Carb Confusion

May 5, 2017April 26, 2017 LauraJoli LookingJoliGoodLeave a comment

~Ditch the Diet~

Today we are going to be talking about the most controversial of macronutrients – carbohydrates.

As we have been discussing recently, there are three macronutrients: Carbohydrate, Fat, Protein. Macronutrients are nutrients that provide calories (or energy) for our bodies.

No other nutrient causes so much confusion or controversy as carbs.

Carbohydrates are the macronutrient that our bodies need in the LARGEST amounts. Believe it or not, you can be successful eating hundreds of grams of carbs a day, as well as eating fewer grams per day.

According to the Dietary Reference Intakes published by the USDA, 45% – 65% of calories should come from carbohydrate. (Carbohydrate provides 4 calories per gram.)

Why do we need this amount of carbohydrate?

Carbohydrates are the body’s main source of fuel and easily used by the body for energy. They can be stored in the muscles and liver to be used later for energy. All of the tissues and cells in our body can use glucose for energy.

Carbohydrates are needed for the central nervous system, the kidneys, the brain, the muscles (including the heart) to function properly.

Carbohydrates are important in intestinal health and waste elimination.

Which foods are carbohydrates?

They are mainly found in starchy foods like grain and potatoes, as well as fruits, milk, and yogurt. Other foods like vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds and cottage cheese contain carbohydrates, but in lesser amounts.

I will be talking in more details about fiber and “good” carbs vs “bad” carbs in another Ditch the Diet post.

Keep in mind that losing weight and being healthy are so much more than just choosing a “diet plan” and following it.

Are you interested in learning more about ditching dieting for good? You can read more about it by clicking HERE.

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Ditch The Diet for Healthy Habits

What I Eat In A Day

April 28, 2017May 1, 2017 LauraJoli LookingJoliGood3 Comments

~Dith The Diet~

I follow a model of eating called 80/20 which means 80% of what I eat is clean/healthy foods and 20% is “splurge” foods. We can get more into the details of 80/20 in a future post.

I also follow intuitive eating. This basically means if I am hungry I eat until I am satisfied and if I am not hungry, I don’t eat. Sounds simple right? Some days are easier than others especially if there’s leftover Easter candy laying around…

Here is what I ate yesterday:

Breakfast 375 cal

Chobani Strawberry Greek Yogurt -120 cal (serving size one container 120 cal)

1/4 cup Trader Joes Pecan Praline Granola 105 cal (serving size 1/2 cup 210 cal)

1/2 Banana 45 cal (serving size 1/2 large banana 45 cal)

3 large strawberries- 45 cal (serving size one cup 55 cal)

1 Tbs Super Seed Ancient Grain Blend 60 cal ( serving size 2 Tbs 120 cal)

Usually, around mid-morning, I would also have a post-workout snack that consists of about 250 or so calories. I didn’t workout yesterday, so I wasn’t hungry and didn’t need the mid-morning snack.

If I were to have a snack it would most likely be either a medium sized apple and 1.5 Tbs of peanut butter or two pieces of low-fat mozzarella string cheese.

Lunch 400 cal

Solid White Tuna 2 oz 60 cal (serving size 2 oz 60 cal)

Old Fashion Hearth Whole Wheat English Muffin 130 cal ( serving size one muffin 130 cal)

1/4 Avocado 60 cal (serving size 1/2 avocado 120 cal)

2 oz Sabra Hummus 150 cal ( serving size 2 oz/ 1/4 cup 150 cal)

Baby Romain Lettuce Celery Carrots <5cal
Cucumber

Snack- 60 cal

Halo Top Lemon Cake Ice Cream 60 cal (serving size 1/2 cup 60 cal)

Dinner- 430 cal

Ground turkey (3 oz 130 cal) black beans (2 oz. 60 cal) chili – 250 cal total

1 Tbs Chobani fat free plain greek yogurt- 25 cal (serving size 1 cup- 120 cal)

2 Tbs Reduced Fat Cheddar Cheese -25 cal (serving 1/4 cup- 85 cal)

7 chips Trader Joes Veggie and Flaxseed Tortilla Chips- serving size 7 chips 130 cal

Evening Snack 35 cal

Carrots- 15 cal

Celery –

Cucumbers- <5

Sugar Snap Peas- 15 cal

Here is a rough breakdown of my macros

1300 calories

Protein 75 g -300 cal from protein

Fat 40g -360 cal from fat

Carbs 140g-560 cal from carbs
Fiber 45 g

Water 98 fl oz

I hope these examples of what I eat in a day can help you to make some healthy choices! I will post these “What I Eat In A Day” posts every once in a while.

Are you enjoying these Ditch the Diet posts? You can read more by clicking HERE.

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Ditch The Diet for Healthy Habits

The Skinny On Fat

April 21, 2017April 19, 2017 LauraJoli LookingJoliGood2 Comments

~Ditch the Diet~

Guess what…fats don’t make you fat. Big shocker I know!

As I mentioned in a previous post, macronutrients are nutrients that provide calories (or energy) for our bodies. There are three macronutrients: Fat, Protein, Carbohydrate. (Fat provides 9 calories per gram.)

Fat might get a bad wrap, but it is actually essential for survival. Fat is the most concentrated source of energy and is also needed for absorption of vitamins A, D, E, K, and carotenoids.

What does our body need fat for?

Energy
Absorbing certain vitamins
Maintaining cell membranes
Providing cushioning for the organs
Normal growth and development
Providing taste, consistency, and stability to foods

There are three main types of fat, saturated fat, unsaturated fat, and trans fat.

There are good fats and bad fats. Good fats come from things like chicken, turkey, tuna, salmon, avocados, nut, seeds, olive oil and grape seed oil.

Eating large amounts of foods rich in saturated fats can raise your cholesterol levels, increasing your risk of heart disease and stroke, (and even some types of cancer.) If those saturated fat-rich foods are also high in dietary cholesterol, like bacon, the cholesterol levels tend to rise even higher.

Try to stay away from trans fat. Trans fats are found in things like baked goods, snack foods, fried foods, and margarine. These types of fats increase your risk for heart disease.

Replacing saturated and trans fat in your diet with unsaturated fat has been shown decrease the risk of developing heart disease.

While it is great to see results on the scale, what is going on inside the body is more important.

The USDA recommends 20% – 35% of daily calories should come from fat.

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Ditch The Diet for Healthy Habits

The Power of Protein

April 13, 2017April 12, 2017 LauraJoli LookingJoliGoodLeave a comment

~Ditch the Diet~

As I mentioned in a previous post macronutrients are nutrients that provide calories (or energy). There are three macronutrients: Protein, Carbohydrate, Fat.

Today I want to specifically talk about the macronutrient protein.

One of the first things that I learned about in nursing school was that amino acids are the building blocks of life. Proteins are made up of amino acids.

Some amino acids are nonessential which means that our body can make them. Others are essential which means that we need to get them from our diet.

What do we need protein for?
Cell Growth
Tissue repair
Immune function
Making essential hormones and enzymes
Preserving lean muscle mass

Where can you find protein?
Protein is found in meats, poultry, fish, cheese, milk, nuts, legumes, and in smaller quantities starchy foods and vegetables.

When we eat these types of foods, our body breaks down the protein that they contain into amino acids to be used to rebuild our bodies and create new cells.

The protein that comes from animal sources contains all of the essential amino acids that we need. Plant sources of protein, on the other hand, do not contain all of the essential amino acids.

While everyone’s body is different the USDA recommends that 10% – 35% of daily calories should come from protein. You can easily meet this need by consuming a balanced diet.

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What are Macronutrients?

April 7, 2017February 13, 2017 LauraJoli LookingJoliGoodLeave a comment

~Ditch the Diet~

Wouldn’t it be nice if food was just food and no matter what we ate our body could perfectly use it as needed! Unfortunately, not all food is created equally. The two hundred calories from a Little Debbie Snack Cake are not equal to the 200 calories in 4 ounces of baked chicken breast. I really wish that this was not true! I really wish that my body would use the calories from desserts the same way it uses the healthy foods.

What is it that makes our foods different? Short answer: macronutrients.

What are macronutrients?

Macronutrients are nutrients that provide calories (or energy). Nutrients are the substances needed for growth, metabolism, and for other body functions. The word “macro” means large. Put it together and macronutrients are nutrients needed in large amounts.

There are three macronutrients: Carbohydrate, Protein, Fat,

While each of these macronutrients provides calories, the number of calories that each one provides is different.

Carbohydrate provides 4 calories per gram.

Protein provides 4 calories per gram.

Fat provides 9 calories per gram.

This means that if you looked at a Nutrition Facts label and it said 10 grams of carbohydrate (40 cals), 10 grams of fat (90 cals), and 10 grams of protein per serving (40 cals), you would know that this food has about 170 calories per serving

10 carbohydrate x 4= 40 cals
10 grams of fat x 9 = 90 cals
10 grams of protein per serving x 4= 40 cals

40+90+40=170

I will get more into the balance of micronutrients in a future post.

Don’t worry, I am not going to suggest that you start “counting your macros” I am going to try to help you have a healthy lifestyle without having to think about it.

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Ditch The Diet for Healthy Habits

💩 The 4 Fs of Bowel Health 💩

March 31, 2017February 5, 2017 LauraJoli LookingJoliGoodLeave a comment

~Ditch the Diet~

Yes, you are correct, we are about to talk about 💩!

If you have ever talked to me at length about healthy eating, you already know that “bowl health” is very important to me!

While yes, it might be a really gross thing to talk about, it is so important! You can tell so much about what is going on inside your body by your bowl patterns.

First, let’s discuss what is considered to be a normal bowel routine.

While everyone’s bowel patterns are different, it is considered normal to have a bowel movement at most one to three times a day, or at the least three times a week.

You should never let yourself go more than 3 days without a bowel movement. Let me repeat that. You should never let yourself go more than 3 days without a bowel movement.

So now that you know what is normal, let’s talk about how you can get a better bowel pattern?

1) Fluids

First of all, make sure you are drinking plenty of Fluids!

Science time…Fluids are absorbed in the large intestine (also know as the colon). The more fluids readily available to your colon, the less it needs to work to absorb them.

Do you see where I am going here…the harder the colon has to work to draw out the necessary fluids your body needs, the harder you’ll have to work to get the waste it produces out. (Gross, I know, but so true.)

2) Fiber

Fiber helps to keep everything moving down and out.

The majority of American women do not get enough daily fiber. Most people should aim for 25–35 grams of fiber a day.

Here comes some more science…An added bonus to fiber is that it keeps you feeling fuller longer, as well as slowing down the absorption of sugar and the release of those sugars into your bloodstream.

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3) Flatulence!

Yes, I did just go there!

If you are not used to eating a fiber rich diet you need to take it slow! Don’t just start downing all the high fiber foods that you can find. Start with a little bit at a time and increase your intake by one of the things listed below every two -three days depending on how your gut is responding.

You cannot just increase your fiber without increasing your fluid intake. You will end up with a lot of gas and possibly even more stopped up!

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4) Fitness

Let’s face it, exercise helps your body look better, feel better and function better. Lack of physical activity can contribute to constipation. Living a sedentary life can slow the digestive system. If you’ struggle with constipation exercising regularly can help get things going in more ways than one.

Add these for Fs into your life and you will have a healthy bowel in no time! 💩

(Seriously though, how funny is the 💩 emoji? Lol!)

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Ditch The Diet for Healthy Habits

Perfection and Consistency

March 24, 2017February 5, 2017 LauraJoli LookingJoliGood2 Comments

~Ditch the Diet~

A healthy lifestyle is not is not about perfection it is about consistency.

When something is done with consistency is when the results are seen. Consistently eating healthy, exercising, getting enough sleep, decreasing the stress in your life, these things bring positive results.

You are the only one who can choose what you will be doing consistently.

Keep in mind that consistency always brings results… we get to choose what we will be doing and whether those results will be negative or positive.

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Ditch The Diet for Healthy Habits

Find Healthy Foods You Love and Enjoy Them!

March 17, 2017February 3, 2017 LauraJoli LookingJoliGood2 Comments

~Ditch the Diet~

One of the most important parts of being successful at giving up dieting and living a healthy lifestyle is finding healthy foods you enjoy.

Since changing my eating habits two years ago I have found so many foods that I once thought I hated, but now I actually love.

Eggplant, Cucumbers, Spinach, Swiss Chard, Roasted Cauliflower, Baked Kale, Sweet Potatoes, Mushrooms. These are all things that I would never have eaten two years ago, yet they are now part of my everyday diet.

You know what, I still hate cooked peppers, I don’t think that will ever change. There are so many other healthy options that I do enjoy. When it comes to peppers, I just don’t eat them.

Set yourself up for success. Find healthy foods you love and enjoy them!

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Ditch The Diet for Healthy Habits

Shop the Perimeter

March 10, 2017March 6, 2017 LauraJoli LookingJoliGood2 Comments

~Ditch the Diet~

Don’t know where to start when shopping for healthier food options at the grocery store?

Shop the perimeter.

Eating healthy doesn’t have to begin and end at the farmers’ market (although that is a good place to shop :-)).

Grocery stores have plenty to offer. You just need to know what to look for. Convenience and healthy can be in the same place.

Most whole, natural foods are on the outside aisles of grocery stores. Think about where you shop for food. The perimeter is where the produce, dairy, and meat sections usually are.

As you go deeper into the center of the store, you encounter more processed and packaged food.

Start shopping for foods that don’t have labels. The fresher the food you eat the better you will feel.

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Ditch The Diet for Healthy Habits

Bottoms Up!

March 3, 2017January 31, 2017 LauraJoli LookingJoliGood2 Comments

~Ditch the Diet~

I drink a lot of water! It is easy for me to get enough water in each day because I don’t even think about it, I have made it a habit.

Maybe you don’t have a habit of drinking water so you have a hard time remembering to drink water.

One of my tips for increasing water consumption is every time you go to the bathroom drink a full 8-ounce glass of water before you leave.

This habit will create a cycle, the more water you drink the more trips you will take to the bathroom, the more water you will drink. Before you know it you will be used to drinking water and will have created a new habit.

bottoms up | lookingjoligood.wordpress.com

Also, here is an interesting fact, when I worked in the hospital taking care of patients on fluid restriction, the Drs would always say to take all the straws out of the patient’s room.

Drinking out of a straw causes people to drink 30% more. So, stick a straw in your water and you will drink more without even realizing it.

Don’t wait until you feel thirsty to take a drink of water. Most likely by that point you are already slightly dehydrated.

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Category: Ditch The Diet for Healthy Habits

Carb Confusion

~Ditch the Diet~

What I Eat In A Day

Breakfast 375 cal

Lunch 400 cal

Snack- 60 cal

Dinner- 430 cal

Evening Snack 35 cal

Here is a rough breakdown of my macros

The Skinny On Fat

~Ditch the Diet~

The Power of Protein

~Ditch the Diet~

What are Macronutrients?

~Ditch the Diet~

What are macronutrients?

💩 The 4 Fs of Bowel Health 💩

~Ditch the Diet~

1) Fluids

2) Fiber

3) Flatulence!

4) Fitness

Perfection and Consistency

~Ditch the Diet~

Find Healthy Foods You Love and Enjoy Them!

~Ditch the Diet~

Shop the Perimeter

~Ditch the Diet~

Bottoms Up!

~Ditch the Diet~

~Ditch the Diet~

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Breakfast 375 cal

Lunch 400 cal

Snack- 60 cal

Dinner- 430 cal

Evening Snack 35 cal

Here is a rough breakdown of my macros

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~Ditch the Diet~

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~Ditch the Diet~

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~Ditch the Diet~

What are macronutrients?

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~Ditch the Diet~

1) Fluids

2) Fiber

3) Flatulence!

4) Fitness

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~Ditch the Diet~

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~Ditch the Diet~

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