My New Years Resolution is write one health blog per week (52!) and supplement here and there with YouTube "How-to" style videos (dance exercises, cooking, etc). Should be a fun project for 2010. I will set 2 goals each week; one fitness, and one nutrition. Anyone can join in and I'd love to hear feedback. I am doing this for 2 reasons:
1. I really enjoy learning about health and nutrition and this is a motivating way for me to keep up on research.
2. I had a baby and need to lose some baby weight. I am not one to count calories (that is a sure way for me to end up in the crazy house), and I love crappy food as much as the next guy. SO this is a great way to keep me accountable to live a healthy and balanced lifestyle for both me and my new little baby.
Since its the end of the first FULL week of 2010, I made it just in time. It's been an interesting balance having a newborn and trying to keep the energy up to cook, clean, take care of a baby, and function somewhat normally but HERE WE ARE!
True to newly stay-at-home mom form, I have been watching umpteen TV talk shows all week about losing weight and dieting. (Happy New Years resolution!) From Dr. Oz to Bethany Frankel--most people say the same thing. Set goals that are obtainable. Eat whole foods. Change a sedentary lifestyle to one that is active and so on. Dr. Oz talked about getting rid of 5 toxic things out of the fridge. One that stuck in my memory was high fructose corn syrup. While I totally agree with him (I love me some Oz), I think it is nearly impossible for the average person to just walk to the fridge and get rid of everything with HFCS in it without replacing it immediately with a better substitute. (I am a sugar whores so I get it ;-)) This takes time to educate oneself on what is actually in food.
Nasty high fructose corn syrup in nearly all packaged foods, sodas, candy, etc. It's bad because it's been chemically changed from corn glucose into an engineered form of fructose which is sweeter, cheaper than sugar, and used as a preservative. Have you ever wondered how fruit juice can stay good for years??? Hmmm...weird. It is also thought to be a major contributing factor to obesity.
How do we actually get rid of HFCS (or at least move it to moderation)?
1. Make it a goal to have no HFCS (and we'll throw in refined white sugar as well for good measure) for 2 weeks. Just start with that. Simple. Don't bombard yourself with avoiding everything sweet, fatty, and carbolicious. Let's just focus on starting to eat more whole foods an cutting out refined white sugar and HFCS.
--HOW DO I DO THIS???
2. READ INGREDIENTS. This will be disturbing because you will find HFCS and refined white sugar in everything.
--DON'T PANIC, I have a solution:
3. Don't deprive yourself of all things sweet. You will want to give up if you do that so look for real sugar in the form of: evaporated cane juice, agave necter, honey, dates, turbinado sugar, and of course FRUIT!! For a zero calorie natural sweetner go for some stevia. Don't just switch to diet soda because I have a whole other bone to pick with artificial sweetners. Another entry for another day.
You will find these other sweetners to seem a little pricey, at least more than white sugar and cheap soda. THIS IS A GOOD THING. WHY???? Well, the more chemicals and fillers in food, the cheaper they are. (That will make you think twice about that fast food dollar menu). Also, if $$ is an issue, then go buy a small bag of turbinado sugar or evaporated cane juice and some stevia packets from the store (usually in most grocery store but will definitely be in health food stores) and use it sparingly. The idea is to have one treat, not 20. Make your brownies with REAL sugar. Sweeten your tea and coffee with stevia (just a little goes a LONG way b/c its 200 times sweeter than sugar.)
Eat slowly and enjoy the sweetness rather than wolfing down a pan of brownies before you have time to taste them. (speaking from experience).
So to recap:
1. No high fructose corn syrup or refined white sugar.
Fitness goal for this week is going to be a relatively easy one since I am still slowly getting back into shape with the wee one:
2. Walk for 30 mins 3 times a week. Try to do a pilates/yoga video or class once this week.
Pretty easy, right?
Report back soon. :)
4 comments:
You are AWESOME my love! i am SO glad that your blog is back UP and running! YAY!!! i also love that you said DON"T SWITCH to diet... oooh good heavens... i would lOVE to see you post something on how HORRID that sweetener is! i AM SOO ANTI!!! oooh my!
anyways, i love this! and i am going to do this cuz well, even though i am pregnant. this is still great goals to achieve.. thanks! love you
Love this! I'm a sugar addict myself, so this is very helpful. I know you'll get the baby weight off, girl! :o)
You go girl! I'm back to the gym three days a week (got a little off there with Christmas and New Years...) and even though my TMJ makes it really hard for me to eat the healthy way I want, I am trying to work up the gumption to start a Green drink thing... probably will need your advice on that!
Yay, you're back! Love this blog and all the health tips. Fan of Stevia, didn't know about the rest tho' so thanks! HFCS IS in everything, as is Partially Hydrogenated Whatever oil. Hello plastic arteries! Those two ingredients have been relentlessly harboring in my pantry and it's time I kick them to the curb! Here's to shedding that baby fat!
Post a Comment