McKinley Grapevine

Hey McKinley!

Are you eating a healthy balanced diet, exercising and still feeling low on energy?  Does this describe you?  Before you decide whether or not this really describes you I want you to answer the following questions:
1. Are you eating breakfast?
2. Does your breakfast include a healthy balance of protein, carbs and healthy fats?
3. Is your sugar intake between 50 – 60g/daily (no more than that)?
4. Do you drink less than 16oz of coffee or tea?
5. Are you eating every 3-4 hours?
6. Are you exercising 3-5x weekly for a minimum of 45min each time?
7. Are you under a 30 BMI?

If you answered YES to the above questions, you may find the article I am going to share with you very helpful.  A couple weeks ago Angie Mullan sent this article to me and I was intrigued.  I would encourage you to read the whole article but just in case you choose not to I will summarize it for you :).

The author, Sarah The Healthy Economist, is describing a friend of hers who is a mother with a healthy body weight, eats a balanced diet, exercises and is not achieving the energy levels she needs.  Sarah recommended she try consuming 4-6oz of LIVER weekly.  Right now you might be thinking “Thanks for the info Mer, but I’ll stick with my stimulant and crash routine before I even THINK about eating liver…blah”.  I get it, however, there are other ways of consuming liver other than liver and onions in the frying pan.  Here are the examples Sarah has provided:

1.  Liver pate:  If strong tasting beef liver and onions turns your stomach as it does mine, try the milder tasting liver pate made with chicken or duck livers that is an excellent dip or spread on toast. This recipe includes lots of bacon pureed with the liver and is very well accepted even by children. {click here for a video demonstrating how to make liver pate}
2. Liver and Rice: Just before you put a pot of soaked rice on to cook, mix in one or two spoonfuls of grated liver. The liver will impart a wonderful flavor to the cooked rice and your family won’t know the difference. Note that brown rice works better than white rice for this trick.
3. Raw liver pills: Chop up raw, grassfed liver that has been frozen for 14 days or more (eliminates parasite risk) into small pieces and swallow a few each day whole with a glass of water, milk or juice. Over the span of a week, you will consume several ounces and no doubt be feeling much more energetic.
4. Raw, desiccated liver powder: probably the easiest and most painless way to get your liver is through a raw, grassfed, “nothing added nothing taken away” desiccated liver powder. This is what we take at home when we haven’t been eating enough pate or the raw liver has run out until the next local meat co-op delivery. You can take the powder in capsule form or sprinkle it into homemade soups and sauces for a boost of nutrition.

For more info on the desiccated Live powder or pills, click the link below:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/487625-what-are-the-benefits-of-dessicated-liver/

Why Liver: It’s rich in iron, contains B complex vitamins, amino acids, calcium and phosphorus

Precautions:
There is not a “One size fits all” diet plan.  We are all unique individuals just as our dietary needs are.  I strongly recommend you check with your doctor before you start taking a desiccated liver supplement pill or powder for 2 main reasons.
1. Your iron levels may already be high enough and too much iron in the body can be toxic (even though this is rare, it is still something you should be aware of).
2. If your doctor thinks a liver supplement would do you some good, it would be best for them to suggest the right dosage for you based on your height and weight instead of depending on the serving size listed on the nutrition label. If you did want to test the liver out to see if it made a difference in your energy levels before seeing the doctor, I would try 1-2tbsp of  liver pate with one of your afternoon snacks once or twice a week.

Click the link below to read the whole article.  Email me with any questions 🙂
http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/exhausted-this-superfood-can-get-you-off-the-couch/

Have an awesome day!!

Yours in Health and Wellness,

Hey McKinley!!

I know some of you are already aware of “The Fast Metabolism Diet” because you are currently on it and experiencing great success!!  For those of you who are not aware I wanted to give you the opportunity to learn about it. Haylie Pomroy is the Celebrity Nutritionist who created this diet and author of the book “The Fast Metabolism Diet: Eat More Food, Lose More Weight”.  Dr. Oz had Haylie on his show back in February.  You can click the link below to watch her segment which outlines the 3 Phases of The Fast Metabolism Diet or you can read the outline below.
http://www.doctoroz.com/episode/overcome-your-metabolism-slump

I’m not usually one to promote a specific diet because I firmly believe in balance and moderation, however I do agree with the design of this diet because it can help you make a lifestyle change not just a 30 day change.  There are also suggestions provided to help you prepare for Holidays, parties, cheat nights and an app that makes everything incredibly convenient!!

As of right now the App is only available on the iphone.  Here are some of the features:

~ Customizable menu planning to fit your lifestyle and schedule
~ Complete lists for all the foods and ingredients allowed in each phase of the diet
~ “My Day” tracker with upcoming meals and activities
~ Interactive water tracker
~ Email grocery lists to print or share
~ Export tracked meal data for your records or for future use
~ Tips and advice from Haylie to help you meet your goals
~ Automatic portion adjustment based on your weight loss goal

The Fast Metabolism Diet Outline:

Metabolic Rehab Phase 1: Unwind stress, calm the adrenals. Duration: 2 Days

The first step of rebooting your metabolism is giving it what it needs to pull itself out of emergency mode: whole grains and natural sugar in the form of fruit. The sweet fruits and wholesome carbs in Phase 1 stimulate endorphins   in the brain and flood the body with very easily digestible nutrients. You can also eat moderate amounts of lean proteins. Phase 1 convinces your body that it’s no longer in an emergency situation, encouraging it to actually digest the food you are eating, and use those nutrients for fuel rather than storing it as fat.

Phase 1 Sample Meal Plan:

Breakfast: Strawberry French Toast (fruit and grain)
Snack: Mango or other fruit
Lunch: Chicken sandwich with a side salad (grain, protein, fruit and veggie)
Snack: Baked Cinnamon Grapefruit (fruit)
Dinner: Chicken and Broccoli Rice Bowl (grain, protein and veggie)

Metabolic Repair Phase 2: Unlock fat stores. Duration: 2 Days

The second phase of my plan introduces rich foods you thought you could never have on a “diet”: juicy steak, rich lobster, flavorful salmon. Meanwhile, we pull back on grains and fruit and introduce lots of alkalizing green vegetables. Leafy greens, asparagus, mushrooms and peppers help balance the acidity of the protein you’re eating, keeping the body pH balanced. Your body then converts those proteins into amino acids, the building blocks of muscle.  So while you’re eating fat in the form of meat and fish, you’re also burning fat as fuel. The protein combined with lots of vegetables are the keys to releasing “old” fat – you’re actually unlocking stored fat into the bloodstream, ready for Phase 3, when your metabolism will really burn hot, melting those pounds off.  For these two days you will not eat other sources of fat or carbs.

Phase 2 Sample Meal Plan:

Breakfast: Egg white, mushroom and spinach omelet (protein and veggie)
Snack:  Smoked salmon and cucumbers (protein and veggie)
Lunch: Tuna Salad-stuffed Red Pepper (protein and veggie)
Snack: Turkey jerky or nitrate-free lunch meat (protein)
Dinner: New York Strip Steak and Steamed Broccoli (protein and veggie)

Metabolic Repair Phase 3: Unleash the burn. Duration: 3 Days

Now that your fat stores have been unlocked, your body can start using that old fat as fuel until it’s gone for good. In this phase, you’ll get to enjoy the delicious whole foods from Phase 1 and Phase 2, but now you’ll be adding healthy fats to every meal: Coconut, avocado, olive oil, raw nuts and seeds – all of which help you torch old fat right along with the natural dietary fat that’s coming in.  The foods you eat in this phase are also rich in inositol and choline, cofactors that metabolize fat and keep it from getting blocked in the liver; they keep all that newly released fat from being reabsorbed.  Once you’ve cycled through the three phases, your body’s metabolism is running fast and hot. You’re no longer in starvation mode. Instead, you’re feeling satisfied and your hormones are happy. You can say goodbye to those old diet myths and keep nurturing your metabolism with real, whole, nourishing foods. Follow my program to rehabilitate your metabolism, and you may never need to diet again.

Phase 3 Sample Meal Plan:

Breakfast: Egg and toast with tomato and onion (Fruit, fat from the egg, grain and veggie)
Snack: Hummus and veggies (Fat from the oils in the hummus and veggie)
Lunch: Avocado Turkey Lettuce Wrap (fat, protein and veggie)
Snack: Almond butter stuffed celery (fat and veggie)
Dinner: Shrimp and Veggie Stir-Fry With Quinoa Grain Pasta

If you have any questions about the diet I would encourage you to visit her website and go through the FAQ page.  If you have any questions for me, feel free to email me any time 🙂
http://www.fastmetabolismdiet.com/diet/?t=About-the-Diet

Have a wonderful afternoon!!

Yours in Health and Wellness,

Meredith

Hey McKinley!

Before I get to the list of foods and their sodium content, there are a few rules you can follow to help make your quest a little easier.

1. Buy fresh or frozen fruits and veggies and avoid the canned veggies
2. Avoid packaged pastas or rice with seasoning or sauces (such as ramen noodles, hamburger helper)
3. If you are going to buy canned veggies, lentils or beans, buy the ones that have “no salt added” on the label
4. Fried foods all have a high sodium content…avoid them

Some packaged foods won’t have a ridiculously high amount of sodium but most do so just be sure to read the label carefully and pay attention to the serving size as well 🙂

This is only a partial list of the most common foods and is meant to give you an idea of the sodium that is currently in your diet.  If you have a specific food you want to know the sodium content of you can email me and I will add it to the list which will be found on the Grapevine under “Sodium Content Food List”.

(Fresh : Canned or packaged)

1 medium tomato ~ 7mg : 153mg
Fresh fruit ~ 5mg or less
1 medium avocado ~ 14mg
1/2 cup chopped carrots ~ 44mg : 295mg
1 stalk of celery ~ 88mg
1 cup of spinach ~ 24mg : 746mg
1 cup chopped Kale ~ 29mg
1/2 cup sliced cucumber ~ 1mg
1 dill pickle spear ~ 306mg
1 large red, green or yellow pepper ~ 4mg
1 can red hot chili peppers ~ 856mg
1 cup chopped broccoli ~ 30mg
1 cup chopped cauliflower ~ 30mg
1 cup chopped onion ~ 8mg
1 large potato ~ 22mg
10 frozen crinkle cut french fries ~ 294mg
2 slices of cold cuts/lunch meat ~ depending on the meat they range between 450-800mg
1 cup uncooked pasta ~ 1mg
1 cup cooked plain long grain rice ~ 1mg
1 large egg ~ 70mg
1 slice cheddar cheese ~ 174mg
1 slice mozzerella ~ 220mg
1 slice whole grain bread ~ 200mg
1 whole grain bagel ~ 450mg
1/4 lb of lean ground beef ~ 72mg
1 grilled chicken breast, no skin or bone ~ 65mg
1/4 pound of lean ground chicken ~ 64mg
1/4 pound of lean ground turkey ~ 80mg
1/4 pound of grilled wild salmon ~ 63mg
1/4 pound of grilled white fish ~ 119mg
1 can of tuna packed in water, no salt ~ 88mg
1 tbsp of Ketchup ~ 160mg
1 tsp of mustard ~ 55mg
1 tbsp of mayo ~ 75mg
1 tbsp of miracle whip ~ 75mg
1/4 cup of cashews, almonds, pistachios or walnuts ~ .5mg

 

Common Drinks and their sodium content:

8 fl oz of water ~ 0mg
8 fl oz of mineral water ~ 10mg
8 fl oz of club soda ~ 65 mg
8 fl oz of tonic water ~ 35mg
8 fl oz of Coke ~ 33mg
8 fl oz of Diet Coke ~ 33mg
6 fl oz of black coffee ~ 5mg
1 can of Monster Ultra Zero ~ 360mg
6 fl oz of green tea ~ 0mg
8 fl oz of 2% cow’s milk ~ 125mg
8 fl oz of coconut water ~ 75mg
8 fl oz of coconut milk ~ 15mg
8 fl oz LOW SODIUM V8 Juice ~ 140mg
8 fl oz V8 Juice ~ 433mg (Big Difference)
8 fl oz of Gatorade ~ 110mg
12 fl oz of beer ~ 15mg
6 fl oz of Red or White Wine ~ 7mg

 

Here are some low sodium ways to season your food from www.webmd.com:

~ use fresh garlic, onion and olive oil to season potatoes, pasta, rice and meat
~ Marinate chicken breasts or pork chops in lemon juice, orange juice, or wine
~ Roll fish in sesame seeds before baking
~ Spice up beef with a mixture of onion, peppers, sage, and thyme
~ Toss in a few fruits and vegetables, such as dried apricots, raisins, red pepper, or yellow pepper for extra flavor
~ Simmer carrots in cinnamon and nutmeg
~ Sprinkle some dill and parsley onto potatoes before roasting
~ Add a dash of chili powder to corn
~ Replace salted butter with unsalted butter
~ When cooking with cheese, opt for fresh mozzarella or cheeses labeled “low-sodium”
~ Try a commercial salt-free seasoning blend (such as Mrs. Dash), or make your own mix with this recipe from the American Heart Association:

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon mace, ground 1 teaspoon basil, ground 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 tablespoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon black pepper, ground, 1 teaspoon thyme, ground 1 teaspoon sage, ground, 1 teaspoon parsley, dry flakes 1 teaspoon marjoram, 1 teaspoon savory, ground.

Yours in Health and Wellness,

Meredith