by SaneVax Inc. that is asking for the FDA to rescind the approval for Gardasil.

Natural News:

"On January 31, 2012, SaneVax Inc. sent an open letter to Ms Sebelius asking her to rescind approval for Gardasil based on the lack of efficacy demonstrated.

If the Department is truly interested in public health and safety, they will do the right thing and rescind Gardasil approval until the manufacturer can provide scientifically sound data proving this new drug is actually effective.

In the meantime, medical consumers around the globe have a choice. Is poke and hope good enough for you and your children? Or, are you going to demand scientific proof of efficacy before submitting to HPV vaccination?"

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP

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Day 338- It's That Time Again ... Girl Scout Cookies

It's that time of year again; you can't possibly resist the Girl Scout Cookies! I came across a funny article in the Huffington Post that shared 10 tips on how to not go crazy during this time of year. So if you are like the average person and love your samoa and thin mints then you might find these tips to be life saving this time of year. Enjoy!

10 Psychological Tricks for Eating Girl Scout Cookies Mindfully

1) Place your favorite cookie on a red plate. A study in the 2012 journal Appetite found that people ate less snack food when it was put on a red plate vs. a white or blue plate. Whether it is a traffic light or a plate, our brains think "stop" when we see red.

2) Take a bite of cookie with your non-dominate hand. Nibbling on snacks with your non-dominate hand can reduce how much you consume by approximately 30 percent. Using your "other" hand is inconvenient and disrupts the automatic stream of hand to mouth flow according to a study reported in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.

3) Save the best for last. Afraid you are going to be unable to put on the brakes when you are eating these delicious treats? Pick a two or three. Then, eat your favorite cookie last. According to a 2011 study in the British Journal of Nutrition, eating the most enjoyable cookie last instead of first keeps the experience fresh in your mind. Thus, you may be less tempted to consume more because your mind hasn't filed away the experience. You think, "Oh yes, I had some really great Trefoils."

4) Don't fight it. If you want the Thank U Berry Munch cookie, it's better to think it through carefully than to try to ward off the craving. Suppressing your desire for treats actually makes it worse according to a study by researchers at St. George's University of London. In their study, subjects that actively tried not to think about chocolate ate more than those who intentionally thought about chocolate.

5) Eat them anywhere -- except in front of the TV. A study out of the Department of Psychology in Glasgow, Scotland found that you are likely to eat 14 percent more when you eat snack foods, like cookies, in front of the TV.

6) Eat a cookie by yourself. We tend to eat more when we are with other people. In fact, you consume 18 percent more according to a study published in Physiology and Behavior. In part, this may be due to distraction. However, mainly overeating with a buddy is related to social norming -- "If she has four Thin Mints, I can have four."

7) Put them far, far away. Placing a box of Dulce De Leche in the back of the cupboard or in the basement makes them much less accessible and cuts out mindlessly picking out of the box. A study in the journal of Psychological Health 2011 indicates that making food inconvenient helps to reduce the likelihood of overeating snacks.

8) Enhance your "cookie memory." Focus on your sensations. Tune into the crispy crunch of a Thin Mint. Pay attention to the gooey joy of a Samoa. A study in the journal of Appetite found that tuning into your senses when you eat something good will increase the probability that you will remember having eaten it. Keeping it fresh in your mind makes it more likely that you will eat less later.

9) Turn over the box. Did you know that two Samoas are roughly equivalent to eating five Savannah Smiles? Knowing the portion size is key. A study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association(2011) found that college students who read labels tend to be much healthier eaters. Before savoring your favorite cookie, pause for just a moment and peruse the box label.

10) Take a Brisk Walk. Do Tagalongs and other chocolate flavored cookies call to you more than the lemon or shortbread cookies? If so, a 2012 study in the journal of Appetite, indicated that a brisk walk reduces chocolate intake for those who love chocolate.

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP