The Kitchen: Not so Scary

July 29, 2013 / ktbuchs87

I have talked a few times about cooking. Clearly, I love all aspects of food. I love the buying, prepping, cooking, eating, and nutrition that food gives me. I probably wouldn’t write this blog if I wasn’t passionate about food and all that it entails. I want to talk about the kitchen yet again and make a simple, yet important plea: Get back in your kitchens people!

This past week, I read about how Dr. Mark Hyman worked with a family that had major health issues due to obesity. In short, this family relied on packaged, processed meals or fast food for the majority of their diet. They admitted that they really didn’t know what to do in the kitchen and it was so much easier to just open a package than to cook their own food. I have heard a lot of excuses about why people do not cook their meals: too busy, don’t like to cook, too long, they’re bad at cooking, etc. I have even heard that people really don’t know what to do in the kitchen, so this article didn’t totally shock me. Then I really started thinking about it. As we rely more and more on packaged food or restaurants, there is an entire generation that is missing out on learning how to cook. Children know how to work the microwave like a pro, but can’t boil water and make pasta.

I don’t want to sit here and play the blame game on this issue. In all honesty, blame can probably be evenly distributed to all concerned parties. The parents, food companies and industry, eating establishments, pretty much all the usual suspects. I’m not going to waste my time here demonizing anyone, as plenty of other people have done that for me. What I really want to get across is the importance of bringing the slowly disappearing tradition of cooking back. As Dr. Hyman stated in his article, it could be one of the keys to getting healthier.

When you eat a meal out or pop a store-bought dinner in the microwave, you really don’t know all the ingredients that go into that food. That can be a very dangerous game to play. McDonald’s recently released an ingredient list for their french fries and it wasn’t pretty. It had 17 ingredients, with one of them being an anti-foaming agent. Last time I checked, french fries only need about three ingredients (potatoes, oil, and salt) and none of them were an anti-foaming agent. Yes, McDonald’s fries are like crack and taste good. They are also really easy to obtain, but they do absolutely NOTHING good for your health. It is really simple to make your own french fries right at home and they will be a whole heck of a lot better for you. Plus, you will get the satisfaction of creating something with your own hands that does not contain 17 hard to pronounce, dangerous ingredients. This can be applied to so many other meals as well. Some of the food that you are paying other people to make for you, can easily be made at home for less money, have better health benefits, and be much tastier dishes. Below is the ingredient list and nutrition facts for a Lean Cuisine BBQ Chicken Enchilada. Another simple dish that shouldn’t have more than 5 or six ingredients, has a huge ingredient list. Do you really want to be ingesting some of those ingredients or would you rather know exactly what is going into your food and you by making it yourself?

Ingredient list for Lean Cuisine BBQ Chicken Enchilada

More than just eating better and healthier food, cooking at home can be valuable time spent with your family. Kids get to spend quality time with their parents, learn new things, and create something the whole family can enjoy. Even if you don’t have kids, cooking with your spouse can be a great time to catch up on your day while preparing a delicious meal to be shared and cooking with friends is a fun way to share stories as well as recipes. Your kitchen can give you so much more than just good health, it can give you good memories and lift your spirits. It is fairly simple to learn how to make quick meals and there are so many benefits that can be gained. I’ve said it before, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel in the kitchen. You don’t have to be creating new and fancy meals every single night or slave over a hot stove preparing dishes with exotic ingredients. Find a few recipes (maybe one of mine, I post a new recipe each Wednesday!) that you can handle and really learn how to make those well. Once you have those few dishes down, you can branch out to others, or tweak the recipe with new flavors or ingredients. By just having 3 or 4 core recipes under your belt, you can improve your eating habits and your health.

The kitchen isn’t scary, it might seem intimidating, but it is just begging for you to come in and learn how to prepare delicious, healthy food. Don’t let an entire generation grow up without learning how to make at least one meal without the help of boxed food. Cooking is an important aspect of a healthy and happy life, and I hope that my blog helps that just a little. Most of my recipes take less than 20 minutes to make and are made of simple ingredients that are easy to find and use. I don’t want to intimidate you with my meals, I want to invite you to join me in the kitchen and cook up a healthier life!

Calories in, Calories out

July 22, 2013 / ktbuchs87

It is a simple idea, which makes it so attractive/popular to the general public. In one way or another we have been told that losing weight really boils down to taking in less calories than we burn. There are of course other factors, but this is the major key to all our weight loss dreams… or is it?

We are slowly, but surely, learning that the science of nutrition is far more complex than we once believed. As our understanding grows, scientists are finding that calories might not be the only key to losing weight. As recently as last May, researchers discovered that the calorie count in almonds (one- ounce serving = 160 calories) was actually lower, at 129 calories per serving. Yes, we may all rejoice that they overestimated the calories rather than underestimated, but the more important part of this study was the reason the calorie count was lower. They found that the body could not completely break down the almonds and use their full energy as fuel. This discovery has lead many scientists to believe that the current method of determining calories might not be the most accurate.

If you have been reading my blog for any period of time, you know that I am a firm believer in the individualization of nutrition. What works for me and my health might not necessarily work for you and your health, and scientific researchers are starting to see this as well. I am not a huge supporter of religiously counting calories and making sure I am eating a set number for each meal, mostly because when I did do this I never felt any healthier. I always felt like I was being deprived and this led to overeating. I understand that for some of you out there, counting calories is the easiest way for you to achieve your optimal health, but I want you to also think about the kind of calories that you are putting into your body. It’s not just a number, it is the benefits that those calories gives your body that really count to feeling your healthiest.

Look at it this way, 300 calories worth of food at McDonald’s is going to make you feel a lot different than 300 calories worth of fresh fruits and vegetables. Both foods have 300 calories, but the fresh foods will provide your body with far more vitamins, minerals and nutrients that you can use to fuel you throughout your day. Your body will also use those calories in totally different ways. While the fat and sodium content of your Happy Meal might get stored as fat in your body, the vitamins and minerals from fruits and vegetables can be used to instantly nourish your body and help you function. Don’t get me wrong and think that only eating fruits and vegetables will provide you with the best health, there are so many foods out there that could help you be as healthy as possible.

Nutrition facts for McDonald’s cheeseburger

Nutrition facts for 3 stalks of broccoli

The message I really want to get across is that the amount of calories you put into your body is only a piece of the puzzle that makes up your health/weight loss. I don’t think that this is insignificant, as making sure you eat enough is highly important, but I do believe that there is so much more to feeling (and looking) your best. When you eat a meal, concentrate on how it makes you feel afterwards. Do you feel sluggish? Like you have ton of energy? Do you feel hungry only an hour after eating a meal or were you so stuffed that you didn’t feel like eating the rest of the day? The kinds of food you eat will give you much more information about your health than an arbitrary number on the back of a package. As nutrition research progresses, I hope we see a major overhaul in the way we view food. Food is much more than a number, it has the potential to truly shape our health. As Hippocrates so famously stated, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”

Judge Not Lest Ye Be Judged….

July 15, 2013 / ktbuchs87

I like to think of myself as a non-judgemental person. I am a very accepting and open person. I feel that I am pretty empathetic and can easily put myself in others shoes or at the very least try to see things from their perspective. Imagine my surprise then when I realized I judge people constantly. Allow me to explain.

This past week I have read a couple of blog posts that really made me think of how I make snap judgments whenever I pass someone on the street. The first post was sent to me by husband, and it was about how poor people grocery shop. After reading this, I thought about how many times I have been shopping at the grocery store and seen someone else loading up on junk or unhealthy food. I have always thought to myself, “There are so many better options, I wish I/someone could teach them how to be healthier.” In my mind I felt that thinking that was not very judgmental, but that post made me realize it really is. I have no idea where this other person is in their life. I have no idea about their life story. I have no idea what has led them to this place/time/moment. How unfair of me to condemn their eating habits without knowing the full details. One of my main goals is to help people find their healthiest self, no matter what may be going on in their lives. There is no way I can do that by making snap judgments in the grocery store check-out line.

The second post that got me thinking about how judgmental I am was this one by OliveToRun. She talks about another runner she passed a couple of times on her long run and how later she thought about how she would have never guessed he was a runner by the way he looked. Thinking about this, I realized I do the exact same thing. Maybe it’s because I am a runner, whenever I pass people while running I sub-consciously think to myself, “Runner, runner, not a runner, could be a runner, nope, runner, runner….” I never really pay attention to this habit, but boy, what an awful habit. I hate it when people look at me and decide what I can or can’t do based on my appearance. “Well she is tiny, she probably can’t lift very much weight” or “Obviously she is a runner, look at her legs”. These things have been said to my face or in my general vicinity and they always irk me. Since when has the way someone looks contributed to what they are able to accomplish? Yet here I am doing the same thing to other people. It may not be out loud or to their face, but I am still not giving them the benefit of the doubt and judging them on what I think they can do based purely on appearances. When I first started running, I in no way looked like a “typical” runner. I was slow, I could barely huff and puff my way through one mile, and I am sure other people would never have guessed that I was training for a 5K. In my heart and mind though I was still a runner, I was logging the miles and doing the work and I counted myself in the community of runners. Everyone out there pounding the pavement, no matter what they look like, deserves that honor.

Let’s face it, we all are judgmental sometimes. Whether we like to admit it or not, we make snap judgments and place people into categories. In 2001, the International Journal of Obesity published a study about how the weight of a patient significantly affected the attitude of the physician attending. They found that while physicians would order more health tests for overweight patients, they would spend significantly less time with them and they viewed them more negatively than normal weight patients. This is one of the reasons why obesity is such a huge problem. We are quick to judge overweight or obese people and blame them for their problems and we don’t try to offer help or find out what is really going on. How can we expect to help them when doctors’ spend less time with them and view them in a negative light? Who are they suppose to look to for help when people passing them look down on them because of their weight without knowing the full breadth of the issue? Will the AMA recognition that obesity is a disease help or hurt this issue? Only time will tell on that one, but I remain hopeful that we can step out of our judgmental boxes and start to turn things around.

I know that this problem will never be fully fixed; there will always be people out there that will judge others no matter what. I know that I can start to work on myself and learn to look past a person’s food decisions or appearance. If I want to help others reach their optimum health, I have to meet them where they are and work with them and not against them. I really disliked when people made judgments at the beginning of my journey to better health and I dislike when people make comments about my abilities based on what I look like now. I do not want anyone to feel that way, and I really do not want them to feel that way because of my thoughts, words or actions. Instead, we should all work a little harder every day to give people the help and care they deserve and not pass judgments based on appearances.

Forcing the Healthy Agenda, Maybe Not the Best

July 8, 2013 / ktbuchs87

This holiday weekend my husband, Adam and I, spent the weekend at Lake Webster in Indiana. We had a great time relaxing, spending time with family, getting out on the water in the boat/jet ski, and eating delicious food! Obviously one of my favorite parts of the weekend was cooking delicious meals for the whole family and then enjoying the company while feasting! Because we were out in the good old Midwest, we had to stop at a farm stand to pick up some sweet corn and other delicious produce like watermelon. On a farm stand run, I noticed that there was a sign that said they accepted SNAP money. For those of you who don’t know SNAP stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, aka Food Stamps. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that people who are enrolled in SNAP could purchase fresh local produce at a farm stand. It made me think about the controversy that is going on with SNAP right now.

There has been an ongoing debate over allowing the government to dictate what people can purchase using SNAP. Some believe that the government should not allow those enrolled in SNAP to purchase unhealthy food with their money. Others say that the government has no right to tell people what they should or should not eat. This is not just a debate going on over food stamps either. Remember a few months back when Mayor Bloomberg of NYC tried to get a citywide ban on purchasing soda over 16 oz? The bill was shot down in court and never made it through. These types of debates pop up all the time and have for a long time. Seeing the current back and forth over SNAP though got me thinking, what was my stance on the issue?

You might think that this would be a simple issue for me. I write a health blog and firmly believe in a healthy life for ALL people, whether they utilize food stamps or not. You might think that I would side with those who believe that the government should restrict purchases on junk food. My beliefs are a little more complex than that: I believe in educatio, not mandates. Let me explain. I don’t like the idea of people enrolled in SNAP spending money on unhealthy food choices. I personally don’t buy junk food, so I don’t like that government money (aka my tax dollars) goes towards helping others buy junk food.

That being said, I do NOT believe that we should tell people what they can and can not purchase/eat. They are adults and should have the freedom to buy what they want to eat, just like those not enrolled in SNAP can choose what to eat. That is one of the pros (and sometimes cons) of living in a free country with free choice. You are able to decide how you want to eat and no one can tell you otherwise. How unfair and hypocritical to not allow this same freedom to those who might not be able to afford to eat without the assistance of SNAP. Again, I firmly believe that every single person should have access to a healthy lifestyle, no matter socioeconomic status, race, religion, or gender.

I understand that not everyone in SNAP has access to healthy food. There are food deserts, areas that do no have access to fresh, healthy, and affordable food, all over the country. These areas usually have to rely on convenience stores or fast food restaurants for the bulk of their diet. I also know that forcing someone to eat healthy food when they don’t want to is a good way to turn them away from eating a healthy diet. I prefer my belief in educating people about healthy lifestyles. I think that we need to teach people how to live a healthy lifestyle with the tools and resources they have access to, because I am not into forcing people to do something, even if that is learning how to live healthier. I propose that those who enroll in SNAP take one mandatory class that shows the basics of living healthy. After that one class, they can go on their merry way and do whatever they want with their food decisions. After that one class though, SNAP should offer other classes and resources that people can choose to participate in and will help them further their knowledge of leading a healthy lifestyle. This way, you can give every single person in SNAP some tools to utilize through the one class, but then only those who are truly interested can further their knowledge with cooking classes or learning how to eat healthy on a budget or guided trips to local grocery stores.

Is this a perfect plan? Of course not. Obviously these classes would have to be funded in some way, and most likely that would mean through tax dollars. While everyone might not be so enthusiastic about their money going towards this, I would much rather have my money fund education than stocking convenience stores with more chips and soda. I think that this can be a step in the right direction and I also believe that there are groups and organizations out there that are making great strides towards bettering SNAP. SNAP to Health! is a great website that has tons of information about programs and resources and other tidbits about what people can do help further the health and nutrition of the USA. I urge you to check out the site and see what you can do in your area to help out. I know that promoting better health for all can seem like a losing battle. It takes a bunch of tiny steps that may not look like they are doing anything to help, but every little step counts. I believe that the more people we can educate and get on board with leading a healthier life, the faster we can reach the goal. Your health is one of your most important assets; fight for better health and fight to help others reach that very same goal!

Obesity is a Disease: That’s a Good Thing, Right?

July 1, 2013 / ktbuchs87 / 5 Comments

In case you haven’t heard, obesity has officially been recognized as a disease. Ever since this declaration, people have been debating whether this is a good or bad thing. There seem to be equal supporters for and against the new label and both sides have some very valid points. I understand the pros and cons that both sides have brought up and I have a few of my own. While I’ll share my opinion on labeling obesity as a disease, I think that the more important question I have about this whole thing is what will change? How will this help to make things better?

From my perspective, recognizing obesity as a disease is a good first step, but I worry that it will backfire. I am really glad that people who need help have a better chance at actually getting that help now that obesity is considered a disease. Insurance companies may provide more financial support, allowing doctors to be better equipped and ready to help treat obese patients. But here is where I start to get a little leery about this, I think that people will start using this as a crutch to not do anything. I feel that they will take the “Oh I have a disease, there really isn’t anything I can do” attitude and not try to change. I worry that people will turn to drugs or miracle pills rather than educating themselves on eating better foods or moving more. Don’t get me wrong, I totally understand that being obese is a case by case disease and that some people really might have no control over their weight gain. In those cases I know that surgery and medication may be the only way to go. I also know that some people use those methods as the easy way out and now that obesity is a disease, many drug companies are going to start pumping out more and more medications that will combat obesity. What’s easier? Overhauling your eating and your lifestyle or taking a pill 3 times a day?

My other big worry is that the whole focus of obesity is going to shift from prevention to treatment. In fact, that is my concern with a lot of our healthcare issues. So many diseases and conditions are 100% preventable, yet we wait until they move past the prevention stage and move into the treatment stage. Obesity, and the many conditions that come along with obesity, is one of these diseases. There are so many things that we can do prevent obesity, yet we are the most obese country in the world. We know that if we eat better and exercise we can greatly reduce the risk of obesity and all it’s related disease/ailments. Unfortunately I see obesity being called a disease furthering the problem of treatment vs. prevention. I try not to always see the glass as half-empty, but I feel like drug companies and many doctors will see this as a prime opportunity to make even more money and I worry that Americans will fall right into that trap. Sadly we like the easy way out of things and getting surgery or taking medications is a lot easier than putting in the work to prevent obesity.

I haven’t lost all hope though. I think that this is also a prime opportunity for people to step up and really make some big overhauls when it comes to people’s health. There are so many groups and organizations out there that are striving to educate the public about being healthier (prevention rather than treatment) and I hope that this new label will give them the means and support to further their endeavors. Take Microgreens for example. This non-profit organization works with children in the D.C. area teaching them how to cook and prepare low cost meals. Children whose families benefit from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (aka food stamps), can take classes through Microgreens and learn how to budget, shop for and prepare a healthy meal all for $3.50 per meal. This is a great program because it not only educates children about healthy eating, it shows them how to go through each step of the process and learning these skills at a young age is so important for future health. It also encourages kids to share their knowledge and skills with their families, spreading the education of better health even further. It would be amazing if we could get these types of programs to children and families all over the country and perhaps we can make that possible now that obesity is a disease.

Another benefit I hope to see is more in-depth, one on one counseling for those individuals who are serious about bettering their health and leaving obesity behind. Before alcoholism was labeled a disease in 1956, there was little to no help for those battling their addiction, in fact most people viewed alcoholism as a stigma and tried to ignore the problem rather than do anything about it. Once it became a disease though, so many more resources opened up. Programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous were formed, treatment centers were set up, and counselors were trained to work with both alcoholics and their families. I am not trying to say that obese people and alcoholics are in any way the same; each disease has it’s own criteria and symptoms. Labeling alcoholism as a disease enabled preventative education and treatment options to flourish, and I believe labeling obesity as a disease can do the same. Perhaps more programs and groups will be formed to help those dealing with obesity, and for all those affected by obesity. Maybe more schools and communities across the nation will be equipped with classes to help educate the public and prevent obesity from even starting. How great would it be if those people who are obese or overweight weren’t treated like social pariah’s and ignored but rather were given an abundance of resources to help them heal and have better health and better lives?

Do I think that calling obesity a disease will fix all the problems magically? No. Do I worry that it could make things worse? A little. Do I believe that good changes can happen from this? You bet. While I think we need to proceed with caution on this, I wholeheartedly believe that this can be the start of some great things for America’s health. It’s up to us to help guide which way this can all go. If we put our support behind things like better food in schools and supermarkets, organizations that are fighting to educate the public about health, and help for those who are struggling with obesity or their health in general, I think that we can make some major strides toward a happier and healthier future for everyone.