NUTRITION IS THE KEY TO HEALTH

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Tag: whole food plant based diet

Which diet is right for you?

January 1, 2024 /

In case you haven’t looked lately, there are so many diets out there, it makes your head spin. When trying to get healthy and start a diet, confusion abounds. It’s like being at an intersection where all the lights are flashing red, and eight other roads feed in. You don’t know which way to go, or who was there first. Total chaos can can paralyze the process of forward movement.

This is how the average person feels about trying to choose a diet these days. Which way do you go? After all, we have so many choices. Here are just a few of them:

  • Vegatarian
  • Vegan
  • Carnivore
  • Paleo
  • Whole 30
  • Whole Food Plant-Based
  • Flexatarian
  • Keto
  • The Mediterranean Diet
  • Intermittent Fasting (not so much a diet, but an additional culture to assist in weightless and your health journey).

In my opinion, the vegetarian diet is one of the most dangerous diets out there. I am not talking danger, in the sense that it is going to kill you. I am talking about being in that gray area, where you think it is ok to consume packaged foods because they have the word “vegan” on them. When in actuality, they are just the same processed forms of junk, you have been eating.

When you read the ingredients list, you will find things like sugar, salt, palm or canola oils and MSG. These are ingredients that you don’t want. So, you become a fat overweight junk food vegan. This is not any healthier than your current state. You are still stuck in the “grab and go” of convenience, instead of getting fresh fruits and veggies.

So, in my opinion, you should avoid this trap altogether. You can opt for a whole food plant-based diet, but that the convenience out of it. Opt for real potatoes, instead of the boxed ones.

You can keep a “Whole 30” concept of if it doesn’t come from the ground, the sea, a tree or a vine, it doesn’t go in your mouth. Packaged protein bars, and pre-packaged juices and smoothies shouldn’t be on your list. They sound so healthy but realize that it is nothing more than “creative marketing from all the giant food companies.” Highly caffeinated beverages, like the canned power drinks that are loaded with caffeine, and we all know which ones those are, should even make it into your cart!

Types of diets

I will touch on a few of these different diets, but won’t go into great detail here. Feel free to do your own research.

There is the Carnivore Diet, where all you consume is meat, cheese, milk, animal fats and eggs. No fruits, veggies or grains, and no carbs. So, you miss out on all those antioxidants and anti-inflammatory foods. This is healthy, Really?

How healthy do you really think a carnivore diet is, and that includes Keto. After all, we know that meat and diary does not provide all our essential vitamins and minerals, we need for healthy bodies. When our bodies don’t get those vital nutrients, disease ensues.

The Keto Diet, is a cousin to the Carnivore Diet, but it will allow up to 5-20% carbs to be added. This diet plan was created in the 1920’s, and used to treat drug-resistant epilepsy in children.

In this clinical setting, there was great progress with the children and the number of seizures they experienced while on this meal plan. So, it served a medical purpose in those days, and has become insanely popular in the last five years. You cannot go into the store and walk the aisles, without seeing some “keto approved” packaged food each step you take. Marketing at it’s finest!

I tried the Keto Diet for about 3 months and had a good deal of weight loss success. However, I was concerned with the affects it had on my cardiovascular system. When I got my bloodwork back, my cholesterol, and triglycerides were off the charts, so I stopped.

The Paleo Diet, falls into the Carnivore category as well. The argument is, “this is how our ancestors ate”; therefore, we should all eat this way. They were hunters/gatherers after all, and this is how our bodies were created.

They killed and dragged their dinner back to the cave. First, our bodies have evolved over time, adjusting to what we have put in it. Second, I did read an article some years back, that said the hunter/gatherers, also ate berries and some grasses, if animals were scarce. So, there is that.

The Mediterranean Diet, is a regional diet from the area of Greece, Italy, Turkey, Spain and other countries in that region. They are said to have the highest life expectancy of all populations.

They eat lower quantities of red meat, because it is an island-like terrain, and red meat is not as available, and is expensive. So, they tend to eat more fish, veggies, fruits, olive oil, butter, cheese and wine. You will not see a mother giving her child a glass of milk, past a certain age in his/her life. Actually, I don’t know if any population around the world, that continues drinking milk into their adult years, but the United States. This is courtesy of the millions of dollars that the diary industry has infused into our government agencies. Again, marketing at its finest.

One must take into account that in the Mediterranean region, they also walk or ride a bike everywhere. So, it gives way to that saying of, “calories in, minus calories out.” They have a high fat intake, and drink alcohol, but they are constantly burning calories each day. This comes (not because they go to a gym and work out) out of necessity to get where they are going. This is a big difference from that of the United States. We sit at computers, drive everywhere we go and play video games, watch tv or scroll through social media for hours. There is an opposing correlation, when we compare the two lifestyles.

Just a side note on fish. I often wonder how safe the fish population has become with all the nuclear wastes, ships, planes and chemicals, that are dumped in our oceans daily. It is estimated that 14M tons of plastic bottles end up in our oceans each year. Just image how many plastic bottles you would have to have for one ton of weight, Now, multiple that times 14 every single year. Mind-blowing. This is a good time to encourage you to please recycle if you use bottled drinking water.

Let’s talk about those hormonal disruptors when you consume fish or seafood. Environment affects humans and we develop things such as cancer, and autoimmune diseases when we are exposed to toxins. Creatures of the oceans are the same. When they live in highly toxic waters with poisons and endocrine disruptors, they develop disease as well, and then we consume them.

This is where we get so many cases of increased mercury poisoning. Someone will eat a large amount of fish, as their primary protein. Their bodies and tissues become toxic. Mercury is a dangerous metal when ingested. Just food for thought.

The Vegan Diet, is a whole food plant-based diet on steroids. It is extreme and generally centers around abuse of animals in the processing industries and their treatment.

Buyer beware, it is not just the diet, but about the culture that surrounds it. If you call yourself a vegan, it will involve all aspects of your life. So, you cannot call yourself a vegan, if you follow the diet plan, but then go sit down on your leather sofa, to watch a movie. How about hopping in your car that has leather seats? You are not a vegan. Maybe your favorite running shoes have a bit of leather? Then, you are not a vegan.

If you are calling yourself a vegan, then you are a whole food plant-based eater, that is taking a stand on the abuse and mistreatment of all the animals and how they are processed and killed for our consumption. You cannot use or have anything associated with an animal in any way. Piano keys made of ivory? Then, you cannot call yourself a vegan. Those Italian leather shoes, leather jacket or briefcase/backpack? Well, I think you get the point. So, just start by saying that you are following a WFPB diet. If you choose to take a stand for the mistreatment of animals, then you can move in that direction and call yourself a vegan.

In this blog, I will use vegan, vegetarian and plant-based. You will see me swap vegan and plant-based interchangeably. There are cultural differences, but for the purpose of this blog, they will be used to depict the style of eating and they will be one in the same.

The Flexitarian Diet, is really the best of both worlds, for someone that cannot fully give up meat and diary. If you want to make a real impact, then you can do this and follow the Mediterranean way of eating, but I would decrease the meat and fish, and increase the organic tofu, organic soy and beans.

You can choose to eat WFPB for say four days of the week, and on the weekends, or times you might have dinner out, or be traveling, you can opt to flex out, and eat a very clean lean meat.

This doesn’t mean that you get to order that 12 oz Ribeye, but maybe opt for a leaner cut, like a top sirloin, with steamed veggies or a baked potato on the side, and a salad with a balsamic dressing. Forgo the huge side of ranch or blue cheese dressing. Also, be careful with all the white bread, like breadsticks or rolls, that are made with highly processed bleached flour, alcohol and sodas.

When someone goes to a WFPB diet, he/she might find themselves in difficult situations, where you have to go out for work/party. Instead of trying to explain to everyone your dietetic needs, it is easier to have the option to flex out. The trick is, after the “flex event” is over, get back on your plant-based horse! Don’t let this can, be kicked down the road for weeks at a time.

With any diet, I would urge you to keep a food journal for the first month or two. It will assist you in learning foods that you might be sensitive too. If you don’t like writing and you are more of an app person, Cronometer and MyPlate are good apps to go to.

What is a healthy diet anyway?

If you look close enough at the published research, you just get an additional layer of confusion, added to your already scrambled brain. You have experts (doctors, and research scientist) that are in the top of their fields, publishing findings in major respected medical journals, that can prove or disprove, any conclusion/hypothesis they are seeking.

What you don’t know is that they are affiliated with and taking lots of money from the lobbyists from the meat, dairy, egg and grain industries. So, who can you trust? After all, it’s all about the money. The science, the marketing, the buying of research. It all gets muddy.

Unfortunately, I don’t have an answer, but I did find an investigative nutritional journalist, that seems to dig in and ferret out all the individuals not being so forthcoming about their affiliations with big Pharma and big industries. I have seen her on PCRM.org . It is eye-opening. I have lost her name in the hundreds of videos I have saved and I will try and update this, when I find it.

Keep it simple

My advice to you would be, sit down and list any medical issues you currently have or have a family history, before you make your choice on diet. Ask yourself, are you diabetic or pre-diabetic? Do you have high blood pressure and are on medication? Do you have a strong history of stroke or heart disease in the family? Is heart disease or cancer a concern? What did you last lab results say? Do you have high cholesterol, triglycerides or a diagnosed autoimmune disease like arthritis? Are you overweight? List all your concerns.

Then, list any known food allergies you might have. Maybe you need to avoid gluten. We are all different. So, whatever diet you choose, you will have to alter it a bit to fit your specific needs. No diet is a one-size fits all approach. However, you will have a macro view of where you need to start.

Next, list your goals and the trick is to make them attainable. Do not make a goal of losing 100 pounds in a year. Some might be able to do this, but you want to keep it healthy. Think about the things you want to do, like exercise, yoga, meditation and gardening. Whatever it might be. List those as well. Now, you have plan. People that embark on a journey without a plan, fail. You want to succeed, so have a plan!

Knowledge is power

If you are like me, you are not a doctor, registered dietician or research nutritional scientist. I have to read and get my information from the internet, books and publications. I would suggest that you need to learn some basics about nutrition before you start. If you are new to the world of nutrition, it can all be so confusing. In this confusion, you might start chasing your tail with supplements to cover what you suspect might be a deficiency. Don’t fill bad, we have all done it!

I would caution you against taking a lot of supplements. Unless you have been diagnosed in the past with deficiencies, the goal of this diet, is that you “eat the rainbow” of fruits and veggies and vary what you eat and nature will give you all you need.

If you choose to do a plant based diet, a small supplementation once or twice a week or so, might be adequate. Vitamin B12 is a concern, but not as big as you fear. According to Dr. Neal Barnard, M.D., and adult only needs 2.4 mcg a day. When we take supplements, most or 5000 mcgs and we take them like candy. This can eventually cause its own problems. I supplement with B-12 due to a deficiency, but since going plant-based, I need far less these days. Mind blowing.

Vitamin D is another vitamin I take due to a confirmed deficiency. You will need to have your physician run these specific tests before supplementing. Vitamin D is necessary for over 300+ cellular processes in the body, but our culture has become deficient. You get Vitamin D by the synthesis of sunlight on your skin. Vitamin D, although classified as a vitamin, acts like a hormone in our bodies, and taking too much can also be dangerous.

So, dig in and research. Learn about your newly chosen diet, and all the ins and outs. Start with baby steps and make small changes, or go all in. There is no “one way”. The goal is to increase the amount of good nutrients you give your body, and decrease the fat, sodium, and processed chemicals.

Learn about macronutrients which are called (protein, carbs and fats). Just think of this as a “high-level” view. Then, you have the micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals. Think of this, as you looking under a microscope and drilling down and individual “cells” of nutrition. I would subscribe to a few YouTube channels of your choosing that offer good advice.

Remember, you can lose weight on any diet, and just because there are over a million “influencers” out on the web, Facebook, Tik Tok, and YouTube, telling you they have the short-cut to weight loss, doesn’t mean you have to take the bait. This is a tortoise and the hare scenario, so be the tortoise. Slow and steady wins every time.

Remember, not all diets are healthy. The one that comes to mine is Atkins. You will find pros and cons for all diets out there, just be diligent. Get informed! Do your homework. This isn’t going to be handed to you. The trick is to determine which diet will provide you with the best outcome, and move your body to a healthier state, and you closer to your goals.

Good luck in your new journey, and may the force be with you!

Alicia

Disclaimer

The following article might contains affiliate partner links.  I could earn a small commission, at no cost to you, for any qualifying purchases.  

This blog is for entertainment and informational purposes only.  The information contained within this blog is not intended to diagnose or cure any medical condition.  I am not a physician, licensed dietician or physical therapist.  This blog is the result of my personal experiences and what I chose to do for a healthier lifestyle.  As always, before you begin a diet, exercise program or add supplements, please consult your healthcare professional.

A day in the life of you

December 18, 2023 /

What is your why? Let’s take a look. Grab a journal and let’s get started. I am going to ask you to take a serious inventory of what you eat on a daily/weekly basis. Write everything down. Don’t worry, this is only an initial exercise for the first week. You will not have to log your intake past this point unless you want to. The one thing is you will need to be is totally honest with yourself or this will not work. I want every stick of gum logged.

I am going to write a scenario and I want you to see if you recognize any of these hamster wheel behaviors.

The routine

You wake after a not so good night’s sleep. You’re already tired. You put on the coffee while you take a shower. You have a cup of coffee while getting ready for work. You head out the door and swing into either you neighborhood Starbucks or fast-food drive-thru. You grab a Frappuccino and a morning combo meal. As you are sitting in traffic you consume both.

When you get to the office you have another coffee/soda before you head to a meeting. Everything is gone off the rails at work, and now you and your team are in crisis mode. Your stress level just increased even more. You head to the vending machine for a RedBull/Soda. You are hungry, so you grab a candy bar or chips too.

At lunch, you drive thru another fast-food line and get another combo meal with a soda or head to a restaurant. You down that and get on with your day.

Around 3:00 pm, you feel like your tank is running on empty, so you grab another soda/coffee/RedBull, and some more goodies from the vending machine.

You’re heading home from work and traffic is terrible. While you are sitting in traffic, you think to yourself, “There has to be more to life than this.” Once you get home, you are so tired, you just want to order DoorDash or a Pizza and call it a night.

You get in bed on your cell phones or tablets. You can’t sleep well for thinking about life’s little problems, like living paycheck to paycheck (or hand to mouth). You are worried about how you are going to pay for those mounting student loans, medical debt or credit cards. Each of those are big green monsters living under your bed. You get up sometime during the night and grab whatever you can find and begin stress eating. Maybe it’s cookies and milk, chips or something else. By the time you stop, half the bag is gone.

You go back to bed and finally fall asleep around 2 or 3 am. When your alarm goes off, you wake so tired and unrested, you head for the coffee pot, get in the shower and rinse and repeat the day. This is your life. This is a hamster wheel that I cannot seem to get off. This is a freight train that is about to hit a wall going 80 mph. How do I stop the madness? Does any of this resonate with you?

The outcome

Now, let’s say you logged your food and beverage intake for the entire week. Looking back on what you logged, what nutrients do you think you actually ingested? Nutrients that fuel your body so it can repair itself, and provide you with the daily requirements to make sure everything is working properly? Most likely, not many. In fact, wouldn’t you say that you did more harm than good with the high-fat, highly processed, sugary and sodium bombs you consumed that were layer is caffeine? Ask yourself, how is your body supposed to recover from that, day after day, year after year. At some point, it just cannot.

You body screams for help and breaks down. This is when diseased starts to occur. Things like high blood-pressure, diabetes, depression, GI issues, sleep apnea, heart, vascular, cancer and autoimmune. They mount one after one and you cannot see to get off the disease freight train.

You have now added more medication, procedures and diagnosis’ to your life. This means more missed work time, and expensive dangerous medications the doctor tells you that you will take for the rest of your life.

Remember those CDC stats I mentioned? Almost 75% of Americans are obese or overweight. As well as 50% of Americans have been diagnosed with high blood pressure and are on medication. There are now twelve year old children are being diagnosed and put on medication for high blood pressure. What do you think their future holds? After all, we most likely began our journey in our thirty’s or forty’s and they are starting at pre-teen ages! If case you missed the stats, here is a link..

CDC Stats Link Home

Welcome to your WHY! Why, you should want to change these habits and create a better plan for what you give your body. Our body is like a temple, and this is how we treat it. We only get one, and it’s not too late to change your course. I don’t care how old you are. Change starts with you and only you. Let’s turn this train around!

Commit to the change and let’s get started.

Alicia

Which is the healthier diet?

December 17, 2023 /

Vegan vs Keto, or somewhere in the middle?

I don’t know about you, but this is the most confusing part of trying to decide which eating plan to follow in my new journey to a healthier lifestyle. I have been on both a vegan diet and a keto diet, and achieved significant weight loss on both. My concern comes with a high fat Keto diet and what effects it will have on my systemic health, especially my cardiovascular system. Then, there is the concern of some limiting factors on a vegan diet like like B12, protein, not to mention increased fructose intake.

If you look at the photo above, you realize the animals in that picture are notably some of the strongest (if not the strongest) animals on this earth, and they don’t eat meat. That’s right, they are fully powered by plants! Common sense would tell you they ALL can’t have it wrong. Right?

I looked up vegan plant-based athletes to see what I could find. What I found were some jaw dropping stories. Some of the world’s greatest record holders in every sport are vegan, and their stories are incredible. Below are just a few of those stories. You can find them in weightlifting, skiing, surfing, race car, cycling, swimming, NFL, NBA and NBA and just about every sport you can think of.

Just a few vegan athletes

Ruth Heidrich – Is one of the most impressive stories I’ve read. She was a marathon runner who was diagnosed with Stage IV Breast Cancer. She was given a death sentence. She refused all chemo, radiation, and hormone blockers and sought the guidance of Dr. John McDougall, MD.

McDougall is a functional medical doctor, who placed her on a strict vegan diet and exactly two years from the date of her diagnosis, she not only beat her cancer into submission, but she completed her first Kona Ironman Triathlon, becoming the first vegan and cancer survivor to do so.

At 86, she went on to complete five more Ironman competitions. She holds over 900 trophies, 8 gold medals in the U.S. Senior Olympics. She has competed in 67 marathons to include Boston, New York and Moscow, and all while powered by plants!

Fiona Oakes – British runner and vegan since the age of six. She has completed 50 marathons and holds four world records. She holds the world record in an event where she ran 7 marathons on all seven continents, and took the fastest aggregate time. All, powered by plants.

Carl Lewis – is a track and field superstar and has been vegan since 1990. He won eight world championships titles and nine Olympic gold medals. It is difficult to deny the power of plants when you look at his story.

Pat Reeves – British runner, turned power lifter. At age 32, she was diagnosed with a terminal genetic cancer (14 brain tumors). She adopted a vegan diet, and her cancer went into remission, there was no evidence of tumors remaining.

In 1982 she took up powerlifting and began to compete. In 2019, she was told she had three months to live, due to a car accident that left her with crushed lungs and pulmonary fibrosis. She has refused to submit to the disease, still power lifting at age 76 and still breaking her own records.

Scott Jurek – Named one of the greatest runners of all time. Scott eats a plant-based diet and has given it credit for some of his greatest wins. Although there are too many to list, he holds the world record for running the 2189 mile Appalachian Trial Run. Not a run for the faint at heart. Scott has won over twenty-four marathons to date.

A personal account

I spoke with a woman that was diagnosed with terminal metastatic cancer from a prominent medical facility in California. The doctors told her she had just months to live and to get her affairs in order. She moved back to Texas to be closer to family. She refused all treatments, went fully vegan (specifically 100% organic) and exercised 8 hours a day as a spin class instructor. She only drank Fiji water and changed to all natural products in her environment.

After six months, she went to an area oncologist to get additional scans. She wanted to see if her efforts were paying off. The doctors could not fine a trace of any tumors left in her body. The doctors looked on with disbelief and asked her what protocol she was using to cure her cancer. Her response, “I am vegan”. They all scratched their heads in disbelief. Plant power once again.

I don’t know about you, but I am seeing a common thread in these accounts.

Cancer + vegan + exercise + positive attitude = cancer remission (in some incidents)

Not all people find these kind of results. I lost my mother to cancer, so I understand not all stories have happy endings. There are an estimated 2 million new cancer diagnosis each year, and over 608,570 deaths that are attributed to cancer alone. For some, it’s a second chance. For others, it is a death sentence.

My personal journey

In 2019, I was diagnosed with Stage III Metastatic Triple Negative Cancer. This was an extremely aggressive cancer. I was thrust into the conventional therapies of multiple chemotherapies, and radiation, and surgery, but fell short and could not finish either therapy due to complications. This was before I knew about a plant-based diet and the effects in can have assisting cancer patients overcome their disease. It didn’t really matter, I didn’t want to eat anyway, not even with all the steroids.

By the grace of God, I am still here to write this blog, and I am currently trying to educate myself on transitioning to a plant-based diet. Chemo and radiation is the gift that keeps giving. For any of you that have gone through it, you will understand what I am saying without any explanation. All cancer therapies come with a great risks, some more that others.

When I was diagnosed, my cancer had already metastasized to my nodes. I had a tumor in my axillary region (under my arm) that was larger than most women’s tumor in their breast. The primary tumor in my breast was large. Triple Negative is the second most aggressive breast cancer, only taking a back seat to Inflammatory Breast Cancer.

When I was in chemo, I would talk to the other people next to me and I would always ask what kind of cancer they had. When they would ask me, and I would say Triple Negative, the next words out of their mouth were always, “I am sorry.” That wasn’t a warm feeling.

All the women I was there with that had Triple Negative did not make it. They all passed within the year. So, I feel a bit guilty that I am still here. For some reason, God didn’t think it was my time.

Triple negative is a disease that likes to return quickly and when it does, it is always at Stage IV and in all organs, brain and bones before they find it. I would call that, a point of no return.

The therapies after that are, in my opinion, for the forward movement of science and science only, I am not sure if there is a TNBC Stage IV survivor in this world. I am going to have to do a bit of research. I am sure there might be, but very few.

We hear these stories of curing cancer and beating it back in submission. First of all, you never “cure” cancer. Cancer is living in our bodies all the time. It is just activated into a disease state when our bodies can no longer fight, and keep it under control. Second, I truly believe if I had refused the conventional therapies before me, and attempted a “diet only” approach, I would be dead within six months. When I came out of my fog after the diagnosis, I asked my oncologist, if I didn’t do anything, how much time would I have. He came back with 6 to 8 months.

I believe that there are certain times which we have to intervene with conventional therapies, and then follow with a diet to achieve a successful outcome. I also believe that each human being is different and what might work for one, doesn’t work for all.

You and I have much different meanings of the word “success”, than the doctors. Success to us, is a cure and we get to live and go on with our lives. Success to a doctor, is an extension of life, 3-6 months beyond what the patient would have without the treatment.

There were a lot of things I wish I knew before going into my journey with breast cancer. I had a lot of sleepless night, so I tried to put them to good use. I wrote and self-published this book in case any of you might have recently been diagnosed or you have a loved one that got the news. It is on Amazon and I will put the link below, just click on the book.

Regardless of your lot in life, the nutrition you choose to put in your body, is the key to health.

Welcome to my journey.

Alicia

Getting ready for your new diet

June 3, 2023 / / 0 Comments

Nutrition is the Key to Health Podcast

Before you start a diet, you have to prep your kitchen. Getting ready for you new diet, is like bringing a baby home from the hospital or adopting a new puppy for the first time. You cannot just show up unprepared or you will fail!

Prepping your space

You will need to start with the refrigerator and clean it out. While you’re at it, take a look at all the “best by” dates on the condiments you have. Throw any out that have expired. Next up is the cabinets, pantry and freezer. Do the same here, while organizing your food into general categories. For instance, all canned beans together, tomatoes, cereals, pasta, broths and so on. This will allow you to glance at your stock and know what you need to add to the list for any groceries in just seconds. You want to take all the “work” out of this, so keep it simple!

Gathering quick meal ideas

You want to sit down with a recipe book, or go online for some ideas for simple quick, easy and nutritious meals. Remember, your main goal is twofold, make it lower fat and highly nutritious compared to your current diet. You will want to choose websites that you know will work with which ever diet you choose. If you find a recipe you think you might like, you can sub ingredients to make it allowable.

Some of my favorite resources for food ideas you can find at:

www.eatingwell.com

www.forksoverknives.com

Staples

After you clean out your kitchen and make a list, check it twice before you head to the store. I always try and keep low-sodium vegetable broth, a variety of canned beans (saves time but always rinse before using), canned diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, pasta, alternative milks (I use organic soy and organic almond milks), spices, oats, potatoes and rice on hand. These make great building blocks for your meals.

Fruits and Vegetables

Decide what fruits and vegetables you will buy fresh, and which ones you will buy frozen. I find that when buying fresh fruits, my intentions are good but, I do not always get to them before they go bad. This can be a waste of money.

I am going to suggest purchasing frozen blueberries, strawberries and fruits for your smoothies. That way, they do not go bad if you can’t get to your smoothies.

Then, you can use fresh blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and bananas for your oatmeal. I prefer frozen over canned. My only exceptions to this are beans and tomatoes. If you have freezer space, this is where you can really get the most bang for your buck, so go for it!

Frozen veggies make stir-fry and soups very quick and easy. Try to shop these when they are on sale. If you are a member of CostCo or Sam’s, they have some good options, however, I find some of the grocery stores beat their pricing in smaller quantities, when the stores have a sale. So pay attention!

I purchase my onions, potatoes, apples, cucumbers, spinach, kale, bell peppers, squash, cabbage and others as fresh. Then I will get things like broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus and corn as frozen. This is something you will learn as time goes by, and you can adjust to what suits your needs. Your goal here is to utilize what you buy, so you don’t waste it.

Your first trip to the grocery store

Take your list of your needed items and lets head to the store. Your first trip to the store when starting a new diet, can be a bit costly. One option is to go ahead and use what you have in your pantry, until it is gone. Even though this might not be allowable on your diet, it will keep you from wasting food. Then replace it with healthier options as needed.

Doing this will help with some of the initial cost outlay. If you do decide to purge everything unrelated to your new diet overnight, please do not throw it away! Take what you do not want to a local food bank or church. There are people living in our country that battle food scarcity every day.

Learn to read a nutrition label

With any food, but especially condiments, you will need to learn to read the labels! I want each and every one of you to learn to read a nutrition label. By law, a manufacturer must place a label on each packaged item. Do not rely on the marketing on the front of a product to tell you its healthy, because we all know that companies never lie to sell products. Right?

Learn to read the ingredients on each label and Google each one you don’t know. You will find this eye-opening as to what is in that can or box you are about to consume. The less ingredients, the healthier it probably is. Try and stay away from a list of ingredients that fills the entire label or things high in hydrogenated oils, food colorings, natural flavors and things you just cannot pronounce.

The only oil you really want to consume is avocado and olive oil and even then, only in small quantities. You have to remember, oil is a very calorically dense food, that is high in fat. You need to look for “expeller” or “first cold pressed” on your olive oil. Remember, just because it is expensive, doesn’t make it good for you!

Spices

Spices are were you are going to make up in flavor, what you cannot have in fat. So, the sky’s the limit. If you cannot purchase a lot of spices at once, just buy one or two spices each month or as your budget will allow. You can also look for sales. I know that both Kroger and Tom Thumb will put a “buy two get one free” on many of their spices. Even though you might not need a spice, always make it a habit to check the isle for sales, especially on those you use a great deal.

Other

I always keep some organic ground flaxseed, chia seed, oatmeal, and a few nuts (sunflower, sesame, pumpkin and walnuts), and a nut nutbutter on hand. Use nuts sparingly as they are a high-fat food as well. I sometimes use the ground flax for as my breadcrumbs for recipes in the air fryer. It is a healthier option and provides a good source of Omega 3. I keep olive oil, avocado oil, and balsamic vinegar always.

You should now have a good base for your meals. Some other incidentals like tortillas, pita bread or small pizzas, might extend your options as well. Once you get all this in and put away, you are ready to go.

Starting your diet

My suggestion to you is start slow. Pick a day where you are not so stressed and you have the time to dedicate to your diet. I like Saturdays. Start making just one of your meals healthier, such as breakfast. Do this for a week, then the following week add another meal, such as lunch or a snack. Continue this until you are now hitting a healthier choice with each meal and snack. It can take you a full month to transition, or you can choose to do it all overnight and go cold turkey.

Just keep in mind that some foods can be as addictive as drugs. Think I am lying? Cut out all caffeine or sugar overnight! What you will be experiencing is a little thing called withdrawal! Symptoms of withdrawal could be headache, nausea, sweating, trimmers and an over feeling of malaise. Remember, this is your journey, and your destiny. You are in control.

Good luck and may the force be with you!

Alicia

How to start a diet

June 2, 2023 / / 0 Comments

Nutrition is the Key to Health Podcast

If you have ever gone on a diet before, you know that the thought of your favorite foods being striped from your list of “allowed” foods and calorie restrictions is daunting. How about counting calories? It all sounds so dreadful!

The one thing is for certain, a healthier diet involves a great deal of thought and prepping to be successful. That is until now. I am going to show you how to start your diet, so you will be in a better position for success.

This will be like no other diet you have known before. We are going to ease into this with a few basic steps. For those of you that want to go all in, go for it! Just know that you have a greater risk of deviating from the diet. The key is to be the tortoise, not the hare.

I am hoping all of you, choose to make this a more permanent way of life, than a mere diet to lose a few pounds. To change your level of health, you must commit to a permanent approach. However, when I say “diet”, I really mean “lifestyle change”, so these words will be interchangeable in my blog. The only diet that I would not suggest as a long-term plan is The Keto Diet. Even the hardcore Keto gurus, cycle in and out of their carb restriction times. We still do not know the long-term effects this diet might have on your health.

Steps to start your diet

  1. Sit down with a journal and write down your “why”. As in, why are you going on a diet? Is it to lose weight, get healthier or control your blood pressure? Maybe you have heart disease or you are a pre-diabetic.
  2. Pick your diet plan. Is it going to be The Mediterranean or a WFPB Diet? Maybe there is another diet you wish to try that was not mentioned here. Again, we are looking for a lifestyle change that can be permenant and not just a diet. So, Keto is not going to be among the ones I would pick. If you do, you need to be under a doctor’s supervision. Also, if you are going to pick Keto, make sure that you make it a “Clean Keto”, which means your meats are lean and not full of sodium and fat.
  3. Learn the rules of your new diet. What foods are allowed and what foods must you avoid. Learn any specifics of the diet as well. Maybe your diet allows certain foods, but not in the first 90-days, which is what I will be asking of you here. So, your things like alcohol, high-fat items, and highly processed foods, that might send you and your cravings through the nearest drive-thru, are not going to be allowed in your first 90-days.
  4. Make sure you visit your health provider and get the green light for your plan along with any baseline labs.

Gathering Information

So, we have journaled our why, picked our diet and have a bit of knowledge what foods will be allowed. Our healthcare provider has given us the green light. Now if you would like, you can take a few selfies, write down your starting measurements and weight. This gives you a starting point. This will all be kept in your journal.

I would get a journaling notebook, for your health journey. You will want to write down your ideas, thoughts, meal plans and weekly weight, exercise and other information. You can keep a picture of you at your best weight, inside for inspiration or put it up on the refrigerator. Visuals have been proven to assist in reaching goals and are important.

If you do not have a picture, write down your target weight and the length of time you are giving yourself to reach your goal. Put it on the refrigerator. I am going to caution you to be realistic. You are not going to be able to lose 60 pounds in two months. That is extreme and not safe. Also, women tend to lose weight slower than men, so keep this in mind.

We are almost ready to begin.

Alicia

Which diet is right for you

June 1, 2023 / / 0 Comments

Diets can be confusing, so which one do you pick? Which diet is right for you, and which diet should you focus on to help you reach your wellness goals? This is the million dollar question.

Types of popular diets

If you have tried to diet in the past, then you know how confusing it can be to choose a diet that you can stick to. In my opinion, the diets that have standed the test of time, usually fall in one the three categories, The Mediterranean, Keto or Whole Food Plant Based. These or some rendition of these, have held the most success. Those are the heavy hitters that most are using today.

There are other honorable mentions like Whole 30, Noom, Weight Watchers, South Beach, and Atkins. It has always concerned me with the “pay to play” diets like Weight Watchers and Noom. However, I know a great deal of people that have successfully lost weight on those diets.

The big three

  • The Mediterranean Diet – This is a diet that is region specific to the Mediterranean area. It consists of fresh fruits, vegetables, seafood, dairy and whole grains. You are allowed small amounts of wine/alcohol on this diet. It is probably one of the easiest diets to turn into a lifestyle change. It is about healthy eating and reducing most processed foods.
  • The Keto Diet – This diet has been around for years and was originally used in the treatment with children with uncontrollable epilepsy. In recent years, this diet has become a major player in the game of creative marketing. This diet focuses on high fat, moderate protein and low carbohydrate intake. No alcohol is allowed since alcohol is high in carbs. The whole premise of this diet is to throw your body into a state of ketosis, where you cells are breaking down fat to burn instead of carbs.
  • The Whole Food Plant Based Diet (or WFPB)– This diet has really caught attention the past decade, due to the state of health this country. This diet emphasizes only plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds, while eliminating all meat, dairy, seafood and highly processed foods and snacks. Some extreme versions even remove oils and avocados. You can have small amounts of wine/alcohol on this diet if you choose, but it is not suggested during your first weeks of the program.

My personal successes

I can personally speak for a clean Keto, which I lost 35 pounds in ninety days with no exercise. I was concerned with the hit my lipid profile took, and what it was doing to my cardiovascular system, so I stopped.

I then recently found the WFPB diet. At the time, I really didn’t think I could do it. I was always a meat and potatoes girl, and hit dairy really hard. I was always down for full butter, sour cream, milk, cream and I never met a cheese I didn’t like. When I began my personally journey within the last eight months, I lost another 35 pounds. That is huge for a woman over 50, again without any exercise.

I urge you to do the research

When I began having health issues again, I consumed all the information I could on YouTube and Pubmed, I could find. I found studies of the OG of vegan such as Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn and his reversal of a fully blocked artery with only a WFPB diet, no surgery. Dr. Campbell and The China Study, Dr. Michael Greger and more recent, Dr. Neal Bernard.

My personal story

My life depended on me being successful on this diet, literally. So, I purged my entire kitchen in one day, and gave boxes of food and meat away. Rearranged everything in my pantry. Loaded up on containers and meal preps with lids. Then I went to the store.

I cut out wine, diary, sugar, meat, fish, bread, sodas and anything processed, and I did it overnight. I hit it hard, and it hit me back. I felt like I had the flu for three days. The withdrawals were big, but my “why” was bigger!

My why

I had just been by my cardiologist, when I was going through my breast cancer treatment, the chemo and radiation damaged my heart and I was now in the beginning stages of heart failure. All I could think about was me making it through Stage III, Triple Negative Breast Cancer only to come out the other end with heart failure. I was too young for this. Life was being cruel.

I was given four very new and very expensive medications. I took one home and just stared at it. I began reading the side effects and researching the drug. To say, I am not a fan of medication, is putting it mildly. Probably because I have always had to take so much through my lifetime. So, I decided that food was going to be my medicine (or at least my first line of defense). I was holding on the medications, until I knew I had not other option.

I am in no way telling you to forgo a medical treatment. You should speak with your healthcare provider. This was a personal decision that I was making for myself.

Prior to my diagnosis of heart failure, I was having to return to the chemo center for Iron Therapy Infusions. I had eight weeks of the infusions to help bring up my red blood cell count. It didn’t bring my numbers up as much as I hoped it would. I thought I was going to have to be very careful going on an all plant-based diet. I believed my iron, pallets, red blood cells and B-12 were all going to tank, more so than they already were.

Much to my surprise, after 90 days on the diet, all of my blood work came back better that it had been in decades. I was elated and baffled at the same time. I didn’t understand this. Plants don’t have B-12 or heme-iron. How could this even be possible?

Shortly after this, life happened again, and I lost my job. I was thrown for a loop and I spiraled downward. I began reaching for those familiar comfort foods. I started drinking wine, eating cheese, meat and dairy and the weight came back on, as fast as it had gone. So, now here I am, back at my starting point. I am going to have to commit and go full steam ahead back into the WFPB diet. Only this time, I cannot flex out for any reason.

Which diet is right for you?

So, which diet is right for you? Only you can answer that, but before you do, please take this to heart. Before going on any diet or exercise program, you will need to talk to your healthcare provider and get approval for any diet or exercise program. If you get the green light, then it would be best to get some baseline blood work drawn at this time. This will give you an indication of your current state of health, and give you a benchmark for your goals going forward. After all, food is medicine and nutrition is health!

Congrats! You have now taken your first step in your journey to achieve better health and a better life!

Alicia

Welcome to my blog

May 28, 2023 / / 0 Comments

Nutrition is the Key to Health Podcast

Welcome to my blog. My name is Alicia. After successfully losing 35 pounds on a whole food plant based diet, I decided to “flex” out of my diet for my birthday. My sister wanted to cook for me. It is just easier sometimes to flex for a night or weekend, instead of trying to levy a restrictive diet on someone who doesn’t understand. So, I flexed.

Then the unthinkable happened. A little thing called life, reared it ugly head and I lost my job. The stress sent me straight to my comfort foods of diary, processed foods, cheese and wine. The weight has returned and I feel horrible.

I know what caused it, but I could not seem to stop. Why, because it is a habit. Like when you have had a stressful day at work and you come home and have that one drink just to take the edge off. Pretty soon, that one drink has turned into two, and maybe three. It gets so entrenched in your habits, the drink is in hand shortly after you enter the door. Habits, they can be difficult to break.

Maybe you go through your favorite coffee establishment or fast food each morning. A combo meal at lunch, or happy hour with friends. It’s all the same. It could be a huge bowl of ice cream or six energy drinks/coffee in a day. The effects these have to our health is outrageous.

I decided to create this blog, because I do so much better when I hold myself accountable. Putting my story out there, for even the possibility of one person seeing it, gives me that added drive I need to succeed.

This blog is a work-in-progress, and hopefully will be taking shape in the near future with content that can help you reach any goals you might have.

Thank you for stopping by, and please come back for updated content.

Alicia

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