#I was looking at the nutrition label for rice cakes and went

[withering-heights]

I don’t know what it says about me that I hear that a meal is 250 calories and I’m go ‘wow that’s a lot’. Like that is a normal amount of calories for a meal (a small amount for a meal even) my disordered ass just has a fucked sense of how much something is.

[keelywolfe]

FIC: A Pressing Engagement ch1 (Not baon AU)

Summary: Labeling things can be difficult, for everyone involved

Notes: Oh, I don't know, this sort of popped into my brain today and sometimes, I like to see the maybes and might haves.

Tags:  Spicyhoney, Fluff and Angst, Dating, Developing Relationship, Humor

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It wasn’t a date, really. More like a standing lunch appointment where they met up wherever the local food trucks were congregating that day. Edge was a fussy bitch when it came to food, but what kind of monster (heh) would turn down fresh seafood po’ boys with truffle Parmesan fries? Not one that Stretch wanted to hang out with, for sure.

The trucks were always busy, Humans and Monsters lining up for tasty treats. Using Edge’s strategy of divide and conquer, they queued in separate lines, gathering up a collection of paper trays lined with greasy waxed paper and holding heavenly balls of deep-fried goodness, along with the less heavenly but still delicious vegan junk that Edge always wanted, under the theory that unhealthy plus good for you would sort of cancel each other out into balanced nutrition.

Look, if it got him food, Stretch was willing to bend science a little.

The park was crowded, any tables were already claimed, if not by people than by their possessions. By the time Stretch was juggling their po’ boys and fries, Edge was through the vegan line and sitting under a tree in the grass, their Buddha bowls and moussaka artfully arranged around him. The pastoral serenity of the scene contrasted in interesting ways to the leather-clad skeleton in the middle of it all and if Stretch didn’t know that Edge would object, loudly and strenuously, he would’ve taken a picture. Called it modern art, skeleton on a theme of lunch.

“hope you grabbed napkins,” Stretch said cheerfully, plopping down in the grass to lay out his own spread.

“I did not. I brought my own,” Edge said, because of course he did, every week. Linen napkins that they both spread over their laps as they shared out the goods and dug in. Strange how growing up in murder world made a guy into a terminal recycler, but Edge was a guy who understood living under strict limitations.

The first bite of his po’ boy made Stretch groan aloud, greedily chewing fried blobs of briny shrimp and oysters couched in a bed of crisp lettuce and tomato. Waterfall aside, there wasn’t much seafood in the Underground and Stretch got a serious appreciation for it once they hit the Aboveground. Edge liked surfing on the ocean more than eating what was swimming in it and even he was eating appreciatively.

It was all good, tasty food, sunny day, perfectly awesome even if it wasn’t actually a date, and if it ended with them heading back to one of their places for some rough and rowdy bootknockin’, eh, well, that was kinda how Stretch liked it. They didn’t need it to be an official date, seriously, that was for people who just started going out, not for guys who’d been together for a few years. Once you’d shared a toothbrush, you didn’t need that kind of shit, right, and Stretch was pretty sure Edge’d forgiven him for that, he’d only done it the once and only because he couldn’t get the taste of garlic off his teeth. That was the last time he tried aioli on their not-dates.

Dessert was rice pudding with fresh mango and around a spoonful of creamy deliciousness Stretch mumbled out, “so, how about undyne and alphys finally tying the knot, huh?”

“Ridiculous,” Edge scoffed.

“right? i always figured them for getting married two weeks after their first date, took ‘em long enough—” Stretch trailed off as Edge scoffed again, louder and with some dangerous spoon waving to go with it.

“Marriage is a ridiculous institution,” Edge said irritably. “If you need to be married in order to feel as though you’re committed to one another, then the relationship is already doomed to failure. But then, most supposedly committed relationships are.” He took a fierce bite of his pudding, teeth closing dangerously around the poor, abused spoon. “That’s why I prefer what we have. No ties, no strings, you live in your apartment and I share my house with my brother. It works for both of us and we don’t need any absurd social constructs to determine what we are for each other.”

It took a minute for Stretch to realize Edge was looking at him expectantly, “yeah,” he said belatedly, rolling his shoulders laconically before leaning against the rough trunk of the tree shading them, “yeah, no strings, no ties, free as birds, tweet tweet.”

That earned him a chuckle, “Tweet tweet?”

“you prefer caw caw?” Stretch teased and his voice was normal, easy. Good. “grackle? i’d give you a kookaburra cackle but last time i tried it i couldn’t talk for two days.”

“Better not,” Edge’s voice was anything but normal, low and smoky, inviting the sorts of things that usually stirred up plenty of different emotions in Stretch’s rib cage, all the way down to his pelvis, and wasn’t it a damn shame his soul was all full up right now. Edge went on, as thick and sweet as the honey Stretch tended to crave. “you’ll want to save your voice for something better.”

“yeah, about that,” Stretch poked at his empty pudding cup, his spoon rattling, “actually, i think i’m gonna head home.”

Edge frowned. Rightfully so, Stretch didn’t usually turn down sex, it was a better dessert than any at the trucks, even the lava chocolate cakes that always sold out. “Are you all right?”

“just a little tired,” Stretch shrugged. “think i’ll turn in early.” He didn’t mention low HP and neither did Edge, who only nodded.

“Then let me drop you off,” Edge started gathering up their trash, separating it out and bagging it up to dump in his home recycling. “You’ll be on the bus for an hour.”

There wasn’t a good reason for Stretch to refuse, so he didn’t. He sat on the passenger side and closed his sockets, let the motion of the car and the shitty crooner music that Edge listened to lull him into a near-sleep. The ride was too short for him to zonk out entirely, but he was still drowsy when Edge nudged him, let him steal a brief, easy kiss before he slid out the door into the parking lot of his apartment building.

Stretch waved as Edge drove away, then bypassed the front door entirely and instead took a shortcut upstairs. Not inside his apartment, but to the fire escape that everyone in the building used instead as a sort of rattling balcony. There was a ratty deckchair in the corner, shoved in tight to keep from impeding the steps, and that was where Stretch sat as he dug out his cigarettes.

He was halfway through the first, basking in the nicotine rush, when he heard the window opening above him then boots on metal steps. He sank deeper into the creaky chair, bracing himself.

“Papy!” Blue called happily as he descended the stairs. His apartment was directly above Stretch’s, their version of a compromise when Stretch gently told his bro that he wanted his own place. The Fell brothers could live together if they wanted and did, and Stretch didn’t judge them for it. But Stretch had let his life revolve around his brother for a long damn time and once they were on the surface, facing the sunshine and an entire change of life, Stretch decided he wanted that change to go a little further and told Blue with as much blunt kindness as he could that he wanted his own place.

Blue got over it and in Stretch’s opinion, their relationship was better for having a little necessary space. Now his little bro leaned over the last metal rail, his starry eye lights bright as he beamed at Stretch and asked, "Well? How did it go??”

Stretch looked away, blowing out a long stream of silent smoke.

That eagerness softened, wilted. “Ah. It went like that.”

“yeah,” Stretch stubbed out his cigarette into the overflowing ashtray tucked underneath his chair, lit another. “guess it’s a good thing i dipped a toe into the river first, bringing up undyne and al’s wedding. didn’t know it was the rubicon i was trying to cross.”

Better than bringing out that little velvet box still tucked away in his hoodie pocket, it seemed. Not like he’d been planning a big production or anything, fuck no, Edge would’ve hated that, already hated it when Humans gave them side-eyes and stares. Nah, the plan was to bring it up casual-like over dessert and now he was pretty fucking glad he hadn’t. The ache in his chest was one he’d get over, give him a few days and a few smokes and he’d be right as rain, left as lightning, all that shit. Having to deal with that hurt on top of Edge turning him down, (rudely, coldly, highly possible, gently, awkwardly, so much worse) wasn’t something he wanted to give a try.

Blue came down the rest of the stairs at a more sedate pace, wrapping both arms around Stretch into a painfully tight hug, “I’m so sorry, brother.”

“eh, probably just as well,” Stretch tossed his second butt into the ashtray and resisted the urge to light another. He’d smoke his way through the pack once Blue went back upstairs, no reason for both of them to be miserable. “he’s working his way up at the embassy, he doesn’t need a lazy shit like me holding him back.”

He could feel Blue struggling not to argue and damn well appreciated it. He wanted to bask in his pain for right now, fucking savor it, his own soul served up as another casualty of the food trucks. Save the rah rah cheerleading for when he was more equipped to hear it.

“guess i better find out if the jewelry shop take returns or something,” Stretch sighed, “having a wedding ring laying around the house feels a lot like having a loaded gun, you don’t want anyone to find it unexpectedly.”

He fumbled for the little box, absently thinking of what would be a good day to head in to the shop, he was pretty sure he still had the receipt and—

In his hoodie pocket was his lighter, his smokes, a little baggie of dog treats, a handful of change since Stretch was physically incapable of walking past a vending machine, something his collection of small toys and weird condoms would attest to. No black velvet box that would never be opened in offering, showing off a simple pair of bands that he’d spent an hour agonizing over with an exceptionally patient salesperson, cause hell, they’d been not-dating for years now, maybe it was time to toss a label on all this. Except it wasn’t and neither was that little box.

“it’s not here.” No box. No rings, what the fuck. Horrified realization hit with the force of a two-ton slap. “it must’ve fallen out!”

“Oh, dear,” Blue tutted, “if it was at the park, someone likely took it.”

“i’d rather they did than him find it! edge gave me a ride home!” Stretch hissed. Panic was tight in his chest, fuck, fuck, “what if it’s in his car? i gotta get it back, i gotta!"

"Brother, calm down,” Blue tried, unconvincingly, “it might not even be in his car.”

“i have to check!” Stretch moaned. He couldn’t let Edge find it first, fuck, somehow he’d stepped out of the path of a speeding car straight into an oncoming semi-truck. “i can't let him find it! fuck!” He latched onto his brother’s shoulders, clutching desperately, “bro, you gotta help me!”

Blue still looked pretty doubtful but this was his brother, his little bro, and for years it’d only been the two of them there for each other, years and tears and love, was there anything they wouldn’t do for each other, even participate in an impromptu jewelry heist?

So it wasn’t a surprise when Blue nodded, finally, sighing out, “All right, brother, what did you have in mind?”

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Read Chapter 2

[sarahunfiltered-blog1]

My Diet/Fitness/Nutrition Journey Thus Far

Most of the memories I have of life growing up revolve mostly around food. I remember growing up and all we’d eat was Sonic, Dairy Queen, Whataburger, McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Wendy’s, you name it, I ate it. I could still to this day probably tell you my order from each place. I was raised on Hamburger Helper, Ramen noodles, Rice a Roni, canned and boxed everything, candy and soda. 

I remember when I was around maaaaaybe 12-13 and my mom doing a diet that may have been slim quick or something along the lines of you eat chicken and veggies, take these pills and do some sort of workout. I had a really bad sweet tooth (still do) as a kid and I started to gain weight and at 13 I was 165lbs, so my mom included me into her diet routine and I would eat the chicken and veggies, rice cakes, a tbsp of coconut oil and would chew sugar gum and we’d walk between the stop signs on the street we lived on and I’d do her workouts with her. I remember watching my brothers and sisters eating candy while I ate my caramel rice cakes because I was the bigger one of all of them, so for the longest time I was just the fat tomboy of a girl that would stare at herself in the mirror and look at how big my butt was at 13 and hating it and my stomach to stuck out and my fat face. I remember I used to grab my stomach and cry and scream about how much I hated it. If only I were skinny I’d be enough. I would sneak and binge on sweets, it was my comfort, it was there for me and it made me feel better

When I got my period and more of my hormones kicked in I lost a lot of weight. I want to say I got down to 125 when I was around 14-15 and I wouldn’t eat because I was extremely depressed. My sweet tooth was still there, but I wouldn’t eat because I thought eating would make me fat, so I wouldn’t and when I did it was minimal. I ate a lot of 100 calorie snacks, drank juice like V8 because I thought it was healthy, diet coke because it was diet and wouldn’t make me fat. When I was 16 I started working at Target and they have a Pizza Hut Cafe and almost every shift I would go pick up there bread sticks and a diet Pepsi and that would be my lunch (the thought of that now literally makes me cringe). I went to a bible college from 17-almost 18 and ate Ramen noodles and whatever shit food they served while I was there, but I didn’t know any different so I just ate it. I was still pretty skinny because ya know I was 15-17 and you can eat like shit and still be a twig.

When I turned 18 and moved out of my parents house my diet didn’t suuuuper change. I was still living a hardcore Taco Bell and Pizza Hut bread sticks and diet coke life style because I was living on my own, broke as a joke and ate the food I was used to eating, but then I gained probably 30lbs easily within a short amount of time (surprise surprise). I had spent my whole time as a teenager not wanting to be the fat kid and here I was back at 165lbs... wtf. I didn’t really know how to cook, didn’t have money for groceries, refused to apply for food stamps, so I just thought starting to workout would cure all my problems. Well, it didn’t long story short. I mean why didn’t working out and running for an hour THEN going eat Taco Bell work? I was working out, right? HA.

I remember scrolling Pinterest when I discovered it and finding the “Military Diet” and giving that a go. You basically don’t eat anything for 3 days and could apparently lose 10lbs. I wanted to DIE during that diet. I made it the first time around and lost 5lbs, then gave it another go and didn’t make it 2 days and stopped by Taco Bell on my way home from work and binged on that. So my diet search continued... One of my coworkers at the time started using My Fitness Pal to track her calories and she was losing weight like crazy, so I obviously I needed to give it a go and the weight just started falling fall. I went from 165lbs to 125lbs within a matter a months. I didn’t work out, I just ate less than 1,500 calories a day, cold turkey stopped eating candy, drinking soft drinks and unfortunately my Pizza Hut bread sticks. Everything was going GREAT. When I wanted to go down to the next lbs and I was 0.2 from it I would pop a few laxatives the night before and then would weight myself the next morning after shitting my brains out, but I HAD to lose that 0.2lbs.. just had to. I became overly obsessed with counting calories and eating lean cuisines and and 100 calories snacks and drinking Naked juice and weighing myself DAILY and measuring every single little thing I ate and would legit cry if I went over my calories. Funny, not so funny story. One weekend I was headed to my mom’s and had already eaten all of my calories for the day, but was staaaaaaaarving, so I stopped by Jimmy John’s and ate a sandwich that was 800ish calories, which put me 800ish calories over what I was “allowed” to eat, so you bet your ass I drug all of my brother and sisters and mom to a walking trail and walked/ran until I burned off the entire sandwich because I wouldn’t sleep peaceful knowing what I did by eating that sandwich. It was bad, just so bad. I remember the day I hit a breaking point and just wanted some damn chocolate chop cookies, but didn’t have the calories saved for it, but I binged on them anyways and cried in Michael’s arms over what I did and he was telling me it was fiiiiiiine and all the sweet things he could, but it wasn’t to me in that moment, but in that moment I just knew I needed to stop all of this, so I did. I feel like I remember just deleting the app off my phone and being done with it. I was 20 at this point and working a standing job.

Beginning in February of 2014 I started a corporate sitting job, so I didn’t have access to Starbucks or a grocery store on my breaks like I did working at Target, so I had to start bringing my lunches and snacks and to top it all off I was sitting. As you could maybe imagine I started gaining weight from being stagnant and snacking ALL day at my desk (#teamnutrigrain). I put on a good 20lbs within the first couple of months. So I started going for walks on my breaks, eating a lean cuisine a day, eating more fresh fruits and veggies, almonds, and limited my snacking to only in the afternoons and that kind of helped and worked for me for a long time and I stayed at a healthy maybe 140ish lbs and that worked for me because I was still skinny. All about that skinny life because skinny = healthy, right? Well, I thought so. 

I turned 21 and didn’t go crrazzzyy drinking, but I drank moscato and margarita’s often enough and still was all about my Friday candy binge. I was also drinking up to 3 cups of coffee a day at work and just couldn’t figure out why I was sweating and so anxious all the time. I genuinely thought it was from work when in reality I was just pumping myself with coffee after coffee after coffee day in and day out (I’ve learned since my lesson since then). I went through a phase of HIIT workout and running, but that faded really quick, but I really enjoyed hiking when I gave it a go, still do. Along with yoga which I am planning to make a goal of starting a practice in 2018. 

Around the time I turned 22-23 my older sister, Meghann, had a baby and really educated herself around living a more holistic lifestyle and it really intrigued me and around that time I had discovered podcasts and I realized how much processed foods aren’t the best choice and what I could do as an alternative way of going about eating, so I stopped lean cuisine’s (haven’t had one since), milk and yogurt along with limiting candy and processed snacks. I completely cleaned my desk out at work from all the sugar filled granola bars and whatever else I had in there and started to work with that. I shortly thereafter learned about one of the best ways of going about what to eat/not eat is if it didn’t come from the earth and/or has a label on it to think twice before eating it and READ the back of the label if you do. This is still newer-ish to me to do and I’m currently learning about all things nutrition, and how the mind, body and spirit all work together and you can’t have one fully without the other.

 As of now I don’t drink dairy milk, I limit cheese but still love it, I grocery shop once a week and buy as much organic produce as possible, I am still working on the meat switch when it comes to buying organic meat (not quite there yet), I cold turkey stopped eating candy and have found organic, non high fructose corn syrup filled alternatives when I have a sweet tooth, I haven’t been drinking alcohol much the last 2 months or so (don’t have a legit reasoning behind it, just doesn’t sound good), I am really into cooking paleo, vegan, Whole30 friendly foods because it coincides with my eating from the earth method I live by and when I want Whataburger breakfast on a Friday or a taco with a flour tortilla or a real homemade chocolate chip cookie I happily will eat it because I do not believe in living a restricted lifestyle. My entire life leading up to recently whether it was mentally, spiritually or physically has been restricted and I’m not OK with it because it’s limiting and keeps me in a box. I’m a believer in the energy you put into something is negative the outcome will be negative, so if I’m to sit here and say “this is cookie is SO bad for me. OMG. I am going to gain 10lbs.” Well, I’m asking for it to happen, versus eating the cookie cause I want the damn cookie and loving every bit. They doesn’t mean I sit there and eat 12, it just means my mindset around food was so terrible for so long and I know what it did to me mentally that is not worth it for me to be negative about it. I am content and happy with where I am out now, I don’t even care to weigh myself anymore, I don’t body shame myself anymore, I don’t calorie count, I don’t binge, I don’t use food as a reward system, I just educate myself around it, listen to my body and see how it feels and go from there. My anxiety has lessened, I sleep so much better, I feel so peaceful inside and out, and my skin has completely cleared up (I’ll talk about my skincare routine future post).  It’s been a long, ongoing journey, but I am thankful for the million and 2 podcasts I’ve listened to, my sister and everyone else along the way to get me to where I am today and I am excited to continue to learn and grow and now have a place to share all the info I am taking in and it maybe help someone else. :)

- Sarah xo

[lavidaatravezdeunavion]

Week 2

June 22

We took Saturday pretty easy since we were out pretty late on Friday. We went out to lunch at a cute little cafe called “Casa muamor,” I got a pasta and pesto dish which was alright id give it a 7/10 the sauce to pasta ratio was kind of off and the sauce was really oily. I also ordered an orange juice which like all the other places we have been was delicious. After lunch I went back to the residencia and just hung out with my roommate and some of the guys from here. That was pretty much all we did on Saturday nothing too exciting. 

June 23

We woke up to go get brunch and we went to “El Galeon,” the restaurant that's right around here. I got a “Pollo Completo,” sandwich which was huge and it also came with a side of fries. Besides the portion being huge and not being able to finish it was delectable and the restaurant has redeemed itself from that subpar salad I got from there the previous time. I also ordered an orange juice (what's new). 

After lunch, some of us went to San Telmo to go to their version of a flea market with a bunch of artisanal things. The Market goes for about five blocks and we went around 2:30 and let me tell you it was PACKED. It was really cool to see all the things people had, my one gift that i want to get for myself is something leather whether that be a jacket or a purse since leather is something Argentina is known for. The only thing that one should be very careful to watch out for pickpockets since there are so many people and usually you can't be distracted looking at cute stuff, one thing I did was make sure my cross body was over my body then i put my jacket over so that my cross body wasn't really exposed. 

After walking down the whole market it took us about two hours and then we decided to head back to the residencia. I took a mini nap and then got ready for dinner with our other professor. We all went to this restaurant called “calden del soho.” It was really nice but the prices were pretty expensive (thank god this was one of our program meals hehehe), I got a flank piece of pork. It was actually funny because i had no idea what piece of meat to order and my friend ashlyn who is now a vegetarian was helping me pick lol the irony. Any way when my plate came out my mouth was droooooling, it smelled so good and let me tell you the moment i put that first piece in my mouth i was in heaven.

 I also got some of our professors salad which was just a normal “ensalada completa,” we also got some wine to accompany our dinner. I'm not the most knowledgeable on wine but i know i do like red wine. The bottle we got was “ Saint Felicien Malbec,” I had three glasses so I guess you could say I liked it.

For dessert I got a “Flan,” for those that don't know it's basically a custard with caramel. I feel like you can easily mess up flan but thankfully it was made to perfection. We were also celebrating our friends Tyler’s birthday! So happy birthday again tyler! After dinner we went home and got into bed since we had school the next morning.

June 24 

Today we had school and I feel no matter how much sleep one gets mondays will always be difficult. Thankfully we only had class till 1:30pm. After class, some of us went to “Che Taco” a place right off of the “Independencia” stop on the blue line. I got some tacos de carne, let me tell you I didn't think I was gonna be satisfied because mexican food in Argentina some people would question it. I was pleasantly surprised! We also got some guac & chips and they were finger licking good, i also got a Jugo de Jamaica (hibiscus) and it was too good to be true.

After lunch we went back to the residencia and I took a little nap (no surprise there) and then got myself ready for dinner. We went to a restaurant in Palermo called “Moriela,” I had the absolute pleasure of seeing my longtime friend Becca and she came with us. We shared a margarita pizza and a bottle of red wine (not sure what kind but it was great). 

After dinner some of us went to get some drinks to continue celebrating our friend's birthday. We went to Ragnar the bar we had previously went too, we stayed for about an hour or two and then went on home since we had class the next day.

(my friend Juan says he loves the rain... lol)

June 25

Today after school we went to go get Empanadas from a place down the street. I got one cheese and onion, one chicken and one steak. My favorite one was surprisingly the cheese and onion one.   

on the way home we had a mini photo shoot.

And then just before we got home I had to stop by a grocery store to look for an item targeted to kids and see what the nutrition labels looked liked and if they were easy to find. On top of this we had to see what the regulations were compared to the ones in argentina. It was interesting because you see how much power there is in something so small. The labels were so small and kind of hard to find mean while here in the usa everyone knows where they will be placed and legible. 

When we finally made it home people were gathering so that we could cut into the cake for tylers birthday! We didn't have plates so people were kinda just eating it out of the cartoon it was a cute bonding moment :’). 

For dinner we went to a restaurant here in palermos “EL pinguino de palermo”.  I got a milanesa completa, and a side of puree de papa, and wait for it...and to drink i got orange juice. It was a 7.45/10. I've had better milanesa to be honest but it also wasn't the worst ive had. 

After dinner we just chilled and then I went to bed.

June 26

Honestly, the best thing to see when you are walking to school at 8:40 am in like forty-degree weather is a dog walker with so many cute dogs. He was really doing the damn thing. He is brave because although these dogs and a lot of the dogs they are well trained but i still wonder if something just set them off and they all go running in one direction he is flyiiiiiiin. 

After seeing the dogs before class you just know after class is going to be great. Our other professor who is also on this trip took us to an empanada place and i got 2 cebolla y queso, a carne one and a Pikachu one.  Cebolla and queso one had just a bit too much cheese for my liking. The carne one was like a 7.4/10 i feel like it was just good, nothing too crazy.

Also a little tangent about argentine napkins... like what's up. You can't really call these things napkins i think it's deceiving. 

Anywaysss after lunch we got back on the subte and got off at plaza italia which is like two blocks from our resi, and walked to the Eva Peron Museum. The only thing to say is *Mind Blown*. If you like history stuff and museums then I highly recommend. She was so impactful on the Argentine history and it's insane how she started out as an actress and went to creating programs to uplift women and children is great. We can each have our own opinions on Peronismo but if this woman had people grieving for 15 days you have to agree that she did something.

For dinner I went to this pay by the weight place and it was great. I got some noodles, fried rice, orange chicken and lettuce & cucumber and put some lime juice and salt over it.

June 27

After school rachel and i went to the travel agency to try to book our trip we took the subte like three different times cause of GPS lol. But on the way we got some McDonalds and i got a “cajita feliz” (happy meal) and it was so cute. The yogurt it came with was so small and it was just great. I also got a toy :) ! Anyway we also stumbled on a cute boutique where rachel got a cute shirt and leather skirt. The owner also gave me some tips for my upcoming vacation with my mom and dad to patagonia at the end of the program. We went walking a couple blocks to the travel agency but they weren’t that much help and it was just no point in going but since we got micky d’s and advice it wasn't that bad. 

Here is some candy i got it's their version of laffy taffy but much softer, it's good!

Our friends from the resi took us to this really cute garden we saw some ducks that got a little too close for comfort and they had these statues all over the park so it was really cool. 

For dinner we went to this burger place in Palermo “Burger Joint” i got “la Jamaica”. I'm not the biggest fan of burgers but it was so fricken good! It had bacon on it cheese lettuce and honey mustard and more. I got it with a side of fries and pesto-mayo. I was so happy with this meal and i was so mad I had to tap out it's a really big portion i think i definitely would have shared but it just tasted so good.

June 28

After school Rachel and I got a tostada (bread with ham and cheese ) from the cafe right by our resi, “Banova” (okay it's actually an ice cream store but i didn't know that because ive never seen anyone get ice cream from there lol)

We later went to cronico a bar in plaza serrano to watch the argentina - venezuela game (sorry bella lol). I don't know why i got just a salad but it wasn't even all that good. Again for my liking it had a bit too much cheese which I think was provolone so it was just a bit odd for me. I would give it a 7/10.

 After the game, my friends and I walked to the bakery our resi and got some pastries. They were delicious. We also played some uno and lets just say it got pretty competitive. 

After this I went straight to bed and got excited for our trip to Puerto Iguazu!

June 29

I had to get up at 6am because I hadn't packed for our trip and we had to be out the door by 7am. I somehow packed and got ready without being fully awake. We all piled into a bus and headed for the local airport (AEP). Let me tell you I was soooo excited to know that we'd be going to somewhere semi warm for the weekend. I was even able to pull out my bathing suit for a little but of tanning.

We got to the airport and got checked in and were ready to be on our plane around 8:30 and when we got to the airport we landed at about 10:30. 

Once we landed we headed to our hotel St. George. We tried to check in but the rooms wouldn't be ready by 2pm so some of us went to a pay by the weight place by the hotel i got a piece of fish milanesa, mashed potatoes, gnocchi (i now know this is not for me), some yuca and broccoli. It was good not sure really how to describe it but you wouldn't be missing out if you didn't eat there... 

After we ate we walked on the main road and stopped to get some ice cream. This is really sweet but if you ever had Mogul candies it tastes just like it. 

I was able to sit by the pool and was in love with the warmth.

 After we showered we walked to el hito de las 3 fronteras where argentina meets paraguay and brazil. I couldn't believe my eyes. I was so glad we also caught sunset because it just looked beautiful.

I was starting to get hungry and knew it was going to be at least another 30 min until we got back to the hotel because we went walking, so i got some popcorn and if you know my grandma or me you know we love salt. This popcorn was heaven.

So we still had another hour before dinner so we decided to stop by this mexican restaurant called “Tacopado”.  My friend Blue and I split a taco combo that came with one carne taco, one pollo taco, nachos and papas aztecas that had chimichurri and mayanose on it. Pretty delish. I was pretty satisfied for mexican food in argentina (that was prepared by argentinians).

After our “appetizers” we still had dinner at the hotel. I was not too hungry so i got a caesar salad. Eh it was good besides those four huge pieces of cheese on top. Rachel and I shared a brownie and ice cream with caramel. I loved the top of the brownie because it was a pool of caramel and that's the only part I really ate lol. 

After this I went to bed because we had a long day ahead of us.

I know this post is a week late but I’ve been doing a lot of traveling so I did not have my laptop with me. Hope you enjoyed the post!

Con amor,

T.L.

[healthyeating43-blog]

How to Eat Gluten Free Anywhere with Gluten Free Diet Tips + Recipes

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How to Eat Gluten Free Anywhere with Gluten Free Diet Tips + Recipes

Learn how to eat gluten free when you dine out and travel, and how to eat a gluten free diet in your own home with my best gluten free diet tips and easy gluten free diet recipes!

How to Eat Gluten Free Anywhere

Eating a gluten free diet can be a challenge. Knowing how to eat gluten free at home is one thing, but what about traveling? Gluten free dining has become easier in large cities, but knowing where it’s safe to eat a gluten free diet isn’t always a Google search away. Here are my best gluten free diet tips to help you know how to eat gluten free anywhere!

Eating gluten-free has been a lifestyle for me and my family for several years now. Choosing and cooking gluten-free foods has become somewhat second nature now, but it hasn’t always been that way!

When our family was first diagnosed, shopping and figuring out what to cook was time-consuming and often confusing. I created this guide of gluten-free basics to help out those in the same position I was in a few years ago!”

Commonly Asked Questions about a Gluten Free Diet:

What is Gluten?

Gluten is a broad term to describe the naturally-occurring proteins found in wheat, rye, and barley. Think of gluten as an ingredient serves as a glue, holding the food’s shape together. Today’s diet is very rich in these grains, and it seems like gluten is a huge part of today’s food.

You may notice when you first try to bake gluten-free, foods tend to fall apart. This is because gluten-free substitutes like rice flour and sorghum flour don’t have the glue factor that wheat has. There are ways to combat this lack of stickiness in gluten-free baking. I mostly use Xanthan Gum, but many who are gluten free also use Guar Gum.

Why Go Gluten-Free?

If you suffer from celiac disease, a gluten-free diet is the only treatment to reduce the painful symptoms associated with this hypersensitivity to gluten.

Many people experience some level of intolerance to gluten and may be unaware that gluten is the source of a physical discomfort. Some signs of Celiac include bloating, gas, diarrhea, and other GI issues.

Gluten intolerance can also show the same symptoms as Celiac, but you can have wildly different symptoms too. Gluten intolerance is also linked to many autoimmune diseases because of the inflammation gluten can cause in some people. Some have also described weight loss, increased energy and better mood after going gluten-free…but usually these improvements are due to a lessening of inflammation in the body.

Before I went gluten-free, I used several asthma medications. After being gluten-free for 3 months, I was able to go off all of them. I believe it was the inflammation and how it manifested in my lungs that caused my issues.

What Can I Eat on a Gluten-Free Diet?

While many foods contain gluten, there are lots of alternative options available that will fulfill a balanced diet.

Fruits, veggies, meats, poultry, fish and other seafood, dairy, beans, legumes, and nuts are all naturally gluten-free. Many grains, like rice, corn, soy, quinoa, flax, sorghum, hemp, and teff are gluten-free.

If you’re unsure, read the nutrition labels when you’re shopping because not all permitted food will be marked as gluten-free. At the same time, seemingly gluten-free foods may not be safe to eat.”

Oats can be a bit controversial due to cross-contamination issues. Oats are often be contaminated during harvesting and processing. If you are able to tolerate oats, it is very important that the oats you buy be labeled “gluten-free.” Food products with the gluten-free label should be safe for this diet.

What Should I Avoid on a Gluten-Free Diet?

When you are learning how to eat gluten free, you will realize that gluten foods are everywhere! The big three gluten-rich grains to avoid are:

This means mainstream foods like pasta, bread, crackers, baked goods, and cereals are an obvious no-no.

Gluten can also be hidden in foods like soups, sauces and salad dressings. Malt, soy sauce, and many other flavorings and additives contain gluten. Wine and alcohol are almost always gluten-free, beer is definitely not (unless you are enjoying a gluten-free beer!)

Steer clear of breaded meats or veggies and even foods fried in the same oil as gluten may be contaminated.”

Many foods with gluten now have alternative gluten-free options sold at the supermarkets. Look for the “gluten-free” aisle in the supermarket for bread, pasta, and even beer that sticks to the diet. Make sure your diet is well balanced and you’re on your way to a healthy, gluten-free lifestyle.

Some people are also very sensitive to gluten in their personal care products like shampoo, skin care, toiletries, and even medications.

** Here is a comprehensive list of where gluten can be hiding in foods from Celiac.org. Hidden gluten on food labels is a HUGE concern and there needs to be labeling that is more clear. It is very well written and I bet some of the foods listed will surprise you!

Gluten Free Recipe Essentials

Desserts are something that I have a difficult time saying no to. I have over 100 gluten free dessert recipes on my blog but here are a few of our favorite gluten free dessert essentials:

Gluten Free Pie Crust

Edible Cookie Dough

Gluten Free Waffle Cone

No Fail Apple Cake

Best Gluten Free Comfort Food Recipes

If you’re wondering what to eat on a gluten free diet and concerned that with gluten foods removed, there will be nothing delicious to eat, don’t worry! There are plenty of delicious foods to eat on a gluten free diet! Thanks to gluten free recipes and some store-bought gluten free products, you can even enjoy comfort foods like pizza and pasta!

Grilled Pizza made with Gluten Free Pizza Base

How to Cook Gluten Free Pasta

Gluten Free Fried Cheese Sticks

Chicken Tumeric Soup

Are There Risks with a Gluten Free Diet Plan?

If you cannot fill the nutritional gaps left behind by gluten, you can risk deficiencies in certain nutrients, commonly in B vitamins or dietary fiber.

Talk to your doctor before going gluten-free. They may ask you to do a blood test so that your nutrient levels can be monitored. Taking supplements and eat high-fiber foods like brown rice, fruits, veggies, and beans can help you keep the balance.

How Do I Start a Gluten Free Diet?

It is best to check with your doctor before committing to a gluten free diet. It is important to get a Celiac disease screening test if you suspect you may have an issue with gluten. Once you are gluten free, you can’t get this testing done because gluten has to be in your system in order for a Celiac test to register any issues.

After that, start cooking and experimenting in the kitchen! We donated all of our gluten-filled foods that weren’t open to a local charity.”

How Long Does it Take to See Results?

Do your best to stick with the gluten free diet for at least 45-60 days in order to fully experience the effects of a gluten free diet on your body.

When you’re first learning how to eat gluten free, the temptation is everywhere. Try not to cheat. If you accidentally ingest gluten, which can happen when you dine out, try a supplement called Glutenese to lessen the symptoms. (I often find when you go gluten free and your body begins to heal, your symptoms after eating gluten can worsen.)

Take before and after pictures or write a journal to document your transition. Keep track of the gluten-free foods you like.”

Eating Gluten Free at Home

Here is a link to my pantry guide.  This is a great resource for the best brands of gluten free baking flours, cooking tools, and gluten free pantry items like oils and nuts that any foodie or home cook will love! These are all of the gluten free brands I love and use all of the time.

Learning how to eat gluten free is about knowledge, so educate yourself. We’re here to help!

How to Find Gluten Free Foods and Recipes

Eating gluten-free can be expensive! Once you know what gluten free foods you like, it is easy to save money. I tend to shop at Walmart and Costco quite a bit because they charge a lot less money for the SAME gluten free foods!

I have a list of all of the gluten free foods that I have found at both Walmart and Costco. If you find other foods that should be added to the lists, let me know! I will add your suggestions so other people can be helped! You can also save money by buying gluten-free food in bulk from Amazon.

Search for gluten free recipes here on Fearless Dining and get creative! If you have family comfort food recipes that you are worried you will miss when you go gluten free, I would love to help you convert the recipe to gluten free. Just send me a note :-).

4 Easy Gluten Free Breakfast Recipes

Homemade Cinnamon Granola

The BEST Lemon Donuts

Fluffy Strawberry Muffins

Gluten Free Crepes

More Favorite Recipes for a Gluten Free Diet

Learning how to eat gluten free isn’t difficult, especially when you have delicious foods for your gluten free meal plan. Here are more of my favorite gluten free diet recipes.

Eating Gluten Free Away From Home

Learning how to eat gluten free when you’re away from home requires PLANNING.

*Here are my top articles on safe gluten free restaurant dining.

If you are going to a party, out to dinner, or having dinner at a friend’s home, you can avoid problems with potential exposure to gluten foods by taking these condiments along with you.

Other common foods with gluten that may surprise you:

Gluten Free Restaurant Dining

If you’re dining out, be sure to call ahead or check the website to learn what gluten free menu items are available. You should also check out my .

Gluten-Free Living Magazine also has a TON of good resources on finding gluten-free dining establishments in your area.

Final Tips on Eating a Gluten Free Diet

As you have seen, learning how to eat a gluten free diet requires planning, research, preparation, and education. My hope is that you’ve found this information useful and will continue to use Fearless Dining as your go-to source for gluten free diet tips and gluten free recipes!

Do you have tips that can help people?

Source

How to Eat Gluten Free Anywhere + Best Gluten Free Diet Tips

[theconservativebrief]

It sounds good, the idea of eating “naturally.” There are natural food stores and natural sweeteners. You can buy all-natural grapefruit juice. You can buy “natural artisan flavor birthday cake flavoring.” Instructions for following a paleo diet advise that you eat only natural foods, like your pre-agricultural ancestors. “Natural” recalls a prelapsarian past, the way food was supposed to be before we messed it up with industry.

But defining “natural” food has proved difficult. The FDA still does not have an official definition of the designation, although they are trying; in March 2018, the agency announced they’d be announcing one “very soon.” (They have not yet.) Emotionally, we know what “natural” is. Scientifically, it’s much less clear.

Alan Levinovitz, an assistant professor of religion at James Madison and a freelance journalist who’s written widely about our collective enchantment with the concept of “natural,” argues that the question of what qualifies is not simply a nutritional issue, but a moral one.

“Natural” connotes “goodness,” he wrote recently in the Washington Post, dissecting the current lawsuit over the relative natural or unnatural merits of LaCroix sparkling water. “Seeking out natural products is about health, yes, but holistic health,” he wrote. “Physical and spiritual, personal and planetary. Nature becomes a secular stand-in for God, and the word ‘natural’ a synonym for ‘holy.’”

So how did we get here, worshiping at the altar of the natural? And are we wrong? I called Levinovitz to talk about the relationship between food and morality.

Our conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity.

Rachel Sugar

A lot of your recent writing makes the case that the discourse around food closely mirrors the discourse around religion. There are “good” foods and “bad” foods and “guilt-free” foods. Ordering or not ordering French fries has moral weight. Why is that?

Alan Levinovitz

The way that we create identity for ourselves is — in part, at least — through rituals, and the ritual of eating is a really important one. We have to do it three times a day, it’s very personal, we take something from outside of our bodies and put it inside of our bodies, so it makes sense that we would really pay attention to that ritual as something that helps us to articulate our values.

It seems to me that a lot of the really intense debate that we see around food and what we should eat and what we shouldn’t eat is bound up with larger questions of our identity and how we understand really broad moral questions, like our duties to the environment or our duties to animals.

Rachel Sugar

One of the things that gets really morally weighted is the idea of natural food being better. Natural is good. Artificial is bad. Where does that association come from?

Alan Levinovitz

When I started researching food and thinking about food and talking to people about how they choose the foods that they want to eat, the idea that what’s natural is what’s good came up again and again. People wanted to find natural foods, they would look for “natural” on food labels, and they also wanted to adjust their dietary patterns to what they considered natural.

It became clear to me that “natural” was sort of a secular stand-in for a generalized understanding of goodness, which in religion you’d call holiness, or purity, or something like that. “Nature,” with a capital N, was taking the place of God. In a secular society, we don’t look to religions to tell us what to eat or how to heal ourselves, so you need a secular substitute when it comes to generalized guidance for what you can eat, and that secularized substitute is nature.

There’s this idea of nature as a kind of entity that wills certain things and has designed things in one way and not another, and that gets weighted morally: What nature is becomes what ought to be. In that sense, it really performs a lot of the functions that God performs in traditional religious thought.

Rachel Sugar

Has it always been that way? I keep thinking about periods in history where people were really excited about highly processed foods — the 1950s, for example, when you start to see a real boom in convenience foods.

Probably not “natural.” Getty Images/Tetra Images RF

Alan Levinovitz

Yeah, it’s not always been the case, or at least it’s been the case, but in complicated ways. If we go back a long, long time, we find that ideas of how humans should relate to nature had to do with perfecting nature.

In early Indian cuisine, you would purify butter to get ghee, and the ideal form of butter was this clarified, purified form. Refined foods were the ideal foods. You wanted refined grains; you wanted white rice. Refined products were eaten by refined people. You get the same reflection of morality in food production, except back then, the idea was that humans were supposed to perfect nature.

But it’s complicated. Even if you go back through Shakespeare’s plays, “unnatural” is a synonym for “bad.” An “unnatural” death means you’re murdered, whereas a “natural” death is dying of old age in your bed. So the idea that natural is synonymous with good and unnatural is synonymous with evil really does run through history strongly — it’s just how we conceive of what’s natural that gets complicated.

Rachel Sugar

So I guess I should back up and ask what might be the most basic question: When we say “natural” today, what do we even mean?

Alan Levinovitz

I think that right now, what “natural” means in a very broad sense is “systems that exist beyond and before human beings.” I think about it on a continuum. The most natural things are things that would have existed without humans interfering at all, and the least natural things are things we can only imagine existing with human interference. Maybe ferns in some untouched valley would be the most natural thing.

Rachel Sugar

You see a lot of people concerned about eating “chemicals,” which are framed as “unnatural” — though obviously, everything has chemicals. It doesn’t really make sense. But you also understand what people mean: Eat an apple, not a bag of Doritos.

Alan Levinovitz

People may not understand lots of traditional food production methods, but they feel like they understand them. They feel like they know how an apple tree grows, even if they don’t actually know how industrial apple farms work.

That’s a very different process than, say, steam-cracking petrochemicals and turning those into apple flavor. It may be the case that “apple flavor” is a chemical in the same way that “the juice from an apple from an apple tree” is a chemical, but what people mean when they say “I don’t want chemicals in my food” is “I don’t want substances that are produced through methods that are fundamentally alien to me and relatively recent and therefore not time-tested in my food.”

What people mean when they say “I don’t want chemicals in my food” is “I don’t want substances that are produced through methods that are fundamentally alien to me and relatively recent and therefore not time-tested in my food”

Rachel Sugar

The FDA has yet to offer a definition of “natural,” which makes sense, because it sounds like you’re saying it’s just really, really hard to define.

Alan Levinovitz

It’s impossible. As a term, it’s as difficult to define as “God” or “good.”

Rachel Sugar

But they keep opening up the question for public comment, right?

Alan Levinovitz

Yeah, I’ve gone through the comments. I wrote a piece for NPR about the meaning of “natural,” and I went through a ton of these comments. There were some explicit references to God — what’s natural is what God meant for us to eat. The idea being that there are these systems that aren’t human-created, they’re created by God, and those produce certain kinds of foods. Those are the foods that we’re meant to consume.

Rachel Sugar

What do you see as driving the current obsession with natural food?

Alan Levinovitz

I think right now, we — and when I say “we,” I mean likely readers of a Vox piece — are very conscious of the bad effects that humans are having on the world. We’re conscious of climate change. We’re conscious of deforestation. We’re conscious of the evil of industrial agriculture.

That is a moral impurity that we feel acutely and that’s also very difficult to transcend. We’re part of these systems. What are you going to do? At the end of the day, you just have to buy your food. You’re part of this food system. That makes us feel guilty. That’s a kind of impurity, and the way we transcend that is through seeking out that which is natural, because what is natural, at least in theory, is what wouldn’t harm the environment. If it’s the way it was meant to be, then it isn’t caused by us and therefore isn’t out fault. So there’s a way in which buying “natural” outsources agency to nature, and if you’re buying things that are created by nature, it can’t be your fault if they’re bad.

It’s a symbolic way to remove ourselves from a system that we feel is deeply flawed. There’s a kind of ancient magical formula, “you are what you eat,” and when you eat things that are created in a system that is bad for the world, there’s also a sense that they’re bad for you. And that comes out of a whole different set of anxieties: this idea that ultra-processed foods are making us sick and that we’re overeating; we’ve got all these allergies, and who knows where they’re coming from? Our microbiomes are all messed up. And so again, the solution to a suite of very complicated problems becomes just eating the way you’re meant to eat, a.k.a. eating natural foods.

Rachel Sugar

In the piece you wrote recently for the Washington Post, you suggest that buying natural products is “the modern equivalent of buying indulgences.” That if we buy unprocessed grains ethically harvested, we can absolve our guilt about our role in the food system.

Alan Levinovitz

Yeah, I think that we do that. I mean, certainly I try to do it. The ubiquity of something like fair trade is the sense that we’re at the top of a food system that is exploitative, so how do we get out of that? Well, we pay a little bit more for the fair trade chocolate, and then we feel better about it.

Rachel Sugar

Is that bad?

Alan Levinovitz

That’s good. It’s good in the same way that indulgences were good, which is that if you cared about the church you would want to fund it. In that sense, buying fair trade or buying sustainably sourced food or ethically produced meat at Whole Foods — whatever it is you’re spending extra money on — I think in principle, isn’t a bad thing. But like indulgences, I think there’s the illusion that somehow that’s all you need. That’s it. The system is fixed, you can just buy your way to fixing the system.

I’m deeply suspicious of that impulse. While I’m sympathetic with the people that think advocating for natural stuff is silly and that industrial agriculture feeds lots of people and despite lots of mistakes things are slowly getting better and there are fewer people who are starving, etc. etc, I think all of that is true, but I’m also very suspicious when those same people say, “and so all we have to do is just keep buying things and if we buy the right things than eventually everything will be fixed.”

It’s a symbolic way to remove ourselves from a system that we feel is deeply flawed

Rachel Sugar

So what should we do with all this? It sounds like, on the one hand, it’s not irrational for people to eat food they understand. On the other, a lot of food innovations that seem like they might address a lot of global problems — climate change, hunger — are complicated. Lab-grown meat is hard to understand. GMOs are hard to understand. How should we think about the value of “natural”?

Alan Levinovitz

I think in the case of “natural” or “nature,” we need to think about what we mean by those terms, and then start saying what we mean instead of hiding it behind the term.

I think we all need to do this initial foundational work defining what it is that we value and what we mean when we say we want to protect nature, or we want to eat natural foods. We need to think about why we want those things, and try to articulate that clearly ourselves so that we can eventually adjudicate decisions between different communities and different individuals about what we’re going to eat or how we’re going to treat the world using shared terms that are clear instead of vaguely theistic.

But you also want certain kinds of foods to be available to you at all times. That’s an aesthetic preference that doesn’t line up with what’s natural, and you’re going to have to balance those, the same way we want to be free, but we also don’t want to be completely free — we get into relationships. I think that we need to isolate the value of what’s natural, detach it from a kind of deified nature, and then think about what it is that we value about it, and how we can measure that against other things that we also value.

Then you start to imagine a world in which you have natural and unnatural things existing side by side, in a way that you have beautiful things and efficient things that aren’t so beautiful existing side by side. The reality of it is as humans and always will live in a balance of natural and unnatural.

I think because of where we are technologically and the size of our population, those questions are really pressing. I don’t think simplistic understandings of what’s natural are helpful when we are trying to address them.

Original Source -> Why “natural” food has become a secular stand-in for goodness and purity

via The Conservative Brief

[honestlyswagthing-blog]

10 Tips For Carrying out Atkins Properly.

I am actually an unintentional specialist about what does not operate when this relates to reducing weight. ADEQUATE protein will certainly certainly not cause muscular tissue reduction and the records is actually crystal clear that low-carb diet regimens are muscle mass sparing when performed accurately. Folks were also disappointed to find out that the label is actually certainly not returnable, and that this offered all of them no weight reduction advantages. I understand a lot concerning nutrition and I am an avid runner ... and I have actually NEVER denied on my own to slim down. That interests view just what several of the latest weight management analysis has been actually finding about the body. There is http://laterredelajeunesse.info in passing that recommends physical exercise, but this is actually very most certainly a diet regimen plan only. If real, thus a high-fructose diet-- and the ordinary United States consumes 9 per-cent of his/her day-to-day fats in the form of fructose-- is a major metabolic consider favor of body weight gain. Certificate in Kettlebell Instructor Training Certificate in Indoor Bicycling Teacher Training Certificate in Circuit Instruction Currently analyzing Amount 4 Exercising and also Body weight Monitoring for Obese as well as Diabetic Clients. That circumstance is a food-and-body-obsessed world that tells our team 1. Whatever we appear like now is not all right, and also we must look a particular means to get societal recognition as well as ideal wellness and also 2. Our company can possibly do that through manipulating our diets in such a way that carries out not recognize our inclinations (which turns out to be, statistically speaking, a very short-term answer for the majority of people typically resulting in even more body weight acquired as an outcome). I will certainly never reach claim I shed three-way digit body weight, yet I recognize when I am done my fat burning tale, I will certainly have loose skin layer. Yet California resident Port Abramyan is actually naming the celebrity out through filing a class activity suit versus her mentioning she carried out not lose the 100 pounds with Organic Intermediary, however instead through dancing on Dancing with destiny" and also complying with a well-maintained diet regimen. I review a handful of researches the other day that present a reduced carb as well as high healthy protein diet plan might be actually even more advantegous to drop weight, source was Dr Briffa's newsletter. Any sort of satisfying feeling may lead to an addiction, and also meals is actually certainly about that listing. As well as ultimately, given that science can't agree, the most effective food design is actually possibly the one that you like the absolute most - except health and wellness factors, but since that matches your life and also appetite. I listen to a considerable interview with Patrick Holford very early hrs these days as well as really feel the concepts as well as concepts from his diet could be actually revolutionary. That was actually an enormous adjustment for me, as my student diet plan had revolved around frozen yogurt, chocolate, cereal, pasta and an entire multitude from various other refined foods items. A healthy and balanced diet regimen must leave you feeling energized and also support your state of mind, in addition to completely satisfied.http://laterredelajeunesse.info ='text-align:center'>

There are a lot of people straining to obtain through on well being settlements that are eating diet plans of two-minute noodles or pasta as well as rice flavoured only with a little bit of stock grain, tomato dressing, or even butter and pepper and so on This is actually indicated to become taken during the night, while the metabolic rate increasing herbal tea is actually for the AM as a result of tis caffeine. In all honesty, half the moment in my diet plan days this never ever even occurred to me to earn a veggie. Bewaring your body system's requirements while not being obsessively limiting, and also keeping a balanced diet plan is vital. Another thing I would point out concerning attempting to always keep the means off - instead of taking a look at the diet as having an 'end' eventually, you might try to use the eating strategy as a way of living. Nutrient-dense diet plan: Taking on a whole foods diet plan abundant in anti-oxidants, dark, leafed veggies, and also healthy and balanced body fats is a must to deal with hormonal inequality. Sue Byrne: I believe the main concern here is that the majority of people enter some type of procedure plan for over weight along with an unrealistic suggestion concerning the amount of body weight they could obtain during procedure. So if your clothing appear to really feel a little bit looser, even when your weight adheres, you're on the appropriate path. The only means it seems you can preserve a fully various physique is actually making this the full focus from your lifestyle ... become a personal coach, invest every waking hr in the health club, devote your lifestyle to weight-loss. It may be irritating to merely lose a pound each week, however slower weight-loss is actually a lot more most likely to become permanent. The medical care occupation is split about what's the most ideal technique to address this complication: surgery and also medications or discipline, tricep as well as cabbage dips. Obviously, fast food fits in a well-balanced diet regimen-- ahem, delicious chocolate cake material! Working from appreciating my body system was a worthy venture that eventually settled - I am actually a lot more peaceful currently with myself than I ever goned on a diet plan. Pros mention this isn't specifically simple to follow or even assistances fat burning much, yet this is actually accordinged to eating fruit products, veggies, legumes, olive oil as well as fish. I do like the concept of VB6 as well as this resembles the diet I adhere to, yet I just possess meat on the weekend breaks. Effective weight loss is actually typically not a cure for incontinence, however a practical control option for obese and over weight women. To conclude, advice to comply with Liquid Crystal Displays or LFD possessed comparable impacts on body weight decrease while results on inflammation contrasted. I am actually pretty happy about the pines specifically as I know it is usually no meals + medication that produces me uncomfortable and, if I reside in a rush walnuts are my visit to avoid illness. Soup on the move- Paleo has a myriad of other bisques as well as soups created with the ideal active ingredients for you. This practice shows how body weight gain really recasts the feeling from emotion complete. Joe Proietto: Spoken up for in the feeling that as soon as the creatures end up being overweight and also our team after that placed them on a diet as well as receive them to drop weight then subject all of them just to a healthy and balanced diet they eat way too much the healthy and balanced diet and also become fat once again. This is actually currently my Fourth week on the diet regimen as well as my present 7 day reading is actually not over 10 ever before and also has around 7.1. Impressive. Wondering exactly what Diet regimen doctor thinks and also exactly how Elizabeth Barron is feeling currently as it will be 2 years since she went on it.

[mostly-plants]

One month of eating vegan

Day 29: We headed out for brunch with a friend at Light Years Cafe which is becoming a fast favourite for us because of their delicious food, great coffee, beautiful space, and flexibility with vegan options. The menu has a few dishes already labelled as vegan, but the staff were very patient in checking with the kitchen when I asked about whether other things could be made vegan too. And Voila! I got the Pixel Avocado, minus the poached egg:

The fancy stuff on the right includes kale and cabbage chips, pickled radishes, roasted edamame, and edamame hummus. YUM! I really enjoyed this, and as avocado on toast goes, it’s definitely the tastiest and most interesting version I’ve ever had. I also tried their mango smoothie with Ribena pearls. The smoothie was very refreshing, but I couldn’t taste the Ribena flavour in the tapioca pearls. Still, credit to Light Years for making it vegan-accessible by leaving out the gelatine.

Day 30: Since I’d got into the habit of batch cooking and was working from home on Monday, I was able to forage from the fridge for meals. I had some leftover soup for lunch, and leftover lentil shepherd’s pie for dinner. Having ready-made food available has made it way easier for me to stick with a vegan diet this month without having to think “what can I eat?” at every meal. These last few days of the month went so quickly!

Day 31: The final day of my month-long challenge! I’d ordered a fruit and veggie box and a few pantry staples from CERES Fair Food for delivery today. This service has been great for the times when we’re both working a lot and have too many social things on the weekend to be able to fit in a trip to the local markets. I also like CERES Fair Food because it’s organic, supports local farmers, and provides employment for recently arrived refugees. The quality of produce is really good and the variety of receiving whatever’s in season means that you get to eat a range of different veggies, and be creative in your cooking.

My boyfriend had been craving fresh veggies, so on Tuesday night we made this noodle salad adapted from the first My Darling Lemon Thyme cookbook by Emma Galloway, a trained chef who creates vegetarian gluten-free recipes. Instead of rice noodles, we used zucchini noodles (just raw zuchhini put through a spiralizer - you can also use a peeler to create long strips, it just takes a little bit longer). I added some cubed cooked firm tofu and sriracha sauce, and it made a very satisfying dinner:

As I reached the end of my month of eating vegan I was trying to decide what to do once the month ended - whether I felt able to continue eating mostly vegan, or whether I felt like I needed to add anything back into my diet to maintain adequate nutrition, or to have some flexibility in terms of adapting to the different circumstances of daily life/social events etc. The main issues for me in weighing up the decision of what to do after this month ended were:

1. Is this a nutritionally balanced and healthy way to eat in the long-term? 2. Will eating mostly plants reduce my impact on the environment and animals?, and 3. Can I eat a plant-based diet and still do things that are important to me, like sharing food with loved ones?

1. Health After doing a bunch of research and reviewing dietary advice from credible sources such as dieticians, Australian government healthy eating guidelines, and in-depth recommendations from University nutrition departments based on the current nutrition research, I do think that it’s possible to eat a nutritionally balanced vegan diet by planning meals with care, and supplementing key vitamins like B12 that aren’t available in plant foods. Other nutrients that are important to pay attention to include Vitamin D (which can be deficient on any diet when people don’t get enough from sunlight), as well as iron, calcium, iodine and Omega 3 fatty acids.

I would definitely encourage anyone considering a plant-based diet to first do your research, and talk to your doctor and a university-qualified dietician to ensure that you aren’t missing any key nutrients. If you simply cut animal products out of your diet without understanding what foods to add in to replace the nutrients you need, you will be putting yourself at risk of nutrient deficiencies. That said, as I mentioned before, I was iron-deficient for years on an omnivorous diet - so planning your diet for optimum nutrition is important for anyone! Eating vegan has actually encouraged me to pay more attention to getting the nutrients I need, and this means I am ultimately eating a more healthy and varied diet than I was before.

2. The environment, and impact on animals

I had less questions about this aspect of eating a plant-based diet, because overall the evidence seems pretty clear and consistent that reducing consumption of animal products is better for the environment and for animals. Of course, within the range of plant foods produced, there are also differences in resource requirements and environmental impact depending on what exactly you eat. A 2015 study claimed that eating more plants could actually cause greater environmental impact if you analyse emissions per 1000 calories rather than per kilogram. The authors argued that since some plants (such as Broccoli) require more resources to produce 1000 calories of energy, some types of animal products may ultimately cause less impact when compared this way.  However, no-one is eating 3 kilos of broccoli at a time instead of 330 grams of pork. We eat broccoli for its nutrient density, not because it’s a great way to stock up on calories, so this is ultimately a pretty nonsensical comparison to make. Even if you do look at the comparisons for emissions per 1000 calories, the best plant protein sources such as lentils, nuts and dry beans produce anywhere between 10-20% of the amount of emissions caused by animal products. Again, reputable sources of information seem to stack up in favour of the “eat less animal products” argument, regardless of factors such as whether animals are pasture-raised.

3. Sharing food with loved ones

I am very lucky that my partner, family and friends are very supportive and open-minded. I know that the people in my life will make their best effort to offer vegan options where they can, but I’m sure there will also be times where this might be a bit more challenging. I’m sure there will also be times when I want to share different foods with loved ones, for example, a piece of birthday cake, or a dish that is part of a yearly family celebration. Everybody is different, but for me it makes sense to be pragmatic in considering my impacts on a micro/daily level, and doing the best I can in a realistic way.

Overall, I feel I can definitely continue making choices that minimise the demand for animal products. Where animal products already exist in my daily life (e.g. shoes, foods or vitamins I’ve already bought, or occasions where it’s not possible to have specifically vegan food options) then personally I feel more at peace with accepting and appreciating what is already there, rather than throwing things away or letting them go to waste.  For example, while doing my month of eating vegan I accidentally bought muesli bars that contained honey, so I will use these up and buy different products in the future.

The vegan challenge wrap-up

Q. What do you do to celebrate the end of a successful month of vegan eating on World Vegan Day? A. You buy yourself vegan roast duck rice paper rolls for lunch from Mr and Mrs Banh Mi. Nom! I will definitely be back to try their vegan BBQ pork Banh Mi.

This month has been really interesting, and I’m really glad I did it. Here are my highlights of eating vegan:

I had lots of fun trying lots of different foods and recipes and finding new favourites (miso glazed eggplant, chickpea shakshuka, apple pie pancakes, peanut butter & maple granola, the list goes on...)

Plants tend to have less calories but heaps of nutrition, so you can eat very well and get plenty of vitamins and minerals without excess energy.

I’m much better informed about my nutritional requirements and am consciously making more effort to eat a balanced diet.

My digestion is amazing, because fibre.

I feel like my energy has been more stable.

My skin started to clear up towards the end of the month.

My weight stayed exactly the same, but I’m pretty happy with that given the range of delicious food I’ve eaten over the last month (including quite a few baked goods and my new favourite snack - peanut butter granola!)

 When it came to lowlights, there were fewer:

Restaurants/cafes that don’t know how to vegan - e.g. there are little to no vegan options, or asking for things to be made vegan results in confusion and being served dry toast with a beaker of oil. #foodfails.

Accidentally overdoing the batch-cooking, and ending up with more quinoa and chard than any human could reasonably be expected to ingest.

Going from eating almost no legumes to eating heaps of legumes does result in being little bit gassy at first, but your body adjusts pretty quickly. The positive of this experience is that the fibre-rich plant foods are feeding your good gut bacteria, and they are helping support your health in lots of ways. So I’d say it’s all worth a bit of bloating in the end!

All of the above is just my own experience, and yours may be different, but for me this has been an overwhelmingly positive change. I was surprised that I didn’t really miss dairy or meat over the month. Still, I decided that rather than telling myself I had to continue eating 100% vegan from there, I was open to re-including minimal animal products in my diet if I felt like I needed to. This kept the pressure off so that I could be free to let things evolve rather than forcing change too quickly.

Since finishing the vegan eating challenge, I have eaten a small amount of dairy a couple of times (which made my skin break out quite noticeably), along with a mouthful of the scrambled eggs my partner ordered when we went out to breakfast. It’s been interesting, because I had thought I would either be a bit grossed out by these things after avoiding them for a month, or the opposite - that I might think “now I remember why people love eating this stuff!”

In fact, I just felt (in an extremely strayan way) “Yeah.. nah.” Like... I get it, but I just don’t really feel like I want it anymore. It’s kind of nice to feel a sense of calm acceptance about that, because decisions that I’ve made from a place of calm acceptance tend to work better for me in the long run than those that are all-or-nothing, or highly emotionally charged.

So, here’s my plan: KEEP CALM AND CARROT ON! :D

By this I mean I will continue eating mostly plant-based, supplement B12 to be on the safe side, and not freak out if I make mistakes or can’t manage to be 100% vegan 100% of the time. Being more conscious of my choices and eating a diet that is 95% plants is still a huge step forward from the probably (sub)Standard Australian Diet I was eating before, and will still reduce my negative impact on animals and the environment.

I will keep posting my vegan food adventures on Mostly Plants, and use it as a way to keep track of my favourite recipes, and share these with other people who would like to eat their vegetables (and enjoy them too!) On that note, I’ll finish with one of my recent favourite dishes - Vietnamese style noodle soup with tofu, inspired by The Viet Vegan’s recipe for Homemade Vegan Vietnamese Pho.

[artmccracken3-blog]

What remains in Food.

The ordinary new pass rate on the RDN exam for the courses of 2010 - 2014 was 95.7%. I likewise couldn't believe the number of food commercials shown on American TELEVISION. That still strikes me away. DCP's Capital Planning Department has actually introduced its brand-new NYC Facilities Explorer (beta) - an interactive web map that captures 35,000+ facilities that shape the quality of New York City areas and are looked after by a City, State, or Federal firm. Food Paradise is shelling out tons of America's best fish and shellfish, including big lump crab cakes in Maryland, loading assistings of crawfish in Louisiana, and also a loaded seafood tower in Malibu. Ms Glossop, 36, had been doubting exactly what went wrong up until a sms message from Petbarn regarding Loki's food sounded alarm system bells in her head. Viewed as a gift from the Maker, the capacity to store basmati rice (manoomin in Ojibwe) for long periods of time to use when other food resources were less abundant made wild rice a staple of the Ojibwe diet regimen. Examples of Novel Food include agriculture items from third nations (chia seeds), newly created nutrients (synthetic zeaxanthin) or extracts from existing food (rapeseed protein). In emergency circumstances, UNICEF assesses the nutritional and also wellness needs of affected individuals, shields and sustains breastfeeding by giving safe havens for expectant and also lactating ladies, supplies crucial micronutrients, sustains healing feeding centres for severely malnourished youngsters, as well as supplies food for orphans. Searching the internet I stumbled upon Enthought, as well as I couldn't think how very easy it was to mount with all my favored plans! Our body can last longer without food compared to it can without water, and also as a result it is alright to avoid eating as high as you made use of to for a short time period until your gastrointestinal system could recuperate. If you treasured this article and also you would like to acquire more info pertaining to click the up coming internet site i implore you to visit our webpage. Tony was the Director of Food & Drink at the Forbes Four-Star Watercolor Inn and Hotel in Santa Rosa Coastline, Florida, before signing up with the Nemacolin Woodlands Hotel group. To initially obtain a quick explanation of the food standards, most likely to as well as review Actions to a Much healthier You After that go to Food Teams where you will see a list on the left-hand side of the web page of the various food groups. Consuming food with capsaicin, though, triggers sweating above as well as past just what is should maintain the body from overheating. As students proceed with the springtime semester, the shipment of material progressively focuses on case-based application of occupational performance concepts, using info regarding the influence of customer variables and also context, and the capability to plainly influence work-related efficiency end results via various therapy strategies. Trip share, reduced automobile ownership, on the internet purchasing as well as food distribution are all actual fads that will have a considerable impact on near term as well as future car parking need. Actually, a research study conducted in wild rice nation found the plant to be one of the most vital food source for mallards during loss migration. It forced them to distinguish themselves from various other countries, for those kinds of food stipulations suggested that an Israelite could not have actual intimate interaction with a Gentile since intimacy frequently occurred a dinner table. Prevention involves proper refrigeration of fish at temperatures of less compared to 4.4 º C( 40ºF) If you weighed 150 extra pounds, the quantity of food that allow you go down from 250 extra pounds to 240 extra pounds would certainly make you get fat. The central objective of the European Compensation's Food Security policy is to guarantee a high level of security of human health and wellness concerning the food industry-- Europe's largest production and also employment market. The Food Allergen Labeling as well as Consumer Security Act of 2004, which entered into result January, 2006, requires that food tags identify in plain English if the product consists of any one of the eight major food irritants - milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat and soybeans. Several of the saints refused to await others, to make sure that they stuffed themselves with food and beverage, and the Lord's Table began to resemble a heathen idol-worship ritual.

[atlasbar-blog1]

Best Protein Bar Ingredients

If you really require a snack and you are looking for a healthy one protein bars are a great alternative. There are a variety in the marketplace these days aren't really that healthy. Some include high fat, calories and are packed with sugar. When looking for them, do not take for granted they're all healthy and low in calories. The following are some protein bars that are on the market which are healthy and Fantastic tasting:

1. The Promax Bar-This protein bar has a high amount of sugar but is healthy. If you're on a very low calorie diet it's great to have because it only has 290 calories. Its flavors include: German Chocolate Cake, Black Forest Cake, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and a host of other flavors. This bar will surely raise your energy and will yield lots of minerals and vitamins. It is also ranked number 1 by a lot people who reviewed it because of its candy bar taste.

2. The Supreme Carb Conscious Protein Bars-This bar is loaded with protein and has the potential to build muscle. There are five flavors available that include: Rocky Road Brownie, Caramel Nut Chocolate, Peanut Butter Crunch, Peanut Butter Pretzel Twist, and Cookies N' Cream. This bar is very good because it's low in sugar. It comprises a lot of healthful ingredients though it's high in calories. This is also an extremely great tasting bar which will force you to believe that you're in fact eating a candy bar.

3. The Think Thin Bar-This bar is high in protein, gluten free, contains no sugar and a great protein bar to add to any diet plan. It is not easy to find a protein bar which includes no sugar and is still fantastic tasting but this one meet the challenge. It comes in the following flavors: Whit Chocolate Chip, Brownie Crunch, Dark Chocolate, and other flavors.

Additionally, it contains calcium caseinate, a protein that is slow digesting and one which will make you feel full. This bar will surely help you in the region of weight management. I best protein bars for crossfit NY like the fact I can find a fantastic tasting protein bar once I want a snack and still not wreak havoc in my diet plan. They are also quite beneficial if you need to rebuild muscle.

The above bars are the tastiest and the best protein bars on the market. You will very seldom find a protein bar that buy atlas bars is this nutritious offer you these wonderful flavors and are great tasting at precisely the exact same moment.

You see them all over the place these days... nutrition bars that claim to be healthy and good for weight loss or muscle building, but if Click Here you read the label, you see an endless list of chemicals, sugars, processed trans fats, and other harmful overly processed ingredients.

There are so many sorts of "health bars" and "protein bars" on the market these days, how can you know whether you are actually getting something healthy or just junk food in disguise?

Again, just as I've talked about grocery store food choices, you really must understand how to read labels if you're going to stand a chance at finding a really healthy food bar.

To be quite honest, most of the bars out there are pure junk... candy bars disguised through labeling for a health food bar.

Just a couple weeks back, I was going on a bike ride with a friend and needed a fast bar to make sure I had enough energy for the bike ride.

Well, I didn't have any bars on me, so my friend gave me an extra slim fast bar he had.

Keep in mind that these slim fast bars are marketed as health foods for losing weight.

These things are just a flat out joke...there's nothing even remotely nutritional about them. In my opinion, these slim fast bars are WORSE for you than candy bars!

The first ingredient in this bar that my friend gave me was corn syrup! Then the second ingredient was sugar (hooray more sugar!) , followed by hydrogenated oils (source of deadly trans fats). After that, the list went on with nothing but junk such as artificial flavors, colors, evil artificial sweeteners, more hydrogenated refined oils, and rounded out with some highly processed soy protein isolate (which despite popular belief, processed soy Isn't healthy for you... I'll talk in detail about that in a future article) just to give your body some more junk.

So not only are those "weight reduction" bars a tragedy nutritionally for youpersonally, but the pub tasted absolutely horrible! It tasted like chemicals and has been way too overly sweetened (not a surprise with each the sugar, corn syrup, sugar alcohols, AND artificial sweeteners). This is a prime example of "over-engineering" of food.

So how can you determine a wholesome protein bar or energy bar?

I search for simplicity at a fantastic pub. Many of the healthiest and tastiest bars I've found have just a few basic ingredients like seeds, nuts, and fruit. I also search for organic ingredients and raw components if at all possible.

Some of my favorite truly healthy bars:

1. Organic Food Bars - This is actually the name.

Depending on which flavor, these are usually a base of organic almond butter (or cashew butter) with a certain type of fruit, organic seeds, organic biosprouts (quinoa, Atlas Bar etc), and some organic rice protein. Some flavors incorporate an organic dark chocolate too. They also have a line of bars that use exclusively raw ingredients.

Not only are these bars extremely nutritious, but I believe that they are delicious as well and have lots of flavors to choose from such as chocolate chip, blueberry, cranberry, higher protein, and more.

You won't find these bars at your local grocery store, but I have found them at several health food stores.

2. Larabars - These are even simpler in ingredients than organic food bars. Usually larabars are only 2 or 3 ingredients, and mostly raw... a blend of crushed nuts along with a kind of fruit is the typical combination, but they have a lot of different flavors so it can vary.

These are also delicious and you'll NEVER see a list of chemicals a mile long in their ingredient list... usually just nuts and fruit, and that's it! Simple IS better. atlasbars.com This is a very higher quality bar. Again, you probably won't find these at the local grocery store, but I've found these at various health food markets.

When you really find truly healthy bars such as these examples above, they paleo protein bars NY make great quick snacks while you're traveling or when you're at work.

I carry some on me almost at all times, just to make sure I have healthy alternatives to eat whenever I need a quick snack, so that I am not tempted by fast food joints or junk food vending machines. Fantastic luck and make sure to read those labels to make certain you're getting a health food bar and not a candy bar in disguise. See below for 5 unique tips to help you lose your stubborn belly fat.

As consumers, we are faced daily with choices about what to eat. As a bodybuilder, we're bombarded with protein bars that promise everything from a great deal of protein, low carbs, less fat, and the cheapest bar on the market. But rarely do any of the bars meet the most necessary requirement of them all. If the bar

Doesn't taste great, then I don't want to eat it.

Irrespective of how much protein might exist in a specific bar, if Bar A has more but tastes worse then than Bar B, I'm still more likely to choose Bar B. As a consumer of protein bars, I don't feel like forcing myself to eat something two or more times a day just as it has the best whey-protein available on the marketplace. And while some bars can claim to be great tasting, they never do the definitive real taste test.

The actual taste test is a bar which don't just health conscious adults will enjoy but one you can give your child and it won't come home in his/her backpack. If your child (if you are childless, get a bar and test it out on a niece/nephew) won't eat the bar, chances are there's a reason for it. Because it doesn't taste good.

Throughout the past few decades, low sugar, low carbs has become such a big deal. So now we have some of the healthiest bars in the marketplace. But nobody wants (I didn't say won't) to eat them. Because it's like going to the dentist. Who would like to go? We go because we know the consequences of not going are worse. But is that really how you want to feel about something that You eat at least two times every day?

How about eating a bar that tastes good, has enough of the fantastic stuff in it, and eating it two times every day is a treat? Okay, so you may get more sugar. Again, you might find a few more carbs. But statistics prove that you'll be more Atlasbars's facebook likely to consume all that good stuff more frequently if you enjoy doing it. Most of us don't daily do something that we don't like doing unless there's a compelling reason to do so. The lure of money comes to mind when I think of work.

Choose a bar that has enough protein in it and enough carbs.

And sugar isn't all that bad. When you workout, your body needs instant fuel. Sugar is a better source of immediate fuel then protein. Possessing some sugar before your intense bodybuilding workout isn't a bad thing. Forget all the science of the bar. Taste is most often overlooked in choosing a good protein bar. Give the bar to your child and see if they eat it. If they do, chances are, you will too.

There are numerous instant foods which are available today; they come into numerous flavours, colourful packaging and health benefits. These foods are easily available in our local markets, groceries and even freely served in schools. As you see these foods all over daily, and one of the most widely consumed instant food are the energy bars which are generally characterized with coated chocolate filling or caramel.

These nutrition bars, energy bars or protein bars comes into different types and some of them are labelled as "healthy food", "contributes to weight loss" or "muscle building food", but actually they are not; when you see the label in the back you will see a lot of chemicals in the ingredients such as sugars, processed trans fat, and other processed additives and flavourings which indeed contributes to fattening or occurrence of tummy fats.

With this, you might actually be realizing that the snack bar that you're eating is actually a junk food that fooled you Buy best protein bars for crossfit in disguised as health food, but how actually we might know that these are healthy or just the usual junk foods?

First, you must read the label. By reading the label, It Is Going to Supply you a general insight regarding some benefits as well as the content of the food;

Although good descriptions are presented, but some doesn't actually true what the label states, to be straight "candy bar is actually disguised as energy bar. And the second and the most essential clue to learn if it is really healthy are by its ingredients. As commonly, most of its ingredients right now contains huge number of sweeteners such as corn syrup, unsaturated fats and artificial flavourings and food colour which contributes to the development of tummy fats and obesity. Furthermore, these snack bars contain food chemicals which are dangerous to your health.

And lastly, the most significant criteria when determining if the energy bar or protein bar is healthy is the number of organic ingredients like fruits, seeds and nuts. The snack bar having the most plentiful quantities of organic ingredients is actually the decent ones. In regard to this, in choosing energy or protein bar here are some recommended types: organic food bars, and larabars. Organic food bars is among the healthiest type, its ingredient is generally organic and usually comprises of nuts (cashew, walnuts, and many more), seeds, biosprouts, and some organic rice crispies.

This type usually comes into numerous flavours such as chocolates coated, caramel coated and milk coated. Commonly you won't find this food on your neighborhood grocery store, but usually in health food stores. And the second type are the larabars; larabars is also a kind of organic food, but most of its ingredient components are raw foods like fruits, cashew nuts, and a lot more.

Larabars don't contain chemicals or artificial flavourings; it only contains pure organic raw ingredients. When are inclined to consume these snack bars these facts and examples would definitely assist you! Eating the right energy bars or protein bars will really help you and potentially assist you in reducing tummy fats; Good luck! And the next time you eat it, make sure that you read the label carefully making sure that you aren't consuming a junk food in disguise.

[respectfulliving1]

Vegan Junk Food

Vegan Junk Food

See full post at https://www.arespectfullife.com/2017/05/28/vegan-junk-food/

Typically, most vegans are healthier than the average population.   The primary reasons for that are that they consume nutrient rich foods, eat whole grains, have a higher intake of fiber dense fruits and vegetables, avoid most processed foods, and have a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol because they don’t consume animal products.   However, this is not always the case.

I have met a few vegan people along my journey that are unhealthy.   They often drink too much alcohol, consume highly refined food products that contain white flour and sugar, and eat what I call vegan junk food.  Those people were all over weight.  I find it a little ironic that they care about the environment and animal welfare, but do little to benefit themselves.  I believe some of this has to do with self esteem and self love.

At the beginning of my healthy journey, I decided that it was time to take care of myself first and foremost.  My health had failed miserably and I found out the hard way that if you don’t have your health, you don’t have anything!  I decided that Respectful Living meant that I had to respect myself FIRST.  If I don’t, what good am I to anyone else?  If I don’t feel well or am miserable, I can’t be any good to anyone.  How can I look after others, animals, or the environment if I don’t look after myself and my health first?

The popularity of Veganism and a plant based diet has grown in popularity dramatically over the last 7 or 8 years.  The food manufacturers have responded to this trend by providing not only healthy food options, but also a lot of pre-packaged goods.  Like other pre-packaged food items, the vegan options are often loaded with highly refined food products and full of preservatives.  The food manufacturers have also come out with a lot of snack and dessert options.  Those with a sweet tooth have tons of options to choose from!

As an example of the differences in non-vegan and vegan junk food products, I will use my personal favorite.  I have always loved Ben and Jerry’s Chunky Monkey Ice Cream.  They now have a non-dairy option and it is heavenly!

The ingredients of the regular, dairy based ice cream are as follows: Cream, Skim Milk, Liquid Sugar (Sugar, Water), Water, Sugar, Bananas, Walnuts, Coconut Oil, Egg Yolks, Cocoa, Cocoa Powder, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Guar Gum, Natural Flavor, Milkfat, Carrageenan, Soy Lecithin, Vanilla Extract.

The vegan, non-dairy version is as follows: Almond Milk (Water, Almonds), Liquid Sugar (Sugar, Water), Coconut Oil, Sugar, Walnuts, Bananas, Corn Syrup Solids, Dried Cane Syrup, Cocoa, Pea Protein, Sunflower Lecithin, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Soy Lecithin, Vanilla Extract, Guar Gum, Natural Flavor (Coconut), Locust Bean Gum.

Minus the dairy, they are virtually the same.  Look at the nutrition information labels:

Dairy Version:                                                 Non-Dairy Version:

               There honestly is not a much of difference in nutritional value between the two!

In addition to processed and pre-packaged foods, a ‘junk food vegan’ often eats a similar diet to the average person: pizza, French fries, onion rings, burritos, nachos, deep fried anything, cinnamon rolls, cookies, brownies, waffles, pancakes, cupcakes, mac and cheese, etc.   All of these items can be made vegan.

As a matter of point, a lot of people don’t know that Oreos, Duncan Hines Cakes, Jell-O Instant Pudding, Bac-O’s, Pillsbury Crescent Rolls, Ritz Crackers, unfrosted Pop-Tarts, Nutter Butter cookies, Krispy Kreme fruit pies, Super Pretzel frozen pretzels, Dairy Queen Star Kiss Bars, Sara Lee cherry pie, Ghirardelli Double Chocolate brownie mix, Keebler Fudge Pops, and many Frito-Lay and Nabisco product  – are ‘vegan’ and non-dairy.

Just because a person is choosing to not eat dairy, meat, and animal products, does not mean that they are eating healthy or getting the nutrients they need.  Eating this way can be quite dangerous to a persons health.  Perhaps worse than if they were eating a diet with animal products.  By consuming mainly junk food, a ‘junk food vegan’ is not getting enough calcium, vitamin C, iron, or any other vital nutrients!

When I began my healthy journey, I weighed 350 lbs.!  I lost over 100 lbs. in the first 6 months!  You can read more about what I did here: How I Lost Over 100 Pounds Eating Mindfully. In 8 months, my blood pressure was down to 100/67 and my blood testing was perfect.  I was happy to inform my pill-prescribing-physician that I did it without any medications, without bariatric surgery, without a weight loss program, and without killing myself exercising!  I am not saying I am so awesome, I am merely stating facts.  I went from barely able to walk and climb stairs, to walking daily, climbing stairs without issues, and being able to ride my bicycle again!  I got my life back in under a year and reversed the ill health that I had.  I guarantee you that I was not eating vegan junk food!

For those that wish to be more lean than fluffy on a plant based diet, I have a few quick suggestions:

Limit your alcohol intake.

Stay away from processed and fried foods.

Stay away from simple carbs (sugar, white flour, white pasta, white rice, tortilla’s, soda, candy, etc.)  A physical trainer I know said, “If it’s white it ain’t right!”.

Watch your bad carbs.  I keep my carbs under 40-50 grams per day.  I check ingredients for carbohydrate content but do not count dietary fiber against my carb intake.

Check the ingredients on all food products.  If you don’t know what is in it, you probably shouldn’t be eating it!

Stick with whole grains and eat lots of fruits and vegetables – Eat the rainbow!

Get 8 hours of sleep per night.  We lose a majority (over 80%) of our fat through breathing.  The lungs are the main excretory organ for weight loss and much of this is accomplished while resting.  In addition, if you are sleep deprived your body goes into conserve / store fat and energy mode, as well as messes with your insulin regulation.

Healthy Vegan Recipes are available HERE, Vegan Cookbooks are available HERE.

In addition to these suggestions, I would encourage those of you who are not sure if you are getting what you need in your diet, and those of you that are considering a plant based diet, to do your own research.   There is so much information available about the benefits of a plant based diet.  If you are too lazy or too busy to do your own research, please feel free to reach out to me personally.

Namaste // #GoVegan

JT

P.S. NutritionFacts.Org is a great website for additional nutrition information!

[type2diabetestreatments-blog]

First 5 Things to Do If You’ve Been Diagnosed With Prediabetes

New Post has been published on http://type2diabetestreatment.net/healthy-tips/first-5-things-to-do-if-youve-been-diagnosed-with-prediabetes/

First 5 Things to Do If You’ve Been Diagnosed With Prediabetes

The other night, we went to Applebee’s for dinner and met Sam, the manager originally from Thailand, who revealed that his doctor recently told him to change his diet because he’s prediabetic. This was after we shared about this blog and handed him a card.

The conversation had originally been about asking him to send the word up the command chain that customers are asking for low-carb or sugar-free desserts. Then we explained that we’re trying to ask as often as possible so that upper management might finally realize there’s a demand for that type of offering and do something to make that happen.

He said he would pass that along to his superiors, but then he asked me several questions about what it means to be prediabetic, and how he needed to change his diet. He shared that he eats a lot of food traditional to his culture, because his wife is also originally from Thailand. They always have rice with their meals, so he eats rice several times a day.

I told him that’s a big no-no, unfortunately, because rice is very high in carbs. His face fell. So I amended that statement: “Well, at least cut down on how much rice you eat at every meal. Take half the rice you would normally take, and start there.” He looked reflective a moment and then nodded.

I also strongly recommended that he go to Walmart and buy himself a cheap blood glucose test kit. Walmart’s brands are far less expensive than others and are just as accurate. We tested that against Steve’s endocrinologist’s device back in Missouri. I’d been using one for years and we decided to get him the same kind so that we can share supplies and save money.

At first, she scoffed at the brand of tester we showed her. We compared results right there in her office and she was impressed that the Walmart kit gave the same result as her spiffier, more expensive, doctorly device.

So anyway, I told Sam to go get one of those Walmart devices and to start testing his own blood sugar levels every day. I told him to test when he first gets up in the morning and then two hours after every single thing he eats. This way he can begin to see what foods are affecting him badly and which ones are okay. I told him, “You’re shooting for blood sugars in the 80 to 120 range, so test often to see where you are and what foods affect your blood sugar.”

I explained how he might also experiment with brown rice instead of white, because white rice is more heavily processed and therefore breaks down more easily in our system. Foods that break down easily get transformed more quickly into glucose and therefore affect our blood sugar levels more dramatically.

However, it’s also true that all of our bodies are different and metabolize foods differently, so it’s really important to get a handle on what your body likes and doesn’t like.

In response to this, Sam said that there are significant differences in how Asians metabolize foods from Americans and I agreed with him. But I also explained to him that ever since Asian diets started incorporating elements of Western diets, the rates of diabetes in Asian countries have skyrocketed. If he was still in Thailand, eating only his culture’s traditional foods, in traditional amounts, he might not have prediabetes. But he shared that he’d been in this country for around 30 years.

I was amazed at how much this man didn’t know or understand about his new condition. His doctor obviously didn’t tell him much or encourage him to learn on his own. He probably didn’t have a clue how to go about educating himself, but was hungry for the knowledge I was sharing with him. He really does want to take care of himself; he just needs the information and tools with which to do so.

Hopefully, he has joined us here at the Diabetic Herbivore by now and is sharing the journey with us. Hi, Sam!

Diabetes Threatens So Many People

In 2012, the American Diabetes Association estimated over 29 million people in this country alone are living with diabetes. That includes an estimated almost 9 million who are diabetic but undiagnosed.

Another 86 million people are prediabetic, which means their blood glucose levels are already higher than normal but not yet high enough for a diabetes diagnosis. Prediabetics are at a higher risk of developing diabetes and its complications.

That’s a staggering 115 million people in the U.S. who have diabetes or prediabetes. That’s a significant percentage of our population. Current estimates of the total population in the U.S. is a little over 318 million, so that means nearly a third of people have diabetes of prediabetes! Many others are at risk of developing diabetes, due to their lifestyle, genetics, and other risk factors. That’s a lot of people! And it’s true, almost all of us know at least one person with the condition.

What Is Prediabetes?

Prediabetes is the term doctors have invented to indicate that a person’s blood sugars have begun consistently testing slightly higher than normal. Another term for this diagnosis is “impaired glucose tolerance.” Yet another phrase you may have heard is “borderline diabetic.” These all mean the same thing.

People who have prediabetes usually aren’t experiencing any symptoms. If you’re at least 45 years old and carrying a bit of extra weight, your doctor will probably recommend you get screened for prediabetes.

If you have any of the risk factors for diabetes, or have symptoms consistent with diabetes, then you can ask for a screening anytime.

If There Are No Symptoms, How Is Prediabetes Diagnosed?

Doctors have a few different tests they can do to determine your blood sugar levels. This is just what it sounds like: the amount of sugar (glucose) in your bloodstream. All of the cells in your body need glucose to function properly, but if you have a high level of glucose floating around in your bloodstream, it means that your cells either can’t absorb it (indicating insulin resistance) or have absorbed all they can and the excess isn’t being dealt with properly (indicating insufficient insulin).

You will probably first have your finger pricked so the doctor can see what your blood sugar levels are reading right in that moment. If you’re higher than 126, your doctor may express concern and will likely have you do another test. This one will require you to be fasting and will require a blood draw (where they insert a needle in your arm and fill a vial with your blood).

This is then analyzed in a lab and the results of this HbA1C (or Hemoglobin A1C, commonly referred to as “A1C”) test will show the average level of glucose in your blood over the last three months. If this number is between 5.7 and 6.4, you will be told you’re pre-diabetic. If it’s higher than 6.5, you’ll be given a diagnosis of diabetes.

A Prediabetes Diagnosis Is a Warning…and a Gift

Prediabetes is a warning and is indicative of the probability that you will develop the full-scale disease if you don’t change some things. Prediabetes is also associated with a higher risk of having a heart attack or a stroke.

People who develop prediabetes likely have a range of risk factors, some of which are genetic, while others are lifestyle-related.

You have the power to change the lifestyle habits that are putting you at risk of developing diabetes. Even if your genetics are strongly in favor of the development of the disease, by changing some lifestyle habits, you can delay and possibly even prevent the diabetes genes from activating.

This is the gift of prediabetes: You have time to change things to prevent diabetes and all the damage that high blood sugars can cause to your body.

The First 5 Things to Do If You’ve Been Diagnosed Prediabetic

1. Buy a glucose monitoring kit. Like I said, you can get a cheap one from Walmart. Mine is the ReliOn Prime, which also has the cheapest supplies.

2. Start testing & logging your blood sugars regularly. I suggest every morning when you first wake up, and then again, two hours after you eat anything. This way, you can start to detect patterns and begin learning what foods are bad for you and which ones you can eat safely.

You’re shooting for numbers under 100, but definitely no higher than 125, for your morning fasting test. Two hours after you eat, your “postprandial” sugars should be under 140.

Be sure to record your test results in some sort of a log. The best way to learn about your body’s reactions to foods is to note the food you ate, the time you ate it, and the blood sugar test result two hours later. For convenience, most glucose monitors also record the time, date, and results of each test.

3. Eliminate or reduce your intake of “white” foods and simple sugars. I no longer keep in the house the following white foods:

White flour

White bread

White rice

White potatoes

White sugar

I also include noodles in the above list of contraband items, if they’re made from wheat flour. Of course, not all white foods are suspect. Cauliflower is white and can be a great low-carb substitute for a lot of things.

You also need to limit or eliminate simple sugars from your diet, which includes cakes, candies, cookies, or anything else which contains white sugar or high fructose corn syrup. (High fructose corn syrup is an evil all its own and I plan to do a blog post about that one in the not-too-distant future.)

4. Learn to read nutritional labels and how to determine net carbs. I’ve got a whole blog post about this, so go give that a read when you’re done here. Experiment with your number of carbs per meal or per day to find what works best for your body to stay within a normal blood sugar range.

5. Start getting some physical activity into your daily schedule. It needs to be more than your normal routine and it needs to get your heart rate up. For instance, if you’re a restaurant manager, like our friend Sam, then you’re probably getting in a few miles a day of walking around the restaurant. This does not count. Your body has adjusted to that level of activity and has plateaued, plus your heart rate is not elevated for most of those steps. So add something, even if it’s just 15-20 minutes a day, to start.

Weight Loss Is Not the Goal, but May Be a Side Effect

Notice I’m not suggesting that you lose weight. That might be an important part of the equation for some people, but not for everyone. I was only 115 pounds when I was still having blood sugars in the “OMG, you should be in the hospital” range.

For some people, changing their diets and routines in the ways I’ve outlined here will result in some natural weight loss. But that’s not the most important factor, in my view. We are all different. The most important thing is to become more aware of what works for you.

Mindfulness Leads to Health

Becoming mindful of what you put in your body, in what amounts, and how those things affect you will start automatically helping you to be healthier. Following these simple guidelines, while not guaranteed to help you avoid diabetes, will give you a much greater chance at doing so. Plus the whole family will benefit from these dietary and activity changes!

Photo Credit: Rebecca Dugas

Diabetes Type 2 Tips Diabetes Escape Plan Does Diabetes Destroyer Really Work? Original Article