Small steps to a healthier you

To make a change stick, it has to become a habit. This is as true of healthy eating as it is for incorporating exercise into your lifestyle. Habits don’t form overnight. And they can take months to solidify; they require effort, time and patience. Completely changing what you’re eating can be intimidating and overwhelming and might discourage you from eating healthier. Smaller, gradual change can lead to greater success.

By focusing on one or two steps at a time, be it diet or lifestyle related, the changes will more likely form a habit. Once habits have been developed, add more small changes on top. Studies have shown that making small changes – such as eating every few hours, putting food on a plate instead of eating out of box, and eating a proper breakfast upon rising – can lead to sustainable weight loss and a healthier diet. 

Here are some small changes that will help set you on the path to a healthier lifestyle:

1. Buy whole foods, one-item foods. This means you have to put them together yourself to make them into a meal. This one habit alone will lead to a significantly healthier lifestyle. Look for recipes that have a vegetable, several veggies or a grain as the focus.
   
2. Drink water in favour of soft drink and other “sugar-ified” drinks. Drink a glass half an hour before meals.
   
3. Avoid artificial sweeteners and anything that contains them.
   
4. If you drink coffee, take it black.
   
5. Reduce portion sizes by using small plates and bowls. Leave the table satisfied but not gorged.
   
6. Use grains instead of meat to add substance to a meal. Choose quinoa, couscous or lentils as your base, add veggies, broth, spices and fresh herbs and discover simple dishes and new flavours.
   
7. Snack on nuts, fruit, or raw veggies.
   
8. Plan ahead – you know what your day is going to be like. Prepare meals and snacks the night before and have them ready for the next day. You will have something handy to eat and have less excuse for grabbing something at the convenience store, the fast food drive-through, or your workplace cafeteria.

That’s all well and good you might say, but habits are hard to create. If you struggle with creating new habits, I recommend reading Leo Babauta’s blog, Zen Habits. His blog is all about habits and you might find this particular one especially helpful: I suck at habits; how do I get better? 

Choose one or two from the above list and get started on creating new and healthier habits. As you acquire new ones, begin to add more, gradually layering more habits on top of older ones. Small changes lead to bigger ones - this is the key to success in your journey to better health.

No room for more cows

After watching the documentary Cowspiracy, I am more certain than ever that what is good for the environment is good for human health. It is most definitely and without question good for the rest of the living beings with whom we share this earth! What I learned from this movie is that sustainability is the most critical factor when choosing what we eat. The truth is the world cannot sustain the current level of animal products we are consuming. Not even close. The truth is the more livestock we raise, the more land we destroy, the less land - and water - there is for the trees and the wildlife. And people in some parts of the world are still going hungry while we grow grain by the mega-ton to feed the livestock that feeds the wealthier nations.

Human demand for animal meat, fish, dairy, and eggs is killing our planet. The earth is becoming a desert.

Water consumption, land, greenhouse gases, and waste – these are all huge areas of concern for the environment and the survival of the planet, and they are hugely impacted by animal food production.

Here are some sobering facts:

GREENHOUSE GASES

Livestock and their by-products account for 51% of all worldwide greenhouse gas emissions

Cows produce 150 billion gallons of methane per day

Reducing methane emissions would create tangible benefits almost immediately

WATER

Agriculture is responsible for 80-90% of U.S. water consumption

477 gallons of water are required to produce one pound of eggs; 900 gallons are needed for one pound of cheese!

1,000 gallons of water are required to produce one gallon of milk!

LAND

Livestock covers 45% of the earth’s land

2-5 acres of land is used per cow

One third of the planet has become desert largely due to livestock

Animal agriculture is the leading cause of species extinction, ocean dead zones, water pollution, and habitat destruction

There is a solution - for those going hungry and for the planet as a whole. The answer to this dismal prospect is veganism. Don’t stop reading; I’m not a zealot. The truth is I’ve never been a big fan of veganism... until now that is. This new knowledge has changed my attitude. 

Each day, a person who eats a vegan diet saves 1,100 gallons of water, 45 pounds of grain, 30 square feet of forested land, 20 pounds of CO2 equivalent, and one animal’s life.The world population is growing by 228,000+ people every day!

The land required to feed one person per year looks like this:

Vegan: 1/6^th of an acre

Vegetarian: 3x vegan

Meat eater: 18 x vegan!

1.5 acres can produce 37,000 pounds of plant-based food

1.5 acres can produce 375 pounds of meat

A person who follows a vegan diet produces the equivalent of 50% less carbon dioxide, uses 1/11^th oil, 1/13^th water, and 1/18^th land compared to a meat-lover for their food. 82% of starving children live in countries where food they could be eating is fed to animals, and the animals are eaten by people living in western countries.

Knowing all this may concern you, and yet, you may not willing to give up meat, or dairy products, fish, or eggs. I am a flexitarian – someone who doesn’t buy meat but occasionally eats chicken or fish when not at home. I eat a lot of eggs, take milk in my tea and some in my oatmeal. I have kefir daily. So even for me, not a huge consumer of animal products, it is a big shift to consider giving them up completely. But what if we all made a small change?

I believe small tweaks can make a big difference. What if we all significantly reduced our consumption of meat, dairy products and eggs from what it is now? Instead of increasing the demand, we decreased it gradually over time. The world would be a better place. The world population is growing at an alarming rate. What if the next generation was taught not to rely on meat and dairy and instead learned to eat more vegetables, grains, nuts, and fruit? I think it’s worth making the effort. Our choices will have a ripple effect and will benefit everyone.

Please share this post and please, watch the movie!

Sweet potato three-bean chili

Sweet potato chili is a delicious variation on traditional ground beef chili. This recipe contains three different beans, tomatoes, and sweet potatoes plus the right spices. The following toppings can complement the spicy flavour of the chili: Sour cream or shredded cheese, chopped cilantro. This recipe is very easy but it does need several hours on the stove. Prepare a big batch on Sunday morning and you will have meals for the next week or you may want to freeze some for later. 

Ingredients

1 medium white onion

4 garlic cloves or equivalent minced garlic

28 oz can crushed tomatoes

14 oz can diced tomatoes

14 oz can white beans, drained

14 oz can kidney beans, drained

14 oz can black beans, drained

Crushed red pepper, sprinkle

1 tbsp chili powder, or less depending on your taste

1 tbsp cumin

1 tsp sea salt

3 sweet potatoes, cut into bit-sized pieces

1 red pepper, chopped

Add all ingredients to a slow cooker and cook on medium heat for up to 6 hours. Serve as is or with your favourite toppings.

Nutrition facts

Calories 210

Fiber 21 g

Protein 12 g

Vitamin A 444% RDA

Kettlebells – The Next Level

Kettlebells (and Clubbells) are technical training tools. Why technical? Because the weight is offset from the handle, the feel of the weight is exaggerated and therefore it is easier to use it improperly than it is for traditional weights like barbells and dumbbells. In other words, in order to use these tools, you require instruction from a certified instructor to learn safe technique and proper form. Once you gain familiarity and a degree of comfort swinging kettlebells and develop a solid foundation working with your instructor, you can then take what you’ve learned and train independently.The truth is all forms of strength training are based on a few foundational movements.

If you have previous experience with kettlebell training then it is very likely you have a strong foundation and are ready to increase the level of complexity.

What are the top 3 foundational movements for strength training?

1. Plank – holding the body in a straight line from head to heels while it is angled away from a perpendicular plane.
2. Hinge – bending at the hip joint while maintaining a flat back forming a straight line from crown to coccyx
3. Squat – from standing upright, bending at the hips and knees lowering the buttocks toward the floor while maintaining good upper body structure (shoulders must be down and back) and keeping the heels down. Stance and foot position may vary but knees must track over the middle of the foot.

You must be able to perform all these movements repeatedly and with good form using your own bodyweight as resistance before adding load. First you learn to control your body, then you add resistance. The body understands movement, not muscles. If we train for movement the body will respond as a unit. Once you master the basic movements, you can begin to increase the level of difficulty because form stays the same but the weight, tempo, angles and planes of the movement change, 

What are the top foundational exercises for kettlebell training?

1. Swing (based on the hinge)
2. Clean (transitional movement for overhead pressing)
3. Overhead fixation (being able to lock out the arm while holding weight straight above the shoulder)
4. KB squat (being able to squat as described above without leaning forward while holding a KB)

Of course there are pressing, pulling and rotational movements that are essential to any program but in my opinion the basic movements listed above necessarily set you up for safe practice of the latter.

Given the right program, kettlebells have the capacity to tax the muscular system at the same time as the cardiovascular/circulatory system, the ultimate combination strength and conditioning tool. Without a well-designed training system a tool is just a heavy object. To get the most out of it you need techniques and tactics and that’s where Fit Forever comes in. Training time is precious so make every second count. There are many ways to use a kettlebell; the only limit is your imagination. To optimize what you do you have to have a clear plan and solid fundamentals.

On Sunday, November 8^th Fit Forever is offering a kettlebell training seminar for participants with prior experience with basic kettlebell movements and therefore have a solid foundation. This session will be an opportunity to practice the basic movements you already know and build on them for added complexity and increasing level of difficulty.

I am looking forward to sharing some of these exercises with you. Kettlebells are a ton of fun! Your mind will be so occupied focusing on technique and movement, you will forget that you are exercising and you may lose track of time completely. When it’s all over, you will be happily tired and satisfied in the knowledge you’ve done your body good and you can get on with your day. See you there!

Quinoa salad with sweet-spicy dressing

This recipe for quinoa salad is a variation on a couscous salad I discovered this Thanksgiving at Madawaska Kanu Center. I haven’t tried the couscous version but I find the quinoa blends so well with the vegetables and dressing so I can’t imagine switching. Quinoa, fresh vegetables, and a sweet-spicy currant dressing give this salad a uniquely delicious flavour. Taste and the higher protein in the quinoa make this one of my favourite grain salads. Other than steaming the vegetables it is quite simple and easy to make. If you make this ahead of time, it makes a great salad to take with you to work or school for lunch.

Dressing

½ cup currants or raisins

¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice

¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/3 cup olive oil

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Salad

1 ½ cups quinoa, red, white or both

1 carrot finely chopped

1 cup sliced green beans or yellow wax beans cut into ¼” pieces

1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped

½ red onion, finely chopped

¼ cup finely chopped fresh mint or parsley

½ cup chopped walnuts

Put the raisins, orange juice, lemon juice, oil, cinnamon, salt, and cayenne pepper in a jar. Cover with the lid and shake until ingredients are well mixed.

In a medium saucepan, bring rinsed quinoa and water to a boil and cook according to package. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork and let it cool completely.

Steam the carrot, green beans and bell pepper until they are a bright colour, about 3 minutes. Vegetables should still be crunchy. Rinse under cold water, drain, and cool completely.

Stir the steamed vegetables, onion, and mint into the quinoa. Shake the spicy dressing and pour over the salad. Stir until well coated. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavours to blend. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts. Serve chilled.

Whey protein - pros and cons

Recently I was contacted by someone who is formulating their own protein powder food supplement to evaluate the ingredients he was planning to use in his powder and to advise him about the proportions of macronutrients. This request opened up a whole host of considerations about what to look for in a good quality protein supplement, many of which are mired in contention.

Whey protein is the most common source of protein for powder. It is available in concentrate, isolate and hydrolyzed forms. There is a ton of conflicting information on which type is best. Some say isolate is the way to go; some say only use concentrated forms. Neither is wrong. Both sides have a valid basis for their argument. It comes down to weighing the pros and cons.

Factors to consider when purchasing whey protein powder:

• Digestion rate – you want the amino acids to work quickly but there is the related question about how much is being absorbed
• Bioavailability – maximum biological value
• Source of the whey – does the whey come from grass-fed, pastured cows free of hormones and GMOs
• Amount of whey as a percentage – divide the grams of protein per serving by the serving size (80% or better is generally considered optimal)
• How much carbohydrate and fat? (most people want as much protein as possible but at what cost?)
• Type of processing – acid-free processing not ion-exchange processing

The argument for whey protein isolate and/or whey protein hydrolysate

Whey protein isolates are the purest form of protein available, with some being more than 90% protein. Hydrolyzed whey protein isolate means that the highest quality whey has been pre-digested into smaller protein fragments for faster digestion than regular whey isolate.

Whey protein isolates have less lactose (some are lactose free) than the concentrated form.

Whey protein isolate goes through more filtering, which means more of the natural carbohydrates found in milk are removed. This means the resulting whey product is higher in protein content. 

Whey protein concentrate

Sounds good for the isolates but here’s the rub. All isolates are exposed to acid processing. Moreover, according to Dr. Joseph Mercola, your body cannot assimilate proteins in isolated form! (I could not find scientific data to back up this claim.) Due to over-processing, isolates are deficient in key amino acids and nutritional cofactors. Most protein concentrates are between 70-80%.

Other factors to consider irrespective of the type of whey include:

• Presence of toxic heavy metals
• Cold or heat processed
• Low carb, naturally sweetened

So there you have it. Pick your protein. The chief advantage of hydrolyzed whey protein isolate seems to be its digestion rate. However, fast digestion doesn’t guarantee proper absorption! Nothing’s simple. The percentage of protein is higher as well but if much of it is being excreted, this fact becomes less important. The extra processing of isolate comes at the cost of destruction of health-promoting substances. 

My recommendation would be to choose a whey protein concentrate, unless you have milk allergies. Choose a brand with whey from pasture-fed non-GMO cows, no heavy metals, cold-processed with no added sugar or artificial flavours. Taking protein powder with proteolytic enzymes may help increase the absorption rate. And remember, as with most things nutritional, more is not always better. Taking in too much may mean you are flushing it and your hard-earned money down the toilet.

A peek into the world of fermentation

Cabbage with apples, oranges and cranberries still in the early stages of fermentation

This weekend I had the pleasure of attending a day-long workshop on how to make your own fermented foods and drinks. It was given by a fellow holistic nutritionist who specializes in fermentation. Fermentation occurs when beneficial bacteria feed off food (starches) and break them down into acetic and lactic acids in an anaerobic environment. Probiotics are food and supplements containing beneficial bacterial cultures that help the body’s naturally occurring intestinal flora re-establish themselves. Probiotic bacteria must be consumed daily to be effective as they do not remain in the intestinal tract and leave the body quite readily.

During the workshop we made kombucha, water kefir, ginger bug, and sauerkraut with fruit.

The funny thing about fermentation is the language. Here are some examples:

Scoby – symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast
Brain – another word for scoby, based on the appearance of the culture
Mother – another word for scoby, so-called because it produces more of its kind (called children)
Ginger Bug – a natural lacto-fermented soda starter

If these words don't make your mouth water, have faith in the knowledge that fermentation is beneficial to our health and well-being. You will enjoy foods you already like - carrots, cauliflower, green beans - but in fermented form. Active bacterial cultures from fermented foods have a huge impact on health, foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, chutneys, kefir, yogurt and kombucha.

Kombucha is fairly simple to make. We mixed together hot water, sugar and black tea (or other tea but black is best). Once it is cooled, you add the scoby and let stand for 1-2 weeks. Once it has fermented, you can take liquid from it to drink, and top it up with more sugar and tea. It is only one tablespoon of sugar which is consumed by the bacterial culture so the longer it ferments, the less sweet it gets.  

Ginger bug is essentially a slurry of sugar, diced fresh ginger and water, which helps to promote the proliferation of beneficial bacteria and wild yeast.

Fermented foods are nothing new: traditionally almost every civilization regularly produced and consumed at least one cultured food. They are making a comeback now that scientific research has backed up claims that these foods are highly beneficial for our health.

Unfortunately pasteurization, the process that was invented to prevent spoilage, to prevent foods and beverages from turning sour, also kills the bacteria we need to make us healthy. Ironically, by consuming only pasteurized foods, we are compromising the health of our intestinal flora and in so doing make ourselves vulnerable to legions of pathogenic microorganisms.

How does fermentation benefit our health?

Fermentation

• nourishes your digestive system, helping to keep it in balance. A balanced digestive system means a strong immune system.
• neutralizes anti-nutrients like phytic acid, which binds to minerals in the gut and decreases their digestibility.
• provides digestive enzymes
• pre-digests foods for us, making the digestive process easier
• increases the vitamin content of foods significantly and aids in the absorption of nutrients as well

So whether you choose to learn to ferment your own foods, or buy them ready-made, fermented foods are an important part of a healthy diet. Making your own is easy and much less expensive than purchasing probiotic supplements. If you are like many people and suffer from some sort of digestive disorder, I encourage you to seek the advice of a certified nutritionist to help get your digestion back in balance. Your gut will thank you.