Food for Thought

8 Comments January 21, 2013 drworobec

I want to share my recent wake-up call surrounding nutrition and eating habits, as it’s been a real game-changer in my life. However, my weight and my body image have always been issues for me, so this is a very personal story. That being said, I think there are many people who could benefit from my recent eye-opener…..and the benefits are greater than the risks. So, here goes:

I met with my friend Jen in July- she owns the Crossfit gym I go to and also has a Degree in Nutritional Sciences and a Master’s in Food Science. I did a Nutritional Consult with her to try to shed the last stubborn 8lbs of baby-weight. She came up with a 2-part plan for me:

Part 1: a two-week low-carb kickstart
Part 2: adopting the Paleolithic (Paleo) approach to eating (think ‘caveman-style’, meaning no grains, no dairy, no sugar, but plenty of protein, fats, nuts, seeds, and veggies/fruit).

Part 1 was tough, especially for a carb-aholic like me. Jen wanted me to try to keep my carbs to 20g/day or less to put my body into a state of fat-burning ketosis. I think I managed about 50g of carbs/day, and still my body acted like I was in detox, complete with the shakes and the sweats. My brain was used to relying on the constant carbs/sugar that I fed it, and I was trying to teach it to use fat instead. But food quantity was unlimited, and I would increase my fat content if I started to feel really hungry. Each day got a little easier. I was still able to Crossfit and run, and I was already seeing visible results in how my clothes fit.

For the last 5.5 months, I’ve been doing a modified version of Part 2 and the Paleo diet. I didn’t cut out dairy, I still have sugar in my coffee, eat dessert periodically, and drink wine or beer occasionally. But I’m completely wheat-free and I’ve changed my diet to really focus on protein and fat. That’s been the biggest shift for me- I base all of my meals around protein first, and fat second, and then veggies/fruit. And I can honestly say that I haven’t restricted myself at all in the quantity of food that I’m eating.

Our July meeting was 6 months ago, and last week I met with Jen for a follow-up, including a body composition test to compare to my previous results. The test showed that:

I have lost 14 lbs.
I’ve gained 1.5lbs muscle.
My bodyfat percentage has dropped almost 6%.

For those of you who have been eating this way for years, these results may not seem revolutionary. But they’re revolutionary to me. I’m your mainstream ‘healthy’ eater, who didn’t realize how much healthier I could be- this has made me rethink and reprogram my entire mindset surrounding nutrition. How did it take me 33 years to figure this out? This is what I’ve learned:

Eat PROTEIN and FAT. Lots of it. For most of my adult life I’ve been stuck in the stereotypical-female-weight-loss routine of high cardio and a low-calorie, low-fat diet. Not anymore.
Avoid wheat and other genetically-modified grains. I think I have a sensitivity to wheat that I was unaware of until now, and I think many others do too. Do you feel skinny in the morning and heavy at night? Guess what, that’s Wheat Belly bloat!
Don’t buy food that has been altered to become ‘low fat’. Fat is good! And when food companies take the fat out of foods, they add in all kinds of unhealthy fillers.
A diet shouldn’t be hard. If it’s hard, it’s not becoming your ‘new normal’. If it’s hard, it’s not becoming satisfying instead of depriving. If it’s hard, it’s not becoming a lifestyle.
Nutrition is 90% of the battle, and exercise is 10%. Food is medicine. I feel so much better than I did six months ago; my energy is higher, I don’t get afternoon sugar-cravings, and no more uncomfortable, bloated feelings post-meal and at the end of the day.

Food for thought, isn’t it?

“I Don’t Have Time to Exercise”

8 Comments January 8, 2013 drworobec

“I don’t have time to exercise.” It’s a phrase I hear regularly, both in my professional and in my day-to-day life. I am a chiropractor in a sports injury clinic, and I advocate regular exercise to all of my patients, athletes and non-athletes alike. The benefits of exercise are many, and the drawbacks are non-existent as far as I can tell. The opposite can be said for lack of exercise: no benefits and lots of drawbacks.

The number one reason that people tell me they don’t exercise is that they don’t have time. But the thing is, they have the same 24 hours every day that the rest of us have. They just prioritize it differently.

Let me be clear: if you choose not to exercise, and you’re fine with that, then who am I to judge? (Although, admittedly, I will still try to sway you over to my side…) But if you would like to exercise regularly, yet claim you don’t have the time, then this post is directed at you. It seems appropriate to talk about this, as the New Year begins, and exercise resolutions are flowing.

We are all busy. We all live in a busy culture and live busy lives with busy jobs, busy kids, and busy to-do lists. And therein lies the opportunity to prioritize. My husband and I are a both-parents-working-with-two-small-children family, and here’s how we fit it in:

We alternate 6am classes at Crossfit on weekdays. On my days, this means I can be back home by 7:15am, just as my kids are waking up and my husband is heading to work. On his days, he showers at the gym and goes straight to work.
I don’t work on Tuesdays, so I go to the gym on Tuesdays at 5pm, once my husband finishes work and takes over kid-duty.
I run with my neighbor at 8pm on Monday nights, after the kids are tucked into bed. Sometimes I get to a yoga class on Thursday nights at 8:30pm.
On the weekends, one of us often does a workout during the kid’s afternoon naptime. Or I bring my son with me to the gym in the morning- he plays while I do my workout, and then I do the kid-switch with my husband so he gets gym-time too.

With this juggling, we each manage to exercise 4-6 times per week. Things do come up from time to time that derail this schedule- sick children, traffic, late meetings- but that tends to be the exception rather than the rule. And while I don’t enjoy crawling out of my warm bed at 5:25am on dark mornings, I do enjoy the post-workout adrenaline rush. While I don’t enjoy leaving the comfort of my couch on cold evenings, I do enjoy the runner’s high. And while I don’t enjoy missing out on weekend naps, I do enjoy feeling healthy and fit and strong.

To say that you don’t have time to exercise assumes that the rest of us do. When in reality, we simply make the time. We sacrifice sleep, or TV, or laundry, or Facebook. We prioritize exercise. We prioritize fitness. And if this post sounds preachy, well good, because that was my intent. This is a topic I’m passionate about. And preachy about.

So go run with your kids in a jogging stroller. Go for a swim on your lunch break. Go do Pilates in your basement. Go to the gym in the wee hours of the morning or the late hours of the night. Because exercise equals movement, and movement equals health. Get moving. Get healthy.

Wheat-free Recipes? Yes, please!

6 Comments November 27, 2012 drworobec

I changed my diet to be wheat-free about seven months ago, and it’s become my ‘new normal’. Being a bread/bagels/cereal/pasta lover, that’s a big shift in my perspective, and I’m surprised at how easy it’s been and how much better I feel. In an effort to avoid feeling deprived of the foods I love, I use wheat-free alternatives for my ‘go-to’ favorites: oatmeal, spaghetti, pizza, and muffins. Here are some of my tried-and-true recipes:

BREAKFAST:

Seed ‘Oatmeal’ with berries

Seed ‘Oatmeal’ with berries

Soak a variety of seeds (this pic shows chia seeds, hemp hearts, and ground flaxseed; I am a regular at the Bulk Barn!) overnight in almond milk. In the morning, stir seeds up and microwave for 60-90 seconds to warm them up. Top with whatever you like! I usually use cinnamon, a bit of honey, berries, and almond milk. Other common breakfasts at our house include omelettes loaded with veggies, protein/fruit smoothies, and plain Greek yogurt with fruit.

LUNCH:

Bento-box style: chicken, cheese, avocado, peppers, tomatoes, and carrots

Bento-box style lunch

Lunch is almost always an assortment of finger-foods or leftovers these days- a big change from regular sandwich-lunches of days past. Now it’s simple foods that are easy to prepare, and provide the ability for little hands to pick and choose.

DINNER (here’s TWO of my favorites):

Hybrid pizza

Hybrid Pizza

Ingredients Needed:

8 oz (weight; about 2 cups) shredded mozzarella cheese

2 eggs, beaten

2 Tbsp ground flaxseed

2 Tbsp coconut flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder (optional)

Sauce, cheese, and toppings of your choice

Directions: Preheat oven to 350F. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Mound the cheese mixture on a baking sheet lined with greased parchment paper. Using damp hands, spread it out into a disc about 1/4″ thick. Bake for 30-45 minutes, flipping it over at the 20-25min mark (TIP: do not undercook before flipping the crust over or the uncooked cheese will stick to your parchment paper; cook for 20-25 mins before flipping over, and the other side will only take 10-15mins to cook). Spread on your sauce, cheese, and toppings and broil for 2-3 minutes.

Spaghetti Squash with Chicken, Mushrooms, and Peppers in Marinara Sauce

Spaghetti squash

This one is super easy! Cut a spaghetti squash in half lengthwise (TIP: you can microwave the whole squash for a few minutes to soften it up before cutting), place rind-side up on a greased baking sheet, and bake at 375F for 30-40mins. Using a fork, ‘comb’ the inside of the squash and it will quickly peel into spaghetti-shaped strands (the texture is very similar to al dente pasta). Top with your choice of sauce- my personal favorite is chicken, onions, mushrooms, and peppers, in a spicy marinara sauce.

SNACK/TREAT:

Cinnamon swirl muffins

Cinnamon Swirl Muffins

Ingredients Needed:

2.5 cups almond flour

1 Tbsp coconut flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 eggs

1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp coconut milk

1/2 cup honey

Topping Ingredients:

2 Tbsp honey

1 Tbsp cinnamon

1 Tbsp melted coconut oil

Directions: Preheat oven to 325F. Mix together all the dry batter ingredients. Add the wet batter ingredients and mix well. Pour batter evenly into a muffin tin. Mix all the topping ingredients in a separate bowl, and drizzle over the muffins. Bake for 20-25 mins or until golden brown.

Other common snack ideas are veggies/hummus, boiled eggs, or a shaker of protein powder and water.

I’d love to hear about your wheat-free recipe successes too!

Share away!