Category: Food & Nutrition

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Food & Nutrition Spiritual Health

Why This Image Got Me ANGRY At The African American Museum In D.C.

Makes me wanna holla….

 

Last week, you may have seen on my Instagram Story that I had the amazing opportunity to tour the new National Museum of the African American History and Culture in our great capitol, Washington D.C.  If you get a chance to go, I HIGHLY suggest it! 

There are 6 giant floors to tour, to which I, my husband, his mother, aunt, sister, and two cousins all started with our docent guide down on the very bottom floor, which is where the African American culture all began—with slavery.  

It’s dark in our history, of course, and it’s terrible that this massive oppression and evil injustice caused such deep wounds that we still see in the fibers of our country to this very day.  

So, yes, all of these images I saw on this floor made me angry…but there was one image that literally STOPPED ME IN MY TRACKS and made me downright MAD because it not only triggered my humanity, it triggered the NUTRITIONIST in me!

Here’s the image I saw….

I don’t know if I forgot this fact from history courses or if it’s just heavy on my mind lately with the epidemics I’ve been facing with many of my clients suffering greatly from blood sugar issues, but ya’ll SUGAR SUCKS!!

You see, it was mainly because of the SUGAR PLANTATIONS that caused such a high demand for extra farm help that lead to paying money for human beings from Africa who not only suffered unbelievable atrocities on the boats over to America, but would suffer everyday of their God-given life, all because of the color of their skin.  

ANGRY. ^^^ 

But, even more,  as I am preparing my clients for our 30-day June Challenge which will include 10-days doing the Blood Sugar Solution 10-day Detox Diet, I am seeing some tremendous health struggles caused (or at least exacerbated) by this refined white substance.  

And while I don’t fall for the trap in thinking that sugar is what I’ve heard some call the “white devil,” I don’t doubt one bit that our enemy uses this stuff against us ALL THE TIME! 

Sugar is addictive! Some studies showing it is more addictive than crack cocaine.  There is a very good reason why the sugar cane farms were in such high demand so quickly!  And it’s been causing issues in our country ever since! 

Many of my current clients are dealing with REALLY SERIOUS health consequences that require TAKING A STAND against the food saboteurs--like sugar and anything that acts like sugar.  

Conditions like insulin resistance, pre-diabetes, type II diabetes, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), Hashimoto’s Hypothyroid, metabolic syndrome, and more. 

So, I made the decision to go against my normal “single-step” approach to health to challenge my clients, and any of you who are up for a challenge, to do something far more aggressive to stand up to what sugar (and anything that acts like sugar in our blood stream) can do in your body.

The first 10-days of our 30-day Challenge we’ll be following the guidelines from Dr. Mark Hyman’s Blood Sugar Solution 10-Day Detox Diet where we will be eliminating sugar, dairy, alcohol, grains, gluten, legumes, caffeine, sugary fruits, starches, and essentially anything that acts like sugar in our bloodstream.  

 

BUT, to be abundantly clear, I am NOT saying that these foods are “bad” and I am NOT advocating necessarily eliminating them from your diet forever!  Ha! Never would I make such an irresponsible blanket statement (and you shouldn’t trust any health coach who only makes extreme blanket statements like this too!).  

Frankly, I don’t think food is “bad” OR “good.”  

Food is absolutely neutral, much like money, in that it can be used for GOOD or it can be used for HARM and unfortunately, our food system has failed us by allowing billion dollar companies to stock our grocery stores with fake-food items that are literally killing us and our children.  Adding sugar and sugar-like-substances to foods to make them more addictive so they can get more $! 

Now, I get it.  You might be finding yourself addicted to your coffee, favorite treats, or soda and the idea of giving them up for 10-days sounds like HELL to you.  

But, it’s exactly those fears that are a warning signal to you that something is not right in your relationship with food.  It’s Spiritual, no doubt about it!  And it might be worth stepping into a challenge to help you take your power back! 

Evidence suggests that taking 10 aggressive days of a sugar-free life when suffering from addictive traits or health consequences gives you a fighting chance to then make some better lifestyle habits included in my Nutrient Based Eating program. 

 

If you are interested in learning more about the Nutrient Based Eating program, you can begin by downloading my "Top 10 Nutrient Deficiencies" download for FREE (see below).  It will get you started in what you CAN eat instead of only worrying about what NOT to eat.  Then, send me an email if you want more information on how to purchase the NBE program!  

Grab Your Free Nutrient Guide Today!

Ready to SUPERCHARGE your nutrition in 2017?  

Get this FREE guide of the TOP 10 NUTRIENT DEFICIENCIES AND WHERE TO FIND THEM FOR LESS CALORIES.  

Studies are showing that some of the most common weight loss diets are also the least nutrient sufficient in the vital vitamins and minerals!  Other studies also show that multivitamins are NOT the answer, as huge metadata results indicate they are associated with higher mortality rates!

My FREE guide not only gives you where to find these most common deficient vitamins and minerals, but also gives you the serving size and nutrition data to help you get the least amount of calories per food choice!  

I even put all the information together into 2 days of menus that ensures you can get all the vitamins and minerals for UNDER 1700 calories!

Categories
Food & Nutrition

Why Focusing on Anti-Inflammatory Food Wins

Focusing On These Foods Get You The Best Results

 
 
 
After taking a hiatus from the mental game of trying to “control my eating” for the last 2 months, I have finally found a very HEALTHY transition to caring about what I’m eating with the BEST intentions.  
 
My husband and I are undergoing fertility treatments (namely, IVF) with the hopes of getting pregnant in the next coming months!  But, prior to my egg retrieval surgery, I made the conscious decision to give myself permission to STOP stressing about food and my weight, for what seemed like the first time ever.  It was a wise move as I had no idea how stressful the decisions associated with IVF would be, not to mention  administering the hormone injections,  and I rightly decided that FOOD should be just one less thing to STRESS about.  
 
Post-surgery, however, I have realized there is a way to focus back on healthy eating for a GOOD CAUSE, not just for the vanity of wanting to lose weight.  The motivation to decrease INFLAMMATION is a much more powerful mindset and actually is the number one way to truly be HEALTHY, not just “skinnier.”
 
INFLAMMATION: “Part of the complex biological response of body tissues to harmful stimuli such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants, and is a protective response involving immune cells, blood vessels, and molecular mediators.”( —National Arthritis Foundation)
 
For me, I need to focus on anti-inflammatory eating and exercising because not only did I gain about 10lbs of inflammation and hormone weight from the IVF processes, but also, reducing inflammation for conception and pregnancy are SO VERY IMPORTANT for success!    So, that’s really my motivation right now….I want the IVF process to work sooner rather than later AND I want a pregnancy that will be the healthiest form I can manage (stay tuned on that one folks!). 
 
For YOU however, you might be dealing with inflammation in different but equally important ways and it would be wise for you to follow a anti-inflammatory protocol as well!  If you suffer from anything like:
  • arthritis/fibromyalgia/joint pain
  • autoimmune diseases- celiac disease/leaky gut/Hashimotos
  • IBS or gut health issues
  • asthma or lunge inflammation
  • diabetes
  • polycystic ovarian syndrom (PCOS)/ infertility issues
  • obesity
 
Any and all of the above are caused or exacerbated by inflammatory responses and sometimes chronic systemic inflammation.  And believe it or not, our FOOD and lifestyle choices play a HUGE role in avoiding these conditions to begin with OR healing them once they are in effect.  
 
HOW DO CERTAIN FOODS CAUSE INFLAMMATION?     
It depends on the body system, but essentially some foods trigger what’s called a “cytokine” inflammatory messenger to be released from your immune cells that signals to the body that there is a “foreign invader” or something to fix or repair.   
 
So, especially if your body is already in an inflamed state (such as right after a surgery, like in my case, or if you suffer from arthritis or PCOS, etc.) there are certain foods that can exacerbate that inflammatory response from you digestive tract and gut (which houses the majority of your immune response and therefore will spread to the entire body). When you’re vulnerable like this and have been through surgery or suffer from arthritis then you do everything you can to aid recover and minimize pain. You buy a mobility scooter and any ewheels add-ons you need, spend time listening to what doctors are telling you, and do everything you can to benefit your health – so why wouldn’t you also take the next step in the foods you consume?  
 
What is slightly unnerving is that sometimes the culprits are foods that you have eaten your whole life but all of a sudden you can become sensitive to it or because of another condition you now find that it gives you issues.    Below is a non-exhaustive list of such foods that can cause more inflammation that would want to be eliminated or significantly reduced in your diet. 
 

FOODS THAT CAN INFLAME:

(source: arthritis.com)

  1. SUGAR: Especially refined forms, but sugars will trigger the release of cytokines that cause inflammation.
  2. SATURATED FATS: these fats will trigger adipose tissue to inflame.  Includes butter, cheese, coconut oil, red meat, full fat dairy, heavy creams etc.
  3. TRANS FATS: the same as saturated fats, but these fats are found in processed foods, fast food (oils/dressings), fried products, processed snacks, frozen meals etc.  Look for “partially hydrogenated oil” in the ingredients list.  Avoid processed food overall for best bets. 
  4. EXCESS OMEGA-6 FATTY ACIDS: This one might surprise you because we hear they are good for you, but the truth is, it is the proper BALANCE of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids that keep inflammation down. So, because many of us get many Omega-6 from corn, corn oils, soy, sunflower, grapeseed, peanuts, vegetable oil etc, then we get out of balance easily.  If you supplement with Omega’s, ensure you don’t supplement with the -6 or the -9, just the Omega-3’s!
  5. REFINED CARBOHYDRATES:  white flour, white rice, white potatoes or any other high glycemic foods that can “fuel the production of advanced glycation end (AGE) products that stimulate inflammation. 
  6. MSG (monosodium glutamate): this flavor enhancer is found in soy sauces and prepared asian dishes often but causes havoc by triggering TWO pathways that lead to more inflammation.  Avoid it, and all glutamates, for that reason!
  7. GLUTEN AND CASEIN: Both proteins found in wheat and dairy, respectively.  Joint pain can be a symptom of gluten or casein sensitivity.  Celiac disease is the autoimmune disease that is caused by an allergy to gluten.  Some people may not be official “allergic” to but can still be intolerant or sensitive to these two proteins.  
  8. ASPARTAME: This artificial sweetener is currently found in over 4,000 products but the most notable the majority of the “diet sodas” that are out there.  Unfortunately, what you might not get in calories from the sugar, you will still get in some inflammation (and sugar cravings) from the aspartame.  It’s time to let this habit go…
  9. ALCOHOL: Sorry to all my fellow wine-o’s, but the reality is that alcohol can cause inflammation by disrupting the liver and hindering organ interactions.  Alcohol will need to be significantly reduced if you want to reduce inflammation or beat a disease.  
 
Overall, this list might make you cringe a bit.  If you have ever enjoyed eating the MAD (modern American diet) you have come face-to-face with all of these foods on the regular, and they are more than likely some of your favorites!  So, just focusing on what you’re going to have to “give up” in order to reduce inflammation is another code for “diet” and I personally don’t believe that diets ever work.  
 
I think they can work short term and you CAN see results from going on a restrictive “do not eat” list, but overall, for a healthy MINDSET and healthy BODY, I think overly focusing on the RESTRICTING side of things is setting you up for failure eventually.  
 
While I do concede that some short term programs like the Whole30 and the Precision Nutrition Elimination Diet (both of which I have personally done) DO have some value in that they teach you outright which foods you are sensitive or intolerant to (which can only be done by eliminating them completely for 21-30 days and then reintroducing them back into your diet and monitoring results).  I ALSO know that these programs ARE NOT lifestyle programs, nor do they tout themselves to be.  
 
Eventually, you are going to come back to a LIFESTYLE approach where you have to ENJOY EATING the foods that promote a low-inflammation body.   When I transitioned to just focusing on getting MORE of the foods listed below (and many that are not listed too, of course), I realized how great I feel!  Not only physically, but also MENTALLY, because for ONCE, I wasn’t making my food choices from the only desire to “lose weight” or “firm up”…it was much more HEALTH focused than that!

Foods Rich In Omega-3

THE LOW-INFLAMMATION FOODS:

(source: Dr. Axe)
 
This is the list of foods that you want to focus on to keep your mindset on what you ARE going to do and how you ARE going to tackle this lifestyle approach to health.  That mindset shift can make all the difference!   In short, the lifestyle approach is WHOLE & REAL FOODS, RICH IN COLOR, AND HEALTHY FAT!!
 
But, if you want the best bang for your buck, focus on these Top 15. 
  1. GREEN LEAFY VEGETABLES: (spinach, kale, chard, mixed greens, etc) rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties called flavonoids.  Eat them up!
  2. BOK CHOY: “Chinese Cabbage” is rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals including over 70 phenolic substrates. 
  3. CELERY: antioxidant and anti-inflammatory rich, includes properties knows to regular blood pressure and cholesterol too.  Has a good balance of electrolytes sodium and potassium.
  4. BEETS: deep red color signals they are rich in antioxidant betalin and can fight and repair cell damage. Great source of electrolytes including potassium and magnesium (which magnesium deficiency is commonly associated with inflammatory diseases or issues). 
  5. BROCCOLI: high in potassium and magnesium and particularly potent in anti-inflammatory and antioxidants substances flavonoids and carotenoids. 
  6. BLUEBERRIES:  deep purple color signals quercetin that is a flavonoid that fights inflammation and cancer. 
  7. PINEAPPLE: rich in bromeliad and digestive enzymes.  Also helps regulate immune response in body, which will fight inflammation. 
  8. SALMON:  Omega-3 power source! Omega-3 balance is incredibly important as some of the most potent anti-inflammatory responses.  (I now eat Salmon 2x per week!)
  9. BONE BROTH: Such an awesome way to get so many minerals that our body can easily digest including: calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, sulphur etc. 
  10. WALNUTS: protein rich and omega-3 rich. Also contains phytonutrients. 
  11. COCONUT OIL:  works especially well with herbs and spices, namely, turmeric.  Will fight oxidative stress. 
  12. CHIA SEEDS: Contains fatty acids, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory substances.
  13. TUMERIC: The main substance cur cumin is among the most potent anti-inflammatory substance out there.  Tested against the properties in Ibuprofen and Aspirin and beat them!
  14. FLAX SEEDS: Another source of Omega-3, polyphenols and phytonutrients.  Helps to regulate hormone balance. 
  15. GINGER: Appears to bolster up the immune system pretty significantly and break down toxins in the body.  
 
The other component of living a low-inflammation life is to get EXERCISE!  A routine of physical activity is incredibly important to aid and embed the immune response and work of these yummy foods!

Grab Your Free Nutrient Guide Today!

Ready to SUPERCHARGE your nutrition in 2017?  

Get this FREE guide of the TOP 10 NUTRIENT DEFICIENCIES AND WHERE TO FIND THEM FOR LESS CALORIES.  

Studies are showing that some of the most common weight loss diets are also the least nutrient sufficient in the vital vitamins and minerals!  Other studies also show that multivitamins are NOT the answer, as huge metadata results indicate they are associated with higher mortality rates!

My FREE guide not only gives you where to find these most common deficient vitamins and minerals, but also gives you the serving size and nutrition data to help you get the least amount of calories per food choice!  

I even put all the information together into 2 days of menus that ensures you can get all the vitamins and minerals for UNDER 1700 calories!

Categories
Fitness & Training Food & Nutrition Health Coaching Spiritual Health

The Worst Health Advice I’ve Ever Received…Part III

and Truth I know now…

In our final installment of the 3-part series I’m calling, ‘The Worst Health Advice I’ve Ever Received” I’m going to be sharing probably the most ubiquitous bad health advice we’ve BOTH ever received. 
 
While the world has advanced with greater and greater scientific and specific health knowledge, it has also made room for a looooooot of bad advice.   
 
Today’s bad advice doesn’t have a story around it like the others because to be honest I can’t remember who exactly first told me this one, or if it was actually just my MIND that inferred this advice from simply how society approached health and wellness.  
 
The bad advice that I now know better than to fall for is this: 
 
HEALTH IS ONLY ABOUT EXERCISE AND NUTRITION.  
 
Isn’t this what society teaches us?  All you need to focus on in order to get health and stay healthy is to concern your efforts on what you’re eating and how you’re moving.  
 
If you struggle with your health, it’s only because you’re not doing something “right” with regards to your movement and your eating.  
 
This is what I have believed for over 3 decades of struggle with my body and body image. This advice sent me into a frenzy of exhaustive effort, almost becoming addicted to thinking about my eating, obsessive with my exercise, and never feeling satisfied with where my body was.  
 
Oh, you aren’t seeing results?  Well, try harder.
You adapted to your workouts?  Hmm, you should probably just try harder. 
You put on 5 lbs from a weekend  of excessive eating?  Try harder! 
 
This has been so conditioned to our psyche, we have formed a mindset of lack and scarcity.  Never feeling “good enough” and always on guard for the evidence that proves we are underperforming.  
 
 
The thing about believing that advice that all it takes to be health is to focus on your eating and your exercise is because there IS TRUTH in this advice, but it’s only half of the truth. 
 
There’s no denying that your physical health depends on your eating and exercise.  But it’s missing the 2 other pillars of health— your THINKING (what I call WISE’her) and your SPIRIT (what I called SURREND’her).  
 
So, let’s get into the WORD of God for what might reveal what TRUE HEALTH looks like for every one of us. 
 

Bible Background...

The Apostle John was one of the 12 disciples that followed Jesus during His time on Earth.  John wrote the Gospel of John and was one of Jesus’ best friends and self proclaimed to be the “one whom Jesus loved.”   
 
John was also the disciple to lived the longest.  Where many of the others were martyred for their Faith in Christ the Messiah, John lived into his 80’s in the town of Ephesus.  It is from this city that he penned some of the greatest books of the Bible:  1 John, 2 John, 3 John and Revelation. 
 
Well, it is in the short letter called 3 John, we see where this wise, Jesus loving, disciple tells us what is KEY to health.
 

 His greeting in this letter states: (3 John 1:2: GNB)

 
John tells us two very critical things in this simple greeting. 
 

 1. Our HEALTH is very important to our calling.  You cannot be of your best use to God’s mission if you are NOT well in health.  While this might seem obvious in statement, it’s NOT obvious when you look at the state of health of the church.  I pray that this continues to change in the Body.

 

2. It tells us that really, our body’s health CAN ONLY BE AS HEALTHY as your spirit and soul.  

It’s important that you EQUALLY invest in your SOUL (your emotions, your thinking, and your will and motivation) and SPIRIT (your relationship God within you) as you do in your physical health.  
 
What I realized in order for my struggle-to-turn-to-success in my own body is that my PROBLEMS were not with my body, my eating, and my exercise regimens.  My problems were in how I was THINKING about my body, my eating and my exercise.  
 
The thoughts that created the feelings and misdirected my motivation all were problems in my SOUL that was buried in my FLESHY nature as opposed to how God has called me to walk, within my SPIRITUAL nature.  
 

With this new found freedom of truth I have built a platform of complete education and direction for women who are ready to live TRULY HEALTHY lives.  

 
It’s called the her Health Lounge and it’s a 26-week journey to a LIFESTYLE of health.  
 
The Lounge is an online portal where all members have 24-hour access to over 80 coaching videos discussing the necessary knowledge one must have to truly walk in Spiritual and Physical health.  
 
 
We spend 8 WEEKS devoted to BODY (nutrition and fitness education), 8 WEEKS devoted to MINDSET, and 8 WEEKS devoted to SPIRIT.  
 
All members receive my best tools for physical success with my Nutrient Based Eating program and book, as well as my signature STRONGher Fitness & Mobility program delivered on the Lounge portal as well as my STRONGher APP with the full-length video demos.  
 
 
The best part is not just the Lounge and it’s amazing content, but it’s the COMMUNITY of women and the COACHING from myself and my co-caoches.  This program offers your access the the most encouraging and motivating Facebook group out there!   
 
And you will also sign up for either (13) 1:1 coaching calls every 2-weeks  or (8) small group coaching calls every 3-weeks.   It’s in these calls that you will hold yourself accountable and establish a clear pathway to success! 
 
I’d love to welcome you to this opportunity to improve your physical health by focusing equal effort on your Spiritual health as well!  The doors open to sign up on April 3 and will close on April 9.  Our 26-weeks together will start April 10!  
 
Be sure you’re on the waitlist if you want to get first dibs.   I’d love to reach out to you to set up a call and chat more to ensure we are a “wright fit” for each other.  Click HERE to join that waitlist.
 
 

Are you "A. Wright Fit" for the her Health Lounge? Watch and find out!

her Health Lounge opens April 3!

The 26-week journey to a LIFETIME of health success starts on April 10!  The her Health Lounge will be open for limited members starting April 3!  To be the first to know, put your name on the list HERE.  You'll get a nice little discount too!   

Categories
Food & Nutrition Spiritual Health

The Worst Health Advice I’ve Ever Received….Part 2

and Truth I know now…

We are midway through this 3-part series I’m sharing on the “Worst Advice” I have received from fitness “professionals” that I have learned is simply BAD ADVICE.  
 
Last blog (link here), I shared with you the fact that some professional football players told me that "I shouldn’t do so many lunges since I already had “thick thighs.”'  So not only was this RUDE advice, but it was very BAD advice because as I went over, the LEANEST my thighs ever got was also the MOST and HEAVIEST amount of lifting I had ever done!    It is backwards to our female intuition, but it is the TRUTH about women’s bodies.  We need muscle to burn fat. 
 
Today’s story is also some bad advice from another male trainer who really offered me some terrible advice while I was beginning to thinking about training for the bikini competition. 
 
This was when I was 29-years old and I was working part-time at my favorite gym in the whole world, Bodies by Perseverance in Denver, CO.  
 
A trainer that worked there at the time (before he was let go) had offered to train me for free for a few sessions and was one who was pushing me to consider doing a bikini competition.  
 
At this time I was very suspicious of the whole process (which proved to be good intuition on my part that I should have trusted) because I was seeing a lot of girls lose a TON OF WEIGHT, but they were REALLY CRANKY and irritable the whole time.  Then, once the show was over, I saw the grand majority GAIN ALL THE WEIGHT BACK and then some.  
 
Well, when this trainer revealed to me his master strategy for how he was going to train me, I knew this was the reason why!   
 

He told me, and I quote,  “You need to burn as many calories in exercise as you eat in the day.”  End quote. 

 
So, his “diet plan” for me would include a menu of 900-1200 calories total (which for me an my 5’10” frame is WAYYYYYY too low) of virtually no carbs, and he also expected me to BURN about 900-1200 calories a day doing EXERCISE!  
 
This is not only BAD ADVICE but this is DANGEROUS advice that can seriously harm your metabolism.  
 
I obviously did not hire this trainer to do my competition and I did still suffer some of the effects of the more extreme diet and exercise programs all warrant for doing a show, but at least I didn’t cause grave, sometimes irreversible damage that his advice could have cause me. 
 
Let’s set the record straight on your METABOLISM and HOW MANY CALORIES TO EAT or BURN each day. 

METABOLISM TRUTHS: 

—If you starve your body either by eating too few calories or burning too many calories (or both) you will slow down your metabolism and will have an incredibly hard time speeding it up again.  This makes it nearly impossible to burn fat and lose weight again.  If you were to lose weight this way but then gain it back (because your body thinks it's starving so it kicks up your appetite and cravings) you will have a MUCH HARDER time losing weight again.  Your body does not forget the times when you’ve starved it.  It won’t be so quick to lose its fat reserves next time.
 
—Metabolic experts have research based evidence that says that to avoid slowing down of your metabolism, your goal should be to eat as much as possible while still showing signs of weight loss.  The process will go in a stepwise fashion of slowly decreasing calories or increasing calorie burn via exercise to "test and see" how much you can eat while still showing results.  This will take TIME and PATIENCE but will be well worth the effort in order to maintain the metabolism as much as possible.     
 
So, at my size (5’10”, 157 lbs) and age (34 years), I burn about 2,000-2,100 calories a day just from my everyday life (taken from my Apple Watch).    If I exercise for 30-45 mins and take a leisure walk, I may get up to about 2600 calories burned per day.  This means, to keep my metabolism revved up, I need to eat no less than 1600-1700 calories per day on non-workout days or 2100-2300 calories per day on workout days.  (This is if I want to lose weight).
 
The fat loss process needs to go much SLOWER than you think it does.  For example, if I have a rough deficit of 500 calories per day over the course of a full week, I will at most lose 1 lb of fat per week.  Now, hormones and inflammation, and all that will sway the “weight” part, but you can rest assured that this will allow for fat burning that you will notice more over time. 
 
—Metabolic damage is very serious that shouldn’t be taken lightly.  Because of the surge of women deciding to do bikini or bodybuilding competitions, we are seeing a rise in the damage done.  Things like autoimmune disorders like Hashimoto’s (Thyroid), adrenal fatigue, and whacked out estrogen/progesterone (from any extended stress) can all result  from this aggressive approach to weight loss.   Your hormones matter!!  Take caution. 
 
While all this physical effects are important to address, but to me these consequences of physical and metabolic damage is small in comparison to the SPIRITUAL damage and the condemnation you feel when you lose weight and gain it all back because your body is fighting against you “starving” it for quicker results.  It only took me 5 months to lose 7% of body fat, but it took me OVER A YEAR and a LOT OF GOD’S GRACE to help me forgive myself for doing it and gaining the weight back.  
 
 

This is why I ever started A. Wright Fit as a fit and FAITHFUL business and created my her Health Lounge to be:

8 WEEKS OF BODY (Nutrition & Fitness) EDUCATION
8 WEEKS OF MINDSET INTENTION & 
8 WEEKS OF SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT
 
When you change anything physical about your body you will do so by either BUILD-UP your Spiritual muscles or BREAKING-DOWN your Spirit.  It's one way or another.  And the way that society teaches us usually ends up on the destructive side toward our Spiritual growth.  
 
The reason why women take such drastic measure to change their body is because of an unhealthy relationship with their body.  There are so many mindset barriers and lies that women will believe about themselves that this program can help set you straight.  It also teaches you how to strengthen your Spirit which builds the patience, endurance, and self-control that are all pivotal in winning the fat loss game long term!  
 
 
I’m REALLY excited to invite you to join!  Again, doors open on April 3 and the close on April 9th!  So don’t miss your chance to transform your life!  Please join the waitlist HERE to learn more!  

her Health Lounge opens April 3!

The 26-week journey to a LIFETIME of health success starts on April 10!  The her Health Lounge will be open for limited members starting April 3!  To be the first to know, put your name on the list HERE.  You'll get a nice little discount too!   

Categories
Food & Nutrition

5 Nutrient Based Eating Recipes I’m Going Nuts On!

Mmmmm…..

 

 

You might think that because I am a certified nutritionist and creator of a nutrition program, called Nutrient Based Eating, that I must love cooking and recipe development. 

Well, my dear, you would be WRONG. ? 

I have so much respect for the food bloggers out there!  Truly, BLESS YOU!  I have created some recipe books and ideas before and I find the whole process (on that level) to be exhausting!  

So EATING….YES.  

RECIPES….not so much.  

But, I think this works out quite well as a nutrition coach because my clients now know that I am all about simple, delicious food that is NOT overly cumbersome to create.  Every once in awhile a detailed recipe is awesome, but unless it can last me for more than one meal, I usually will defer to the easier meal ideas.  

I like SIMPLE and QUICK meals that are BALANCED, HEALTHY, AND TASTY.  So that’s what I’m going go give you today with my….

TOP 5 (CURRENT) FAVORITE NBE RECIPES!

But first, a little 101 on the Nutrient Based Eating program so you understand the necessary components to make a meal truly #NBEapproved!

  1. Nutrient Based Eating is a LIFESTYLE-based approach to eating that takes you through the individual habit-formation steps toward holistic and balanced meals.   Meaning, these meals are ones that your family can eat too (or at least a modified version of it, with serving sizes varying).  
  2.  NBE has 5 Phases, the first of which, Phase 0, guides you through building up the “NBE Plate.”  These plates/recipes I will be showing you today are all under the “Phase 1” context, meaning that the habits are all already assumed.  If you were just starting out, this is not where I would start you, but eating this way would be where you would wind up after 1-6 habits are formed to automation. ??
  3. NBE components are as follows:  Water + Green Vegetable + Colored Vegetable (or low sugar fruit) + Starchy Carb (or high sugar fruit/sweets) + Protein + Fat.  You will (eventually) eat your meals about every 3-5 hours (once you get to that habit).  The serving sizes or portions of each food group are adjusted according to a plate graphic and hand measuring tools.    

 

SO, if this is enough information to at least allow you to understand the general framework, let’s get to the food shall we?


NBE Breakfast Tacos

Ingredients:

1 Whole Egg (Fat), 1/2 Cup Liquid Egg Whites (Protein), Kale or Spinach (Green Vegetable), Zucchini (Green Vegetable),  Red Pepper and Red Onion (Colored Vegetable), 1 Blue Corn Soft Taco Shell (Starchy Carb).  Served with fresh berries (colored veg/low sugar fruit).  

Directions: 

  1. Saute the kale, spinach, zucchini, sliced red pepper and onion on a hot skillet with light olive or avocado oil for 1-2 mins on medium heat. 
  2. Add in 1 whole egg and the liquid egg whites.  Cover with a lid to cook it “frittata” style.  You can also simply scramble them lightly.
  3. Heat up the corn tortilla in the microwave for 20 seconds.
  4. Once the eggs are cooked to your liking, put half of it in your corn tortilla shell and the other half on the plate to eat alone.  Add some fresh salsa (with no sugar added) if you like a little spice.
  5. I also enjoyed some fresh berries after for a fulfilling breakfast. 🙂

NBE Power Smoothie

Ingredients:

Handful of Spinach or Power Greens, Frozen (Green Vegetable)
1 Zucchini (Green Vegetable)
Frozen Berries (Colored Veg/Low Sugar Fruit)
1 Carrot (Colored Veg)
1/2 Frozen Banana (Starchy Carb/High Sugar Fruit)
Unsweetened Almond Milk (some fat)
Avocado (or coconut) (Fat)
Plant-Based Protein (or pasteurized egg whites) (Protein)
(Optional– chia seeds (fat), hemp seeds (protein), flax seeds (fat), cinnamon (n/a))

Directions:

Place all items in your blender and blend away!! You can add more or less liquid based on how thick you enjoy your smoothie. I own a blender for protein shakes so it can cope with lots of frozen fruits and tough foods however if your blender is a little more delicate, leave the fruit to defrost. Some blenders are fragile! Sometimes the frozen items can get stuck in your blender, to which I use the Vitamix wand to break it up.  You may need a wooden spoon or spatula.  



Taboule Turkey Salad

Ingredients:

Finely Chopped Parsley, flat leaf or curled (Green Vegetable/Herb)
Diced Cucumber (Cucumber)
Diced Tomatoes (Colored Vegetable)
Bulgar Wheat, or Quinoa if GF (Starchy Carb)
Lemon Olive Oil Dressing (Fat)
Smoked Turkey (Protein)

Directions:

  1.  Buy as much pre-made for you!  Lol.  I bought an organic sliced turkey breast instead of cooking my own.  I also bought a fast-cooking bulgur wheat (or quinoa) that I made a large batch of.  This entire salad keeps really well, so make it large and eat it throughout the week!
  2. Bulgur Wheat is made much like rice or quinoa. 1 Cup Bulguar to 2 Cups water.  Bring to a boil on stove top. Then reduce the heat and allow to simmer on low for ~15 mins until you can fluff with your fork. 
  3. Finely chop the parsley or use a food processor for even greater ease (minus the clean up!)
  4. Chop the tomatoes and cucumbers. 
  5. Mix 1/4 cup olive oil with fresh lemon juice and a pinch of salt.  
  6. Toss all ingredients together and top with some sliced turkey.  

Lettuce Wrap or Regular Tacos

Ingredients:

Butter Lettuce or Romaine Lettuce Hearts (Green Vegetables) for taco shells
Ground Turkey or Grass-fed Beef (Protein)
Red Bell Peppers & Onions (Colored Vegetable)
Portobello Mushrooms (Green/White Vegetable)
Refried Black Beans (Starchy Carb)
Sliced Avocado (Fat)

Directions:

  1. Cook the ground meat of choice all the way through stovetop on medium-high heat. 
  2. Saute lightly in olive oil the peppers, onions, and mushrooms.
  3. Cook the refried black beans (from a carton or can) in a saucepan or even the microwave!
  4. Slather the lettuce wrap with beans first, add on the meat and the veggies.  Top with the sliced avocado and even some salsa! 
  5. Enjoy!


Zoodle Pasta Primavera

Ingredients:

Butter Lettuce Cups or Romaine Lettuce Cups (Green Vegetable)
Sliced Peppers, Onions, Garlic, Portobello Mushrooms (Green/White Vegetables)
Red Peppers, Fresh Red Salsa (Colored Vegetables)
No Sugar Added Marinara (from a jar for me, but you can make homemade with crushed tomatoes) (Colored Vegetables)
Sliced or Ground Protein of Choice (Chicken, Turkey, Lean Grass-fed Beef, Grass-fed Bison) (Protein)
Olive Oil (fat)

Directions:

  1.  Cook the meat stovetop all the way through.
  2. Saute in olive oil the vegetables until the onion is translucent on medium heat.   (You can blend these or finely chop them if you live with family members who are more vegetable opposed).  
  3. Add the vegetables and marinara together in a saucepan on medium heat.  
  4. Spiralize or thinly slice 4-6 zucchinis for the “zoodles.”  For best results I microwave these on high for 2-3 mins to keep some “crispness” to the zucchini.  I find that boiled them leads to water retention and mushy noodles. 
  5. If anyone in your family is zucchini opposed, they can have regular noodles while you have zucchini (or another option which is spaghetti squash).  
     

 

Nutrient Based Eating eBook & eCourse for Sale!

If you are interested in learning more about the Nutrient Based Eating program that has led women to thriving lean bodies just one habit at a time, then this is YOUR week!  For a very limited time, I will be opening up this program for purchase outside of my normal coaching program!  

Cart OPEN on Wednesday, March 1 only until Friday, March 3!  But an early purchase opportunity (and discount) will be offered to my email subscribers on Tuesday, February 28!  To get on that early bird list, subscribe HERE.  

Categories
Food & Nutrition

Health Habits of Happiness: The Mindset Behind The Meal


 
 
You may have noticed a running theme my “Health Habits of Happiness” series. We first talked about the power of eating until you’re only 80% full, what’s called “Hara Hachi Bu” in the Okinawa, Japanese culture.  Then we talked last week about 3 ways to eat with 80% moderation instead of trying to be perfect or taking too drastic nor too relaxed of an approach to implementing good nutrition habits.  
 
This week, we continue in the same vein with a habit that actually blows the other two out of the water when it comes to it’s significance in your eating.  
 
When it comes to your eating, your MINDSET matters more than the meal itself.  In fact, good nutrition and a healthy thriving body is all about 80% MINDSET and 20% circumstances or food.  
 
Dr. Caroline Leaf, renowned neuroscientist and author of the book, “Think & Eat Yourself Smart,” say it’s the “mindset behind the meal that plays the dominant role in the process of  human food related health issues, approximately 80%.  If we do not have a healthy mind, then nothing else is our life will be healthy, including our eating habits.” 
 
This is proven not just in an “ethereal” or “metaphorical” sense, but scientifically and physically.  Studies are showing that what we THINK in our MIND develops physical structures in our brains, namely, neurons (brain cells).  
 
It has been proven that the quality of our thoughts will have a grave impact on the quality of the neurons.  Thoughts that focus on more negative, fear-based thoughts create structures that have a WIDELY different epigenetic effect  (meaning that they turn on or off a different expression of our genes)  than thoughts that are focused on positive of loving thoughts.   It is incredible! 
 
This being said, when we relate this information to learning to eat a LIFESTYLE based approach to health, making consistent choices in healthier, holistic foods,  choosing the right habits to focus on and committing to them for the long haul (i.e. avoiding the all-or-nothing trap), and the biggest desire which is to learn to actually ENJOY eating in these ways is ALL ABOUT THE MINDSET and less about the food itself.  
 
 
So, for this habit, let’s get real about how we can take actionable steps toward building a WISE’her MINDSET in health. 

3 Necessary Mindsets for Health

1. You Gotta Intend It:

It’s amazing how many people think they are being intentional with their health but are actually mindlessly allowing bad habits to rule them.
 
You will not improve any part of your health by accident, it can only be done by intention.  
  
One of the best stories in the Bible of Jesus healing a man who has been an invalid for 38 years.  
 
John 5:5-6 
“One man there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years.  Jesus saw him lying there and realized he had already been there a long time.  “Do you want to get well?” He asked.” 
 
This question is astounding to me.  In so many ways we think…OBVIOUSLY this poor man wants to get well, Jesus?!  Isn’t they why he’s been at this well for so long?  Hellloooo!?
 
But, you know, Jesus is quite astute and doesn’t ask stupid questions.  He cuts right to the heart of this man and straight up asks him, “Do you want to get well? Or are you happy to just sit here and wail and complain about your condition?”  
 
I think God is asking you the same question.  (Tough love alert ;-))
 

Have you been so caught up in your “dieting frenzy” and this "health hustle" that you’ve lost sight of what true health is all about?  

 

Are you procrastinating or unwilling to give up certain foods or do uncomfortable things, like exercise?

 

Are you spending all kinds of crazy time at the gym but not seeing any results because you can’t control what you put in your mouth?  

 

Do you secretly enjoy getting to complain or boast about how “healthy” you’re being, but on the inside you’re still miserable?

 

So, do you want to get well?  Do your life choices indicate that you do?  

 
If you truly INTEND to be well and get healthy on the inside AND the outside, then you have to get your MIND RIGHT.  
 
No more extremes.  No more self loathing.  No more complaining about healthy food and how much you hate it.

2. You Gotta Embrace It: 

The mindset toward change is quite interesting for the human psyche.  To me, there are two types of people that struggle to fully embrace the habit formation principles of my Nutrient Based Eating program. 
 
  1. The Start Resistant
  2. The Finish Resistant   
 
The “Start Resistant” types equate change with pain.  So they don’t want to change anything about their eating because they want to avoid that pain.  
 
If you are “Start Resistant” you will procrastinate and find excuses and will continue to convince yourself “things are just fine how they are,” except that they’re not.  You will start to wear the consequences of that delay with unfortunate effects like weight gain, concerning health issues, or more.  
 
The EMBRACE mindset for you is to start changing your mind about change being painful. You focus on the OUTCOME more than the discomfort at the beginning.  Repeat that in your mind and you set the new habit goal.  Visualize the success and dive in!  To sooner you start, the sooner the pain will fade.  
 
The “Finish Resistant” types have the shiny object syndrome.  You love new habits!  You get a thrill over new ideas or goals, but once that “newness” emotion wears off, you fade away and quit before a true habit can be formed.  
 
The problem here is that you become busy without being productive.  It’s exhaustive and unfruitful.  When you don’t see true progress, you start to doubt yourself.  
 
Your EMBRACE mindset for you is all about changing your mind about needing to feel emotionally motivated to finish.  You have to push past those fading emotions and continue implementing your habits so you finish it to completion. 
 
 Focus on a reward and tracking system that will help stay the course.  If you find another habit you want to work on along the way, simply sideline that habit for later.  There is plenty of time to do it all, but not all at once.
 

3. You Gotta Enjoy It: 

I get it, we all have an inner toddler in all of us who gags at the sight of certain green foods.  But, as the Bible says, "When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things.” (1 Cor 13:11)
 
With my Nutrient Based Eating program, or any holistic eating program, you don’t have to like every kind of whole fruit, vegetable, grain or sustainably raised animal product….but you gotta like quite a few to get a balanced diet that your body deserves.  
 
You not only have to get over the “diet mentality” where you think it has to be painful or extreme to be effective (alert, it doesn't!)  but you have to actively choose to ENJOY this way of eating so you can do it for LIFE. 
 
You MINDSET has greater pull than your tastebuds or olfactory senses do!  You can choose to enjoy any and every kind of food when your heart knows that you are doing what is RIGHT for your body, to honor God, and to be a light of influence to your family and friends around you!  
 

Now THAT is something to be JOYFUL about! 

Grab Your Free Nutrient Guide Today!

 The NBE officially becomes available for purchase and will be offered at a discounted price for my email subscribers ONLY the week of February 27.  If you want to get on that waitlist, you can sign-up HERE and get a copy of my FREE Nutrient Workbook of the “Top 10 Most Common Nutrient Deficiencies And Where To Find Them For Less Calories.”  
 
This guide will help educate you on how to get more Vitamins and Minerals to BOOST your energy and make you feel amazing! 
Categories
Food & Nutrition

Health Habits of Happiness: Moderation by 80%/20%

  I think by now we’ve all gotten wind that diets don’t work.  Study after study has revealed that the grand majority of people gain back MORE than they lost within 5 years.  What’s worse is that they METABOLIC CONSEQUENCES of losing weight and gaining it back means that you’re better off not losing the weight to begin with than to lose it and then gain it back.   

“We concluded most of them would have been better off not going on the diet at all. Their weight would be pretty much the same, and their bodies would not suffer the wear and tear from losing weight and gaining it all back.” –UCLA researcher Traci Mann

 So what does this mean?  Do we literally just settle for being overweight or at a size and shape we don’t want to be? No, that’s clearly not the answer.  As children of God, we are called to steward our bodies well.  To recognize that our “bodies are not our own” (1 Cor 6:19) but are the very temple of God that we need to maintain not only for ourselves, but to be a shining representative of God. The key is to STOP DIETING but still mindfully take care of our eating and our bodies with healthy habits. Enter in the concept of eating in MODERATION. This is a hot topic of conversation in the fitness world that has a lot of skeptics and critics alike. Moderation seems a bit meaningless to a lot of people.  After all, it’s a completely subjective word where what is “moderate” amount for me is not a “moderate” amount for you.  One study found that when it comes to serving sizes of a “moderate” amount, people’s answer was always the amount they intended to eat.  We as humans cleverly deceive ourselves when we claim we can have whatever food we want and then throw out some amount that we conveniently call “moderation.” Moderation is not meaningless.  Even the Bible talks about the mindset of moderation from a Spiritually mature perspective.  

“I have the right to do anything,” you say–but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”–but I will not be mastered by anything.”  1 Corinthians 6:12

 But, though we humans can often get this concept wrong, there IS a way to eat in moderation by using a guideline but not a hard line.   In other words, the key to allowing moderation to work but to not make it into a “diet” either literally or in our mentality, is to establish that BOUNDARY between a guideline and a “rule.”   This is exactly what I offer in my Nutrient Based Eating program (debuting the week of 2/27) as I help clients build up their nutritional excellence ONE SOLID HABIT at a time.  One of the MOST beneficial habits that I include help on is the “80/20 Principle of Moderation.“ In essence, in order to see results from this lifestyle based approach to health, happiness and wholeness, you need to ensure you are implementing your current eating habit(s) at 80% consistency.  This means you don’t have to be PERFECT!  Perfect doesn’t work.  Eating “perfectly” is an ideal figment of our imagination that doesn’t account for our human nature and the uncontrolled circumstances that constantly threaten and thwart our efforts.   You will see results JUST AS FAST and for LONGER if you attempt to be about 80% consistency with it. Many people find it difficult to keep this 80/20 split, some of my friends who are working towards this recently discoverd that cannabis can improve insulin regulation (Learn more). That means that if you have a little bit more than you should on the sugar side of your diet, the cannabis can improve your bodies ability to deal with it! I haven’t tried this myself but it sounds great. Now, I know what you’re thinking.  You’re wondering, well how do I know what 80% means?  I mean, can you measure it??!   Well, truthfully, yes you can, but not with any exact amount.   But, this is where my NBE GUIDE helps you out.   You implement the 80% Moderation Principle in one of three ways.  All of these have varying pros and cons and you may toggle these from week-to-week, depending on what you have going on in your life. You’ll want to test and see which one works best in your life and your mindset.  But be aware, it will take 63+ days of consistent practice to get good at this habit alone! 

3 Ways to Implement 80% Moderation: 

1.Meal-by-Meal:  

 This is the most effective form of moderation in my opinion.  If my NBE goal (as taken from the Phase 0 section of the NBE program) was to eat holistically (meaning, foods that are whole sourced and non-processed).  This means that 80% of the plate of food I have in front of me will be foods that came from the ground or had a mother (or are sustainably processed) and the other 20% is free for the foods I like.  In this example. you would measure this by literally making your plate like a pie graph that shows what 80% looks like and what 20% looks like.

For me, this means that if I wanted, I could have 2-3 bites of dark chocolate with every single meal if I wanted… and some weeks I do (hello menses!)!! It won’t sabotage my efforts so long as I keep the 80% consistent!
 
2.Day-by-Day:  
 
This moderation habit is effective for those who have a single meal they know they are going to need to be a little more relaxed.
 
If you eat 4 meals per day, this means that 3 out of the 4 will be 100% consistent with your current goal and then the 4th meal will be more flexible.  

It works well for those days you are going out to eat or have a special occasion. Or, your family is not quite on board with your health eating and you want to enjoy dinner with them. 
 

The only catch is to not allow yourself to think of the 20% meal as a “free for all” or one of my least favorite phrases, a “cheat meal.”  To me, when you are living a moderate lifestyle there is no such thing as CHEATING!  There is no such thing as “good food” and “bad food.”  Calling it “cheating” can develop like a “guilty pleasure” mindset which takes on a life of it’s own.  It causes more overindulgence than necessary.  
If you want to see true success, you can’t go nuts even on your “more relaxed meal.”  It will sabotage your entire day if you overeat and eat too much of the wrong foods.  
 
You still have to care about what you’re eating but you don’t have to be as strict.  It leaves room for you to enjoy more bites of your favorite foods.  
 
3.Week-by-Week:
 
This moderation habit is perhaps the most dangerous but also truly helpful for the times we are on vacation or just know the day will be tough to find the foods we need in order to keep our nutrition habit.  
 

If you go 4 days in a row of being 100% consistent with your nutrition habit, then you can take the 5th day to be more relaxed the whole day.  
 

Now, much like the idea of having a “cheat meal” you can’t think of this entire day as a free-for-all.  You still care about what you’re eating, and being mindful where you can (and let’s face it, when you begin to eat the NBE way, you WILL actually CRAVE the nutritious foods more than you think.) 
 

So, these full days are things to plan for ahead of time and only use them when you know you truly need a full day of flexibility.  Then then next day, you’re back on to your habit with the 80% moderation plan in place!
 

What’s the key to moderation success?

Having a plan in place before the week begins and having some sort of accountability in place to ensure you are being 80% consistent. 
 
This can come in a variety of forms, such as writing it down, doing it with a friend, or both!
 

For my NBE program, I have created the tracking form to help you do just that along with some group accountability! 
 

The program comes with a printable NBE Habit Formula Tracker that allows you to list your habit, place a check mark on the meals per day that you accomplished you habit, and then determine at the end of the week if you were about 80% consistent!  

Not only that, all purchasers will be added to a private Facebook page where you can post your goal with the other ladies in the program and help hold yourself accountable that way as well!  

 

 

Nutrient Based Eating Program

Grab Your Free Nutrient Guide Today!

 The NBE officially becomes available for purchase and will be offered at a discounted price for my email subscribers ONLY the week of February 27.  If you want to get on that waitlist, you can sign-up HERE and get a copy of my FREE Nutrient Workbook of the “Top 10 Most Common Nutrient Deficiencies And Where To Find Them For Less Calories.”  
 
I’d love to hear your comments below of what you think about this “moderation” approach to eating?  Does it sound feasible?  What difficulties do you see with some of these approaches?  What are some of the possible solutions?  

Categories
Food & Nutrition

Health Habits of Happiness #1: Hara Hachi Bu

 
 
I have to say, I’m a little fascinated with Japan and now I have reason to be even more so.  I have been so lucky to have been able to travel there 4 times so far since my stepdaughter lives there right now, stationed with her mom and her stepdad in the navy.  
 
Every time we travel to Tokyo and the surrounding cities, I am in awe of the culture.  They are very clean people (I once saw a man who’s sole job was the clean the grates and cracks of the metal part you step on right before hopping on a escalator), they are incredibly gracious people (bowing to you every time you enter their store and when you leave it), and they are very healthy people (ranked 5th on Bloomberg’s list of healthiest nations in 2015—the US was ranked 33rd, btw).  
 
It was of no surprise that when I was researching the BEST and most foundational habits to build in your nutrition (as is covered in my soon to be released Nutrient Based Eating book), one of the best practices for eating in moderation originated in a Japanese province.  
 
Okinawa, Japan is considered one of the coveted “Blue Zone” areas of the world which are those cities that have a high population of Centenarians, or those people who live over the age of 100.  Naturally, these populations of people cause us to look deeper into their nutrition habits and cultures to speculate what their longevity and health secrets are.  
 
While there are some surprises we find from this population, such as while they are Japanese residents, they actually don’t eat as much fish as we would expect.  Their eating is largely centered around plant-based eating and holistic food choices.  
 
But, what is truly impactful to their longevity is the principle called “Hara Hachi Bu” (or Hara Hachi Bun Me) which means “eat until your belly is 80% full.”  
 
It is the mindful approach to portion control and calorie restriction which has lead to an extended life and a higher quality life in older age.  
 
According to the Wikipedia page, it is believed that the average Okinawan resident eats only between 1,800-1,900 calories per day.  Whereas another study showed that the US, (once again not to be outdone!), ranked #1 with the most calories consumed per day with an average of 3,770!
 
So, while there will be a time and place to address WHAT you’re eating, one solid habit to form is simply HOW you’re eating.  
 
This habit of avoiding overeating will be invaluable to your long term health and pave the way for you to be able to enjoy the foods you like the most, simply in moderation.  
 

Can you learn to stop eating at 80% full?  Yes, I know you can.  Here are some mindful eating tips to help you. 

 

 

1. Remember, like all habits, this will take about 63 days to form, so focus on it by itself.  

Dr. Caroline Leaf and associated neuroscientists have proven that while a memory takes 21-days to form, an actual habit of automated behavior takes 63 days.  
 
So, you need to go into the habit fully expecting the daily practice sessions to be long and bumpy.  The thing about this habit is it requires several cues that we so easily forget to do simply because of the pace in which our life.  So while it is technically one habit of registering fullness and stopping eating, it will involve several other behavioral habits that are the remainder of this list. 
 
This is why, in my Nutrient Based Eating program I have all clients focus on just ONE nutritional habit at a time.  Trying to achieve this while simultaneously working on food choices, eliminating food groups etc, is simply too overwhelming for our brain to handle.  With this one, give yourself 2 solid months of discipline and diligence!

 

2. Stop Multitasking Eating

Now, I get it.  With all the things you have going on in your busy life, you sometimes think the only time you can squeeze in remembering to eat might be at your office while you're fielding emails or scarfing on a snack while you’re driving, but the reality is that these behaviors are not just bad for the cause of overeating, but also for digestion and drawing out the vitamins and minerals from your foods.  
 
Remember, while food is certainly enjoyable, it’s also designed to help fuel your body and a very important aspect of that is digestion!  When you are eating too fast and eating on the run, your body does not digest the foods as well and you are robbed of some of the necessary vitamins and minerals you need!  The stress levels of a hurried lifestyle impact far more than you’ve bargained for.  So pencil in your meal times without any distractors!  Give yourself 15-20 mins to eat!
 

3. Practice Registering Hunger/Satiety Cues:

 
On a previous blog, I went over the difference between hunger and cravings and the importance of eating when you’re about a level 7 on a scale of 1-10 of the hunger scale.  Equally important is knowing your satiety scale as well.  In this case, you will want to stop eating at a level 4-5 of the hunger scale and note that it will take your body 15-20 mins to fully register fullness (hormonally). 
Here’s how I would characterize each level from 1-10. 
 hunger scale from 1-10
 
*Note: When you stop eating at a level 4-5 you may also need to pay attention to eating sooner than you normally would as well.  If you normally eat so much lunch you go until dinner without anything in between, it’s wise to pack a snack and expect to get your hunger back on track to eating every 3-5 hours.   

4. Remove Food From Your Sight:

We will all  mindlessly eat when food is right in front of us.  So going to buffets and stocking your office or home living room with candy dishes are not the way to easily achieve this goal.  
 
As much as you can, remove food from your sight.  If you are at a restaurant, simply cover it with your napkin or put the remainder in a to-go container.  If you are cooking at home, put your meal on a plate (a smaller plate, at that) instead of eating out of a bag, box or while standing in front of a refrigerator or pantry!  Come up with easy solutions to help you manage the mindless eating that we will all get caught doing from time-to-time. 
 
For more great ideas of for mindless eating hacks, I really enjoyed the book Mindless Eating by Brian Wansink. 
 
For other great blogs and resources on our appetites and mindful eating, I really enjoyed the blog posted by my certification company, Precision Nutrition.  You can check out their awesome blogs here.    

Grab Your Free Nutrient Guide Today!

Ready to SUPERCHARGE your nutrition in 2017?  

Get this FREE guide of the TOP 10 NUTRIENT DEFICIENCIES AND WHERE TO FIND THEM FOR LESS CALORIES.  

Studies are showing that some of the most common weight loss diets are also the least nutrient sufficient in the vital vitamins and minerals!  Other studies also show that multivitamins are NOT the answer, as huge metadata results indicate they are associated with higher mortality rates!

My FREE guide not only gives you where to find these most common deficient vitamins and minerals, but also gives you the serving size and nutrition data to help you get the least amount of calories per food choice!  

I even put all the information together into 2 days of menus that ensures you can get all the vitamins and minerals for UNDER 1700 calories!

Categories
Food & Nutrition

4 METABOLIC CLUES THAT YOUR NUTRITION IS WORKING FOR YOU

And what to do if it’s not…

 
 
 
When it comes to Nutrition, we all know that the #1 way to “officially” tell if your nutrition is working for you is IF you see the results that you desire, whether be it fat loss, weight loss, muscle gain, greater energy etc.  
 
However, as a Nutrition coach, I often have to help my clients curb their desire to “see results at all costs” in order to see their METABOLIC symptoms are in tip-top shape FIRST and foremost.  
 
The reason why these metabolic factors are so imperative is that they will help you not only see the results you desire, but help you KEEP the results that you get.  
 
Going about things with the “dieter's mentality” of cutting calories and increasing exercises to the greatest lengths your willpower can muster might get you quick results, but those results almost always will come right on back to square one, and your metabolism will take a hit when it happens.  
 
As they say, slow and steady wins the race and these 4 metabolic symptoms are how I coach all my clients to monitor their metabolism to ensure that they are BOOSTING their metabolism while going after some body or composition changes. 
 
And, by the way, don’t just take my word for it, I received these great ideas from the genius platforms of Dr. Jade Teta, of Metabolic Effect as well as Dr. Brooke Kalanick of Girls Gone Strong. 
 
So, as you are implementing your nutrition plan, whether it be something like my Nutrient Based Eating program or something else you’re trying, there are 4 MAJOR SYMPTOMS that help indicate that your metabolism is in “check” as Dr. Jade would say. 

 

The acronym I use is H.E.C.D. 

 
 

1. HUNGER:  

You should be experiencing hunger about every 3-5 hours during the day and should be able to go over an extended period of time, I recommend 12-hours, at night without eating.  

 
If you are NOT experiencing this regulated hunger, there might be a couple things going on.  
 
First, you could simply be used to going without eating and your body adapted to this circadian rhythm.  While intermittent fasting has certainly shown to work for some people, it doesn’t mean you should stick with that for ever. In fact, changing up you meal timing might be a way to get a nice metabolic boost!   Maybe for a season, you would try eating from 8am to 8pm.  Give your body time to adjust, and see if you don’t get more regulated hunger.  
 
If you are hungry ALL the time, this is a sign that your hunger hormones might be a little off.  You would want to play around with meal sizes.  Are you getting real meals, or are you snacking?  Are you getting enough water, protein, and fiber from whole sources? Those are the places to start there. 
 

2. ENERGY:  

Your food should serve as FUEL and give you a subtle rush of energy.  You should experience normal energy highs and lows according to your Circadian Rhythms.  Most people peak at 10am, for example.  With your food, you want to feel energized more and less lethargic and sleepy. 

 
If you are off in your sleeping habits and energy, this is an indicator that your hormones may be off as well.  Investigating adrenal symptoms with this article might be good.  
 
If you always feel tired after eating, you need to play around with your food choices and perhaps quantity too.  Sugar and high glycemic foods will always give you a “rush” of energy and then a crash shortly thereafter.  But a protein rich, vegetable, and smaller portion of starchy complex carbohydrates (a la NBE) might be a great combination to get a nice boost!   
 
It should be noted, that non-nutrition related factors like movement, exercise, and stress will also impact this symptom as well!  
 

3. CRAVINGS:  

While you’ll never fully get rid of you desire for sugar in some ways, whether it be the sweet form or the fried and crunchy form, but your cravings should be minimized and manageable.  If your nutrition meets all your needs, your cravings should be reduced.  

 
It should be first observed that many people will mistake cravings for hunger, which makes this symptom trickier to diagnose.  (See note below.)
 
But if you have super high cravings, this might be a sign you’ve cut your diet too drastically.  If you eliminated all sugar, all alcohol, and all processed foods and are trying to white knuckle it on a low-carb vegetable and protein diet or supplement resources, well, this plan is not going to be sustainable.  
 
Sure, cutting DOWN on sugar, alcohol, and processed foods is 100% the way to boost your metabolism and see fat loss.  But you simply need to be mindful of how MUCH you are cutting all at once. 
 
I recommend you focus on taking the “Next Best Step” approach to a nutrition habit.  Just make ONE change and monitor that you are consistent with that change at least 80% of the time (so not even perfectly!).  Stick with this ONE habit for at least 2-weeks as assess whether you’re ready to add on another habit in addition, or stick with this consistency of this habit for another two-weeks.  
 
Realistically, it will take some of the more challenging habits a full 63-days for you to implement consistently before that habit becomes automated. 
 
 
 

Hunger vs. Cravings

HUNGER vs. CRAVINGS: (see also my previous post HERE)

  • True body hunger is something you feel in your body as a slowly building sensation from your body or belly.
  • A craving is something you sense primarily in your mouth and brain.  You just “feel” like eating something sweet.  Your mouth waters, you see something right in front of you, or something just “popped into your head” and you decide you want it.  
  • Cravings are created from biochemical habit loops in our brain.  The sugar, fat, salt, or alcohol craving is something that our brain once enjoyed because it came with a host of “happy” neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine. This is what makes them addictive, but not absolute. 

4. DIGESTION:  

Your nutrition should allow you to have a daily bowel movement and proper digestion of food.  
 
If you are not experiencing a daily BM or have pain or discomfort there a few things to consider.  
 
One, you can expect that eating more vegetables will give you some bloating and gas while your body helps build up more digestive enzymes to help break them down.  You can aid in this process by taking a supplemental form of digestive enzymes or taking HCl, which is what stomach acid consists of. This usually helps. 
 
Digestion issues may also be an indicator of not getting enough foods with the “good bacteria.”  You can eat foods with more pre- and probiotic content, things like fermented sauerkraut, some yogurts, and kefir.  Or, invest is a high quality supplemental probiotic too. 
 
Overall, fiber content is incredibly important.  You will get the most fiber from whole food sources like vegetables, some fruits, and whole grains.  Women should shoot for 25+ grams per day broken up throughout the day.  

Grab Your Free Nutrient Guide Today!

Ready to SUPERCHARGE your nutrition in 2017?  

Get this FREE guide of the TOP 10 NUTRIENT DEFICIENCIES AND WHERE TO FIND THEM FOR LESS CALORIES.  

Studies are showing that some of the most common weight loss diets are also the least nutrient sufficient in the vital vitamins and minerals!  Other studies also show that multivitamins are NOT the answer, as huge metadata results indicate they are associated with higher mortality rates!

My FREE guide not only gives you where to find these most common deficient vitamins and minerals, but also gives you the serving size and nutrition data to help you get the least amount of calories per food choice!  

I even put all the information together into 2 days of menus that ensures you can get all the vitamins and minerals for UNDER 1700 calories!

Categories
Food & Nutrition

Overcoming The Top 10 Nutrient Deficiencies

And Still Focus On Fat Loss…

Getting the right nutrients in your diet is essential. If you don’t you could experience various side effects depending on which nutrients you’re lacking. Now, there are lots of nutrients you need to ensure you’re consuming so it can be hard to tell which you aren’t getting enough of by yourself. Thankfully, there are tests from companies like Medicross that will tell you which you’re missing out on. Take a look on simon-adventures.com to find out more. It’s been found that people who go on diets will often be lacking the most nutrients in their diet.

How’s this for a statistic? “Analysis of the three popular diets (The Atkins Diet, The South Beach Diet, and the DASH Diet) found that an average calorie intake of 27,575 ± 4660.72 kcal would be required to achieve sufficiency in all 27 micronutrients (vitamins and minerals).” -Journal of Integrative Sports Nutrition, study conducted by Jayson B. Calton, 2010.

Whoa!

Before you make any changes to your eating as part of a New Year health goal, let’s talk through what real HEALTH requires from your eating and where to find what you need to be healthy! (HINT: this blog comes with a FREE printable download with all the information you’ll need).

3 MAJOR ISSUES WE ARE SEEING WITH WEIGHT LOSS NUTRITION & SUPPLEMENTS:

1. COMMON WEIGHT LOSS DIETS HAVE BEEN PROVEN TO BE ANYTHING BUT TRULY “HEALTHY”:

For the last several decades, we have seen a whirlwind of diet crazes take over society. These diets have largely only been focused on adjusting MACRONUTRIENTS as a way to lower overall calories and lose weight. When I was growing up, everything was “low fat” as I followed whatever Oprah Winfrey was talking about! Then, shortly after came the “low carb” diets which seemed to help people a lot more. The Atkins diet and the South Beach diet were diet book sensations that we’ve not witnessed since. Now, in this day and age, we see some modifications to the low carb diets with the wave of Paleo style eating all the rave. If you want to lose weight via the Paleo style, make sure you do your research before committing to it. Websites like paleosafe.org can give you a great overview of some of the key factors about the Paleo diet that can help you be better informed. As a Certified Nutrition Coach, I can assure you with 100% certainty, that there are over a dozen different ways that you can lose weight. You can probably lose weight with all 3 of the options I listed above! Focusing on your macronutrients is important so you can find the right balance of eating that gives you the right kinds of energy and helps you lose excess weight or unwanted body fat.

But, what we often confuse in this society today is the difference between being at a “healthy weight” and being truly “healthy.”

The first requires that you focus on ways to reduce your overall calories. Omitting complete macronutrient groups, such as carbs and fat, are certainly effective in this way, but is it really healthy? But being TRULY health means that you need to focus not only on what helps you maintain a health weight, but also what gives you boosted energy, a strong immunity and resistance to sickness and disease, and the quality of life that you not only desire, but deserve from this life. Yes, as a Faith-based health coach, I know that God has created you on purpose and for a purpose. And whatever that purpose is in your life will require the help of a thriving body, your high functioning brain, and your longevity. So, when we’re talking about making changes in your health, you can’t just concern yourself with MACRONUTRIENTS. We need to make room for the MICRONUTRIENTS as well, i.e. the vitamins and minerals. While I won’t get into all the details here and now, the information I am going to give you below has all the vital vitamins and minerals listed and described, as well Daily Recommended Values (DRI’s) for women to get per day. What I found simply astonishing from the study conducted by Jayson B. Calton (referenced above) was just how deficient these incredibly common these popular “weight loss” diets were in the VITALLY important vitamins and minerals that keep a body running efficiently and effectively! You can’t afford to eat 27,000 calories per day, but you also can’t afford to be so deficient in the vitamins and minerals you need to live well!

2. MULTIVITAMINS ARE NOT YOUR ANSWER EITHER:

Well, I know that the majority of you might be thinking, “Well, I’m good, I take my multivitamin every day!” You would be among the rest of the 50% of society who is with you, but unfortunately, you might be wasting your money. Studies are also showing that the supplemental form of these vitamins and minerals are not effective as they should be and could very well be doing more HARM than good. Studies (and here) of over 400,000 participants showed that those who took a multivitamin every day actually had an increased rate of mortality! Even if it’s not at risk for death, you might be at risk for reaching toxic upper levels which can harm you too and make the vitamins less effective, much like antibiotic resistance. Other studies reveal that when vitamins and minerals are taken out of the foods, or worse yet, chemically manufactured, they are not absorbed by the body effectively. It is the synergy of the vitamin and mineral in conjunction with other vitamins and substances naturally present in food that makes them bioavailable to be effectively absorbed in the gut lining of your small intestine, predominantly. There is not as much regulation over supplements, including vitamins and minerals, since the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) does NOT fully monitor the now nearly $50 BILLION (!!) supplement industry. Worse yet, Consumer Reports went on the record to show as of 2009 the FDA had never once surveyed the China ingredient factories, where the bulk of the ingredients come from that go into our supplements in the US. Vitamins, minerals and supplements are now well known to have traces of metals, like lead, that can prove to be toxic and life threatening at certain amounts.

How To Supplement the Smart Way:

The SMART way to supplement is to:

  • Only take those vitamins and minerals that you have been tested as deficient in, you can self test somewhat effectively, but for your best bet have your doctor check at your annual check-up.
  • If you are a special group such as vegetarian or vegan, you would want to take Vitamin B12, for example. If you live in a cold, drab city, you may need to take Vitamin D during the winter months, etc. If you are pregnant, it is recommended that you ensure you get enough folic acid for fetal development.
  • Choose whole food sources of supplements. Enquire into some good resources and be prepared that these whole food sources are going to be more expensive, but worth it.
  • Always remember to do plenty of research into the health and wellbeing supplements that interest you. For example, if you are considering using kratom, then researching common questions such as ‘where to buy kratom online?‘ and ‘what are the potential benefits of using kratom?’ can help you to work out whether this supplement might be right for you. Moreover, in case you were not already aware, kratom is a herbal extract that comes from the leaves of an evergreen tree (Mitragyna speciosa) grown in Southeast Asia. Accordingly, it is often used as a treatment for muscle pain, or to suppress appetite and stop cramps and diarrhea.

3. FIND WAYS TO GET WHOLE FOOD SOURCES OF MICRONUTRIENTS AND STILL FOCUS ON FAT OR WEIGHT LOSS:

So, you’re getting the picture that by cutting out whole food groups and macronutrients might help you lose weight but not make you HEALTHY… and a multivitamin isn’t the risk worth taking either!

So we see that, WHOLE, REAL foods are the answer to this problem.

But as you are thinking about that, you are probably also thinking about a number of challenges.

  • It’s a challenge to know what foods to get these vitamins and minerals from.
  • It’s a challenge to how much of each food you should eat to get the right amount for you.
  • It’s a challenge to ensure that when you attempt to eat these foods, you aren’t overly consuming calories that would cause you to gain weight!

WELL, I HAVE A SOLUTION!!


I have done the work of putting together the list of the TOP 10 MOST COMMON NUTRIENT DEFICIENCIES AND WHERE TO FIND THEM. You can download this HERE.

The reason why I focused on the nutrient deficiencies is I want to encourage you that if you live in a modern city and have access to and eat a couple servings of vegetables and fruit per day, you are not likely too deficient in some of the more prevalent vitamins and minerals like Vitamin C, etc.

The Top 10 Nutrient Deficiencies that I found were:

Vitamin D (95% deficient)
Vitamin E (86% deficient)
Calcium (75% deficient)
Iodine (74% deficient)
Magnesium (68% deficient)
Iron (34% deficient)
Vitamin A (34% deficient)
Zinc (25% deficient)
Folate (25% deficient)
Omega-3 (96,000 deaths per year in US related to deficiency)

The good thing about this FREE Nutrient Deficiency packet is you will learn not only how much you need of each of these common deficiencies, but what foods you can find them in, how much of each food you need to eat to get the RDI, AND how many calories, fat, carbs and protein grams you’ll be ingesting to reach those levels!

So, for example, when it comes to getting recommended daily intake of Vitamin 5, you can ingest either:

1 Tbs of Wheat Germ Oil (at 120 calories, 14 grams of fat, and 0 grams of protein, carbs, and fiber) OR
2 oz of Sunflower Seeds (at 170 calories, 15 grams of fat, 6 grams of protein 6, grams of carbohydrates, and 3 grams of fiber) OR
10 Tbs of peanut butter (at 950 calories, 80 grams of fat, 35 grams of protein, 40 grams of carbohydrates, and 10 grams of fiber).

You can see there is a wide variety of foods with a wide effect on your health because of the number of calories, and macronutrient breakdown!

To put it all together for you, I also have included 2 sample days that build all this information into a MEAL PLAN that would allow you to reach all your nutrient sufficiency, but to also stay under 1700 calories per day!

GET YOUR FREE “TOP 10 NUTRIENT DEFICIENCIES AND WHERE TO FIND THEM FOR LESS CALORIES” DOWNLOAD HERE.


When you are done reviewing this information, comment below and tell me what you learned, what you like and what you don’t like about this knowledge! I’ll respond to all comments and carry on this conversation!

Here’s to your health and heart in 2017!

Ready to up your nutrition & spiritual discipline in the New Year?

Join the A. Wright Fit Daniel Challenge, a 6-week Nutrition & Discipline course and Bible study that starts on January 9!

This course is a small-group format of like-minded women who are ready for FOOD FREEDOM in 2017!

As a group, we will be challenging ourselves to a 7 to 21-day Daniel Fast for the first 3-weeks of the course and then transitioning into the Nutrient Based Eating program, the signature nutrition program of Certified Nutrition coach, Amanda Wright!

Every week, we will also be meeting online for a small-group Bible study all on Spiritual Discipline! We will dive into the Biblical principles of becoming more disciplined in the areas of: prayer, time management, health and exercise, organization, finances, and our emotions! This group will be on Zoom every week and you will be given a daily Bible study format to follow!

If you are interested in learning more or purchasing the program, you can visit this link HERE. If you have any questions, feel free to reach Amanda directly at amanda@amandawrightfit.com.