Been a while since I've blogged, eh? Like everyone else, life has been throwing me curves and loops lately. But I thought I'd take a few minutes and address something I have heard folks question: Why do personal trainers charge so danged much?
In a nutshell, it's because our expenses are very high. Before you roll your eyes, bear with me:
First of all, if we are working for a gym, they often get 50% of our client income. It can vary a bit, but in most gyms I've talked with about half of the trainers fee is the gym's take. Yeah, it seems like highway robbery (and honestly, it feels like it, too), but the fact is that we are paying for the convenience of using their equipment. That stuff is expensive!
If the trainer happens to own the gym, their expenses are even higher. Think the expense of a house, only filled with uber-expensive gym equipment, repairs to said equipment, water and electric bills for multiple people, cleaning services, and insurance that's out-the-roof expensive. I'm sure there's more, but I can't think of it because I have never owned a gym.
Then there is the matter of what it takes to get and stay certified. If the trainer is with a reputable certifying agency, the initial certification was somewhere in the neighborhood of $500-$600. We have to re-certify every two years, and the cost to re-certify is just under $200. In the meantime, we are scrambling to take our CEC's (continuing education credits) in time for the re-certification. Depending on what you decide to study for these, they average somewhere in the neighborhood of about a hundred bucks a year. And then there is trainer insurance, which is about $180 a year. I'm sure there's something else I'm not thinking of- This is just off the top of my head.
Then there's the little expenses, like buying ankle cuffs because the gym doesn't have them, and calipers to measure body fat (which we seem to be continually losing, or another trainer loses for us because they lost theirs and borrowed ours), and measuring tapes for the exact same reason as calipers, and a host of other small expenses that add up fast.
And socks. We go through a lot of socks.
Then there is the time we spend on being a trainer that we are NOT with clients. For instance, I don't know about other trainers, but I don't "cookie cutter" anything. I start from scratch with each clients program. This can take more than an hour to assemble for just one client. I generally create a new program for each client once a month. BUT, after the client walks out the door I almost always have to take time to make little tweaks to better suit them, as well as annotating what they did that session so that I can know where to start them the next time. Personally, I always try to put my clients an hour and 15 minutes apart, despite the fact that I spend about an hour with each client. While it helps me with my sanity, it reduces the amount of clients I can squeeze into my available training hours.
Additionally, there is the time we spend reading up on everything we can to stay abreast of current trends, throw out what we think won't work for us and our clients, and file what we think will. I don't do much "leisure" reading that isn't fitness related. Which doesn't really make it "leisure", I guess, but it helps to equip me to help others to the best of my ability.
Unless we happen to live next door to the gym, a lot of time (and gas money) is spent going back and forth between the gym and wherever else we go between client sessions. (Because rarely do we really get all of our session scheduled back to back. The client doesn't work around us- we work around the client.)
And, of course, the time we spend studying for and obtaining our CEC credits. If we don't pass, it's wasted money, so we are very motivated to apply ourselves.
So you are really paying us for much more than the 45 minutes or hour that we spend with you directly.
Can most of this be written off on our taxes? Yes. But we don't get it all back- Mostly it just reduces the amount we pay. And even if we do get some of it back, trust me: It's not cool to get paid once a year.
The fact is that if we don't have a full roster of clients, whether by choice or because of some other circumstance (this could be a whole 'nother blog), many trainers are making next to nothing for the hours they put in, despite the fact that you think you are paying them a small fortune. So why do we keep doing it? Because we really, truly want to help you.
I'm not writing this blog to complain. Obviously, we choose this profession because we love it and want to do it. We are here to help you, and most of us do it for the joy of seeing you feel better about yourself, not the money. So cut your trainers a little slack when it comes to fees. And please...... Stop asking for free services. Yes, people really do that. And no, we really can't afford it.
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Monday, September 2, 2013
For Moms With Multiple Young Children (or anyone else in a perpetually time-crunched situation)
On a board helping people overcome eating disorders that I am a part of, a gal posted saying that she was on the verge of tears: She has three young children at home that she is homeschooling and simply can't find time to exercise. It sounded to me like she was suffering some guilt from this. She also stated that she is worn out all the time and concerned as to why this might be happening. This was my reply to her. I thought it might help some of my blog readers who struggle with similar issues:
I normally just lurk here and don't post much, but I am a personal trainer and feel compelled to tell you that you are officially off the hook for dedicated workouts until your kids get a little bigger. If you don't have time, you don't have time. There isn't much you can do about that. How do I know? I also used to have three little ones- Stair steps. For a while they were all in diapers. It was nutzo. You can only do what you can do, and they need a healthy mom and you need your mind WAY more than anyone needs 30 minutes of dedicated exercise a day.
Also, the exhaustion you feel? Totally normal in your situation. It's part of being a mom with three little ones, so don't sweat it. That will improve with time. It's just part of the territory right now. It'll get better as they get older. I promise.
The most important thing you can do is eat as good as possible. Diet is most of the battle, anyhow. And if you have a few minutes to get a walk or do some bicep curls with spaghetti sauce cans, it's a bit of a bonus.
Your situation is uniquely YOURS. You have to give the overall picture a good, hard look and be honest about what is best for your mental health and your families well being. I'm not saying come up with excuses to not exercise, but if you really, truly don't have time there is no point in beating yourself up about it. Just do the best you can in your individual situation with the idea in the back of your mind to get to exercise the minute life allows.
I normally just lurk here and don't post much, but I am a personal trainer and feel compelled to tell you that you are officially off the hook for dedicated workouts until your kids get a little bigger. If you don't have time, you don't have time. There isn't much you can do about that. How do I know? I also used to have three little ones- Stair steps. For a while they were all in diapers. It was nutzo. You can only do what you can do, and they need a healthy mom and you need your mind WAY more than anyone needs 30 minutes of dedicated exercise a day.
Also, the exhaustion you feel? Totally normal in your situation. It's part of being a mom with three little ones, so don't sweat it. That will improve with time. It's just part of the territory right now. It'll get better as they get older. I promise.
The most important thing you can do is eat as good as possible. Diet is most of the battle, anyhow. And if you have a few minutes to get a walk or do some bicep curls with spaghetti sauce cans, it's a bit of a bonus.
Your situation is uniquely YOURS. You have to give the overall picture a good, hard look and be honest about what is best for your mental health and your families well being. I'm not saying come up with excuses to not exercise, but if you really, truly don't have time there is no point in beating yourself up about it. Just do the best you can in your individual situation with the idea in the back of your mind to get to exercise the minute life allows.
Friday, August 30, 2013
Simple Social Solution: Pre-Eat
So, you have a big party or event coming up, and you are wondering how in the Sam Hill you are going to manage to not eat everything in sight. Especially since you know they are having it catered in by your all-time favorite barbeque and cheesecake places. Feels like a social binge just waiting to happen, doesn't it?
Trust me, you can still eat at your event and not devour everything in sight. Really. When you hear my solution, you are going to smack yourself in the head and say "Why didn't I think of that?".
I call it "Pre-eatting". And it's pretty darned simple:
About 20 minutes before you leave for your event, eat something. Make it a something healthy, low in fat, high in fiber, and high in water content. Like a small veggie salad with nonfat dressing. Or an apple. Yeah, there are a few calories in these foods, but not as many as the junk you'd be ravenously devouring if you showed up at your event starved.
Oh, and drink a glass of water, to help the fiber in what you are eating swell up and fill your tummy even more.
You'll still be able to eat the foods you truly WANT at the event (if you want anything, since you won't be hungry), but you won't feel the overwhelming need to throw yourself at the cheesecake bar.
Simple, but effective. Give it a try! And let me know what you think!
Trust me, you can still eat at your event and not devour everything in sight. Really. When you hear my solution, you are going to smack yourself in the head and say "Why didn't I think of that?".
I call it "Pre-eatting". And it's pretty darned simple:
About 20 minutes before you leave for your event, eat something. Make it a something healthy, low in fat, high in fiber, and high in water content. Like a small veggie salad with nonfat dressing. Or an apple. Yeah, there are a few calories in these foods, but not as many as the junk you'd be ravenously devouring if you showed up at your event starved.
Oh, and drink a glass of water, to help the fiber in what you are eating swell up and fill your tummy even more.
You'll still be able to eat the foods you truly WANT at the event (if you want anything, since you won't be hungry), but you won't feel the overwhelming need to throw yourself at the cheesecake bar.
Simple, but effective. Give it a try! And let me know what you think!
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Food Snubbing: Red Meat
Wow! It's been a while since I blogged! Life has been coming at me full force, to include visiting my two beautiful new grandchildren out of state and dealing with injuries pretty much from the top (shoulder) to the bottom (sprained foot and ankle) of me. But I promised I'd finish up my "Food Snubbing" series with one on red meat, so here we are.
Before I commence, here are a couple of pics of my beautiful little grandbabies. (Yes, I am taking advantage of a captive audience for the sole purpose of bragging.):
First, Gideon James, who was born May 6th (he loves his Grandma!):
And secondly, but certainly not least, miss Melody Lynne, who was born January 16th:
I think those are two of the most fantabulous humans God ever created!
Okay, on to the subject of red meat:
First of all, if you are a vegetarian, this blog is not going to be one you will get any good out of, whatsoever. You saw the pics of my grandbabies, so leave me a comment on how sweet they are and move on to a blog that is relevant to you. :-D
For everyone else........
The main reason I hear for people avoiding red meat is the fat content. There ARE many cuts of red meat that have fat marbled throughout. These, as with all fatty foods, should be eaten sparingly. But there are many cuts of read meat that actually have a very reasonable, if not downright low, fat content. Of course, 93% and higher lean ground beef is one of them, but also top round and eye of round are leaner cuts. Sirloin isn't too bad, either, as long as you cut the fat off of the outside.
The trick with red meat is to take a look at the piece of meat itself and see how much fat is marbeled throughout. The more solid red color it is, generally the leaner. If there are little flecks of white in there, that's fat. So choose according to your diet needs.
Plus, I'm not sure fat from organic meat is all that bad for you. I have to seriously wonder if this kind of fat, like butter, will wind up being placed in the "Not-as-bad-as-we-once-thought" category, since it's a naturally occurring fat the way God made it to be. However, fat from any source (healthy or not) is still calorie-dense, so keep this in mind with respect for your total caloric need according to your goals.
Did you note I said "organic" in the above paragraph? This is important, as is grass-fed. When grazing animals are eating what grazing animals are naturally inclined to eat (mostly grass and green stuff), there are important components in their meat that are good for us and we simply can't get in non-grass-fed critters. Additionally, when animals are pumped full of antibiotics (to keep them from getting sick in their over-stuffed quarters) and growth hormones (so they can butcher them sooner), and/or when they are fed non-organic feed, these components are subsequently in their meat. When we ingest them we have them entering our own bodies and wreaking havoc in our cells.
The takeaway? Buy organic and/or grass fed meats, of all kinds, as often as possible.
I tend to have a low iron level. Not low enough to make me anemic, but low enough to make me hormonal, grumpy, and hard to live with. I take supplements, but the iron in natural sources absorbs better into my system and does me more good. Red meat is a very high source of iron. For this reason I try to eat a lean source of it at least every-other day. (And my cholesterol levels are excellent, as is my blood pressure.)
Also, red meat is high in B-vitamins, which directly contribute to energy. I once tried to go vegetarian. I called my sister, who was a vegetarian at the time, and told her about the headaches, low energy, and crankiness I was experiencing. She said "Take B Vitamins- make sure it's full spectrum...." and proceeded to list off all the supplements I should now add to my diet, in the absence of meat. I listened, then replied "Or I could just eat some meat". Guess what was in my next meal? Yep. Red meat. Problem solved.
I'm not saying everyone should eat red meat. Obviously humans can survive without it. I'm just saying don't put it on your "Bad Food" list without really knowing that it is bad for YOU, particularly if you enjoy it.
Good-quality beef doesn't scare me. Pop tarts do.
Ending note: I realize not everyone is going to agree with my viewpoint on red meat, or any other of the foods I've blogged about in my "Food Snubbing" series. That's okay- You certainly have the right to your own opinion. I've mulled these subjects over and observed "studies" and "evidence" for many years before I stuck my neck out and blogged about them. So unless I see conclusive evidence to prove otherwise, and by that I mean scientific proof from more than one source, I am more than likely not going to change my position.
And with that, my Food Snubbing blog series is concluded. If you want to read any of the others, check the last several blogs right before this one. And please leave comments- I enjoy hearing from you!
Before I commence, here are a couple of pics of my beautiful little grandbabies. (Yes, I am taking advantage of a captive audience for the sole purpose of bragging.):
First, Gideon James, who was born May 6th (he loves his Grandma!):
And secondly, but certainly not least, miss Melody Lynne, who was born January 16th:
Okay, on to the subject of red meat:
First of all, if you are a vegetarian, this blog is not going to be one you will get any good out of, whatsoever. You saw the pics of my grandbabies, so leave me a comment on how sweet they are and move on to a blog that is relevant to you. :-D
For everyone else........
The main reason I hear for people avoiding red meat is the fat content. There ARE many cuts of red meat that have fat marbled throughout. These, as with all fatty foods, should be eaten sparingly. But there are many cuts of read meat that actually have a very reasonable, if not downright low, fat content. Of course, 93% and higher lean ground beef is one of them, but also top round and eye of round are leaner cuts. Sirloin isn't too bad, either, as long as you cut the fat off of the outside.
The trick with red meat is to take a look at the piece of meat itself and see how much fat is marbeled throughout. The more solid red color it is, generally the leaner. If there are little flecks of white in there, that's fat. So choose according to your diet needs.
Plus, I'm not sure fat from organic meat is all that bad for you. I have to seriously wonder if this kind of fat, like butter, will wind up being placed in the "Not-as-bad-as-we-once-thought" category, since it's a naturally occurring fat the way God made it to be. However, fat from any source (healthy or not) is still calorie-dense, so keep this in mind with respect for your total caloric need according to your goals.
Did you note I said "organic" in the above paragraph? This is important, as is grass-fed. When grazing animals are eating what grazing animals are naturally inclined to eat (mostly grass and green stuff), there are important components in their meat that are good for us and we simply can't get in non-grass-fed critters. Additionally, when animals are pumped full of antibiotics (to keep them from getting sick in their over-stuffed quarters) and growth hormones (so they can butcher them sooner), and/or when they are fed non-organic feed, these components are subsequently in their meat. When we ingest them we have them entering our own bodies and wreaking havoc in our cells.
The takeaway? Buy organic and/or grass fed meats, of all kinds, as often as possible.
I tend to have a low iron level. Not low enough to make me anemic, but low enough to make me hormonal, grumpy, and hard to live with. I take supplements, but the iron in natural sources absorbs better into my system and does me more good. Red meat is a very high source of iron. For this reason I try to eat a lean source of it at least every-other day. (And my cholesterol levels are excellent, as is my blood pressure.)
Also, red meat is high in B-vitamins, which directly contribute to energy. I once tried to go vegetarian. I called my sister, who was a vegetarian at the time, and told her about the headaches, low energy, and crankiness I was experiencing. She said "Take B Vitamins- make sure it's full spectrum...." and proceeded to list off all the supplements I should now add to my diet, in the absence of meat. I listened, then replied "Or I could just eat some meat". Guess what was in my next meal? Yep. Red meat. Problem solved.
I'm not saying everyone should eat red meat. Obviously humans can survive without it. I'm just saying don't put it on your "Bad Food" list without really knowing that it is bad for YOU, particularly if you enjoy it.
Good-quality beef doesn't scare me. Pop tarts do.
Ending note: I realize not everyone is going to agree with my viewpoint on red meat, or any other of the foods I've blogged about in my "Food Snubbing" series. That's okay- You certainly have the right to your own opinion. I've mulled these subjects over and observed "studies" and "evidence" for many years before I stuck my neck out and blogged about them. So unless I see conclusive evidence to prove otherwise, and by that I mean scientific proof from more than one source, I am more than likely not going to change my position.
And with that, my Food Snubbing blog series is concluded. If you want to read any of the others, check the last several blogs right before this one. And please leave comments- I enjoy hearing from you!
Monday, June 17, 2013
Food Snubbing: Dairy
So far I haven't received near as much flack as I thought I would for my Food Snubbing blogs, but I have a feeling that is about to change today as I blog about my refusal to snub dairy.
I'm going to start this blog out stating that I am not a dairy expert. Far from it. The biggest reason I still eat and drink dairy is because I've never seen ANY conclusive evidence that any of the evil/scary things I've heard proclaimed about it are true. I make it policy to not blindly believe what I am told- I want to see facts to back it up.
The biggest argument against dairy that I have seen is that adults don't have the enzymes necessary to digest it. If you've been a long time without eating dairy you are right- You DON'T have the enzymes necessary to digest it. Our bodies are pretty amazing things and if we don't eat something, anything, long enough we will have trouble digesting it when it is reintroduced into our diets. If we continue to eat that food, though, our body will again start to produce the enzymes necessary to digest that particular food and we will be able to eat it again. But this principle is not isolated to dairy- It's goes pretty much across the board with any food you stop eating and then reintroduce. (Ever heard a vegetarian say "I don't eat meat because it hurts?" If they ate it a few times, it probably wouldn't hurt anymore.)
Now, there are some people who are lactose intolerant, and these folks should not eat or drink dairy. It's another one of those "duh" moments. But get diagnosed by a doctor for this. There's no point in cutting out a food if it's not necessary.
The big reason I personally keep eating dairy is that I like it. I enjoy a glass of milk with my protein pancakes on the weekends. Milk is a nice treat to mix with my protein powder on my higher calorie days, and a really good balance of carbs and protein for post-workout, as well. I enjoy Greek yogurt mixed with whey protein powder for an afternoon snack, and I like to make my protein pudding with milk for dessert. I love low-fat cheese sticks with an apple when I get the munchies. If I take dairy out of my diet, I start going for really crummy snack and dessert choices. In short, dairy helps keep me sane while I continue to strive to eliminate most processed foods from my diet.
Side note: I do buy organic for as much of my dairy, particularly milk. I won't go into the details, but after I did some reading up on how milk is processed and what happens to the poor cows to get it into the carton, I couldn't stand to buy anything but organic. AND it has more complete nutrients, particularly if the cows are grass-fed. Plus, it has a longer expiration date due to it being ultra-pasteurized, unlike regular milk. If you are someone who would like the occasional glass of milk but don't buy it because it goes bad before you can drink it up, look into organic. It's more expensive, but there is less waste.
Many coaches will remove dairy from their clients diets when said client gets close to a competition or needs to lose weight quickly. The thought is that the elimination of the natural sugar in dairy can expedite weight loss. But personally I've usually lost weight faster when I have some dairy in my diet. However, I will concede that this might not be the case for everyone.
Look, I'm not pushing you to eat dairy. It might not be a necessary food for humans. I really don't know. But I hate to see people eliminating or feeling guilty about eating an entire food group that simply has not been conclusively proven to be bad for the population in general.
I'm going to start this blog out stating that I am not a dairy expert. Far from it. The biggest reason I still eat and drink dairy is because I've never seen ANY conclusive evidence that any of the evil/scary things I've heard proclaimed about it are true. I make it policy to not blindly believe what I am told- I want to see facts to back it up.
The biggest argument against dairy that I have seen is that adults don't have the enzymes necessary to digest it. If you've been a long time without eating dairy you are right- You DON'T have the enzymes necessary to digest it. Our bodies are pretty amazing things and if we don't eat something, anything, long enough we will have trouble digesting it when it is reintroduced into our diets. If we continue to eat that food, though, our body will again start to produce the enzymes necessary to digest that particular food and we will be able to eat it again. But this principle is not isolated to dairy- It's goes pretty much across the board with any food you stop eating and then reintroduce. (Ever heard a vegetarian say "I don't eat meat because it hurts?" If they ate it a few times, it probably wouldn't hurt anymore.)
Now, there are some people who are lactose intolerant, and these folks should not eat or drink dairy. It's another one of those "duh" moments. But get diagnosed by a doctor for this. There's no point in cutting out a food if it's not necessary.
The big reason I personally keep eating dairy is that I like it. I enjoy a glass of milk with my protein pancakes on the weekends. Milk is a nice treat to mix with my protein powder on my higher calorie days, and a really good balance of carbs and protein for post-workout, as well. I enjoy Greek yogurt mixed with whey protein powder for an afternoon snack, and I like to make my protein pudding with milk for dessert. I love low-fat cheese sticks with an apple when I get the munchies. If I take dairy out of my diet, I start going for really crummy snack and dessert choices. In short, dairy helps keep me sane while I continue to strive to eliminate most processed foods from my diet.
Side note: I do buy organic for as much of my dairy, particularly milk. I won't go into the details, but after I did some reading up on how milk is processed and what happens to the poor cows to get it into the carton, I couldn't stand to buy anything but organic. AND it has more complete nutrients, particularly if the cows are grass-fed. Plus, it has a longer expiration date due to it being ultra-pasteurized, unlike regular milk. If you are someone who would like the occasional glass of milk but don't buy it because it goes bad before you can drink it up, look into organic. It's more expensive, but there is less waste.
Many coaches will remove dairy from their clients diets when said client gets close to a competition or needs to lose weight quickly. The thought is that the elimination of the natural sugar in dairy can expedite weight loss. But personally I've usually lost weight faster when I have some dairy in my diet. However, I will concede that this might not be the case for everyone.
Look, I'm not pushing you to eat dairy. It might not be a necessary food for humans. I really don't know. But I hate to see people eliminating or feeling guilty about eating an entire food group that simply has not been conclusively proven to be bad for the population in general.
Friday, June 14, 2013
Food Snubbing: Corn and Potatoes
I want to apologize for taking so long to get to the next subject in my
"Food Snubbing" blog series. Aside from my regular life of mother,
wife, grandma, personal trainer, and homemaker, we've been dealing with
the way-to-long installing of counters and back splash in a rather
gi-normous kitchen (had no sink or counters in there for a week!),
painting of said kitchen, plumbing emergencies, massive hail storm that
required lots of insurance people and repairs, and trying to find a MIA
ex-husband to get him to sign off so that my husband can adopt my
teenage daughter. (After 5 years of virtually no contact, a small miracle occurred: He was
located and signed the papers! Relieved is not an adequate enough
word.)
Here is a picture of the beautiful daughter who is in the process of getting, finally, after 10 years, adopted by her REAL Daddy, the man who has raised her since she was 6:
And here is a picture of part of our newly countered, tiled, and sinked
kitchen. I am SO enjoying it! (And yes- I am bragging a little. After
the process taking 5 weeks, I feel entitled to show it off!)
At any rate, much of the above is still in the process of being worked out, but there is at least a bit of a respite for me to handle the next Food Snubbing Topic: Corn and Potatoes.
I'm not really sure that the snubbing of corn is all that common. I just heard someone at a Weight Watchers meeting once say that the reason Americans are so overweight is because we eat corn. Huh? My thought was that it probably has more to do with super-sized portions and eating too much processed foods than the sole introduction of corn into our diets.
I've also heard that corn is for animal consumption, not people consumption. Er...... How many plants do animals and people both eat? Yeah.... That one falls apart pretty quickly for me.
Besides: Wasn't it the Indians who introduced corn to us? Didn't they eat it? Weren't they pretty darned healthy?
Now, let's move on to potatoes. Actually, it's not all potatoes that have a bad rap. Sweet potatoes are looked at as the Holy Grail in the potato world. White potatoes are generally seen as too high in starchy, quick-digesting carbs. Well, yes... but this is starch the way God intended it to be. We've found time and time again that when we eat stuff the way God grew it, not the way man modified it to be, it's good for us.
Also, you know how many famines potatoes saw people through? Talk to the Irish.
So my short answer on potatoes and corn? As long as they are minimally processed, I'm eatin' 'em.
The trouble with both, I believe, happens when we start to mess with them: Same problems I listed about white flour waaaaaaaaay back when I did the wheat blog. We smash 'em up and mix 'em with things like white flour or sugar or shortening (or all!), and then fry them (with corn, this is called a hushpuppy), which makes them fatty and super-high-glycemic, and NOW you have a problem on your hands.
Ever had fresh corn on the cob? Or a potato baked to perfection with just a little salt sprinkled on it? Yum-o! But when you add butter and sour cream and bacon bits and cheese and... well..... you get the point..... When you do all of these things.... heck!..... you can no longer taste the food you used as a base to pile all this junk on. Just put the goo in a bowl to eat it, and save the poor, unsuspecting, perfectly healthy potato or corn from being guilty by association.
One thing I do want to point out about both of these foods, though (as well as peas), is that the body treats them more as a starch than a veggie. So if you have potatoes or corn with your grilled chicken, you need to add at least one more veggie to your plate for a truly nutritionally balanced meal. And potatoes or corn AND a roll? THAT truly is high-carb. Just sayin'.
So, minimally mess with them: Bake, boil until JUST done, steam, shuck, and grill. Then count them as a starch and not a veggie, and you can enjoy without guilt.
Here is a picture of the beautiful daughter who is in the process of getting, finally, after 10 years, adopted by her REAL Daddy, the man who has raised her since she was 6:
At any rate, much of the above is still in the process of being worked out, but there is at least a bit of a respite for me to handle the next Food Snubbing Topic: Corn and Potatoes.
I'm not really sure that the snubbing of corn is all that common. I just heard someone at a Weight Watchers meeting once say that the reason Americans are so overweight is because we eat corn. Huh? My thought was that it probably has more to do with super-sized portions and eating too much processed foods than the sole introduction of corn into our diets.
I've also heard that corn is for animal consumption, not people consumption. Er...... How many plants do animals and people both eat? Yeah.... That one falls apart pretty quickly for me.
Besides: Wasn't it the Indians who introduced corn to us? Didn't they eat it? Weren't they pretty darned healthy?
Now, let's move on to potatoes. Actually, it's not all potatoes that have a bad rap. Sweet potatoes are looked at as the Holy Grail in the potato world. White potatoes are generally seen as too high in starchy, quick-digesting carbs. Well, yes... but this is starch the way God intended it to be. We've found time and time again that when we eat stuff the way God grew it, not the way man modified it to be, it's good for us.
Also, you know how many famines potatoes saw people through? Talk to the Irish.
So my short answer on potatoes and corn? As long as they are minimally processed, I'm eatin' 'em.
The trouble with both, I believe, happens when we start to mess with them: Same problems I listed about white flour waaaaaaaaay back when I did the wheat blog. We smash 'em up and mix 'em with things like white flour or sugar or shortening (or all!), and then fry them (with corn, this is called a hushpuppy), which makes them fatty and super-high-glycemic, and NOW you have a problem on your hands.
Ever had fresh corn on the cob? Or a potato baked to perfection with just a little salt sprinkled on it? Yum-o! But when you add butter and sour cream and bacon bits and cheese and... well..... you get the point..... When you do all of these things.... heck!..... you can no longer taste the food you used as a base to pile all this junk on. Just put the goo in a bowl to eat it, and save the poor, unsuspecting, perfectly healthy potato or corn from being guilty by association.
One thing I do want to point out about both of these foods, though (as well as peas), is that the body treats them more as a starch than a veggie. So if you have potatoes or corn with your grilled chicken, you need to add at least one more veggie to your plate for a truly nutritionally balanced meal. And potatoes or corn AND a roll? THAT truly is high-carb. Just sayin'.
So, minimally mess with them: Bake, boil until JUST done, steam, shuck, and grill. Then count them as a starch and not a veggie, and you can enjoy without guilt.
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Food Snubbing: Fruit
I'm a big believer that eating foods as close to the way God made them is the healthiest way to go. So when people start villainizing fruit I get a little irritated.
The biggest beef I hear people raise about fruit is that it has so many sugars. And of course it does indeed have a natural source of sugar in it, since it tastes sweet. But the key word here is natural. It's sweet in the form sweet is supposed to be: In a food un-tampered and strait from nature. There are fiber and other nutrients in fruits that, when eaten in moderation (more about that later), make their sugars a not-very-big concern. The components of fruit are compatible with each other for maximum benefit to our bodies. God's was kinda smart that way: When He made us and then made fruit as one of the foods for us to eat, He sorta knew what He was doing.
The problem comes in when you take fruit apart and mutilate it. You remove the skin. You smoosh it up and leave the pulp behind. You bathe it in sugar and white flour and shortening and put it in the oven and call it pie. "But hey!", folks reason, "It's got fruit in it! That means it's at least a little good for me, right?" Er...... not really. You just destroyed the integrity of a whole food.
I'm not saying never enjoy a piece of apple pie. Into everyone's life a little dessert must fall. What I am saying is that a piece of apple pie should be a rare treat, and a whole apple should be a regular occurrence.
No one can ever deny that the healthiest way to eat an apple is just bite into it raw- peel and all.
And fructose? Yes, it's fruit sugar, but again, it's been separated from the fruit. By the time it gets processed out it's as poor nutritionally as plain white sugar. So don't think that a food that uses fructose as opposed to sugar is any better for you. It's not.
BUT we must keep in mind that fruit does have more dietary sugars than other natural foods and can contribute to a stall in weight loss if it is over eaten. It would be hard to get extremely overweight from eating too much fruit (although not impossible). But on the other hand, it would be easy to stall your weight loss if you over-indulge. I've actually seen this happen with the Weight Watchers program, which, last I knew, let folks have unlimited fruits as long as they stop eating when they are satisfied. Hey.... If those people knew how to stop when they were satisfied, they wouldn't need Weight Watchers in the first place! Unlimited non-starchy veggies? It would be really hard to eat enough of those to stop weight loss. But unlimited fruit, which is much more calorie dense? It's very conceivable a stall would happen. (If you want to know more, I blogged about tweaking the Weight Watchers program to get around this and other issues here.)
One last word: Often when someone wants to "Cut in" or "lean out" a coach will recommend omitting fruit for the last 2 or 3 pounds. Keep in mind: This is a temporary situation. Reduction of every little bit of dietary sugars, even in the most natural forms, will indeed help you shed some water weight for something like a photo shoot or figure show. Living the rest of your life without eating fruit (or dairy- another thing that gets cut for situations like this) is unrealistic and denies your body nutrients it needs in their most readily-absorb-able and natural forms.
So limit fruit to one or two pieces a day, and enjoy every last bite without guilt. It won't hurt you, and will deliver nutrients that aren't available in many other foods.
The biggest beef I hear people raise about fruit is that it has so many sugars. And of course it does indeed have a natural source of sugar in it, since it tastes sweet. But the key word here is natural. It's sweet in the form sweet is supposed to be: In a food un-tampered and strait from nature. There are fiber and other nutrients in fruits that, when eaten in moderation (more about that later), make their sugars a not-very-big concern. The components of fruit are compatible with each other for maximum benefit to our bodies. God's was kinda smart that way: When He made us and then made fruit as one of the foods for us to eat, He sorta knew what He was doing.
The problem comes in when you take fruit apart and mutilate it. You remove the skin. You smoosh it up and leave the pulp behind. You bathe it in sugar and white flour and shortening and put it in the oven and call it pie. "But hey!", folks reason, "It's got fruit in it! That means it's at least a little good for me, right?" Er...... not really. You just destroyed the integrity of a whole food.
I'm not saying never enjoy a piece of apple pie. Into everyone's life a little dessert must fall. What I am saying is that a piece of apple pie should be a rare treat, and a whole apple should be a regular occurrence.
No one can ever deny that the healthiest way to eat an apple is just bite into it raw- peel and all.
And fructose? Yes, it's fruit sugar, but again, it's been separated from the fruit. By the time it gets processed out it's as poor nutritionally as plain white sugar. So don't think that a food that uses fructose as opposed to sugar is any better for you. It's not.
BUT we must keep in mind that fruit does have more dietary sugars than other natural foods and can contribute to a stall in weight loss if it is over eaten. It would be hard to get extremely overweight from eating too much fruit (although not impossible). But on the other hand, it would be easy to stall your weight loss if you over-indulge. I've actually seen this happen with the Weight Watchers program, which, last I knew, let folks have unlimited fruits as long as they stop eating when they are satisfied. Hey.... If those people knew how to stop when they were satisfied, they wouldn't need Weight Watchers in the first place! Unlimited non-starchy veggies? It would be really hard to eat enough of those to stop weight loss. But unlimited fruit, which is much more calorie dense? It's very conceivable a stall would happen. (If you want to know more, I blogged about tweaking the Weight Watchers program to get around this and other issues here.)
One last word: Often when someone wants to "Cut in" or "lean out" a coach will recommend omitting fruit for the last 2 or 3 pounds. Keep in mind: This is a temporary situation. Reduction of every little bit of dietary sugars, even in the most natural forms, will indeed help you shed some water weight for something like a photo shoot or figure show. Living the rest of your life without eating fruit (or dairy- another thing that gets cut for situations like this) is unrealistic and denies your body nutrients it needs in their most readily-absorb-able and natural forms.
So limit fruit to one or two pieces a day, and enjoy every last bite without guilt. It won't hurt you, and will deliver nutrients that aren't available in many other foods.
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