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For busy women, eating healthy can be impossible — so I was curious which five small changes would make the most impact. We've talked about easy weeknight dinners, healthy snacks for the office, and ways to politely decline treats your coworkers bring to work, and today guest poster* Sara Sarakanti, a certified health coach, weighs in on this nutritious issue. (Sara is also an old friend who features prominently in Jack's bedtime stories — it was at her birthday party seven years ago that I met my husband.) Follow Sara on Twitter at @SaraSarakanti.
Replace soda with water, and make it sexy.
Stop drinking empty calories and sugar in soda, and start replenishing cells in your body with water. Drinking six to eight glasses of water a day can be tedious, but there are plenty of bottles out there to help you reach your goal easily. Find a large water bottle (BPA-free of course) that holds up to four glasses of water, and be sure to drink two full bottles' worth of water throughout the day. Always remember to replenish midday. If you don't like the taste of water or think it's too boring for your palate, then purchase an infusion water bottle. You can load up the center tube of the bottle with lemons, berries, or any other refreshing, nutrient-rich fruits. For some elegantly designed infusion water bottles, check out Define Bottle (as seen on ABC’s “Shark Tank”). Soon enough, you'll be drinking your H2O in style.
Balance out acid vs. alkaline, the Yin and Yang of digestive health.
Most of what Americans eat these days is acid: meat, dairy, carbs, caffeine, and sugar. Alkaline diets are based on whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, and alkaline grains (amaranth, quinoa, buckwheat, and millet). Many ailments and illnesses can be resolved by balancing out the acid/alkaline pH in our bodies. A prime example of an acid-excess disease is acid reflux. Dangerous long-term use and effects of H2 blockers can be avoided by doing something as simple as adding more greens to your diet. No one's saying you can’t have your morning cup of coffee, but add in those anti-inflammatory foods as well. There is an excellent book on this topic called The Acid-Alkaline Diet for Optimum Health: Restore Your Health by Creating pH Balance in Your Diet by Christopher Vasey.
Stop buying food in boxes, bags and wrappers.
Real foods are naked and aren't disguised by a fancy cover. They're not refined, they're not fried, and they're by no means “fast.” This is not to say that whole foods can't also be eaten fast! There are lots of purse-friendly, on-the-go whole foods, such as bananas, apples, nuts, seeds, and baby carrots.
Remember the Whole Grain Truth: all carbs are NOT created equal.
Carbs have been given a bad “wrap,” but Whole Grains are the “Wholey Grain of Life.” With diagnoses of gluten sensitivity and gluten intolerance common, you have to get creative on the grain train. Steel-cut oats, spelt, quinoa, amaranth, millet, and buckwheat (see also alkaline!) are the answer to your unprocessed prayers since they're chock full of fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants. Pret A Manger has scrumptious Five-Grain Oatmeal that you must run out and try the minute you wake from slumber.
Cut yourself some slack, and indulge once a week!
Go ahead, you've earned it. If you're too strict 24/7 with your diet, then you'll fall off the proverbial wagon. Reward yourself with a night out with your boyfriend or friends, and make the focus of your meal the healthy relationship you are nurturing while at the same time eating mindfully. Dr. Susan Alber's Mindful Eating Plate and The Institute for Integrative Nutrition's definition of primary food are great references for when you mindfully indulge in both primary and secondary foods.
(Pictured: 278/365 – Nuts!, originally uploaded to Flickr by Adam Wyles.)
Niktaw
I am all about whole grains, but hit a snag with amaranth – its flavor is weird.
I only tried it once and may had gotten a bad batch (might be because it came in a plastic bag, LOL), so would like to hear other people’s experiences.
Anonymous
I’ve tried many times to love amaranth, millet and buckwheat groats. I just can’t love them. Oh well, thankfully quinoa is delicious.
AIMS
I did not love buckwheat until I started cooking it a certain way.
Ratio of 2:1 parts water to buckwheat. Take boiling water and combine with buckwheat and a large pinch of salt in a medium pot and cover tightly with a lid. Let sit for at least 20 min. and as long as overnight. Depending on how long you’ve soaked them, all or almost all water will be absorbed (overnight) or not (20 min). In either case, turn flame to medium and either cook till all liquid is absorbed or, if already absorbed, till they warm through.
Once they’re cooked you can eat them in any number of ways. Sometimes I like them plain with a pat (or two) of butter and some sea salt and maybe some fresh herbs if I have on hand. Other times, I cook a bunch of veggies to serve on top or sauté buckwheat with the veggies… Mushrooms and carrots are a good combo. Roasted broccoli and/or cherry tomatoes, too.
It’s also delicious in a rice cooker, same ratio of water to grain, and I throw a bunch of chopped butternut squash in as well. When cooked, top with some chopped parsley.
Baconpancakes
If it’s what I’m thinking about, I had it once – pretty bland, gooey (as it was cooked), but non-offensive. You might’ve gotten some old stuff that went bad.
Baconpancakes
On the same lines, I think chia seeds are gross.
Sue
This is a great post. I especially like the idea of balancing acid and alkali, hadn’t thought of that before. I also recently started adding a slice of lemon to water, previously this is something I’d ask for in restaurants but yes, it does help to boost your hydration. Recently I had this water infused with a fresh fruit blend of berries and watermelon that gave the water this pale pink hue and a taste that is just divine! Also I wonder if all the intolerance to grains that people are experiencing could be as a result of eating grain that is sometimes genetically altered. Just a thought, haven’t done much research on this.
Other things that have worked for me:
(1) Making things from scratch: While I like the convenience of canned beans and soups, over time I think making them from scratch is healthier. For one you cut out the huge amounts of sodium added. A pressure cooker is very handy for beans. Or just soak them overnight/8+ hours, boil a large amount and freeze in batches
(2) If you eat meat: buying a whole chicken instead of just thighs or wings is better. Roasted in the oven at 450F, lasts a week and you can have it for dinner, or make sandwiches or salads. Experiment with different seasonings
(3) Mixing in some whole grain flours with white flour in breads like naan or chapati for those who make them from scratch. There’s also whole wheat naan sold in grocery stores
(4) I like the precut fruits in the grocery aisle, I use the mixes I see as inspiration and cut my own at home mainly for breakfast. A big bowl can easily last a week
(5) My quick on the go bites: Bananas, Apples, a mix of nuts
(6) Indulgences: Dark chocolate(80-90% cacao), a bit bitter but a square or two is all I need. Baked sweet potato fries, better than the fried version. Home baked stuff: the process of baking ensures that I don’t get to have too much since I make it from scratch. And for when I can’t I just buy a bag of Pepperidge Farm cookies, not sure how healthy they are but the portion size is enough for any craving.
Mrs. Jones
These are great recommendations. Cooking from scratch is not super easy or fast, but it’s worth it.
Senior Attorney
And it generally is super cheap compared to the alternatives.
Anonymous
One of my favorite healthy by-products of cooking from scratch is how much less sodium I consume. Its really noticeable to the point where now, if I eat a restaurant meal, I often feel thirsty all night and notice that my fingers swell.
anon99
Another water tip, if you find plain water boring try seltzer. I find those little bubbles to really help me drink an adequate amount.
Brit
Seltzer also really helps me cut down on my soda intake because sometimes the biggest draw on soda for me is the carbonation.
hoola hoopa
My husband replaced his nightly beer with seltzer with great improvement to his weight and health. He also realized that the draw was the carbonation.
Grumpy
I bought a SodaStream because I was sick of lugging bottles of seltzer up to my apartment. It is literally the best thing ever.
Anonymous
Be a little careful though of carbonated beverages. . . my 20 pound weight gain plus Sodastream/Diet Coke turned into acid reflex that I haven’t yet shook.
Kathryn
Are you warning against carbonated beverages in general or against carbonated water? I ask only because I was unaware that there was any nutritional change in carbonated water, but maybe I’m wrong?
Gdzila
I think weight gain can make acid reflux worse for some people since the stomach can move around or be too squished (technical medical science term and explanation here) for food to go down instead of up. Diet soda/regular soda are acidic so they would adversely impact acid reflux. I have pretty awful GERD and haven’t noticed carbonated water making it worse. But everyone has their own triggers.
Anonymous
Carbonation comes from carbonic acid being added to the water. So it’s a definite acid reflux trigger.
Baconpancakes
I’ve been lusting over a penguin SodaStream for years.
Parfait
I have one! He is my adorable kitchen sentry.
Burgher
I am so glad I bought my soda stream!
I will occasionally buy the mega bag of citrus and enjoy fresh limes or lemons in my water. Before they start to get icky, I will juice all the remaining ones and freeze into a mini ice cube tray. Then I have them on hand to toss in my water or add to recipes. You can also do it with other fruits. Watermelon is another one of my favorites.
Bonnie
I think OP meant seltzer water without adding the artificial sweetners.
anon99
Yes, I meant seltzer water with nothing else added.
Anon Worker Bee
I use my SodaStream almost every day and I never add the flavorings. It’s just an easy way to always have seltzer water around and you can make it more/less fizzy than store brands.
hoola hoopa
Thanks for the tip!
Scully
I thought the acid/alkaline thing was bunk and I’m extremely disappointed to see it repeated here. Why not just say go heavy on fruits, veggies, and nuts and light on meat and dairy, instead of relying on pseudoscience?
PolyD
Totally agreeing with Scully.
AnonInfinity
Yup. I almost sprained my face from rolling my eyes too hard when I read that section.
The amount of pseudoscience passed off as actual science in this area is astounding.
Carrie
+1
I’m a physician and have worked extensively with nutritionists. This post has multiple mistakes and I am really disappointed to see this here.
Concur
and since when is fruit alkaline? Pretty sure there is acid in there…
duck fat
Ugh, yes, that made me roll my eyes! Heartburn is caused by a malfunctioning value and is exacerbated by being overweight or obese. Source for that: NIH report after a quick google search. Really, research isn’t hard these days, and I expect health articles to source their claims since there’s so much craziness out there.
Also, tomatoes and citrus are highly acidic.
housecounsel
Thank you, Scully.
Wanted to add that giving up foods with added sugar has changed my life. I still eat fruit and dairy and drink red wine, so I haven’t eliminated naturally occurring sugars, but I won’t buy anything with added sugar. This change automatically eliminates most processed foods. There is sugar in so many places you wouldn’t expect, under so many names (my favorite is “organic cane syrup” which sounds so virtuous).
I still have a sweet tooth, and eat sugar-free chocolate Vita-Tops to satisfy it.
Ally
Really not a fan of this post. NO, eating healthy is not “impossible” for busy women. Or busy men. Or busy anbody. It just takes a little bit of effort to eat well. Why, when there are diet/nutrition suggestions for women, do they need to be couched in terms of being “sexy”? I drink water because my body needs water to function, not because I’m trying to “make it sexy.” Maybe you meant “make it interesting”… no clue why you had to sexualize it. The acid-alkaline tip screams of Dr. Ozian pseudoscience, and links to a book that makes claims with no scientific backing and suggests that particular foods will cure nearly any ailment. Foods in boxes, bags and wrappers are bad? OK, that’s very helpful, and exactly how are YOUR nuts and baby carrots packaged? And those alkaline grains you tout? Guess you just pluck those out of the ground yourself, huh? How about next time when Corporette wants to feature a diet/nutrition post, we actually post helpful tips backed by science that readers can actually apply.
anonymouse
I don’t know much about it myself, but this journal article talks about the benefits from an alkaline diet…
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3195546/
Alkaline Diet Not Supported By Science
Yeah, but if you read the abstract, it says “Many books written in the lay literature on the alkaline diet were also reviewed and evaluated in light of the published medical literature.” The lay literature is not science. Later on the article says “Much has been written in the lay literature as well as many online sites expounding on the benefits of the alkaline diet. This paper is an attempt to balance the evidence that is found in the scientific literature.” There is no need to “balance” lay literature against science. The alkaline diet is bunk. Other blatantly unscientific diety-type posts have appeared here before so I’m not surprised.
Lynnet
Do you have anything to support your statement “The alkaline diet is bunk.” This is the first I’ve ever heard of the alkaline diet, but after my first experience with acid reflux a few months ago, it doesn’t sound unreasonable to try to eat fewer acidic foods, which would presumably mean eating more alkaline foods.
Em
Personally I’m rolling my eyes at the idea that “fruits and vegetables” are universally “alkaline.” Aren’t tomatoes one of the first thing they tell people with acid reflux to try avoiding?
alkaline
Open any anatomy and physiology textbook and look up acid-base homeostasis, or ask anyone with basic training in that subject, how to balance the body’s pH. The answer will not be to eat different foods.
By the way, I am making my blood more alkaline right now… by hyperventilating!
Eat more alkaline foods if those are foods you like to eat. Don’t eat them thinking you will be able to change the alkalinity of your body.
Mpls
Also that pesky thing called citric ACID found in citrus fruit. Its a pretty weak acid, as that goes, but so is the alkalinity/ basicity of anything you eat.
Aerith
Sexy in this case refers to making the idea of drinking water appealing, not making yourself look sexy.
Anon Worker Bee
I also read it as making it more appealing, but the wording still rubs me the wrong way. I feel similarly about f o o d p o r n so maybe I’m just a prude :)
Anon
I don’t generally enjoy/watch South Park, but the food p o r n episode is hysterical.
hoola hoopa
I didn’t like the s*xy or style adjective either. What’s wrong with “flavorful’?
Alkaline Diet Not Supported By Science
Also not a fan.
Wildkitten
This blog is for people who identify as women, is probably why the post specifies women. But I agree on your packaging comment- when I get baby carrots/nuts/quinoa they come in bags or boxes.
anon
I’m not a huge fan of this post either, especially that second “tip” on acid/alkalai. Dairy is alkalai, plenty of fruits and veggies are really high in acid. I’m not sure this post really adds anything of substance to the idea of taking care of ourselves either – when it’s not spouting fake science, it’s repeating stuff we hear all the time (drink more water, eat less packaged food), without providing much in terms of how to do that. How about talking about packing a healthy lunch that you don’t need to refrigerate or reheat? Or what kinds of foods with longer shelf lives are better choices for the office? Or, even, how to just incorporate a little more movement into a busy workday.
Red Beagle
+1. Also, the poster implies that having a gluten sensitivity is a given, which as I understand it is not statistically the case for our population but in many cases a bandwagon to be jumped on until the next overpriced food craze. I sympathize if it is a diagnosed condition that causes distress and needs medical management, but touting “gluten free” to the general population and then selling such products at 2, 3, 4 times the price of regular is not cool.
Cimorene
+1,000
Spirograph
Is your handle in honor of the princess from the Dealing With Dragons series? If so…. <3
LooHoo
I had the exact same thought about “how are your nuts and carrots packaged?” *rolls eyes*
stc
I’ve been bringing a large mason jar of ginger peach tea to work lately and having it over nice throughout the day. It’s been kind of a lovely way to get more fluids in and it doesn’t need any sweetener.
Ellen
Yay! I love healthy p’ost’s and this is a great one. I like the idea of drinkeing alot more water, and this idea that the OP talk’s about — ginger peach tea — sound’s YUMMY!!! I have started eateing alot better since CRUMBS crumbeled — FOOEY b/c cupcake’s can be healthey, and now my tuchus is getting under control! Also the walkeing realy helps.
The hive should be interested to learn that Mason will also be eateing healthy starteing today. I warned him about eateing junk food as well as NOT to have sex in the office. Even tho he is execercizeing with Lynn, he is already getting to wide and he is less then 30 year’s old! Imagene when he is my age. No woman will want to sleep with a guy who is a FOOEY. The manageing partner’s brother stopped in today and both he and the manageing partner are talkeing and stareing at me today. I wonder if it is b/c my tan/sunburn is peeleing off? I think they are talkeing about me now! DOUBEL FOOEY! Mabye Margie could find a freind of hers who could keep the manageing partner’s brother busy. He keep’s on comeing up to me and is starteing to nuzzel like Mason and Lynn. He can forget it if he think’s that that’s where we are goeing! TRIPEL FOOEY!
Aerith
Nice advice, though I do disagree that you have to get creative with grains to avoid gluten. You only need to do that if you have celiac disease or some other intolerance.
I think a lot of people may not know this, but regular rolled oats have the same nutritional properties as steel-cut oats and take a fraction of the time to cook. It’s the same oat, just pressed thin by a roller – nothing is taken out. I don’t have time to make steel-cut oats and I know overnight oats are popular, but I also don’t want to have to decide on what I feel like for breakfast a day ahead of time.
Baconpancakes
Yeeahhhh, kinda. Steel-cut oats take longer for your body to digest, so you extract more nutrition and gain more benefits from the fiber. There’s nothing “taken out” of rolled oats except the physical bonds that keep the oats stiff – in the same way that microwaving a carrot won’t take any nutrition out of it, but it does make it less nutritious for your body than a raw carrot.
Aerith
That’s a good point, I looked it up and steel cut oats are lower on the Glycemic Index. 40 vs 50.
Jen
I’d really like to know how many people out there who read posts about health are *actually* still drinking a ton of full-sugar soda. I just don’t think this happens anymore, and certainly not among the crowd reading this blog. I’d really like to stop seeing the advice that people should replace sugary sodas with water, because, again, I really doubt there are tons of people who are trying to lose weight consciously who are not already drinking diet soda and/or a ton of water. This post seems to be really dumbed down and misdirected to me.
Anon
It’s kind of like the articles about saving money that start out with “cut out your daily $4-5 fancy coffee beverage”. Most people reading those types of articles don’t have that type of cash to begin with.
HM
Agreed about the full-sugar soda. I will say that I recently cut waaaay back on my diet soda addiction (in law school and early practice, I was drinking 12+ servings of diet dr pepper a day). I am now down to 2 diet dr peppers a day, and drink crystal light/sun tea/etc. instead (I can’t stand drinking plain ol’ water). Wow, have I noticed a difference in my skin, my sleeping habits, and my energy level. I am also prone to hypertension, and I believe cutting back on the caffeine has significantly helped. So, while the advice is a little off base, I do think cutting back on any type of soda is helpful.
Jen
Good for you! Cutting out the caffeine, the carbonation, and the acids in even diet sodas is really helpful.
Cat
Agree. It’s the lowest hanging fruit possible for cutting calories. Tips I’d really like to see – (1) how to avoid eating a snack when arriving home at 7pm when you’re hungry and cranky and dinner won’t be for another 45 minutes, (2) how to change your mindset so you think exercising is fun when you naturally hate it and would rather be curled up with a book (and classes/friend meet-ups don’t work during the week because you never know when you’ll be getting home), and (3) tips to avoid overeating healthy, but still calorie laden, foods like cheese, nuts, avocado, etc. (substitutes? Recipes where a little of it goes a long way?)
JJ
I agree so much with your third point. We eat very “healthy” in that I cook our meals from scratch, from organic, local ingredients and veggies and we don’t eat “processed” foods. But because we eat tastes so good, it’s hard to only eat a little bit of it.
AIMS
Yeah. That’s why I don’t usually find these kinds of articles too helpful. I don’t drink soda, I eat breakfast (and eggs) religiously, I make my own salad dressing 99% of the time, and the most processed food I eat is good cheese… but I eat soooooo much cheese and, in fairness, “eat less delicious cheese” is not a recommendation I want to read about either.
Saguaro
+1 These are the tips I need.
nutella
This isn’t perfect advice, but it’s what works for me, so I thought I’d offer it as a suggestion to your questions, Cat.
(1) I eat a snack that I bring with me to work at 4. I cannot overeat because I bring it with me from home and once I eat it it’s gone. Examples include: string cheese, apple, handful of nuts in a ziploc, clementine, etc.I don’t need a mid-morning snack as I can hold out from 8 – lunchtime, but from lunchtime until 8pm/whenever dinner is is rough for me with no snack, so I eat at 4. That and plenty of water in the afternoon helps me until dinnertime.
(2) I know many here like to work out in the mornings. I don’t. I do it the second I get home – as in, I change from my work clothes right into my workout clothes. I also do high intensity interval training, meaning it’s 25-30 minutes of intense exercise, I can do it at home and whenever I get home, and somehow it staves off hunger for another hour while I exercise and then prepare dinner. Some days I have so little energy to do it, but it’s the length of a sitcom, and I always feel better afterwards, so I just get it done so that I can do all the other evening activities — mainly I don’t eat until I’ve worked out. I will also say, with HIIT I hate it WHILE I’m doing it but love it immediately when I finish and see results quickly, so that’s motivating.
(3) I don’t eat diet foods and I don’t “diet.” I think avocados, cheese, nuts, etc. should never be skimped if you want them. But to avoid eating anything (healthy or not) to the point that my tummy hurts, put less on your plate. Statistically, if it goes on your plate, it will go in your belly. Put some nuts in a small bowl, put the packaging away (where it came from, out of sight), and eat what’s in your bowl. I almost never go back for more if I’ve put everything away. Having the wheel of brie in front of me with the crackers, however, I can easily go to town! :)
Cat
thanks nutella :)
nutella
Sure! I will say that law school (lazy + too busy to go grocery shopping on a regular basis) taught me to ration food very well! Knowing that I had to stretch out what I had until whatever day I could go grocery shopping again helps to put you into the mindset to savor what you have/not overindulge … otherwise you won’t have enough for dinner tomorrow!
Anastasia
Funny, I just read an article in Self magazine today about HIIT having an appetite suppressing effect. Apparently the more intense the intervals, the stronger the effect… I’m always starving when I come home from my HIIT class, though. I guess I need to work harder!
Anyway, +1 for an afternoon snack at work to avoid eating ALL THE THINGS as soon as I get home. I make a point to pack healthy, properly-portioned food for the work day. After eating only “good” food for the first 12 hours of my day, I enjoy whatever I want for dinner with no guilt.
Gem
I’d eat the snack but plan it in. However my body was happiest when I was eating 7 meals a day (small ones). YMMV
hoola hoopa
Totally agree that these are the applicable questions to my life. I laughed out laud at (1), so true.
How many well-educated, successful women don’t know that healthy eating includes drinking water, eating fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and avoiding prepared meals? It’s applying them to situations such as Cat suggested situations above that matter.
I like the tips on flavoring water and the oatmeal recipe link, but the rest was not particularly informative or applicable.
duck fat
What works for me in terms of avoiding snacks is making sure I eat a super filling lunch that won’t spike my blood sugar (so mostly protein and veggies with a little extra fat to make it more filling, yes, extra fat). Then, if I really need a snack, I have tea instead. But that’s in a ideal world where I’m not crazy stressed out, because when I am crazy stressed out it’s hard not to go out of my way to buy a bag of the potato chips that I normally don’t keep I’m the house because I’ll eat them all.
When I’m just normal stressed out, mindfulness and meditation help!
Anonymous
Diet soda is hardly healthy. It always amazes me that people think that’s a perfectly legitimate, healthy beverage.
Jen
I totally agree–my point, though, was that the post writer trumped up the same advice about full-sugar soda (or juice, or whatever) that everyone who has been paying mild attention has known for 15-20 years, so it’s really not helpful at this point. Obviously water is the best choice and diet soda is not a healthy option. But people already know this and no one reading this blog who is trying to lose weight is drinking 10 regular Pepsis a day.
Anonymous
Fair enough, and I absolutely agree that the “tips” don’t add much to the conversation for anyone who has basic internet access or has ever sat in a waiting room surrounded by Prevention magazines.
tesyaa
Or for anyone whose mother sends a free subscription to Prevention magazine every single year.
Nellie
Alcohol is the new full-sugar soda. I roll my eyes at being advised to skip the sugary soda—of course I know about those excess calories—but somehow I can still be in denial about the calories in my wine & c*cktails!
Kathryn
Yes– what a great analogy. Wine is literally the ONE thing that I consume consistently that I know isn’t healthy. Why does it have to be so good?!
housecounsel
Yeah, red wine. But sipping a glass of it at night while I watch a House of Cards episode means I am not eating a pint of Ben & Jerry’s while I watch a House of Cards episode.
We can’t be perfect, and we all choose our vices. I gave up sugar, but giving up caffeine or the occasional Diet Coke would send me over the edge.
Sydney Bristow
I drink a fair amount of real sugary soda. It’s a horrible habit and one that has definitely stalked my weight loss. I’d guess there are more soda drinkers out there than you realize.
PinkKeyboard
I’m with you. I desperately want to quit but I love my Dr Pepper sooo much. I believe i’m at 4 new years resolutions running now…
Trisha
Yeah, and yet, people are snotty about it, as though professional women have no vices.
Acid Base Homeostasis is Necessary for Life
What galls me the most about the alkaline diet nonsense is that it so brilliantly exposes how little the diet’s promoters know about the human body, yet so many uninformed people choose to believe this over science that actually explains how the body works. Acid-base homeostasis in the body is very tightly regulated and very very well understood by science. If the balance goes off, it is because something is seriously wrong and you are seriously ill, or possibly because you are dead. It is not affected by food you eat.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acid%E2%80%93base_homeostasis
Spirograph
lol “or possibly because you are dead.” I think acid-base homeostasis refers to your blood, though, which of course has a very finely balanced pH. I remember being fascinated by the regulating mechanisms when I learned about it in chemistry classes…
This is the first I’ve heard about the alkaline diet, but I suspect its health benefits have more to do with the fact that all those foods are nutrient-rich than the fact that they’re alkaline. Bringing up pH sounds like jazz hands to impress people who are easily impressed by “SCIENCE!” to me. Like the blood type diet. *eyeroll*
That said, the advice is good, whether or not the reason behind it makes any sense.
Spirograph
hm, no editing today? Anyway, I meant to say that regulating the pH of your food makes sense if you have some digestive issues, even though it doesn’t really affect your overall body pH.
Anon Worker Bee
I was able to edit a comment on the morning’s TPS report but noticed with this post that editing went away…
Liz
The greatest eye roll advertising moment I have ever seen was on the back of a bottle of conditioner, talking about how its “naturally low pH” would help your hair. Wash my hair in acid? Sounds awesome!
Naomi
Actually, human hair and scalp oil has a natural pH of 4.5-5.5. Using hair products that are too alkaline can mess up your hair.
Liz
Hello! pH is defined as hydrogen ion concentration in aqueous solution. Your hair and scalp, and accompying oil, are not aqueous solutions, and as such have no pH. Unfortunately, this is a clever marketing line that sells things like shampoo. However, I agree that I probably would not wash my hair in a solution of baking soda or of Tums (common basic substances) – on the other hand, I wouldn’t wash my hair in lemon juice (acid), either.
Katherine K
Yes yes yes X 1000. Research based evidence is tragically rare when it comes to people who are “nutrition coaches.” (Not a personal attack on the author, but I’ve yet to come across anybody in the nutritional science field who espouses these kind of fad claims.) You might be interested in the book “Do You Believe In Magic?: The Sense and Nonsense of Alternative Medicine” by Paul Offit MD. It focuses more on the supplement industry, but I think fad nutritional nonsense like this falls into the same category … telling people to just “eat more fruits and veggies” just doesn’t sound as “sexy” … and sells far fewer books!
housecounsel
I am DEFINITELY going to read that book. Thank you. If we’re on the topic of book recommendations, I must chime in with “Salt, Sugar, Fat” by Michael Moss. It’s a tremendously well-researched book of how processed foods are engineered to make us eat more, more, more.
LilyStudent
I find that adding protein to my breakfast helps me eat better all day. Today I had scrambled eggs and baked beans, but more usually I might have my normal instant porridge and add a boiled egg. Only about 80 calories in the egg, but I more than save that in snacks later
Sue
+1 on the egg, makes me feel full for longer during the day
tesyaa
I wish I liked eggs because I find protein really keeps me from snacking too. I make eggs for my son all the time, but I didn’t grow up eating them and I can’t get myself to like them now. (Though I do eat egg salad occasionally, but I think it’s the mayonnaise that I eat it for).
hoola hoopa
Ditto. Plain yogurt works well for me.
HM
I find the protein preparation/cooking is the biggest obstacle to eating healthy. I am happy to throw together a side salad, or roast some veggies in the oven, but the thought of cooking meat is somewhat exhausting and makes me think I need lots of time. I loved the idea of the crockpot, but always felt I ended up with mush when I tried any recipe. So, I switched to just cooking meat in it, and wow, is that an improvement.
Favorites include:
Pork tenderloin (cooked in red wine, water, soy sauce and a packet of onion soup mix)
Pork butt (cooked with chicken stock, then shredded and added BBQ sauce)
Chicken breasts (again, cooked with chicken stock and shredded)
“Tex-Mex meat” (whatever protein I have handy, with a jar of salsa, made into tacos)
Having the “entree” practically finished when I get home has been the key for our family.
AIMS
Is having a non-meat entrée not an option for you?
Also, sautéing some chicken breasts in a pan while your veggies roast take no time at all. Or if you like throwing things in the oven, you can throw in a couple of pieces of salmon – it will cook in 10-15 min.
Another thing I do when I am short on time is I buy a rotisserie chicken and shred that into a big salad and eat that as a main.
HM
Non-meat entree is an option for me, but not my husband :-P
We do oven roast fish on occasion, and I am definitely trying to increase the frequency.
just Karen
The pork tenderloin crockpot idea sounds genius! I’m guessing you throw in a little of this and that and don’t measure, but any rough ratios of red wine/water/soy sauce (or idea of total liquid that should be in there) for those of us trying to copy?
HM
“sauce” is as follows:
1 cup red win
3/4 cup water
Soy sauce to taste (3-5 “glugs”)
1 packet onion soup mix
Minced garlic to taste (I just spread it across the top)
JJ
If you’re not averse to cooking things in the oven, heat your oven to 400 degrees, just put an oven-proof saute pan on high heat, put a small amount of oil in it, and once it’s hot, put two chicken breasts that just have salt and pepper on them in the pan. Wait a few minutes and flip the chicken (until you get a good browning), then throw the pan in the oven for roughly 15 minutes. Easiest and incredibly tasty way to cook chicken breasts, and then they’re ready for whatever you want to do with them: chop up in pasta, mix with rice, top a pizza, put a sauce on them, etc.
Lily-Student
Risotto! This is my go-to evening meal – it’s great for if you have various kitchen jobs to do because you can occasionally stir it and check progress while ironing/ helping with homework/ going through your home to-do list.
don't drink so much
Please remember that drinking 8 glasses of water a day doesn’t really stem from any hard science. There really doesn’t seem to be any hard science in either direction, we’ve always gone with the 8/day construct because it’s been drilled down and easy to remember. Conversely, you can use the calculation that you should drink as many ounces as half your body weight. This is less than 8-8oz glasses, if you’re less than 130#.
Remember also, though, this consumption should include ALL forms of liquid. There is so much water in the foods we eat, and the other things we drink, that we should not discount them as not factoring into our overall hydration. Do you eat a lot of fruits & veggies? They’re loaded with water, some more than others, obviously.
I have always stuck with the idea of drinking/hydrating until my p e e is light-colored. If it’s dark, I should drink some more. If I haven’t gone to the restroom all day, I should probably drink something. If it’s light, I’m doing ok. Your own metabolic needs will help you to decide what is right for you.
Lady Tetra
I’m glad someone mentioned this. There’s no science behind the 8 glasses rule, besides the general idea that more hydrated is better than less. Also, my dentist told me that drinking constantly throughout the day, even if there’s no sugar in your beverages, can harm your teeth in the long term. If you’re thirsty, have a glass of water, but you don’t need to be drinking liters of it all day long.
Clearly Anon for this
I’ll speak up on behalf of water and say that when I drink 60 oz+ in a day, it makes a marked improvement in my bowel movements. TMI? Probably, but if you’re constipated, try upping your water intake.
hoola hoopa
While I fully agree with 8 glasses as a hard rule is myth, I want to wholeheartedly second this. It’s a link that I think a lot of people don’t know. And, probably applicable to fewer people, my husband found a strong link between his heart palpitations and dehydration.
McGiggles
This is interesting, I’ve honestly never thought too much about it. I probably drink too much water based on this, I need to think about this.
Lily-Student
I think I’ve been drinking too much water for too long then, because whenever I forget to drink as much water as I usually do I end up feeling thirsty and losing concentration (though ofc that could be psychosomatic)
Red Beagle
Thank you! And there certainly is such as thing as over-hydrating!
Anonymous
Am I the only one who cannot do the massive jug of tepid water to last all (or even half) the day? Water without ice does nothing for me in terms of making me feel hydrated, so I end up going to the kitchen pretty frequently for a fresh cup of ice.
AEK
I’m the exact opposite. Room-temperature water, or cool-but-not-cold, is I’ll drink. Never ice. I always go our water cooler early in the morning so my water can warm up by the time I want some.
AIMS
Do you have a hot water setting? I am the same way with my water preferences and I do 5/6 cold water and 1/6 hot. It’s perfectly drinkable every time.
JJ
I must have ice in my water. I can’t do tepid water. But ice water? I can (and do) drink that all day.
Lily-Student
Could you try getting some of those reusable ice cubes and keeping them in an insulated case with some more ice blocks in so you don’t have to get up so many times, if it annoys you?
Anonymous
Oh, I don’t mind getting up. It’s only a 30 second walk to the kitchen, and it’s nice to get up and move for a bit. I usually time it with bathroom breaks and heating up my lunch. I more just meant that I can’t get into the idea of having an entire day’s worth of warm water sitting at my desk, because I won’t feel like I’ve had anything to drink–to me, drinking warm water feels no different than if I just took a breath of room temperature air. Ice water, on the other hand, is so refreshing and easily my #1 favorite drink (sorry, wine, I love you too!). Chalk it up to being a runner in a hot and humid climate, I guess.
McGiggles
This post is meh. Like all info is Duh.
Cream Tea
Am I the only one continually annoyed by the ubiquitous “eat healthy” slogan? Would it kill people to include the extra two letters for grammatical correctness?
Red Beagle
Yes, it makes me try to picture what a healthy would look like. Similar to the “alot” reference someone posted the other day (a slothy puglike creature). A healthy sounds like a rodent to me.
Chris
I thought I’d share what’s been working for me for the last six months or so. I’m single, so this works really well for me. I was inspired by the Well Fed Paleo cookbook, but I use the microwave instead of the stovetop method.
Each weekend, I spend 1-2 hours prepping veggies and precooking protein. I use my food processor to slice onions, green peppers, and purple cabbage and to grind up cauliflower and carrots. Everything goes into separate containers in the fridge, where they will last for about a week. (No time? You can find most of these items chopped/shredded in bags at the grocery store – shredded cabbage, broccoli slaw, diced onions, cauliflower florets, etc.)
I also brown a few pounds of hamburger, but you could also cook pork or chicken in the crockpot, as HM previously posted. I divide this up into small containers that contain 3-4 meals worth of protein and put them in the freezer, and pull them out as needed.
At mealtime. I toss a handful of veggies into a big bowl and microwave it for two and a half minutes. While it’s cooking, I grab a bag of greens (I rotate between spinach, kale, and arugula) and chop it up. I take the bowl out of the microwave, add the greens, some salt and pepper, 2-3 ounces of precooked protein, and I like to add about 1/4 cup of canned, rinsed beans. I personally don’t do grains, but you could certainly precook rice or quinoa and add it if you’d like.
Then comes the fun part. I make sure I have a variety of sauces on hand – think marinara, Thai curry, salsa, etc., and try to keep them low in sugar and bad fats. If I’m feeling like Italian, I add some marinara sauce and some Italian herbs. If I’m feeling like Mexican, I add some salsa, then top it off later with a little guac. You get the idea.
Once I’ve added the greens, protein, and sauce, I put it back in the microwave for another two minutes or so. That’s it.
You could probably do this with just a bag of frozen veggies and your precooked protein and sauce, but I prefer the fresh veggies. And it works great for taking lunch to work with you – put veggies in one container, protein/greens/sauce in another container, and just throw them in the microwave at work. It really is simple, tastes great, and 1) keeps me from having to figure out what’s for lunch or dinner, and 2) keeps me from ordering out.
Bryce Rae
Yes, thinking of drinking so many glasses of water can is difficult and seem like a huge task. The bottle is a good idea.I like the suggested lemon. It’s great that you have mentioned to indulge. You have to have some fun !!