This is a blog about nutrition and fitness. And, now, since I have FITbaby, her nutrition is extremely important to me.  I had no idea that so much of what we feed our children is based on tradition versus research.  In general, I’ve found that the statement “Infant research is in it’s infancy” is an accurate one! I think I found that quote here. And, that statement is so disappointing to me. Why isn’t more research on our babies?!

Anyway, when I started hearing discussions about “rice cereal” as my daughter’s first food, my first thought was to give her “brown rice cereal”…of course. But, then, I started doing more research and wondered…why rice cereal at all?  Should her first food be cereal? Grains? Carbs? Is that adding any nutrition to her diet? Is iron fortification the best way to get iron into her diet? I have decided….I do not think so. [Regarding iron, the best source is MEAT!]

I made the following conclusions…for myself and my baby….after doing my research on baby nutrition:

• Breastmilk is the most important “food” for my baby until 6 months…really until 9 months, with some fun experimentation into food starting at 6 months.
• Rice cereal is empty carbs and not worth filling up my baby’s tummy and therefore taking the place of breastmilk.
• Spoon-feeding my baby is no fun for anyone!
• Baby-led weaning is tons of fun for everyone!
• The fact that my baby’s digestive system may not be ready for solids before 6 months was enough for me to wait until 6 months old.

So, we started last week [6 months old] and baby led weaning is a blast!!! We started with bananas, carrots, sweet potatoes, green beans, broccoli, egg yolks etc. We’ve been steaming veggies that we cut into 2 inch pieces. She is having sooo much fun! We [FITori & FIThubby & FITdog Toby] are having sooo much fun! We are enjoying meal times as a family. We are all eating and enjoying our meals together. No one is taking turns spoon-feeding the baby and then eating our own meals.  There is a ton of mess and oh what fun to make a mess! Toby is loving helping with clean up!

A few fun iPhone pics from last week…

And another fun pic from over the weekend.  Loving egg yolks for breakfast!

If you’re interested in our research, we read and *followed* the advice in these three books.

1. The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding
2. Baby Led Weaning
3. Real Food for Mother & Baby

I also found this FANTASTIC website recently that helps explain different foods for baby. It’s fabulous! I’m learning SO much about individual foods! Why didn’t I know this before?!

Babyfood101.com  – Check out this example on peaches! SO much important information!

As always, tell me what you think, your research and what you did or are doing with your kiddos!

This Today Show segment got me thinking this morning….

We know that sugar, fats and processed foods have the same impact on our brains as drugs. They stimulate the release of dopamine in the brain, like drugs. I agree with this because I love sugar and I wouldn’t doubt that I am addicted to sugar.  BUT, is it different and even harder for the overweight? New studies say YES! New studies say that the effects of these processed, fatty and sugary foods have a GREATER effect on the overweight. I know how hard it is for me, so if it’s even harder for the overweight I can’t imagine how hard this is!!!  The overweight also have a harder time because of the increased hormones associated with more abdominal fat. They make an overweight individual feel hungry ALL the time!! What a horrible feeling. I remember it well from contest prep! It’s awful! And, the stomach becomes stretched from overeating. So, again, hungry all the time! What a triple whammy!!!

I have a great deal of respect for individuals who have conquered being overweight against these tough odds! And, for those who haven’t yet but are working hard every day to conquer weight and body issues!  You can! And, you will! I know it!

I loved Nancy Snyderman’s idea to treat or label these bad processed, fatty and sugary foods as POISON!!! POISON!!! I truly believe that the only way to conquer weight issues is to treat it as an issue of HEALTH not WEIGHT or weight loss! I believe that if you change your lifestyle for HEALTH…the health of yourself to stay around because you love your life and family and the health of your family and kids, so you can live as an example to them.

I, FITori, want to be STRONG and HEALTHY. I want to feel good. I want to fuel my body. I want to teach my daughter how to feel great, stay healthy, and look great also. I want to live my life also though and not be a slave to diets!

Click on the photo below for a “sweet” recipe that has not added sugar! [Since every post needs a pic!]

What do you think?  Is food an addiction? Is it harder for the overweight?

So how many of you have read “Enriched Bleached White Flour” and thought…”enriched” must be good.

The definition of enrich is according to freedictionary.com is….

en·rich

1. To make rich or richer.

2. To make fuller, more meaningful, or more rewarding: An appreciation of art will enrich your life.

3. To add fertilizer to.

4. To add nutrients to: The dairy enriched its milk with vitamin D.

5. To add to the beauty or character of; adorn: “Glittering tears enriched her eyes” (Arnold Bennett).

6. Physics To increase the amount of one or more radioactive isotopes in (a material, especially a nuclear fuel).

So, the long and short of it is…

Enriched. Bad. Processed.

Fortified. Sometimes good. Sometimes bad. What’s being fortified? Was it good or bad before it was fortified?

Also….read labels. NOT the front of the box [where there are false statements trying to sell you something!]

Or just don’t eat things in boxes. Easier said than done!

Read the ingredients list. Now, when you see “enriched” or “fortified” in that ingredient list…you’ll know what it means!

Do you have any experience with enriched or fortified foods?

Finally……a blog post about fitness and nutrition and not just about me and pregnancy!!!

Can it be true? You don’t have to wait 45 minutes for brown rice!

There are a few different options to make brown rice in a hurry!!  I’ll show you the options from best to worst!

My favorite option, MAKE EXTRA AND FREEZE!!

I found this in Real Simple Magazine (April 2011) and found it brilliant!  Now, when I make fresh brown rice for dinner, I make extra and freeze it!

• I found these freezable BALL canning jars at our base’s commissary and they’re my new favorites! (I bought the 4 oz for breast milk and I’ll blog about that later if it works out!) 
• For rice, I got 16 oz containers. That’s 2 cups. My husband’s serving is usually a cup and that leaves another cup for me and FITbaby to share!
• Wait until the rice has cooled, fill the jars, freeze. It saves for three months.
• I also bought freezer labels to use on my freezer foods. I put the date that I made the food and the expiration date also!

Reheat instructions: When you’re ready to reheat, the Real Simple article recommends adding 1-2 T water, covering the container with a wet paper towel and microwave on high for 1-3 minutes (depending on portion size).  Fluff and repeat as needed.  Let stand for 2 minutes before fluffing again and serving. 

Next best option, BUY FROZEN!

You can buy frozen brown rice with only one or two ingredients:  water, brown rice.  Not all stores carry it though.  I have had a hard time finding this at certain stores.  And, it’s more expensive than a bag of uncooked rice, so the first option is still my favorite.

Another alternative, but it’s not recommended…UNCLE BEN’S READY PACKETS.

This option will suffice if there are no other options. BUT beware!  Read the ingredients. (This goes for everything you eat!)  Don’t be fooled by the Uncle Ben’s Ready Whole Grain Medley flavors. This is the ingredient list from the Brown & Wild variety….

INGREDIENTS: WATER; WHOLE GRAIN PARBOILED BROWN RICE; WILD RICE; WHOLE GRAIN RED RICE; CANOLA OIL AND/OR SUNFLOWER OIL†; HYDROLYZED SOY/CORN/WHEAT PROTEIN; VEGETABLES (GARLIC*, ONION*, PARSLEY*, SPINACH*, CELERY*, TOMATO*, CARROT*); SUGAR; AUTOLYZED YEAST EXTRACT; YEAST EXTRACT; SALT; POTASSIUM CHLORIDE; SPICES; NATURAL FLAVORS; SMOKE FLAVOR; TURMERIC (COLOR). *DRIED. †Adds a trivial amount of saturated fat.

Too many ingredients for me.  It could be worse, BUT it could be better! Look at my first option! You can make brown and wild rice and add your own seasonings and KNOW what’s in your (and your family’s) food!

Is there another food you need a quick, healthy alternative? Do you have another brown rice trick? Was this helpful?

How many ingredients are in your food? The fewer the better. The more words you understand, the better.

How many ingredients are in your peanut butter? ONE?! There should only be ONE…or TWO! Go check your label! Now. Go do it. How many ingredients? What are they?

I’ve told you all before I love Maranatha brand peanut butter.

I do not recommend all of their products though!! BEWARE of the NO STIR!!!

• Ingredients in the Organic Peanut Butter- No salt are (1) 100% Organic Dry Roasted Peanuts
• Ingredients in the Organic Peanut Butter – with Salt (1) 100% Organic Dry Roasted Peanuts (2) Sea Salt.

We’re still good…those are all approved (above).

BUT, what are the ingredients in the NO STIR?! What makes peanut butter NO STIR?! SUGAR!!!

• Ingredients in the Organic Peanut Butter – No Stir are (1) 100% Dry Roasted Peanuts (2) Organic Palm Oil (3) Organic Cane Sugar (4) Sea Salt

Peanut butter already has sugar and carbs (not too many but plenty) and added cane sugar is not necessary.

Bottom line: read labels! I’m often surprised when I do a “recheck” of the labels of the foods in my house….oops!

Something on my list is to make my own peanut butter! Do you? Any tips or links? Share them below in the comments!

What food labels have shocked you lately?!

I decided to google some of these keywords to see what I could find on the internet. Here is an article that talks about “Fat Burning Foods” including grapefruit, green tea & egg whites.  Other foods listed on that article are: beans, lean protein, fish, hot peppers, garlic & onion, apple cider vinegar, ginger, bananas, cabbage, eggs, whole grains, olive oil, oatmeal, avocado, berries, parsley, cruciferous vegetables & water.  This is just one article of thousands when you google similar phrases!  Heather said she read an article that said that those three foods (grapefruit, green tea & egg whites) do NOT help you lose belly fat.

The answer? Kinda. Neither. Both. Well sorta. Maybe. It depends.

Sorry! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…it’s complicated! If it were easy, everyone would look JUST they way they want. (We wouldn’t all look the same b/c we don’t all want to look the same.) We’d all have the physique we want if it were easy!  There are soooooooo many factors involved in losing belly fat. Among them, your heredity, your activity (what kind, how much, at what time), your diet (foods, food combinations, food timing, quantities, quality), your stress levels, amount of sleep, your health and hormones….must I go on?  I know that’s the worst answer ever, but it’s so true!

So, they don’t burn fat? Well, not really. You can’t just add grapefruit, green tea or egg whites into your normal diet and life and expect them to work miracles. There are no miracle foods. If there was a miracle drug or food, everyone would do it! Also, a diet including only Grapefruit, like “The Grapefruit Diet” is bad, bad, bad for you! You need more variety than that, including proteins and fats. You need a balance of carbs, fats & proteins.

The key to burning fat is to turn your body into a fatburner, so get into the “fat burning zone!” How do I do that? Again, it’s a combination of your activity (what kind, how much, at what time), your diet (foods, combinations, timing, quantities, quality), your stress levels, amount of sleep, etc.  It’s a science and it takes time to find this zone.  That is why trainers who have studied this are so valuable! That is why I’m certified in “Nutrition & Wellness”….there are SO many factors that play in…not just diet, or one food, or exercise.

You can try reading books and learning about it all yourself. And you can do it!!! I know you can!!! You have to be really in tune to your body! You have to pay really close attention to how you feel, what works, exactly what you’re doing and it really helps to have someone trained to help!  You will need to keep a journal, including EVERYTHING you’re doing & eating, sleeping, stress, exercises, intensities, how you’re feeling, etc. AND you then have to record how your body is responding!

Should I eat grapefruit, green tea & egg white?

• Grapefruit is an excellent fatburner. But, it’s also sugar. I ate half a grapefruit before every workout with one trainer. There is no other fruit like it. It’s a great fruit to eat if you want a fruit. Any food or fruit in excess is bad, so again…half and not right before bed, for example, but instead right before or after a workout!
• Green tea is great. It boost metabolism. It should be no calorie.  Beware of high calorie, sugary drinks that are marketed as “health” drinks but are actually, essentially… soda. They will NOT help you lose weight! Hot herbal tea is a fantastic addition to any diet. It’s no calorie. It’s warm. It’s cozy. It’s happy. It’s fun. It’s tasty. [I think I'll go make some peppermint tea now.] It can soothe many aches and pains without meds….tummy aches, sleeping problems, etc.
• Egg whites are great!  They are lean protein, which IS important to lose weight! But, you can’t just add that in and expect it to make a change! It has to be in combination with other foods, the right foods, at the right times, etc.  Take a look at the best FIT posts on the LEFT of this page about protein, carbs, & veggies to name a few.

So, did I answer the question or confuse you more?

Any other questions you want FITori to answer?! Send them to me! I’ll try to post one a week!

In this country, with our obesity epidemic and greed appearing to be more important than health, I am glad to see any improvement in the way of health…..but was this recent change by PepsiCo for America’s health? Um, no! I’m sure not. They have said they think there’s nothing wrong with HFCS and it’s “exactly the same” as sugar.  So, they are doing it…..to sell a product! Surprise!

I think we were all disturbed to see the ad campaign last year selling HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) as “essentially the same” as sugar. That’s true, but not. Yes, they are BOTH bad for our bodies. SUGAR is the culprit in our country for obesity, heart disease, diabetes, etc.  (It’s not usually fat, it’s usually sugar!) So, yes, they’re both bad, BUT we should be eating real foods as often as can! And, any processing or refining is chemically changing our food, which is bad. Do we want to eat food? Or do we want to eat a science experiment? I want to eat food.

Now, is “sugar”as it is found on this ingredient label a real food or a processed food? It’s a processed food. When sugar is listed it’s usually “refined” sugar as we know it….the stuff we grew up with. BUT, there are more natural version of sugar such as “evaporated cane sugar” and “agave nectar.” So, these will still raise your blood sugar, but a little bit slower than refined sugar and as far as overall health, it’s a wee bit better for you.

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What do you think?

Is this change an improvement in the right direction?

Or absolutely not?

This is all I need to see to believe that it’s worth trying to feed my kids less artificial stuff and more real foods. It just makes common sense to me! And, that’s all I need to know.

Definitely doesn’t sound like food to me….Green 3, Blue 1 and 2, Orange B, Red 40 and 3, Yellow 5 and 6.

I would love to hear that the FDA bans some of this crap…but I am not holding my breath!

I have friends who have told me that their kids’ ADD & ADHD have been affected by a change away from these dyes!

Have you heard of similar stories? Have you seen this in your own kiddos?

I first heard of epigenetics on the Dr. Oz show a few years back & was fascinated!!  I couldn’t believe that genes could be turned on and off based on what happens in the womb, including weight at conception, weight gain & stress during pregnancy and prenatal nutrition! It makes so much sense!  A great book that includes some info about this is YOU: Having a baby [love Dr. Oz].  It’s probably my favorite pregnancy book & if you’re only going to buy one….buy that one! [It's located in my sidebar on the right side from Amazon.]

But for a more in depth look into “how the 9 months before birth shape the rest of our lives” read Origins.  Check my sidebar for this one too!

The book discusses the history of pregnancy, which is…fascinating!  People used to think that the placenta filtered everything from reaching the fetus!  They would drink & take meds & had no idea that it reached the fetus.  She tells the stories of how it was discovered that certain drugs caused birth defects!  How awful!

Of course the weight and nutrition aspect of this book is what interested me the most!  A few fascinating facts from the book:

• “greater weight gain by a woman during pregnancy was associated with a heavier child at age three” [p. 18]
• The children of a mother who has weight loss surgery in between pregnancies will have different obesity rates.  The children born after the weight loss surgery are three times less likely to be severely obese than their older siblings. So, the intrauterine environment, regardless of prenatal nutrition is a factor in the future obesity of your children! [p. 18-19]
• “an obese woman who loses weight before getting pregnant is making an investment in her offspring’s future health.” [p. 19]
• What scares me is that I am priming my daughter’s taste for sugary, fatty or salty foods based on what I’m eating during pregnancy and the first years of her life through nursing!  [Hopefully my first & second trimester food aversions won't affect my girl!]

I can’t tell you ALL of the awesome facts in this book….there are SO many!!! The book discusses how stress and severe stress events like 9/11 can impact fetuses.  And, rest easy, the author discusses how little cortisol reaches the fetus and how stress may actually be GOOD for the fetus!

Along with meds, stress and nutrition/obesity/diabetes/birth weight, there are also chapters on alcohol, gender, exercise, mood, emotions/depression, mental disorders, poverty, sexuality, chemicals and environmental factors, vaccinations, and birth to name a few!

What was the most impressive discovery you’ve had about nutrition, exercise, environment, healthy lifestyle and it’s effects?

I use taco seasoning on lean (97%) ground beef and chicken, but I recently found an old packet of El Paso Taco Seasoning when I was cleaning out the pantry and remembered the old days of buying things instead of home making them!

I know that homemaking things takes more time and that’s why I don’t homemake everything. And, there are certain things on my list of recipes I want to try to make myself like….nut butters [the ingredients on my Maranatha Peanut Butter are simply peanuts...how hard could it be?!] and BBQ sauce for starters.

I encourage you to think about ANYTHING you can make from scratch that will eliminate the dreaded preservatives and additives!!

I also encourage you to read the ingredients of EVERYTHING you eat!!! You’ll be amazed if you’ve never done this before!!

Two great general rule s[if you're in doubt] …

• if it has MORE THAN 5 ingredients, put it back!
• if you don’t recognize or can’t pronounce it, put it back!

Check out the ingredients on this El Paso Taco Seasoning…yuck!

Let’s dissect these ingredients:  #1 ingredient is maltodextrin. um, what? the #1 ingredient isn’t a spice but an “additive”. Yuck. Let’s read on….. preservative = bad.  partially hydrogenated = trans fat = bad. natural flavor = what is that? spice = which ones? sugar = why?

If you were able to read the nutrition facts, you’d see that there are 90 calories (multiply the 15 cal per serving by 6 in the whole packet) and 18 grams of carbs. Not that those are horrible numbers when you think about this one packet per pound of ground beef, BUT when you read my recipe I think you’ll see 0 calories and 0 carbs due to the ingredients simply being spices.

I just picked a recipe off the internet. I didn’t search for the best one. It’s spicy. Not sugary. It probably has more salt than necessary but I don’t get too crazy about salt that I add myself….just the sodium that is in our restaurant and packaged foods!

I doubled my recipe, used what I needed and then saved the extra for later.

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin (love cumin!)
• 1 tsp onion powder (used Onion Onion)
• 3/4 tsp garlic salt
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Dash cayenne
• (I added red pepper)

Combine all ingredients.

Use instead of 1 package taco seasoning mix which is usually good for 1 lb of meat.

Add 1/4 cup water (approx) per pound of meat, after cooking and draining when you add the seasonings.

Recipe courtesy of cooks.com

What do you homemake that most people buy prepackaged?

Any crazy discoveries to share when you started reading ingredients?