Deceiving Food Labels

Hi guys! Clearly I took last week off, sorry about it, I was playing hard to get. This week though I'm back with vengeance. This week, I'm going to talk about misleading food packaging and show you some better alternatives. What prompted this you may wonder? Well, I was strolling through my neighborhood Albertsons, literally strolling, I don't go with a grocery list, I just wander up and down every aisle, when I came across a recurring phenomenon. SO many products claimed to be 'all natural' or 'whole grain' and then I read the ingredients, and, well, half of them i couldn't pronounce. So here we go.

Veggie Shreds. A seemingly 'healthier' alternatives to cheese. I mean it has to be healthy, it has the word veggie in it. Here's the weird pard, IT HAS NO VEGETABLES IN IT. NONE. I know those ingredients are hard to read but there are no veggies listed. I read it three times. Unbelievable. Plus look at all those ingredients. I can't pronounce more than half of them. Never a good sign. Alternative?

Good old, regular cheese. If you're feel like cheese, go for the real stuff. Portion it out, they're the same amount of calories. And look at the ingredients on the real cheese. It's a short list, and I know what they are.

Applesauce. A staple since 1842. With 100 calories per cup what could be bad? Mmmmm how about that sugar content? 24 GRAMS. That is pure insanity. Second ingredient? High fructose corn syrup. That sneaky bastard.

Instead, let's go with the No Sugar Added one! Only 50 calories per serving and 11 grams of sugar, none of which is artificial.

Okay, when I was in the firmest grasps of my anorexia, 'Light Canned Soup' was literally all I ate. It tasted great and was low in calories. I ONLY used to look at the calorie content. I didn't care about the ingredients or other nutrition facts...clearly. Because LOOK AT THE SODIUM CONTENT. 690 mg....PER SERVING. There's TWO servings per can. That's almost 1,400 mg in one meal. Oh and if case you were wondering, recommended intake of sodium is around 2,000 mg PER DAY. My insides must have been saltier that cured meat. Yuck.

Instead, look for the 'no salt added' or 'low sodium' options if you have to eat canned soup. This can has 270 mg for the whole thing as opposed to 1,400 mg.

This cracks me up. "MORE WHOLE GRAIN THAN ANY OTHER INGREDIENT!". In case you didn't know, ingredients are listed by weight/amount. So yes, the first ingredient is whole grain oats. But the second AND third AND fifth, are SUGAR. I don't have a healthy alternative to this because, well, they're Lucky Charms. Delicious? Absolutely. Magically? Nah, sugar-ly.

99% fat free will draw us in like a moth to the flame, right? Boom, in the cart. But upon further inspection, 1 container has a crazy 36 grams of carbs and 29 grams of sugar. & only 5 grams of protein. So healthy.

If you read my blog regularly, you know I'm a greek yogurt whore. I can't live without it. And for 130 calories per cup, 9 carbs, 9 grams of sugar, and 23 GRAMS OF PROTEIN, how couldn't I be?

Lol. Lol, lol, lol, lol. Lol-ing so much. Sugar Free Oreos ya'll. Ingredients listed, by amount. Number one? Maltitol. A sugar alcohol. Artificial sweetener. Also on the list we have acesulfame potassium and Sucralose. More artificial sweeteners. So you won't get fat, you'll just get cancer. Next is the Weight Watchers cookies. Just...just look at the laundry list of ingredients.

Instead, go with a cookie with the least amount of ingredients. Preferably, all of which you can pronounce. Sure they're probably more calories, but you also won't want to eat as many because you'll be satisfied. And you're putting REAL food into your body.

Moving on to drinks that claim to be healthy. This one kills me. Green tea with honey. Seems harmless. No perservatives, artificial colors or flavors. But with 17 grams of sugar per serving and 2.5 servings per bottle, That's putting you 42.5 grams of sugar per bottle. Putting that simpler, a can of Coke is 39 grams.

Vitamin Water is one of my FAVORITE misleading labels. Vitamin, Water. Seems so good. So good in fact that why bother reading the nutrition information? Oh because it has 33 grams of carbs and 32 grams of sugar. That's why.

Green Machine. Look at that bottle. It's a health conscious consumers dream. Green, Naked, All Natural, Fruit, No Sugar Added. And then there are 28 grams of sugar. Yes, they are all natural which is why I added the ingredient list. All sugar comes from the fruit. But that doesn't take away from the fact that it's still sugar and it's still 280 calories...for a drink.

And lastly, my personal favorite. "NUTRITIOUS AND DELICIOUS" 1% Chocolate Milk. It contains NO high fructose corn syrup! However, it is two servings per bottle. So, per bottle, 360 calories, 56 carbohydrates, and a WHOPPING 54 GRAMS OF SUGAR. They sell this at schools. Putting those grams of sugar in an even scarier perspective, look at this--

Four, King Sized, Reece's Sticks, 34 grams of sugar. A pack of Twix, 24 grams of sugar. A whole, King Size Hershey's bar, 41 grams of sugar. ALL less than the supposedly 'nutritious' chocolate milk they're selling your kids. You want to get something out of schools? That's the thing.

So pick your poison and pick is wisely, because as Dr. Ann Wigmore said,

"The food you eat can be either the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison.”

Happy, Healthy, Thursday. x

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A Fine Line Between Recovery & Relapse

So the last week I've been on a health kick. Excluding Saturday when I drank an entire bottle of Skinny Girl Margarita but that's neither here nor there. I'm coming to realize a very obvious thing-- When I eat like shit, I feel like shit. This is no huge, ground breaking thing, but it is becoming more and more clear to me. I haven't eaten any processed sugar in two days. Not only do I have a splitting headache, but I have never wanted to dig my spoon into the jar of frosting that's sitting in my pantry more than I do as I type this. This scares me. How can something legal, something that's supposedly not a drug, be THIS addicting?

I have to figure that something that makes me feel that bad, must be bad for my body, right?

I am at a really weird place in recovery right now. I'm realizing the line between 'eating healthy' and 'having an eating disorder' is REALLY thin for me. For example, when I order my salad dressing on the side and no croutons on my salad...is that my 'healthy' side ordering? Or my 'eating disorder' side ordering? I don't know. And in here lies the problem I'm having this week.

I'm realizing also that everyone has a different definition of what "healthy" means and that there is a big difference between eating healthy and having a healthy thought process. Unfortunately for me, these things rarely go hand in hand. If you asked my dietician what it means to be healthy, she would tell you it's freeing yourself to eat whatever you want, whenever you want, and stopping when you're full. Eat intuitively. Feed your body what it wants. Get in touch with your hunger and fullness signals and honor them. I agree one hundred percent and hope to one day be in that place.

If you asked my Mom on the other hand what it means to be healthy, she would tell you it's eating organic. Not eating anything that didn't come from the ground or didn't have a mother. Don't eat any meat that isn't grass fed. Don't eat anything genetically modified. Don't eat anything if  you don't recognize ingredients on the label. Again, I feel myself agreeing with her one hundred percent as well.

So, I feel myself becoming obsessive again, or, maybe a little bit relapse-y. Or maybe just confused and at a weird cross road. But this time it's different. This time, I'm not afraid to eat foods because I'm afraid of the weight gain. This time, I'm afraid to eat foods because of the way that I feel after I eat them. After I eat too much processed sugar, I literally wake up with a sugar induced hangover. When I eat a bag of chips, I am nauseous for at least 2 hours afterwards. And I don't enjoy feeling like that. I've been doing a lot of research and listening to lots of speeches from people who are experts in nutritional sciences. I am learning so much. So many horror stories about genetically modified food, soy, corn, the dairy industry, food allergies, I could just explode. So, if you guys are interested, I'd like to share what I'm learning over the next couple of posts. If not, I will carry on with my regular posts and not bash on anyone, but let me know what you'd like to see from me.

For now, I will try and remember this: A lapse is not a relapse. Life is about balance. And the only way I will appreciate my balance, is to be off-balance for a little bit. x

Ps- Here is an amazing breakfast recipe for all of you who asked for a good one in a hurry! This can be made in a couple minutes the night before, grab it and go! Cant wait to try it!

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Sugar Baby

*If you haven't yet, please 'like' Happy Life, Healthy Life' on facebook!*

*Disclaimer: I hate calling food 'good' and 'bad' as you all well know. However, for this post, I will be portraying sugar in a negative light. Not a 'DON'T EVER EAT SUGAR AGAIN' kind of light, more of a 'I ATE A SH*T LOAD OF SUGAR, AND THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED'*

Okay. Here's the story: On Sunday, I had a premeditated 'cheat' day. As you know if you read my blog, I try and have a treat every day so I don't go out of my mind crazy. But for some reason, I decided this day, I deserved to eat candy like it was my last day on Earth. So I went to Rite Aid to stock up for a full day of Gossip Girl and pigging out with my friend Amanda. (Is it just me or do we girls ALWAYS eat more junk food if our girlfriends are doing it too? It's like a free pass). Anyways, here was our haul:

Epic. Cut to 1 AM. I am still tossing and turning in bed. I've been in bed since 8 PM. I am miserable. Cut to 1:30 AM and cue the miserable, POUNDING, headache. I must have passed out sometime around 3 AM. When I woke up, I literally felt hungover. A sugar hangover. Is such a thing even possible? So I did some research about why I felt so completely miserable.

 Too much sugar, just like too much alcohol, affects your kidneys, liver, stomach and small intestines, which explains some of what was happening in my body. Dehydration, electrolyte imbalances, gastrointestinal disturbances and disruption of sleep are some of the results. It's recommended we consume no more than 8 teaspoons of processed sugar per day. Guess how many on average we're consuming? 24 teaspoons. TWENTY FOUR! That's half a cup. Yikes.

So, here's what happens in your body when you eat too much sugar or processed food. Remember, TOO much. I'm not saying to cut sugar out. That'd just be silly. And impossible for me.
 -Refined sugars enter your bloodstream.
 -Blood sugar levels rise.
 -Your pancreas is pressured to release insulin (a hormone that helps sugars get into your cells).
 -The insulin helps to use up the sugar rapidly, so blood sugar crashes.
 -Your body goes into a sugar low or hypoglycemia.
 -More hormones are released to deal with the sugar low and return your body to a balanced state. This actually causes a stress response in your body.
 -These hormones squeeze sugar from your liver, sending blood sugar back up.

 Too much sugar causes your body to go on a roller coaster ride of ups and downs…and your moods often follow.

 Sugar is an acid forming substance in your body. Guess what thrives in acidic conditions? Cancer. And don't even THINK about switching to artificial sweeteners because if there is anything more acid forming than sugar in your body, it's artificial sweeteners. Bastards.


 I feel almost back to normal now, which is scary because it's Thursday and my sugar binge was Sunday. I now know there is no need for a 'cleanse' or a 'detox' or a 'fast'. What am I doing to get myself back on track you may ask? I've largely cut back on processed sugars this week.

 Don't get me wrong, I know better than anyone sometimes, you just gotta have that Recess and anything less will not do. However, if you think you can hang with a more natural option, here are some ideas.

 Medjool Date instead of Caramel.

These dates are chewy and super-sweet. They're called Nature's Candy.And they taste especially caramel like right out of the freezer!

 Chocolate Banana 'Ice Cream' over regular ice cream

Freeze a couple very ripe bananas and then blend them in the food processor with some cocoa powder and a splash of milk. YUM.

 Switch to Stevia in coffee instead of sugar or artificial sweeteners

Stevia is derived from a plant. It is all natural and provides a sweet taste with no calories.

Balance is everything though. Balance is life. I try and live 80% natural, 20% indulge. 100% natural wouldn't be good for me or my mental state, but 100% indulgence wouldn't either. Find a balance that works for you and live happy and healthy :) x

Ps- I know this is hypocritical but OMG look at these. Find the recipe here. Sorry in advance.

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Protein, Bro.

Before I start, be sure to 'like' Happy Life, Healthy Life on facebook please! x There are so so so many misconceptions about protein. Obviously, protein needs to be a part of your diet. I mean, the word "protein" is derived from the Greek language and means "of primary importance". So obviously, it's important. But just how much protein should you be eating? And is eating too much protein bad? And what if you're a vegetarian, now what? Let me sooth your anxiety ridden mind with the soothing ointment of answers.

Get swoll brother!

1. How much protein should I be eating?
-I will use myself as an example. If you're like me (or have been reading my blog), you know your BMR. If you don't, click this, read, figure it out, and come back. Back? Cool.

So my BMR is 2,164 calories. AKA if I was in a coma, this is how many calories I'd need to be fed in order to maintain my current weight. Now, 15% of my daily intake of calories should be calories from protein (60% from carbs, 25% from fat). Let's figure out how many grams that is.

2,164 calories x .15 (the 15%) = 324.6

Now, 324.6 divided by 4 calories (because it's 4 calories/gram of protein)= about 81 grams.

That seemed a little steep to me but I realized I factored in my activity level to my BMR. Which is cool. So 81 grams of protein/day. For me. Now go do yours.

While you were doing that I was questioning my sexuality. Moving on.

Question 2- Is eating too much protein bad for you? Or will I get leaner?
The long answer short is yes. Eating WAY too much protein is not good for you over a long period of time. Mainly for your kidneys because they are the organ that the protein is filtered through. Your body is a well oiled machine. Over working your kidneys by loading them up with double the amount of protein you need is going to exhaust them. Anyone want kidney stones? Didn't think so. Will you get leaner if you eat more than enough protein? NO! THIS IS IMPORTANT SO LISTEN UP.

I have heard a LOT of people say they are going to up the amount of protein in their diet to get leaner. However, most of them aren't cutting anything out. This goes back to one of my favorite sayings about weight. It is calories in vs. calories out. PERIOD. So let's say I have eaten a perfect 2,164 calories today, then, for some reason, decide I need to protein load before bed. So I drink a protein shake with a scoop of protein powder, milk, and a banana. A perfectly good snack HOWEVER, I just went 300 calories over my needs! But they are good calories sooo...NOPE. Doesn't matter. Unlike carbohydrates and fat, your body cannot, repeat, CANNOT store protein! Any excess calories you put in your body, even if they're from protein, will be stored as fat. Fact.

Question 3- I'm a vegetarian I need the extra protein right?

False. What do the following World Champion athletes all have in common, besides strength and endurance? They must be big meat eaters, right?

Henry Aaron – All Time Baseball Home Run Champion
Dave Scott - 6-time winner of the Ironman Triathlon (the only man to win it more than twice!) Sixto Linares - World Record holder in the 24-hour Triathlon
Paavo Nurmi - 20 World Records and 9 Olympic Medals in distance running
Stan Price - World Record holder in the Bench Press
Andreas Cahling - Mr. International Body Building Champion
Roy Hilligan - Mr. America Body Building Champion
Ridgely Abele - 8-Time National Champion in Karate

Wrong. They are all vegetarians! For non animal sources of protein, what do you think my favorite is? You know it. Greek yogurt baby. There is also an amazing concept called "complete proteins". These are foods that when eaten together, form the perfect protein. Aka contain all the essential amino acids (building blocks of protein). They are as follows:

-A whole egg (the white + the yolk)
-Rice and black beans
-Whole wheat bread and peanut butter
-Sunflower seeds and peanuts
-Lentils and almonds
-Hummus (because hummus is chickpeas and tahini aka sesame seeds)

Actually, here's an awesome chart. Pick anything from the top two rows, and combine it with either anything from the bottom two rows, or with a grain:

Hurray vegetarians rejoice!

There is a little bit of protein in almost everything you eat. There is no need to stress. No need to obsessively consume protein shakes for every snack. Just become aware of it! And FYI, how have I never done this before? Greek yogurt covered berries, frozen. Yes please!

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A Nice Monday Lunch!

Protein, Carb, Fat <3

Grilled chicken, brown rice, avocado. Yum! Hope everyone is having a great day! x

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Why Diets Don't Work + FAQ

Hey guys! I got all kinds of lazy this week and am video blogging! xxxxx enjoy!

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It's Breakfast, Bitch

How I want to eat breakfast every morning--

How I actually usually eat breakfast every morning--

There are some phrases we've heard so much, they just go in one ear and out the other. For example, "What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger", "A watched pot never boils", "Curiosity killed the cat", and of course, "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day". Every one of those made me roll my eyes until now, now only the first three make me roll my eyes.

BREAKFAST! I love that the word 'breakfast' is literally 'break-fast'. You 'fast' while you sleep and then you get to wake up to a glorious meal. The MOST important meal! But why? Why is breakfast the most important meal of the day? Let me break it down for you.

First off, the reason I'm sure most of you are interested in, is that breakfast kick starts your metabolism. During the night, you don't need as much energy and your metabolism slows down. Once you wake up, your metabolism speeds up again, but without a healthy breakfast to provide the nutrients and energy your body needs, your metabolism can't sustain a higher level for long. When it realizes it can't sustain because you're not going to feed it, it slows right back down again. And we all knows what happens when your metabolism slows down! (And if you don't because you're new to my blog, metabolism is slow, you store fat. Now go read all my other posts!) If breakfast isn't had, your body doesn't process your next meal as quickly and tries to hold onto those nutrients. Since it didn't get any morning fuel, it tries to hold onto the afternoon meal as long as possible — instead of burning it right away.

According to MSNBC Health, eating breakfast can increase your metabolism by as much as 10 percent. This means you actually burn MORE calories during the day BECAUSE you ate! Revolutionary. A very common misconception is that if you skip breakfast, you'll lose weight. Seems like common sense. However, research shows that people who skip breakfast end up eating MORE throughout the day than those who did eat breakfast. Remember, restricting ALWAYS leads to overeating. Not only that, but they also don't get the metabolism boost so the calories (and extra calories!) they consumed aren't being burned as quickly as they could be if they had eaten the most important meal of the day.

Also, after sleeping for eight hours and being without food during the night, our brain and muscles need energy and fuel to function. And the glucose in food (as well as the vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, and protein) is how we get this energy. With this rush of nutrients and glucose to our brains, we are better able to concentrate, focus, be productive, and be in better spirits! Another cliche..."No waking up on the wrong side of the bed!"

Now, the two most common excuses I've heard from people for not eating breakfast is "I'm not hungry in the morning!" and "But I don't have time!"

My answers are "Do it anyways" and "Yes you do".

Breakfast is a habit. But, you have to MAKE it a habit. Very few people are actually truly hungry in the morning. I am almost never hungry right when I wake up. However, I eat anyways. Because it's a habit. I know the benefits, I want the benefits, I get the benefits. Because I eat breakfast.

You don't have time to eat breakfast? Yes you do drama queen. My go to breakfast? A greek yogurt with cinnamon, a piece of turkey sausage, and a piece of toast with a tablespoon of peanut butter. I eat the yogurt while my sausage is in the microwave and my toast is in the toaster. I am literally done with breakfast in 10 minutes. So don't even.

Now, what DO you eat for breakfast? Like every other meal: Protein, carb, fat.

• Two eggs and a piece of toast with 1 tbs. peanut butter
• Greek yogurt with nuts, 1/2 cup oats (makes 1 cup oatmeal)
• Two pieces of toast with peanut butter and banana
• Two pieces of toast with an egg and 1/4 avocado (and salsa mmm)
• Two waffles with jelly and a greek yogurt
• A bowl of cereal with 1 cup milk and a banana

And so on and so on and so on. In order to properly start your metabolism, breakfast should be 300-500 calories. Just try and get a protein, carb, and fat in there. But if you can only squeeze two, make them carbs and fats. Carbs with give you the fuel you need to start your day and the fats will feed your brain after the long night's sleep. Don't forget your brain is 2/3 fat :)  Now for some delicious food porn this early in the morning. If this doesn't trigger your hunger I don't know what will! x

Ps- Don't forget to 'like' Happy Life, Healthy Life on facebook!

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