Thanksgiving feast

Next week is Thanksgiving...I am sure you have noticed. ;) So, I wanted to pass along a few ideas for next week. The couple of days leading up to Thanksgiving are just as immportant as Thanksgiving Day in regards to what you eat. Tue and Wed try to eat extreme low-fat, low-carb meals. Cut down to 1,000-1,200 calories per day Mon-Wed. Eat 40% protein, 10% carb, and 50% produce (not canned!). This will help clean out your system and boost your metabolism just before the holiday feast. It will also ensure that you are actually hungry when the feast begins. On Thanksgiving Day, try eating a good breakfast at least 6 hours before your feast. Approximately 3 hours later, or half-way between the breakfast and feast, eat a light snack. The best snack would be a small salad with light dressing (or none), an apple, and some water. This is enough to get your stomach juices going, but will save room for extra calories later. Lastly, try to fill your plate without any food touching. My friends all know that I do not like my food to touch. However,there is a good reason other than my finicky preference. If your food is not touching, you have to have less food on your plate overall. So, this will ensure that you choose wisely so that you take the most of what you truly enjoy. If none of your food is touching, you probably have the perfect amount of food. I heard a friend say that your stomach is as big around as your plate. While this may hold some truth, I have seen people fit a lot of food onto a fairly small plate. So, the concept of not letting your food touch was born. I hope these ideas help you maintain self-control while enjoying the holidays! Follow my blog for tips all throughout the holiday season and right into the new year! As always, feel free to comment with questions or other ideas!

Commit to Being Fit

As I spend a week in Haiti with my tichouchou (Sweetheart/husband), I have noticed how odd exercise seems to other cultures. Cultures such as Haiti are active cultures with a lot of manual labor. Here I sit in an air-conditioned tent, writing about physical fitness. My husband has ventured out on a run twice since we arrived, and I hope to join him Saturday. We have been doing a lot of walking. We heard from the locals and the missionaries here that Haitians find running a strange task. They do not understand the concept of exercise. Perhaps if we could create an active lifestyle for ourselves, we would not have to do the mundane task of running ___ miles. While some of us enjoy running and live for the thrill of the improved time or longer distance, others hate it. I fall somewhere in the middle. As I wrote last time, I mentioned that we have to develop a schedule to stay fit. We have to include exercise in our schedule throughout the holidays. Nobody likes to get on the scale in January and realize they now have even more weight to lose. So, make this year different. Set your mind to it now! Choose to be different than the average American. You do not have to be a health nut, just health conscious. By exercising regularly throughout the holidays, you will feel more energetic, be less likely to end up sick, and avoid gaining weight. So, commit to being fit! Make your resolution now instead of after you have created a problem. By doing this, you can be a step ahead of everyone else in January...your New Year's Resolution can be something worthwhile since you will be healthier anyway. When you commit, make sure you have an accountability partner...someone who can exercise with you (whether in the same state or not). For a while my sister and I ran "together"...she in one state and me in another. When we finished our run we would let each other know how far we had gone and how quickly we finished. Our goal was to run a 10K together. Make a goal like that with a friend or family member, and the excuse to see each other will help motivate you! As always, comment with feedback or questions. Thanks for checking in!

Staying Fit through the Holidays

I realize a lot of time has passed and I neglected this blog...here goes again! I will be attempting to post 3-5 times per week. I want to pick up where I left off last year: holidays and food. I have a few ideas to help you stay fit through the holidays: 1. Add something new to your Thanksgiving traditions this year. Discuss it as a family/couple/friends and agree on one thing: exercise! So, this does not mean you have to go out and run or do anything you hate. My personal favorite is to get everyone outside and play football. That is probably some of the most fun as a group, and you burn a lot of calories in the process! Maybe your family can go for a hike, or play some active WII games. Just make sure you add something to your Thanksgiving celebration that will start a new tradition leading to fitness. 2. Plan exercise into your calendar now. We all know how busy the holidays get. If you do not write it into your calendar now, you may not exercise before New Years...and the we are back to Resolutions we do not keep. So, write it down...right now...go ahead ;) Please reply with your ideas for a fitness tradition for Thanksgiving! I would love to hear them! Ann - your nutrition consultant

Holiday Weight Loss Hype

Every year thousands of people make a New Year's Resolution to lose weight and eat healthier, along with exercising more. What if you did not need that resolution each year? What if, instead, you learned a habit of a healthy lifestyle that prevented unwanted weight gain. I understand that some weight gain is caused by medications, but for most of us (including myself), our weight gain is simply from bad habits.

I would like to offer a few tips for the holiday season that might help you (and me) to avoid that unwanted weight gain.

1. Drink 16 oz. of water before each meal. Start about 30 minutes before the meal, ensuring you do this before any gathering or dining out. This will help avoid the pitfall of mistaking thirst for hunger.

2. Carry an apple with you everywhere you go. The holidays are a busy time of year, and we find ourselves grabbing food at a fast-food joint or eating a candy bar to sustain us until our next meal or break. Eating an apple is a much better option. Apples are filling because of the amount of nutrients and fiber in them. They take a while to digest, so it should sustain you for an hour or more. They are also sweet, so they will help with those sugar cravings. This will help curb your appetite, allowing you to avoid those extra calories.

3. Choose desserts wisely. Desserts seem to be the downfall of most people. We simply "cannot" say no to so many delicious desserts. So, make a gameplan before you head out. Decide how much is okay. Take a small plate for dessert that will not allow you to over-eat. Aim for elegance in dining - this does not refer to where you dine, but how you dine. It is not elegant to eat a large plate full of desserts. It is elegant to eat one small dessert and enjoy every bite.

4. Don't prepare more food than is necessary. The trend for Thanksgiving and Christmas is to prepare feasts that would feed 30 people. Instead of preparing more food than is humanly possible for your group to finish, prepare only what you need. Choose a few healthy options to prepare extra of so that you can have your appreciated leftovers. Overall, scale down the amount of each food that you make. Remember to eat only what you need.

By following these tips, you can help curb that holiday weight gain and start the New Year one step ahead.

More tips to come!

I love to help you become healthier! Reply with questions, and if I cannot answer them, I will find someone who can!

Evolution and Our Food

I find it odd when people bring up current food issues and evolution. For example, in Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma, he discusses that we feed animals food they were never evolved to eat (p. 10). Honestly, I have never believed evolution held any bearing, and comments like these show the folly in this theory. If a cow evolved to eat grass, and we are concerned about the corn it is now fed, we must not think evolution exists. If evolution is what shaped the cow and gave it all of the stomachs needed to digest the grass it eats, why would we think evolution can't help it adjust now? Surely survival of the fittest has shown that cows are a superior animal to the bison. So surely they will adapt and evolve as we run out of grass to feed them. They will simply begin to morph and new cows will be born that are designed to eat corn. Right? Yet, this is not the implication when we read or hear about this current food dilemma. In fact, humans are becoming increasingly allergic to corn, the main ingredient in processed foods.

So you see, we must decide if we agree that evolution is true, or if it is false. If evolution is true, then we have no food concerns because animals and people will adjust and evolve to be able to eat what is more readily available. However, if evolution is not true (which I hold to), then we have some real concerns. The rising epidemic of obesity, food allergies and intolerances, and nutrient poor foods will continue to be more of a problem as long as we continue turning our heads and ignoring it. While most people understand that whole foods are best for us to eat, junk food continues to be the most profitable food industry, second only perhaps to fast food. Truly, the epidemic exists. There is a great concern in America. We have a higher incidence of obesity and diabetes than ever before, especially in children, but our government continues to support their people. We continue to allow this to go on, showing manufacturers that we will happily eat their junk. How much longer will this go ? Will we stand on the side of evolution, assuming that it will get better, or will we stand up and demand whole, nutrient dense, healthy foods?

Finally Done!

I have finished my nutrition science degree, and I am thrilled to be finished! I am ready to jump in and start helping people. I have started some nutrition and diet counseling for some friends so they can be healthier. I hope to share information regularly on here as well. Hopefully you will find it helpful as well!

I love to help you become healthier! Reply with questions, and if I cannot answer them, I will find someone who can!

Wheat and "white wheat" bread - Are they comparable?

I love to help you become healthier! Reply with questions, and if I cannot answer them, I will find someone who can!

I have been very skeptical of the new "white wheat" bread. Honestly, I believed it was a scam. I was convinced that marketers were trying to make naive people buy something that had no more nutritional value than white bread. So, I have never purchased it. However, in a class I am currently enrolled in, the question came up: Is white wheat bread as nutritious as wheat bread? So, our professor did some research and this is what she found:

"After a little research on white wheat bread, I am pleasantly surprised by my findings. I am including resources that I found particularly helpful at the end of this post.

As we discussed in a previous post, white regular white bread is made with refined grains, which go through a rigorous process that strips out particular (healthful) parts of the grain. But, white whole-wheat bread, just like regular whole-wheat bread, is made with the whole grain.

The differences in the type of grain that is used. White whole-wheat bread is made with an "albino" variety of wheat, which is obviously lighter in color and has a sweeter flavor. Pretty cool, eh?! According to Katherine Zeratsky, an RD that answers questions on the Mayo Clinic website, when it comes to grocery shopping and reading those Nutrition Labels, look for bread products that list the "whole" grains as the first ingredient (whole wheat or white whole wheat). Zeratsky says, "If the label doesn't say "whole" first, it isn't a whole-grain product."

Also important, according to my reading from the Wheat Foods Council, regular whole wheat and white whole wheat are nutritionally equivalent! I think this is a great option for families with children who don't care for the taste of (red grain) whole wheat bread."

Happy grocery shopping, everyone. :-)

References:
Weise, E. USATODAY.com Website. 2005. Health and Behavior: "White Wheat: Best thing since..."
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2005-03-16-white-wheat_x.htm.

Zeratsky, K. MayoClinic.com Website. 2008. Nutrition and Healthy Eating Q and A. "White whole-wheat bread: is it nutritious?" http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/whole-wheat-bread/AN01512.

"Grains of truth about white wheat." 2010. Wheat Foods Council. http://www.wheatfoods.org/Link.asp?IdS=00080B-8B7D4D0&Url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ewheatfoods%2Eorg%2F%5FFileLibrary%2FProduct%2F43%2FWhite%2520Wheat%2Epdf.


Special reference to Professor Sara Police. Thank you to my Professor for her research, and clarifying this for us all!

Cardiovascular disease and nutrition

My goal is to help you become healthier! Reply with questions, and if I cannot answer them, I will find someone who can!

Cardiovascular Disease

Although cardiovascular disease is easier to prevent than cure, there are some steps that an adult can take in order to help lower their risk and side effects.

First, an individual with cardiovascular disease needs to monitor the type of fat they are eating. Fish or skinless poultry is ideal for low-fat meat. The key is to also cook it in a low-fat way. Low-fat is only good if it is a healthy fat. Avoid trans fats (partially hydrogenated ...) and cook in olive oil or canola oil. This will help lower the fat content, and provide healthy fats which can help lower cholesterol and improve their overall health.

Secondly, the individual should eat plenty of fruit and vegetables. Try to avoid canned foods as much as possible. Find fresh or frozen fruit and vegetables in order to prevent ingesting additives and extra salt. Add fresh fruit to a salad, or add vegetables to a pasta or casserole. Try to eat a wide variety of color and type of fruit and vegetables. The minerals and vitamins found in fruit and vegetables will increase overall health. Another perk is that they are low in calories and will help fill you up, preventing binging on foods that are not so healthy. Finally, they also have fiber, which is great for heart health.

The third tip for a cardiovascular patient is to monitor the salt intake, and add high fiber whole grain foods. Lower salt intake will help blood pressure to remain at a healthy level. The whole grains help clean out the arteries, removing build-up from cholesterol and fats that have been eaten since childhood.

If a cardiovascular patient can adhere to these simple rules, they will be on their way to feeling healthier and living longer. These rules will help clear out their system, control their disease, and strengthen their body.

Cathi Ortiz

Reference:
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2010). Heart-healthy diet: 8 steps to prevent heart disease. Retrieved September 9, 2010 from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/heart-healthy-diet/NU00196.

I will b starting a new journey:text message blogging! I still feel this is more of a journal for me, but i will keep writing nonetheless

Where to begin?

I love to help you become healthier! Reply with questions, and if I cannot answer them, I will find someone who can!

So many people get stuck with the ultimate question when it comes to healthy habits: "Where to begin?" A healthy lifestyle can be overwhelming. The changes that are necessary to get to a healthy lifestyle can be even more overwhelming. So where should we begin?

First of all, start small. If you try to change it all overnight, you will get burned out, frustrated, and feel like success will never come. Your healthy lifestyle is realistic, and attainable. It will take dedication and some hard work, but you can get there! I promise you that you will feel better and have more energy when you keep working, one step at a time!

Step one: Find one thing that you can stick to - such as a calorie limit, or drinking more water. Make that one thing a habit - this takes 3 weeks of consistency.

Step two: Pick a new thing to focus on, and repeat the process in step one.

Step three: repeat step two, etc.

I think you get the point. You need to start small. Pick the one thing that you feel is a big step, but is attainable. Once you have changed that habit, you will find that you can continue down the road to a healthier you.

~ Cathi

Are you eating a balanced diet?

I love to help you become healthier! Reply with questions, and if I cannot answer them, I will find someone who can!

How can you determine if you are eating a balanced diet? There is so much information bombarding us constantly about what we should or should not eat. The truth is, it comes back to the basics. The food pyramid is based on science and data that is updated and revised constantly. This has been the main source of information on a balanced diet for many years. There are additional food pyramids for specific ethnic groups and ages. You can use this website to track what you are eating, and see where you might be deficient.

Did you know the food pyramid now includes exercise? That's right! You need exercise every day. For most people, this is just a simple walk for 20-30 minutes. Find something you can enjoy that will get your heart beating between 100-120 beats per minute for 20-30 minutes. This will increase your energy, promote emotional health, and improve your overall health!

Questions or comments, please reply! I will be sure to get back with you by the end of the week.
~ Cathi ~

New blg, new Ideas

I love to help you become healthier! Reply with questions, and if I cannot answer them, I will find someone who can!

I am starting something new. I have been using this blog as my "journal", but I would really like to share what I am learning. I have a lot of ideas and tips for anyone willing to work on their health. I am a nutrition major, and I am still working on trying to be healthier. This is not just a weight-loss blog; it is also for anyone who wants to manage their weight to not gain. It is for anyone willing to try to eat healthier and try new ideas for healthy lifestyles. Follow the blog to get frequent tips and updates!

I look forward to helping you in any way that I can! To a healthier you!!

Exhausted and excited

I have been working for the past 3 hours on my school work. My goal was to finish everything so that I could have Sunday off. I have met my goal. Now I have excitement to be blessed with. My sister is coming on Monday! This is precisely why I wanted my homework done. Now I can enjoy her and her family for the week. I am so blessed by her willingness to come and be with us for the week. I am loved an blessed!

Things kids say

Kids have a way of saying things that you want to remember forever. I will watch my kids sometimes, just hoping the memory will stick forever. For example, yesterday Kassandra was playing with 2 stuffed animals, and her leapfrog math desk. Apparently the math desk was a laptop for a doctor. Mr. Mouse was there to see the doctor (Kassandra) and they were arguing over whether his sister could have the same name as her or not. It was so cute. She was just playing so well by herself, and I wanted to grab the video camera, but I knew she would stop.

The cutest one lately was this: Kassandra was trying to determine which barrette she wanted in her hair that day. Thanks to my Mom, she has many choices! = ) So, she lined up 15 different barrettes and asked which one I thought she should wear. I picked one, and she pulled it out of the line up, and set it aside. We did this two more times. At this point she looked at me while pointing to the 3 who were facing the original line-up, and told me, "This is the audience". "Ok," I said. I was not sure what they were watching, but I did not argue. She then picked up one of the other barrettes and said, "I want to be an audient, I want to be an audient! Pick me!" It was hysterical! She has figured out that you add "s" to make a word plural. So apparently when you are watching something alone, or you want to join a group, you are an "audient". It is only when there is more than one that you have an "audients". = )

Kids say the cutest things! I will be posting more soon!

Back to work again

I have had two blissful weeks off now. I am back to work Wednesday, with 3 classes this term instead of the typical 2. If it goes well, I will continue to do that so I can finish my degree in a little over a year, instead of nearly 2 years. I am hoping and praying that works. I need a shorter goal to shoot for than 2 years - that is too far off and I am afraid I will lose my drive and focus. Right now I am maintaining a 4.0, which is something I am very proud of. However, I am afraid that will start to slip if I become discouraged. I need to stay focused. This is a goal that I do not want to let go of again. Still, there are so many things to do. All of my "if only's" are getting me nowhere, so I tread on. I continue working and doing all I can, hoping it will get me where I want to be. I strive to be content where I am, and that is sometimes difficult. Am I alone in this? I don't think so. I see people all around me who are hurting, and wanting something more. I yearn for God to move in a powerful way. I desire to feel Him and see Him and hear Him speak. I crave His presence. Lord, fall on me!

In need of some parenting advice

We have a 4-year old daughter, named Kassandra. Kassandra has been a challenge since she was probably 6 months old. The biggest challenge we have yet to tackle is putting things in her mouth. Yes, she is really 4. Yes, she really does still put things in her mouth. Now that we have that cleared up, I need some ideas. We have tried giving her lemon juice, hot sauce, or vinegar when she puts something in her mouth that does not belong there. She will still chew on toys, destroy bouncy balls, eat crayons and markers, along with a variety of other things. Before today I had called poison control three times for things she had eaten. Today I called them two more times. It seems that we have bad days and good days, like any child I suppose. Obviously the putting "nasty stuff" in her mouth is not getting the point across. We have sent her to bed, put her in time out, and spanked (I know this is controversial). So, any ideas that you may have are greatly appreciated! We have always watched her closely, but watching her 24 hours a day is not possible. Do you have any great thoughts to share? If so, please reply! I welcome your thoughts and ideas.

~ Cathi ~

Crazy Oklahoma

Last week I was enjoying beautiful sunshine, and warm days. We opened up the windows in the afternoon almost every day while the kids played outside. Wednesday was 68 degrees! Thursday we were hit by a nasty winter storm and we lost power that evening. Friday morning we began the mundane task of moving a family of 6, plus a dog, to someone else's house. We were very grateful for a pool house for the following few days while we were without power. The electric company anticipated we would not have power back until Wednesday! As my husband left the house again after picking up a few more items, he noticed that the traffic light down the street came back on. He turned around and, sure enough, power was back on. However, I had plans for the night and needed to leave before we could move back home. Did I mention that while my husband was gone our dog was attacked by our friend's dogs? Oh yes, the story goes on...

So, I went out for my girls' night and froze through a movie since they neglected to tell us that their power did not include heat. It was still fun, and a memory I will not soon forget. Saturday we began to pack up our family and dog again in order to move back home. By the time we got home and unpacked everything it was time for a birthday party. We left the house AGAIN, and while there our 1-year old started to run a fever. We left early to check how high Isaac's fever was; it was 103.5. I gave him tylenol, and headed to the ER.

Today we lost power once again. I was about ready to pack up the kids and head out when it came back on. Within half an hour my phone was ringing non-stop with all my friends warning me that we would be without water tonight. Supposedly they have to shut off our water because one treatment plant lost power Thursday, and the back-up generator died today. We are down to one water treatment plant, and that only supplies 25% of the city's water. So, perhaps I will get this "vacation" I am craving after all! We may be heading to OKC or Dallas tomorrow...only time will tell.

As for you, I hope you had a better weekend! Still, my chin is up and I am smiling. I am thanking God tonight for heat, water, and a warm bed. I am grateful for fresh food, my health, and our house. I am blessed to have friends who care, and a church to call family. I am blessed.

Comments and future of my blog

At the beginning of my English Comp course, I had to set up this blog. I started out strong, responding to a couple of other students every week. At this point, I rarely respond to other students. I think that is due to the lack of responses on my own blog. Perhaps my attitude is all wrong. I have not received very much feedback on my blog, and often wonder if my professor is the only one reading. Hello, professor! In addition, the lack of comments makes me wonder if my writing is just too boring. I am not really sure what to write about most weeks, and I just write whatever comes to mind. It is always fun to see that someone replied to my blog so that I know people are actually reading it.

In spite of that, I think I will continue my blog. It is a great way to write about what is going on in my life, even if I am the only one who reads it. I enjoy the "journaling", and I enjoy looking at other people's blog as well. I will continue blogging, although I do not know for how long. I also am not sure how often I will write. Overall, I enjoyed this assignment and I will continue my blog, whether or not anyone reads it. It has become a journal just for me perhaps, but one that I will enjoy for years to come.
~ Cathi

WILL STARVE FOR FOOD!

At the end of February, I will be joining our youth group in a 30 hour famine to raise money for Haiti. All of the funds we raise will go to World Vision for their projects in Haiti. They had numerous child centers which have been damaged or destroyed, and they are estimating years of repair. You can sign up to sponsor me for my 30 hours of famine (no food at all!), and the money goes to children who need the help much more than I! Check it out here:
https://donate.30hourfamine.org/students/100597081-002/donations/new

Cathi

An easier week?

This week I am looking over my assignments and realizing that they seem fairly simple. This is great since I have to fly solo again this week. I will be a single mom from Sun-Fri next week. This is fairly typical for a military wife, but it is much more difficult when nearing the final term of school. I handled a month with my husband gone for last term, so I am sure that one week will be fine. I am just grateful to have a simpler week for school.

I have to say, I am grateful that God seemed to have worked this out this way. It seems that the weeks I need a break the most - that I am desperate for a break - I actually find one in some area. This week it will be in school. Previously I have found that break from youth work. Sometimes I have enjoyed a weekend or day away so that I have no "mommy responsibilities" to worry about. Regardless, I am enjoying whatever break I can find. For a mother of 4, and someone trying to do so much, breaks are always appreciated!

Speaking of breaks, I am going to go on a women's retreat at the ocean in North Carolina in March. The first weekend in March - it is a women's only weekend with plenty of time to relax, connect with friends, make new friends, and catch up on sleep! Feel free to ask me for more information - it is a nation-wide retreat, so everyone is invited! Maybe I will finally meet some of you there. = )

Cathi