Green tea!

There is so much information out there about green tea.  I recently traded my coffee for green tea (although I'm sippin on a cup of coffee as I write this).  I've been having green tea two or three times a day this month and I'm pretty pleased with the exchange.  

Unfortunately, there is so much conflicting information about green tea, how do you know what you're supposed to believe?  Here is what I found today on the Lipton Tea website: 

Nutrition experts agree that calorie-free tea is an excellent beverage for hydration.1,2 Hydration is fundamental to a number of physical and mental performance measures such as concentration, alertness, speed and sports performance.1,2 Healthy adults should consume 74 fluid ounces (2.2 L) for women and 101 fluid ounces (3.0 L) for men of fluids every day.3 There is belief that tea acts as a diuretic and may be dehydrating because of its caffeine content. However, research shows that the levels of caffeine in regularly consumed amounts of tea do not lead to dehydration, and in fact the fluid in tea contributes to hydration.1,2,4 Gardner EJ, Ruxton CHS, Leeds, AR. Review. Black tea - helpful or harmful? A review of the evidence. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2007; 61:3-18. Popkin BM, Armstrong LE, Bray GM, Caballero B, Frei B, Willett WC. A new proposed guidance system for beverage consumption in the United States. Am J Clin Nutr. 2006;83:529-542. Dietary Reference Intakes for Water, Potassium, Sodium, Chloride, and Sulfate. National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Medicine, Food and Nutrition Board; 2004:5-6. Maughan RJ, Griffin J. Caffeine ingestion and fluid balance: a review. J Hum Nutr Diet. 2003;16:411-420. Tea is not a substitute for fruits or vegetables, which provide a wide range of nutrients such as vitamins and minerals. Please consult your doctor regarding a diet/nutritional plan that is right for you.

Great, so now I can drink my tea and count it in my water intake?  Here's a little more info from their website:

Studies suggest that drinking black or green tea may help maintain normal, healthy heart function as part of a diet that is consistent with dietary guidelines. Research suggests that drinking 2 to 3 cups per day of black or green tea may help support normal, healthy vascular function. The mechanism behind this effect has yet to be fully demonstrated, but research suggests that tea flavonoids may be responsible.^1-3

Studies found that drinking tea may help maintain normal focus and alertness throughout the day. The two compounds in tea most likely responsible for these effects are L-theanine, an amino acid found almost exclusively in tea, and caffeine. ^4-6

Tea, when served without milk or sugar, contains virtually no calories. This makes zero-calorie tea an ideal choice as part of a weight control diet, especially when substituted for sweetened beverages.

1. Grassi D, Mulder TP, Draijer R, Desideri G, Molhuizen HO, Ferri C. Black tea consumption dose-dependently improves flow-mediated dilation in healthy males. J Hypertens. 2009;27:774-781.
2. Jochmann N, Lorenz M, van Krosigk A, et al. The efficacy of black tea in ameliorating endothelial function is equivalent to that of green tea. British Journal of Nutrition. 2007. Need full reference here
3. Hodgson JM. Effects of tea and tea flavonoids on endothelial function and blood pressure: a brief review. Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol. 2006; 33: 838-841.
4. Hindmarch I, Quinlan PT, Moore KL, Parkin C. The effects of black tea and other beverages on aspects of cognition and psychomotor performance. Psychopharmacol. 1998;139:230-238.
5. Hindmarch I, Rigney U, Stanley N, Quinlan P, Rycroft J, Lane J. A naturalistic investigation of the effects of day-long consumption of tea, coffee and water on alertness, sleep onset and sleep quality. Psychopharmacol. 2000;149:203-216.
6. De Bruin E.A. Drinking black tea improves attention and alertness. Presented at the Tea and the Brain symposium, New York, NY, 16 September, 2008.

So, what do you think about green tea now?

kuhn-trohl

con·trol   [kuhn-trohl]  verb, -trolled, -trol·ling, noun verb (used with object)

1.  to exercise restraint or direction over; dominate; command.

2.  to hold in check; curb: to control a horse; to control one's emotions.

3.  to test or verify (a scientific experiment) by a parallel experiment or other standard of comparison.

4.  to eliminate or prevent the flourishing or spread of: to control a forest fire.

5.  Obsolete . to check or regulate (transactions), originally by means of a duplicate register.

I am usually really alert about what I am putting in my mouth and I can almost always keep from eating something that is just not good for my body.  Unfortunately, there are those moments that I just want comfort in that particular food that is bad.  How do you keep from giving in?  I believe that you just have to have the willpower NOT to eat it.  It also helps if you do not put yourself in a position so that it is available to you.

I found this on the Beachbody website under Debbie Siebers corner:



You need to figure out why you overeat. Take that energy and put it somewhere else. Somewhere positive! When you feel the urge to binge, immediately do something else. Do jumping jacks, go for a walk, take a shower, call a friend, read a book . . . anything to distract you! Drink a big glass of water; it will keep your stomach feeling full. Repeat saying positive things to yourself. Be patient. Be wise with your decision. Do not overeat at mealtimes. It's all about portion control, cutting back on carbs, especially sugar! Be smart and take good care of that wonderful body that was given to you. Respect yourself! Starve your body of all sugar. Drink tons of water. Eat lots of veggies, fruit, fish, and chicken!


Debbie Siebers is a leading wellness expert whose work and passion have instilled positive changes in the lives of thousands of people. She'll help you reach your health and fitness goals and find balance of mind, body, and soul.

stres

stress

  [stres]

noun

1.

importance or significance attached to a thing; emphasis: tolay stress upon good manners.

2.

Phonetics . emphasis in the form of prominent relativeloudness of a syllable or a word as a result of special effortin utterance.

3.

Prosody . accent or emphasis on syllables in a metricalpattern; beat.

4.

emphasis in melody, rhythm, etc.; beat.

5.

the physical pressure, pull, or other force exerted on onething by another; strain.

I hate stress.  Here we are eleven days into January and I am so stressed out.  The year has just begun and this is not how I wanted to start it.  How do you handle stress?

"The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one
thought over another."
-William James

So... you're telling me that it is my own fault that I am stressed?  I have chosen to be stressed?  That sounds ridiculous, doesn't it?  

I guess if I take the time to think about it, I let things weigh me down.  But those things are still present, how do I reverse that process and not let them weigh me down?  What do I do with them to keep them from stressing me out?  

Anyone?

The Tank Bangers - Our Blue

I watched this video this morning before I went to work.  I thought about it quite a few times today and watched it again when I got home.  (this is the conversation in my head that no one else can hear)

I want to blog it!

Your blog is about health and fitness.

But I want to blog it.  I love the ocean.  I love this video.  The world needs to know what is happening.

What does that have to do with health and fitness?

It is the wellness of the ocean.... which contributes to the wellness of the world.... which contributes to the wellness of the people...  health!  There it is!


(I won!) (I know what you're thinking... what did I win?) (the conversation in my head... never mind)

Here is the video... very cool.

Foods that can fool you.

Yogurt

It starts out as good stuff. Fat aside, there's the calcium and protein you find in all milk products, along with probiotics, which make it easier to digest for those with lactose issues. The only problem is that straight yogurt can be pretty bitter, so manufacturers load the stuff with sugar and masquerade those carbs as fruit in an effort to make the whole thing more palatable. Have a look at most flavored yogurt and you'll find the second ingredient to be sugar or high-fructose corn syrup. One container of Yoplait^® Original Strawberry has 170 calories, with 5 grams of protein and 33 grams of carbohydrates, 27 of which are sugar. Oddly enough, these are the exact same nutrition facts for Yoplait's other, less healthy-sounding flavors, including Key Lime Pie and White Chocolate Raspberry.

Solution: Buy plain yogurt and flavor it yourself. You'd be amazed at how far a handful of raspberries or a tablespoon of honey will go to cut the bitter taste. And while you're at it, choose the low-fat or fat-free stuff. You'll still get all the nutritional benefits.

Wheat Bread

If you're reading this, you probably know enough about nutrition to understand that whole-grain wheat is better for you than refined wheat. By keeping the bran and germ, you maintain the naturally occurring nutrients and fiber. But for some reason, manufacturers constantly come up with new chicanery to lead you back to the refined stuff. One of their latest tricks is to refer to refined flour as "wheat flour" because, obviously, it's made of wheat. But just because it's wheat-based doesn't mean it's not refined. The distracted shopper can mistake this label for "whole wheat flour" and throw it in his cart. Another loaf of cruddy, refined, fiberless bread has a new home.

Solution: Slow down when you read the label. That word "whole" is an important one.

Chicken

Just because you made the switch from red meat doesn't mean you're in the clear. If you opt for dark meat—the wings, thighs, and legs—you're losing protein and gaining fat. Three ounces of raw chicken breast, meat only, has 93 calories, 19.5 grams of protein, and 1.2 grams of fat. Three ounces of dark meat, meat only, is 105 calories, 18 grams of protein, and 3.6 grams of fat. It may not seem like much, but it adds up.

Solution: Go for the breast, and while you're at it, ditch the skin. It's nothing but fat.

Frozen or canned fruit

Any food swimming in juice or "light syrup" isn't going to work in your favor on the scale. Furthermore, most canned fruit is peeled, meaning you're being robbed of a valuable source of fiber. Frozen fruit is a little trickier. While freezing preserves the fruit itself, adding sugar during the freezing process preserves color and taste; so many store-bought frozen fruits throw it in.

Solution: Read that ingredients list! You want it to say fruit, water, and that's it.

Canned veggies

"What?" you declare. "There's light syrup in canned string beans too?" Nope. Actually, they add salt to preserve this produce. A half-cup serving of canned string beans has approximately 300 to 400 milligrams of sodium.

Solution: Many companies offer "no salt added" options. If you can't find one to your liking, go frozen instead—no salt (or light syrup), or better yet, buy fresh.

Peanut butter

Squish up peanuts, maybe add a little salt. How hard is it to make that taste good? Apparently, it's so incredibly difficult that many companies feel compelled to add sugar or high-fructose corn syrup into the mix. Why? I don't know. Some manufacturers are up front enough to admit this and call their product "Peanut Butter Spread," but many others still refer to this sugary concoction as good old "peanut butter."

Solution: Read the label. (There's a theme emerging here.) Considering real peanut butter has one ingredient—two ingredients, max—it shouldn't be too hard to figure it out.

Juice

The range in the nutritional value of store-bought juices is massive. On one end, you have "fruit drinks" with just a modicum of actual juice in them. On the other end, you have fresh-squeezed, 100 percent preservative-free juices like Odwalla^® and Naked Juice^®. But no matter which one you choose, it's important to remember that it's never going to be as healthy as whole fruit. And if you're trying to lose weight, it's a flat-out bad idea. First off, it's been stripped of fiber, so you absorb it faster, which makes it more likely to induce blood-sugar spikes. Secondly, you consume it faster and it's less filling, so you're more likely to drink more.

Solution: If you must buy it, go fresh-squeezed, but you're usually better off just skipping it entirely.

Canned soup

As is also the case with canned veggies, you're entering a sodium minefield. Half a cup of Campbell's^® Chicken Noodle Soup has 890 milligrams of sodium. That's 37 percent of the recommended daily allowance—and who eats half a cup?

Solution: Read those labels carefully. Most companies make low-sodium versions. Fat-free 

Salad dressing

Dressing by definition is supposed to be fatty, and thus highly caloric. You use a little bit of it, and in doing so, you get a healthy hit of the fats you need for a nutritionally balanced diet. Unfortunately, people prefer to buy fat-free versions so they can drown their greens while avoiding excess fat. Nothing's free. All this stuff does is replace the fat with carbs and salt, so you've basically gone from pouring a little healthy unsaturated fat on your salad to dumping on a pile of sugar. For example, Wish-Bone^® Fat Free Chunky Blue Cheese has 7 grams of pure carbs and 270 milligrams of sodium for 2 tablespoons, which you'll never stop at anyway. Also, given that there's no fat or protein in this particular dressing, one can only imagine what makes it chunky.

Solution: Make your own salad dressing. One part vinegar and one part olive oil with a blob of Dijon mustard makes an awesome vinaigrette. And here's another trick: Make your salad in a sealable container, add a tiny bit of dressing, and shake it up. It'll coat so much more than tossing will.

And finally, make that salad with romaine lettuce, spinach, or some other nutrient-rich leafy green. As far as we're concerned, nutrient-poor iceberg lettuce should have gone the way of the South Dakota Diet Plate. *Percent Daily Values (DV) are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

**This information was taken from the article "9 Foods That Can Fool You" written by Denis Faye.  This article can be found on the Team Beachbody website under the Eat Smart tab.

uh-koun-tuh-bil-i-tee

ac·count·a·bil·i·ty

  [uh-koun-tuh-bil-i-tee]  noun

1.

the state of being accountable,  liable, or answerable.

2.

Education . a policy of holding schools and teachersaccountable  for students' academic progress by linking suchprogress with funding for salaries, maintenance, etc.

There are thirty one days in January.  We have already used up almost two of those, maybe more by the time you're reading this.  Did you make a resolution for 2012?  What was it?  Did you make a plan of action so that you can achieve your goals?  Do you have an accountability partner?

I want to get in better shape.  I want to exercise more and make healthier choices on the food that I put into my body.  Obviously,  I am not going to immediately start exercising more and eating completely different.  But, I have decided to break these goals down so that I can start slow and stay strong rather than try to bite it all off at once and fail miserably.  again.

How do you eat an elephant?  One bite at a time.  

I think that it is important to have an accountability partner.  Someone that will support you and keep you on track with your goals.  Do you have an accountability partner?