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Should You be on a Gluten Free Diet?

October 16, 2017 By Joy Leave a Comment

GLUTEN!!!

It’s almost a scary word these days. But, what exactly is it? And should you be avoiding it?

Gluten is a type of protein found in many grains like wheat, rye, and barley. It’s responsible for the sticky glue-like consistency you get when flour is mixed with water. It’s commonly found in breads (and baked goods), pastas, cereals, beer and other products made from these grains. And gluten-containing flours are added to a lot of processed foods too.

Gluten is not an essential nutrient, so you can have a healthy nutrient-rich diet without it. In fact, there are many foods available now that are “gluten-free.” Being gluten-free is popular, and many practitioners recommend that everyone avoid gluten. But, as with most “diets,” gluten-free is not guaranteed to be necessary or healthier (gluten-free cookies are still cookies!).

Should you be on a gluten-free diet? Is it just a fad? Let’s talk about who should avoid gluten, and the signs and symptoms to look for to see if you might be sensitive to it too. Then there are a few points to consider before jumping on the “gluten-free bandwagon.”

Being on a gluten free diet can be tough, especially with kids when they are used to having it. You may need to go slowly depending on the severity of your symptoms. Having a family discussion can help get everyone on board when it is a health issue.

WHO SHOULD AVOID GLUTEN?

Some people are very sensitive to gluten and should avoid it altogether. If you have celiac disease, you definitely should avoid all traces of it. Celiac disease is a medical condition that is diagnosable with tests from your doctor. About 1% of adults have been diagnosed with celiac disease. However, it’s estimated that up to 80% of people who have it don’t even know it yet (that would jump to 5% of adults with celiac disease).

Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition. After eating even a trace of gluten the immune system attacks it as a foreign invader. This results in inflammation and severe damage to the gut lining. Some of the digestive symptoms include bloating, diarrhea, and constipation. Other symptoms of celiac disease include headache, fatigue, and skin rashes.

Long term effects of eating gluten, if you have celiac disease, are serious, including:

Nutrient deficiencies
Osteoporosis
Infertility
Nerve damage and,
Seizures

Celiac disease aside, there are also people who have a wheat allergy, or are sensitive to gluten. Wheat allergies can be diagnosed by your doctor as well. “Non-celiac gluten sensitivity” occurs when people react to gluten, without celiac disease or wheat allergy. It’s estimated that up to 13% of people have non-celiac gluten sensitivity (way more than the 1-5% who have celiac disease).

There are many common signs of gluten sensitivity. The problem is that they’re not very specific. They don’t necessarily occur immediately after eating it, and they’re not always located in the gut. I avoid gluten for all of the following reasons and feel better when I do.

Symptoms of non-celiac gluten sensitivity include:

Digestive issues (bloating, flatulence, diarrhea, and stomach pain)
Skin issues (eczema and redness)
Bone and joint pain
Fatigue and chronic tiredness
Other symptoms like headache and mood issues

BEFORE GOING GLUTEN-FREE, REMEMBER

If you suspect you should avoid gluten, check with your doctor first. The tests for celiac disease are more accurate if you’re still eating gluten. You can also get tested for a wheat allergy or sensitivity.

Some gluten-containing foods have nutrition that you’re going to have to get elsewhere (not from those cookies, though):

Folate/folic acid (vitamin B9). Many breads and cereals are fortified with this vitamin. To get it naturally, make sure you’re eating plenty of leafy greens. And if you’re planning to get, or are pregnant, talk to your healthcare professional about this critical nutrient.
Dietary fiber. Whole wheat is a major source of this all-too-important and often forgotten nutrient. High-fiber gluten-free foods include brown rice, quinoa, flax seeds, chia seeds, beans/legumes, and fruits and veggies.

If you think you may be sensitive to gluten, then talk with your doctor about getting tested for celiac disease, gluten sensitivity and wheat allergy. And if you’re going gluten-free, choose nutrient-dense whole foods (not gluten-free processed junk foods) to make sure you get all the nutrition you need. When you choose whole foods, you are less likely to have gluten in your diet. You may need to see an integrative provider vs a traditional doctor as they tend to dig deeper into root causes.

Do you avoid gluten for health reasons?

Caffeine – Is it good or bad for you?

October 15, 2017 By Joy Leave a Comment

Is caffeine good or bad for you? Some would say to avoid it, others love it. Up to 80-90% of adults ingest caffeine every day. Should you?

Let’s talk about what caffeine is, how it affects the body, and whether or not it’s good or bad for you. There are definitely some people who should avoid it, and typical symptoms to look out for to see if that’s you.

WHAT IS CAFFEINE AND HOW IT AFFECTS THE BODY

Caffeine is a stimulant that is naturally found in many foods and drinks. It’s found in:

A cup of coffee (100-200 mg caffeine);
A cup of black tea (40-120 mg);
A cup of decaf coffee (3-12 mg); and,
An ounce of dark chocolate (5-35 mg).

Caffeine is also available as a supplement, and is added to some soft drinks (20-40 mg) and energy drinks (50-160 mg). It’s even in some medications as well.

Caffeine’s main effect is on the brain. It boosts alertness and focus. Caffeine can also improve moods, increase metabolism and improve exercise performance. It does these by blocking the “adenosine receptors” in our brain. After being absorbed by the gut caffeine is broken down by the liver. Adenosine is a relaxation compound, and caffeine blocks its effects. These stimulant effects of caffeine can be felt within 20-60 minutes after ingestion.

Your body can build up tolerance to it as well. So, within a few days of regular consumption, you need more to get the same effect. This is true for its stimulating and dehydrating effects. These effects reduce over time of continued caffeine intake.

Caffeine is also addictive. Some withdrawal symptoms include headaches, shakiness/jitters, and nausea.

IS CAFFEINE GOOD OR BAD?

This really depends on the person.

There are certain groups of people who should avoid too much caffeine. They are;

Pregnant women;
People with irregular heart beats;
People who have difficulty sleeping; and,
Children and adolescents.

In terms of metabolism, people metabolize caffeine at different rates. Some people are fast metabolizers, while others are slow. There can be up to 40x difference between how fast/slow different people metabolize caffeine. Fast metabolizers can feel the energy boost, and all the effects are finished in a few hours. Slow metabolizers can get jittery, anxious feelings, and have trouble sleeping many hours after ingesting the caffeine.

Look out for effects of caffeine on your body. Some common ones are:

Restlessness and anxious feelings;
Irregular heartbeat;
Increased blood pressure;
Difficulty sleeping;
Increase in anxious feelings;
Heartburn;
Headaches or migraines.

If none of these bother you, then up to 400 mg/day may be fine.

Not to mention that many caffeinated drinks contain a lot of sugar and sometimes other ingredients you may want to avoid. This is something else to consider when deciding if/how much caffeine is right for you.

CONCLUSION

Caffeine is the most popular natural stimulant. It’s found in many foods and drinks, most commonly in coffee, tea and chocolate. It’s also added to soft drinks, energy drinks and some supplements and medications.

Some people should avoid too much caffeine; while up to 400 mg/day may be fine in others. Caffeine affects different people differently. If you have any of the common side effects after you have some, then consider reducing your intake.

How much coffee, tea or soda with caffeine do you typically drink each day?

Simple Meal Planning for Those Busy Days

October 13, 2017 By Joy Leave a Comment

You want to eat healthier, but you’re super-busy. Your days are never ending between work, family, and extra-curricular activities.

You eat out several times a week because that’s what you have to do. That’s what works for you and your family (when it comes to time and convenience).

But you probably realize it’s not working great when it comes to your health and fitness goals.

You want better health. You want to eat better. You don’t want the extra calories, fast food and junk food as much anymore. And you DO want to save time and money.

I get it!

So, as a health coach, I am here to help you.

I have a simple strategy that I’m more than happy to share with you. It will help you to plan and prepare healthy meals for the week.

Now, you don’t need to completely abandon your regular meals out. You can use my strategy to help you eat out just one or two fewer times per week. It’s up to you. Planning which days you need to eat out, can help with some of the guilt you may have surrounding that choice.

As with any lifestyle change, start gradually so you can build consistency. The key here is to make it easy, doable and rewarding enough to do again and again.

Let me walk you through my simple meal prep system, and how this can work for you.

PLAN MEALS FOR THE WEEK

I prefer to do this on the weekend. If you don’t already have a list of meals that most everyone will eat, that would be a great starting point. List the beef, chicken, veggie based, or other meals your family enjoys. You could even list or mark slow cooker, Instant Pot, oven or stove top meals. Looking ahead to what your week looks like can help you decide what will be your best options for the week that will decrease your drive-thru experiences. My slow cooker and Instant Pot save me ALL the time. I’ll flip through my recipes and choose a bunch to make that week. I’ll even pick which days to have which meals if I’m feeling overly ambitious, but that’s not necessary if you’re new to this. I’ll bookmark the pages and write my chosen recipes down in a notebook or even a sheet of paper to put on my fridge. I like to have at least one crock pot meal each week because they’re so easy, and dinner is ready and waiting when you get home.

Then I create my grocery list. I take a quick look in my fridge, freezer and pantry, and list the recipe ingredients that I need to buy.

Pro Tip: If you’re not sure you have enough of an ingredient already, consider buying a “backup” one just in case. I’ve had times where the tomato sauce I planned to use was a bit short of what I actually needed. Having to run out in the middle of meal prep can be very frustrating.

Another thing to consider is doubling the recipe(s), so you can prep and cook once, but have twice the meal at the end. The extras can be taken for lunch, or frozen to pull out the night before a busy day, so you just need to heat it up when you’re ready.

Pro Tip: If you’re doubling a recipe, don’t forget to double the amount you buy from the grocery store.

Once you have your handy-dandy grocery list ready, hop on over to the store and pick up your essentials. If you don’t have enough food storage containers for your meals, now’s the time to pick up some of those too.

Pro Tip: If you’re not a fan of washing and chopping produce, then consider buying them already pre-washed and pre-chopped, or even frozen. You can make your meal prep even easier if you don’t mind spending a couple of extra dollars. Sometimes, time is money!

PREPARE MEALS FOR THE WEEK

Since you’ve already chosen your recipes and have your groceries, let’s get started on prepping some of the ingredients.

I like to book off 2-3 hours one afternoon for this. Get your recipes ready, clear off your counter, and play some music (if you’re so inclined).

At this point, depending on time, I’ll either prep the ingredients, or pre-cook the entire recipe. Sometimes just washing and chopping produce and putting it in containers is a huge time-saver for weeknights. Or, you can go through and make a whole meal, and divide it up into portions and refrigerate or freeze. It’s really up to you, because the more you do now, the less you’ll have to do when you’re hungry.

AWESOME MEAL PREP TIP

There is one meal that is easiest to plan and prepare in advance. It’s one that’s also often the most difficult to eat at home if you’re busy.

That’s breakfast.

Planning some overnight oatmeal is a great start to any day. Simply place ½ cup rolled oats, ½ cup your choice of milk, 1 tbsp chia or flax seeds into a container (or make 5 for the whole week). Then place the lid on, shake them up and put them in your fridge. In the morning you can quickly heat them up or even eat them cold (the oats will have absorbed the milk). Top with berries, chopped fruit, nuts or seeds and enjoy.

With a little planning, you’ll be able to eat healthier while you save money and calories.

This may take some getting used to, so if I can be of help, please reach out and let me know. What would be the easiest meal for you to prepare at home this week?

Accountability: The one thing that can help you reach your health and weight loss goals

October 8, 2017 By Joy Leave a Comment

“Accountability” is when you take responsibility for your actions and it is one of the things that can help you reach your health goals. When you “own” them. Accountability is the number one item clients tell me they need when we first chat. And it’s key to improving your health and wellness. It isn’t just for fitness. It can help other areas of your wellness journey, too.

Have you ever bought a book or program with the absolute best intentions of following it to a “T?” Have you ever not followed it completely? Life gets in the way. We get too tired or busy and let a day or two slide. Then, sometimes, we completely fall off the bandwagon. It gets too hard to fit your new habits into your daily routine.

This happens to the best of us – Yes, even to me! You can have all the right information, but the implementation is the hard part. Getting kids where they need to be and sometimes the schedule changes so I have to be the flexible one changing up my routine. Sometimes it is my activity that takes the brunt of it. I have to make time for the activity to happen somewhere in my schedule.

Accountability is more of the “doing” than the “knowing.” It’s when you already know what you should be doing; but, doing it doesn’t always happen. And accountability, when you know someone is measuring or checking your actions, makes you more likely to do them.

What are some options for accountability?

Start an activity journal – Just writing down the amount of exercise you do each day can increase your accountability. You can use a calendar or a blank notebook. For each day record:

Time/duration;
Which exercise is done;
Distance or repetitions;
Intensity (easy/moderate/vigorous);
Notes or comments (what improvements you can make for next time); and,
How you feel afterwards – Use this last item to motivate yourself to capture that feeling again.

Bonus points for logging what and how much you eat every day. That will help keep you accountable on the nutrition side too. I like the MyFitnessPal app for this, but there are plenty of others.

Use a fitness tracker – Would you believe that a study of fitness habits in postmenopausal women showed that a fitness tracker increased the amount of exercise they did? Two groups of women were advised to walk 10,000 steps each day and get 150 minutes of moderate/vigorous physical activity each week. One group was given a pedometer. The other was given a pedometer plus a fitness tracker. Guess how much more activity the fitness tracker group increased each week? Thirty eight minutes! Yes, just having a fitness tracker increased activity, while the pedometer-only group had no change.

The conclusion? Having the tracker increased their accountability, measurement of the activities, and motivation to do them.

I like using a Fitbit, but there are now a ton of options out there, so find one that fits your needs and budget.

Get an “accountability buddy” – Find a workout buddy. Someone who you can go for walks or to the gym with. If not, ask someone you trust to follow up with you every few days on your tracked activities. Make sure they know your “why” and can remind you of it when you need it. Have them spend a few minutes reviewing your journal/tracker and give you some “tough love” from time to time.

Hire a health coach (like me). I love supporting people who are on a path to better health. I help moms figure out how to make wellness work for them by setting up habits and fitting them in the crazy busy life of a mom.

WHERE TO START

You don’t need to exercise like crazy to improve your health and lose weight. You just need to do it regularly. Here are my recommended steps:

Talk to your doctor before beginning any exercise program.
Start from where you are and do a bit more every day.
Always remember your “why.”
If you need accountability, decide whether you’d prefer an activity journal or a fitness tracker. And use it daily. Track your exercise and what you eat and drink too.

If you need an accountability buddy, ask a trusted friend or family member; or contact me (your health coach) and we can have a free strategy session to see how I can support your health goals.

How would an accountability partner help you?

Obligatory and Common Sense Disclaimer