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.

The Pitfalls of Advertising…even the good stuff

June 24, 2013June 24, 2013 / ktbuchs87

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that advertising companies know exactly how to reel in consumers, that’s their job. They compile loads of data and research and conduct numerous studies just to find out what makes the general population tick. They want to know EXACTLY what will make you personally buy their product, and they are good at their jobs. The food industry is huge, and marketing strategies are common practice, but what are the effects of all this food advertising?

Children’s Exposure to Food Advertising on TV

Children’s Exposure to PSA on Fitness or Nutrition

Because the food industry and advertisers are smart, they know that their easiest, and most vulnerable, targets are children. If you have ever watched cartoons on a Saturday morning (admit it, you still do), every single commercial is selling something to kids and many of those commercials are selling food. A 2007 study conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that children in the 2 to 7 age bracket will see 12 food related commercials per day. That would translate to about 30 hours and 4,427 food ads in one year. As children get older, the amount of food ads increases. I don’t know about you but the fact that a child as young as 2 years old is already being exposed to a barrage of food commercials is a little shocking. Not as surprising is the amount of junk food commercials compared to the amount of healthier food commercials, which is about 76% junk and 5% healthy.

The problem with all these commercials for food being aimed directly at children is that kids have a very hard time grasping the concept of advertising. They just do not have the cognitive capacity to understand that they are being sold a product and very young kids can’t even determine the difference between a TV show and a commercial. What’s more is that their favorite characters or celebrities are in these advertisements trying to get them (or more accurately their parents) to buy the product. What kid doesn’t want to eat mac and cheese shaped as their favorite cartoon character? Already at a young age these advertisements are setting up unhealthy eating habits. In this 2009 health study on TV viewing and food consumption, researchers found that children eat 45% more food when exposed to food advertising. These habits lead into adulthood as this study also found that adults consumed more as well after exposure to food advertising.

I can see you thinking to yourself, “Well there is an easy fix to this, why don’t we just start marketing healthier food?” That would seem like the most logical answer, but this has its pitfalls as well. When the healthier food companies start using the same tactics as the junk food people, say using a popular character to advertise their product, they are influencing children to buy their product because their favorite character is selling it, not because they actually want the food in the commercial. It is important to help children make food choices based on their own needs, such as hunger or good nutrition, not because Ronald McDonald is telling them to. Building a healthy relationship with food at a young age is important because those skills will carry on into adulthood and educate children on how to make healthy choices and take care of themselves.

I know it can seem like an overwhelming task for parents to fight against the millions of advertisements that are constantly being shown to their children. Heck, it’s hard for adults to navigate their own food choices when it comes to advertising. Here are a few ideas to try out (for both kids and adults) when it comes to not being swayed by food advertisements.

1. Stop and decide if you are actually hungry. You just saw a commercial for a Dorito Taco at Taco Bell when, suddenly, you REALLY want a taco. Or maybe your child has come running at you telling you they NEED to have a happy meal even though they just had breakfast 2 minutes ago. Before you drive to Taco Bell or rush out to get a happy meal for your tot, take a second and stop. Are you really hungry? When was the last time you ate? What about the commercial was appealing to you? Taking the time to really evaluate why you want food will cut the chance of you eating just for the sake of the advertisement. Talking through these questions with your child can help them start to learn how to make proper food choices, such as eating when they are actually hungry versus eating because they just saw food on TV.

2. Limit the amount of time you spend watching TV. My husband Adam and I have not had cable TV for the past 3 years for numerous reasons, mainly cost. Now before you think we are total nut jobs who just sit and stare at each other or only (gasp!) read for entertainment, we do have Netflix and we watch plenty of TV shows and movies. What we do not, or very rarely, watch are commercials. Netflix does not have commercials and because we don’t have “regular” TV we are not exposed to advertising in this form. I have no clue what food specials are running at local fast food place or what the next crazy food concoction some company has come up with. Because I don’t watch TV, I don’t have any desire for or knowledge of these things and I believe that has really helped with leading a healthier lifestyle. I understand that not everyone wants to cut off their cable and that is totally your decision. You can however choose to limit your time watching TV. Limiting your exposure to advertisements weakens their effect on you. Many people have some form of DVR, so you could even record your favorite shows and fast forward through the commercials. Better yet, how about cutting down your TV time and doing something to promote your health? Play outside, read a book, take a new exercise or cooking class. By getting away from the television, you also get away from the advertising.

3. Let your children play a part in their eating. This last tip is more for children. Instead of making every single food choice for your child, involve them in the process. For younger kids, give them plenty of healthy options at mealtime and let them choose what to eat. At the grocery store, give kids a list of healthy foods that you are willing to buy and let them pick a few to find and purchase. For older kids, let them help you cook. Get them to pick out a recipe they want to try or simply have them help you prepare food for dinner. Being allowed to be a part of their own eating lets kids find out what foods they like or don’t like and lets them have some control over their habits.

These are just a few ideas to get started, but there are plenty more out there. Here are some more in depth tips for children of various ages. Just because those tips are aimed at children though doesn’t mean they can’t be helpful to adults as well. Remember you are just as susceptible to advertising as children, even if you do know better. Like I said earlier, advertisers are smart and know how to reel you in. As long as you are conscientious and aware, you can avoid unhealthy pitfalls and even help the future generation find their best health!

What I Learned from My Dad

June 17, 2013 / ktbuchs87

This past weekend was Father’s Day and today is my dad’s 50th birthday, so I thought in honor of all the dad awesome-ness I would write a post on some important things that he has taught me over the years.

I can really only attribute my passion and curiosity for health and nutrition to my dad. I’ve mentioned before that he is a kinesiotherapist, and he also knows a plethora of information on the way the body works as a whole. He is always eager and willing to share that knowledge with me and I have grown to love everything about the way the body works and how we can help it to perform at its optimum levels. I honestly don’t think that I would have started this blog or begun my pursuit of my own health goals without his help and guidance.

I think that one of the most important lessons that my dad has taught me is this; no matter how many times life knocks you down, you can ALWAYS get back up and rebuild. While this can and does apply to so many aspects of life, I got to thinking how it can directly apply to your health. I know for me personally, there have been so many times that I have failed when it comes to my health. I struggled for years to try and lose weight or establish a consistent exercise program or eat better. How true is that for so many of us? It seems like falling off the health wagon is so much easier than finding something that works for us.

But it is so important to keep trying. Your health is vital, and good health makes your life so much more enjoyable and easier. If I had given up after the first time I faltered, I would never be where I am today. Yes, finding a healthy lifestyle that works for you will take time and you will most likely fail or struggle at some point, but you are strong enough to pick yourself back up and try again. I have been blessed enough to have a father who instilled that in me and has always been there to encourage me to get back up and fight for what is important. So if you are struggling right now, or have given up, know that I believe in you and I know that you can dust yourself off and jump back into the game!

And to my dad, thank you so much for everything that you have taught me, I am a much better person because of it. Happy Birthday D!

Yup, that’s his kilt in Buchanan plaid!

How do I look?

June 10, 2013 / ktbuchs87 / 1 Comment

I am not perfect. Thank you Captain Obvious, right? Of course I’m not perfect, no human is perfect. I think that people who have health or fitness blogs sometimes get put on this pedestal as totally in sync with all things nutrition and exercise. This could not be farther from the truth, at least for me. Yes, I have figured some things out and I have better health than I ever did before, but I still struggle daily and have a lot of learning and growing to do when it comes to my health. That is what I love about health, it’s a journey that we all have to go through and evolve as our health evolves.

That being said, I wanted to share a personal post with you today. I have gone back and forth about whether or not to talk about this, but I have decided that in order for me to move forward I have to get this out in the open. No one likes to admit that they struggle or have issues, but we all have them so there should be nothing to be ashamed of if you have to say, “Hey, I’m dealing with this right now.” It’s a part of the process of working through that struggle.

I have shared my story with weight loss/gain and my issues with self-image before. I have come leaps and bounds from the girl I was back then to who I am now. That is why it has troubled me that some self-image issues have started to pop back into my life. I have noticed lately that I am becoming very focused on the way my body looks. I spend more time looking in the mirror, zeroing in on what I believe to be my imperfections. I find my thoughts turning to things like “How do I look in this outfit?” or “Are people staring at my stomach?” Because of my past with these struggles, I know that this is a dark and unhealthy road to start down.

It’s tough in a society that places a very high value on looks to NOT think about your appearance, but I do not want to place all the blame on other people or the world. Yes, they contribute to the problem, but they aren’t the only factor. For me, I seem to have this distorted and unrealistic view of what I should look like. This is partly due to constantly looking at airbrushed models when I was younger and believing that woman truly looked like that. Luckily over the years I have gotten wiser and know that there is no possible way that any woman can have the body that is portrayed in so many magazines and other media. So why am I having a problem now, knowing all that I know and going through all that I have gone through?

The simple answer is, I’m not totally sure. I think though that I will always have to battle my self-image demons and the little voice that whispers to me that I should look a certain way. I have fought that little voice before, so I know that I can do it again. How am I going to try and work through this? I want to shift my thoughts from what I look like to what I can physically do. I was thinking about that this week and I was shocked at all the things my body can do that I never thought was possible before.

I can run over 6 miles in less than 50 minutes. When I first started running, I could barely get through one mile without dying. I can touch my toes (and some days even the floor) and hold difficult yoga poses, like the wheel, for a significant period of time. I could barely do downward dog when I first began yoga. I can hold a plank, and do some advanced variations, for 5 consecutive minutes. I used to collapse after a minute of planks (if you could call barely raising my body off the floor a plank). I can do a headstand and barely need to use a wall for support any more. A month ago I struggled to even get my feet off the floor, let alone above my head. These are just a few of the things I thought of that I can do. When I look at all the things I have accomplished in the last few years, it doesn’t seem so important to have washboard abs or buns of steel. Not to toot my own horn, but I can do some pretty amazing things that have NOTHING to do with the way I look.

I used to struggle just to get my feet in the air, now I barely need the wall

Furthermore, I have so much more knowledge about how to live a healthy lifestyle. I can move through a kitchen with ease and create a delicious and nutritious meal. I can give others advice and help on how to live a healthier life. I started a blog that, hopefully, motivates and inspires my readers to change for the better. None of these things are dependant on the way I look.

The wheel. It’s not perfect yet, but I never thought I would be able to even lift my leg off the floor when I first attempted this pose

I know that there are some of you reading this right now who are going through self-image problems. You look in the mirror and don’t like what you see staring back at you. You hate the thought of other people looking at you, believing they are constantly judging the way you look. You wish there was some way you could look like someone else and finally be happy. Trust me, I’ve been there, and done that, and am still there sometimes. I encourage you to look at other things in your life that have nothing to do with your looks. Find all the accomplishments and amazing things that you can do that don’t hinge on your reflection in the mirror. For me, those accomplishments have made me feel empowered and I think that your achievements can give you a strength that you might not have realized you had. Don’t stop there either. Once you have listed your awesomeness, make new goals. That way you can work towards something and feel super proud of yourself when you have another item to add to your awesome list. Me? I am going to turn that headstand into a handstand and not use the wall for support. I am going to work towards running 10 miles and then a half-marathon. I am going to continue to expand my knowledge of health and nutrition and share it with as many people as I can. I am going to work on not judging the way I look and start focusing on all that I can do. Because I am so much more than just a reflection in the mirror.