getting back on track

You know that feeling, when you lose sight of a goal, and all you can think of is getting back on track. But everything you do to get back on track seems to push you 10 steps back.

That's where I am at the moment. I had set out on a journey, to eat only unprocessed foods for a whole year and for two months straight, I did just that. I had the most determination and focus, that nothing could tear me away from my goal. I was comfortable saying 'no' to people when it didn't fit in with my lifestyle choice. But then in a moment of weakness something overcame me, which made all my hard work and determination fly out the window.

But where did my focus and determination go and how can I get it back?

I can get it back by reassessing my long term nutritional goal and set some mini goals that are going to keep me on track.  The secret to keeping a long term goal is making and completing all the mini goals that you set for yourself.  These mini goals need to be something that challenges you a little but is attainable.  These mini goals have to challenge you either physically or mentally or otherwise you won't learn anything or feel as though you have gained anything from reaching that mini goal.

Here is my long term nutrition goal: I want organic, unprocessed foods to make up 90% of my diet for the rest of my life, (not just the rest of the year)

I understand that this is a lifestyle choice for me but it’s not only about just eating these food but understanding the way that these foods affect my body.  Understanding how food can heal your body and that eating clean, organic unprocessed foods really is the secret to longevity.

So understanding what my main long term nutritional goal is I can now start to think about the mini goals that are going to help me along the way.  Not only do I want to think about cutting out “bad” foods, but also fully understanding what makes these foods “bad” and fully understanding why I really don’t want to put these foods into my system.  I will be adding to my mini goals all the time, as my long term goal is about a lifestyle change, my mini goals are going to be the things that keep me going for good.

Here are my mini nutritional goals for the next month:

I want to give up refined sugar for good! I want to give up refined sugar for good! – I already know that sugar is the devil, it’s just time for it to go for good. 

I want to experiment with making my own flours from scratch – I love baking, and I’m not ready to give up on having delicious blueberry muffins or a birthday cake, or making brownies.  There is a way to do it healthy and I am going to find it.

I want to explore the possibility of studying nutrition – want to explore the possibility of studying nutrition – I love this stuff, it is what I am passionate about, I want to live like this and I also want to inspire others to implement these changes into their lives.  I’ve already seen how helping people achieve their fitness goals.

So what are you doing to keep your goals on track?  Why not try to reassess you long term goal and set some mini goals to help you get there.

NKxx

Tips to curb your food cravings

Now that you know what type of food craving sums you up; let’s look at some ways to put a stop to those pesky cravings.

Now let me just say that it is normal for the human body to experience hunger from time to time.  It is also a normal response to feel a little hungrier when you have recently decreased your consumption of calories.  Now I know that it can seem like some sort of an emergency when you feel hungry, it feels like you are dying or wasting away, when in fact, the body is just saying that it doesn’t have enough calories to add new fat to the fat stores its already carrying around.  The firs feelings of hunger are really more of a false alarm than anything to be concerned about.  At least from a logical point of view, but who uses logic when their hungry?

These foods will suppress cravings without hurting your waist line; most of it really comes back to common sense.  And you’ll see that all the options are healthy and unprocessed.  It’s about letting your stomach think you’ve just filled it with something full of calories, when in fact you have filled it with something that is healthy and nutritious.

Drink Water.  Water is the best appetite suppressant.  You should try to drink a glass of water when you first start feeling hungry.  You should find that it suppressed your appetite in nearly every case.  I know that if I drink a full glass of water and then wait 10 minutes, most of the time I find that my hunger pang has gone completely.

Munch on some Green Veggies.  Why not eat some spinach, or lettuce or even bokchoy.  All this green goodness is full of nutrients, and you can eat as much of it as you want.  I like to drizzle some organic apple cider over some spinach for an afternoon snack.  It’s easy for work because it doesn’t make as much mess as eating crackers or biscuits or chocolate at your desk.  Why not cut up some celery or even some capsicum if munching on lettuce just isn’t your style.  The crunch that chewing on these green veggies will satisfy any salty craving.

Green Tea Time.  Sip on some green tea.  It is packed full of natural antioxidants and really helps to supress your appetite.  It’ll give you an energy kick as well from the small amount of caffeine.  If you’re sick of green tea, why not try white tea.  White tea is has more antioxidants than its green friend minus the caffeine kick.

Get Some Fresh Air:  Go outside and get some fresh air.  If you’re at work, instead of having your afternoon coffee, why not take a brisk walk around the block.  I know that if I’ve had a busy day at work, and 3pm has rolled around and all I can think about is chocolate, I take myself outside and go for a brisk walk around our block.  I’m out for about 5mins all up and I come back feeling refreshed and ready to take on the last two hours of my day.

Eat a piece of Fruit:  Don’t be worried to have a piece of fruit.  Try to pick organic where possible.  But there is nothing better than eating a delicious peach in the afternoon, and while they are still so fresh and in season there is nothing better, not to mention it will satisfy your sweet tooth without all the extra calories that a chocolate bar or a handful of lollies would give you.  While I’m on this topic I get so angry when people say “you shouldn’t eat fruit because it’ll throw out your diet” I have seen people take on the advice of not eating the fruit, but then they’ll reach for a bag of all natural confectionary lollies!!!! Where is the logic in that?  Choose the fruit every time.

Hope this helps you beat those pesky cravings

NKx

Understanding your Cravings

Before you head to the corner store this afternoon looking for your chocolate bar or packet of chips to satisfy that craving that’s been eating away at you all afternoon, have a think about what your body really needs.  I was reading an article about your health character, it suggests that ‘cravings give insight into the type of person you are’, says Dr Alan Hirsch, author of “What Flavour is your Personality?”.

When you are craving chocolate

What it says about your body:  You reach for the chocolate because the flavour makes you swoon – but it does that because it stimulates the release of serotonin, says Dr Hirsch. It’s basically an antidepressant in dessert form that your body instinctively seeks out when your happy chemicals are bottoming out and you need a quick lift.

What it says about you:  That depends on what type of chocolate you long for.  Dark chocolate: you’re the life of the party, a social butterfly, and right in the mix of the team project at work.  Milk chocolate: you’re the quiet, introspective type.  Your idea of a perfect afternoon is a solo run or one-on-one time with a good book.

When you crave salty food

What it says about your body:  If nothing but the saltiest chip will do, you may have a mineral deficiency. Studies have shown that women who eat low-calcium diets want salty foods more than those who get enough of the bone builder, says Dr Michael Tordoff, a researcher at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, US, an institute that studies taste and smell. One possible reason: sodium temporarily increases calcium levels in the blood, which tricks the body into thinking the problem is solved. But you may have a shortage of other minerals too. In animal studies, researchers have found that a lack of potassium, calcium and iron causes test subjects to devour table salt.

What it says about you:  You go with the flow. Dr Hirsch’s research describes salt lovers as having an “external locus of control”, meaning they believe that outside forces, not their own actions, determine their fate.

When you crave spicy food

What it says about your body:  If you’re having trouble cooling down, your body may crave a fiery taste to make you perspire. That may seem counterintuitive, but it helps explain why Mexican food is popular even when temps are scorching. Some research also suggests that people become addicted to the rush of spicy food – the spiked blood pressure, accelerated heart rate and rapid breathing, says nutritionist Tammy Lakatos Shames, co-author of The Secret to Skinny.

What it says about you:  You’re a perfectionist: you love order, dislike wasting time, and sweat the details.

When you crave lollies

What it says about your body:  This is a lot like a chocolate craving – lusting after sweets could indicate that you’re looking to boost your mood, or that you’re just low on energy. The body absorbs refined sugars faster than any other type of food, giving you immediate fuel, says Shames.

What it says about you: Sugar fiends tend to walk towards the wild side, says Dr Hirsch. He describes them as hedonistic, with few regrets. They also like to stand out and feel special.

When you crave sweet and salty

What it says about your body: Your body needs glucose and sodium to function properly, so when the cells get sluggish (and you get tired), you reach for the chocolate-covered pretzels to get them revving, says Dr Hirsch.

What it says about you:  You’re a loner, but a whiz, too. According to Dr Hirsch’s data, people who think a potato chip dipped in chocolate sauce is a match made in sensory heaven tend to be creative but private, to the point that they appear standoffish.

Gives you something to think about next time you go to satisfy your cravings.  Up next some great foods to reach for when the cravings set in

NK xx

(Source: http://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/womens-health/)

Aloe Vera Juice - Give it a Go!

Happy Tuesday everyone!  While on my healthy eating crusade I have stumbled along Aloe Vera juice.  This little green bottle has been teasing me as I line up to go through the self-serve at Coles, I’ve been so unsure about giving it a go.  I would pick up the bottle and look at the packaging thinking “Aloe Vera juice… this is the stuff that mum used to rub on us if we got a cut or burn, we never drank the stuff” and would put it straight back, then finally one day I hesitantly decided to give it a go, and I’ve almost been drinking it every day since.

The little green bottle is full of little Aloe Vera chunks that are refreshing and a little sweet to taste.  It’s actually quite nice to have something soft to chew when you’re drinking this juice.  I really like to have my juice after lunch; I have been finding that it gets me through the afternoon without really needing to snack on anything else.  I feel refreshed and it soothes my stomach, which I didn’t know needed soothing until I had my first bottle.  I’ve finally gotten around to doing my research on drinking this juice, as I haven’t really heard a lot about it.

It turns out that it’s quite good for you.  It would be even better in its rawest form of course, but until I can either grow my own or find some fresh Aloe Vera at some markets, this may have to suffice.  After doing a little reading these are the main benefits that I have found for drinking Aloe Vera juice.

• It’s really good for your digestive system:  this juice encourages the bowels to move and helps with elimination.  It helps with stomach cramps and has a soothing effect on the whole digestive tract.  There are even reports of people who have cured or improved their symptoms of I.B.S
• It is a great pain reliever and reduces inflammation:  Aloe Vera juice comes filled with mucopolysaccharides (the amino sugars needed for the regeneration of body cells), which helps to improve joint flexibility.  It also assists in strengthening joint muscles which therefore reduces pain and inflammation in weakened or aged joints.
• It is a great support to the immune system:  With winter around the corner, we all want to start boosting our immune systems so that we can avoid the dreaded office flu.  The polysaccharides in Aloe Vera juice stimulate macrophages, these are the white blood cells that fight viruses.
• It’s really good for your skin:  I know that my mum used to rub a fresh cut of Aloe Vera on cuts and burns; admittedly I thought it was a bit silly when I was younger, but she was onto something.  When Aloe is applied topically to a wound, it can speed up the healing process.  Also drinking the juice can help improve skin quality and complexion.  It contains many nutrients and antioxidants which are vital to skin health, such as vitamin C, E and the mineral zinc.  This nutrients help protect the skin from external toxins in air pollution, as well as helping to detox internal toxins. Other benefits of Aloe Vera juice for the skin include: providing proper lubrication, helping maintain the elasticity of the skin, removing dead skin cells, and helping with the regeneration of skin cells.

As soon as I get my hands on some fresh Aloe Vera cuts, I’m going to try to make my own juice.  Here is a method I have found if you want to give it a go.

1. Cut a large healthy Aloe Vera leaf off of your plant, then let the resin drip out by holding it upside down so that it drains where you cut it. The gel won’t come out, so don’t worry about that.
2. Cut it in half and then filet the gel out of the inside. Just be sure you don’t get the yellow stuff that comes out near the outer skin. You could also do this by first cutting the top layer, then the sides and eventually the bottom. There’s a photo tutorial on this here that shows how to do this really well.
3. Place in a blender and cover with 3 cups of fruit juice or fresh fruit and water. You can pretty much use anything you want here. Try coconut milk or almond milk if that suits your taste better.
4. Blend well, chill and then serve. Refrigerate leftover juice.

This recipe is from: http://www.thethriftymama.com/aloe-vera-juice.html

The brand that I have been drinking is called ‘aloe Verde aloe Vera drink’.  I’ve been buying it from my local Woolworths.  Give it a go if you’re interested, the taste will be a little different on your first sip, but after that you’ll really enjoy the drink.

Hope you’re choosing health over anything else

NKx

day 61 - food journal

what wonderful weather that we had today, in fact we have had amazing weather all weekend.  i rode to and from work this morning and felt amazing.  then i got a headache this afternoon, grrr it was terrible.  i went for a quick walk around the block to try to get some fresh air to try to help it go away.  i think it was from being in front of the computer all day... hmm it may be time to get my eyes checked.  here is my food journal for the day:


breakfast: super smoothy made with, coconut milk, 2 bananas, chia seeds, honey, frozen berries
snack: medjool dates, nectarine
lunch: 1 large carrot, 1 half small tub of all natural yoghurt
dinner: fish, goats cheese, tomato


exercise: rode to and from work, this is the easiest way to blast off calories.


can you walk, run or ride to work?  how about tomorrow, you try to walk to work.  if work is to far away why not park 2km away and walk the rest of the way.  incidental exercise is the easiest way to smash off extra calories throughout your day.


yours in health


NK x

super food saturday - chia seeds

here are ten benefits to using chia seed in your life.  chia seeds are:

1. nutritious.  chia seed provides ample calcium and protein to your tissues.  the seeds are also rich in boron, which helps the body assimilate and use calcium.  the nutrients also support proper brain functioning.

2. water loving.  the seed can soak up ten times its weight in water.  do this fun experiment.  put one tablespoon of chia seed in a cup of water and stir.  wait a few hours and see what happens.  when inside your body, the seeds help you stay hydrated longer, and retain electrolytes in your bodily fluids.

3.  easily digestible.  the shells are easily broken down, even when swallowed whole.  this is an improvement over flax seed, which have to be ground up to be digested properly.  if you eat flax seed whole, it will just pass through.

4.  Add healthy omega-3 oil to your diet.  Omega-3 oil is usually thought of as “that healthy stuff in fish”. But, what if you don’t want to eat fish every day? Chia is the richest plant-source of this healthy oil. By weight, chia contains more omega 3 than salmon, and it still tastes like whatever you want! Omega 3 oil is important in heart and cholesterol health. It’s also recently been targeted as a weight-loss helper. USA Weekend magazine also reports on a study where overweight dieters who included omega 3s in their eating plan lost 2 more pounds monthly than the control group, who did not.

great comparisons for chia seeds

5. mild tasting.  unlike some seeds, the flavor is very mild.  the mild taste makes it easy to put in sauces, smoothies, breads, puddings, and whatever you want.  they won't really change the taste, but will add to your nutrition!

6. energy enhancing.  the health pioneer paul bragg did an experiment an endurance hike with friends.  they divided up into a chia-eating group and another group, who ate whatever they wanted.  the group eating only chia seeds finished the hike four hours, twenty seven minutes before the others, most of whom didn't even finish at all.

7. versatile.  the seeds can be used to replace less-healthy fat in just about any recipe.  you can use them uncooked in salad dressings, spreads, fruit shakes, ice cream, and just about anything you want.  you can also add them to cookies, cakes, muffins, and other baked goods.  i usually just mix in a couple of teaspoons to my juice or water and drink them down!

8. slimming and trimming.  yes, the seeds will help you lose weight, for two reasons.  the first reason is that they are so filling that you will eat less of other foods.  the second reason is that they actually bulk up and cleanse your body of old "junk" in your intestines. 

9. endurance enhancing.  chia seeds are known as the "indian running food".  also, the ancient aztec warriors used chia seed during their conquests.  i'm a runner, and i've used chia seed to enhance stamina and endurance on my mountain runs, some of which are several hours long!

10. regenerating.  after eating, the nutrients travel to the cells very quickly due to the ease in digestion and assimilation.  use them when you want to build or regenerate healthy body tissue.

we all know if we eat a better diet we will be healthier.  the problem with this statement is most of us can not find the time and or resources to buy and prepare all of these good foods and add them into our diet everyday.  high quality chia seeds are a complete raw food that can be used as a meal replacement and or added for it’s chia nutritional value to our diet.  see the chart above for great comparisons.

i also incorporate chia seeds into my cooking, and in the morning to my smoothies.  It is a great thickening agent as well, a lot of vegan chefs use chia seeds in place of eggs.

why not give chia a try.  you can pick up a small bag from your local supermarket (ie. coles and woolies)

hope your having a healthy saturday!

NK xx

food journal - a realization

Ok, so my goal of eating only unprocessed foods for 365 days was a little unattainable.  But I’m still enjoying this journey.  Since I started eating this way I have officially lost 6kg, my skin is clearer and brighter and I have energy like there is no tomorrow.

I like to think back to the weekend that I did the juice detox, I drank nothing but juices on Saturday and then Sunday morning, I got up and went for a huge bike ride, I really didn’t think that I would have the energy to go as far as I did, but I felt great, I felt better than if I had had a big pasta meal for dinner the night before.  Eating a giant meal of pasta made me feel heavy not light and full of beans.

I just want to clarify with you that for 90% of the time I still eat unprocessed, clean food.  It’s just if I go out for dinner, I still order the best thing on the menu for me, the least processed meal, and I’m just not worrying so much about the sauces that might come with that meal.  It just means that if my partner and I want to go and get gelato from the new little Italian grocers down the road, I’m not going to say absolutely not, but yes I can have this once in a while.  So essentially I’m giving myself two meals a week that might not be as clean.  But I’ll never go back to having a super creamy pasta dish, or eating heaps of chocolate biscuits, that stuff still makes me feel awful.

Ok so here’s what my food journal looks like today:

Breakfast: 1 handful of fresh cherries

Snack: nectarine, snack dates, 85% cocoa green and black’s organic chocolate (about 3 squares)

Lunch: avocado

Dinner: quinoa with goats cheese
Desert: banana ice cream (its sooo hot here today and i needed to cool down)


Exercise: rode to and from work, 15 min pilates :)

Watch this space also, I'm working on 10 min Pilates video sessions, hopefully will launch the videos this sunday - yay!


NK x