A Beautiful Ripple Effect

Food for Thought is a regular column on A Beautiful Ripple Effect! It is written by nutrition + inspiration guru extraordinaire Whitney Ahneman. The column is published once a month! Check out Whitney’s introduction video about the series in this post!

Eliminate the Ifs Ands & Buts of Life … Create Accountability

The funny thing about accountability is that it is almost always externally driven.  Even among the most determined and high-achieving of people.  Accountability is the external counterpart to internal motivation.

Whether it’s strangers on the beach, your dental check-up, that killer LBD, or the stamina to play with your children (or grandchildren!), we can all find reasons to motivate ourselves.  Often times, it isn’t difficult to get in the mindset of desiring healthy habits.  But when the rubber hits the road, it’s just too easy not to adopt them.

That’s where accountability comes in.  Plan to draw the line in the sand and say what you are accountable for, who you are accountable to, and in what time frame.  These are important components to fulfilling our own health goals.

What’s holding you back?  Who are you accountable to?  Do you create different levles of accountability based on how hard you want to work to attain a goal?

I find that this topic is very amenable to an open discussion.  Please feel free to share!

(image: dream jar via pinterest via weheartit)

Food for Thought is a regular column on A Beautiful Ripple Effect! It is written by nutrition + inspiration guru extraordinaire Whitney Ahneman. The column is published once a month! Check out Whitney’s introduction video about the series in this post!

Blame it on the a-a-a-a-a-alc-o-hol

The holiday season can be synonymous with drinking.  Between the holiday parties, the thrill of completing end-of-year projects, and ringing in the new year with champagne (and sometimes more), you may find yourself three sheets to the wind.  Celebrating family, relationships with loved ones and counting the blessings of the year is what the holidays is all about.  These celebrations may absolutely include alcohol, which is perfectly fine in moderation.  It’s when moderation tips over into excess that you can get into trouble.

Now I don’t want to get on any soap box and talk about drinking, I’m sure that everyone has heard it before (thank you high school health classes nationwide).  I do want to simply remind our community of readers to be safe throughout the holiday season (that cab money is worth not risking a life!) and to broaden the discussion.

It’s important to put your health first through the holidays.  And no, I’m not talking about simply physical health, but rather mental and emotional health.  I live by the mantra that all three are the basis of health, and that it is hard to live healthfully when even one is off-kilter.

So some questions…

Do you think alcohol ever affects your triad of health?  Do you find it harder to stick to a drink or three during the holidays?  Do you feel pressure to drink [more] at holiday events?  What is more motivating: the notion that alcohol affects the waistline or the notion that alcohol affects decision-making skills?

Please don’t feel that these have to be answered in the comments section, just wanted to serve up some food for thought on a sometimes touchy subject.  Thanks for your attention, I’ll end this topic with a few tips for navigating the party circuit.

Party tricks to limit the liquid calories:

-  Try soda water or Sprite Zero in mixed drinks instead of tonic water or soda.

-  Alternate between a real drink and a fake one: sip on water with some sort of garnish (lime, lemon, cherry, etc).

-  Chocolate, caramel, and other rich flavorings are best left to the dessert bar.

-  Consider glass size and/or ask for extra ice.

Food for Thought is a regular column on A Beautiful Ripple Effect! It is written by nutrition + inspiration guru extraordinaire Whitney Ahneman. The column is published every other Monday! Check out Whitney’s introduction video about the series in this post!

successful (səkˈsesfəl) adjective –

• accomplishing an aim or purpose: a successful attack on the town.
• having achieved popularity, profit, or distinction: a successful actor.

aging (āj-ing) verb -

• grow old or older, esp. visibly and obviously so
• cause to grow, feel, or appear older
• mature or allow to mature
• determine how old (something) is

Successful Aging: an intriguingly worded phrase to describe healthy aging and an attribute of the healthy elderly.  Aging is difficult to define as it is a multidimensional reality of life and takes its course differently for everyone.  The construct of successful aging is used in both scientific literature and in the media for those who are healthy in the later stages of life.  [I’m personally keeping my fingers crossed!]  Successful aging takes into account a combination of psychosocial and biomedical aspects to aging.

Interestingly enough, the small choices we make day in and day out have a great impact on how we age: smoking, physical activity, nutritional choices, and psychological/social support systems tremendously affect the aging process.  Research has shown over and over again that high levels of physical, cognitive, and social functioning are related to better health, successful aging, and even longer life span.

I realize that all of this intrinsically makes sense, but there is a $56 billion industry that solely devotes itself to anti-aging products.  Don’t get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoy some of the creams and face-washing products on the market, but it’s incredible that such a huge industry exists when the best known ways to successfully age are the everyday decisions that add up over time.

• Walking whenever possible.
• Stretching both mind and body.
• Taking the stairs.
• Loading the plate up with your vegetables first.
• Snacking on whole foods instead of convenience items.
• Eating family dinners.
• Sharing stories about your day (the good, the bad, and the ugly).
• Unfettered laughing.
• Leaning on your friends when you need them.
• Having healthy relationships.

The list goes on and on, which doesn’t make it any easier to achieve successful aging.  Sometimes it’s hard to remember that it is the small decisions day in and day out that will affect us today and tomorrow and the next day.  And that those small decisions are worth it.  Your health is worth it.

Note: Just over a week ago I attended the beautiful wedding celebrating Carolyn and Ben.  A sincere congratulations to the happy couple, as they continue to be a testament to true love (high school sweethearts!).  I know you two have a lifetime of successful aging together ahead of you.

Food For Thought Previous Posts

• Oh Breakfast, Where Art Thou? (includes a free PDF!)
• You Are What You Eat, Literally
• Inflammation and You
• Demeanor Determines Consumption
• What is Seasonal? (includes a free PDF!)
• Oh My Omega!
• Energize Your Life

Food for Thought is a regular column on A Beautiful Ripple Effect! It is written by nutrition + inspiration guru extraordinaire Whitney Ahneman. The column is published every other Monday! Check out Whitney’s introduction video about the series in this post!

Internal energy is a funny thing… it’s hard to name all of the various factors that culminate into our energy level.  Sleep, food, drink, stress, happiness, naivety, exercise/fitness, schedule, recent illness, etc..  The list could go on and on and it changes for every person.  While there is no finite definition to describe this internal energy we all operate at some baseline level and above.

Energy level, more so than weight status or the ability to run a mile in under eight minutes, is very indicative of a person’s recent healthy behaviors.  These behaviors include more than just calories in versus calories out and exercise.  I am talking about the full spectrum of health; healthy release of stress, proper sleep, maintenance of a fairly regular schedule, spending time with loved ones.  The whole nine yards.

I’ll be the first to admit that when I haven’t been sleeping enough or giving myself time to decompress or exercising regularly, I can feel it in my day-to-day energy level.  My baseline is affected.  I think the big three external factors that you can manipulate are: food, exercise, and sleep.  Taking small steps to maintain healthy behaviors in these areas will help the other psychosocial factors fall into place as well (I’m sure Carolyn could tell us much more on the psychological theories that back this up! Note from Carolyn: consider it done – one of my upcoming posts will expand on this energy discussion!).

Daily Tips to Employ

Sleep

• Try to regulate your sleep schedule.  Keeping things normal will allow your body to fall into a schedule.  Remember how important schedules were when you were a child for healthy development?  Well that doesn’t necessarily change as we grow older, we just become more stubborn about listening to it!
• When it’s time to catch up on sleep, live by this rule: every hour of sleep before midnight = two hours of sleep after midnight.  In other words don’t just plan to sleep in one morning, go to bed early to really allow your body to get good rest. **Note: In all honesty, I don’t have any research to point to to back this up, but I truly believe it helps.
• Listen to your body.  It’s amazing how smart our bodies are.  They do know when we are running ourselves thin.  And it’s OK to rest.  It’s not a sign of weakness.

Exercise

• Regular exercise is more important than a few periods of intense exercise.  Make walking, running, stretching, taking the stairs, biking, etc. part of your regular routine.  Exercise for just 20 minutes elevates the metabolism for 12 hours.  Think along these lines: 30 minutes/day will do more good than 1 hour 3x/wk.
• Learn to walk it off.  Good music, silly dance moves, and a walk/run on a nice day are the best cures for times of stress.  Clearing your head for a few minutes and exercising or moving will stimulate the production of happy neurotransmitters in your brain!

Food

• Regular meals and snacks will help maintain your energy level.  Don’t start skipping, you’ll be even hungrier for the next meal, which leads to overeating and energy peaks and valleys.
• Whole grains and fiber and protein! Oh my!  Whole grains and foods that contain more fiber release glucose into the bloodstream at a slower rate, which allows for a healthier, longer-lasting energy curve.  This is much better for the body than those sugary foods that provide a quick source of energy and leave you feeling drained and hungry again after.  Protein helps slow down digestion of carbohydrates as well; so combining protein foods with carbohydrate foods (ex. apple with peanut butter or a turkey sandwich) will leave you with a more satisfying meal that keeps you fuller, longer.
• Fruits and Veggies!  Sometimes I think that saying those three words is always the answer.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again.  Vary your produce and pack it into your diet as best you can.  These two food groups provide a variety of flavors, antioxidants, phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals, and often lots of water and fiber.  All good things for the body.  Stuck in a rut?  Try something new, I dare you.

Food For Thought Previous Posts

• Oh Breakfast, Where Art Thou? (includes a free PDF!)
• You Are What You Eat, Literally
• Inflammation and You
• Demeanor Determines Consumption
• What is Seasonal? (includes a free PDF!)
• Oh My Omega!

Food for Thought is a regular column on A Beautiful Ripple Effect! It is written by nutrition + inspiration guru extraordinaire Whitney Ahneman. The column is published every other Monday! Check out Whitney’s introduction video about the series in this post!

Oh My Omega!

While fats are often viewed as the enemy, they are an essential part of the diet and important for the body; largely contributing to building our cells and absorbing vitamins.  Omega-3 fatty acids can be particularly beneficial as research has shown that they help to fight chronic diseases and decrease inflammation within the body.  Some research has even suggested that these fats boost our immune system and help protect us from diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and Alzheimer’s disease.  An added bonus for those whom eat healthfully in the name of vanity: healthy fats (still in moderation!) will contribute to the health of skin and hair. (Note from Carolyn: Count me in!)

The Omega-3 : Omega-6 Conundrum

One particular criticism of the Western world has been our dietary pattern.  To be honest, our omega-3 intake isn’t safe from this debate.  Let me explain…  Omega-6s are another type of fat (the only difference between them is the location of the “kink” in the fatty acid chain) that are regularly consumed in the diet from a wide variety of foods.  While they are in fact a healthy, normal part of the diet; Omega-6s are thought to be pro-inflammatory.  Historically human intake of omega-6:omega-3 fats has been closer to 2:1 or 3:1, but in today’s world that ratio has jumped closer to 40:1 in the average diet.  A 40:1 ratio of pro-inflammatory:anti-inflammatory molecules does not a happy body make.  The current food industry, low cost of omega-6 rich oils, culture of dining out, and expense of fish has slowly led to this skewed intake.

Strategies For You

Regardless of where you think you might stand in the fat debate, there are a variety of ways to get omega-3 fats into the diet: walnuts, fish, flax-seed and canola oil are all good sources.  You can also find some trace amounts of these healthy fats in sources such as broccoli, cantaloupe, kidney beans, spinach and cauliflower.  Incorporating fish into the diet is one of the easiest ways to get those omega-3s regularly.  It is recommended to eat (at least) 2 servings of fish per week.  Some purchasing tips regarding fish are included below.  Additionally, start to introduce the other foods mentioned above into the diet on a consistent basis to round it out.

Purchasing Tips:

• Best sources of omega-3s: salmon, tuna (chunk light in water if canned), trout, sea bass, cod, catfish, flounder, sole, sardines, crab, oysters and shrimp.
• Some forms of fish can be high in mercury, which will contribute to nervous system disorders over time.  Limit these to 7 ounces per week (and avoid if pregnant): shark, swordfish, tile fish, and king mackerel.

On Another Note…

Olive oil is another healthy oil that contains monounsaturated fatty acids (it’s an omega-9).  This type of fat benefits the heart by decreasing the bad cholesterol and increasing the good cholesterol that circulates throughout the body.  Although it isn’t an omega-3 fat, it is an important oil for cooking because of the heart health benefits it provides.

. . . . . food for thought . . . . .

What do you think? Are you pro omega or neutral to the topic? Share your thoughts, concerns, and creative omega ideas below in the comments. And of course, if you have a question or topic suggestion for Whitney, just leave a comment below and Whitney will respond!

Food For Thought Previous Posts

• Oh Breakfast, Where Art Thou? (includes a free PDF!)
• You Are What You Eat, Literally
• Inflammation and You
• Demeanor Determines Consumption
• What is Seasonal? (includes a free PDF!)

Food for Thought is a regular column on A Beautiful Ripple Effect! It is written by nutrition + inspiration guru extraordinaire Whitney Ahneman. The column is published every other Monday! Check out Whitney’s introduction video about the series in this post!

Demeanor Determines Consumption

Have you ever thought that your feelings have had an impact on your eating habits?  Food is meant to be the means to the end.  The physical source of energy used to drive our bodies.  That doesn’t mean that our emotions don’t impact us though!  Emotions and food can be so closely intertwined that it’s hard to understand exactly where one ends and the other begins.

Boredom?  Anxiety?  Sadness?  Happiness?  Almost any emotion can drive a person to eat.  Eating is a celebration of life, death, and quite literally everything in between.  I’m writing this because I want to have a perfectly open and honest discussion about emotions and food. There is always a lot to talk about when you bring emotionality into the picture, but I think it’s important for people to think about what’s going on in their lives and to recognize how the ups and downs of life are impacting consumption.  It’s interesting to take a good look at what’s going on because it can be quite the eye opener, even for the most innocent of culprits.

How we are feeling directly impacts what we decide to put into our mouths.  Like it or not, it is the reality that most of us face.  There is no right or wrong to this, no algorithm to figure it out and make the perfect choice every time.  The reality is that our emotions can and will impact our food choices, so recognizing this fact and controlling it as best we can is crucial to management.

I would love some feedback on this one because everyone is so different!  What emotions drive you to eat?  Or not eat?  What foods do you reach for?  Do you realize what you’re doing as you’re doing it or does it sink in later?  Would a higher level of awareness help or hurt the situation? I would love to think that greater awareness and information could only help the scenario but that isn’t always the case.

I do want to emphasize that there is no right or wrong reaction.  I am raising the issue to prompt you to think and question your own habits.  Think of Food For Thought as that friend you know you need but don’t always want around.

To health and happiness.  And all the delicious meals that come with it.

Responses welcome!

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If you enjoy this topic, be sure to check out my first Food For Thought post published six weeks ago: Food For Thought: Oh Breakfast, Where Art Thou? (includes a free PDF!) , my second post published four weeks ago: You Are What You Eat, Literally, as well as my third post published two weeks ago: Inflammation and You.

Food for Thought is a new column on A Beautiful Ripple Effect! It is written by nutrition + inspiration guru extraordinaire Whitney Ahneman. The column will be published every other Monday! Check out Whitney’s introduction video about the series in this post!

Inflammation and You
Inflammation in the body is a rampant but silent epidemic nowadays and is involved in the etiology of countless chronic diseases.  In fact, chronic disease exacerbates this issue by igniting further pro-inflammatory pathways.

What does inflammation do exactly?

The mechanisms of inflammation in the body are not fully understood, but I’ll take a stab at explaining the key concept of inflammation in chronic disease.  Inflammation essentially activates the “fight or flight” response, which should be seen only in acute illness and trauma.  Instead, inflammation chronically elevates circulating levels of specific hormones and chemical messengers of the immune system in the body.  These messengers are constantly in attack mode, which unfortunately includes attacking our own body tissues.  In addition, our bodies become unable to mount an appropriate response to acute illness because the immune system is working so hard all the time.  This certainly opens up the door to further illness, but I’m sure you can see how inflammation and chronic disease go hand-in-hand.

What foods will help fight inflammation?

Fats and Oils
Fatty fish is high in omega-3’s, a type of fat that plays a key role in reducing chronic inflammation.  Studies show that consistent consumption of these types of fats (several servings per week) can help reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.  Extra virgin olive oil also has anti-inflammatory properties, along with rice bran oil, grape seed oil, and walnut oil.

Fruits and Vegetables
Antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables can help stave off inflammation by protecting the body from the formation of free radicals, little chemical messengers that ignite the inflammatory process and wreak havoc on the cells of the body.  Considering we don’t know enough about antioxidants, how they’re formed and how they work, it is important to eat a colorful variety of fruits and vegetables.  Each one brings slightly different healthful benefits to the table.

Proteins
Soy proteins such as soybeans, tofu, and soy milk may all help reduce inflammation.  Walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and flax seeds also contribute anti-inflammatory properties to the diet as well.
Spices
Ginger, rosemary, garlic, oregano, and turmeric have all been found to have anti-inflammatory properties.

Fiber
A high fiber diet may have anti-inflammatory properties so using mostly 100% whole grain products will be beneficial in boosting fiber content of the diet.

Take Home Message

All in all, a diet that incorporates all of these foods consistently and with variety will see the benefits of their anti-inflammatory properties.  These fresh and little/non-processed options open up a world of possibilities for planning meals and snacks.  Enjoy!

… What do you think? Let’s meet in the comments and chat about this topic!

If you enjoy this topic, be sure to check out my first Food For Thought post published four weeks ago: Food For Thought: Oh Breakfast, Where Art Thou?. (includes a free PDF!) as well as my second post published two weeks ago: You Are What You Eat, Literally.

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