Fitness Friday: an obesity FORECAST?!

i know

i read that and went "really?"

and the article is here, should you want to read what sparked this post.

i think the line that got me the most in this was the following:

The lifespan of an obese person is up to 8-10 years shorter than that of a normal-weight person, the OECD said, the same loss of lifespan incurred by smoking.

um, wow?

but truly, it's good that studies are being done

i live in tennessee, which is (according to recent calculations) the 2nd fattest state in the nation.

yikes.

that's not ok

thankfully, our governor sees this as the huge problem it is, and has unveiled a plan to make some pretty major changes

more sidewalks, taxes on soft drinks, more frequent PE classes

among other things

hear me say:

i'm not at an ideal weight

but i am working toward it

i got a little out of control

and i can certainly see how that happens

but seriously

to be the fattest nation on earth

when we have the access to amazing, local produce

(or at least fresh-ish produce for those of you not near great farmers markets and groceries)

and we have the whole world literally at our fingertips

to research how to eat healthful and real food meals

exercise plans for every level of ability and need

what's our excuse?

really.

what will it take for us to take the doritos off our regular buying list

and replace them with (for the same price) a week's worth of crunchy vegetables and hummus?

when will we put down the expensive packaged cookies

and for a fraction of the cost, make a better and more healthful version?
(ahem -- it kind of drives me crazy when people complain about the cost of healthy food
when junk food is incredibly expensive!)

it's not about deprivation

it's about making smart choices

and yes.

i occasionally buy a bag of doritos

but it's not even once a month!

and i bought oreos for the first time in about 2 months yesterday

but i'm sure the cashier was a bit surprised by that addition to an otherwise healthy basket.  ha!

i guess the real question here

is when will we get off our (literal) butts

and start making our health a priority?

(i'm asking myself too)

for me...i need to learn that happy medium.  after struggling with eating disorders for years upon years

i started eating what i wanted 

i embraced recovery

and as i stated above, i got a bit out of control!

but now that i'm learning more about what my body actually needs

how it was designed to function

and how i can eat really good food

and still be healthy?

why would i NOT prefer that over a drive-thru?

all things in balance

all things in moderation

it's not about never eating anything unhealthy

-- unless you're a stronger person than i!

it's about learning to make that the exception rather than the rule.

(and for me...a cheeseburger tastes SO MUCH better when it's been weeks since i've ordered one!)

i'm still working away at my weight loss challenge

(which reminds me...must make an update post about that next week)

my goal is to be at a weight that i'm happy with

and want to maintain

by the time i'm shopping for wedding dresses.

that's my clear and eventual goal

to be thrilled with my body on my wedding day

and beyond

it's a tangible goal

beyond that, i want to raise children

who never have the same body image issues i did

who learn how to have that balance and healthful attitude

that i'm currently striving for

what about you?

you know...we could prove that forecast wrong.
i'm just sayin'

fitness friday: to process or not to process

yesterday i was in two different houses with two different philosophies on eating and nutrition

yet the meals i served the children in both families both ended up to have about the same nutritional value

hot dogs in one home
macaroni and cheese from a box in the other
fresh fruit abounding in both

processed next to unprocessed
so i started thinking
which is dangerous, admittedly

what are my foodie confessions?
yes, i prefer unprocessed, whole foods
but honestly, i don't always do the best job of providing them to myself

for example, i know that pop-tarts have no nutritional value, whatsoever
but because they satisfy a sweet craving and have less fat/calorie content than many things that i could substitute
i allow them once in awhile

and while annie's mac and cheese is organic and all
it's still processed
and the blue box is even worse

i justify it because i don't eat these things every day
just "in a pinch"
when i'm in a hurry
or when nothing else sounds good and i just need food in my body

so...what can i do
what can you do
to ensure that healthful, REAL food is what you put in your body?

i think, for me, i'm going to be more purposeful in keeping healthful, whole foods on hand
actually preparing them when i bring them home, so that the temptation of fast and easy is removed
and it's actually JUST as fast and easy to have something real :)
and not falling victim to couponing--while it's AMAZING, i also think i buy more processed crap because i can get it cheap
(so now i have to somehow unify the part of me that wants healthful food with the part of me that wants to save money. THAT could be a blog project all it's own!)

what do you do?

fitness friday: organics

my approach to a lot of things is that the natural way is better

(although the jury is still out on childbirth. we'll see how i feel about that when i'm in labor one of these days!)

food is my main soapbox on the natural, non-processed way though.

don't get me wrong. i'll eat (organic, all-beef or turkey) hot dogs with the kids on occasion. sometimes to save time i'll eat processed food, although i DO try to make it natural or organic to at least feel better about the processing :)

but as far as my fruits and vegetables, dairy products and meats...

unless i'm eating out or at someone else's house

it's at least 90% organic

(allowing a 10% margin for those rare occasions that i can't find an organic product that i need for a recipe)

here's a couple of reasons why:

for me, i look at it with a spiritual context. if my body is a temple, do i really want to be shoveling crap in it all day long? do i want to put pesticides, preservatives, and other MAN-made chemicals in my body when on the flip side i could pay a few extra dollars to eat food the way God made it?

when i first started buying organic fruits, vegetables and milk, i balked a bit at the price tag. then i gave myself the "my body is a temple and this temple is going to try it for a few weeks and see what happens" talk. and a few amazing things happened.

-- my energy level went up

-- my body just FELT better

-- food tasted better

-- and my grocery bill remained about the same as it had been

(because i began craving the GOOD food and stopped buying the processed and boxed food...and the price tag of those boxes and cans is actually higher in most cases than buying fresh and natural ingredients. oh, and trader joe's helped :)

for a long time i stuck with the fruits, veggies and milk

then i snuck cheese into the equation

and finally meat. meat was my hold-out because, well...it really IS expensive to get organic meat.

(thank you again, trader joe. it's not THAT expensive there)

sometimes i don't have time to get to trader joe's and will buy conventional meat at the grocery. honestly, that probably stops after i write this post. there are organic options at publix and kroger...or i can suck it up and eat something that doesn't require meat for the meal i'm buying for!

do i say all this to change your mind?

maybe

but with all sincerity, i think we all have to make our own decisions about this stuff

i just want everyone to make an informed decision

mostly, i just want to help you think.

i know some feel it's not worth the extra money

some think it's just plain stupid or unnecessary

some are on the fence

and some buy into the organics idea but haven't really gotten started

i would encourage you to do what i did if you're considering it at ALL

experiment.

set a goal (3 weeks, for example) and a specific food group (vegetables, fruits, or dairy are good places to start)

buy 75% organics in that category for 3 weeks

if you can't tell much of a difference in the way your body feels

make a decision based on that (likely to go back to conventional)

if you can't tell much of a difference in your wallet

make a decision based on that (likely to stick with it a little longer and perhaps introduce more organics into your regular shopping)

but if you CAN tell a huge difference

you probably have your answer one way or the other.

don't take my word for it though. check it out for yourself!

※ here's an interesting article on whether organics is "worth it". it's written from a non-biased perspective from what i can tell. (and i'm definitely biased!)

※ here's a good list to help you decide which fruits and vegetables should be bought in organic form, and which are probably not necessary to purchase organically

dirty dozen and clean fifteen

(you can download a printable version OR an iphone app from that link!)

(more in depth article and more user friendly article both about the dirty dozen)

※ another article about organics in general

fitness friday

will return next week. i've spent a lot of time with anthony and his family this week, and i'm leaving for a retreat today literally right after the graveside service. i doubt i'll have internet access there...so i'm putting it on hold.

however, my reasons for choosing organics more often than not will still be the forefront of the discussion!

i'll leave you with a little tidbit: i get this email daily and love it. i'm better at reading a week's worth at once or so but still.

it's the "eat this, not that" movement, and it's a daily email chock full of good and surprising info. some of it's common sense stuff...some is more surprising.

you can go to this link and sign up--don't let the "men's health" bit scare you off--it's gender-neutral!

thursday's ten: i confess

true confession time! join me for your thursday's ten confessions if you like :)

i confess

- that i'm often spurred to write a blog post because of my boyfriend's disappointment that i haven't updated in awhile

- that i can be rather lazy when there is a computer, couch, or tv involved

- that i hate yogurt. ok, hate is a strong word. i despise yogurt.

- that i often find myself watching children's programming after the children have left the room

(or that i dvr it for myself)

- that i'm completely addicted to texting

- that i kinda think photoshop is cheating. although if i had it i'd totally cheat.

- that i'm really into america's got talent lately

- that i may never stick to a decent bedtime

- that as much as i love organics, sometimes mcdonalds calls my name

- that i can't remember the last time i had a pedicure...and one is badly needed!

please join in!

Friday Fitness

i'm starting a new feature here at le blog...because i want to help people be more educated about food and fitness. most of the things i'll be sharing are things that i didn't realize a year, two years, or 5 years ago. which means that even when i was skinny mini...the healthy version...i was still putting processed crap and foods very low in nutritional value into my body.

lately i've been making some changes.

and yes, while i'm no angel (pizza/wings for dinner with my small group last night and possible pub food tonight...) i believe that being AWARE of what you're putting into your body is important. so i'm aware that last night and perhaps tonight i'm filling my body with processed, greasy, possibly fried foods. that makes my lunch choices important, and means i'm limiting crap for snacks. there are plenty of fruits and vegetables in my fridge, so i have no excuse to reach for chips (which thankfully, i don't have in the house at the moment!)

i maintain that education is key. if you don't know...you don't care. if you know and you still don't care that's your prerogative...and if you know and care then maybe you'll find this little series helpful.

i'll just be passing on information that i learn. a simple google (or blackle) search will probably turn up similar information for you, but perhaps i'll save you a step or two. :)

here are 3 quick things for today since i spent all that time explaining why i'm doing this :)

1 - one of my blogging buddies posted this article on dangerous potato chips...and you're doing yourself a huge favor if you read it. seriously scary stuff!

(plus she's awesome and you should read her blog if you don't already *anyway*)

2 - an article that one of my friends shared on facebook a couple of months ago that has stuck with me. unfortunately, i haven't found a solution for canned tomatoes yet...but i'm looking into methods of canning them. there are not many available in glass jars, so i think the easiest and cheapest alternative will be to produce my own. ok, maybe not *easiest* :D

3 - two articles, one written in 2008 and one in 2009 about wiifit. pointing out the obvious--that if you don't use it it doesn't work, but if you do you actually may see some results.

for me personally, the wiifit game has been a way to gradually ease me back into exercise after my asthma attack earlier this summer...and a way for me to accurately track weight loss. and the bonus is that when i'm using it consistently (i average about 3x a week, although some weeks are more or less depending) i actually see results.

my opinion? wiifit is mainly about getting you off the couch and active. and it's fun. and if you lose a couple of pounds in the process it's pretty awesome :)

so there you go :) next week i'll share my reasoning behind my more organic than not lifestyle changes and you can all call me a crunchy freak ;-)

recipe of the week: fruit skewers and tropical fruit dip

so it's beautiful and sunny

and HOT

and i'm trying so hard to be a fruit lover

(i love love love veggies. and i like most fruit. i just don't eat it all the time)

but i went to the store last week and picked up a few organic treats

strawberries

(ps, these were also amazing in the mojitos this weekend...)

kiwi

blueberries

pineapple (that one wasn't organic but i bought the real deal...and i figure not much can get through that tough skin)

peaches

and i got a message from our friend who hosts the small group on thursdays that i've been going to for awhile.

i had asked if i could bring anything and she said "something with fruit."

to which i had replied "just fresh fruit?"

and she said "whatever you want to do that involves fruit. i love your creativity in the kitchen"

(uh-oh.

now i feel the need to be creative-esque)

so because i didn't want to mess up the fruit

(because it's already perfect the way God made it)

i decided to enhance it with a fruit dip.

only i couldn't stand the thought of marshmallow fluff...

processed the heck out of

so i sought an alternative

and of course what i ended up with was very far removed from the actual recipe that i found

this one pictured was made with cool whip

however i'm most definitely going to make it with actual whipping cream next time

at least i'll feel better about it then :)

here's my new and improved recipe:

tropical fruit dip

1 (8 oz) block of reduced-fat cream cheese

1/2 cup sugar or stevia (please don't use man-made chemicals as sweeteners...soapbox moment!)

1/2 cup whipping cream, whipped

1/4 cup almonds, plus a few for decor on top

1 tsp vanilla

optional: about 1/4 cup shaved coconut (i'm not a fan but i put it in and people went CRAZY over it)

beat cream cheese and sugar together until creamy and combined well. mix in whipped cream, almonds, vanilla and coconut (if using) until well blended. pour into serving bowl and garnish with almond slivers/slices. refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours so that flavors will blend. serve with freshly sliced fruit

OR

you can make fruit kabobs like i did :D

(i think those are pretty self-explanatory)

Thursday's Ten: Produce!

(sorry the last couple of weeks I've slacked off on this...)


We've hit that time of year where I eat SO well
because it's springtime and things that are fresh and organic and wonderful just seem like the perfect thing to eat
Farmer's Market is in full swing
Trader Joe's produce section continues to amaze...

yeah. I'm a fan.
So because food--and more specifically fresh produce--is on my mind, here are the top 10 things I get on a regular basis to snack on!

1. tomatoes. but i'm picky. they MUST be homegrown.
2. avacados. oh.my.gosh amazing. and i enjoy making my own guacamole as well, so that's a bonus!
3. pears. i always thought i hated them because i'd only had canned when i was growing up. fresh pears? nothing like the canned crap.
4. broccoli. my favorite veggie, hands down
5. carrots. i only like them raw, but they are SO good with hummus...
(yeah, i'll wait for you to go try that...)
6. oranges. arguably my favorite fruit.
7. celery. packs a nice little crunch. i know there's little flavor there, but when i'm craving chips i reach for celery and carrots first to see if i can be satisfied by a crunch instead.
8. banana. i have a tendency to buy too many of them at once and watch them turn black, but thankfully Trader Joe's sells them one at a time--even the organic ones!
9. onion and garlic. i especially love it when vidalias are in season. i'm lumping these together because, well, i use them to cook with more than to snack with...
10. plums. my parents have a plum tree, and buying a couple of plums every couple of weeks makes me a little nostalgic :)

I also love strawberries, cherries, grapes, cherry or grape tomatoes, and so much more...
what about you? what fresh foods are always at the top of your list?