Grocery Shopping 101

Ideally, all processed foods should be thrown out. You should be eating things that were alive not too long ago, thus you should be grocery shopping a couple of times a week- or at least buying in bulk and freezing as needed. My fridge looks like this so I can see clearly what  I have and what I need:

Meat/Poultry:
Grass fed bison/cow/poultry or pork
Organic grass fed eggs
Dried/cured meats
Grass fed Jerky
Wild Caught Fish


Fats:
Nuts, but butters
Olive Oil
Coconut oil


Vegetables:
Kale
Spinach
Cucumber
Carrots
Peppers
Fennel
Avocado

Fruit:
Grapefruit
Organic berries
Sometimes a green apple

Dairy:
Hormone-free (ideally grass fed) Heavy Cream
Greek Yogurt (any fat content- I like Fage or Skyrr)
Hormone free (ideally grass fed) Butter
Jay Robb's vanilla Whey Protein mixes
Goat cheeses
Halloumi- it's a grillable cheese. Great for making faux paninis and pizzas

Other:
Organic Coffee
Green Tea
Ginger Tea
Chia seeds
Flax seeda
Supplements (Fish oil, magnesium, Vit C, Vit D3, B vitamins)

Treats:
Organic popcorn
Dark Chocolate (70% or more) and unsweetened baking chocolate
Stevia (liquid; toffee flavored)
Coconut Flour
Arctic Zero Vanilla Maple Ice cream
PB2 peanut butter

Try to keep only one serving of treat foods in the house. That way if you want it, it's there but you can't go overboard. Also try to spend a night prepping foods for the week. I try to put my work lunches and snacks together so that they're easy to mix and match, grab and go.


Here's a quick dinner I "made" a few nights ago with what I had in the fridge:
We were supposed to have a snow storm so I used things that didn't need to be cooked in case we lost power:
Sliced cucumber, Goat brie, petit basque, cured chorizo and fennel salumi (all nitrate free and grass fed), stone ground mustard, hazelnuts tossed in truffle oil with rosemary
Organic Blueberries and stevia sweetened whipped cream, couple pieces 70% dark chocolate (Lindt)

For chef I added some extras that, sadly, he likes:
sliced American cheese (don't ask), a baguette, and a muffin
I'm working on his eating habits little by little. sigh.

Bikini Bootcamp

Today I killed my workout! It's so exciting when you have a really great workout day.

I started on the treadmill:
30 seconds running 6 mph at a 15% incline
90 second walking 3 mph at a 15% incline
Repeated this for 40 minutes or so because I had the time and energy from last night's meal. If my workout had to be shorter I would have alternated 30 second sprints and 30 second recovery but gone for 25 minutes or so.

Then for strength training I did the following:
12 repsx 4 sets :
kettlebell swings, squats, deadlifts, lunges
kettlebell high pulls, push ups, tricep dips
12 repsx 3 sets:
Assisted chin ups, dips
Abductor, Adductor
Low rows, tricep kick backs
20 repsx 3 sets:
100s
supermans
bridges


Bikini season is around the corner. And now I'm feeling so productive I might spring clean my apartment... or I might make a margarita and pretend it's already summer...

Low Carb Rules: Lose Weight and Burn Fat

All of my clients have their diets assessed because most people have no idea how badly they're eating. They think they're being healthy and yet they're always hungry and still overweight.

I can tell you that I am almost NEVER hungry, I eat all day, I mostly eat what I want and I am always my perfect weight (which for me is 108lbs).

Most people cannot tolerate carbs. Unless you are EXTREMELY active- your carb intake should be limited to a TOTAL of around 50g per day. (Everyone is different though- I have some clients who can only have 20 and others who benefit from 100). For the most part, if you want to lose a significant amount of weight quickly- cut down to 20g per day for a couple of weeks.

If your goal is to get lean and mean

 Follow my list of do's and don'ts:

1. Cut out the "white" stuff:
White grains or anything that can be bleached white- this means your "100% whole wheat" bread you bought from whole foods so it must be healthy. Wheat, barley, malt, rye and oats cause a spike in insulin that causes lipolysis (fat break down) to stop. Excess calories are stored as fat and constant spikes in insulin confuse your body about regulating its own hormonal processes- leading to overweight, obesity and diabetes.

Additionally, most people are at least sensitive to wheat and gluten if not completely allergic. I personally suffer from celiac, which is an autoimmune disorder that causes very serious allergic reactions when I eat gluten. Mild intolerances can cause bloating, psoriasis and digestive discomfort as well as cortisol spikes (the stress hormone).

2. Any carbs you eat should come from fiber:
Again, I don't mean the "added fiber" in the whole wheat bread you eat. I mean vegetables- particularly green veggies that have leaves: celery, kale, broccoli, spinach, etc. Other good sources are cucumbers, mushrooms, peppers, fennel, onions etc. Limit potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, etc.

3. If you are going to have carbs from a different source- tread lightly and brightly:
Think small amounts of fruits with purple or red colors: berries are best, followed by grapes and grapefruit if you want to have a minimum impact on insulin. Additionally, these foods can slow down the spike in insulin caused by higher carb foods.
So if you must have something sweet- reach for berries- not bananas, pineapple and other high sugar/low fiber fruit. (Fruits where you eat the skin are usually a good sign of high fiber content).
Just be sure not to go overboard- too much fructose (the sugar that naturally occurs in fruits) wreaks havoc on your body composition. Having too much (over 20g) means that insulin cannot get absorbed by your muscles, so instead it floats around your body not being utilized and leading to abdominal fat, stomach bloating and elevated cholesterol and insulin.
Any fructose you eat should come from fruit: never packaged foods, drinks, dressings, condiments etc.

4. Timing is everything:
The first ten minutes after a workout is the prime time to get carbs to your muscles. Typically I tell my clients they have to earn their carbs (there's a formula I use to determine how many carbs you can enjoy after a workout). Typically- if you want to decrease your body fat- you should be doing AT LEAST 50 reps per workout and adding only 50 carbs post workout. The ratio is somewhat more calculated than that, but you get the idea.
Adding amino acids to this meal helps glucose and insulin to be metabolized properly and trigger protein synthesis. I like to make my whey protein pancakes post workout with a little butter, sometimes whipped cream and chocolate chips if I feel really depleted.

So go out there and earn your carbs today!

Chef and I did not earn our carbs yesterday. It was over 60 degrees and sunny and we had a relaxing hike at great falls and then I went for a slow and easy 7 mile jog:

Great Falls Park is only 15 miles or so outside of DC. It was so nice to have a relaxing long walk and catch up after such a stressful week with midterms and the like. It was a little crowded but chef never gets to spend time outdoors so I'm glad he got some vitamin D.




I'm really thankful we both had the day off and that the weather was so nice. It's been a while since I've gone hiking- though the terrain is really different from Charlottesville, it was still a splendid day :)

Sunday Sundaes: Gluten Free and Low carb

This is one of my favorite treats. It tastes just like a peanut butter cup sundae but has way fewer calories and is packed with loads of goodness:

Ingredients:
1TBSP PB2
1/2 cup Arctic Zero Vanilla Maple ice cream (it's the only good flavor)
1/2 container 0-2% Fage Greek Yogurt
2 tsp melted coconut oil
1/2 TBSP  unsweetened baking chocolate
Stevia drops (I like the toffee flavor)
Heavy whipping cream


To MAKE:

Put the PB 2 in the bottom of the glass- add water
Thaw the arctic zero- it's only good if it starts to defrost
Stir the ice cream and fage together and put into glass
Melt coconut oil and mix with chocolate and stevia to taste (hold 1/2 aside)
Whip the heavy whipping cream with stevia drops
Put PB2 into mini cupcake tin and add coconut oil and chocolate mix. Put in fridge to set for 10 minutes

This is the only flavor that tastes good to me. It's 150 calories for the ENTIRE pint- only 6 grams of carbs per serving. But it NEEEEEDS to thaw.



When I make whipped cream I only use organic cream and I whip the whole carton and save the rest.

It looks so decadent when it's all together!
Less than 200 calories, under 14g of carbs,and packed with 18g of protein! :

I like to use glassware for treats like this, small plates for dinner and small cereal bowls for popcorn and the like. It keeps portions in check.

Happy Sunday Sundae!

This is why you're not losing weight: you need a meat and nut breakfast

Breakfast:

Little changes are important to create big results. Clients often come to me thinking they eat well, telling me they are always hungry and that they run so much that they don't know why it's possible for them to still be overweight. Once I look at their daily diet it's usually overwhelmingly apparent why they can't lose weight.

It's not your fault. We've been taught that a healthy breakfast looks like this:

This breakfast probably seems perfectly healthy, if anything you may think it looks larger than your usual breakfast. We can see some oatmeal, yogurt, fruit, a couple nuts and some bran muffins and of course coffee. The first switch people should make is breakfast. Usually I'm a big fan of small achievable changes, except when it comes to breakfast. The breakfast above is full of carbohydrates and not much else. This breakfast gives you a rush of energy and then leaves you empty and exhausted. Not to mention it seriously affects insulin, blood sugar and your body's weight loss hormones. THIS is why you're fat. But it's not your fault!!

The small bit of good I can see in this picture is just that- small. I would keep maybe the yogurt (given it's non-hormone induced, greek yogurt and given it's not non fat) but I'd add 7 more ounces. And I'd keep the nuts, but I'd add about 20 more of them... And I would for sure keep the coffee, especially this morning.

This is what my breakfast looked like:

First things first: I try to eat breakfast within an hour of waking up. try. I start my morning with 2 full glasses of water and a shot of the apple cider vinegar you see in the background. This is where someone says "gross" and I say "you get used to it". But in reality, you don't. It's disgusting and after years of taking it every single day, I still detest it. You can make it better by mixing it with water and stevia, but it's still pretty terrible.

My breakfast includes- black coffee, no cream no sugar and just a sprinkle of cinnamon. Cinnamon helps regulate blood sugar and if I absolutely needed my coffee lighter and sweeter, I'd add stevia and heavy cream only.

On my plate (notice I use smaller salad plates usually):
I have 24 almonds (that I tossed with unsweetened cocoa and stevia and roasted in large batches a few nights ago) and chicken that I also had left over (it's sprinkled with turmeric, paprika and a little cayenne). I also take good quality fish oil and vitamin D3.

Meat and nuts. This is what your breakfast should be- no more, no less. I try to switch it up each day. I was in a hurry today so I relied on leftovers, but steak and eggs with some walnuts, salmon and macadamia nuts, even in a pinch- greek yogurt and some nuts in the car on the way to work is fine.

Clients often start asking the whys and hows at about this point in my diet overhaul. And in a week they're usually singing my praises. It makes you drop crazy weight because it regulates your hunger, cortisol, leptin, and blood sugar. It decreases cravings and the fish oil keeps your mind alert and awake. Weight loss is often achieved the first week just from this change- and most of it is belly fat.

So remember- meat and nuts for breakfast! Give away your cereals, granola, bran muffins and oatmeal. I don't care that you bought it for $25 at trader joe's or that it's low fat and vegan and made by hippies so it must be good for you. It's not. And it doesn't even taste good. And it's the reason you're not losing weight.

And look at these fun girls- they eat a meat and nut breakfast and lift heavy weights and spend their days at poolside resorts... apparently:

I want to go to there....

A little zen

I am for the most part pretty fast paced. I struggle to slow down, sit still and relax. My intention for today is to try to be a little more zen. I'm grateful to have time in my life to pursue what I want. I'm grateful to have the financial opportunities to do what I love to do and I am grateful that I make things happen for myself to accomplish these goals. That being said my intentions today can be applied to anything in life- from lifting heavy, to starting a long jog, to diet choices, to life choices:

1. Begin with the end in mind: It's important before you begin to have an intention of where it's going. I'm beginning this blog to help others achieve fitness and wellness goals one change at a time. I begin studying for this midterm with the assumption that I will stay focused and dedicated and feel prepared by tomorrow afternoon. I will begin my workout picturing myself exhausted and empty with every muscle fatigued by the end, feeling accomplished and satisfied.

2. Go through the day with intentions not a to do list: I'm a big fan of to do lists, but sometimes they make me feel more frazzled than accomplished. My big goals today are to study for tomorrow's exam, begin Friday's paper, get an exhaustive workout in and prepare for my future career. I intend to read and memorize three chapters, I intend to start my papers, I intend to push myself to the limit at the gym.

3. Stay in the moment: I will try to focus on the task at hand without worrying about my next step. That being said- my first blog post is DONE! Now time to study and stay focused on Evaluation of health promotion programs...fun.