The Cafeteria

I did not have time to go shopping awhile back so I could not bring lunch with me to school. So I decided to go to the School Cafeteria. It is fantastic - ok, not fantastic as in deliciously amazing best food I've ever eaten, but - more fantastic in the way it cost me $3.80 for a large salad of my choosing. It filled me completely up. I was very impressed. They also have hot food, already packaged food, etc. and it is so much cheaper than the fast food restaurants downstairs (and probably healthier). Go check it out. Save some money. Fill your belly. Be nutritious.


UVU is doing a Holiday Health Challenge. Its too late to join (it was free, Nov 15), but you can do one yourself! Go weigh yourself right now and weigh yourself again January 10. You win if you stay within two pounds of what you are right now.

There is a guest lecture series here at UVU on the topics of alcohol, tobacco, stress, eating disorders, lifestyle change, planning health, nutrition, and plastic surgery.

I'm HOPING that the Zumba and Yoga classes will stay at the same time for next semester because THEN, FINALLY I can attend them!

Also, take advantage of the FREE health risk appraisal - go sign up HERE.

Additives Causing Your Chronic Pain?

If you're like me you'll realize how HARD it is to find the cause of chronic pain. I suffer from migraines and I find it difficult to find relief as well as stop them from happening so frequently. One can hardly ever find the real cause of migraines. There are some major additives that you can avoid that can help you combat chronic pain and provide overall health. Taken from here.

1. Artificial Sweeteners: Aspertame, NutraSweet, Splenda. Found: in diet drinks and packets on restaurant tables. Adds to migraines. Cut them out completely.
2. Sugar: just plain sugar. Found: everywhere. Adds to muscle spasms. Cut down on intake.
3. High-Fructose Corn Syrup: similar to sugar. Found: everywhere. Adds to abdominal pain and digestive disorders. Cut down on intake.
4. Salt: that stuff on the table. Found: every table and every processed food of America. Adds to water retention which leads to bad joint and nerve function. Cut down on intake.
5. MSG: monosodium glutamate, glutamic acid, yeast extract, hydrolyzed protein, sodium caseinate, and autolyzed yeast. Found: chinese food and processed food. Adds to nerve damage and enhances pain. Cut out completely.
6. Preservatives:bonzoates, monglycerides, diglycerides, nitrates, nitrites, and sulfites. Found: commercially baked goods and anything that last a long time (processed food).

Eat the freshest and most natural food you can and you will get the best micronutrients and be the healthiest.

Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead

A Documentary.

It is a little bit different than the other documentaries I've watched. However, I thought it was more entertaining and very well done. It shows the experience of one Australian man who realized that he was fat, sick, and nearly dead. He needed to do something about it. He goes on a 60 day juice fast. During this time he travels to American and goes across the United States and tells his story to all those he can find. What he wants to do is cure himself, you know, like the way our body usually does. The first few days were really hard for him emotionally, but he got through it. From my experience of fasting, it is always the first few days to the first week that are the absolute hardest to get through.

This juice that he drinks for this 60 day fast is juice from a juicer. Juice direct from fruits and veggies. On day 31 he had lost almost 50 pounds. Micronutrient foods are fruits, veggies, beans and macronutrients are everything else. He meets a lady on the road that decides to do a two week fast and she does it. It helps her lose her migraines, clears her skin and body, and helps her feel a lot better. When he gets home to Australia he gets a call from a man he gave his information to in Arizona who needs help. They both have the same disease. He comes back to America and helps this man do a 10 day fast. He continues to a 30 day fast and loses 200 pounds in a few months after reverting to a diet high in micronutrients.

All across the country he interviews people about their habits, how they think about his fast and fruits and veggies, and how willing they were to change their diets to make themselves feel better. Most people knew why they were overweight and sick. Most people knew how to lose weight and get well. Most people were unwilling to make the life change. Why? Well they said it was because they had little self-control and said they were weak. I don't think they really believe that. I think they do not even want to try. They know but they don't care enough. Most people thought he was crazy. However, is it not crazy to take over 15 prescription drugs a day, overweight, and have your life expectancy for only a few years is not THAT crazy?

We have the ability to make life extremely healthy and live longer yet we have the highest rate of obesity and disease? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?

In the end the results of his fast were 1)no medication, 2)healthy weight, 3)clear thought processes, and 4)felt amazing.

I really want to try this juice fast. I think once I have the money to buy a juicer and the holidays are over: I want to do it. I think its worth it to try it, feel better, and possibly get off of medication and not have migraines. You can do it too. Here are some recipes or here.

Milk. That creamy goodness.

I watched an NBC todays delivery of milk today and I am grateful for the alternatives. After watching Forks Over Knives I realized that I wanted to drop the dairy and meat from my diet almost completely. Something I really love is milk. However, I am willing to give it up completely. To replace it I need to find something else to provide calcium and that white cold drink sensation.

Almond Milk:
I've tried this one. I really like it. I like the nutty flavor.
Less calories, less fiber, less protein, high sodium however you get calcium, vit a, vit d, vit e
Nutty flavor. Creamy.
Use in cereal, oatmeal, coffee, anything

Hemp Milk:
My husband thought this one was really weird. I've never tried it. It just sounds weird to drink.
Less protein, no thc, however you get more omega-3's, brain health food
Mashed potatoes, cooking

Coconut Milk:
I have used this one but I have not just drank it.
Least amount of sodium, more saturated fat (but good heart healthy)
Creamy, coconuty.
Baking, etc.

Rice Milk:
I hate this one. It is really thin. Yuck.
More carbs, sodium and potassium, less protein, less fiber,
Sweet. Watery.
If you must use this one use it in cooking or something.

Soy Milk:
I like this one, but you need to find the kind (brand) that you like.
Most amount of protein (no more than 24g)
Beanier, Thicker
Drink, cereal, cooking, everything.

A Nutritionist

You think you need to see a doctor? Well, maybe you really need is to see a nutritionist instead. What do nutritionists do exactly? They help you improve your knowledge about your diet and to use that diet to feel and be healthier. The main reasons for going to a nutritionist are because of a) weight loss b) disease treatment c) disease prevention d) athletic training (I'd also say celebrities). Nutritionists help you do all these things without medication. So unless you really need a medication for something (bc, antibiotics) or are in serious trouble (dying, need stitches, surgery) what you really need is a nutritionist.

Here is a site that tells you about what you would pay for a nutritionist. Find out if your insurance will pay for it and if you need to go, GO! Find a better way to live. Eat better. Feel better.

Followed.

I got a follow on twitter from this lady who has great tips on staying healthy. Follow her on twitter!

Shelley Rael, MS, RD
Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
I am a registered dietitian/nutrition expert, wife, mom, runner, cyclist, triathlete, foodie, traveler, UNM employee, and Nutrition Entrepreneurs DPG Chair.
@shelrael view full profile →

UVU Health - Seeing it a little more...

Tell me you don't do this

A recent article in the Detroit Free Press contends that Americans may 'talk' eat well, but they don't 'walk' eat well. 47% of Americans 'talk' about restaurants having healthy choices only 23% 'walk the walk'. That is a huge difference, especially considering 2/3 of the US population is overweight or obese. Because of this, high calorie and fat breakfasts sell more than Simple and Fit at IHOP and French Fries sell better than apple slices at McDonald's. Changing menus for restaurants is time consuming and expensive, especially when hardly anyone buys it afterwards. No wonder healthier items tend to be more expensive. I think there are two major flaws with this study. The primary one being, I eat 'Simple and Fit' at home, so when I go out - I want to splurge a little. For example, I eat a cup of oatmeal and fruit every morning for breakfast. Last week we went out to breakfast for my husbands grandma at Cracker Barrel. I'm not ordering oatmeal (even if it was a choice). I want waffles. I want eggs. I want bacon. I want a hefty typical breakfast. It doesn't mean I eat that every day, it means I don't eat it every day and I want it when I go out. The second flaw I see is about people not like me. Maybe those who eat unhealthy at home and then go eat unhealthy eating out. Or maybe those people who always eat out and never choose the healthy choice. And I think this is where Americans are. How can it not be when 2/3 of Americans are overweight+? Do I think having healthy choices is good in restaurants? YES! I think the more healthy tasty choices there are out there the more likely people are to buy them. However, I don't think the lifestyle of American's diet can be changed overnight. It needs to be a conscious effort on the part of every American to eat healthier and slowly wean themselves off of unhealthy fast food. Eat healthy almost all the time, and then you can eat unhealthy a small amount of the time. It will make you feel so much better not only physically, but about yourself as well.

MY Health Quest

Today was my second consultation with my nutrition specialist?, I'm not really sure what to call her. Anyway, we went over my goals and started on nutrition. Here is what we went over.
Nutrition Labels: 5% or less is low and 20% or more is high.
I should stop drinking whole milk. :(
Eat snacks!! Your body is programmed to eat every 2 1/2-3 hours. This boosts your metabolism and helps you eat less. And you skip the whole, my blood sugar is dropping and I need that candy bar.
Eat Breakfast! Your metabolism slows at night and hits a low right before you wake up. It gives you energy to start a day out right (not to mention helps mood.....boy did I learn the hard way today). And if you are one of those people that isn't hungry in the morning, its probably because you had too hefty a dinner or ate too late (remember, your metabolism slows at night?....this means your body doesn't digest it very fast and likes to just store it). Which means you should not eat about 2-3 hours before you go to bed.
Check out www.choosemyplate.gov/myplate/index.aspx and see how many calories you need a day and how many servings of what you should be having. It's really convenient. 
Tips:

• Go for complex carbs: whole grains, fruits, veggies. 
• It's whole grain if whole wheat is the first ingredient.
• Eat five fruits and veggies a day (get those veggies!).
• Get you some poly and mono unstaturated fats. These include nuts, avacados, peanut butter, and fish. 
• Eat your lean meat (or lentils, whole grain, beans, and nuts). Your body needs those proteins it can't make itself.
• Whole milk is probably not the best dairy.
• Moderate sweets - if sugar in any form appears first or second on the ingredients list - its high sugar. 

I also learned about organic. 100% organic means just that. Organic means it contains at least 95% organic ingredients. There is no legal definition for natural food, free range, and hormone free - anyone can use it, for anything. 

So go to the website and start your responsibility to your health. You can do it.

Food Matters

Food Matters is a documentary about .... food! Crazy huh? It focuses on the fact that you are what you eat. It starts out with explaining what is in food because of how it is processed. Then it turns to explain lifestyle and drugs/supplements/nutrition. 
I thought it was incredibly interesting and it makes me want to do something. Eat healthier. Become a nutritionist. Something! 


Did you know that your food is already a week old when it gets to the store? This is called globalized food industry. Your food has to travel from 1500-2000 miles just to get to you. Did you know that most soils that grow your food only get three minerals when food needs 52? If they don't get it from the ground where do they get it? Did you know that when you cook/steam/heat your food your body treats it as a toxin? It also loses enzymes and nutrients with heat. 


Their solution? Eat local produce. Eat organic. Eat 51% of your meals raw and your body will not react to your meals as toxins. Plus 1-2L of water with every meal (to flush the toxins out).


106,000 people die every year from procedural medicine (taking medications as directed, routine medical operations). I mean, wouldn't you die if you lived in a hospital with all its white bread and jello? Studies have shown you come out of the hospital more malnourished than when you went in. The medical field totes 'pill for an ill'. One pill for one ill. Even though they say this, it isn't true. Medication made for certain things have come to be known for its uses in other areas. You have 24 nutrients that your body needs. Just 24 for every single thing your body makes, does, and runs. If you lose just one of those nutrients - a whole myriad of things can go wrong. The theory behind nutrients or nutrition (instead of drugs) is that if you identify that nutrient (or more) that you are missing, you will cure not only the main thing that is ailing you, but everything else as well. The body doesn't heal selectively. It is the idea that you have a problem, you give your body the nutrient it needs and it takes it and uses it to heal your body and voila you are healed. This idea is put in practice by the Gerson Therapy. They have a 50% cure rate of cancer (not just the 30% that survive five years, which really means 70% of cancer patients actually die, it truly means cured). I think its interesting that 25% of the commercials out there are for drugs. The drug companies rule. Why? Because they have money and they want to make money. Nutrition doesn't make money. It makes people healthy. Drugs. Now there is something that can make a lot of money. A drug is a substance that doesn't cure an ill, it just makes it bearable with a side of effects (that need more drugs, ironically). Why do we feel ill? Because we eat crappy. So, when we feel sick, we shouldn't run to the doctor and the drug companies, but run to the source - bad nutrition. They stated an interesting thing about doctors. 


Doctors go to medical school where they learn about medicine and then they prescribe medication. But doesn't this sound so much better? Nutritionists go to nutrition school and learn about nutrition and then they prescribe nutrients. It sounds SO much healthier and it is extremely true. When have you gone to the doctor and they haven't prescribed you a medicine? That's what they do. They also say a lot about what they don't know. "Well, we don't really know much about that yet..." And you're still prescribing medicine for something you really don't know anything about? How can that be healthy?


Is the solution to healthcare more access to medicine? Or more access to education about nutrition and health? 


Food Matters does make a good point that when it comes to medical breakthroughs with prosthetics, emergency surgeries and such they do a superb job, but when it comes to chronic illness and disease - they suck. The underlying factor of disease is lifestyle. And doctors never talk about lifestyle and no one actually changes their lifestyle - even if their life depends on it. Although people think about making healthy choices, they hardly ever make them. The leading disease in America is cardiovascular disease and it is a lifestyle disease, fully preventable and reversible. 


If we switch what we buy consistently and make that healthy change of lifestyle, eventually the industry will catch on and will have to change. The squeaky mouse gets the cheese. And in the end the best nutritionist for you - is you. You need to take responsibility for your own health. 

Food Matters is on netflix - go watch it.

MY Health Quest

A few weeks ago I decided to sign up for the nutrition and stress management health quest at UVU. I emailed the group and they got right back to me. I went today for my first consultation. We set up our appointment to fit my schedule and for the two classes together it is $16. At this first appointment we filled out some forms (as in, sleep habits? stressors? eating habits?) and formed some positive and specific goals. My first goal was to drink 3L of water every day (this is equivalent to 10 cups and 8 is the general idea of enough, although - I should probably drink more). To do this I fill up my 1.5L water bottle every morning and try to drink it before I eat breakfast. Then I fill it up again to drink with dinner. I find that I actually get thirstier when I drink more and it makes me realize how much water I really need to get by in the day (be ready for bathroom breaks). My second goal - which we will work on throughout the semester was to get out of bed every morning. Getting to class is really hard for me. My third goal is to understand nutrition better, especially portion sizes and labels, basically set my ideas of nutrition in stone. It was really nice to have someone to talk to about my eating habits and stressors and just get it out there. She had some really good suggestions and was very helpful.