Juicing: Blend it up or throw it out?

The latest and greatest craze in nutrition is juicing.  Pinterest, Facebook and other social media outlets are inundated with “juicing recipes”.  But what is the science behind it?  Juice it or chew it?

While many celebrities have endorsed this craze (who wouldn't want to lounge at the spa and head over to the Juice Bar), health experts have another spin on the blend.  The elimination of digestion that occurs when food is blended creates a shortage of fiber.   Fiber is not digestible, however it tends to work as “nature’s broom” sweeping and cleaning out the digestive tract. 

Why do we need fiber?  Check out its benefits according to (Fetzer, 2012):

 •Fiber slows the absorption of sugar into your bloodstream to help maintain stable blood sugar levels and help prevent Type 2 diabetes.

 •Fiber lowers bad LDL cholesterol and promotes heart health.

 •Fiber helps keep you feeling full and satisfied and more in control of your appetite and weight.

 •Fiber keeps your digestive system healthy and regular, helping you to avoid constipation and the risk of diverticulitis.

 •Fiber reduces the risk of certain types of cancer, including colon and breast cancer.

Therefore, the elimination of fiber from our foods (by juicing) will allow the sugar to straight to our cells, giving a rapid spike in blood sugar- something that would pose an extreme problem for diabetics, or anyone who suffers from diabetic related issues (Clark).    

Juicing is showing several positive benefits.  First, people are consuming more vegetables and fruit than they might have been previously consuming.  Second, juicing gets people talking about health and exploring new ideas to incorporate vegetables into our daily lives.  The downfall is, a smoothie results in a high carb, low fiber, low protein meal that will leave your body hungry and craving more, later (The Juice on the Juicing Craze , 2012)

What’s the final skinny?  The age old addage will never die- Everything in moderation J   

Juicing is great because it allows us to be creative in our consumption of leafy greens, but don't let it do more harm than good.  Keep track of your nutritional intake, stay within your ranges, and plan accordingly. 

References:

The Juice on the Juicing Craze . (2012). Environmental Nurition , 1.

Clark, D. J. (n.d.). What About Juicing? Retrieved May 8 , 2013, from www.NorthernLightsHealthEducation.com: http://rev14.com/media_download/Juicing%20WIth%20Apendix.pdf

Fetzer, M. (2012, April 14). Dieary Fiber 101. Retrieved May May, 2013, from She Knows Health & Wellness : http://www.sheknows.com/health-and-wellness/articles/822363/what-is-fiber-and-how-does-it-work

~220 Calorie Flank Steak Wraps!

Looking for a healthy dose of red meat- minus the calories?!  This is the ticket!  It is paleo if you 86 the cheese!

Try this!  Flank Steak Spinach Wrap

Ingredients:

1.5lb Flank Steak

Spinach 

Shredded Parmesan cheese 

Fresh minced garlic

1.  Preheat oven to 350*  Spray butter spray in square glass dish.

2.  Slice steak so there are 6 pieces.  Sprinkle spinach on flank steak.  I love spinach so I coat it (and spinach wilts as it cooks)

 3.  Sprinkle cheese.  Depending on your love for cheese, 1-2 Tbsp

4.  Tightly roll steak-spinach-cheese combo 

5.  Place in pan.  Combine leftover spinach, cheese and freshly minced garlic and sprinkle over steak wraps.

6.  Add fresh black pepper.

7.  Place in oven and cook until desired steak temperature (10-20 minutes).  

8. Serve with cauliflower mashed potatoes or other low calorie side/ vegetables.  Very filling, tasty dinner!!

 

Total calories: 

Steak- about 180

Cheese- about 40

Makes 6 servings- 220 calories total

Try it and let me know what you think!!

Delish Veggie Quinoa

Veggie Quinoa... one of the easiest, quickest, and delicious dishes to make!  Annnddd low calorie at that!!

Main ingredients: quinoa, butternut squash, spinach, onion, goat cheese, and seasonings of your choice (fresh garlic, red pepper... just a few of my favorites)

Makes 4 servings!  About 255 calories/ serving

1.  Chop 1 cup-1 1/2 cup of butternut squash.  You either peel it first, or just leave it on.  If you cook it long enough (with the skin on) it becomes soft in texture.

2.  Chop your onion.  Depending on your love for onion, 1/2 - 1 whole onion should be plenty.   

3.  Start cooking the quinoa!  2 cups of water per cup of quinoa.  When water starts boiling, add quinoa.  Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and let cook till the water cooks out of it.  

4.  Sautee butternut squash.  We use a butter spray to cut cals.  Once the squash begins to soften, add in the onions.  If you wish to add in any spices or herbs, now is a great time so all the flavors can simmer together.

5.  Combine the veggies and the quinoa.  Remove from heat.  

6.  Sautee the spinach- just enough where the leaves start to wilt.  Combine to quinoa mixture.  

7.  Add goat cheese, and mix in quinoa mixture.  

This meal is so super delish and full of flavor!!  It takes maybe 30 minutes- including prep time.  Hope you enjoy :) :)

A Very Sweaty Namaste

My first experience of hot yoga in Tallahassee was a success.  Am  I a bonnified yogi?  No way.  Was I good at it?  Not close.  Did I survive?  Yes.  Will I be back?  Most definitely.

Trendiest Yoga Studio

Hot yoga is one of the ‘hottest’ crazes in fitness right now (pun definitely intended).  In a room with an elevated humidity and a temperature ranging between 100-110°F, your body and its muscles began to contour in ways previously unknown…. Except when you look at the person next to you- who obviously knows what the heck they are doing- and can bend their body in freaky metamorphic postures.    

My adventure started back in college when I lived in Bowling Green, Kentucky.  After my collegiate swimming career ended, I needed something to keep me in shape- and exercising for fun was something I had never known before.  On my quest to find a fitness love, I discovered yoga.  After a few classes, I was hooked.  I then found hot yoga.  Before I could nail my stride, graduation came and went.  Fast forward 7 years and I have ended my self-induced yogi-hiatus.  I attended Hot Yoga Tallahassee with several close friends this weekend.  What a workout it was!!!  From the beginning I was pushed to my limit with reintroducing my body to the ‘self-paced’ flow of the Vinyasa.  Essentially performing 2 tricep pushups with a transition to Downward Dog immediately gave my arms a solid pre-fatigue.  From that point on, it mind over matter and trying to use anything else I could manage to move- besides my Vinyasa tired arms. 

An hour and a half later, sweat drenched, muscles activated, and heart rate elevated the class ended.  Namaste, indeed.  The researcher in me wanted to find out more about this practice.  A quick Google search will bring up thousands of results on ‘Bikram Yoga weight loss’, ‘Bikram Yoga health benefits’… the list goes on.  But what claims are actually substantiated?  What is just fitness hype and speculation? 

Bikram yoga was developed in the 1970s by Bikram Choudhury.  The focus is more on physical wellness than spiritual development, like traditional yoga.  It is composed of 26 poses and 2 breathing exercises over a 90 minute period. (Decreased Nocturnal Awakenings in Young Adults Performing Bikram Yoga: A Low-Constraint Home Sleep Monitoring Study, 2012).  The root word- yoga- means to “to yoke” or “to harness” (White, 2005).  The class I attended was not a traditional “Bikram Yoga” class.  It was a fusion-flow combination which allowed the beginner in me ‘flow’ at my own pace.  The contrast is that the class I attended can be changed from class to class. 

SO what about these alleged health claims?  Studies in young adults (26± 7 years) have shown that hot yoga can improve balance substantially, produce modest improvements in leg strength, and improve leg muscle control for less-steady subjects (Hart & Tracy, 2008).  During the class, I did feel my heart rate extremely elevated.  The elevated heart rate is essential in caloric burn.  While I did not have my Polar heart rate monitor on, my heart rate was high enough to burn more calories outside of my normal range.  Will hot yoga make you lose weight?  I would say yes- if done diligently.  Some sites claim hot yga will burn 500+ calories.  Unless you are a couch potato, I would say probably not.  And if you are a couch potato… you probably would not start your workout regimen in an arid dessert (so to speak).  Hot yoga will cause a reduction water weight BY FAR, however, the elevated heart rate will cause additional caloric expenditure which will aid in the lasting weight loss most crave.

I loved Hot Yoga Tallahassee and definitely recommend this trendy studio to anyone who is in the market for a phenomenal workout.  The girls there know their stuff!

Trendiest Yoga Studio

References

Decreased Nocturnal Awakenings in Young Adults Performing Bikram Yoga: A Low-Constraint Home Sleep Monitoring Study. (2012, April 12). Retrieved March 24, 2013, from ISRN Neurology: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3345216/

Hart, C., & Tracy, B. (2008). Yoga as Steadiness Training: Effects on Motor Variability in... Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research , 1659-1669.

White, L. S. (2005). Yoga for Children. Pediatric Nursing , 296-297.

Foreword

Grace Lace and Pearls

 

Grace, lace & pearls a project inspired by my mother who is the epitome of all these things. Grace can take the shape of anything. She taught me that having a lady’s grace meant speaking when an adult speaks to you- a concept lost by many of today’s ‘teenage hipsters’. Grace means knowing how to act properly at the ballet- even though a little girl’s giggles instantly take over when the boys in tights start leaping- legs spread and all. Grace is learning how to set a table, how to carry on a conversation around mixed company- with only your eyes. She taught me that yes- life will give you lemons- the trick is being resourceful and finding the corresponding limes, tequila and triple sec. Grace is what my mother has taught- and continues to teach me. Because of her grace, I know how to fight for what I believe in, how to see ‘defeat’ as a road sign that has simply changed directions, how Jesus has saved us all and how to not only love unconditionally but to be loved- unconditionally.

 

Lace and pearls are angelic symbols of the south. They tell stories of how The Tara rose from the ashes to become great again. They are both strong within their own right. Pearls adorn seaside cottages and illuminate the rough shells in which they belong. Lace is an intricate fabric, made by rough, worn and tired hands- yet adorned in the most delicate of manners.

 

Grace, lace and pearls- filled with Southern paradox, noted for timeless tradition, and loved by all who are luck enough to be in its presence.

 

This is my inspiration, this is for my mother-

Grace, Lace and Pearls