Epigenetics

* I originally wrote this post in 2011, but updated now

In 2011, I  came across some information about something called the ‘Epigenetic Diet’. Now this seems to be more and more mainstream. This is not about weight loss; it is so much more powerful than that. Researchers are trying to prove that this diet may prevent cancer. Of course, this piqued my interest and I found myself researching it more.
Epigenetics research focuses on the effects that diet can have on the structure and the function of DNA. It was formerly believed that cancer is caused by a mutation in DNA, but scientists are finding that more than half of the cases are caused by changes in gene activity rather than the structure.
Ok, here is some quick science:  Your DNA is made up of a unique sequence of about 3 billion nucleotides. These are arranged into units called ‘genes’. Your genes contain all of the information needed to produce proteins necessary to create your cells and tissues to sustain your life. The process of creating a new protein in your cells is called ‘gene expression’ and your body closely regulates it. It is believed that mistakes in gene expression lead to illnesses like cancer. One of the ways of regulating gene expression is through epigenetics.  Epigenetics research focuses on the change of gene expression by means other than the change in DNA nucleotide sequence. This is where diet comes in.
So, what do I think of this? Well, I am neither a doctor nor a scientist but I think it makes sense. We learned back in basic high school biology class that our cells are constantly regenerating. So, as our cells change, what are they being built from? To me it makes sense that they are made using what goes into our body, whether that be food, medication, drugs, environmental pollution, etc. Since we can’t 100% control the environmental factors, I think we should pay great attention to what we can control. That means it is important to watch what you put into your body. Do not smoke or take drugs, limit alcohol (although in moderation it has positive benefits), make sure the medicine you take is really needed, watch out for dangerous chemicals in plastic, and avoid nitrates and chemicals in your food.
But the good news is that there is so much more you can ADD than to avoid. Food such as broccoli, blueberries, tomatoes, and grapes as well as flaxseed, chia, garlic, turmeric, cinnamon, green tea, and red wine are some examples of things that may be able to ‘turn on’ genes that suppress tumor growth and ‘turn off’ the genes that promote growth. Of course, none of this is proven yet but I personally believe that it will be some day. And from what I have been reading now in 2015, it does look like science is starting to prove this!. It definitely will not hurt to add these to your diet.
I eat broccoli, flaxseed or chia, blueberries, green tea, cinnamon and tomatoes everyday and  grapes and  and turmeric often, and of course enjoy a nice glass of red wine.

XOX

Taking a Social Media Diet

t is so easy to get caught up in the fake world of social media, it can be quite addicting. From FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) to finding positive reinforcement (how many people ‘liked’ my picture) to trying to find inspiration.
But often, too much social media brings us down. We are bombarded with awful news,
politics, hate, envy, and messages telling us that we aren’t good enough. We aren’t fit enough, we aren’t the perfect mom, the perfect wife, the most successful, etc.
Social media is not the real world. It is a make-believe space where people get to put up their best pictures, argue behind the safety of a keyboard, and show their best face. But social media can be wonderful too. It is a great way to connect with groups, actually find inspiration from real people, learn about community events, find new interests, and so much more. The trick is to find a balance.
First of all, I want you to clean up your accounts. You don’t have to ‘un-friend’ your actual friends, but the ‘unfollow’ option can be wonderful. So, the first step is to ask yourself how you feel after reading certain posts. Do you feel as though you aren’t good enough? If the post making you doubt yourself? Are you comparing yourself in a negative way? Is it stirring up bad emotions? OK, if this person is a true friend and is not a hate monger or racist or anything like that simply unfollow. Otherwise just delete that person. Who wants to be friends with someone who’s morals aren’t in line with yours. It is fine to be friends with someone with different interests and tastes, but morals and values are another thing.
So, we cleaned up your feed. The next step it to limit your usage. This includes social media, email and texts too. Here is how to do that:
1) Delete the Facebook App from your phone. This way you are not tempted to mindlessly scroll. This way you will be present to those around you when you are out. Save Facebook for when you are home and alone. It is quite rude to play on Facebook when you are with your friends or at work in meetings anyway. Trust me you aren’t missing much. You can go through all your friends at home later
2) Don’t check your phone first thing in the morning. Do something, anything, first. Sit and have a cup of coffee, meditate, workout, shower, etc. Don’t make it the first priority of your day to get online.
3) Put your phone away during meals. Even if you are dining alone.
4) Turn your phone to airplane mode when you workout.
5) Read real books and magazines rather than using your device.
6) Make real-life plans with the friends you chat with on social media with at least once a week.
And, if none of this works then maybe it is time to take a full social media fast. I did that last year and de-activated my accounts for a few months. It made a big difference to me.
Now go get outside and do something!

When is the "best" time to eat

The media can be so confusing. If you scroll your pages, you will see articles saying that you MUST eat 5-6 times a day to keep your metabolism going. Then you will see an article stating that you should eat only 3 meals to keep insulin levels low.
Who is correct? Well, they both kind of are. There is no one plan that works for everyone. We are all unique and our lifestyles have to work with this.
Some claim to eat a large breakfast, medium lunch, and a very small dinner. Others claim that breakfast can be skipped and it is fine to have a late and large dinner. Who is right? Again, both are.
This is SO confusing. I know. So, lets break down some of these:
1) Eating mini-meals during the day: This is a good idea if you find your blood sugar is always dropping. But, these meals should contain protein and a good fat source and you may find you may not need to eat as frequently. But lets say your lifestyle doesn’t allow for you to sit down for lunch. Or maybe dinner is spend driving kids from one activity to another. In those cases, mini meals may be best for your lifestyle.
2) No snacks: Ayurveda focuses more on when you should eat and how you eat (sitting relaxed) than what you actually eat. There are lots of dosha balancing foods, but that will be for another article. The circadian rhythm is also in play here. Traditional Chinese Medicine shows how your organs relate to your circadian rhythm and this a great argument for eating three meals a day. Also, having time between meals allows your insulin to lower.

3) The theory of ‘Breakfast like a King, Lunch like a Peasant, and Dinner like a Pauper’ is based on eating your food during the times when you burn it off. This has been debunked, but if it works for you, stick with it.
4) The theory of eating ‘light to heavy’ is one I first read about from Dietician Kimberly Snyder in her book, The Beauty Detox. This book talked about the digestion process and it made sense to me. Plus it fits my life better. When my daughter was a baby, I ate my main meal for lunch and barely ate dinner. But since she started school, family dinner became more important to me. I enjoy having my main meal at dinner with her. This goes to the Ayurveda principles of ‘how’, although the ‘when’ in Ayurveda is usually the largest meal at mid day. When I am older and my daughter leave for college (no, no, no, not ready!), I will likely go back to my former way. But for now, this works for my family.
So, my point is that there is NO CORRECT ANSWER. We are all made up differently and have different lifestyles. These factors are also constantly changing. You are not married to any pattern. Flexibility is key to ALL areas of your life. So, if what you are doing now is working for you, keep with it. And by that I mean access your energy, hunger, family commitments. If not, play around. Don’t listen to what someone else has found success with. That someone isn’t you.

Ashwagandh

Ashwagandha is a shrub with yellow flowers that blossom into a small red fruit. It is actually in the same family as the tomato! It is native to India, Northern Africa and the Middle East, but is also grown in the United States today.
Ashwagandha is on a very powerful adaptogen herb used in Ayurveda. Adaptogens help our bodies cope with external stresses (i.e. toxins in the environment) and internal stresses (i.e. anxiety and insomnia). They help us to ‘adapt’ by modulating our response to stress or a changing environment.to our environment.
This herb is most well-known for its restorative benefits. In Sanskrit Ashwagandha means “the smell of a horse,” indicating that the herb give you the vigor and strength of a stallion, and has traditionally been prescribed to help people strengthen their immune system after an illness. It doesn’t actually smell like a horse though!
So, how does this relate to sleep? Studies have been showing ashwagnandha can lower blood serum cortisol levels. Cortisol is a hormone released by the adrenal glands that give us that ‘flight or fight’ response. In this modern world, most of us are faced with stress that raises our coritsol. When we have constant stress, our levels of cortisol remain elevated in the body. These leads to the inability to relax and sleep naturally, increased cravings, increased abdominal fat, and even affecting our thyroid.
There has been a few studies done on humans that sound quite promising. According to research published in the July-September 2012 issue of “Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine.”, a study of 64 people with chronic stress were given either placebo pills or 300 mg twice daily of ashwagandha root extract. After 60 days, those taking ashwagandha had significant improvements in cortisol levels. A January 2014 paper published in “Pharmacognosy Research” showed that healthy men who were given 250 mg of leaf and root extract twice daily for 3 weeks had improvements in reaction time and task performance, compared to those taking a placebo.
Ashwagandha even is being studied in cancer prevention/cancer fighting. From the Memorial Sloan Kettering website: “Ashwagandha is a popular Ayurdevic herb. Studies show that it has anti-inflammatory effects. Ashwagandha also relaxes the central nervous system in animals. Laboratory studies found that ashwagandha kills some cancer cells and enhances some immune cells possibly by damaging the cancer cells’ ability to generate the energy it needs to reproduce. Ashwagandha also reduces the level of an important antioxidant in tumor cells, which may enhance the ability of radiation therapy to kill those cells. However, this herb may induce abortion, so pregnant women should not use it.”

Yoga for a Balanced Body

To be fit and healthy, it is important to strength train, get cardiovascular fitness, and have flexibility. Strength training is so important for so many reasons and you may read about that here. But it is important to correct muscle imbalances and improve posture.
A muscle imbalance is created by a change in muscle length, strength and neuromuscular activity creating either a static or dynamic malalignment. A malalignment is an incorrect alignment of the joints in the body without moving.
So, how does this happen? Really it happens when one or some muscles are over active and one or some muscles are under active. This can come from doing the same activities day in or day out but it can also happen from sitting at a computer with your shoulders protracted forward and your neck at an anterior strain. I can bet most of us are guilty of that.
As far as over working some muscles and under working other, that can also be a product of moving in the same plane of motion all the time when our bodies are meant to move in all three.
The Sagital Plane is the most (over) used. Imagine your body is split in half making a right and a left side. We run, bike, walk, squat, lunge (most lunges), curl, etc in this plane. The Frontal Plane is the imaginary line splitting your body in front (anterior) and back (posterior) halves. Think of jumping jacks, lateral raises, and side lunges. The Transverse Plane splits the body in half at the waist. Think of twisting, throwing a ball , pivoting, golf, tennis.
What does this have to do with Yoga? Yoga takes your body through all three planes in both a dynamic and static setting. You move your body the way it is meant to and this can help mitigate over use issues. Sun Salutation B alone does this!
Lets talk about overuse in muscles. The most common Over Active Muscles in the body are:
Feet/Ankle: Soleus, Lateral Gastrocnemius, Peroneus Longus and Brevis (the muscles of the back and side)
Knees: Biceps Femoris (hamstring) and Tensor Fascia Latae (TFL) ( IT band issues )
Lumber-Pelvis-Hip-Complex (LPHC): Hip Flexors, Adductors (inner thighs), Abdominals, and Erector Spinae (back close to spine)
Shoulders: Lattisimus Dorsi and Pectoralis major/minor
Head and Neck: Upper Trapezius, Sternocleidomastoid (neck muscle), Levator Scapular (exactly how it sounds , it raises your scapular, think of when your shoulders reach to your ears when you are stressed)
So, to work on the imbalances it is important to train the Common Under Active Muscles, which are:
Feet/Ankle: Medial Gastrocnemius (the part of your calf that is closest into your midline), Anterior Tibialis (the muscle used to flex in dorsiflextion), Posterior Tibialis
Knees: Vastus Medialis Oblique (this is the muscle of the quads closest into your midline and one of the biggest causes of knee misalignments is when the Vastus Lateralis is so much stronger and pulls your knee cap outward)
Lumber-Pelvis-Hip-Complex Gluteus Maximus and Medius (yes, the butt muscles are weak on most people. A ‘big butt’ doesn’t mean it is big with muscle. Sorry but true), Hamstrings, Intrinsic Core Stabilizers (the ‘pilates muscles) , and Erector Spinae (and yes I see that I also wrote in for over active. This one can go either way depending on the person)
Shoulders: Middle and Lower Trapezius, Rhomboids, and the muscles of the Rotator Cuff (so yes, those exercises that make you cringe on Track 8 at Body Pump? Do them!)
Head and Neck: Deep Cervical Floor (and I mean your neck, not the OB/GYN definition!)
So, again, how does Yoga help? Yoga is a balance between the strength and the stretch. Each time one of the over used muscles is being stretched, the antagonist muscle (the opposite) is being strengthened. Like Pilates, Yoga uses the deep core muscles as well.
Muscle imbalances are fixed using Corrective Exercise. Corrective Exercise is defined as the programming process that identifies neuromusclar dysfunction and develops a plan of action and implements a corrective strategy.
Ok, stay with me…. Now the Neuromuscular System allows all muscles surrounding a joint to: Concentrically produce force, Eccentrically reduce force, and Statically stabilize the kinetic chain on all three plane of motion (as discussed above). Therefore we need the Nervous System and the Muscular System to communicate! And Flexibility improves this communication. Another score for Yoga!
So what happens if you choose to ignore muscle imbalances and flexibility issues? The body is designed to take the path of least resistance. Meaning that even with movement dysfunction, the body will still find a way to do the action. Think of a squat. If you cant get the ankle flexion needed your body does forward and if your hamstrings are too tight your knees may pull out. The body will do it, but not effective. This is referred to as Relative Flexibility and can set you up for injury
So, in a summary: Yoga takes your body through all planes of motion, helps to fix and prevent muscle imbalances, and improves your nervous system and muscular system synergy. So, get on your mat!
Namaste

Kookin' with Kaitlyn

I may need to thank Nick Jr. TV station for my daughter’s healthy eating. When my daughter was four and she loves a show on that station called ‘iCarly’. It is about a girl who, along with her friends, hosts an Internet show. My daughter thought that sounded so cool, so I suggested that she have her own show. And the idea of ‘Kookin’ with Kaitlyn’ was born. She is now almost 6 and she still loves this
Full disclosure, this was not a real show. We did not stream live. We did not even have a webpage. We used my Facebook personal and business pages. I took pictures of her cooking her recipes and posted it on my personal page. She gets so excited about that and loves to see it up on the computer. Then later in the evening, after we taste-test the recipe, with feedback from her, Daddy, and me, we would post the recipe on my Sharon Sherry Fitness page.
This is fun for her and she looks forward to it most weeks. Even the week our beloved family cat died, she insisted on ‘doing Kookin’ with Kaitlyn’ because ‘everyone wants to see the show and that is what Barney (our cat) would want me to do’. Her show helped her heal her heart.
Each time we made a new recipe, we spoke about what we were going to make. We usually got ideas from friends. (her own original recipe is posted below) Then we go to the store and have her pick out the veggies.. Yes, that is right, she is excited about the vegetables because she chooses them herself. I also let her choose the spices we use as well.
The meals we make are healthy, ‘clean’, gluten-free, low-carb, low in saturated fat, very low sodium, and full of many vegetables. Due to her age, I did not allow her to handle any raw meat, poultry or fish, no knives, and no open flames. She did everything else except for those items.
Her ‘show’ Kooking with Kaitlyn has turned her into a very healthy eater. But more than anything, it greatly built up her self-esteem and confidence. Plus it is a ton of fun for me!
Kaitlyn’s Own Chicken Recipe
4 breast of chicken
minced garlic
1/2 yellow onion chopped
1 eggplant cubed
2 yellow peppers cut
1/2 bag of Trader Joes organic frozen chopped spinach
Trader Joes flower pepper
Stew Leonards Italian seasoning spice mix
Trader Joes organic low-sodium vegetable broth
Place chicken in slow-cooker with garlic and pepper on top, add onions, add veggies, sprinkle seasoning, add a bit of broth to wet
Cook on low for 7 hours but put on high for first 30-40 minutes. Mix and fork-shred chicken before serving
Nutrition per each serving (makes 4) 250 calories, 23g carbs, 36g protein, 2g fat

First Figure Competion

Wow, it has been a long time since I posted. I have been training for my first Figure Competition since August and now I am 6 weeks out. At this point, there are lots of changes going on and more things to post.

I am nervous and excited. I spent a lot of time building muscle, which I did not have a lot of. I gained about 7 lbs of pure muscle though!! Now I am working on shedding body fat while keeping my muscle. I have an amazing coach, Joe Franco at Team Franco Bodybuilding. I am also working with IFPA Figure Pro, Theresa Evans, for posing lessons. I have my song picked out, my suit blinged up, competition heels, fake eyelashes, jewelry, cheap duvet cover to bring to hotel to sleep in after the spray tan, bikini bite to hold suit in place, and dark sweatsuit to wear over it. I still need to either pick out make-up of decide to get it done professionally.

At this point, my coach is making changes to my macros and my cardio each week. Basically my carbs get cut a tiny bit and my cardio increased a tiny bit. The point is to lose fat and not muscle. It is important to feed muscle.

My coach doesn't give his clients a 'cookie cutter' diet. Thinking you have to just eat fish and oatmeal is so old school. He gives me macro numbers to hit, and I choose the foods that work best for me. This is important because each person reacts differently to different foods. Throughout my prep, I used a huge variety of foods to hit my macros. Now as it gets closer, I am limiting myself to the foods that give me energy and do not cause any bloating. At this stage, my meals are most often made up of the following:

Shake: Shakeology. I have been experimenting with various shakes over the years and started Shakeology over the summer. Nothing compares to it and I even became a Beach Body coach myself in November. I have all four flavors. Vegan and regular.. and switch around. I use almond or coconut milk since skim milk bloats me. Soon, I will just mix with water though.

Carbs: Full discloser, I am gluten intolerant. I mostly use berries, oats, sweet potatoes, squash, rice cakes and apples. I sometimes use quinoa but that is also protein as well. And for an easy to transport me, I use brown rice wraps... but rarely do that. I eat TONS of veggies too, but the carbs in veggies are pretty low. Apples and rice cakes will be taken out soon though.

Protein: Throughout my prep I had a very large variety, but at this point I am down to the protein from my Shakeology, baked chicken, egg whites, and the occasional no-salt-added tuna. I cut out lentils and beans this week since they make me hold a little water weight. That is fine any other time, but not this close to the stage.

Fats: I used almonds and chia seeds for most of my prep, as well as some coconut, flax and olive oil. Mostly due to variety/boredom, I am now have avocado, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds for my fats. Eventually it will just be the avocado. After my show, I will bring back nut and seed butters ;-)

Other: Quest Bars and About Time Whey as needed to get to macros. PB2 to get the flavor of peanut butter in my shakes when the craving for it hits.

As soon as the show is over, I will go back to my usual wide variety of foods. These are just the foods that I find do not bloat me.

I plan to blog a lot more in the coming weeks that take me to the show. This is my first time and it has been the most amazing experience to far. I have learned so much about myself, worked so hard, met some incredible people, and I haven't even stepped on stage yet!

I hope you follow me on this journey. I post quite a bit on my Facebook page too. www.facebook.com/sherryfitness

Figure Competitor in Training

I think many of you know that I am training to compete in my first Figure Competition in the Spring of 2013. That is why I haven't been posting as much as usual. I have been VERY busy being a full time Mommy, training my clients, teaching my classes, and now training for a show.

I am SO excited. At the beginning of August I started working with my coach, Joe Franco. I chose Joe based on his stellar reputation and because he is also such a great person. So far the journey has been amazing. I just finished my 11th week with Joe. I am eating very well and training hard. I see quite a bit of definition already. The 'diet' is pretty easy now since I am in the 'building' phase. I am eating plenty of clean protein, carbs, and healthy fats and tracking my macros. I am allowed two 'free' meals a week, which for some reason I keep spending on frozen yogurt!!!!

I chose a show on April 27th and then another one two weeks later on May 11th. I will post more frequently, but will keep the posts shorter. You can also follow me on Facebook as Sharon Sherry Fitness or on Twitter @SherryFitness for shorter updates.

I will post some of my favorite clean means in the coming weeks as well. For now here is an easy gluten-free lunch sandwich on the go:

Food For Life Brown Rice Wrap 24g carbs
3oz low sodium turkey 20g protein
organic American cheese 3g protein

And if you want an easy lunch at Panera:

Fuji Apple Chicken Salad with NO dressing, NO pecans, and No apple chips (have them add extra greens and tomatoes. Comes to 230 calories, 8g fat, 13g carbs, 31g protein and 4g sugar

Have a wonderful weekend
xox

Kaitlyn's Clean Turkey Meatloaf

Since I am training for a Figure Show, my five year old daughter is cooking my clean meals.
This is her Clean Turkey Meatloaf. Very simple and easy. Remember this is a 5yr old so measurements are not always used. This is meant to be fun.

• 1.25lb Organic 99% lean ground turkey *
• 4 egg whites *
• 1/2 cup uncooked organic oats
• salsa, not measured just poured
• diced onions, celery, and carrots (again not measured, just use a lot. I cooked this with some vegetable broth first)
• black pepper and garlic powder sprinkled
• organic ketchup
• dash of mustard

Preheat oven to 350 and mix together everything except the ketchup. Place in a Corning or Pyrex pan. Spread ketchup on top. Bake for 1 hour. Enjoy

Serves about 5. Approx 178 calories, 14g carb, 27g protein, 1g fat

* I do not let my daughter handle raw meat of eggs with her hands. She uses a fork and a mixing spoon.

Back to school time!

Wow, it has been a LONG time since I last posted! I apologize for that. When there is no school, it is difficult to fit in teaching my classes, training clients, learning Les Mills choreography, working on my Yoga teacher hours, and writing!

I am also training for a fitness competition and will compete in April. I just started working with an amazing coach as well, Joe Franco at http://www.teamfrancobodybuilding.com/. After just three weeks with him, I have seen nice results already. I will continue to post updates about my progress in the next 7 1/2 months before my show. I look forward to the 'finished product', but I am also enjoying this journey.

Since we are 'Back to School', I would like to talk about healthy lunch/snack choices to pack for the children. To keep it simple, I like to think of my daughters meals and snack as having three components; a protein, a fibrous carb, and a starchy carb. Of course children need healthy fats as well. Most schools do not allow nuts so I prefer to give her nuts and seeds at home. Avocado is also a great fat for children, which I feed her at home as well, but it could easily be added to a sandwich. But for simplicity sake today, we will just pick the three main lunch components.

Here are a few idea. Remember to also keep it fun!

1)Protein:
String cheese
Yogurt
Sliced turkey or ham
Edamame
Cubed Tofu
Grilled Chicken but into pieces
Hummus (also a healthy fat)

2)Fibrous Carbs: (add as many as you would like)
Apples
Grapes
Banana
Pear
Cucumber slices (goes nice with Hummus)
Baby carrots
Grape tomatoes

3)Starchy Carbs: (this can also be a little 'treat' since they *are* children)
Pretzels
Crackers
Granola bar
Rice Cakes
Sweet Potato baked and cubed
Cereal in a baggie

These are just a few ideas. I am sure you can get the picture. Make sure to give them a healthy breakfast to start the day right. Dinner can be a more 'traditional' meal. Lunch at school should be easy and fun. And when you think of it as 1-2-3, it becomes even easier for you.

Wishing everyone a wonderful Back to School
XOX

Kooking with Kaitlyn

 I may need to thank Nick Jr. TV station for my daughter’s healthy eating. My daughter is four and she loves a show on that station called ‘iCarly’. It is about a girl who, along with her friends, hosts an Internet show. My daughter thought that sounded so cool, so I suggested that she have her own show. And the idea of ‘Kooking with Kaitlyn’ was born.

Full disclosure, this is not a real show. We do not stream live. We don’t even have a webpage. We use my Facebook personal and business pages. I take a picture of her cooking her recipe and post it on my personal page. She gets so excited about that and loves to see it up on the computer. Then later in the evening, after we taste-test the recipe, with feedback from her, Daddy, and me, we post the recipe on my Sharon Sherry Fitness page.

This is fun for her and she looks forward to it most weeks. Even the week our beloved family cat died, she insisted on ‘doing Kooking with Kaitlyn’ because ‘everyone wants to see the show and that is what Barney (the cat) would want me to do’. Her show helped her heal her heart.

Each time we make a new recipe, we first talk about what we are going to make. We usually get ideas from friends. (her own original recipe is posted below) Then we go to the store and she picks out which veggies she will use. Yes, that is right, she is excited about the vegetables because she chooses them herself. I also let her choose the spices we use as well.

The meals we make are healthy, ‘clean’, gluten-free, low-carb, low in saturated fat, very low sodium, and full of many vegetables. Due to her age, I do not allow her to handle any raw meat, poultry or fish, no knives, and no open flames. She does everything else except for those items.

Her ‘show’ Kooking with Kaitlyn has turned her into a very healthy eater. But more than anything, it greatly built up her self-esteem and confidence. Plus it is a ton of fun for me! If you have read my past articles and know my definition of ‘cooking’, you will also understand how much my husband and I love having home-cooked gourmet meals made with love by our daughter.

Now go play with your children!!! ;-)

Sharon

XOX

Kaitlyn’s Own Chicken Recipe 

4 breast of chicken


minced garlic


1/2 yellow onion chopped


1 eggplant cubed


2 yellow peppers cut


1/2 bag of Trader Joes organic frozen chopped spinach


Trader Joes flower pepper


Stew Leonards Italian seasoning spice mix


Trader Joes organic low-sodium vegetable broth


Place chicken in slow-cooker with garlic and pepper on top, add onions, add veggies, sprinkle seasoning, add a bit of broth to wet
Cook on low for 7 hours but put on high for first 30-40 minutes. Mix and fork-shred chicken before serving


Nutrition per each serving (makes 4) 250 calories, 23g carbs, 36g protein, 2g fat


I love this recipe since Kaitlyn took her time in the store choosing which vegetables she wanted and was able to place everything into the pot.

XOX

This blog is for informational purposes only.  It’s not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health problem, nor is it intended to replace the advice of a physician.  No action should be taken solely on the contents of this website.  Always consult your physician or qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health. It is advised see your physician before changing your diet, starting an exercise program, or taking any supplements of any kind.

Who the F**k are Ana and Mia???

Well, these chicks better stay far away from my daughter or I will have to flex my mommy-muscles! But, this is not a perfect world and I can’t protect my daughter from everything. What I can do, however, is empower her to be strong and protect herself. I am going to teach her to be much more powerful than Ana or Mia can ever be.

‘Ana’ is short for Anorexia and ‘Mia’ is Bulimia. If you were a teenage, or pre-teen girl then you would most likely already know this vernacular. Unfortunately, even some much younger girls are being introduced as well. With all of the social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and others, girls are now being exposed to ‘Group’ such as ‘Pro-Ana’ and ‘Pro-Mia’. These ‘groups’ allow girls to communicate with others and share how many calories they eat, tricks for controlling hunger, various ways to use diuretics and vomiting, etc. They often talk about ‘thinspiration’ and even use pictures of overly skinny models as their online avatar.

This is beyond dangerous, and unfortunately it is very real. We live in a world ruled by ‘extremes’. We go from super-sized to super-skinny. It is so sad that the pendulum swings so strong in our culture. The youth are so impressionable and can easily fall victim to this.

My goal is that when Ana tries to approach my daughter, she will see my daughter on either the soccer field or track. She will notice how fast my daughter can run, how beautiful her muscles are, and how shiny her hair is. Ana will never have that beauty because she doesn’t eat enough protein and healthy fats. She will walk away and try to find someone else to seduce.

Mia will approach my daughter next. My daughter will look at Mia’s yellow teeth and notice how bad her breath is. My daughter takes great pride in her teeth and will be disgusted by Mia. Bulimia rots away tooth enamel and causes horrible breath. And, oh yeah, it can also kill you! My daughter loves her life too much, but she is sweet so will try to get Mia to find help for herself.

That is my ideal for my daughter and I am going to work hard to make her strong enough to stay away from Ana and Mia. Here is what we can do as parents:

Moms: Lead by example! If you are not at a healthy weight (and I said ‘healthy’ not ‘skinny’), then get to it! Discretely. Privately. Do not share any of your weight struggles or diets with your daughter. Exercise and take care of yourself. Praise your daughter constantly for all of the wonderful, magical things she does each day. Build her self-esteem.

Dads: Do not make comments about your daughter’s body. Ever. Do not make comments about your wife’s body in front of your daughter. Or, in front of anybody. Do not make comments about any woman’s body. Your daughter learns her self-worth from you. Every woman is some-body’s daughter. Got it.

Hopefully, by the time my daughter is older, there will be no more pro-Ana and pro-Mia social media groups. Hopefully everyone will realize that Strong is the new Sexy. Healthy is Hot. No more extremes, and no more dangerous behaviors. One can hope.

Love yourself and your children.

Sharon

XOX

XOX

This blog is for informational purposes only.  It’s not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health problem, nor is it intended to replace the advice of a physician.  No action should be taken solely on the contents of this website.  Always consult your physician or qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health. It is advised see your physician before changing your diet, starting an exercise program, or taking any supplements of any kind.

Fasting Part 2: Follow-up to last post

I hope the New Year finds everyone happy and healthy. I had a wonderful 2011 and look forward to what 2012 brings me!

Last month I wrote about Intermittent Fasting and I promised to write a follow-up. For the last month, as I pledged, I fasted for 24-hours twice a week. During the fasts I had water, tea, and some coffee but no food. I discovered the following benefits:

1. During the holiday season, I was able to indulge quite a bit more without gaining weight. However, I did not lose any weight either (for the record, I was not trying).
2. It prevented any over-indulging since I was unable to eat during the fasts, even if the most delicious gluten-free cookies were placed in front of me! That also creates a sense of ‘power’.
3. I proved that it is not possible to ‘starve’ during a 24-hour period. I did my usual activity and taught my classes. My energy levels were fine.
4. I enjoyed the ‘mental clarity’ that comes with a fast. There is a reason most religions use this practice.

The question now is, do I continue this? Well, that is tough. After the holidays I feel as though I never want to look (let alone taste) desserts or chips again. Sometimes when you have the freedom to indulge, after awhile it becomes repulsive! I feel so much better eating healthy again. But now my diet seems to be around 1200-1500 calories a day. At that amount, it doesn’t justify fasting for two full days. The whole point of intermittent fasting is to balance out your calories to allow for higher calorie days.

But, as I stated, I did enjoy the calm feeling that comes with fasting. For now, my compromise will be to do a 24-hour ‘pseudo-fast’ of eating just veggies and some fruit once a week. That can be very cleansing both mentally and physically. If I do have a week when I eat out or indulge in desserts, I can easily turn that day into a real 24-hour fast.

My latest endeavor though is practicing what I preach about eating healthy and not too much. I suggest www.myfitnesspal.com to my friends and my clients. To prove how much I support this site/app, I am going to log my calories and activity for a year! I started already on December 27^th.

So, who is with me on this one?

Wishing all of you a warm and fulfilling 2012.

Yours in wellness,

Sharon

XOX

XOX

This blog is for informational purposes only.  It’s not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health problem, nor is it intended to replace the advice of a physician.  No action should be taken solely on the contents of this website.  Always consult your physician or qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health. It is advised see your physician before changing your diet, starting an exercise program, or taking any supplements of any kind.

Can You Fast to Slow Your Aging?

Lately I have been seeing quite a few magazine articles and Facebook posts about ‘Intermittent Fasting’ (IF). It seems to be pretty popular now. IF is a way of eating which alternates between periods of fasting (but water and other non-calorie beverages are allowed), and eating normally. I am going to come clean and admit that I have been practicing this on and off for about 4 years. I just didn’t call it by any name back then, nor did I tell anyone.

Four years ago I was 38, recently had a baby, and was staring 40 in the face! I also had a breast cancer scare (thankfully nothing was wrong) and I found out that I had genetic high cholesterol (despite having a low body weight, lot’s of exercise, and a mostly vegetarian diet). I was looking for a ‘fountain of youth’ and started my research. I came across quite a few articles about the benefits of fasting from a longevity and disease-prevention view. Here is an article worth reading, http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/04/regular-fasting-may-boost-heart-health/. My research also led me to some spiritual benefits of fasting as well. For example Buddhist Monks stop eating for the day at noon. Ayurveda also believes that digestion is strongest at mid-day so it can be healthy to fast during the second part of your day.

For a long time, I did a 24-hour fast every Monday. It felt great. After awhile I no longer felt hungry and I definitely didn’t feel weak. I find it so funny how people think they will shut down if they go a few hours without food! That is psychological. Towards the end of my fast I would do some gentle yoga and meditate. I was calmer and also a bit leaner too. Recently, as my daughter got older and started to ask questions, I was concerned about giving her the wrong message about food. Also, it was difficult trying to come up with reasons to not have lunch plans with friends. Remember, this wasn’t ‘mainstream’ back then so I kept it to myself. Also, I started teaching a lot more classes and training more clients, so I was concerned about my energy level (that was really unfounded because my energy was still very strong). I used to fast from breakfast on Monday until breakfast on Tuesday. Eventually I gave it up.

Suddenly I see articles about IF everywhere I look, and I realize that I miss it. I am starting it again, but this time my fast will be from lunch to lunch. It fits into my lifestyle much better as I can have lunch with my daughter and friends even on the fasting days.

Now that this practice has become a popular diet plan, there are two main ‘schools’ of Intermittent Fasting. Brad Pilon, author of ‘Eat Stop Eat’ (http://bradpilon.com/) suggests two 24-hour fasts during the week. Martin Berkhan of Lean Gains, (http://www.leangains.com/) has a program popular with the bodybuilder crowd, which is a daily IF of 16 hours followed by an 8-hour window to eat. He also recommends amino supplements, which is not my scene. While reading these sites, do not forget to read about the actual science behind these theories, http://www.ajcn.org/content/86/1/7.full.

I am not a big fan of any mass-marketed ‘diet plan’ since many of these are gimmicks to make money. If you are interested in IF, read about it from as many sources as you can and then develop a plan that fits your lifestyle. Here is a great summary article from Livestrong.com, http://www.livestrong.com/article/286088-intermittent-fasting-to-lose-weight/.

For me, this works well both physically and mentally. It gives me a sense of calm, it is a bit meditative, it frees my body to listen to natural hunger cues, it prevents mindless snacking, creates a calorie deficit for the week so I can still enjoy restaurant meals on weekends, it is easy, and it even saves money!

So, starting this week I am going to do two 24-hour fasts. The first one will start Monday after lunch and end Tuesday at lunch. The second will begin Thursday at lunch and end Friday at lunch. On the weekends I will do a 16/8 IF for both days since it fits well with my lifestyle. I will eventually drop the second 24-hour fast on Thursday-Friday since once a week is best for the long-term. Next month I will post about this and at that point decide if it works for me or not. I think it will since I do remember how wonderful I felt in the past.

Anyone else up for this challenge?

XOX

This blog is for informational purposes only.  It’s not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health problem, nor is it intended to replace the advice of a physician.  No action should be taken solely on the contents of this website.  Always consult your physician or qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health. It is advised see your physician before changing your diet, starting an exercise program, or taking any supplements of any kind.

Miracle or Just Grape'd Up?

I am usually pretty skeptical when a supplement comes on the market and promises miracles. It took me awhile to get onboard with fish oil and vitamin D, but after tons of my own research, I now take both regularly. But, I know many people who started taking acai pills even though they couldn’t even pronounce it (ah-sigh-ee). There is also a huge market for weight-loss shakes. We Americans seem to always be searching for the fountain of youth or a quick-fix.

I have read articles about the benefits of resveratrol for quite a few years now. Resveratrol is a compound found in red grapes, mulberries, peanuts, and other plants (however, studies focus around resveratrol found in the skins of red grapes) that is thought to provide powerful health benefits such as life extension and disease prevention. Resveratrol was first studied for its antioxidant effects, but then was found to be much more powerful than just an antioxidant. Resveratrol can actually modify genes.

I considered resvertrol to be just another ‘supplement-du-jour' until I came across an article in Huffington Post written by David Katz, MD, who is the Director or Yale Prevention Research Center. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-katz-md/resveratrol-health_b_1070639.html?ref=healthy-living Well, that caught my attention! I like David Katz and find him to be exceptionally smart. Not the type of person to promote nutrition hype or jump on a bandwagon. He is actually recommending taking resveratrol. Well, to be exact he is not ‘recommending it’ but stating that he started taking it himself. That works for me!

Dr. Katz based his decision on a research study in the scientific journal, Cell Metabolism. The study had 11 obese, but otherwise healthy, men take a placebo for 30 days and then for 30 days given 150 mg of resveratrol daily in random order. The study was double-blinded; meaning neither the participants nor the researchers knew who was taking what when. The study set out to prove, based on a prior study of mice, that resveratrol supplementation would mimic the effects of calorie restriction (reducing calorie intake by 30% of healthy levels). And it did!

Taking resveratrol daily for a month mimicked most effects of calorie restriction, improving energy metabolism in muscle, improving insulin sensitivity, lowering blood pressure, and even enhancing fitness levels. There were no adverse effects of resveratrol. Calorie restriction, on the other hand, does have adverse effects such as zero libido, among others.

There is still a chance that in the future resveratrol will prove to be just a waste of money. But, somehow, I think this is the real deal. There are no adverse effects so I am not willing to let this opportunity pass me by. There is nothing to lose (except the cost of the pills), but so much to gain (longevity, disease prevention, stronger muscles, less wrinkles, etc).

At first I thought I could skip the pills and just drink more red wine. But wine really doesn’t contain very much resveratrol. So, I went to Vitamin Shoppe and picked up some pills… which I will take with red wine!

Cheers!

 XOX

This blog is for informational purposes only.  It’s not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health problem, nor is it intended to replace the advice of a physician.  No action should be taken solely on the contents of this website.  Always consult your physician or qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health. It is advised see your physician before changing your diet, starting an exercise program, or taking any supplements of any kind.

Halloween is Coming; Time to be Frightened

The other day at pre-school drop-off, I returned to my car and there was a bee flying all around my door. I stood in front of my car for awhile trying to figure out how to get in, and finally I ran as fast as I could to the passenger side rear door, closed it fast, and climbed over and across into my drivers seat. As I looked up, I saw a row of four-year-olds, my daughter included, looking at me from the window. Wait, it gets worse!

Three hours later I ran out of my car to pick up my daughter and, returning to my car, the same bee (to the best of my knowledge) was back! I thought about it again and took my time deciding on the best strategy for this play. Finally I took my daughter's hand, ran around to the back again, climbed both of us into her car seat with her on my lap, and closed the door quick. I then got out, put her in and buckled her, and then climbed across and over into my seat. The both of us were laughing so hard at this. My daughter knows that this is not rational behavior, I, at least, teach her that. What I have is called a ‘phobia’, and it is not ‘normal’, but yet is very common. Most people have an irrational fear of something. Mine phobia of bees began at a young age and my close friends all know this.

When I lived in Bronxville and used to walk into town everyday, my friend Tara knew without questioning why I had to cross the street on a certain block to avoid walking past ‘Scary Tree’. Full disclose: ‘Scary Tree’ was actually not even a real tree, it was a telephone pole, but it had a huge hornets nest in it and the hornets would swarm around it. When I was first dating John, he once parked dangerously close to Scary Tree when taking me home from dinner. I almost had an anxiety attack, but I managed to walk past pretending to be ‘normal’.

Some people are afraid of flying, heights, spiders, dogs, circus clowns, and I can go on. A Phobia is defined as a persistent fear of an object or situation in which the sufferer commits to great lengths in avoiding, typically disproportional to the actual danger posed, often being recognized as irrational. In the event the phobia cannot be avoided entirely the sufferer will endure the situation or object with marked distress and significant interference in social or occupational activities. Yes, that is me around bees!!! And it may be you around something else!!!

What I have is called a ‘specific phobia’ and these tend to be relatively harmless, albeit annoying at time. There are some phobias that interfere with life such as ‘social phobias’ and ‘agoraphobia’ (generalized fear of leaving home). Those two types greatly interfere with the quality of life, often involve panic or anxiety attacks, and require professional help.

I would categorize my phobia as more of an annoyance/embarrassment.  I still enjoy lots of outdoor activities and have fun doing so. If you see me outside running past you at a full out sprint, you may assume I am training for an event or doing my HIIT workout. You would be wrong; I am running away from a bee!!

Have a spooktacular Halloween!!!

 XOX

This blog is for informational purposes only.  It’s not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health problem, nor is it intended to replace the advice of a physician.  No action should be taken solely on the contents of this website.  Always consult your physician or qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health. 

Eat Like a Bird

Lately I have been eating like a bird. No, I don’t mean tiny pieces of food because I do like to eat. I am talking about seeds. There are so many benefits to adding seeds to your diet and such a variety of seeds to add. Here are some of my favorites that I eat regularly:

Chia Seeds: Remember the cha-cha-chia pet? Or am I just showing my age? Well, chia seeds are nutritional powerhouses. These seeds are high in important nutrients such as antioxidants and heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids as well as fiber, magnesium, potassium, iron, calcium, and protein. They are small and round and resemble a poppy seed. If you let them soak in water for about 15 minutes they expand and turn a bit gelatinous, making them a base for some healthy vegan puddings. I add them to Greek yogurt or put in my smoothie.

Hemp Seeds: Hemp seed is available in three basic forms: seed, powder, or oil. One of the biggest benefits of hemp seeds is that they are higher in high quality protein than other seeds, containing all 10 essential amino acids, which makes them a great vegan-friendly protein source. It is also the easiest protein to digest. Hemp contains omega-3 fatty acids and is an excellent source of riboflavin (Vitamin B2), which is important for general health as well as slowing the aging process and supporting a healthy metabolism. And don’t worry (or be disappointed), you will not get high from them! The hemp seeds sold in stores do not contain delta-9-tettrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive ingredient in pot. I use hemp to power up my smoothies as I transition away from using whey.

Flaxseed:  Flax contains lignans, fiber, potassium, and omega-3 fatty acids. Lignans have been shown to reduce the risk of cancer when used regularly. Flaxseed can be used either as oil or the grounded seeds. The whole seeds cannot be digested and will therefore serve no purpose. Flaxseed oil can be taken as a supplement or on salad. I use ground flaxseed in oatmeal or over yogurt.

Pumpkin seeds: These are also called ‘pepitas’ and are known for being a great source of iron. If you don’t eat red meat, think about adding these to your diet. I personally think these taste great raw as a snack or on a salad. But often these are sold roasted, salted, flavored, etc in the stores. At that point the nutritional value decreases. If you want more flavor, roast them yourself using some lime juice and chile.

Sunflower seeds: Sunflower seeds are high in protein, vitamin E, and antioxidants. They also taste great. Sunflower seed butter is a great alternative to peanut butter and is a good choice to use for school lunches. I snack on them or add to my salads.

Sesame seeds: These are a great source of calcium. They can be ground into flour, which makes a great gluten-free substitute for baking. I do not eat these quite as often as the others, but that is just due to personal preference.

Quinoa: I bet many of you thought this is a grain. It really isn’t, it is a ‘pseudo-grain’. Pseudo-grains are commonly referred to as grains but technically are seeds. They are naturally gluten free and contain more protein than grains. Buckwheat and Wild Rice are other examples of pseudo-grains. Quinoa is high in protein, iron, potassium, and B vitamins. It is a good idea to rinse the quinoa well before cooking since it naturally contains a bitter resin. Most of the quinoa you see in stores has already been rinsed, but it is a good idea to also rinse again. Quinoa is delicious and can be used in place of any grain to give your meal more power. Quinoa is a staple food in my house.

So, try some, or all, of these powerful seeds. They taste great and are so good for you. Give it a few weeks and see how much more energy you have. They are not as caloric as nuts, but you still need to practice portion control. Remember the bulk of your diet should still come from non-starchy vegetables.

Have a healthy week

 XOX

This blog is for informational purposes only.  It’s not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health problem, nor is it intended to replace the advice of a physician.  No action should be taken solely on the contents of this website.  Always consult your physician or qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health. It is advised see your physician before changing your diet, starting an exercise program, or taking any supplements of any kind.

Journal from Fall Ayurveda Detox

I decided to follow the Yoga Journal’s 7-Day Fall Ayurveda Detox http://falldetox.yogajournal.com/, but for 5 days instead of 7. (see my post on Ayurveda 8/12/11)

Thursday before: Shopping at Nature’s Temptation in Ridgefield for all of my ‘supplies’! Yikes, what is kombu?? How am I going to cook the Kitchari when I am not really much of a cook? Am I really going to use ghee when I hate butter? Well, I bought all of the ingredients including the ghee. I even bought sesame oil for my skin as part of the total detox regimen. I am usually a Vata/Pitta dosha, but this summer really brought out my Pitta. I think that my skin allergies and my impatience (Pitta imbalance) out-weigh the cracking in my joint (Vata imbalance), so I bought the spices to make the Pitta soothing kitchari.

Sunday: I realize with my schedule of teaching, training, and mommy-duties that I will not be able to make it to my yoga classes. I downloaded the iPhone App ‘Authentic Yoga with Deepak Chopra’. This will help supplement my own practice.

Monday: Day 1: Woke up at 5:15 to walk on the treadmill instead of my usual run and then did some yoga. I didn’t want to eat the kitchari for breakfast since it was too heavy to eat before my next class, so I had a detox tea, and apple and some grapes. It didn’t seem to be enough to get through teaching both Spinning and Pilates. Then, for lunch, I had steamed broccoli, celery, and spinach with some kitchari, followed by another apple a few hours later. I had a headache from caffeine withdrawal, but it wasn’t too bad.

Tuesday: Day 2: Have a bad case of poison ivy and now wondering if the three prescriptions my doctor gave me will fit into the detox. The kitchari was still yummy, the poison ivy made me forget my headache, and the prescription antihistamine gave me a wonderful night’s sleep.

Wednesday: Day 3: Wishing I had the time to do the meditation and asanas. With a 4yr old, the only time to do that is at 5AM, but the antihistamine I am taking for the poison ivy knocked me out and I woke up at 6 instead of 5. Also trying to learn new choreography, which is also hard to do with a young child. My husband thinks the detox is making me cranky, but I think the detox is actually making me less cranky than I would have been otherwise. For dinner, I mixed it up a bit by having steamed broccoli, kale, carrots, and celery with some avocado instead of the kitchari and an apple for dessert.

Thursday: Day 4: Feeling very calm and peaceful. I added some quinoa to the kitchari for more fiber and protein. Really starting to feel the mental and emotional benefits of this cleanse today. Even found time to do some yoga.

Friday: Day 5: This is my last day of the detox because my family enjoys going out to lunch together on the weekends, and it is our only time that we can enjoy meals together. I plan to have a coffee tomorrow, but that is the only thing I am craving. I may even find a restaurant this weekend where I can have brown rice, beans, and veggies. I don’t really want anything else. I also did not feel any real ‘detox’ other than the headache the first day. I think it may be because I generally eat close to this plan anyway. I look forward to the next seasonal cleanse (although I am not looking forward to the next season, Winter!

Weekend: Days 6&7: I really ended this after day 5 but I stayed close to the diet plan by choice over the weekend. I added a cup of coffee and over the course of the weekend I had some sushi, Greek yogurt and egg whites. Other than that I stayed with the Ayurvedic foods. I went to the grocery store to buy more items to make kitchari and will replace the rice with quinoa and use olive oil instead of ghee.

So, what did I get from all of this? Actually quite a bit!

1. I plan to give up coffee over the next few months. I will transition to decaf and then to only teas. I feel calmer and grounded without the coffee, but I do love the taste of it.
2. I really enjoy eating vegan foods. I will not go back to being strictly vegan, but I will try some combinations of vegetarian/pescetarian (fish) plans with most of my diet vegan. I just bought the book ‘Thrive Diet’ by Brendan Brazier, as I have followed his website for a few years.
3. I enjoy cooking!
4. Daily yoga, even if it is just 10 minutes at home, does wonders for my mind and body.
5. I lost any desire for sweets (other than fruit) and meat/poultry.

I am not suggesting that you go as far as an Ayurvedic cleanse, but it may be a worthwhile experiment to simple spend a week with no caffeine, sugar, processed food, wheat, and soy and see how you feel.

Namaste

XOX

This blog is for informational purposes only.  It’s not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health problem, nor is it intended to replace the advice of a physician.  No action should be taken solely on the contents of this website.  Always consult your physician or qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health. It is advised see your physician before changing your diet, starting an exercise program, or taking any supplements of any kind.