Merry Christmas to All

I hope that everyone is able to spend today with family friends and loved ones of all kinds. My family celebrated Christmas Eve last night. We went to my aunt and uncle's house. It was the first time in years that we were able to get everyone together. Both sets of aunts and uncle's were there, along with all of my cousins on my mom's side. My grandparents were there too along with my uncle's parents, brother and niece and nephew. It was pretty exciting to have everyone there. Even both of my siblings were there. So all in all it was a great evening :)

My Crazy Aunt Linda decided to put 
her "Ho-Ho" table decorations in my hair.

Instead of having a big meal for everyone to fill up on my aunt had snack type food. There were plenty of options, some were really good for you and some were really bad for you. I did good to fill my plate with mainly fruits and vegetables, getting only a few crackers with meat and cheese. I was really proud and then I saw the dessert table.

Lucky for me I'm not crazy about cookies (unlike my niece) so it was pretty easy for me to only have one sugar cookie (which was actually pretty amazing) and one little piece of peppermint candy. At the end of the evening I was so proud of myself for not eating all of the bad for you stuff that I felt pretty good with myself!

Overall this Christmas break I have been able to see some people I haven't seen in a long time, including one of my best friends who I hardly ever see because she is off on the east coast being a smarty in law school. One of the biggest problems with getting together with people is that, that normally consists of meeting someone for lunch or dinner. If there are enough people that you haven't seen in a long time you not only end up spending a ton of money, but you also end up packing back on the lb's that you've worked so hard to get rid of.

What I suggest is know the menu to where you're going to go that way you're prepaired to make a better decision before you get there. Eat an apple 15 minutes before you get there and don't be afraid to get a to-go box (heck it's the Christmas season, everyone's broke, so this isn't only smart for your figure it's also more economical). If it is going to be a big group go ahead and eat your meals as you normally do saving a few calories for a side salad or nothing at all (it's OK to just go and get something to drink, or split an appetizer with a friend). When your friends ask you why you're not eating simply explain to them that you have already eaten and you are there because you have missed them and wanted to go ahead and catch up. The important thing is to stand firm. Another great tip is to be sure to write down what it is that you ate and keep track of it in your calorie intake for the day. Everything I've read says to keep a food journal so everyone must not be wrong. There's probably something to it. If you are having a get together, prepare a healthier option so not only will you know that there will be something there for you to eat, but also so that you can share good things with your friends.

If you have any tips about how to avoid packing on extra pounds during the holiday season please feel free to tell me! Merry Merry Christmas to you all :)

My Life's Biggest Project: New Book Finds That Obesity is Not One’s Fault

My Life's Biggest Project: New Book Finds That Obesity is Not One’s Fault: "I was scanning today’s medical news on medicalnewstoday.com and came across an article posted today about a new book written by award winnin..."

New Book Finds That Obesity is Not One’s Fault

I was scanning today’s medical news on medicalnewstoday.com and came across an article posted today about a new book written by award winning health authors Mannie Barling and Ashley Brooks. According to their statistics they found that two-thirds of American adults are in fact overweight. Barling and Brooks try to create a “sane approach for better healthy” by answering the biggest question for those who have dieted and failed. The question they attempt to answer is “Are you addicted to chemical food ingredients or is the addiction just in your mind?”

Obviously knowing the credibility of the authors is important and luckily for us the writer of this article gives us just that. I don’t know about you, but I like to know the legitimacy of the information I get. I’ll start by giving you a little background on Barling.

Emanuel Barling, Jr., is a retired lawyer, a businessman, obviously an author and a colocrectal cancer survivor. Crohn’s Disease and IBD. Just like those he is reaching out to in his book he too has suffered from weight and obesity caused by prescription drugs, food allergies and having issues with chemicals that are common and constantly found in food from the grocery store, restaurants and fast food places as well. The thing that I thought was really cool was that Barling has been researching information for this book for 13 years.

Ashley F. Brooks, is a R.N., actress/model and an author now. Brooks has survived third stage liver, kidney and pancreatic disease that was caused partially because of genetically modified ingredients and addictive chemicals commonly found in packaged foods. Brooks who has spent most of her life trying to control her weight because of her acting and modeling career has obviously been exposed and tried every possible fad diet. Due to her medical background Brooks has experience and knowledge in nutritional, holistic and environmental medicines. Dr. Theron Randolph, founder of environmental medicine was who Brooks studied under so she shares his expertise in this book.

Now that we know we can trust these writers and that they should know what they’re talking about I’ll tell you a little bit about the book (well at least what this article says because in all honesty I haven’t read the book).

This is there fourth book and it is entitled “It’s Not Your Fault, Weight Gain, Obesity and Food Addiction. They describe the causes of food craving, overeating and food addiction. The authors also talk about dangerous and addictive chemicals that food manufacturers use. These chemicals cause the compulsive and even obsessive eating that is in fact the cause of today’s obesity statistics.

Overeating to the point of being obese is the leading addiction problem in the United States, that surpasses tobacco addictions and alcohol as well. America has the highest obesity rates in the entire world.

"Americans did not get fat overnight nor did some mosquito spread a deadly virus that causes obesity," said Barling and Brooks.

One person who has read this book said that they were able to lose a whopping 80 pounds and another person claims to have lost 20 pounds and they say they are still losing more.
"I'm having great fun already with the book. Fascinating read. And extremely informative. I'm appalled at the extent of my ignorance." - Barbara Paskin, BBC.

If you would like to read this article in its entirety you can do so by clicking on it here. Is this book something you would consider reading? Do you think that reading stuff like this helps you to lose weight or not? I read somewhere that when you are trying to lose weight you should read about it so that you are constantly thinking about it. In my case I’m writing a blog and researching health and weight loss everyday, so I guess I could certainly say from my POV (point of view) yes I think it helps, but I love to get your opinions on this. Let me know how you feel about it.

My family and I are doing our Christmas get together today and instead of doing a dinner or lunch they have decided to just have snack foods, which could be good because that means I can eat something healthy beforehand. The problem is that there is more than likely going to be lots of dessert around which I’ll have to try to stand firm to resist. Wish me luck lol!

My Life's Biggest Project: Carb Crazed?

My Life's Biggest Project: Carb Crazed?: "Some people have what I consider a food kryptonite or a weakness when it comes to certain things in the kitchen. This is why dieting be..."

Carb Crazed?

Some people have what I consider a food kryptonite or a weakness when it comes to certain things in the kitchen. This is why dieting becomes an issue. The individual going through it feels like they are being deprived of something that is important to them and even end up being cranky. The effects are sometimes comparable to someone who is going through nicotine fits when they quit smoking. I know I've talked about this before in earlier posts, but hey guess what it still applies, which is good because that means that everything I've been posting is pretty legit (yay!!!!).

I came across something in my P90X newsletter written by Whitney Provost. Her article is entitled The Carb Lover's Diet: 4 Tips for Losing Weight without Losing Your Mind. Provost talks about how she is torn between wanting to be lean and fit and wanting to eat warm breads and cinnamon buns. It is possible to have both according to Provost and she gives the following 4 tips for just this!

Carbs are essential for the body, but like everything else they should be done in moderation. Carbs fuel muscles and cells in the body so that the body can function. Low carb diets are certainly a great way to jump start weight loss, but for some of us this is never going to be a great way for us to live (Provost and myself too would agree!). Provost says that when she goes low-carb she is "murderous within a week" and since we can't be having none of that this is what she suggests:

1.) Eat plenty of good carbs:


First, be sure that the majority of the carb intake consists of the "so-called good carbs", which would be things like oats, brown rice, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, and beans (some of Provost's favorites). She also says that she eats "plenty of vegetables, and even fruit (OMG!)". These foods contain high ammounts of fiber, vitamins, minerals and protein. They cause you to have a lot of energy because they are energy boosters! Thus making you feel full longer!

"I'll be the first to admit that I'm not immune to the lure of cookies and candy, but I've learned through a lot of trial and error that these things don't make me feel very good once the initial sugar rush wears off," said Provost.  "Since I'd rather be alert than snoozing at my desk in the afternoon, I just can't eat like that too often. Besides, too many treats and I don't fit into my pants. Not a bonus."

2.) Eat most carbs early in the day and around workouts- This is a great way to start one's day because they normally just make you feel better.

"When I start my day with some satisfying carbs and protein, I just feel better", said Provost. "Oatmeal with a little protein powder added at the end, and I'm off to a pretty good start. I also like to eat some carbs around my workouts. If I'm hungry, I'll eat a piece of fruit or some berries with fat-free Greek yogurt about an hour before I train. Afterward I'll have a whey protein shake with fruit. Dinnertime usually means chicken and a large salad, although I do love pasta with marinara sauce, or even cheese, crackers, and fruit. So whatever choice I make, I just eat it and enjoy it. The next day, I'll probably eat more vegetables and protein to balance things out a bit."

3.) If you feel like you have to eat it, then just do it!- What??? This is absolutely crazy right? Not according to Provost she talks about how if she is craving a hot fudge sundae then she eats it.

"I'm serious—when I decide I simply must have ice cream, I eat enough to be satisfied and then I move on. The difference is that I usually substitute that treat for whatever healthy meal I'd eat around the same time. So if the only suitable dinner choice is a hot-fudge sundae, so be it. (For obvious reasons, this cannot be a frequent occurrence. Besides, it tastes soooo much better when you really want it),"said Provost.

4.) Is it possible to eat what you want and still lose?- Of course it is so long as you are burning more than you are consuming. The only thing is like I've talked about in the past it is important to realize that certain foods assist you in your workouts and energy levels and some work against you so obviously you don't want to eat bad all the time because it's just not beneficial to you and your goals. Provost says in her article when she needs to lose weight she eats the same as before, just watches her portions. She says that way she still gets everything she desires without the feeling of deprivation. She said she also pumps up her workout so that she's burning more calories.

If you are bumping up your workouts it is beneficial for you to have consumed good goods and not just junk. Where I see what she is saying it is also important to know that if you are not following a good diet it will take longer to see results, but it may help you keep your sanity so it is important for you to figure out what works for you.

"If you're like me, you love to eat all kinds of carbs," said Provost. "But I know that in order to be as lean as I want, I need to make good choices most of the time and keep up with my workouts. As much as I'd love to eat bread and butter all day long, I wouldn't look or feel very good. I often stop and ask myself what's more important, this bowl of pasta or fitting into my skinny jeans again? One decadent meal will not derail a week's worth of healthy eating. It may slow down my progress, that's true, but I'll get where I want to be eventually. And even better, I'll be healthy, happy, and sane!"

How do you feel about Provosts ways of dieting? Do you think this is something you could do? Let me know.

My Life's Biggest Project: Ice Cream Kills

My Life's Biggest Project: Ice Cream Kills: "This was the absolute worst news that I have ever come across. Today I was streaming through health headlines while searching BBC news and I..."

Ice Cream Kills

This was the absolute worst news that I have ever come across. Today I was streaming through health headlines while searching BBC news and I stumbled across an article posted six hours ago that talks about how older people who eat healthy diets 'lead longer lives'. The research that was found was done by the Journal of the American Dietic Association. They found that those who ate a low-fat diet that consisted mainly of fruit and veggies lowered thier risk of dying by approximently 10 whole years. This particular study consisted of 2,500 adults  between 70 and 79 years of age. And here is the real kicker, those who ate a higher fat diet that consisted mainly of ice cream, cheese and whole milk had the highest risk of death.

The study was broken down into six different groups. This groups were based off of how often these individuals ate certain foods. The groups were broken up accordingly; 1.) healthy foods; 2.) high-fat dairy products; 3.) meat; 4.) fried-foods and alcohol; 5.) breakfast cereal; 6.) refined grains and sweets and desserts.

Some of the stats found were as follows; The high fat dairy product group consisted of 332 people. Of these 332 people 109 of them died over a 10 year period. That would be 34 percent of the group studied. Those in the "sweets and desserts" group consisted of 339 people and of the 339 people 104 of them died over a 10 year period, which comes to 32 percent. Those who were in the healthy food group consisted of 374 people and after 10 years only 77 of them had died. That means that only 21 percent of those studied in the healthy food group died as opposed to the 34 percent from the high-fat dairy group. There were no significant differences found in death rates in those who were healthy food eaters, breakfast cereal eaters and refined grains eaters. The biggest difference was the ice cream eaters. This is a really sad fact!

The people considered to have a healthy diet ate much more low-fat dairy, fruit, whole grains, poultry, fish and veggies. These people also tended to have better lifestyle choices too, which means that as a whole they smoked less and were more active. Another thing about this group is that they ate less meat, fried foods, sweets, high calorie drinks and added fats. 

A British dietician named Lucy Jones, spokesperson for the British Dietic Association, claims that trans fatty acid and saturated fats were the common factor for those that were considered higher risk for death.

So basically what I took from this article was that if I wanted to live longer than I would have to eat less high-fat dairy. The thing that really shocked me is that the high-fat dairy eaters were at a higher risk of death than those who consumed fried foods. In my head I have always considered fried foods to be the worst of the worst, but apparently they aren't. Don't get me wrong, they obviously are bad for you and shouldn't be consumed in large ammounts (which sucks for those of us who are from the south and that's the way that food is prepared). But it had never really dawned on me about milk, cheese or ice cream. Something to think about I suppose. If you have anything to add let me know. What did you think about this study?