Finding a New Primary Care Doctor

A Big Thanks To Leslie at Wellparents.com for this great advice Thanks to Leslie at Read more

The Rollercoaster of Life

Grandma: "I always wanted to go again. You know, it was just so interesting that a ride could make me so frightened, so scared, so sick, so excited, and so thrilled all together! Some didn't like Read more

Sheltering at Home/Covid 19

Never in the last two decades of my career as a physician would I have imagined that we would be using the same mask to see patients all day and then sterilizing/recycling them at the end of the day. Read more

Turmeric Health Benefits

Have you ever wondered what the paste is applied to the bride and groom's faces and arms in Indian weddings?  It's actually the spice turmeric.  Turmeric is the ingredient in curry that gives it a vibrant yellow color.  Actually, Read more

COVID 19 Precautions

With the scare of COVID here in the USA now, I wanted to post a little info about boosting immunity to prevent contracting the virus. Here are some important facts about Covid-19 It is spread by contact with Read more

Natural Tips for Avoiding Colds

This cold and flu season is still upon us and unfortunately, many patients are still being plagued by these nasty viral symptoms.  Here are a few tips to try if you feel like you are coming down with something. Of Read more

Sherry's Story

Sherry has a great story.  She has been diabetic for years and she has made some massive changes!   "I have been on a lifestyle change. It has been a year following a ketogenic food plan.  When I started this journey Read more

Pharmacy to Farmacy

Many of you may know Erin-- the fabulous Pharm D that worked in our office a few years back.  Erin is a phenomenal gal and we embarked on the journey  into natural medicine around the same time.  As we both Read more

exercise

Dee’s Race! On Your Mark!

I’m sharing Dee’s latest post.  She is building a tribe to help with accountability which is so great!.  Look forward to more posts coming once school starts.  I have great posts coming on water enhancers, sustainable farming, and autoimmune disease.

On Your Mark, Get Set

See, even in a race you get to mentally prepare for the sound of the starting gun. As much as I love food, and I mean really love food, I can’t believe how exciting it is to think about not eating food tomorrow. Of course I’ll eat, but smart choices make me feel so much better.I’ve recruited some friends to join the challenge to lose 10 pounds in August. Even though we all know a lot about what to do to be healthy and fit, there is an extra difficulty in trying to achieve this goal alone. Accountability to one another will be the key to success this month. Just get your head in the game and realize that you have a bunch of other folks going through the same exact steps. Most importantly, make sure you realize that this is ultimately about a lot more than extra weight. Getting to a healthy weight is REALLY about better health. So many illnesses can be stopped, stalled and even reversed through diet alone. Hippocrates:  “Let food be thy medicine…”The first few days are the hardest because your body will go through some change. Don’t let your brain trick you into thinking that you’ll die of starvation if you don’t eat more at night. You won’t. Get to your magic number of calories needed and then stop eating. Period.You will wake up feeling better and by the third day you will notice your tastes changing, leaning toward healthier food.

Visit Dee’s site at http://www.gettingthebestoffood.com

Posted on by Angela in Body, Exercise, Nutrition, Weight Loss Leave a comment

Wellness Clinic Props!!!

A big shout out to Donna and Steve for sharing their testimonials!!!  A huge shout out to Kathy Taylor who makes a great cheerleader and advocate to changing lifestyles!

Here is this weeks article in the IU Health Matters

 

 

Wellness clinic leads patients to healthier habits

“I’ve learned a different way of eating, and I’m enjoying more fresh fruits and vegetables,” says Donna Tipton, a patient who participates in the free wellness clinic offered by IU Health Physicians Internal Medicine at Indiana University Health West Hospital. Tipton continues,
“I feel so much better; I’ve lost inches and I’m slowly losing weight.”

The brainchild of Angela Henriksen, MD, the clinic came about because Henriksen found herself advising “diet and exercise” to her patients
year after year during their annual exams—and not seeing any positive results. “I know
how hard it is to change yourself, and

the trouble that I have doing it,” Henriksen says. She wanted a way to help patients take responsibility for their own health. A year ago, she established a program whereby all of the practices’ patients who are interested can first see their respective physicians and then meet with medical assistant Kathy Taylor on a regular basis for wellness consultation.

Today, 70 patients participate in the popular program, talking with Taylor for 15 minutes to an hour once or twice a month during office hours. Many of the patients report that
they like the accountability and encouragement the wellness clinic offers, and have gained healthier habits—resulting in being able to eliminate their diabetes medicine or losing weight. “It’s not a diet, it’s a lifestyle change,” says Tipton. “It’s about learning what your body needs and feeding it what it needs.”

The wellness and lifestyle modification tips offered not only help prevent disease, according to Henriksen, but also provide cost savings in the long run by aiding with compliance issues. Taylor uses the visits to check patients’ medications, food logs and more. She also offers ideas about local resources, such as fresh fruit and vegetable delivery services.

As for the future? Henriksen shares that she would like to like to incorporate more exercise, such as yoga, into the evolving program. It’s all part of her personal wellness concept: “The best way to change the world is to change ourselves.”

For more information, contact the office of Angela Henriksen, MD, at 317.217.2600. IU Health also offers free personal health coaching to all team members. Health coaches can help you identify ways to improve your health and/or manage your health challenges. Call 317.963.WELL.

 wellness pic
Posted on by Angela in Body, Diet, Exercise, Nutrition, Weight Loss, Whole Food Leave a comment

The Domino Effect

You all remember our dear real, honest, dedicated friend, Dee who has shared her weight loss/health struggles with us over the past few years.  She has done amazing and lost quite a bit of weight by making simple lifestyle changes.  Unfortunately, (like me and I am guessing everyone) life gets in the way of prioritizing our own bodies and health and we fall off the wagon.  Dee and I had an unusual circle of events this last week.  I sincerely believe they were signs from the Universe telling us not to lose site of the mission at hand.  Yesterday, Dee’s blog post read as follows——-
dominos
 
THE DOMINO EFFECT:
 
Today started with a call from my sister on my way to work. I should preface this story to say that I’ve felt isolated in my attempts to take care of my health and isolation equals failure to eat well and exercise. So at 8:20 am my little sister mentioned that her friend commented on this blog, something about someone being helped with the right message at the right time. Before looking into the message, I received another little jolt of encouragement from my friend who is also my dentist. She is a beautiful woman (inside and out) who is determined to get the best of her health through exercise. I know she has adapted a routine of walking regularly and has been successful at weight loss (congratulations Dr. M!) Before I left her office today, she instructed me to walk for 30 minutes when I get home. I like a challenge so I halfheartedly mumbled “OK”. Then when I was half out the door but still close enough to hear she said, “if you don’t you have to do double tomorrow.” And — because I had no other choice — I replied “deal!”Here’s the fun of that story. I did come home and walk two miles. Without her direction to do so, there was a zero percent chance that I would have exercised. I invited my husband to walk also, and he did. He commented that he has been wanting and needing to get back into the routine of exercising and this was just the push he had been hoping for. So some stranger in Indianapolis, who encouraged my friend Angela to remind me to keep going prompted a discussion with my dentist who challenged me to exercise which involved my husband who in turn prompted me to continue to walk the next day. What a great chain reaction. You never know who you might help or impact. Sometimes the right people are in the right place at the right time saying the right things.

Visit her site at http://www.gettingthebestoffood—she may be “still a small voice”–but, a powerful one indeed!

Thanks Dee for sharing

 
Posted on by Angela in Diet, Exercise, Nutrition, Weight Loss, Whole Food Leave a comment

The Perfect Storm

Thanks to Dr. Chris Nagy—-Please read his great article and feel free to share—
“Good health. Will America ever see or experience it again? No — not if we continue on our current path.The perfect storm of failing health and a failing health care system is upon us. We’re on a crash course with the collapse of optimal health in this country. The solution to reversing course doesn’t lie with the medical profession, medical system or some outside entity.

It lies with each of us. All Americans must do what is necessary to protect their families and themselves. There is no other option.

Here’s why. We’ve been addressing the urgent in our lives versus the important, often ignoring our own health in the process.

We’ve delegated the role of educating and caring for ourselves to those who “know better.” We no longer trust our intuitive intelligence about what is necessary to sustain optimal health.

That’s a growing concern because powerful forces are present that make and keep us patients and contribute to illness.

These forces act to limit the available facts necessary to travel the path to health.

When raw milk produced under sanitary conditions is illegal while thousands of chemicals, dyes and poisons are allowed into the food supply daily, there is a problem.

Next, consider this. The body of scientific research clearly demonstrates the path to health — yet, the conclusions are frequently skewed by opinion, financial motives and government regulation.

Publication bias demonstrates that research studies with positive findings are published while studies with negative findings are hidden from public view.

Evidenced-based medicine sounds good in principle, but when the evidence is often flawed or skewed by statistical manipulation, there is little benefit to the findings.

Bottom line: Our current research system is not always set up to find the absolute truth, but often to demonstrate a positive result supporting the use of a drug.

Our medical system is not designed to prevent disease. The current system is primarily based on managing and treating disease, not necessarily preventing or curing it.

We have worshiped at the altar of medicine for too long and need to question its fallibility if we are to improve the system.

The cure for many modern diseases is possible, but the current state of medicine is not structured to support it. We focus too much management, as if cure is not possible.

Physicians are often reticent to admit or even consider the possibility that there is something beyond what the medical profession teaches.

Asking the current medical system to cure disease is similar to asking the government for advice on the best way to save money and reduce waste.

When a system encourages the consumption of medication, but doesn’t encourage the consumption of vital and necessary nutrients, there is work to be done.

We need a marriage of science, medicine and facts to guide us in the right direction.

You cannot medicate your way to health.

Promoting health while ignoring prevention is no different from rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

Soon, we all will have access to care—but if it is poor care, are we any better off?

What you need to know. Good health occurs by addressing the following five areas.

• Proper nutrition

• Activity/exercise

• Youthful hormone balance

• Nutrient optimization

• Stress levels

Each of these areas must be optimized to support and improve health. There are many key considerations when addressing these powerhouse five areas.

Each serves as a starting point for maximized health.

We are digging our graves with our teeth. The root cause of modern disease is based on the foods we eat. Our food supply is adulterated on so many levels that many of us go through the day consuming edible food-like substances rather than any real food.

Unless we understand the value of eating real food, improvement will be limited. Superior health starts with the proper nutrition.

Patients are frequently told that diet plays a minor role in disease, its improvement or progression.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

You cannot fully heal a part of the body without healing the whole body—and diet is a major part of that.

Nourish health and disease will disappear as a side effect.

When asked if it bothers me that I don’t eat like everybody else, my response is, “Not when I see how poorly everybody else is doing.” It’s time to grow up nutritionally.

The path to health has been hidden for many reasons. It is incumbent upon us to uncover the path and do what is necessary to reclaim our right to optimal health.

It’s not difficult. It’s merely a change of mindset. Change your mind and the body will follow. It all starts with the brain.

There are numerous resources available for those interested in creating an abundant, healthy life.

Dig deeper, uncover the truth, find a trusted confidante and share the journey. Health multiplies everything, better relationships, more confidence and more peace.

Continuing to rely on and follow the many established consensus thoughts and opinions on health will lead to more of the same.

Trust the innate wisdom of our grandparents and ancestors prior to the introduction of modern, industrialized food. You’ll live a better, healthier life, not one subject to modern disease, many of which are becoming more prevalent in our society.

The health care change you need . . . starts with you.”

Chris K. Nagy is the Chief Medical Officer of Cenegenics Carolinas in Charlotte

 

Posted on by Angela in Mind, Spirit, Uncategorized Leave a comment

Go Dee –You’re a Rock Star!

Thanks for the update Dee—we love you!
s-BIGGEST-LOSER-PAM-130114-large
Continuing on from yesterday’s post, I’m finding it very helpful to keep things in perspective. I weigh 180.5 pounds today which is far from really being thin. But I feel kind of thin. 200 pounds is a not-so-distant past and I still remember very well what my clothes felt like a few weeks ago. So even though I have a lot of work ahead of me, I actually feel (relatively!) thin. The back zipper on my skirt keeps shifting around to the side because the skirt is loose. Alright, it’s still a size 16 skirt, but did you hear the part about it being LOOSE? Hallelujah!This photo is not me, but it shows you what I mean by allowing yourself to celebrate the victories on the way to the goal. I love watching The Biggest Loser because so many people can relate to the struggles and emotions these people feel. And when you see an overweight person who is brave enough to stand up on television and dance in a sports bra at 199 pounds — because they used to weigh 260 — what a perspective!

 

Posted on by Angela in Body, Diet, Exercise, Guest Blog, Nutrition, Whole Food Leave a comment

Planet Fitness Deal

Is joining a fitness club too expensive?  Check out this new offer that Planet Fitness is presenting.  Ten dollars to join and then ten dollars a month.  Here’s the perk–they are open 24 hours monday thru friday.  They also offer unlimited personal training.  There is no contract so it seems really reasonable to try it out for a month.  Kathy just joined and I am looking forward to the ab training classes they offer as my muffin top is in need of some slimming!  I would also like to be able to do a sit up as well as some of my 60-70 year old patients!

 

As the most innovative health club brand in the United States, Planet Fitness is known for a lot of things – our absurdly low prices, our Lunk™ Alarm, and most of all perhaps, for our Judgement Free Zone® philosophy, which means members can relax, get in shape, and have fun without being subjected to the hard-core, look-at-me attitude that exists in too many gyms.

Posted on by Angela in Body, Exercise, Weight Loss Leave a comment

Mediocrity

Another great post by Kevin Deeth—be sure to visit his site.

Social Acceptance of Mediocrity

I read this article the other day and thought it was just plain awesome. I wanted to share it with everyone to hopefully encourage people to exercise and stay active.

“I have a list of sayings that make my blood curdle, and “hey now, at least they’re up and moving” is close to the top of that list. We’ve all heard it before and probably have said it ourselves, but if you think about it, it’s depressing to see how that saying has become a norm nowadays.
           We now live in a society where doing the bare minimum required to keep your heart beating is supposed to earn you a pat on the back and a sugar-free cupcake (don’t worry, its only 100 calories…guilt free!). Since when did getting off the couch and moving around become an acceptable form of exercise? You may say, “Hey, at least they are moving around”, and yes, you’re right, that is the least they can do–but the problem is that they shouldn’t be stopping there.  Getting off your ass should be the thing you do when you wake up, not the physical highlight of your day.
90% of the time, I hear this saying when discussing those who walk as their main form of exercise. Sorry, but walking 15 minutes is NOT a workout; it’s a warmup for your warmup. Just for comparison, Alexander’s army marched over 5000 miles from Thessaloniki to the Indus river. That isn’t even counting the stops at tourist attractions or the journey home.
How long would this take you at 15 minutes a day?
Seriously, what happened to the grit that people used to have? My grandpa would call those people “the old breed”. When he lived in Africa, he would run 9 miles to school and 9 miles home everyday, with no shoes. See if you can get one of your fellow Americans to do something remotely intense for even 9 minutes before crapping out, but not before they congratulate themselves for at least “getting off the couch”.
Folks, you shouldn’t be fine with doing the least amount of work. Putting in the least amount of effort will get you the least amount of results. It shouldn’t be enough to simply walk around, you should be challenging your limits almost daily. I understand if you have a debilitating injury that limits your mobility, but most people don’t have debilitating injuries, they are just bloated and lazy.”
Directions on walking, in case you forgot.”
Conclusion
I really enjoyed reading this. I see this in the gym all the time. People get dressed in their “workout gear”, grab a sugar loaded gatorade, and sit on the bike and pedal at a slow to moderate pace for 15-20 minutes before calling it a day. 100 calories-burned later and mission accomplished. I get the same reaction when i talk to people about this. “well, at least they are in here trying”. I would much rather have people burn 100 calories playing with their kids or doing something active in the community then doing a moderate cardio routine like this. However, we live in a lazy society where convienience and luxury take priority over physical well being and activity. Do yourself a favor and surround you and your family with a group of people who live an active and healthy lifestyle so they hold you accountable when you say you are going for a 15 minute stationary bike ride and claim it to be a “workout”.

Thanks for reading and let me know if you have any questions.

From South Bend,
Kevin

kdeeth21@gmail.com

Posted on by Angela in Body, Diet, Exercise, Guest Blog, Nutrition Leave a comment

Healthy Spices by Kevin Deeth

Healthy Spices You Should Add To Your Diet.

A diet doesn’t have to be boring. Eating the same thing every day can get repetitive and monotonous. I get this complaint a lot from people saying they can only eat so many chicken breasts, salmon fillets  and stalks of broccoli before they need to change it up. Don’t let yourself get into a rut and add different fruits, vegetables, and meats to your diet. The second solution, and one which this article is based on, is seasoning your meat and vegetables with different spices which will give it a unique taste and provide numerous health benefits.

I cringe when I see people marinating a great piece of meat or fish in a sodium loaded sauce like barbecue  soy sauce, or steak sauce. A small amount of marinade is generally acceptable but often times people over due it by soaking their meats in all kinds of preservative/sugar-loaded sauces. Instead of ruining a great tasting piece of meat with a marinade, opt for spices instead. Spices offer a wide range of benefits that all have unique health benefits and save you from the high levels of sodium, preservatives, and sugar found in most marinades that lead to several health problems

The Recommended Daily Amount of sodium is between 1500-2000 mg. 

What to stay away from

Soy Sauce

The problem: Sodium content in  1 tbsp=1000 mg

Barbecue Sauce

The problem: While the sodium content is less, the sugar levels are still relatively high. The real problem lies in the ingredients and preservatives.  Almost all BBQ sauces list high fructose corn syrup, brown sugar, xantham gum, and artificial flavors as just some of the long list the it takes to make this stuff.

Mesquite Sauces

The problem: Most mesquite sauces are loaded with sugars and unhealthy carbohydrates to go along with the high sodium levels and artificial ingredients.

The  Spices You Should Use Instead

Black Pepper

Pepper is one of the world’s healthiest spices because it is known for its positive effect on the digestive tract. It also has antibacterial and antioxidant benefits. Pepper also provides Vitamin A, Calcium, Copper, Vitamin K, Iron, Manganese, magnesium and Potassium.

Cayenne Pepper

Cayenne pepper is derived from hot chili peppers. Cayenne pepper is great at fighting inflammation. Cayenne pepper is rich in Vitamin A, and also provides Iron, Manganese, Niacin, Niacin, Magnesium and Potassium, Riboflavin, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin K and Vitamin B6, making it one of the world’s healthiest spices.

Chili Pepper

Dried chili pepper powder adds heat and spice to chili, hot wings, and ethnic foods. Similar to cayenne pepper ground chili pepper provides anti-inflammatory benefits, as it contains capsaicin. Dried chili pepper is one of the world’s healthiest spices because it is also a good source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Potassium, Iron and dietary fiber.

Cinnamon

Ground Cinnamon is not only very low in cholesterol, and in sodium, it is low in saturated fat. Cinnamon also boosts your vitamin intake with its Vitamin C , Iron, Manganese, and Vitamin K.

Ginger,

Ginger, like most spices, is low in cholesterol, low in saturated fat, and low in sodium. Ginger is one of the world’s healthiest spices and provides Copper, Manganese, Magnesium, Potassium, and Vitamin C.  Ginger, even when used in Ginger Ale, is known for its positive effects on an upset stomach, or medically, on gastrointestinal distress. Ginger is a great way to quell motion sickness. It also has some anti-inflammatory benefits.In addition to exuding and incredible aroma when cooked, cinnamon has health-promoting properties, making it one of the world’s healthiest spices. Cinnamon promotes anti-clotting, can control blood sugar and improves digestive health.

Tumeric

Tumeric is low in cholesterol and low in sodium. The yellow tumeric also provides dietary fiber, Iron, Manganese, Magnesium, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, and Potassium. Tumeric is considered one of the world’s healthiest spices because of its anti-inflammatory qualities, it aids in digestion and it can help heal wounds.

Thyme

Thyme has a minty flavor and immune-enhancing properties. Preliminary studies show that it may increase the amount of omega-3 fatty acids present in kidney and brain cells. Like other spices, thyme is an excellent antioxidant and is rich in antibacterial and antispasmodic properties.

Conclusion

Marinating meat, fish, and poultry significantly decreases the amount of carcinogenic heterocyclic amines (HCAs) produced when the meat is cooked at high temperatures, like in grilling. Like i stated before, a moderate amount of marinade is acceptable. My suggestion is if you do decide to marinade, look at the ingredients of the marinade of choice and opt for something with natural ingredients and limited preservatives. If that isn’t an option opt for the spices listed above instead.

Thanks for reading and let me know if you have any questions.

From South Bend,
Kevin

kdeeth21@gmail.com

Posted on by Angela in Body, Diet, Nutrition, vegan, Weight Loss, Whole Food Leave a comment

“The Dark Side of Fat Loss”

Attention wellness warriors!  I want to clue you in on a fabulous offer.  Sean Croxton is a certified holistic lifestyle coach and functional diagnostic nutritionist who has a new e-book entitled “The Dark Side of Fat Loss”.  Sean’s mission is to spread the word about real food and health via his blog, book, and Underground Wellness Radio Show.  Today is the anniversary of the publication and until midnight Tonight–you can order it from his website for only $10.00.  I would highly recommend this down to earth publication as a guide to really change your lifestyle and improve your health thru nutrition and whole foods.  I’ve already ordered mine and several copies for our wellness clinic patients.  Eat your veggies!  Eat your veggies!

 

http://www.undergroundwellness.com

 

 

Posted on by Angela in Body, Diet, Exercise, Nutrition, Weight Loss, Whole Food Leave a comment

Game Day Nutrition

Coming off a great Colt’s victory in honor of coach Pagano recent diagnosis of acute promyelocytic leukemia, I thought an appropriate post to honor his fight against disease would be sports related.  Kevin Deeth shares a powerful blog this week emphasizing the importance of nutrition and the proper way to prepare for exercise.  He explains nicely how to get nutritional carbs into your diet.  Thanks Kevin and be sure to visit his site.

GAME DAY NUTRITION

The idea for this blog came about from a call I got from a professional athlete this week who told me their “nutritionist” recommended fig newtons, vanilla wafers, and carbo-loading with pasta when suggesting things for this professional team to eat. WOW!

The average American consumes 20 pounds of pasta noodles each year — and most of it is the refined white stuff.

Most athlete’s  eat close to 10 times this much with their generic “pre-game” and “post-game” pasta dishes that have become common place in many athletic diets. In my experience in collegiate and professional hockey, we were served processed-white noodles 5 times during a weekend series! (Thursday night, Friday pre-game meal, Friday post-game meal, Saturday pre-game meal, and Saturday post-game meal). Looking back it is no wonder why sometimes I felt bogged down or felt like I had a tough time recovering. It’s obvious to me that “refueling” and “preparing” my muscles with starchy and processed-white noodles, that are stripped of almost all their nutrients and minerals due to the amount of processing they go through. probably wasn’t doing the trick. To top it all off(literally) I would dress these noodles with high sugar/high sodium/artificial sauces that spike your blood sugar and send your insulin levels on a roller coaster ride. My question is, why do athletes continue to “carbo-load” with these types of food?

Key Points

  • Glycogen is the key energy source your muscles use during most sports activities. These glycogen levels are filled up and stored up to 48 hours before your event. What you eat the day prior and night prior to your game or event is as/more important than what you eat on game day. Your game day meal is intended to supplement glycogen levels, keep you satiated, and stabilize blood sugar levels.
  • What you eat means nothing if your muscles aren’t properly hydrated. Again, the day before is just as important. Aim for 1/2  your body weight (lbs) in ounces from just water.
  • Allowing time for digestion is vital but eating too far an advance will cause you to feel hungry before/during the game. My suggestion is to aim for a medium to large meal 4 hours before game.
  • Your meal should consist of 50% carbs, 25 % protein, 25% fat.
  • 60-90 minutes before the game consuming a simple carbohydrate such as a piece of fruit will help provide extra energy that will be available during the game.

Typical Pregame Meal

The Problem

1. The Size: Processed carbohydrates like pasta noodles don’t keep you satiated. In order to feel full from pasta you have to eat a lot. This problem is amplified in athletes  because they generally have a huge appetite and require mounds of pasta consumed to meet their needs.

2. The Composition: Standard pastas are made with refined wheat flour. During the refining process, the nutrient-rich outer bran shell and inner germ layer are removed from the grain, leaving just the starchy endosperm. This process strips the wheat of much of its fiber, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients, leaving you with a much weaker product, nutritionally speaking. Some nutrients, including iron and a handful of B vitamins, are added back during manufacturing (hence the term “enriched flour”), but these represent only a fraction of what is initially removed from the grain.

3. The Carbohydrate Complex: Pasta is a simple carbohydrate. It breaks down to sugar in your body quickly and often does not satisfy your appetite as long as a more complex carbohydrate such as sweet potatoes. Whole wheat pasta takes a bit longer and some has a protein content that keeps you satisfied longer. This is why many athlete’s who eat pasta find themselves getting hungry before or during the game. Yes, a carbohydrate is a very important macro-nutrient  supplying your body with glucose, which is the favored fuel for your muscles, brain, and central nervous system. Choosing a carbb that will deliver a steady stream of glucose to your body will help regulate your energy levels.

4. The Toppings: Most Pasta is cooked in unhealthy vegetable oils and topped with a canned Alfredo or marinara that is loaded with sugar, sodium, and other artificial ingredients.

5. Your Body’s Ability To Adjust: Most conscious and high level athletes try and eat a clean diet made up of lean meats, fruits, and vegetables. Filling your body with refined pasta noodles for an entire weekend can send your body into shock and cause digestive issues. Your digestive system can react negatively to the amount of processed food that has been consumed because it is used to otherwise whole/natural foods. This can cause bloating, stomach issues, and have lethargic implications.

What To Eat Instead

Complex Carbohydrates From Unprocessed Sources

Quinoa-A healthy complex carb that is actually a seed and can be made a complete protein when paired with other foods.

Amaranth– Technically, it’s not a grain; it’s the fruit of a plant. And that’s the reason it contains a more complete protein, and more of it, than other traditional grains.

Barley & Steel Cut Oats– A great option in the morning of a game day that will deliver a steady supply of glucose throughout the day.

Legumes– Black beans, chickpeas, and lentils are all great options for complex carbs that also provide a steady supply of protein and fiber.

Starchy Vegetables- Foods like sweet potatoes and squash that are usually shunned by low-carb lovers are  acceptable for athletes who will use the large amounts of carbs from these whole foods as energy for game time.

All Vegetables- Getting your carbohydrate sources from whole foods such as vegetables will ensure you are receiving the adequate vitamins, minerals  and nutrients that accompany natural-base carbohydrates. Unlike refined flours and pastas,which are stripped of most of the essential vitamins and nutrients that provide your body with energy, vegetables are natural foods from the earth that are identifiable for our digestive system and wont cause any gastrointestinal problems that are associated with many processed foods.

Lean Meats– While protein takes longer to digest, it will keep you satiated during the game and provide your muscles with a steady influx of protein to help with muscle recovery and muscle maintenance.

Great Examples

1. Chicken Breast with baked sweet potatoes and green salad.

A Pre-Game Meal for the Phillies

2. Chicken breast with Quinoa and asparagus.

3. 2 pieces of cod over a mixed green salad with carrots, parsnips, and potatoes.

Conclusion

Many athletes still dont understand what they need to properly fuel their bodies. Unfortunately many of the nutritionists and chefs that cook or prepare meals for this demographic don’t understand macro-nutrient profiles of foods either. My suggestion to all the athlete’s and people I talk to is ask questions and do your own research. If a nutritionist recommends to eat pasta on a game day ask them why and see what kind of answer you get. Unless you are running a marathon or playing a double header soccer game I never recommend “carbo-loading” with pasta. Most sports, like hockey, require shorts bursts of energy over a 2 hour time period. Eating 200 carbs in the form of pasta for a pregame meal is excessive for most athletes who wont even come close to tapping into all that stored glycogen from a large pasta meal. Keep it moderate and substitute some of my suggestions listed above. Remember, each athlete has their own individual preferences and requirements. Adjust your needs as you see fit and experiment with different foods to see what makes you feel the most energized and helps you recover the fastest.

Thanks for reading and let me know if you have any questions.

From South Bend,
Posted on by Angela in Body, Diet, disease, Exercise, Nutrition, Weight Loss, Whole Food Leave a comment