Have a Coke and a Smile, If Ya Can.

Remember the old Coca ~ Cola commercials?

So you just gotta have your soda huh? Ok. And you drink Diet because you think that is a more appropriate way of handling your inability to just drink a glass of water and get over it. That is fine by me. But you know that you have to be aware of exactly what you’re chugging. One of the illustrious CrossFit 180 crew-members asked me to write a post that would truly scare the Diet Coke right out of her hands. Ok, here is the list of ingredients and what they really are.

Carbonated Water – Ok, this I don’t have a problem with unless you are struggling with dental woes.

High Fructose Corn Syrup – Glucse is enzymatically altered to make fructose. Yes, I love it when my food is enzymatically altered. I want my foods to be changed in many non-natural ways. Thanks for stepping up HFCS.

Caramel Color – is a stealthy ingredient. It is burnt carbohydrates. Yay! The soda company burns the carbs for us before we consume them so we wont have to burn them off with exercise. If only it really were that simply.

Phosphoric Acid – happens to be an excellent choice if you are trying to remove rust. Yummo! Well, I suppose you may indeed have an iron gut. Kudos to you. If that is not enough reason to love it, then appreciate the stellar job it does at weakening the bones in your body. You have strong muscles from CrossFit, so I am sure that will take care of those puny bones.

Natural Flavors – Yeah, right. And, I have some ice to sell to an Eskimo. Here and here are sites that will tell ya that there really is no such thing. If it were truly a natural ingredient, it would have been described with far more pride than a non-descript phrase that leads you into a Food Plan frenzy.

Caffeine – this stuff is the by-product of the work of the devil. It dehydrates you, sends your energy level falsely bounding and leaves you with no energy stores so you crash and burn. If that does not creep you out, let me tell you that it literally gets into your head. I mean your brain. It is digested by your tummy, sent through the blood stream and is then carried around and when that blood is in your brain, the caffeine hops off of its red blood cell chariot and reeks all sorts of science-y havoc. Got that? It gets into your brain. Blehk!

Aspartame (NutraSweet) – is a poser. It happened on accident. It was not intended to be the sweet thing that it is. A scientist was trying to make a drug and he messed up, licked his finger and decided he liked it well enough to call the mistake something yummy. Thanks doc! He was apparently a hard worker though. It took years to convince the US FDA that it would not cause brain cancer like they had originally thought. Way to stick with that mistake guys.

Potassium Benzoate – is a preservative. I think the coolest thing about it is how fun it is to actually say it out loud. Go ahead, Benzoate. Teeheehee. It is put in your soda because it is better known for keeping mold and bacteria from growing in your food than it is for being a source of Jamie’s entertainment. Well, that is not entirely true. It is also the chemical that makes fireworks whistle and that is very entertaining!

Citric acid – is actually a naturally occurring preservative and food flavoring agent found in citrus fruits. Unfortunately, it is linked to causing dental decay. Yay for a happy gal holding her Diet Coke and grinning from ear to ear with her jacked up grill. You go girl!

I had known about the bone loss associated with phosphoric acid. My solution used to be to take more Vitamin D and Calcium supplements. Yeah, that is the best way to handle the situation, right? And we have all been lectured about the crap caffeine pulls on our bodies.

Ok, ok. I have poked enough fun at the Diet Coke. I intentionally
wrote this with an inflammatory flair to accomplish the goal of freaking out the Diet Coke Crack Head. I would imagine that Diet Pepsi has a similar ingredients list, so please don't jump from the pot to the frying pan. I want you all to know that it was disturbing to research the ingredients; I had no idea what some of these things really are. Thanks for asking me to scare your soda away, I learned a lot. I stopped drinking Diet soda a year ago. Instead, I now drink an enormous volume of water, a few beers here and there, and a regular soda from time to time. To me, now that my tongue has lost familiarity with aspartame, it does not satisfy me in any way. If I am gonna chug, I am gonna CHUG. It tastes good! It is a Treat. Once in a while it is fine.

It you are about to climb the walls because I just took the Smile out of your soda, try chilled sparkling mineral water with crushed fruit. The fizzy will feel like the Diet Soda you long for, and the sweet from the fruit will help you with the twitch. I like a small orange, but I bet strawberry would be good too. Bottoms up!

Posts that are coming up:
The importance of rest and sleep, Peanuts, Food Labels, and Where I get my Info From. What else do you want to read about?

Sweet Success!

One of the things that happen after we consume the wrong foods is a ‘sugar high’, and then the crash and burn. This is not just mental; some of this is actually related to the insulin your pancreas is secreting and how your body is handling that sugar you just ate. There are all kinds of sugars in our food sources: glucose, sucrose, fructose, etc. It comes down to Insulin Sensitivity and Insulin Resistance. Sugars and insulin resistance can really muck up your body’s performance. Some folks use the Glycemic Index to get them to a more even keel regarding their sugar intake and their body’s reaction to the food they are eating.

You will hear people who are into the SouthBeach Diet talk about the Glycemic Index. Many CrossFit’rs are finding that they feel much better after kicking the majority of added sugar and sugar substitutes out of their Food Plan and upping their Veggies. What is the Glycemic Index anyway? It is a measurement of food that numerically describes how much or little the food you are about to eat is going to mess with your blood sugar.

Classification of various foods
Low GI - are generally the best choice
most fruits and vegetables (except potatoes and watermelon), grainy breads, pasta, legumes/pulses, milk, yoghurt, products extremely low in carbohydrates (some cheeses, nuts), fructose
Medium GI
whole wheat products, basmati rice, sweet potato, table sugar
High GI - should be generally avoided
corn flakes, rice krispies, baked potatoes, watermelon, croissants, white bread, extruded breakfast cereals, most white rices (e.g. jasmine)
(from Wikipedia)

Why do you care? Great question! I assume you CrossFit so that you will not suck at life. I actually hope you have more specific goals, but most of us generally want to be well and do well. Maintaining a level blood sugar is an outstanding foundation for your body’s performance! Maintaining a level blood sugar is also paramount in maintaining health weight, or dropping some lbs. If you are looking for more outcome from your workout or if you are trying to see less of you on the scales, maintaining a healthy and steady blood glucose and insulin levels by minimizing blood sugar spikes is an excellent place to start hitting your goals.

Here is a post by my nutritional crush that sums up my approach to sugars. Here is an interesting webpage that goes on to discuss the value of controlling blood sugar, and describing some faults with a fully focused GI approach to building your Food Plan. Your Food Plan is yours, you will have to click the links, do some reading, digest the material, and determine what meets your needs best. Enjoy!

If you are attempting to implement a GI Food Plan, the overall idea is to keep the Glycemic Index low. Others would say it is best to just decrease the amount of sugars you eat. If you do this, you can help regulate your blood sugars and decrease insulin resistance. This can improve overall body function and increase your work capacity. Woot! No matter if you eat the Snicker’s Bar after each workout, or if you save them for Treat from time to time, we all eat carbohydrates on a regular basis and we eat sugars too. Just make sure that the food you are eating is not sending your glucose around the block and back.

Posts that are coming up:
The importance of rest and sleep, Peanuts, Food Labels, and the things about Diet Soda that should scare it out of your hands. What else do you want to read about?

Why I have No Joy for Soy

I have been working way too hard to get good food into me and force good efforts to come from me in the gym to let something steal from me. As I continue down this path to health and fitness, I continue to trip over my best intentions. Recently I danced with edamame. Turns out, it was more like doing the hokey pokey. Soy might be robbing me of a lovely little waltz. So, let’s dance!

1, 2, 3, STOP. Most soy is genetically modified. I am not going to put on my white coat and pocket-protector and go on and on about why genetically modified food is bad. I am hoping that the idea just sounds bad enough that you can accept this one and move on. 1, 2, 3, BAM. Soy has chemicals in it that actually leach other nutrients from your body. 1, 2, 3, WEIRD. Soy contains a high level of estrogen. This is more of a problem for infant boys than it is for CrossFit’rs but still it is weird. 1, 2, 3, Whoa Soy is a Trypsin inhibitor. Ok, here is the skinny on trypsin. Trypsin helps our digestive tract deal with protein. Ironic right, that a ‘protein source’ like soy can inhibit protein digestion. 1, 2, 3, Really? Soy can inhibit thyroid function. Who wants their food choices to mess with their hormones?!?

4, 5, 6, GO! There are some good ‘replacements’ for Soy. Some people are using Soy Milk to allow them their milk fix even though they are lactose intolerant. Try rice milk instead. Some people are eating Soy bars as a snack. Try Lara Bars instead. Some people are eating Tofu. Umm, I had a hard time coming up with a good substitute for this one. I can’t quite get excited about finding another option to add a flavorless and gelatinous goo to my meal. To be clear, there are some relatively safer forms of soy. Organic fermented soy is not so bad for us, and it can be found in Tempe, Miso and Natto. Miso is used to flavor some soups, Natto is a Japanese ‘cheese’, and Tempe is an Indonesian product that is a lot like tofu but has more flavor than the soy tofu some of us have eaten.

An easy read containing intelligent points can be found HERE. Here is a short and non science-y video, and Here is another one that is a little longer but still good. Don't forget that I am looking at the overall big picture Food Plan here. It may be that a bowl of edemame from time to time is a great Treat for you.

When I am trying to do such a good job of eating food that fuels me and makes me feel good, I am not going to choose Soy. It would be like me doing the Rumba on stage during a production of The Nutcracker. It is just wrong.

Posts that are coming up:
Glycemic Index, Food Labels, importance of rest and sleep, Peanuts, and the things about Diet Soda that should scare it out of your hands. What else should I dance around? I have also gotten some requests to keep including recipes and/or meal plans. Will Do!

Nightshades are not as good as Night Moves

Night Moves is a song that was pretty popular in 1976. In fact, it was just about as popular as potatoes. I know I love a potato and I am assuming most of you do, too. Mashed, fried, scalloped, baked – there are not quite enough good ways for me to consume a potato.

But, there is a chance that those potatoes are doing more harm to your body than some people realize. No, this is not a carbo-phobic thing. This is about Nightshades. Nightshades are a type of food, specifically potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers. The reason you should be aware of this is that all nightshades contain alkaloids that have been found to compromise joint function and/or disrupt muscle function in some people. The alkaloid content does decrease when those items are cooked, but the content only decreases by about half. Some people have reported that they had an improvement in joint discomfort after eliminating nightshades from their diet. Other folks reported improvement just by removing one of the little devils. Still others have found that just cooking them, i.e. not eating fresh raw tomatoes, seemed to provide the relief they were looking for.

I am constantly amazed at how our bodies handle food and how little I had understood this before. Who knew that a staple of the Midwestern diet might actually be a problem for some people? We ask our bodies to do so much for us, but we do not always help them out. I have pretty much removed white potatoes from my Food Plan and I have had a significant improvement in my level joint discomfort. I have not played around with tomatoes enough to find out if they cause any joint discomfort or muscle control issues. I do not eat a lot of eggplant so I did not expect to see any improvements by eliminating that. I have continued to eat cooked peppers and still see the improvement when simply removing most white potatoes from my routine Food Plan. Real mashed potatoes with butter are a Treat for me now.

But that meant I had to find a way to satisfy my potato cravings. Tell me what you think of these options:

Fried Sweet Potatoes are a nice replacement for French Fries.
Scalloped Sweet Potatoes would go great with a serving of pork.
Mashed Cauliflower does a nice job mimicking mashed potatoes. If you are eating dairy, try adding in different cheeses. Parmesan works well, I have heard Laughing Cow Light Swiss is really good, and I bet Manchego would be awesome too. Throw in some chopped chives and or garlic.

Sweet potatoes are pretty versatile! Give one a try, even though it is not Thanksgiving and you probably won’t see any marshmallows in the recipes.

This link and that link will tell you the whole story about Nightshades. Next time I will tell you about why I feel no joy for soy. Other blogs coming up include some information about the Glycemic Index, Food Labels, importance of rest and sleep, and Peanuts. What else would you like to see?

Are You Gonna Eat That Pickle?

Some of you are too young to remember that commercial. Are you gonna eat that pickle?

But, maybe you should eat that pickle. Really. Or, how about the gooey goodness of Nachos Al Carbon from La Jaripeo. Yes, that is what you should eat!

Whoa! Did Jamie just say that? Yes, she did. Loud and proud. And, she actually meant it. Last week I rambled on about being aware of what you eat and how it affects your body’s performance. Being aware of what you eat does not mean you cannot enjoy your Food Plan.

Recently I have gotten comments that make me think you all do not think I ever indulge with a plateful of non-paleo chow. Well, let me tell you, I do eat ice cream in bed, use real butter on my popcorn, drink beer, love manicotti and celebrate anything that contains caramel.. And, it is NOT Cheating.

There is a huge difference between a Cheat and a Treat. For another perspective on the issue, click HERE, Here, and there. (Warning: The posts are brilliant, but not at all family friendly.) Those links will tell you more about how to Treat yourself well. And, yes, I do have a nutritional crush on Melissa Urban and I am comfortable with that.

I have a Plan. I also am human and mostly well adjusted. From time to time I think, “Oh man, that Skor™ bar looks good!” while standing in line at Kroger. Ok then; get it if you want. It is your Food Plan. But, in my book, if you get it and eat it right there while you stand in line, you just Cheated. Instead, buy it and leave it on the kitchen counter. Or hide it in your underwear drawer where you know no one will look, find it, and eat it before you get to. Wait for it! If you still want it, and then eat it, that is ok by me. What is not OK is giving in to a moment of normal fleeting thoughts, hoovering a bunch of junk, and then beating yourself up over. It. Is. Not. Worth. It. Say it out loud. If you do something that makes you feel bad, then listen to what your conscience is saying. Learn from it. Then, move on. Next time, make it a Treat. Plan for it. Enjoy every wonderful bite of that hits your lips without regret. It was a Treat and that is just fine. I do admit, it might not have a place in your Diet, but you already know what I think of Diets.

I am convinced Treats do have a place in your Food Plan. I am not sold on the idea that your menu should leave you feeling as though your pantry is a straight-jacket and its contents have you booked in an Economy Seat on a NonStop flight to CrazyTown. No folks. Food Plans, when well designed, actually liberate you. When you do weigh yourself you do not grumble about the 5 pieces of bread you ate at the Italian place last night; instead you feel good about the choices you made. When you show up at the gym on Saturday morning and do not feel like someone ran over you with a large bottle of tequila, you feel good about your choices. When you have a Food Plan that includes Treats, you think about your intake differently.

My Food Plan is pretty simple. I eat, on a regular basis:
Fruits, Vegetables, Nuts, Seeds, Healthy Fats, Meat, **Treats**, Starbucks Grande Decaf Caramel Latte ™

I do not eat, on a regular basis:
Dairy, Preservatives, Caffeine, Legumes, Grains, Alcohol, Soy, Sugar or Sugar Substitutes

And, to be honest, yes of course I have cheated on my Food Plan. I said I was human. And, I regretted it. Treats are much more fun. So, what is your very favorite Cheat? Did you just fall for that? No cheating! Instead, Treat yourselves well. I am curious though – what is a Treat to you? And, how do you spell Potatoe? I am going to tell you about their dirty little secret later.

You ARE what you eat

Really, its true. And, I am willing to say that no matter how you try, you cannot work out a bad diet. I will back that up more in a moment. But, first, what is it that you do eat? Many of us do not even have a Food Plan. What is worse, most of us just are not aware of what we are eating on a regular basis. Either because we are eating pre-packaged foods which are full of stealthy ingredients or maybe we are just in denial, I venture to bet that most of us either get too much or too little of something that our bodies need.

There are some good ways to be truly aware of what you’re eating short of getting out a pen and paper and logging the intake. Pen and paper does work well. That is exactly how April helped me a year ago. Thanks April! If you want to go techno, there are oodles of options.

Fitday is a good site to track food intake and activity. It has some spiffy graphing and reporting functions. If you are taking your nutrition so seriously that you have considered a nutritional consultation, your consultant would probably appreciate all of the bells and whistles. MyFoodDiary is good too, but a little less flashy. Some of you have already heard of LogsItAll. The designer is a believer in CrossFit and does what he can to make the site user friendly. He even responds to emails and accepts suggestions with grace. The food logging on this site is not flashy at all, but it is convenient if you are putting all your CrossFit accomplishments there already.

But, none of those will do you any good unless you actually log it, accurately. If ya drank it or ate it counts. It is not a confessional, and no one will make you penance for the honesty to yourself. You might be surprised what you learn about you and your relationship with food. And, by the way, do you have a food plan? Notice, I did not ask if you ‘diet’. I just don’t like the idea of a diet. It seems to imply a short-term fix for a long-term situation; flawed at best.

Whether you currently subscribe to the Taco Bell Drive Thru Diet, Zone, Intermittent Fasting, South Beach, Paleo or the USDA Food Pyramid, or something else your Food Plan (whatever it is) has to meet Your Needs (whatever they are). So, what are they? What is it you are asking your body to do? Pick up heavy stuff? Lean out? Drop lbs? Move faster? Once you recognize what you are eating, would it help your body accomplish those things if you changed the Plan around a little? Only you and your log really know. This goes back to what I poked you with earlier. You cannot work out a bad diet. Think of it this way. Maybe you are picking up some seriously heavy weight. Maybe you do create a slight breeze because you are just so fast. But, could it be even better?

All of us put out a lot of time, effort and some cash on our workouts. Whether you log your intake or not, I wonder if we sabotage some of our potential accomplishments by the food choices we make.

So, what is your Food Plan? By the way, my Food Plan does include Treats. It does not include Cheats. More on that another day…

Diet News

Keep tuning in to the "Kill Your Coward" page for updates