Mirror, Mirror, Here I Stand…Love Your Body!

Everyone has something they don’t like about their bodies…

Before I got into the vitamin journey section in the blog, you might have noticed that I am huge fan of “love your body” and believe that this is truly the first step to leading a healthy life. Many times this is the hardest part: learning to accept yourself, just the way you are!

This is a post I wrote for the website of the company I work for that discusses this further.

I hope you enjoy it! Let me know what you think, I’d love to hear from you!

Mirror, Mirror, Here I Stand...Love Your Body!

XOXO

-The Nutrinut-

Weight Loss Myths...

Nutrition news last week was kind of tough to read.

It always comes down to obesity and what everyone is doing wrong. Last week, an article attempted to “debunk” obesity myths. It included things like saying that assessing the readiness to change is not helpful and even questioned whether setting realistic goals is helpful or not. Another article said that apparently eating more fruits and veggies per day has not been beneficial in weight loss. Well, if the total amount of calories did not change, no kidding!

I get so frustrated with these studies. When are we going to learn that there is so much more to weight loss and being happy than that? We are not robots and there is no "one recipe for everyone" or weight loss truth or myth. What worked for you might not even work for your sister, much less someone you don’t know. We are so unique that even twins could have completely different relationships with food. So why is it news that a specific diet or approach has not been effective in a study? And why are we wasting time with these?

Moreover, when did eating become such an unpleasant experience? Do you remember when was the last time you fully enjoyed a meal without having to either classify it as a “not so tasty but healthy” or “delicious but beware of the calories”? It seems like all I read about has to do with miracle diets or miracle pills to cure obesity and still eat whatever you want or (my personal favorite) how following some "simple" steps will make all the pounds go away. Of course, every now and then you get the approach “everything you've been doing to lose weight is completely wrong”.

The way I see it, you should start from within. Don’t listen to magazine articles because they don’t know you. They don’t know your struggles, have no clue whatsoever how that piece of chocolate represents to you so much more than “lack of determination and willpower”. I’m not going to be here hypocritically giving you weight loss advice either because I would be doing just like all those other articles. But if there’s a place I like to start is with a food journal. Not with the objective to freak out over the calories but so you can find out how you feel about foods. Every meal you eat, write it down and make sure to include how you were feeling before and after. Understand your feelings. What foods give you comfort and why.

Another very important step, my very favorite topic…be kind to yourself. Destructive language only leads to self-destructive behavior.Think of what kind of conversations you are having with yourself and replace negative, destructive language with positive and loving words. "You are gorgeous, delicious and lovable".

And the last advice I can give, reach out to your loved ones for help and support. Chances are that they have similar struggles too ;)

I guess what I want the take home message to be is don't go crazy trying to follow everything that you read because that was not written for YOU. Whether it is not weighing yourself, setting realistic goals and losing weight slowly, don't take my word for it or any other person who does not know you...find what works, what's healthy for you and most importantly what makes you happy.

Because you are so worth taking amazing care of...

XOXO

-The Nutrinut-

The "Weight Loss Scam" - a Nutrinut's point of view

Ciao Nutrinutters :)

Here are my thoughts on the weight loss scam:

I believe most of us have seen the videos on senator McCaskill questioning Dr. Oz’s participation in the weight loss scam. I cannot argue that his show can be informative and he does have a true gift with words and the ability to teach. My issue is not with alternative medicine, for I do believe that nature’s medicine is truly powerful. My issue is with all the weight loss bull and how he chooses to display this info in his show. On the other hand, I also have to strongly disagree with the claim that weight loss is only about dieting and working out.

Only someone struggling with weight loss fully understands that it is a bit more complex than that. There could be hormonal issues involved, psychological factors, and even some sort of addiction. To make things worse, we have people advertising in the media constantly that they have the answer to it all...they promise people something that most have desired for so long, struggled with, and failed—the control of their weight.

So going back to the news, my issue with all this is just giving people the false hope…the miracle they have all been looking for. In my eyes however, Dr. Oz is only the very tip of the iceberg. While the blame is being directed at one person, I am sure that the food industry is just loving the focus for once not being on them. Guess what? This Nutrinut has not forgotten about you. I still think that the big problem lies there. I consider the “weight loss miracle” scams just businesses trying to bandage a broken bone. And people will go for it because they don’t know what else to do…when in reality, the cure lies in healing from inside out.

And this is where the food industry comes into play. In my eyes, they are responsible for offering crappy food filled with sugar, salt, and additives, even though they are fully aware of the health consequences. To get away with this, all they have to do is hire a brilliant marketing team that will add a lovely spin to their product in order to make us feel safe and comfortable in consuming poison. An article published this week addressed just this. It showed how marketing distorts people’s perception of what is a healthy product. The participants were presented with options and they had to pick which one was healthier. The interesting twist is that the difference was not in the product but that one contained health claims such as “contains antioxidants” in a cherry soda while in the other, the claim was removed. The participants got a “false sense of health” and believed that the one with the claim was the better option.

I guess I did go a bit off topic, but for me, the true weight loss scam starts with the food industry. They manufacture harmful products and the cherry on top, market them as healthy.

The good news is that you, yes YOU, can do something about it! Make smarter choices. If it sounds too good to be true (i.e. a soda with antioxidants, organic fruit snacks, heart healthy, sugar filled cereals, etc.) then it probably is. If you want antioxidants, eat fruits! ;)

XOXO

-The Nutrinut-

How passionate are you about what you do?

Ciao Nutrinutters!

Last week I had the opportunity to attend an educational seminar on one of the companies that sells supplements to the one I work for. The experience was eye-opening in more than one way. Not only was I able to learn about different herbs and how nature works in synergy, but I got to see something that is not that easy to find – people that have a true passion for what they do.

The owner of the company was one of the speakers and it was very clear to all of the +150 attendees that this man is in love with what he does even 27 years after creating his business.

This got me thinking about how many people can say the same.

Sure, everyone has their off days where the last thing they want to do is get out of bed when the alarm clock goes off at 6AM…but for the most part, how do you feel about what you do? Does your job put a smile on your face?

I think that what matters most is to find true happiness and passion in one’s life. I confess that I never had a dream job as a kid, other than wanting to be an actress because that way I could be everything I wanted to be depending on the role. Not a very realistic job for me since I am more on the shy side, so that idea quickly changed. But the way I like to see it when it comes to how I became the Nutrinut is that nutrition chose me. Yes, at times I have felt lost and wondered if there was something else out there for me. I also can’t say that I’ve got everything figured out by now because that is far from the truth, but who does anyways, right?

Would I say that I have passion for nutrition?

Heck yeah! When I find myself arguing (not fighting) with others on nutrition topics such as all the different diets (paleo one is still quite popular) and how much protein should one be having, I am reminded that this is my passion! Especially with the simple fact that I get overwhelmed with the amount of things I still want to learn about nutrition, foods, and herbs.

The possibilities are countless! In a way I did get my wish after all. What other profession would allow me to work in the health industry that combines a wide range of different tasks, such as online marketing, scripts for nutrition videos, exploring new recipes (and trying them), and being able to be creative with every silly idea I can possibly come up? All of this combined, while still having the amazing chance to educate people about what I love to do is what makes it even more worth it. I am proud, passionate, and honored to have had this chance—for it comes once in a lifetime.

So what about you, what are you passionate about? 

XOXO

-The Nutrinut-

The "Sugar Challenge"

Guten Tag! ;)

As some of you might already know, part of my job is being in the loop of all the nutrition trends to see what we can use to create healthy tips, among other reasons too. One thing that drives me insane and keeps popping up is 5, 6, 7 and even sometimes 8 easy “simple” ways to cut sugar.

Really??

Yes, we know that sugar is not good for us and is compared to having similar effects on the brain to cocaine. But would you say that giving up an addiction is as easy as counting to 8? 

We do have to cut down on added sugars, but there is nothing easy about doing this. More than half of the “sugar alternatives” recommended are just as bad for you if not worse than sugar itself! And did you know that "sugar" can have over 50 different names?

I took on the “sugar challenge” myself to keep my daily intake around 25 grams (which is what’s being recommended by the American Heart Association). For the first week, I wrote down all of the foods I ate and how much sugar I was having. The numbers were crazy I tell you…my days averaged around 90 grams per day!

How did we get to such high numbers?

Part of it is that there was a significant increase in the variety of processed foods. The other half of the story is that we don’t have much time to cook anymore (is that what the oven looks like?). But no worries, processed foods are here to save the day! Or that's what they want us to think. 

What I would recommend?

Keep track for 3-4 days everything you eat and the amount of sugar it contains by looking at the food label. This will help you have an idea where you stand and spot where your excesses are. The next step is substituting your highest sources for healthier options.

 
 Recipe to Unsweetened Applesauce

This might be a bit tricky at first, but I’ll use myself as an example. One of my switches was my almond milk, which I substituted my original vanilla for the unsweetened one…this cut down quite a few grams from my day.

We can make wiser choices by reading food labels. Dedicating time to this when doing groceries might not sound very convenient, but if it comes in a package, this is the best way to go!

I also strongly recommend not going "cold turkey" on this and give yourself time to adapt to the changes. The idea is to not make yourself crazy in the process. Plus, the smoother you make this transition, the more likely you’ll be able to maintain these changes.

Something really important to remember is to not give up. I will tell you right now that there will be the day where your coworker will bring every imaginable flavor doughnut to the office and you will be tempted and might have 1 or even 2. Don’t panic, and don’t give up on yourself. It is ok! Tomorrow is another day ;)

Hope you join me in the "sugar challenge" - Let me know how it goes! I would love to hear from you :)

...until next time!

Xoxo

-The Nutrinut-

Strategies for Picky Eaters

Ciao Nutrinutters!!

This week we had a “bring your kids to work” day and I was asked to host a little nutrition session with the kids and teach them about eating fruits and veggies. Needless to say that by the end of the day I felt like I had lived 3 days instead of 1, haha.

At first I panicked since I had no idea how many kids were going to show up and their ages. Also, I had never met these kids, meaning I knew nothing about their likes and eating habits. Not having kids myself also challenged me further since other than “Frozen” and Sponge Bob (because let’s face it, Sponge Bob never gets old, haha), I have no clue what is actually trending. But having volunteered at a daycare as a nutritionist for a few months help me relate to the struggles that moms have with picky eaters.

In the end of the day everything worked out! We had many fruits for the kids so they could create fruit kabobs and all in all, I felt that is was successful since all the kids ate at least one kind of fruit. But the day got me thinking once again on moms with picky eaters. I’ve studied and read many articles, books and blogs and even in theory it seems like mission impossible, especially if the kids are yours...which is why I wanted to share some of the good ideas I find to be helpful and hopefully one of these works for you.

If your kid is refusing to eat what you made, don’t force them or make something different. Simply put everything away and when they are hungry heat up the food he previously refused. I have quite a few friends that have tried this one and say this one was quite effective. When they realize that they are not getting their way, they will end up caving and eating.

Another good strategy is letting your kids have a say in what they eat. But not giving them the full reigns on this one…simply by giving them healthy options. “Would you prefer broccoli or spinach tonight for dinner?”

This next one is a big one! Kids that constantly eat foods advertised for kids is usually having high amounts of sugar, fat and salt because these foods have their flavor enhanced with these ingredients to appeal more to kids. I don’t know where to start with this one and I could probably write an entire blog post about it, but what I wanted to point out is that these kids’ palates get altered and they start having preference for only these foods and all else is not as good. Limiting these foods is a good first step to getting your kids to eat and embrace their fruits and veggies!

Lastly, you are your kids’ heroes. They want to grow up to be just like you and they will follow your lead. If you want your kids to eat their fruits and veggies, eat them too…also, if you don’t want them drinking soda, don’t drink soda yourself. Think of this one as a push for you to eat healthy too!

Let me know if any of these worked for you...I’d love to hear some of your stories

-The Nutrinut-

Last Day of March!

Dear Nutrinutters,

Today is the last day of March and although I missed a few tips, I wanted to make up for it with this:

Try this one at home ;)

Day 21 Celebrating Nutrition!

Friday arrives just in time!


Tip of the day!

I'm sure you've heard this a few times before...chocolate is good for you!

Why not have a square today...and every other day!

Now the tricky part here is that not all chocolate is good for you - it must contain at least 50% of cacao for you to actually be getting the benefits (antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and mood enhancer!) and not just another junk food, so...

Indulge yourself in a little dark chocolate!

Day 20 Celebrating Nutrition!

We only have 11 days left of March...meaning 2 things...

National Nutrition Month is almost over (don't be sad, I will still continue our Journey exploring vitamins and minerals and the sky is the limit after that!) and the other thing, my birthday is coming up :)

Today starts my favorite season...SPRING! I love it for a few reasons...although in Florida there's hardly any season change, I do associate spring with flowers and fresh starts! and secondly, fruits and veggies are oh so yummy at this time.

Speaking of which...

Tip number 20:

Enjoy the fresh fruit and veggie season and go crazy grocery shopping in the produce isle...

Here's an idea, start with the fruit and veggie section, that way you will fill your shopping cart before you get to the naughty cookie isle!

Day 19 Celebrating Nutrition

We are right smack in the middle of the week! Good news is that we only have 2 days more to go after today! :)

Tip number 19:

Does stress from work and school make you go to your junk food stash???

To avoid exaggerating on these during stressful moments, keep "junk food" and "trigger foods" out of the house - you can always make a special trip to the store when you crave it :)

Day 18 Celebrating Nutrition

I've got a question for you, when's the last time you had dinner with your family???

Just dinner and conversation...no TV, computer or cell phones to interrupt...

Tip number 18:

Tonight, have dinner with your family...enjoy good food, good conversation, and most importantly, NO TV!

Live alone? Call your bestie ;)

Tomorrow there will be more! So stay tuned for tomorrow's tip!

Days 15, 16 and 17 Celebrating Nutrition!

I hope everyone had a good weekend and is feeling lucky today!

Today's 3 Healthy tips are:

Tip 15:

Did you do groceries for the week already? Ever tried using a Shopping List? Give it a go! :)  You can save money and get things done a lot quicker if you know what you need for the week!

Don't miss out on "The List" where you can get more info on how to get started!

Tip 16:

With this gluten-free trend the idea that gluten-free products have less calories has been quite popular...is this true though?

Be careful, gluten-free does not mean less calories, the product just doesn't have gluten 

Wanna know more about gluten? check Why is gluten so out?

Tip 17:

Speaking of calories, they are not the enemy...the gain of weight is caused when you consume more calories than your body needs.

Want to learn how to estimate how many calories your body needs per day? You are one click away
411 on calories

Well, that's all for today! Hope everyone has an amazing week!! :)

Day 14 Celebrating Nutrition

We've made it to Friday! Yay!

Hope everyone had an amazing week :)

Let's cut to the chase, tip number 14:

Did you know that there are amazing spices that make your salty foods taste AMAZING without actually adding that much salt??

Explore new flavors - use spices instead of more salt in foods

Here are some ideas:

• Rosemary
• Basil
• Black Pepper
• Oregano
• Turmeric
• Ginger
• Lemon
• Garlic
• Onion
• Celery
• Chives
• Cilantro

You get the idea ;)

Day 12 and 13 Celebrating Nutrition!

Here are 2 more tips that also go well together like peanut butter and jelly ;)

Tip number 12:

Drink 1/2 of your weight (in pounds) in water (ounces)

ex: if you weigh 160 pounds (160 divided by 2) you  should drink 80 ounces of water 

(10 cups) per day!

Tip number 13:

Let's get a move on it :)

Aim to be active at least for 30 minutes every day...

here's how:

Day 11 Celebrating Nutrition!

You've probably heard of Omega-3 and its benefits not only for cardiovascular health but brain too!

So here is tip number 11...


Include fish in your meals at least 2 times a week (preferably salmon, tuna, sardines)...

Not a fan? You can always try fish/krill oil or algae...

Which one is the best??Ah! in there lies THE question! The important thing to be in the look out for is the amount of EPA and DHA found in the supplement..

Day 7-10 Celebrating Nutrition!

Missed a few days, but I'll still post the 4 next tips for the month :)

Number 7:
Try new foods!

Heard of any of theses??

• Goji berries + acai
• Quinoa
• Chia Seeds
• Camu Camu berries

What are you waiting for? These are just some of the hot "superfoods" of the moment !


Number 8:
Learn to read food labels before purchasing/eating processed foods - that way you can make healthier choices ;)

Although there's talk of a food label "makeover", learn more about reading present labels here: Reading Food Labels


Number 9 and 10:
Make at least half of your plate fruits and veggies (for every meal) 

and

Fruits and veggies can be fresh or frozen as long as you read the label!
Ingredients list should be consisting of only the fruit/veggie you are purchasing

Day 6 celebrating Nutrition

Friday's almost here! Excited? Me too! The idea of getting a few extra hours of sleep sounds heavenly! :)

Speaking of which, tip number 6...not so much to do directly with nutrition but still very important for your health:

Aim to sleep 7-8 hours per night

Why?

Sweet Dreams! ;)

Day 5 celebrating Nutrition

Today when I was driving home after work I saw what I consider one of the most beautiful gifts from nature to us...a rainbow! And that inspired today's nutrition tip...

So here it is, day 5 of March:

Brighten your plate with fruits and vegetables...the more colorful your plate, the more nutrients!!

Day 4 celebrating Nutrition

How are the nutrinutters doing?

Today's tip from the nutrinut is:

Make at least half of your grains whole grains!

Wanna know why? A picture can speak louder than words:

To learn more about the benefits of fiber, check out The Wonders of Fiber and for ways to increase fiber in your diet Fiber-it-away.

Have a super Wednesday! :)

Day 3 Celebrating Nutrition

Can't wait for tip number 3??

Here it is...

Trying to lower amount of added sugar you have per day?

Here are some ways to do so ;)

Add fresh or dried fruits...they add extra flavor, color and sweetness!

And don't forget to use spices..cinnamon, vanilla, ginger....the sky is the limit!