Eatin' trash

I attended a nutrion workshop the other night.  I'm not being endorsed or anything, but the name of the program is Genesis Transformation.  The main idea is simple...eat real food.  The program also suggests drinking a gallon of water each and every day.  Skip alcohol (if weight loss is your aim) and try to quit your addiction to sugar.  They also touted the old belief of 'eat less, move more' is indeed passe.  We need to eat more REAL FOOD and always be sure to make exercise a part of our norm.  The instructor provided an hour and half pitch basically telling the group to enjoy NON-PROCESSED food.  To me, this is a no brainer.  I was happy to realize this program was not gimmicky, there was no 'buy this and you'll lose weight' sell and their bottom line "healthy eating will naturally lead to weight loss".  WOO-FRIGGIN-HOO!  And NO DUH!

I was held up on the dropping of the vino part.  I love my wine and dark chocolate and I'm not sure I will be able to part with these loves of my life.  Just as I desperately held on to the belief these two things are vital to my happiness, there was a woman in the group who was very resistant to the idea of foregoing her beloved sandwich. She asked the instructor if she actually meant that with this program bread was a giant 'no-no'.  The instructor reassured her it was difficult for her to give it up as well, but once she was able to drop the bread her weight dropped, too.  This woman dragged on the bread debate, for what seemed to be awkwardly too long, and even said, "I don't eat any other processed food but I need my sandwich for lunch at work."  I wanted to take this woman aside and ask her what she was actually putting on her sacred bread.  Last time I checked, bread was nothing more than a vehicle used to transport cured (code for sugar) processed meat into the body.

Check out the label of any bread found in your typical grocery store...fresh from the bakery or taking up an extended stay on the shelf.  PROCESSED TRASH!  That's all it is.  And don't even get me started on deli meat.  I made it a rule to fore go my former lover, turkey breast sandwich.  I know, it's super hard.  I wish I didn't know what I knew because then I might be able to eat like a foodie.  But folks, I'm a savvy foodie and it's impossible for me to stick my head in the sand and pretend that all food is good for us.  I used to believe, hand to God, if the grocery store sold it then it was ok.  I also sincerely thought that if it was super bad, the kind clerk would tell me I was purchasing poison.

Yeah...not so much.  Even the FDA doesn't have our best interest.  Food, for the most part, is manufactured.  The goal of the grocer and food producers is to keep their pockets lined with cold hard cash.  Our country is among the fattest in the world and there's a good reason for it.  We tend to believe there's a quick and easy method for everything.  When we hit our bumps, we take another route.  For me, it took over 365 days to start seeing a change in my body composition.  But with a beautiful blend of being a savvy foodie and a personal trainer in the making...I am seeing the results I craved.

You cannot stick your head in the sand and shove the sandwich in your mouth and expect things to change.  Life is hard.  Working out can suck.  There is information overload when it comes to diets.  Throw it all in the trash and EAT REAL FOOD.  That's the key.  Low fat, no fat, low calorie, no calorie, all natural, healthy...just words.  Words the greedy food manufactures use to get us to buy their crap and think we're 'eating well'.  Spin it 'round and READ LABELS!  Find out what exactly you're putting into your magnificent body.  Judge for yourself and trust no one.  Most of the stuff out there, ready for 'consumption' should be labeled....TRASH.  Why put trash into your body?

Don't worry my little savvy readers.  There is hope.  Just think outside the box and say it with me...EAT REAL FOOD.  The diet industry is a billion dollar one and you want to know why, because we hide from the truth.  There's no easy way out.  There's no pill.  There's no diet.  It's just eating natural food the good Lord provided.  Fruits and veggies.  Make those your main courses and you'll start seeing a difference.  It's all good.

Delish fish!

Here's the recipe:
1 tilapia filet (per savvy foodie)
1 lemon
Splash of dry white wine
2 Tbl of Fresh Basil
2 Tbl of Fresh Parsley
Dash of Herbs d'Provence (can be purchased at Williams-Sonoma)
Sea Salt to taste
Ground Black Pepper to taste
Olive Oil

1.  Preheat oven to bake at 375 degrees.  Place the lemon slices in a baking dish (2 slices per filet).
2.  Rub the fish on both sides with olive oil, salt, pepper, parsley, herbs d'Provence.  
3.  Place the tilapia over the lemons and bake for about 20-25 minutes.  When the fish is done, it will remain white in color but will break apart with the greatest of ease.

I just made this delicious lemon and herb baked tilapia.  It was incredibly easy to prepare and I'm left feeling satisfied and light!  Two adjectives I strive to achieve after eating dinner.  What is tilapia you may be asking?  It's a white fish that is easy to gril and/or bake.  Both of these methods of preparation are very savvy.  It's a mild tasting fish with little to no odor.  Even if you're not usually a fish fan, this one will make you go MMMMMMM.  Whatever you decide to decorate the fish with (i.e. lemons, herbs, etc.) this fish tends to take on your chosen flavors.  

Can I just say, I love fuel that burns!!  When I put this protein packed little number in my 'engine' it helps rev it up and burn, baby, burn.  "One serving of tilapia (4 ounces) has 29.5 grams of protein, which is more than 50% of your daily value of protein, meaning your body will be burning fat like crazy trying to process the protein!"  http://www.fatburningfurnace.com/blog/tilapia-nutrition-facts-%E2%80%93-health-benefits-of-tilapia

This fish contains vitamin B12 along with omega-3 fatty acids, which let's face it...we need!  Omega-3's help keep our blood pressure under control and ward off heart disease.  The carb count is incredibly low, there is no sugar and such low amounts of fat making this dish super savvy!!  

I originally found this recipe in a book called Boost Your Metabolism Cookbook.  I changed a few things, like using Tilapia instead of Halibut (due to the relative ease of purchasing tilapia) and mixed up the spices.  

Bon Appetit!

We're all a bunch of test tubes!

What kind of 'eater' are you?  Do you eat for fun?  Are you overwhelmed by all the info?  Do you try to get in as many fruits and veggies and tend to fail?  Do you just want someone to tell you what you should eat?  Already being a savvy foodie, I know you're here because you do in fact care about the type of food you're putting into your body.  For this, I applaud you!!  You ROCK!!!

As promised, I'm sharing what I am learning.  I just finished studying bioenergetics.  "Bio what now??" you may be asking.  Well here's the short answer.

Basically, when we're physically active, we need energy to sustain us.  Otherwise, we won't be able to accomplish daily activities or exercise.  We need: fat, carbohydrates and protein.  These are sources of fuel for our bodies.

"But fat makes us fat and carbs!!!  CARBS!!!"  I hear 'ya, and I'm here to reassure you it's all good.  We need GOOD fat, we need complex carbohydrates in order to move our booties.  Protein is a given, but guess what I just learned...it rarely supplies energy during exercise.

While reading this chapter I was seriously wishing I had paid closer attention during my chemistry classes.  For those of you who didn't know, carbohydrates aren't just starchy yummy no-no's.  Technically, it's carbon, hydrogen and oxygen.  I cannot help but view people as walking test tubes.  What we put into our bodies (or test tubes) will directly impact the shape of our tubes.  If we don't know what is going into our tubes, how can we control the shape?

Our society is set up for failure!!  We are running towards frightening numbers as the years roll on.  According to the CDC, currently more than 35% of Americans are obese!  68.8% of Americans are overweight.  I mean...HOLD THE PHONE!!!!!!

Society is throwing barrel fulls of fake food, crap and more crap at us and we're putting them into our 'test tubes'.  Fast food is so incredibly cheap and accessible!  McD's actually spends beaucoup bucks on research to determine 'easy to eat food' on the go.  If the item isn't car friendly, it's tossed.  Go to Starbucks and ask for a venti Frappuccino and you could be getting an entire days worth of calories in a single cup! Opt for a salad at any given chain restaurant and the dressing ALONE will squash your good intentions.  News reports condem fat and offer 'low-fat/no-fat' alternatives.  What this means...MORE SUGAR!  Fat provides flavor and to make up for the lack of flavor, they add sugar (or other chemical GMO's).  Low-fat/no-fat has completely screwed up our metabolisms and our test tubes are expanding and bubbling over!  I mean....HOLY CRAP-OLA!!!!  What's a person to do?

Unless you're training to become a personal trainer or a nutritionist, the education tends to be buried, boring and overwhelming. You must be your own advocate.  Here are a few ways to arm yourself against the monsters.


1.  READ LABELS - take the time to turn the shelved products around and find out what you're going to consume.
2.  KNOW WHAT TO AVOID - ok, so you've flipped the label, now what?  Most oils are on the 'do-not-eat list'.  Most processed items will contain more oils than a pimply faced teenager.
3.  READ SAVVY FOODIES - that should be a given
4.  TALK AND SHARE THE WEALTH - speak with like minded individuals and you'll probably pick up a new trick or two
5.  GET THEE TO A GYM - if you're moving your booty more, you'll most likely want to be good to your body.
6.  GET SOME APPS - there are great apps out there to help keep you savvy.  One of my favorites is 'Fast Food Calories'.  Hit the link for a direct connection.  Here you can find virtually any restaurant's nutritional info.
7.  DON'T GIVE UP - whatever you do, keep trying to be savvy.  Don't give in and for cryin' out loud...give yourself a break if you need to cheat.  Just keep getting back up on your horse and ride off into the enlightened sunset.

These are just a few suggestions.  I'd love to hear from you if you have any more.  Like I already said, it's so important to share ideas.  This is how I turned my corner and started eating outside the box.  You may, initially, feel like a real Debby Downer saying, "Oh, I cannot eat that" but you'll start to feel stronger and realize you don't have to just mindlessly eat whatever.  It's your test tube!