Coconut Water: Yay or Step Away

You may not have noticed but this poor blog was neglected over the summer. Neglect leads to guilt, which sucks, and anyway I’m back and it feels refreshing…sort of like the YOSA (Yay? OR Step away?) topic today... coconut water (corny transition, I’m a little rusty).

 

Yesterday I spoke to CBS about coconut water. I must admit I haven’t been pounding the coconut stuff as much lately. Partially it’s because I spend all my beverage bucks on kombucha (and some Tito’s martinis) and also because I am fickle, sort of like a toddler, and go on benders with certain foods (and workouts) and then lose interest. So the segment got me thinking and here are my 2 coco cents.

The basics

Coconut water is the liquid from a coconut. If you think you dislike coconut water it may be because you’ve had the bottom of the barrel versions that often have a milky appearance and very little taste. I’d describe them as phlegm-like, agree? The best coconut water is organic, unpasteurized, straight from the coconut and a personal preference-ice cold. I was super psyched that juice generation has these adorable coco to go offerings. They’re 50 calories, fun (put the straw on the dot), and idiot proof- just saying I was worried about my coco abilities and first time got it right. If you're concerned you can also have them use a large coconut and open it for you. Carolyn and I were sent a cocojack tool and it wasn’t pretty. Coconut wrestling is a workout. If you’re not up for it, Harmless Harvest is also good stuff, our bottled go to.

The pros

Coconut water has way less sugar than sports drinks, sodas and fruit juices. It also has an impressive potassium content. If your retort is bananas, potatoes and avocados do too, I’ll ask when the last time you drank a potato was… This potassium content makes coconut water great post workout, after imbibing (or during) and good for blood pressure. Coconut water also has magnesium; potassium and magnesium make it a great PMS drink (debloat and de-stress-YES).

The cons

So yes, coconut water has sugar. I will say my least favorite of the sugar family is fructose and coconut water isn’t loaded with fructose. There are about 6g of sugar per cup of coconut water. Again, this isn’t a ton but I’d keep liquid snacks (coconut water OR kombucha OR green juices) to 1 per day max.

Uses

Coconut water is great in smoothies; I freeze coconut water in ice cube trays for this purpose. If I am not having a smoothie, 1 cococube makes water more interesting. And as you can see in the link above coconut water is superior to many cocktail mixers.

Yesterday I was asked if I could see a time when people would be walking down the street with coconuts? One can dream. Oh and I have to answer Yay or Step Away. If forced to choose I'd say Yay but needs to be quality coco and once per day is perfect/max. 

Do you drink coconut water? Straight up or in other ways? Do you want to walk down the street with a coconut? 

Five Last Minute Tips to Look Better in a Bathing Suit

Jada may love Will she loves Jada more.

As I mentioned in the water post, Marc and I were away, in Turks and Caicos, for a few days.  I could tell you about the sailing we did (I was reading Gone Girl which I wouldn’t suggest for a romantic getaway) or how excited I was that the local restaurant we went to noted gluten free on the menu or even the best crab salad I’ve ever had.

I would choose this over a bikini any day

However, two other things continue to stand out in my mind. On our first afternoon at the beach, just after we arrived, I saw an Italian family standing by the water. You couldn’t help but notice them. First the mother (50ish) was taking photos of her two 20-something daughters. The daughters posed like they were in the SI swimsuit issue; the bikini-ed mother posed as she clicked away. Then papa comes to take pictures of his annoying gorgeous family. Marc, watching this whole photo shoot with me said, “I should ask if they want me to take a picture of the four of them.” I told him I’d kill him if he gave them any more attention, we laughed.

We soon took a little sailboat out. As we were hopping in the boat, two women were getting out of another. These women were at least 15 years older than me. They weren’t physically perfect like the Italians. They had lumps and bumps but were seemingly unaware.  I am always drawn to this question of body confidence. See, I am of another persuasion. I love a good cover up (and love to cover up), when I’m on the beach in a bathing suit, I’m aware I’m basically naked and I’m happiest under an umbrella with a good book (kindle people, it’s hard to read kindles on the beach) taking it all in. There will be no attention-grabbing Slayton photo shoots. I would bet I’m not alone and if you need a little beach day encouragement here are some ideas:

Run- I like a good sweat before a beach day. Most of the time I go for an hour-long run. Part of me likes to move before planting myself in a lounge chair. More than anything, it feels good before sporting a swimsuit.

Tan and lube- I tweeted  “nothing like a BB (before bikini) workout” and a fellow nutritionist said “yes and a spray tan too”.  It’s true; tanning is a great camouflager and does make you look slimmer.  I worry about the safety of spray tans. There are organic options (there’s a place called O’live organic in NYC) but I stick to self-tanner. Look for a paraben free self tanner. I love Chocolate Sun.  As much as I love my Coola mineral sunscreen, I don’t love the white matte finish it leaves on my skin. I follow it up with a little oil.

Drink- while I’m sure a shot of tequila would eradicate any swimsuit hesitancy, I’m not a day drinker. Instead, Eboost and Pukka detox tea are my pre-beach beverages. Did you know that teabags don’t need hot water? Any water works. I was so thrilled the hotel gym had Eboost.

Pursue Potassium- we’re early beach goers, we get to the beach before it gets crowded and generally leave to do other things around lunchtime. Each morning away we’d pass people chowing down at the outdoor restaurant. Who can eat a buffet breakfast and then slip into a swimsuit? Oh yes, the Italians or the sailing ladies. Why not?  If you’re two-piece terrified, potassium is your pal. Potassium in your diet decreases sodium levels. Less sodium? Less puffy. Some ideas:

Eggs and Asparagus

Goat Yogurt (Coach Farms makes, easier to digest than dairy)

Fruits such as cantaloupe, citrus and my favorite avocado.

And let’s not forget the potassium power of coconut water.

Practice- my numero uno beach tip of all time was to change into a swimsuit when you get home from work for a week before a beach vacation. Clients loved this and emailed that they were making dinner, working on the computer and cleaning the house in their bikinis. Seriously though, part of the whole bathing suit thing if you didn’t grow up on the beach is just comfort. It’s also important to try on suits before you leave for a trip. What worked last summer, for various reasons, may not be doing you any favors this year. You don’t want your cup (or your “saucer” for that matter) to “runneth” over.  And a stretched out too-loose get-up isn’t helping your cause. And our causes, no matter how big or how small, need help.
Are you more like the Italians or a cover upper? What do you do to psyche yourself up for the beach? Any last minute tricks? Have you read Gone Girl or anything else good?

And the winner of the Mountain Valley Spring water is Nancy, congratulations.

Bye Bye Bloat

The 4 C's 

One of the most common words used by clients in by office is “bloated.” Nobody likes to feel bloated, especially during beach and bathing suit season.  I spoke to Tanya Rivera, of GMA Health, about the bloating basics and thought Monday, post weekend, was a good day to debloat with you.

Bloating is swelling due to fluid or gas. Eating salty or processed foods, eating too fast, for some lactose or sweeteners can all cause bloating. While women have the bonus of hormonal bloating, not to worry, men bloat too. If bloating persists or intensifies it is worth looking into but more often than not bloat is just unsightly and annoying.

If there’s an event you want to feel your best for or you simply want to debloat. My starter tip for bloat is to remove the 4 C’s. I’ve mentioned them before but these are:

• Carbs- especially the white ones hang onto water as they digest, whereas protein uses water
• Canned Foods-even healthy canned foods such as beans or tuna cause bloat (and may contain BPA’s) think jarred foods, rinse well in a colander or skip.
• Carbonated Beverages- yes seltzer and something I’m totally against soda will bloat you. All those bubbles end up in your stomach and it’s often not pretty.
•  Chewing Gum- seems innocent but you swallow air constantly. Gum chewers are amazed when they find this one out.

The Tummy Trifecta

Too many raw veggies aren’t part of my prescription but there are 3 I call “The Tummy Trifecta”.

•  Dandelion greens are good in salads or in teas, they are also in season now but need a good washing when you use them
• Asparagus aren’t only a diuretic food they are also anti inflammatory due to their saponin content and a prebiotic food.
• Parsley- a great anti gas and diuretic food, I love parsley in green juices with ginger and lemon

Debloating Drinks

Lemons have been used for centuries for all sorts of medicinal applications. Lemon is a natural diuretic and a couple cups of lemon water a day may keep distention away.  Our clients also love a green tea-based drink called EBoost eboost.com. Yogi also makes a delicious detox tea that’s great iced in the summer time. You can also take fennel and caraway seeds and boil them for a homemade tea.

Eboost.com

High Potassium Foods

Sodium and potassium work in a balance. To debloat, potassium (in food not supplement form) can help.  Cantaloupe, coconut water, oranges and avocados are excellent choices and sources I prefer over the banana when it comes to bloat. Even one day of incorporating these debloaters can make a difference. Then I’ll tell you the second most common word in my office, any guesses?

Are you bloat-prone? What do you do to improve it? Which of these foods are you ready to incorporate? And how bloated do I look in that segment next to tiny Tanya?

Healthy Overdose?

The following post was written for one of my favorite sites Blisstree,  please note that I also stole the carrot photo from their site. After you read this, cruise on over there because they are not afraid to get down and dirty when it comes to food and weight (and lots of other things).

 Most likely, a lot of you spend a chunk of your time worrying about food. This makes sense, given that each day seems to bring another food recall, growing concern over mercury levels in fish, and pesticides on produce. Without completely igniting a rash of food fears, what if I told you that some your basic run-of-the-mill foods also carried their own risks? In excess, foods such as carrots, green tea, and even bran can be problematic. I learned my lesson first-hand 15 years ago. I was a college student with aspirations to be healthy (okay, skinny), and limited culinary skills. My cooking repertoire amounted to brown rice, black beans, and scrambled eggs. I also ate carrots – a lot of carrots – because they required no cooking at all.

When I came home for Thanksgiving during my sophmore year, my mother thought I was jaundiced. Though a fair assumption for a college student in New Orleans, it wasn’t the Jägermeister or Jim Beam that proved to be the problem. It was the carrots. I had carotemia – mainly due to an excessive intake of carrots. Carrots contain significant amounts of carotenoids. When the amount of carotenoids a person ingests exceeds the body’s ability to use or store it, levels build up in the bloodstream, which causes the skin to turn orange or yellow. Way too much of a good thing.

Lately I started thinking: What other good things can we get too much of?

Some foods and supplements act as natural blood thinners. I always keep this in mind when clients are taking blood-thinning medications. (If your blood is too thin, it doesn’t clot. And if you bleed, you bleed a lot…Not good.) If you aren’t on blood-thinning meds, you still should bear in mind that certain foods can block Vitamin K (which helps with clotting), and thin your blood. Spices that are high in salicylates (such as curry powder and cayenne), fruits such as grapes and oranges, and even cider and honey may not be beneficial in huge quantities. Fish, specifically omega-3 fatty acids, can thin your blood if you ingest or supplement with more than 4,000 mg daily (or 4+ servings of salmon). Of course, all of these foods are healthy, and most of the blood-thinning is undetectable (and can be desirable), but if you’re a twice-daily salmon-eater, or consume pounds of grapes, it may be time to branch out.

Because I was investigating “overdosing” on seemingly healthy foods and nutrients, I was curious about fiber. It’s recommended that women get 25 grams daily and men get 30 grams. But believe it or not, too much fiber can actually cause constipation. Huge amounts of fiber can cause an intestinal blockage which can be serious enough to require surgery. So anything above 50 grams a day may be way too much.

When Blisstree asked me to weigh in on this subject, they asked me about avocados, which are rich in potassium. We need potassium, but it’s tricky because it affects the way our heart beats. For this reason, I never suggest that clients supplement with potassium, but instead get it from their diets. Too much potassium can lead to a dangerous condition called hyperkalemia, which can lead to heart palpitations. Because the RDI for potassium is 4.200 mg (or 4.79 avocados), I don’t suggest exceeding this amount in your diet – no matter how much you love guacamole.

As the saying goes, everything in moderation. Nutrients, like diets, are best when balanced. Too much of anything – even if the thing is natural and healthy – can be a problem. And now that I’ve freaked myself out a little, I could really use a shot of Jägermeister.
Have you ever had an overdose (healthy or otherwise)? Are there certain foods you eat too much of? Do you like Jagermeister? Please comment, otherwise I may hit the carrots again.