Get out and walk!

I walk and jog every morning. I'm not a fan of exercise so this is about as intense as I get. I just wanted to share this because I think it is neat. Also, just a little update; since I have been walking every day and also given up pop, I have dropped 2 pant sizes since January! It feels good to make some progress finally!

Cravings

Do you ever crave chocolate or something salty? For me it's usually both at the same time. I never gave any thought to cravings. I just always assumed it was because of boredom or some other reason my brain was giving me that I didn't know about. It turns out that you actually crave certain things because your body is missing certain nutrients. Even over eating or a loss of appetite can signal a drop in nutrients and vitamins. Here is a list of cravings and what they mean so the next time you want something sweet, you can make a better, healthier choice to satisfy that craving.

How hot do you like it?

New research is now finding that spicy food is good for you. From what I've read, the heat in spicy foods literally warm up your metabolism. When this happens, it helps it to work faster and burn more calories. It is the capsaicin in most peppers that causes these fat burning effects in the body, so not just any hot food will benefit you in such a way. The boosted metabolism is just a temporary occurrence when eating chili peppers, but having one spicy meal a day can be helpful in your diet.

I personally have never had much of a tolerance for spicy foods. Typically, I find that the heat overrides the flavor and I end up just feeling discomfort throughout my meal. After learning that the heat actually speeds up the metabolism, I've been trying to eat more spicy foods. Right now, my favorite is the Hunan Chicken from Hunan House in Mt Pleasant. It is loaded with chili peppers and jalapeno peppers and surprisingly has a lot of flavor and not just heat. Another good, spicy and simple meal is spaghetti noodles with olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and chili pepper flakes. This is also another one with good flavor and making it at home allows me to add as much heat as I want. 

Ignorance Isn't Bliss

One thing I have noticed is that people don't usually seem to understand the healing power of a healthy diet. Just today I was grocery shopping with my brother and the topic of health foods came up. He pointed out the obvious that buying healthy foods is much more expensive than buying junk food. The truth to that is depressing. I think the price of good food is the reason our country is in the health rut it is in. Staying on the health food topic, I began explaining the book, The Inside Tract, to him. I told him how eating a whole food diet has the ability to heal the body of various ailments and improve all around health. Of course, he was extremely skeptical of that fact. Which leads me to wonder why people don't understand how strong of an impact food has on our bodies. Maybe I am more aware because I am a medical student, but I guess I always thought it was common knowledge. I don't expect people to understand the difference between energy from proteins and energy from carbs. Although, I do think they should know that what we eat impacts every inch of our bodies. Or at least be aware of how we feel after we eat. I know for myself, if I have something greasy or fatty, I instantly want to lay down and nap. On the other hand, a good salad with grilled chicken gives me energy and even makes me feel good about myself because I made a healthy food choice. The bottom line is that people need to become more educated about eating right and taking care of their bodies by making better choices. Maybe some education could help lower the number of obese people in our country as well as the amount of people suffering from ailments and disease due to being unhealthy or overweight.

Lent

I'm not sure why, but avoiding meat on Fridays seems the be so difficult for me. Breakfast is no big deal because I usually only eat cereal, oatmeal or an egg with toast. But when lunch rolls around and I'm looking into my fridge at the week's leftovers, I feel like I have no options because everything has some kind of meat in it. Today I opted for mac n cheese, which was delicious but lacking. Dinner doesn't bother me as much. I love going out to the fish fry's and I actually really like the filet-o-fish from McDonald's, as unhealthy as it may be.
I wish I ate more fish but until recently I never liked it. All I would ever eat was deep fried cod or the frozen, fake fish patties and sticks. Not the healthiest of choices. When I was in Florida last week, I was forced to eat Grouper and Amber jack. When I say forced, I mean I would have walked away from the table after eating only a salad and some bread. Not very fulfilling. So I tried the fish and loved it to my surprise.
I've read and heard from different sources that "they" (whoever they may be) recommend we eat fish for at least 2 meals a week. As someone who generally only eats fish during Lent, that's a lot. With my new found love for it, I would like to start eating it more often, I just have no idea how to cook it. Also, living in Michigan, we don't get the delicious options they have down in the gulf. I'm more of a fan of salt water fish than fresh water fish, and if I'm going to eat grilled fish, I definitely prefer to have it as fresh as possible. Oh, the dilemma.


Here are some benefits to eating more fish:

• People who eat baked or broiled fish at least once a week may improve their brain health and cut the risk of developing memory problems or Alzheimer's disease, according to a study presented today at the Radiological Society of North America's annual meeting in Chicago. (AARP.com)
  
• Omega-3 fatty acids may decrease triglycerides, lower blood pressure, reduce blood clotting, boost immunity and improve arthritis symptoms, and in children may improve learning ability. Eating one to two servings a week of fish, particularly fish that's rich in omega-3 fatty acids, appears to reduce the risk of heart disease, particularly sudden cardiac death. (mayoclinic.com)