To Be, or Not To Be, a Couch Potato

Today I was feeling a lack of motivation. Yes, I have bad days too. When my alarm rang at 7:30am, I snoozed it and went right back to sleep. When it rang again 10 minutes later, I told myself "no chance I'm getting up." I considered skipping class. I even considered skipping my workout. I felt tired and achy and all I wanted to do was stay in bed or lay on the couch all day.

Then this little voice in my head (my better half) whispered to me "just get up Samantha." Luckily, I'm the type of person that cannot go back to sleep once I'm awake. Well, unless I'm sick or overly exhausted. I knew that once I got out of bed that it would get easier. So I conjured all my will power and made myself wake up.


Once I reached campus, I bought myself a latte. I'm not a big coffee/latte drinker. I usually only drink them on occasion, but this was one morning that I felt I needed a boost.

After class, I was scheduled to head to the gym. I still didn't feel like it. Again, that little voice whispered "just go Samantha." So I did. Afterwards, I felt much better. There's a sense of accomplishment I feel when I've stick to a preset goal or plan, especially when I didn't want to follow through with it. I was proud of myself for not listening to my laziness.

There will always be days or moments that require you to fight yourself. These are the hardest conflicts to overcome, but when you do, I promise you'll feel proud.

Image Source: jibid

Like Rice?

Is rice a staple in your diet? Growing up, it definitely was for me. My father is Filipino  and my mother is Scottish, so at our dinner table it was either rice or potatoes.

There are dozens of types of rice so it can be difficult to sift through and find one that meets your taste and nutrient needs. Hopefully this post will help.

Short-grain rice is high in starch and feels soft and sticky when cooked. (Sushi anyone?)

Long-grain rice is drier due to the lower starch content and thus the grains are separated. (This is the stuff  I grew up with).

Jasmine and basmati are long-grain varieties, but they have been cultivated to bring out distinctive flavors. (Gotta love Indian food!)

Brown rice (both short and long-grain) is chewier and heartier than white rice. (I usually choose brown basmati rice).

Instant rice has been partially cooked and then dehydrated. (I never eat this stuff because I don’t like to eat processed foods and also, I don’t like the texture).

Wild rice is chewy on the outside, and tender on the inside. They have a very distinctive taste. (Personally, I like to mix it in with brown rice so the taste isn’t too overpowering).

In white rice, the germ and the bran parts of the grain have been removed. Whereas in brown rice, they remain intact, making it a whole grain. As a result, brown rice is higher in magnesium and other minerals as well as in fibre (4g compared with only 1g fibre in white rice). This is the reason why brown rice takes twice as long to cook. Brown rice also has a lower glycemic load than white rice which means that it does not raise your blood sugar levels as high.

In general, brown rice is more nutritious than white rice. This is pretty common knowledge. However this doesn’t mean that you should throw out white rice and never eat it again. Remember, moderation is key. If rice is not a major part of your diet, you can afford to choose white rice. If rice is a staple for you, then try choosing white rice on occasion or in small quantities.  

In addition, wild rice is more nutritious than brown rice as it is higher in protein and lower in carbohydrates. It has a much lower glycemic load and it is a good source of vitamin A and folic acid (although brown rice is higher in minerals). To get the best of both worlds, try mixing brown and wild rice together! 

Image Source: geogatt, instructables, pristinefitness

Walk the Talk

I had a comment on my previous post that has inspired me to write a whole new one. The question was "How am I practicing what I preach and how has that translated into a change in my lifestyle?"

Firstly, I wanted to thank you for that comment. It's wonderful to know that people are reading my posts and interested in my progress. It will enable me to keep it up!

I have a fairly dynamic answer to this question. I preach moderation as I've already discussed. I practice this by allowing myself to indulge in weekend treats. I allow myself one on Saturday and one on Sunday. Usually Saturdays treat will be a food item like a slice of cake or 3 or 4 cookies. Sunday's treat is usually a beverage as I spend my mornings studying and I like to have a warm drink. My top picks are hot chocolate, pumpkin spice latte, and steamed milk sweetened with vanilla syrup. These beverages are high calorie, hence why I only drink them once per week.

During the week I will eat regular meals that contain the proper balance of food groups. Half of my plate is vegetables, one quarter is starch (potatoes, brown rice, couscous, etc), and one quarter is protein (meat, beans, lentils, fish, etc). To be clear, this is my ideal meal, meaning that sometimes it doesn't happen. Life gets in the way and when it does, I deal with it. For example, a couple evenings ago I didn't have dinner prepared and I needed to leave for class (evening classes are not fun). So I decided to buy a ready-made soup from Whole Foods rather than find some filler food that lacked nutrients. 

I also preach setting mini-goals along the way to your long term goal. Similar to the puzzle pieces in the picture. Each puzzle piece is one mini-goal. For example, my ultimate goal is to have a very athletic body. My mini goals are performance related, like being able to row 1000m in under 4 minutes. If your goal is more weight oriented and you have a specific weight you want to reach, set small 3-5 lb goals along the way. I would have to say that I don't think focusing on getting down to a certain weight is a positive goal to set yourself up for. I believe that it puts too much focus on numbers and not enough on improvements in fitness or lifestyle, which are far more important. If your goal is to life a healthier lifestyle, the weight will come off as a side effect, so don't put so much pressure on yourself. 

I preach self-acceptance. I will talk about this again soon as I just attended a body image seminar that has inspired me to write a post, so I won't go into too much detail now.

I preach patience. If you want something to happen and you're willing to put in the work, it will happen, but probably not tomorrow! Change takes time. Appreciate the process.

I think I hit the major points (for now). Keep coming back for more!

Image Source: stupendoustidbits, smallbiztrends

Getting the Hang of This

Well, it's been a few weeks now and I finally feel like I'm getting settled in. I'm over the adjustment phase so I'm not feeling as tired. On the contrary, I'm feeling more revitalized! As I've mentioned before, getting on the exercise consistency bandwagon is not the hard part for me. I enjoy exercising so much that I consider it a hobby. I even like that sore feeling you get the day after a hard workout (I know, I'm crazy!).





No, the hard part for me is consistency with diet. The term diet is not to be confused with dieting. I do not diet. I do not believe in diets, I think they are all fads and all they leave you with is a feeling of frustration and failure (much like Mr. Grumpy to the left).





Rather, I believe in moderation. A diet consisting of whole foods that leaves room for life's "guilty pleasures" every so often. The reason I put the quotation marks around guilty pleasures is because I don't believe that anyone should feel guilty when they choose to indulge in something that is considered to be unhealthy. There are no good and bad foods, there is only food. Some foods should be eaten regularly, others occasionally. That's all there is to it! (Like the veggie cake photo? I thought it was cute)

I am happy to say that I am finally practicing what I preach. I really believe this blog is helping me a great deal. It allows me to voice and reflect on my ideas and opinions. When all of these ideas are just floating around in my head, I don't often stop and straighten them out with a fine-tooth comb. Being a nutrition undergrad, during classes, different profs would bark different information at me and sometimes I would get confused as to what I really believed. This blog gives me a space to clear that all up and understand myself and my beliefs better.

That being said, I am feeling very positive for the future. I have a certain picture in my mind of my ideal self and how I want to live and I believe I am getting there.


Image Source: somethingsweetcakery, google

Go Nuts!

Do you like peanut butter or any other nut butters? Personally, almond butter is one of my favourites! I often add it to my breakfast when I'm not eating eggs or any other protein rich substance.  

Apparently today is national peanut butter day! I didn't even know there was such a thing, but I thought this would be a good opportunity to discuss nuts and how they fit into a healthy diet.

Did you know that peanuts are not technically a nut? They're a legume. Peanuts have the highest amount of protein and are great for a rushed pre-workout snack. Just pop a teaspoon in your mouth before heading to the gym and it'll keep you going!

Although highly caloric, nuts have some great things to offer. In fact, they are chalk full of nutrients like protein, fibre, antioxidants, healthy fats, and plant sterols (a substance that helps to lower bad cholesterol).  Generally, nuts are about 10% protein, 15% carbohydrate, and 75% fat.

In terms of nut types and what is best, there's no such thing as a "best" nut because every nut offers a different mix of nutrients. Variety is key if you want to benefit fully from the wide assortment of nuts.

Brazil nuts have the highest amount of fat, but they are also very high in antioxidants like selenium. In fact, brazil nuts are the highest natural source of selenium.  Almonds are highest in fibre and a rich source of minerals like manganese, potassium, calcium, iron, zinc, and magnesium. English walnuts are great for omega-3 fats. In fact, eating about 25g provides apx 90% of the recommended daily intake of omega-3's! I could go on, but it would take way too long to discuss the details of every single nut.

The trick is to "sprinkle" them into your diet so that you get the benefits without an overload of calories.  A small handful a day is plenty (apx. 1-1.5  ounces). If you're not really a nut person, but you enjoy nut butters, then a couple tablespoons will suffice.

Image Source: thefatlossauthority, pearsgourmet, health.usnews

Lactic Acid Build up

I went snowshoeing yesterday with some friends. We had planned to take a leisurely stroll through the woods and admire mother nature. We started out on an uphill climb thinking that once we get to the top it would level out. After about 20mins of climbing, we quickly realized that this wasn't going to happen. Whats worse is that my leg muscles were already sore from the previous days events. I had done a hardcore spin class, leg weights, and gone out dancing for 4 hours. Suffice it to say I was feeling the burn 10 fold!

At about 2 hours in I felt like I was gunna die! My legs were building up with lactic acid and every step up felt like it would be my last! Somehow I managed to keep going (it must have been sheer will!).

If you're not familiar with lactic acid build up in muscles, here's the down-low. When we exercise, our bodies need to deliver oxygen as fast as possible to our muscles. As a result, we start to breath faster and more deeply. Our nostrils flare wider than usual and we start to breath through our mouths to allow as much air in as possible. Our bodies prefer to use aerobic methods (meaning with oxygen) to generate energy, but sometimes it needs oxygen faster than this method can deliver it. When this happens, our bodies switch over to anaerobic methods (meaning without oxygen) of producing energy. As a side effect, lactic acid (or lactate) accumulates to high levels which increases the acidity of the muscle cells.  This is what causes that burning feeling during strenuous exercise. Once you slow down, oxygen becomes available again and lactate levels decrease which allows your body to revert back to aerobic methods of producing energy. This is when you start to recover from the strenuous exercise.

As a side note, many people believe that lactic acid build up is responsible for muscle soreness, but this is actually a myth. The soreness is actually due to micro-tears in the muscle itself as a result of pushing it past its strength boundary. This is a good thing because these micro-tears will be repaired and your muscle will be stronger for it!


Image Source: bredeson, vastfitness

Oral Health's link to Overall Health

Today I had a good'ol visit to the dentist. I never understood why people hate the dentist. Perhaps this is because I've never had to have any major dental work done before, but I've always attributed the dentist visit with positive feelings. Don't you feel great after taking a nice hot shower? That feeling of being all clean and fresh, it's wonderful! Well, going to the dentist is like taking a long and much overdue shower for your teeth. I love the way my mouth feels after a cleaning!

We all know that biannual visit to the dentist is essential to maintain oral health. But did you ever consider linking your oral health to your overall health?

There is definitely a proven link between these two for several reasons. Firstly, in order to eat good wholesome foods, you need healthy teeth to be able to chew. This seems obvious enough. Pain, infections, gum disease, and failure to brush and floss properly can prevent proper breakdown of foods and slow your digestive tract. If food is not broken down enough by the teeth, the result could be partial digestion of food and thus insufficient absorption of nutrients.

Furthermore, there have been several health conditions/concerns linked to poor oral health. Some of these include, cardiovascular disease, premature birth and low birth weight, diabetes, and endocarditis (inflammation of the inner lining of the heart muscle).

It's important to brush and floss correctly and regularly. Use the softest bristle brush you can find, do not press down hard, and brush in circular motions for a minimum of 2 minutes. Using a power tooth brush can help, but be sure to educate yourself on which one to purchase as they are not all equivalent. For example, the spinbrush that the dorky guy in the picture is using is not the best choice. My dentist recommends Philips Sonicare because the vibration helps get between teeth and under gums. Oops, didn't mean to advertise.

So the next time you brush your teeth, remember your not just taking care of your teeth, your taking care of your overall health!

Image Source: Bakersfield College, Health Leader

Week 2: Sick, but Optimistic

Well, week 2 has been a bit of a setback. I got pretty sick so I had to press pause on my workout schedule. Nonetheless, I do not feel defeated. Life happens so you just gotta role with it! I stayed in for a few days, even missed classes (which never happens) and now I am starting to feel better. Even though I was out of commission in terms of intense exercise, I still did a few small things while I was stuck at home. I stretched and made sure to walk around every-so-often to get the blood moving. I also took care with regards to nutrition. As all of us were told by our mommies during our childhoods, "drink lots of fluids & eat right." But what does "eat right" really mean? That word can differ from person to person.

In my opinion, eating right means eating real whole foods. Foods that didn't exist when our great grandparents were just wee little ones are not included in this definition. Basically, anything that comes from the earth or had a mother is A-Okay!

Now, I'm not saying that you can't indulge here and there in your favorite sweet or salty treats. It's all about moderation. But, when your sick or if your body needs a boost, then you should be a bit more strict with what you put in your mouth.

If you stick to these little rules of thumb, then you never need to diet or feel guilty for cheating again! Furthermore, if there is a particular "bad" food that you just cannot live without, then try finding a healthier version of that food by searching for recipes that will not only lower the calories and fat, but also increase the nutrients so that you can "have your cake and eat it too."

 For example, I love brownies, so whenever I'm craving one, instead of heading to my local bakery or coffee shop, I bake black bean brownies! This way I get to indulge in a delicious treat while at the same time getting proteins, good fats, and lowering the calories and sugar!

I know that black bean brownies sound a little funny. I've tried recommending it to friends and they usually respond with a weird look on their face. But once they try it, they actually find that it tastes better and more moist than regular brownies. Check out dinnerwithjulie for a delicious black bean brownie recipe. Try something different!


Image Source: bikejames, notquitesouthsurrey, dinnerwithjulie

The Adjustment Phase

So how am I feeling after my first week? TIRED! haha! 

Yes, I'm exhausted! But I realize that this is part of the process. I haven't been exercising consistently since last summer so I'm out of shape and my body is not used to this much exercise. So naturally there will be an adjustment phase. This is the phase in which many people end up quitting. People get so caught up in feeling too tired and they believe they will continue to feel this way so they quit. To be honest, I don't blame them, if I thought that I would be constantly exhausted due to exercising, then I'd probably quit too. Luckily I have experience with the onset and offset of consistent exercise and I know that this feeling of exhaustion will pass. The timing is different for everyone, but if you continue to be consistent, it will eventually pass. What's amazing is that this exhaustion will be replaced by a feeling of invigoration and energy that you may have never felt before! 

When I'm exercising consistently, I feel so alive and so energetic (like the energizer bunny!), it's almost indescribable! I sleep better, I make better food choices, and I'm in a better mood! The benefits are definitely worth that little bit of achy tiredness at the beginning.

One important thing to note is that whether you are starting up for the first time or returning back to consistent exercise, you must listen to your body! Now, try not to confuse this with listening to that little voice inside your head that wants to stop because they are two very different things. Listening to your body means pushing yourself past your comfort zone, but not so far past that you could injure yourself. In exercise there are two kinds of pain, the good pain that you feel as a result of it, and the bad pain that you feel if you've torn something or injured yourself in some other way. I'm sure you all understand what I'm talking about, it's very intuitive. My little rule of thumb is that when I really want to stop, I do a few more and then I stop. For example, when my legs are really hurting from running and my chest is gasping for air and I really don't want to keep going, I go an extra 5 minutes and then I stop. Or, if I'm dong chest presses and the weight is really starting to feel heavy and my muscles are screaming at me to stop, then I do 2 or 3 more reps and then I stop. You get the gist of what I'm saying. Only you know your own limits so only you can monitor whether you've reached them.

Image Source: Picturesof, Energizer

Scheduling

Well, Week 1 is complete! YAY! I can honestly say I accomplished a lot this week. I had a few bumps (inevitable) but overall I feel good about this past week and I am proud of what I've accomplished.

The first thing I did was make a schedule. This is so important for anyone starting out on a new journey. If you don't plan ahead, you'll likely end up not doing many, if not most, of the things you had set out to do. Scheduling is about making time for the things that are important to you. This includes all obligations with your daily life...work, taking care of loved ones, appointments, spending time with friends and family, down time, etc. This is often one of the toughest things for many people as they have trouble prioritizing their overwhelming to-do lists. Well, what I would suggest, and what I myself am implementing, is making my exercise and nutrition a priority!

I am a student so classes are mandatory and cannot be missed or skipped for any reason other than being sick. So, I've decided to think about my workouts just like a lecture. I'm exercising 6 days a week, sometimes more than once per day. Now, I know that's not realistic for most people, and it's also not really necessary to commit such a huge chunk of time to exercise. Realistically, 3-5 times per week is essential, anything beyond that is bonus! I'm just being more diligent in my workouts because I have a deadline...the wedding!

So back to the schedule: I'm going Mon/Wed/Fri mornings from 9-10am for strictly cardio. During this time I'll be doing any mixture of things including running, rowing, skipping rope, stair-master, jumping on the spot, elliptical, etc. Then after class, I'll be going to my 45min spin class. Spin is beautiful because it's completely tailored to you and your capabilities. A spin class has the potential to be a brutal or as brisk as you want it to be. Personally, I go with how my body is feeling in that moment and push myself accordingly.

Some days I can be my own drill sergeant, other days, like when I'm overly tired or sore, I just go along with the music and push myself as far as I feel comfortable that day. Later on in the evening, I'll be going to the gym for weight training. Weight training is an essential component of any fitness regime. Many women have concerns about weight training because they believe it will bulk them up and make them look masculine. Well ladies, lemme tall ya, its not gunna happen!! We have way too much estrogen, and not nearly enough testosterone to allow us to bulk up like a man by doing a weight training program. So please don't concern yourself with this, its a myth! Plus, weight training allows you to gain added calorie burning AFTER your finished exercising! Not to mention that it helps build strong bones and prevents osteoporosis later in life. If that isn't enough, it will also help lean you out while you lose weight so that there's less likelihood of loose skin. Don't you want to be toned and gorgeous? I do!!

As for Tues/Thurs, I'll just be going to the gym once on these days and doing a well rounded workout that includes cardio and strength training as well as flexibility training.
Saturdays will be my off day of the week to rest and replenish. One down day per week is essential for recuperation. Sundays will be my light day as I'll only be doing cardio for one hour.
So that's all folks, that's my exercise regime. Of course I will be implementing good nutrition choices with each meal. I'll discuss nutrition a little more in depth next week.


Image Source: stuorg,  cbsnews