cofee vs. tea, which is better for you?

I tend to drink my morning tea instead of my morning coffee.  Millions of other Americans have the latter.  Is tea really better for you than coffee?  In many ways I believe yes.  But coffee does have its benefits. 

First off, one is made from leaves, and one is made from beans.  Very different to begin with.  One cup of tea has half the amount of caffeine as coffee, but has a hell of  a lot more antioxidants than coffee.  Coffee has its share, but not as significant. 

However, if you are in need of a morning (or evening) pick me up, coffee will do the trick over tea.  When drinking regular black coffee (no sugar/milk), about 4 cups a day will decrease your risk for diabetes AND you may be preventing Parkinson’s Disease (according to associatedcontent.com).  Some coffees may help prevents forms of cancer, due to the low concentration of some antioxidants. 

Tea can help prevent Alzheimer’s Disease and ward of Osteoporosis.  It even helps your teeth, helping to prevent cavities, whereas coffee hinders your teeth.  Tea can speed up your metabolism and rev up your energy levels all the time, not just temporarily like coffee.  Tea relaxes your arteries and can lower your blood pressure and even help prevent kidney stones. 

Did you know that tea, especially green tea, has been proven to help in fat loss?  You know a little caffeine before exercise is good for you, well here this!  The antoxidants and cathecins have been know to increase metabolism and fat loss!  Basically heating up your body and allowing it to burn more calories all day!

Best teas:

Oolong, green, and white.  Even more antioxidants and less caffeine than black tea. 

So you can see coffee does have its benefits, but I’d steer more towards the tea department.  Have it hot, cold, on ice, whatever way you prefer!  Just steer away from those high sugar pre made tea drinks and go towards diet if you are out and about!

Sizing up and acceptance

Today, I went through my clothes again (I seem to do this monthly) and tossed out 8, yes 8, pairs of jeans.  You know the ones…you hold on to them “hoping” you will fit into them again someday.  Well let me tell you, that someday has been a few years away at this point and it’s time to let go.  I’m sad that I had to get rid of them b/c I know how hard it is to find jeans and I hate the money factor.  This winter, I will find a couple pairs that I am comfortable with to join the ranks of my good ones that I still have.  

As much as I wish I did fit into them, I am comfortable with myself.  Not a comfortable as in accept that I’ve gained weight, but a comfortable with the way I look and how I feel.  Even though I do not fit into a size 3/4 anymore, my body has more muscle and looks better than ever!   I still can wear size small in most things, I should be happy for that.  As I become more accepting, I think I feel and look happier, and that shows in my work as well.  My clients will be happy where they are comfortable when they have a model of inspiration to guide them!     My body takes me where I want it to, it hikes, it lifts weights, it runs, it plays and its happy!  Too bad these feelings were not there years ago at that age when most struggle for this acceptance of themselves.  I will now just do my best to pass this on and teach my kids the same.  Your body grows into what it should and what it’s made to do, keep it strong and healthy and you will be strong and healthy. 

It also means I get to discover new places to get clothes and shop!  LOL

PS-I will be taking all my clothes to the clothing exchange at Twice as Nice-Sarah, be jealous!

Eating clean is no easy feat!

In my line of work, and with my experience in training and competeting, I find it a pleasure to help people with their diet and nutrition plans.  After all, the way you eat greatly affects the way you look, even more so then exercising.  Look at it this way, you will more likely see those abs if you choose to eat oatmeal and eggs for breakfast than a muffin (which, coincidentally, might give you a muffin top, lol-please I’ve had 5 hours of sleep and just got a venti skinny latte, waiting to kick in).  But I run into trouble when trying to help my male clients.  Do I give them just larger portions of what my females eat?  How much MORE protein do they really need?  How much fat?  Do they eat 8 times a day? 

Those questions are always on my mind, although I fair pretty well when giving men diets, I have a male client who has lost 20 pounds since December!  Tosca Reno has helped millions of women already with her best selling book, The eat-clean diet for women.  I bought this book as soon as it came out in 2007 and read it cover to cover and it does change you!  I let someone borrow it and alas, they lost it, so if anyone feels the urge to buy me one feel free!  Tosca explains in details about the protein, carb, and fat needs of women.  It’s basically a bible on how you should eat every day of your life. 

This month, with the collaboration of her husband, Robert Kennedy, editor of Oxygen magazine, they came out with the Eat clean diet for men!  Yeah!  I just purchased it off ebay this morning and can’t wait to rip into it.  Not only will it help with my male clients, but my confidence will increase in that area as well as my knowledge to provide fat loss and muscle gain for men (including joey).  With 60 recipes to boot, I’m sure it can help any male looking to just eat healthier and lead a better lifestyle. 

A couple of other books I hope to get this year too are Tosca’s Eat clean Diet cookbook:

 

And her book about eating clean with family and raising healthy kids:

 

All are VERY useful books I recommend to EVERYONE!  Just keep taking what you eat one day at a time and try to eat clean, whole foods, no processed.  I find it help to keep a food journal to be held more accountable.  I love for my clients to keep one for me to check on them.  Maybe you would think twice about eating that bowl of ice cream if I had to see it huh?

Iron: not just for pumping!

Iron is pretty essential in most of our diets.  Being an O blood type, I need more than the other blood types, and my body will tell me when.  I usually start to feel lethargic and lack the energy I need to be pumped like I normally am.  Inside us, iron is used to make hemoglobin, which carries oxygen to your cells, and you know you need oxygen for energy.  In can result in anemia, in addition to just being tired.  I remember a time back in college when I ate red meat 3 times that week, and still tested borderline anemic.  That tells you how much I need!

The recommended daily amount for men and post-menopausal women is 8mg.  Pre-menopausal women need 18mg, and that increases to 27mg when pregnant.  Are you getting enough? 

Here are some valuable sources everyone should get iron from(not just me):

 ½ oz cooked chicken liver – 13 mg iron

3 1/2 oz light turkey meat-1.6mg iron
3 ½ oz roasted dark turkey meat – 2.3 mg iron

3oz beef-3 mg iron
3 oz roasted chicken breast – 1.1 mg iron
1 cup boiled lentils – 6.6 mg iron
1 cup boiled black beans – 3.6 mg iron

1c soybeans-8.8mg iron
½ cup raw, firm tofu – 3.4 mg iron

1c cooked spinach -3.5mg iron

1c raw spinach-1mg iron

Also, some foods help increase the absorption of iron such as Vitamin C rich foods, meat, and white wine. 

Try experimenting with different types of iron and see what provides you with the most energy!

Brown Fat can help you lose weight

A new study, published by the Arizona Republic yesterday descibed how a certain type of fat located in the neck and under the collar bone, called brown fat,  can help you lose weight by speeding up your metabolism.   Apparently it’s been there since we were born, but its hard to make use of it.  Researchers are studying to find ways to turn this fat into a pill to help overweight and obese people lose weight.  Exercise in a pill, if it speeds up metabolism.  Who knew we could have “healthy” body fat in us?

Soy Sauce Alternative

My client gave me this soy sauce alternative the other day and I will be making a shrimp stir fry Friday to try it out.  It comes with a spray top to even limit the amount you use.  Amino Acids are the building blocks of protein your body uses.  Lack of amino acids makes it hard for our body to use the vitamins we consume.  So this is definately a bonus, along with less sodium consumption.  No table salt or preservatives are added to this product.  The salt you taste in this is naturally occurring from the soybeans from which is it made!  Its even okay for those on a low sodium diet.  I’ll be using it and then I will let you know how it really is lol!  I typically use low sodium soy sauce, which is still so salty, but lets see if I enjoy the taste.  This product can be found in most health food stores if you are searching for it!

See? Naps are good for me!

On average, about 3-4 afternoons a week ,I nap…now I have proof that it’s actually good for me!  Don’t be jealous, I have the  type of job where I can do that!  Read here to find out more!

This damn flu bug…

Sorry I haven’t been on in a few days, I’m still getting over what I think was the flu.  One week now and I’m ready for it to be over, seriously.  Its really drained me to the point where I’m sleeping 10-12 hours out of the day and still tired and sick.  Bleh!  I hope no one has to have this, but its been going around AZ like wildfire, and I think I got this from Joey. 

Because of that, I do not have much to write about, I just hope everyone is enjoying their week and I know many friends who are preparing for the Lent season.  I’ve always done lent b/c I had to, never really knowing why, or somewhat knowing, but never really sure.  I think as catholics we did lent b/c we were always seeking a way to get into heaven, ways to prove our love.  In my view, I feel that I do not need to give up anything or sacrifice anything to show my love for Jesus.  He knows me, I know I’m going to heaven, but I will continue to strive to live through his word everyday, like I already do.  I’m rooting for everyone doing something for Lent and I’ll be here to help you through it.  I have consulted my friend Indi who has been teaching me things and new ways and I feel comfortable with my decision.  I guess Lent is a choice, and I choose to participate every day of the year! 

Countdown til the Grand Canyon 3 1/2 weeks! 

My God mother will be in this week, stopping to see my cousin before heading to DC and I GET TO SEE HER!  Yeah!  So hopefully I’ll have even MORE good pics for you to see! 

Headed to a new location on sunday for 4 wheeling, Lake Pleasant here we go!

Natural sweetness and goodness

Since this new wave of health has arrived I’ve been even considering a new sweetener.  I currently use Splenda but have not used it as often b/c I still have mixed feelings about them all.  I’ve tried natural Stevia but have not always enjoyed the taste.  Well now there is a new sweetener called “Truvia” which is derived from the stevia plant.  Its not organic, but it is all natural.  You can go here to find out more about it.  I’m excited to find it at the store next time I go! 

I’m making a chicken recipe again that I have made last month.  It was so good I have to try it again.  I got it out of the Women’s Health magazine. 

Moroccan Stewed Chicken

1lb boneless/skinless chicken breasts

1 large zucchini cut into cubes

1 can of garbanzo beans (I just use any white beans)

1 can diced tomatoes

Chopped fresh cilantro (which I happen to have b/c I just made homemade salsa)

1/2 TBSP olive oil, 1 c chicken stock or water, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, 1tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp cinnamon (yes cinnamon its wonderful in this)

1) Put oil in skillet, season chicken with salt and black pepper and cook in pan until browned, 2-3 minutes per side.  Add zucchini and continue cooking, stirring often. 

2) When zucchini pieces have browned lightly, add beans, tomatoes, chicken stock, cayenne, cumin, and cinnamon.  Turn heat to low and simmer until chicken is tender and cooked through, 10-15 minutes.  Season to taste with more salt and pepper, garnish with cilantro, chopped. 

Makes 4 servings.  Per serving: 424 cal., 15 g fat (3sat), 41g carbs, 614mg sodium, 7g fiber, 31g protein. 

OPTIONL: cook cous cous and serve on the side.

Life in the Fast Lane

As of Friday evening, the master cleanse was finished, done, nada.  I was so hungry I could not do it anymore.  I had a strawberry/banana protein smoothie and loved it.  Then some chicken and veggies, and a natural pb on wheat.  My stomach did NOT hurt at all, I was full for the ENTIRE night (b/c I ate at 5pm, went to work at 6pm-plus I hadn’t eaten in 5 days), and my body is thanking me and returning back to normal.  I would say I accomplished a lot, and I’m proud of myself, and proud for stopping it.  With such a busy weekend (630am-3am work day saturday) , the energy was MUCH needed. 

I’ve been doing more and more research and also discussing cleansing pills and other detox diets with my dad, who is a pharmacist and knows about the chemical compounds and reactions of many of these “detox” plans.  Most of them just have a laxative and dieuretic effect and do not work in the long run.  Here is some info I think you should read on the dangers of the master cleanse and how you actually are causing your body to build up more toxins, not less. 

I’ve been thinking about probiotics.  They support healthy bacteria in the colon and are easy to take and follow.  Discussing this with my dad currently.  Its in a lot of yogurts, especially organic, Keifer milk, etc.  It even comes in powder forms you can add to smoothies and juices.  Here are also some natural ways to detox your body:

“I’ve discussed the dangers of the Master Cleanse and despite claims to the contrary the Master Cleanse will cause a build up of toxins. If you want to “detox” your body it’s really quite simple; eat more unprocessed fruits and veggies. The most potent detoxifying foods you can eat are cruciferous veggies such as broccoli, arugula, cabbage, bok choy, radish, etc. That peppery taste you find in these veggies are the good stuff, namely the organosulfur compounds that help rev up your liver. Other foods that also contain these beneficial compounds include oninons and garlic. These compounds help create the most important antioxidant in your body, glutathione. It is this super antioxidant that is responsible for the major liver de-toxification duties. So remember the best way to detox and cleanse is to eat more veggies and fruits. Save your bowels and use the cayenne pepper and lemon juice for your next recipe.”

That being said, I did a ton of shopping at Sprouts yesterday, the organic food stores everywhere here, and I feel really good.  Lots of whole grains, lean meats, lunch meats without nitrates or preservatives, probiotic yogurt, fresh fruits and veggies, and natural foods such as chips with no added ingredients, natural soups, etc.  Some things might take more prep work, but its worth it and its worth the little extra money spending on it (hey, thats why I’m working more right?).  I will now be doing more “sprouts” shopping and less regular grocery store shopping.  Except for basics like milk, eggs, etc.  Drinking lots more natural teas and things that are good for me are high on the list as well.  I can’t wait to start this week off the natural way and get back to my routine.  I might even take a yoga class