Invasion of the Body Toxins!

I post a lot about free radicals that enter our bodies, and the foods (and wine!) that fight these toxic waste products.  I truly believe the more toxins you can avoid and the more free radical fighting foods you can consume, the healthier you will be.  Whether that is in the prevention of disease or if you're fighting a disease.  I don't however believe free radical fighting foods aka super foods aka healing foods are a substitute for conventional medicine but part of a  recipe for healing and maintaining optimal health.

So today's topic is toxins in our homes.

Usually they can be found under our kitchen sinks and in our bathroom cabinets.  I'm talking about cleaning supplies that are full of VOC's (volatile organic compounds) and get pumped into the air for us to breathe in.  The worst offenders are drain, oven, and toilet bowl cleaners and products containing chlorine and ammonia.  (Chlorine and ammonia were combined to make a chemical weapon in WWI)

Instead of chemicals look for products made from 100 percent natural ingredients to clean your house. They're just as effective and cheap too!  If you really want to go au naturale try these items that are probably already in your pantry:

Lemon juice is a great substitute for bleach.

Baking soda can be used to deodorize your fridge, freezer, and carpets, to clean cutlery, and to scrub toilets and tubs. Try putting baking soda over bottom of oven,  then cover with enough water to make a thick paste. Let set overnight and wipe up. Follow with a little liquid detergent on a sponge to wash off the residue. To unclog a drain try pouring 1/2 to 1 cup baking soda down the drain, then slowly pour 1/2 to 1 cup white vinegar in after it.  Cover the drain and let it sit for 15 minutes. If it bubbles like a volcano, it means it's working. Flush with a gallon of hot water.

White vinegar mixed with water can be used to clean floors, windows, and mirrors. To clean kitchen surfaces, spray them first with pure white vinegar, then with hydrogen peroxide, and wipe the surface clean.  Be sure and store vinegar and hydrogen peroxide separately. Rid your garbage disposal of smells by adding vinegar to water for ice cubes, then let a few of them get chopped by your disposal.

Drink To Your Health.

I am what you call a "social drinker." One of my most favorite things to do is go to a great restaurant, relax, order a glass of wine and enjoy with great anticipation what's to come. The fact that my day has usually included 30 or so minutes of strength training and another 40 minutes of cardio du jour, makes me somewhat tired, ravenous and definitely ready to unwind.  Bring on the wine.   I had an evening like this recently and it got me thinking about the health benefits of wine. I've heard that "drinking in moderation lowers your risk of heart attack",  and between Oprah and Dr. Oz who hasn't heard about the benefits of an element in wine, resveratrol.  So I decided I wanted to know more and went on a mission to discover the real story behind the health benefits of wine.

The commonality amongst my sources was moderation.  Safe and effective amounts is no more than two drinks a day for men and no more than one drink per day for women.  I'll start with a list of physical benefits but keep reading for a surprising list of traits wine drinkers have that offer another explanation for the apparent health benefits.

- Phytochemicals in wine (flavanoids, resveratrol) act as antioxidants which sop up damaging free radicals (toxic waste products) that play a role in degenerative diseases such as cancer, Alzheimers, Parkinson and aging.
- Phytohemicals in wine produce potent anti-thrombotic agents that can improve cardiovascular health and lower risk for coronary heart disease
- Unlike beer and spirits which are known as risk factors for upper digestive tract cancer, wine drinkers are at lower risk for these cancers
- Moderate amounts of alcohol can raise your good cholesterol (HDL) and thin your blood

It's true that red wine has more antioxidants than white but that's not the whole story.  The antioxidant molecules are smaller in white wine which enables them to be more easily absorbed .  Both red and white contain alcohol and enough antioxidants to get up to 100% antioxidant activity in your body tissue.  Anything after that is redundant.  Here is a great article which explains the science behind this theory.

Warning: The following material may not be suitable for beer drinkers.

Findings of a recent study indicate that people who choose wine over beer may have certain traits that add to the apparent health benefits of wine.

- The average IQ of beer drinkers was 95.2 compared with 113.2 for wine drinkers
- Wine drinkers appeared to be more well adjusted. For instance, women who preferred wine tended to be less neurotic and more extroverted than their peers who preferred beer
- Beer drinkers were more likely to abuse alcohol and drugs and smoke heavily
- Overall wine drinking is associated with optimal social, intellectual, and personality functioning while beer drinking is associated with suboptimal characteristics

I was in Yountville, CA recently enjoying wine country, a great Thomas Keller restaurant,  a great art gallery (exhibiting wine watercolors by Eric Christensen that you see in my post) , and the company of my adorable son.  So I close with a question that until now I've never considered. Have you ever seen a beautiful painting or photograph of beer?

Shout out to entrepreneurs!

 A friend of a friend designs wedding dresses.  My friend asked her  Facebook friends to spread the word as my friend likes to help out her friends.  After all, what are friends for.  So my post today is about beautiful and unusual wedding dresses designed by a woman who like me and many other women (and men) decided to follow a calling that meant more to them than a paycheck.  This designer has a website and a very nice feature article (with more beautiful pictures) in Chicago Now. If you know someone who is planning to get engaged or get married I bet they would love to see these links!


So it's a short post today. One that brings awareness to women AND men who have a talent that pushes them everyday to hone and make better their craft.  They've chosen to embark in an entrepreneurial endeavor knowing there's no guarantee when it comes to a regular paycheck or none of the usual benefits associated with a more traditional job.  If you are one of these people you know what I'm talking about and if you haven't experienced being "on your own" then believe me when I say we could all use "a little help from our friends."


Have a great weekend and support your local entrepreneur!!

The Salt Of The Earth. . . .

is not ordinary table salt. Ordinary table salt and natural sea salt has very little in common.  Ordinary table salt undergoes a great deal of processing and comes out approximately 97.5 percent sodium chloride (the mineral called salt) and 2.5 percent chemicals such as iodine and moisture absorbents. It's dried at over 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit which alters the natural chemical structure of the salt. You'll find the latter in most processed foods.


On the other hand, natural salt or unrefined salt is 84 percent sodium chloride and 16 percent other NATURALLY occurring minerals. So your salt should be complete with all-natural elements and free of pollutants. Check out Himalayan Crystal Salt from a trusted source.


Because our bodies need the"good" salt, the question is really how much is too much. Our bodies need natural salt for the many biological processes such as being a component of blood plasma, and lymphatic fluid. It carries nutrients into and out of your cells. It helps the lining of your blood vessels regulate blood pressure. Helps your brain send communication signals to your muscles.


But like even oxygen and water too much of a good thing can hurt you.


Before we talk about how much is too much Im thinking about measurements of added salt to whole food. Not the voluminous amount of processed salt in  "packaged" food. These foods are loaded with salt to improve the taste of overcooked, bland, nutrient butchered food in a package. The shift is to salt whole food with pure all natural sea salt your body needs and avoid the refined salt that comes in processed foods that hurt your body (processed meats are the worst offender).


The AMA recommends limiting sodium consumption to fewer than 1,500 mg per day. That is somewhere between one half and three quarters teaspoon. When you think about adding a "pinch" of salt to your food I think a half teaspoon is quite generous for our daily intake.

Must See For Beef Lovers (and non beef lovers)!

I would be remiss if I did not follow up yesterday's post with the most awesome information about a UGA graduate along with a link to a 15 minute documentary that tells his story much better than I.

Will Harris studied animal science at UGA and learned all the science to take back to his family business of raising cattle. White Oak Pastures is in SW Georgia and has been there since his great grandfather started the family business of raising cattle in 1866.  After graduation Mr. Harris went back to White Oak Pastures and applied all the science he had learned on hormone implants, antibiotics, chemical fertilizers, pesticides and a corn and soy based diet to his cattle.  But something changed.  As he says in the documentary the science just didn't seem like something he "ought to be doing."

He now raises grass fed cattle that roam freely in the pastures that have not been treated with any pesticides or fertilizers.  It's a beautiful thing.  This fifteen minute documentary appropriately titled "Cud" really is a must see if you are a beef lover, if want to understand the difference in humane treatment of animals vs inhumane treatment, and if you're not a beef lover this could convert you!  Really.  I can't wait to go to Whole Foods and pickup a cut of his beef and cook it rare. Yes, rare.

Cud

"The less red meat the better." Really?

Talk about a controversial subject. There are more opinions on this than I can keep up with, from and within reliable sources like ADA, Mayo Clinic, Harvard Medical School. I thought after researching I would have a definitive answer on the health, or lack of health benefits, of red meat.  Not so.

To discuss the pros and cons would be a much longer post than probably anyone would want to read.  I thought I would stay on the positive side of the issue by listing health benefits of red meat when purchased and prepared in the most desirable way and offer reading for those who want to "cut" ( a little beef humor) deeper within this topic.  So let's start with ideal scenario for beef consumption.

1. Choose sources that have been raised in humane, natural ways. Which means being raised on a pasture (as opposed to a factory farm) and are grass fed as opposed to grain fed. Grass-fed beef contains less fat and more omega-3 fatty acids, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and other beneficial compounds.

2. Avoid charring your meat (avoid eating the black parts). Try cooking smaller pieces which take less time to cook and therefore gives HCA's (Heterocyclic amines which are linked to cancer) less time to form.  Basically cooking red meat at high temperatures such as broiling, frying, searing, or grilling is known to produce HCA's. Boiling, steaming and stewing is safer. Avanced Glycation End Products or AGE's are another product of cooking meats at high temperatures. AGE's lead to oxidative stress and inflammation resulting in risk of heart disease, diabetes and kidney disease.  In addition to shorter cooking times, researchers recommend acidic marinades to fight both HCA's and AGE's.

3. Choose lean cuts of beef such as sirloin, tenderloin, flank or skirt

So, you've purchased grass fed beef from a farm source that provides a natural and humane life for the animals and you've figured out how to cook so that you're producing minimum HCA's and AGE's, then enjoy all that beef has to offer:

It is the single richest source of iron and zinc and contributes significant amounts of vitamins.  A three ounce serving of beef provides 50 percent of the daily recommended protein, along with beneficial B vitamins.  More than half the fatty acids found in beef are monounsaturated (same type found in olive oil) , and one-third of the saturated fat in beef is stearic acid, which is shown to have a neutral effect on blood cholesterol.

The ADA boldly states that lean beef is just as effective as skinless chicken when it comes to lowering cholesterol. Who knew?

Reading for those who need more information:
The Meat You Eat: How Corporate Farming Has Endangered America's Food Supply
The above book is highly recommended and is a quick read
Here is a link which is also very informative

Why you may "need a little help from your trainer".

Writing a blog has been very therapeutic for me. It was a suggestion from my sister who referred me to my niece's (her daughter's) blog.  I loved preparedbypaige  blog so much I began that day figuring out how to set one up for my new fitness business.  I reference her blog a lot in my posts not because she's my niece (well, maybe a tiny bit) but truly because I love her simple, healthy, delicious recipes.  Trust me, she comes from a long line of "foodies". No doubt a genetic predisposition. If you're wondering where I'm going with this and what's the point. Here it is.  It too have a passion that I enjoy "blogging" about and it is  health and fitness.  A bonus from  writing this blog is it keeps me learning as I research each topic.  I learn not only from the research I do but from comments I get from readers.  Ideas for blog topics come from my clients, and blog readers. And to my surprise from friends who read my blog but don't leave comments on the blog!  My post yesterday about why strength training is more than looking good was born out of a reader comment.  And the genesis for today's post is similar. Benefits of hiring a personal trainer are just as important for ordinary folks as they are for the rich, and the famous.  We all have appearances we want to look good for. Right? But most importantly the benefits lead you on a path to good health and looking good everyday.   So I thought I would blog about these list of benefits a good trainer will provide:

1. Motivation and accountability: There's nothing like a standing appointment to get your butt in gear for a workout. You'll get results by showing up and nothing is more motivating than success!

2. Efficiency: No more wasting time doing inefficient work outs. Personal trainers have a plan and will help you get maximum results in minimum time.

3. Workout Safely: A personal trainer educates and monitors form keeping you injury free, and helping to either push you or slow you down as necessary.

4. Lose weight: This is the number one reason people hire personal trainers. If you make a resolution to lose the fat and build the muscle, a trainer can keep you on track to realize that goal. I personally am not a fan of "diets" and believe weight loss doesn't include starving yourself.

5. Workout at home: If you don't have an interest in going to a gym but have a hard time knowing what to do on your own at home, a personal trainer can bring fitness into your living room.

6. You are new to exercise: A good trainer will introduce you to a simple, effective routine and build efficiently. Before you know it you will have progressed into an experienced exerciser.

7. Break through plateaus: When you're stuck in a certain routine and not seeing the progress you want, a personal trainer will jump start your motivation and your routine.

8. You have a specific illness, injury or condition: Issues like arthritis, heart disease, old injuries shouldn't keep you from exercising. Just the opposite.  A personal trainer (who works with your doctor, of course) can help you find a program to heal injuries and avoid further problems.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Benefit List of Strength Training

It occurred to me after reading a comment from my last post that the many benefits of strength training might not be in the forefront of everyone's mind when they think of starting a weight lifting program.  In 2002 I wanted to lose weight and get toned.  Strength training was a means to an end.  After completing my fitness certifications in 2010 for both a CPT and SFOA, and continual research to write my blog,  it became clear that strength training is about much more than just looking good.  So thought you might enjoy reading  a list of benefits:

1. Increases metabolic rate burning fat (the stronger the muscle the more energy (calories) it burns even while sleeping)
2. Increases bone density (helping to prevent and reverse osteoporosis)
3. Strengthens tendons and ligaments protecting our joints from injury
4. Improves posture which increases mobility
5. Increases strength and endurance improving our work, favorite sports and day to day activities
6. Strong muscles have more protein stores to make antibodies which combat germs and cancer cells that enter our bodies everyday.
7. Improves balance (strong core and leg muscles stabilize us)
8. Reduces blood pressure and cholesterol levels
9. Last but not least you feel and look better which can't help but build confidence

"Our muscles have the ability to grow and get stronger from birth until we die." Mime Nelson, Ph.D.

Aging + lack of muscle = inability to kill germs

Here's another reason to do strength training and increase your muscle mass.

Fact: As you age, you lose muscle
Fact: As you age your immunities weaken

These two facts make us more susceptible to germs that enter our bodies and to the millions of cancer cells that enters healthy bodies everyday.  Here's the deal.

When germs get into your body you must make white blood cells and proteins called antibodies to kill them. Antibodies and cells are made from protein and the only place that you can store extra protein is in your muscles.  When you have large muscles, you have a ready source of protein to make antibodies and cells.  When you have small muscles, you have a very limited source of amino acids to make protein, so your immunity may be inadequate to kill germs.

Similarly, you need antibodies to control cancer cells. Your white blood cells and protein antibodies are necessary to ferret out and kill these cancer cells that enter our healthy bodies everyday. You develop cancer when these cancer cells survive and start growing. Having large muscles gives you the source of protein to make antibodies that kill cancer cells as well as germs.

I found this information in articles titled Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research which were based on research done by JAMA. The articles further support one of my favorite expressions "People do not grow too old to exercise but rather grow old from lack of exercise."  Aging does not cause muscles to get smaller,  it's the lack of exercise that causes muscles to get smaller.

So, the solution is to start a strength training program.  It's never too late to start increasing muscle mass!

Pedicures Aren't Just For Women.

Your feet withstand a lot.  They pretty much carry the weight of your body around all day.  Some of us are on our feet all day with our work and/or we're engaging in activities such as dance, aerobic exercise, etc. So you really need to take care of your feet.  My commitment to wean myself from structured athletic shoes to Vibram's five finger shoes got me thinking about overall foot health.  One of my favorite classes at the gym is Body Combat.  There are a lot of kicks, twists, turns, shuffles and my poor feet take a beating especially my toes as they're  kind of sliding around and bumping into each other within my structured athletic shoes.  I  end up taking a break from these classes so that  my feet can get back to normal.  This class will be a good test for Vibram's five finger shoes. I'll let you know.

But Body Combat classes or not, your feet need attention just like your hands, face, hair, abs, biceps. . . .

If you thought a pedicure was only about pretty nails, think again.  The word pedicure comes from Latin words "pedi" meaning foot and "cure" meaning care.  Here are three good reasons to go right to your local nail shop, sit back, relax and have a pedicure. You too guys!

1.  Cutting and clipping nails is extremely important as it prevents nails from growing inwards and causing  infections.

2.  Sloughing off of dead skin cells from feet prevents dead skin cells from accumulating and causing painful bunions or corns. It also allows newer skin cells to emerge which give feet a smoother and softer feel.

3.  Last but not least the massage portion is very important. It increases circulation in the feet.  Increasing circulation in the feet improves agility and reduces pain that comes from being on your feet all day.  It also maintains the health and performance of foot muscles.

Vibram's five finger shoes and a pedicure, ahhhhhh

Have You Seen These?

The first time I saw someone wearing these in the gym my judgmental side (the one I try so hard to eradicate completely from my being) thought, "what was she thinking?" "Maybe watched Planet of the Apes too many times?"

Well there's a reason I need to continue  keeping my judgmental side in check.  I'll be wearing these as soon as I can get to Abbadabbas. Is it a fad? I don't think so as science and reviews seem to support the benefits of Vibram's five finger shoes.  They are the closest thing to barefoot running while still offering protection with their Italian designed rubber soles.

In 1935 the first rubber soles that were used on mountaineering boots was invented by an Italian inventor and founder of Vibram, Vitale Bramani. Seventy years and many applications later designer Robert Fliri and the grandson of Vitale Bramani sold the concept of "five finger shoes" to Vibram's current President and CEO.  In 2007 Time Magazine named Vibram's five finger shoes the best invention in the category of health.

Here is the logic behind Vibram's five finger shoes that makes perfect sense to me:

The typical human foot has 26 bones, 33 joints, 20 muscles and hundreds of sensory receptors, tendons and ligaments.  Like the rest of the body, to keep our feet healthy, they need to be stimulated and exercised.  However, experts now believe that most athletic shoes, with their inflexible soles, structured sides and super-cushioned inserts keep feet so restricted that they may actually be making our feet lazy, weak and more prone to injury. Barefoot running on the other hand helps correct form, reduces foot, shin and muscle injuries, improves balance, agility and proprioception. In addition, stimulates the muscles in your feet and lower legs making them stronger and healthier.  True barefoot running is controversial and while I've watched a couple of Peachtree Road Races that were won by barefoot runners I'm not ready to go barefoot but I am ready to test the logic of Vibram's five finger shoes.

One word of caution if you decide to make the switch from a structured athletic shoe to Vibram's five finger shoe, allow an adjustment period.  Your feet need to gradually adjust to the differences in the two shoes.  Here's a link to Vibram's website so please check it out if you aren't already familiar with these shoes. I'd love to hear your comments! Have a great weekend and stay cool!

Our bodies need carbs.

They are our best source of energy. There are three categories and like good fats/bad fats there are bad, good and better carbs. The first category is monosaccharides which are simple sugars which are found in honey and fruits (good). The second is disaccharides which are found in table sugar (bad). The third and "better" is polysaccharides which are also known as "complex carbohydrates". These are the carbs found in whole grains, vegetables, nuts, fruits and legumes.

Ideally, we are better off eliminating disaccharides or table sugar and products made with table sugar and replacing with monosaccharides which are the simple sugars found in honey and fruits. That leaves polysaccharides or the "better" complex carbohydrates. Staying true to the ISSA 1-2-3 nutritional rule of thumb our diet program should be as much as 50 percent of caloric intake from carbs. That is, the "good" and "better" carbs.

Another measurement for carbs is the glycemic index. This is the measure of the degree to which blood sugar increases after the consumption of food. The lower the glycemic index the better. An example would be white bread with a glycemic index of 100 compared to mixed grain bread with a glycemic index of 28. Or, baked white potato at 85 glycemic index compared to a sweet potato at 54. These are the kinds of substitutions that equal baby steps which lead to weight loss.

To help summarize the many, many choices of carbohydrate food, here is a bullet point list to help identify the low-glycemic food items.

- Use breakfast cereals based on oats, barley and bran
- Use breads with wholegrains, stone-ground flour, sour dough
- Reduce the amount of potatoes you eat
- Enjoy all other types of fruit and vegetables
- Use Basmati or Doongara rice
- Enjoy pasta***, noodles, quinoa
- Eat plenty of salad vegetables with a vinaigrette dressing

*** Too often pasta is the "main" dish. Enjoying a pasta "main" dish meal once a week is perfectly wonderful. More than that however, probably means you are getting more carbs that you need and less lean protein. Balance is the key.

Eat your fats!

We left off on Friday's post with an assumption that you probably need to increase your protein intake. If you're committed to increasing your protein to get more in line with the ISSA 1-2-3 nutritional rule of thumb you will probably need to include lean protein at breakfast, lunch and dinner. In addition to breakfast, lunch and dinner, include two snacks of a quality protein whether it's nuts, yogurt, or a good protein bar between meals.

Our bodies need fat and carbohydrates so we can't leave those out but we can choose healthy fat and carbs. Let's start with fat. Monounsaturated fats actually lower total cholesterol, and LDL (bad) cholesterol while raising HDL (good) cholesterol.

In general monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats - good. Saturated and trans fats - bad.

Here are good sources of fat that should be part of your daily diet. Try and keep the number of grams in line with the proportion of fat that you calculated as 1 part of your daily caloric expenditure. You may be surprised at how easy it is to modify your fat intake with small changes or substitutions and get results! If you've increased your protein you'll find reducing your fat intake easier because you will feel fuller and have less cravings.

Olive oil
Olives
Walnuts, peanuts, almonds, pistachios
Avocado
Salmon
Peanut Butter
Sunflower oil
Canola oil

Tips:
Replace mayonnaise and sour cream with greek yogurt
Replace salty, high fat snacks such as chips, etc with unsalted nuts
Avoid processed and packaged foods
Add olives, walnuts and avocado to salads to replace cream based dressings

It's good to have a cheat day each week. By that I mean anything goes because you know you're going to be back on track the next day.

Get your fat, protein and carbs right here!

A calorie is a calorie is a calorie. That's right, whether you get 2000 calories from carbs or 2000 calories from protein, a calorie is a calorie and too many gets stored as fat regardless of from whence it came. Managing the proportion of the types of calories we consume however, is the key to weight management.

Striking the right balance of protein, carbs and fat will have an immediate impact on your ability to manage your weight. Here's the deal. If you know (based on yesterday's post) you burn 2,073 calories a day, it make sense to limit your caloric intake to 2,073 a day to maintain your weight and less if your goal is to lose. Restricting calories to lose weight however is not always easy. But read on. . . .

I received my fitness certifications through the International Sports Science Association and they have a basic 1-2-3 rule of thumb when it comes to diet. It translates to 1 part of your daily caloric intake coming from fat; 2 parts from protein and 3 parts from carbs. It's easy to figure out the right proportion once you know your daily caloric expenditure. Using the example from yesterday's post of 2,073 daily caloric expenditure we can break it down as follows:

2,073 divided by 6 parts equals 345 (6 is used since we're calculating based on 6 total parts, i.e., 1 part fat + 2 part protein + 3 part carbs equals 6 total parts)
1 part fat would be 345 calories from fat or 38 grams of fat**
2 parts protein would be 690 (345 times 2) calories from protein or 172 grams of protein**
3 parts carbohydrates would be 1,035 (345 times 3) calories from carbs or 259 grams of carbs**

I find that most people realize once they've done the calculations that they are not getting enough protein but rather getting more fat and more carbs than desired. Increasing your protein will have an immediate impact on your appetite. Protein takes longer to digest so it stays in your system longer therefore keeping your blood sugar stable longer. It's the dips in blood sugar that create cravings for something that will move it up again. When that something is protein it stabilizes the blood sugar and reduces cravings.

However, as you can see from the calculations your body needs fats and carbs. I'm not advocating a high protein and no carb diet - at all! Carbs are actually the highest proportion with the ISSA 1-2-3 nutritional rule of thumb. There are good fats and good carbs however and on Monday we'll take a look at them.

** To convert calories to grams use this scale:
9 calories of fat equal 1 gram so divide calories from fat by 9 to convert calories to grams
4 calories of protein equal 1 gram - divide calories from protein by 4 to convert
4 calories of carbs equal 1 gram - divide calories from carbs by 4 to convert

It's Friday again!! Hope you had a great week!

Calories Consumed vs. Calories Burned

If your goal is to lose weight the only way to do that is to take in fewer calories than you are burning. So the question is how many calories are you burning? Here is an abbreviated calculation that will give you an idea of how many calories you burn daily. To compute you need to know your BMR which is your basal metabolic rate. BMR is the number of calories you would burn over 24 hours while just lying around. To determine that follow the three steps below:

1. Convert your bodyweight from pounds to kilograms by dividing your weight by 2.2
2. Multiply your bodyweight in kilograms by 24
3. Using an average lean factor of .95 multiply the number obtained from step 2 by .95

Example:
Step 1. 125 lbs. divided by 2.2 equals 56.82 kilograms
Step 2. 56.82 times 24 equals 1364
Step 3. 1364 times .95 equals 1296 BMR (or calories burned from lying around)

Now we'll multiply your BMR times your average daily activity level to get a final number of how many calories you are burning daily. To determine that choose one of the levels below. Once you determine your correct level, multiply it times the number from Step 3 above.

1.43 - Couch Potato Range: Some walking throughout the day but more sitting, studying, typing, teaching

1.60 - Fitness Buff Range: Walking, jogging, gardening, cycling, tennis, dancing,skiing or weight training 1 to 2 hours per day

1.90 - Athlete or Hard Daily Trainer Range: Heavy manual labor, activities such as football, soccer or body building 2 to 4 hours per day

Example for calculating your daily caloric expenditures if your activity level is 1.60 "Fitness Buff Range":

1.60 times 1296 (BMR from step 3 in above example) equals 2,073

So 2,073 is the number of calories burned daily based upon this example's (me) activity level. That means I can consume 2,073 calories and maintain my current weight. If I want to lose weight I need to consume less that 2,073 calories.

Now that you have that number, we'll use it in tomorrow's post to compute how you can adjust the proportions of your daily caloric intake of protein, carbs and fats. This will put you on the road to weight management.

Healing foods - they are your friends.

After posting about each of these powerful foods I began to realize how basic they all are. They are mostly foods that really aren't that unusual to find in your refrigerator - like onions, carrots, broccoli, spinach, kiwi and cherries. The unusual ones for me were guavas, dandelions, kale and watercress and then there are the special recipe items like cabbage and beans. But overall these foods are pretty easy to incorporate into your diet on a daily basis. And that's the key, keeping these powerful healing foods in your system so that you are bolstered each and every day from the onslaught of toxins that are in the air, water, food, food additives, chemicals in the environment and chemicals in the workplace. We know they're out there.

Incorporating these foods into your diet is to me another baby step to healthy living. For example, I roasted a couple of onions the other night for a side, there were wedges left so I stuck them in the fridge and a day later chopped them up and added to a salad. Don't usually put onions in my salads but that was easy enough. Instead of apples I bought a few kiwi. Carrots are back on the shopping list and in my salad. Beans, carrots and onions are nice to have in the house as a base for a good soup. Broccoli and spinach were already standards for me so no big deal there. Guavas, cabbage, kale, dandelions and watercress are the only items that will prove to be an experiment for me but HEY what's wrong with that??

So here they are again. Throw them in your cart and include them in your meals daily - you'll be healthier for it!

Beans
Watercress
Spinach
Onions
Carrots
Cabbage
Broccoli
Kale
Dandelion
Kiwi
Cherries
Guavas

Healing Foods - Dandelions

I'm talking about the ones that grow in your yard and you try to get rid of. This is another "who knew" for me. I don't recall seeing dandelions in the grocery store or farmer's market. I haven't looked mind you, but I will. Here are a few reasons why:

Among all foods it is one of the richest sources of vitamin A; among all green vegetables, it's one of the best sources of beta-carotene. It has 535% of the RDA of vitamin K, and 112% of the RDA for vitamin A. In addition to being a good source of vitamin C, calcium, iron, fiber and potassium.

It's been used for centuries to treat hepatitis, kidney and liver disorders such as kidney stones, jaundice and cirrhosis. As a natural diuretic, dandelion supports the entire digestive system and increases urine output, helping flush toxins and excess salt from the kidneys.

Availability could be a problem and the pungent flavor would probably make it one of those love it or hate it items. However, the recipe I found sounds so good with other ingredients that the pungent flavor of the dandelion might fit right in.

Roasted Baby Pears with Herbed Goat Cheese

Healing Foods - Gotta have some Kale!

I've seen it in the market - long, deep green, kinda thick and wrinkly looking leaves. Pretty intimidating actually so I've stayed away from it. But not anymore. I gotta have me some kale and here's why:

Kale is in the same plant family as broccoli and cabbage, and, like its cruciferous cousins, it contains high levels of the cancer-fighting compound sulforaphane, which guards against prostate, gastric, skin (now you really have my attention kale), and breast cancers by boosting the body's detoxification enzymes and fighting free radicals in the body.

It has an astounding 1,328% of the RDA for vitamin K (builds strong bones and helps anchor calcium to the bone, protects the heart)
192% of the RDA for vitamin A (protects and moisturizes skin)
Extra rich in beta carotene
Great source for vitamin C, calcium and iron
In Chinese medicine kale is used to help ease lung congestion (including asthma)

Like so many of these healing foods it is recommended you eat them daily or "as much as you can."

Cooking helps tenderize the leaves so try adding to soups and stews or adding some to your protein shake to which you've added fruits. You'll never know it's there.

I found this 4 1/2 Star recipe for Kale Chips. It sounds easy enough and while the picture won't win any awards the reviews all say very tasty. I think it would be easier to work with larger pieces and probably wouldn't sacrifice texture or taste. I'm giving it a try but PLEASE share any tasty ways you have cooked or incorporated kale into your diet. Happy Monday!