Wakaya and Whipping

For us, January 5^th is the real start of the year. We’re back in the Foodtrainers’ offices and sent out our  “We’re Ready To Whip You (and you’ll like it) newsletter. About the “whipping”, we developed a Whipping Week (to whip everyone back into shape not like that…) and let’s just say it’s only been a few hours and many of you want a whipping.

As much as I liked cracking the whip Carolyn bought us from Pleasure Chest (Pleasure Palace? I forget but I do remember learning whips are pricey 60-something dollars?) there’s something else I’m even more excited about. Sure, it says a little about me that I’m dying to get to the office because this has arrived.

I travel with this (for some reason flight attendants are always curious and I reluctantly share).

You can add  Wakaya ginger or turmeric to smoothies, oatmeal, bone broth or cocktails but really straight up is how I take it.  It’s great for immunity and inflammation and it tastes great. Carolyn and I think we should really go to Fiji to ensure that production standards are up to snuff, we'll bring our whip.

I think what’s clear is that we all like a little newness for the New Year. Out with the old (I had my first colonic on New Years Eve to make sure this happened. My ER doc client lectured me).

Anyway blogging and teatime are over, off to crack my whip.

Are you doing any new for the new year? New workout or food regime or attitude? So you want to be whipped? Email us at info@foodtrainers.net

Happy New Year, here's what I suggest

Wow, a year ago today the Little Book of Thin was released. I was holed up in my apartment reviewing and reviewing for a Today show segment. I wasn’t thinking resolutions. Yesterday I was pretty free and spent some time reading resolution advice. Time magazine suggested resolutions work better when you “fork over cash”.  The Daily Good referenced Seinfeld’s comedy writing and suggested picking something you can do every day and to focus on the doing versus the results (liked that). Anyway you frame it though, the resolution success rates (under 10%) are almost as grim as weight loss statistics. “Nobody keeps their resolutions, nobody loses weight long-term". In 2014, I would’ve said those comments make me want to punch the doubters in the face but since it’s the first day of the year (and one of my personal goals is calmness) instead I’ll just say let’s prove those pessimists wrong.

What I know for sure in this department:

A year is a long time- start with a January commitment. I know, I know you’re super motivated and want to put the "holiday heft" behind you right away but commit for January and then reassess, even switch the goal. 

Track- there is a whole movement called The Quantified Self which can get a little carried away (sensors in our mattresses, really?) but there is a value to tracking and gathering data about yourself. First, activity trackers like my beloved Fitbit take little to no effort on your part in order to track your activity or water drinking. And just the act of tracking has a positive influence on your behavior. Psych people- isn’t this called the Hawthorne Effect? This is provided you’re not too judgy with yourself.. Keeping a food journal is another easy way to improve your behaviors. I think this is why people like our Foodstalking program.

Cooking- if you really want to make changes with your health and your weight, you need to cook. You don’t need to be a chef, you don’t need lots of equipment but you need to scramble eggs or roast vegetables or just take pride in buying the best ingredients you can. This connects you to your food and let’s you control what goes in your body. I was watching a show last night Booze Traveler (not very resolutiony but I’m obsessed) and the host joked “this batch tastes better because I helped prepare it". Can you make your lunch once a week? Or even cut vegetables up on Sunday for the week?  In LBT I suggest making a green, a grain and a main (protein) if you really want to set yourself up for the week.

Repetition works. My most successful clients have “anchor” behaviors that they do over and over. These habits breed confidence and also don’t require much deliberation. If we’re talking cooking, boil half a dozen eggs or roast Brussels sprouts once a week. Maybe there are one or two breakfasts you stick to like glue. And if you’re thinking that sounds boring? I only suggested a January pledge, for Feb you can switch it up.

If you’re on the fence about making changes. I loved this comment on a post earlier this week. This was from Andrew of the Wellness Notes blog

Whenever I gain some weight, I know that something is "going on" in my life. It's always a reflection of something being slightly off. So, no, I am never truly okay or happy when I'm heavier because it's actually a reflection of the other "stuff" that's going on.

And two other notes

First, stay tuned for information in our Monday newsletter on our Whipping Week. One week, super strict, kinda fun. Many of us need a nutritional whipping.

And second, I’m starting to write the proposal for book #2. I picked up Frank Lipman’s new book The New Health Rules (quick healthy snippets)  and “Do Something You Love for at Least 10 Minutes a Day” stuck with me. I love writing…so we’ll see.

Happy New Year to you. There are times when I feel “should I blog?” Or I feel guilty that I don’t give the blog as much attention as I used to but your comments and feedback are so interesting to me.

What do you think about resolutions? Are you a tracker? Do you cook? What do you love to do?

Drew Barrymore, Oprah and one final rant for the year

I didn’t plan on posting this week. I f igured I’d store up some ideas (and calories) for all that January-ness. Then I saw a page I had ripped out of People (in my bathroom, hey last TMI for 2014 too, why not).  I will take a photo of the clipping but you’ll be relieved to know I’m not typing this from the bathroom nor have I ever typed there. Anyway, this article featured the ever-adorable Drew Barrymore. The title was something like “losing weight on her own terms”  and the gist of the piece was that Drew immersed herself in her new baby, continued to eat what she wanted when she wanted etc etc. It was patting Drew on the back for not caring or not caring too much. But you know what happened? Yup, sure enough Drew eventually cared and hired Tracy Anderson who I happened to catch on the Insider suggesting we workout 7 days a week.

Then there’s Oprah (another one of my favorites). A friend of mine happened to tape something with O recently. She remarked how relaxed she was, barefoot on the set that kind of thing. She also said “she’ll never lose weight again. She’s fat and happy.” I hadn’t inquired about her weight but it seems with Oprah it’s always a topic. A few weeks later I watched Barbara Walter’s 10 Most Intriguing People special. How intriguing is it that Barbara is still at it in her 80s? And really, nobody does it like Barbara. Barbara asked Oprah “is there anything you still want to do?” Or maybe it was “what’s on your bucket list?” Oprah’s so spiritual I expected something with the words path or journey in her answer. No. You know what she said? “I have to make peace with this whole weight thing.” So much for fat and happy.

There are times we cannot think about our eating or our weight. And yes, there are people who rarely think about it (and that’s rare) but usually what happens is we get to a point where there’s more peace of mind when we’re actively trying to be healthy then when we pretend we don’t care and then we make changes. And that’s what January is for.

What do you think about the whole "I don't care about my weight or size" statements? Is that true for some? Have you ever felt that way? 

What's with all the Bulletproof haters?

I use less butter and less oil (coconut for me) than "suggested"

I posted about Bulletproof coffee in 2013. As a coffee lover fanatic, I was intrigued by this new coffee concept and loved the taste of Bulletproof (coffee blended with grass-fed butter and oil) coffee. Since then Bulletproof coffee and the Bulletproof diet have taken off.  Even the New York Times covered it recently. But you know what happens? With coverage come the haters. Even the nutritionist in the Times article said, “this is not the breakfast of champions.” I’m curious what she thinks is because this concoction makes me feel pretty well…bulletproof.

A friend posted the Times article and there were the skeptics who couldn’t imagine butter in their coffee. I get that, it sounds weird. What I don’t get is the fury that Dave Asprey was not a nutritionist (if that’s the criteria then ignore 75% of the diet information you read) and that he sells products. If you were on board with Bulletproof,  wouldn’t you want the exact items Asprey writes about? “Expensive products” people clarify as if Soul Cycle or green juices are cheap.

It wasn’t until yesterday, when I saw this article (posted by the same Facebook friend) that I realized something about this concept really polarizes people. This writer takes issue with Asprey’s claims that he has “unlocked the answer”  (want to read a book where someone starts with "I don't know the answer"?) and dismisses the concept as a “fad diet”. She points out he references animal studies. I'm sorry, find me any nutrition book that doesn't cite rodent studies...we are not that different from these creatures, sorry to say. But when I thought about where this hate could be coming from I think it’s the fact that Asprey is in favor of (good) fats and using a whole lot of them (more than I suggest using). With the legacy of fat phobia, this is far more than a fad. It’s saying that the very way many Americans structure their diet is dead wrong.

I read everything that comes my way and most of it starts to blur. There were explanations and points made in this book I had never heard. A bit about Asprey, he comes from a technology background and was an experienced and unsuccessful dieter. He used what he calls “bio hacking” which apparently is a thing (though a new one to me) to “hack” his body the way techies might a computer, to find the secrets. And yes, my first thought was who’s to say what works for Asprey will work for us? As I read further I had a list of points that couldn’t hurt to try.

I also couldn’t help but see an overlap in some of the ideas in The Little Book of Thin.

Asprey advocates carbs (and only certain carbs) consumed at night versus earlier in the day and takes an even harsher stance on fruit than I do.  Asprey wonders why we lump “fruit and vegetables” together.  I’m curious to look into a mechanism I hadn’t heard that fruit can decrease leptin transport (leptin is the hormone that makes us feel we’ve had enough to eat).  

Asprey also has some interesting points on sleep. He suggests taking both omega 3’s and vitamin D at night to help with sleep. He also feels sleep is more important than exercise, important to keep in mind if you’re chronically choosing the gym over the extra rest. On exercise, Asprey a veteran of 90-minute workouts isn’t buying the “more is better” exercise messaging. He believes in well spaced, intense workouts and my favorite quote, “go for a walk but don’t fool yourself into thinking you exercised when all you did was walk.”

Aside from the coffee (and there’s great info about certain types of coffee being less moldy and  healthier), my favorite part of this regime is that there is equal emphasis on how you feel as there is on what you weigh. Feeling vibrant, invincible and productive…or “bulletproof” is something to aspire to….unless hating is your thing.

Have you tried Bulletproof coffee? Like it? Have you read Dave Asprey’s book or listened to the podcasts? Are you intrigued or not buying it?

5 Hottest Food Trends 2015

photo via Four Sigma Foods

Every week, as clients come in for sessions they glance over at our office store and ask, “so what’s new?” And so I thought I’d share a piece I wrote for Fitbit on food trends for 2015.

I’m conflicted on the topic of food trends. On one hand I live, breathe and sometimes dream (pathetic I know) nutrition. I love to scope out what’s new or innovative, even fringe. On the other hand, I roll my eyes over kale’s overexposure as the “it” vegetable. I’ve called it Kardashian like- enough, right? If I am forced to pick sides food trends or same old/same old I’m going with the latest and the greatest… and so I bring you five hot foods on the scene for 2015.

Legumes

 So there’s nothing new about legumes (beans, chickpeas and lentils). What’s new is how they are used and why certain legumes are sought out.

Beans are being used in pastas by brands such as Banza(chickpea pasta) and Explore Asian (black bean or mung bean pastas).Speaking of mung beans, the biggest “issue” facing legumes or beans in general is…. gassiness. Mung beans  are “the gas free legume” and they also don’t need to be soaked like other beans. So whether it’s for the protein content, gluten free or gas free it’s beans, beans…

Teatails

Green tea is widely celebrated and last year matcha (a powedered green tea) popped on the radar. What we’re seeing now (and a little excited about) is tea in cocktails. Tea forte is making tea bags especially for cocktails and Owl’s brew makes tea mixers. Cheers!

Magic Mushrooms

So let me explain, mushrooms are popping up in all sorts of applications. They’re sort of magic but in a legit, legal way. Mushroom Matrix is using organic, medicinal mushrooms for applications varying from immunity to skin and hair health (yes please in the winter.) Four sigma has mushroom based beverages even mushroom-laced hot chocolate for stress reduction and weight loss.

Charcoal

I know, I know charcoal isn’t what we think of when we think about deliciousness but it certainly is a big player when it comes to detox. Although I’m suggesting charcoal is trendy, it’s certainly not new. Activated charcoal was used in ancient Egypt and by Hippocrates in Greece. The appeal of activated charcoal is that it’s like a sponge for chemicals and poisons; they adhere to it. Charcoal can be used for hangover prevention, for stomach issues and we’re seeing charcoal pop up at juice shops with “dark detox shots” and charcoal lemonade.

The new pomegranate

In terms of fruit, Forbes points to these grapefruits “sweet scarletts” as the it fruit for 2015. It doesn’t hurt that Pom who made pomegranates “wonderful” are the company behind these grapefruits (that I’m sure are delicious).

So whether you’re a pasta person or a stressed out hot chocolate lover, branch out in the 2015 and know there’s nothing wrong with your old standby foods broccoli or apples.

What foods have you been hearing more about? Any of these I mentioned you’re curious to try?